Update: The Search for the Perfect Veggie Burgers

I wrote several years ago about how I had been searching for the perfect veggie burgers and was playing with ingredients to try and perfect my own. At the time, I had been vegetarian for about a year and hadn't eaten the many, many veggie burgers that I have today. Let's say I'm enthusiastic about them, k?

Now armed with the wisdom of a million burgers, I present to you my recommendations for best veggie burgers around. I've separated the list into several categories depending on whether you want fast food, portable BBQ burgers, or to make your own.

Portable (Grocery Store)
The best burgers I've had that I actually bought at a grocery store are undoubtedly the PC Mushroom Swiss Vegetarian Burgers. Though these are your standard soy-based patties, the mushroom and cheese addition make them far from bland.

Special Mention: I am definitely a fan of Licks' nature burger, but I've only had it in-store. They are sold frozen in some grocery stores though, so if you want they are probably worth a shot.

Restaurant

The trouble with getting veggie burgers at restaurants is 9 times out of ten it's on the menu just to pacify any vegetarians who happen to wander in. This means you are likely getting one of only a few varieties of frozen soy patties, not anything original or remotely inspiring. This said, there are still many honourable mentions in this category and I know I will omit some of my favourites. In particular, I had an absolutely dynamite mushroom based burger in Chicago, but for the life of me I can't remember what it's called. There is also VegOut in London, which puts forth a valiant effort and offers a solid vegan menu in general. Lastly, although I've never had a veggie burger at Toronto restaurant FRESH, everything else on their menu is so good, that you can't go wrong trying it. 

However, definitely my favourite veggie burger at the moment however is at Harper's Burger Bar in Kingston, ON. Aside from having a fairly well executed chickpea patty, what sets Harper's apart is that they really make the burger come alive with their toppings. Every single burger on their menu (my favourite is "the Delicious", with avocado, BBQ sauce, and an onion ring) is able to substitute the chickpea patty in, which means every time can be different and a new adventure. 

(Photo: Harpers in Kingston)

Recipe

So here is it, the piece de resistance. As a veggie burger enthusiast, I've tried a lot of different recipes to see what works: chickpeas, mushrooms, kidney beans, you name it. I've even tried every conceivable binding agent to keep things together, whether is was bread crumbs, oats, nuts, eggs...everything. Here's what I came up with.

After all my experimenting, what I found had (by far) the best outcome was adapting a recipe for chana masala (indian dish of chickpeas in a curry sauce) to suit my needs. This particular recipe used cream and ground almonds to make a really rich, creamy sauce. All I did was scrap the cream altogether and double the amount of almonds. What you want to go for is a substance that binds as much as possible (any fresh veggie burger will fall apart) and has great flavour - the almonds accomplish both of those goals. I wish I could give you an exact recipe but it's a little different every time.

My recommendation is this: learn how to make chana masala, and then pull back on the liquids and add almonds. Remember, this is all to your taste - as long as you have the foundation, you can't go wrong. Top with some raita (an indian yogurt dip) and fresh chopped cilantro. It'll be a big hit!

Incredible Soup, from Scratch! (almost)

Whether you are vegetarian or not, you will LOVE this recipe for Mexican style tomato soup.  You can even make it vegan by simply omitting the sour cream.  Makes 10-15 bowls, and ideal for large parties or freezing

Ingredients:
45 roma tomatoes
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 bulb garlic
olive oil
vegetable broth
salt and pepper
cayenne pepper
fresh cilantro, chopped
sour cream
tortilla chips

Instructions:
1. Cut the tomatoes in half.  Cut out the fleshy bits and seeds, and lay on baking sheets
2. Cut off top of the garlic bulb.  Cover in oil and place on the sheet with tomatoes.
3. Toss the tomatoes in oil; enough so that they are covered, not so much that they are swimming.  Lightly season with S&P
4. Bake tomatoes at 375F for about 40 minutes.  You will know they are done when the sugars caramelize and leave black marks on the baking sheet.  This is the most difficult part and may take some practice, but fortunately the recipe isn't ruined if you don't get it quite right.  Longer cooking times and more caramelization means a more smokey flavour to the end product.
5. Blend tomatoes and garlic in a food processor.  Place in a large pot and put on low heat
6. Pour vegetable broth on baking sheets and heat on medium high on the stove until the caramelized tomato juices loosen and you are able to scrape them off.  The broth should take on a dark brown colour.  Add to pot and stir
7. Drain and rinse beans.  Add to soup along with corn.  Continue to stir on low heat.
8. Add salt, pepper, cayenne pepper to taste.  If you want a bit more smokey flavour you can also introduce a bit of red wine to the mix
9. Serve in a bowl and top with cilantro, sour cream and tortilla chips to taste.  1-2 tbsp of each is about right, depending on tastes


It's a bit tricky to get it just right, but the end result is some of the best soup you will ever have.  It's smokey, sweet and springy, and just a bit spicy (depending on the cayenne).  It even works with canned plum tomatoes, so you can give it a try in season or not!

