BLT and Avocado Burger!

Let me start off by saying, there is an INSANE amount of imitation bacon bits in this recipe! BUT, don't fret, just make your own! Seriously, though, what's a BLT without a ton of bacon?



Ingredients (makes 4 HUGE burgers)
1 cup vital wheat gluten flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup imitation bacon bits
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp steak sauce
2 tbsp ketchup
2 medium ripe avocados
at least 4 leaves of lettuce (I like green leaf)

Mix together flours, bacon bits, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper. In a separate bowl, mix together tomatoes, oil, steak sauce and ketchup. Add wet to dry and knead together until uniformly mixed. Let sit 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prep a baking sheet by lining with parchment or a silicone baking sheet.

Divide mixture into 8 equal pieces, and flatten each piece. Place 1/2 of one avocado, mushed, into the center of 4 of the flattened pieces.



Sandwich with the remaining four pieces and seal the edges.



Bake, covered in foil, for 20 minutes, flip and bake an additional 15 minutes. Serve on a toasty bun with a schmear of vegan mayo and, of course, a nice leaf of crispy lettuce!

A New Year Deserves a New Look...and a New RECIPE!

So I am working on a new page design, and I may be launching a new site, so stay tuned...until then, here's a new burger recipe for you!

Tofu'n'Roots Burger



Serving Suggestion
This burger has a mellow, slightly sweet flavor. I like to compliment this with a schmear of spicy chipotle dipping sauce on a toasted bun with a thick slice of red onion. I like a green side to go with. Streamed kale, broccoli or asparagus would work beautifully here.

Ingredients (makes 8-10 patties)
2 tbsp margarine
1 bulb (5-6oz) fennel, roughly chopped
1 medium (6-7oz) onion, roughly chopped
12 oz peeled and cubed sweet potatoes
2 cloves garlic, chopped
a pinch of salt
2 cups water
1 cup TVP granules
1 tsp cumin
18 oz extra firm tofu, pressed and drained)
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten flour
1 cup all purpose flour
oil for frying (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep a cookie sheet by lining with parchment or silicone baking mat, or spraying with nonstick spray. In a frying pan or skillet, melt margarine over medium high heat. Add in fennel, onion, sweet potatoes and garlic. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Sauté until just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add in 2 cups water, deglaze and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in TVP granules and cumin. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand 10 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and crumble in tofu, and flours. Knead with your hands until very well incorporated. Let sit at least 20 minutes. Form into patties and bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes, or bake 20 minutes, and finish off with a pan fry for about 3 minutes per side.

Talk to me people...

Since you all were so, ahem, blunt about the cover...I ask you now...what about this one?

A full wrap around cover:


The front, isolated:


The back, isolated: