premium patty melt

Day 10 VeganMOFO Burger Bonanza is a souped-up Premium Patty Melt. Sure it's an easy one - more to the point - a familiar burger. But, unlike a regular patty melt which consists of cheese, burger, bread and is really nothing more than an underrated panini or an overrated grilled cheese, mine is so much more!

I used vegan cheese, melted well, grilled bread and a vegan burger, but this one also has a Special Sauce and caramelized onions and mushrooms.

When onions and mushrooms are cooked properly (onions, low and slow; mushrooms, high sear) they taste incredible. Object is to avoid burning the onions before they are tender and avoid steaming the mushrooms.

I added a sauce (a doctored 1,000 Island dressing) to add some ooey, gooey creaminess that usually comes from a ton of dairy cheese, and to give the sandwich a bit of tang to off-set the sweetness from those fine caramelized onions.

Use your favorite burger patty, grill it up and serve with chips or fries and be instantly transported to the 80's, except this time, go in style!

PREMIUM PATTY MELT PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE

Premium Patty Melt

Makes 4 burgers

3 tablespoons neutral oil, divided

2 large onions, thinly sliced

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

10 garlic cloves, minced and divided

1 pound button mushrooms, sliced

4 burger patties, sauteed, grilled or baked

Vegan butter, as needed

8 slices rye bread

½ cup shredded vegan cheese

Special Sauce, recipe below

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, cover and cook until soft, about 15 minutes. Uncover and season with salt and black pepper. Stir in 4 minced garlic, reduce heat to low and cook until caramelized, about 30 more minutes.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a separate large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in the mushrooms. Cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper and continue to cook until golden, about 7 more minutes. Stir in the remaining garlic and cook for another minute. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Cook the burgers in the skillet, if sauteeing the burgers.

4. Heat the large skillet over medium heat. Spread a thin layer of butter on one side of the bread slices. Add 4 slices of bread to the skillet and add 2 tablespoons of cheese to each bread. Cover the skillet to melt the cheese and toast the bread.

5. Divide the onions and mushrooms evenly over each cheesy bread and add a burger patty to each bread. Spread 2 tablespoons of sauce on the burgers and add the remaining bread slices, butter side up. Flip the sandwiches to toast the uncooked bread slices.

6. When toasted golden, cut the sandwiches in half and serve.

 

Special Sauce

½ cup vegan mayonnaise

1 tablespoon dill relish

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 teaspoon sriracha

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

1. Combine the mayo, relish, ketchup and sriracha in a small bowl. Add salt and black pepper to taste.

© 2014 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.





Last chance giveaways!

Vegan Heritage Press is giving away a copy of "Everyday Vegan Eats" (my cookbook). Enter to win HERE. Contest ends September 14.

Have you entered to win "Vegan without Borders," the soon-to-be-released cookbook by Robin Robertson? Contest ends September 14. Enter HERE.

tempeh-bacon and black bean burger

Day 9 Burger Bonanza Extravaganza is my Tempeh-Bacon and Black Bean Burger with Jalapeño Aioli. This is a simple burger, with classic flavors. It is served with grilled onions and lettuce on an English muffin. Easy!

The aioli is cashew based, with a grilled jalapeño that is cooked alongside the onions. The whole thing comes together on a toasted English muffin, which offers contrast and crunch.

The burger is smoky, a bit salty, a bit sweet and a bit spicy, therefore containing all the important elements of flavor, including bitterness from the lettuce and umami from the nutritional yeast.

In case you missed it, there are two cookbook giveaways closing in the next few days: Vegan without Borders, HERE, and Everyday Vegan Eats, HERE.

I served my burgers with Creamy Macaroni Salad (Tex-Mex Variation, EVE, page 98). You can get the recipe HERE and, of course, in Everyday Vegan Eats.

TEMPEH-BACON AND BLACK BEAN BURGER PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE

Tempeh-Bacon and Black Bean Burger with Jalapeño Aioli

Makes 6 burgers

 

1 tablespoon neutral oil

1 (8-ounce) package tempeh, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 (15-ounce) can black or kidney beans, rinsed and drained well, divided

4 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

1/4 cup quick-cooking oatmeal

1 onion, sliced thick into 6 rounds

6 lettuce leaves

6 English muffins, split and toasted

Jalapeño Aioli, recipe below

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the tempeh and cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Stir in half of the beans, garlic and nutritional yeast. Cook for 2 more minutes. Stir in the tamari and liquid smoke. Remove from heat and stir in the oatmeal. Cool slightly.

2. Cook the onion in a grill pan over medium heat until soft, about 4 minutes per side. Cook at the same time as you are grilling the jalapeño.

2. Add the mixture to a food processor and process until fine but not into a paste. Add the remaining beans and pulse to combine, without breaking up the beans too much. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper.

3. Form the mixture into 6 patties. Cook the burgers in a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat until golden and heated through, about 3 minutes per side.

4. Make the burgers by adding a lettuce leaf to a bottom of a muffin, adding a burger, a slice of grilled onion and the aioli. Top with the other side of the English muffin and serve.

Jalapeño Aioli

1/2 cup cashews

1 cup water

1 jalapeño

2 tablespoons unsweetened plain vegan milk

2 teaspoons lime juice

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

1. Combine the nuts and water in a small saucepan. Bring to boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to soak for 30 minutes. Drain and rinse.

2. Grill the jalapeño in a grill pan over medium heat. Cook until soft and set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the stem and seeds and chop.

3. Combine in a personal blender the cashews, milk, lime and process until smooth. Add the jalapeño and blend until almost smooth. Add salt and black pepper to taste.

 

© 2014 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.