Great Potato Salad Recipe (Courtesy of Mark Bittman)

Normally I don't post recipes, but this one is simply superb. Please bear in mind that Mark Bittman used entirely approximate amounts, so adjust based on your tastes

Ingredients:

3 Yams/Sweet Potatoes, peeled

1/3 of a red onion, sliced into squares

3tbsp olive oil

Juice from 2 limes

1 Jalapeno Pepper

2 cloves of garlic

1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 can black beans

1. Dice the potatoes into bite-sized cubes and roast on a baking sheet with onions for approximately 25 minutes at 375F

2. Combine oil, garlic, lime juice, and jalapeno into a food processor. Blend until fine

3. Remove potatoes and onions from oven, and allow to cool

4. Drain and rinse black beans until clean

5. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Toss and serve.

It's just that easy, and truly blows regular potato salad out of the water. Check out out some of the pictures we took making it last night, and find the original vid here.

Citrus-y, sweet, springy, and just plain awesome. Who said eating vegetarian had to be boring?

Where's the Beef?

Paula Alvarado recently posted a study on Treehugger, concluding that Brazillians take global warming more seriously than Americans and many EU countries as well.  Alvarado uses the study to hail South America's progressive views on the environment, as opposed to many Northern countries that are dragging their feet.  However, it is difficult to extract any real conclusions from the study, as Brazil is a major environmental offender, ESPECIALLY regarding climate change.

It is now a well known fact among the environmental-minded that Brazil's enormous growing cattle industry comes at the expense of the extraordinarily biodiverse Amazon rainforest.  In order to create grazing space for cattle, enormous sections of rainforest are being plowed and burned.  This means in addition to the extremely carbon-intense practice of raising cattle (methane), more carbon is being released from the clearing of the forest (plus the future carbon that will no longer be absorbed).  Many companies have pulled their support from Brazillian cattle, including Wal-Mart and Timberland, recognizing the absolute unsustainability of the practice.

So, what does this all mean?  On one hand, the Brazillian people say they care about climate change and are willing to make sacrifices to that end, but their country as a whole is acting quite differently.  It remains to be seen whether there is a disconnect between government and citizens, ignorance, or perhaps it's all just hot air...

Late Night Post- Vegetarianism

So it's late and I am unable to sleep, so I thought I would post an entry.  I been asked a lot lately about why I made the choice to cut meat out from my diet, and usually I brush it off with a quick answer about my health or animal rights, usually whatever I think my audience will most easily understand.  Frankly, I feel a full answer would be overwhelming for most people who have asked, and would come off as preachy, which is not my intent.  In fact, there are a number of reasons why I have been veggie for 8 months now and why I intend to spend the rest of my life doing so, barring some unforseen circumstances.  I thought I might list a few of them for people to browse through since I have been asked a lot and really have never tried to give anyone a full answer, including myself.

In no particular order...

1. My health- there is no question that a properly executed vegetarian diet is healthier than most in which people eat meat.  Sure, you can eat meat and be healthy, but vegetarianism also lends itself well to eliminating cetain toxins and ensuring you get essential nutrients

a) Problems with meat- although meat is full of great things like protein, iron, omega3s,                   and all sorts of other great things (depending on which meat), they also tend to come with the added risk of things like heart disease, certain cancers, and obesity.  People also tend to eat meat that is especially bad for you, like pork or low grade beef.  It has been shown that the average North American consumes several times their required amount of protein, and this is due to a severe overconsumption of meat (only 1-2 servings needed per week).  I was a bad offender on this end, which is a major reason why I can't just "cut down" on my meat intake.  I need rules!

b) Greens- one key I have found to avoiding filler like cheese and carbs during my vegetarianism (with moderate success) is to make sure I get my 5-10 servings of fruit and veggies everyday.  If I do that, there is scarcely any room to squeeze in bad things into my diet.  As a result, I am able to get all of the nutrients lost from meat and gained others as well.

c) The results- since I have made the switch, I have lost 20lbs, and have WAY more energy than I did before.  I also feel better generally, since meat stays in your body way longer than plant matter, which can make you feel bloated or heavy.

