I adapted this recipe from The Moosewood Resturant New Classics cookbook. I also found the recipe on-line at
http://www.vegsource.com/talk/recipes/messages/50821.html . My son, the picky eater, was willing to eat these with ketchup, which is saying a lot. I loved them. The next time I will make a double batch and freeze some for a future convenient meal.
Dixie Burgers
(from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics—the book says this makes four burgers but I made seven regular burgers)
These are great topped with B-B-Q sauce and the rest of your favorite burger toppings! I made a few substitutions and that
italicized them along side the original recipe.
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
pinch salt
2 cups grated raw sweet potatoes
1/3 cup minced celery
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/2 cup minced red bell peppers
2 cups stemmed and finely chopped raw collard greens or kale
1 Tbsp soy sauce or
Worcestershire Sauce if you have soy allergies1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1&1/2 cups cooked black-eyed peas (15-ounce can, drained) or
black beansOptional: 4 ounces firm tofu or
raw, soaked cashews with 1 tablespoon lemon juice can be substituted
Heat the oil in a heavy or nonstick frying pan. Add the onions, garlic, and salt, and sauté on medium to medium-high heat for 10 minutes, until the onions are soft and translucent.
Add the grated sweet potatoes, celery, thyme, and allspice and cook for 5 more mintues, stirring often.
Add the bell peppers and the greens or kale, cover, and cook on medium-low for another 5 minutes or until the greens are just tender. Remove from heat and add the soy sauce and black pepper.
Meanwhile, pulse the black-eyed peas in a food processor* along with the tofu if using. Process until mashed but not pureed completely smooth (unless it’s very important that you hide the beans from a bean-hater, in which case I say smoosh away! The book doesn’t mention this sneak-the-beans-in tactic, though!).
Combine the vegetables with the mashed beans, adjust for taste, and form the mixture into patties. You can easily get 4-7 patties from the recipe, depending on how large you want them to be. Place the patties on an oiled baking sheet and bake them for 20 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F oven until they are firm. Serve them with your favorite burger toppings—these are especially good with BBQ sauce in place of the usual ketchup!
*If you don’t have a food processor, you can mash the beans by hand. I mash them on a plate with a fork, but in a bowl with a wooden spoon or a potato masher works too. Hot beans mash much more easily than cool ones, so if you’re beans aren’t cooked fresh and still hot off the stove, you might want to pour really hot or boiling water over them and let them sit for a few minutes before you proceed!
Per 1/4 recipe, without optional tofu: 188 calories, 6.1 grams protein, 4.4 grams fat, 32.5 grams carbohydrates, 1.1 g saturated fatty acids, 490.4 mg sodium, and 5 grams fiber.
