Off the Grid Kitchen - vegetarian burger

As I get older I feel increasingly passionate about animal cruelty. I’m mostly vegetarian these days. The final push in that direction came when I watched a certain YouTube video shot from a hidden camera at a slaughter house for one of the big burger chains. A young guy was brutally, repeatedly slapping a cow across the face, trying to force it into the chute toward its death. The cow moaned in pain, and the camera captured the terror and confusion in its eyes. I broke down from witnessing the immense cruelty and not being able to do anything about it. I later learned that the abuser in the video was fired, but does that end the problem? Who knows what happens to innocent animals on their path from birth to our dinner table?

Nowadays I may still crave a burger but when I go to bite into one I flash back to that video and just start crying and then I can’t eat. That said, out of deference to my hunter friends I will add that I am not judging them for deer hunting to provide venison for their families. The people I know who rely on hunting for a portion of their protein are not trophy hunters, nor are they cruel. That puts me on the fence about the hunting issue. So, I’ll just move this along to my black bean burger recipe.

Vegetarian burgers don’t always taste appetizing, IMO, usually because of the mushy texture and flat, beany taste. But I have a burger recipe that is so good, at least one meat-eating friend swore it was the real thing. My secret ingredient? Two things, actually: oats for texture and a lot of seasoning for taste. Try it for yourself. Spice it up with your favorite flavors or try something new like, maybe some pesto, or a touch of horseradish…

Vegetarian Burger

1/3 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp cumin (or try substituting a bit of tamari sauce or Worchestershire)

1 ½ cup cooked black beans, lightly mashed

1 cup oats (old fashioned provides more texture)

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

1/3 cup chopped, fresh herbs (whatever you have in the garden; oregano, thyme, basil, savory and parsley all work great for me)

½ tsp dried herbs (same as above)

1 lg egg, beaten

Chill, covered 1 hour to up to 1 day before grilling. Fry 4 to 6 minutes each side.

Makes 4 burgers