this week has been one of those i-don’t-know-what-happened-but-it-went-too-fast type of week. whew. i’m glad i made it to this post.

yesterday i made these cupcakes {see pic on instagram} and went to an acoustic concert {watch video and more on vine} … so this is what i’ve been up to. i also updated the cover for the facebook page and it looks cute, nonetheless {see pic on facebook}.

we eat vegetables and fruit every day, and veggie burgers, a favorite in the sparker household, once a month. veggie burgers can be intimidating because of the amount of ingredients, array of flavors, consistency, cooking time, etc. but it’s okay. i understand because i’ve been there, too. although it has tons of ingredients, they are well worth it. there are also tons of variations, but don’t be overwhelmed since the beauty of these burgers is that you can make them with your favorite veggies and get to add whole grains with either brown rice, couscous or quinoa. or just plain without it.

here’s my recipe, which i’m not going to lie, it’s still a diamond in the rough. but, they do have that type of punch-me-in-the-face-flavor to it. really good! oh, and i made a chipotle ketchup to go along with them. mmmm, amazing!!

enjoy :)

i used a combination of mixed nuts and pretzels but you can use only nuts.

pulse a few times until you get fine crumbs.

add carrots, mushrooms, green onions, jalapeno pepper and garlic to food processor and mix well.

spices are the true winners here. add them to the food processor and blend well.

add mixture to a bowl and add crumbs.

puree beans in  food processor.

add beans to veggie mixture along with a beaten egg and lemon juice {not shown}.

form your patties with an ice cream scoop and flatten with hands.

cook patties on little olive oil until golden brown.

add mozzarella cheese so it melts before you take a bite :)

add chipotle ketchup and eat!

make the chipotle ketchup by mixing ketchup, chili powder, honey and lemon juice.

flavorful veggie burgers with zesty chipotle ketchup

ingredients:
1 large carrot, cut in chunks
2 green onions, cut in chunks
1/2 jalapeno pepper {optional}
1 15.5 oz can garbanzo beans
1 15.5 oz can black beans
1 15.5 oz can white northern beans
1 cup mushrooms
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup unsalted mixed nuts
1/2 cup pretzels
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper {optional}
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp flaxseed {optional}
1 egg, beaten
zest 1/2 lemon
juice 1/2 lemon
mozzarella cheese for topping
olive oil for pan

zesty chipotle ketchup

ingredients:
1/4 cup ketchup
juice of 1/2 lemon
zest of 1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp honey

makes 8 to 10 burgers.

directions:

1. in a food processor grind nuts and pretzels until they look like bread crumbs. put in a bowl and set aside.

2. chop carrots in chunks and grind in food processor until small pieces. add garlic, green onions, jalapeno, mushrooms and flaxseed. blend until all ingredients are well combined.

3. add paprika, curry, cayenne pepper and chili powder to food processor and pulse to mix well. put mixture in a bowl and set aside.

4. add all beans to food processor and mix until consistency is creamy.

5. add nuts and pretzels crumbs to veggie mixture. follow with egg, beans and lemon zest/juice.

6. preheat large skillet over medium heat and drizzle with olive oil.

7. with an ice cream scoop form patties. once ready, put them in skillet, four at a time so you don’t overcrowd the pan.

8. cook 4 minutes per side or until golden brown. you can add the cheese once you flip the  burgers so it melts.

9. while the burgers cook, add ketchup, honey, lemon juice, lemon zest, cayenne pepper and chili powder in a bowl and mix well.

10. serve burgers hot and drizzle with the flavorful zesty chipotle ketchup.

11. if you don’t like ketchup, add lemon juice, lemon zest and garlic powder to some light mayonnaise and you have a delicious alternative.

Share This Post