before tasha left fort mac to be home for her birthday i made us a batch of best veggie burgers ever. expensive, but worth it on special occasions for our waterhead friends:
1 medium sweet potato
1 cup millet (available in health-food stores)
3 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 celery stalk, peeled to remove strings and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small onion, peeled and quartered
3 medium garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup canned chickpeas
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground fennel
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup sunflower seeds, toasted
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped chives
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces buckwheat, radish, or alfalfa sprouts
tahini sauce
olive oil for buns
1. heat oven to 400°. scrub sweet potato, and prick with a fork. bake until tender, about 40 minutes. remove from oven, and peel when cool enough to handle. transfer to a large bowl, mash, and set aside.
2. meanwhile, rinse millet. bring 2 1/2 cups water to a boil; add millet and 1 teaspoon salt. cover, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer until all the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. remove from heat, and add to mashed sweet potato; mix to combine.
3. place carrot and celery in a food processor; pulse to chop finely. transfer from processor to a small bowl. pulse onion and garlic until finely chopped, and add to carrot and celery. heat 2 teaspoons sesame oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. add garlic, onions, celery, and carrots; cook until onions are translucent, about 7 minutes. add to millet mixture; stir to combine.
4. bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. add 1 teaspoon salt and peas; cook until tender but still firm, about 3 minutes. drain; transfer peas to a bowl of ice water for 1 to 2 minutes. drain again, and combine with chickpeas in a food processor; pulse to chop medium-fine. add to millet mixture.
5. add coriander, cumin, fennel, cayenne, flour, sunflower seeds, lemon juice, chives, parsley, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and pepper. mix well, and form into 8 patties.
6. rub those puppies down with sesame oil and toss on the grill for 7-8 minutes each side.
7. serve immediately with sprouts and tahini sauce on buns brushed with olive oil and toasted.