2. Animal Rights- Let me say first that I don't think there is anything inherenty wrong with eating animals.  I do think there is an issue with how we eat them.

Mistreatment- along with health, the reason I initially started being vegetarian 2 years ago (on and off for the first year) was that I was exposed to some of the atrocities that are being committed against animals in the name of agro-business.  You can say what you want about PETA or KFC videos and the like, but it is common practice to herd thousands of animals into dangerously cramped areas where they spend their entire lives, often in cages.  Chickens, for example, have their wings clipped and often even have their beaks cut off so they won't peck at the others in ajacent cages.  It has been shown that half of the antibiotics andministered every year in the United States are given to livestock, not humans.  This is entirely due to the conditions they are raised in, which promote high risk of disease, which may spread quickly through the herd.  Even still, disease is commonplace and treated with mass slaughtering of the affected animals.  In 2004, 17Miliion turkeys were killed in Fraser Valley, BC because of an avian flue outbreak.  17 MILLION.  Speaking of which, I promise you don't want to know how your thanksgiving turkey is killed.

Needless Killing- I have been asked before, why don't you eat free range organic?  First of all, I do, when it comes to eggs and the animal products I do eat.  Mostly though, I feel we have come to a point where we don't need to kill animals to survive, so I don't.  I personally could not kill a cow or a pig or a chicken myself, and to me, it is impossible to rationalize paying someone else to do my dirty work for me.  It is far too easy to forget about how many lives are used up unnecessarily for our food, and people understandably don't want to think about it.  Regardless, here it is.  Annually, 10 BILLION animals are consumed for food... just in the Unite States.

3. The environment- I won't get into the math right now, but it has been shown that the industrial method of raising livestock is more harmful to the environment than any single other human activity (excluding energy production).  Currently, it accounts for approximately 18% of greenhouse gas emissions, which includes mass amounts of carbon, and also methane, which is far more dangerous.  That is more than cars and the aviation industry, to put it to scale. Furthermore, industrial raising of animals is responsible for immeasurable effects regarding land degredation, deforestation, excessive pollution of our soil and waterways, and the list goes on and on.  Specifically, 70% of the world's agricultural land is dedicated to livestock operations. It is not an exaggeration to say that we could literally solve the world's hunger problems if everyone was vegetarian.  That's how much land is wasted on meat instead of grains and vegetables.

Lastly, I would like to say that although I am very principled in my beliefs regarding vegetarianism, I am hardly a saint.  There are many, many things that disguise their use of animal parts which I have accidentally eaten, and also some which I simply cannot be bothered with.  For example, many types of alcohol use animal parts as a filter in their production (I don't know the science, but it happens) and I don't care to trouble myself to avoid them, since it is a major inconvenience for such a trivial issue.  On a less serious note, I am really bad at remembering not to eat Caesar salad, which has anchovies in the dressing.  I think it is important that I admit these things because vegetarianism is all abou tmaking positive changes, and the worst thing I can do is intimidate someone who is considering making the switch.  At best, I hope I have inspired you, and at least perhaps educated as to some of the reasons I became a vegetarian.

An additional note, if you are/were also veggie, let me know some of the reasons why you decided to do it, and if you stopped, share why you went back to eating meat.  All the best.

TED

I have recently taken quite an interest in watching a lecture series on youtube called the TED seminars (Technology, Entertainment, Design). They are a series of seminars from the greatest scientists, anthropologists, designers, politicians, etc on ways we can help change the world, often relating to their own expertise, but certainly not limited to it. These are unquestionably the best lectures I have ever seen and I highly recommend checking one or two out if you want to learn something without actually having to read anything. They are only about 2-30 minutes each usually so they are quite easy to digest. I have included one relating to health and environmentalism called "What's wrong with what we eat" by Mark Bittman (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YkNkscBEp0). Other speakers have included Al Gore, Jane Goodall, and others, and include subjects ranging from poverty to economic change to global warming to just human nature in general, so there's something for everyone.

Ps, as many of you know, I am a vegetarian, and if you want to know some of the reasons why, or you are thinking about it yourself, check out the Bittman video. In fact, check it out anyways because it's worth watching even from a health perspective. He isn't a vegetarian himself so I promise he won't try and guilt you into it. Preview: Nearly a fifth of greenhouse gases come from industrial livestock production. 10 BILLION animals are killed every year for human use in the United States alone. 70% of the agricultural land in the world (30% of the earth's land surface) is attributed directly or indirectly to producing the animals we eat. Check it out.