Fun with Vitamix: Veggie Burgers

When your boyfriend is a Chef Instructor at Sur La Table, it is easy to get spoiled with high tech kitchen gadgets. Our most recent splurge was on a Vitamix Blender. These babies are high powered professional-grade turbo speed, yet relatively quiet blending machines and we've been loving taking them for a spin. I love how smoothly it pureed lentils for my veggie burgers...of which of course I made enough for 10 because I didn't read the recipe carefully - 1 cup of UNCOOKED rice yields quite a lot more of 1 cup of COOKED rice! Hey, we ended up adding them to various dishes throughout the week so they never got boring! If you intend to make the same mistake add them to salads, as an accompaniment to sauteed greens or veggies, and of course on various buns of your choice.

Here's the recipe from an article written this Spring in the the NYTimes called Vegetarian Burger Bash.

Curried Lentil, Rice and Carrot Burgers (remember it's always okay to make way more than you intended!)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil

1/3 cup finely diced onion

1 cup finely diced carrots

6 ounces mushrooms, sliced or finely chopped

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoons cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds

Pinch of cayenne (or to taste)

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 cup cooked brown rice

2 1/2 cups cooked brown lentils, drained

1 egg

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat in a heavy ovenproof skillet and add the onion and carrot. Cook, stirring often, until just about tender, about 3 minutes, and add the mushrooms, ginger, turmeric, cumin, curry powder, mustard seeds and cayenne and a pinch of salt. Cook for another 3 minutes or so, until the vegetables are tender and fragrant and the spices aromatic. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large bowl. Add the rice.

2. Purée the lentils with the egg and add to the vegetable and rice mixture. Stir together, season with salt and pepper, and shape into 6 patties.

3. Heat the ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan and, working in batches if necessary, cook the patties for 2 minutes on one side, or until nicely browned. Carefully turn the patties over and place in the oven. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until the patties are lightly browned and don’t fall apart. Remove from the heat and serve, with or without buns, chutney or ketchup and the works.

Yield: 6 burgers.

Advance preparation: These can be put together and shaped up to 3 days before browning. They can also be cooked ahead and reheated in a low oven or in a pan on top of the stove. Keep them well wrapped in the refrigerator.