Norwitz Notions

I’m always on the lookout for high-protein, lowcarb, vegan, and gluten-free recipes that don’t have soy.  None of us react to soy but it makes up a lot of our protein foods and I want more variety.  So I was thrilled when a friend told me about a recipe for nut burgers she found and made for her family.

The original comes from Victoria’s Health and uses eggs.  I’ve made the recipe twice now with flax goo (for 2 eggs: 2 tablespoons ground flax and 1/2 cup water in a large glass cup, nuke for 1-2 minutes, let cool) instead of eggs and it comes out great.

Nut Burgers

1 cup of walnuts or pecans (I used walnuts)
1 cup of sunflower seeds
½ cup sesame seeds or hemp seeds (I used hemp)
½ cup flax seeds (whole or ground, I used whole)
½ cup oats
One bunch fresh parsley
1 tablespoon soy sauce (tamari)
2 eggs or egg equivalents
2 cups cooked beans (I used 1 1/4 cans of various types including black, kidney, and garbanzo)
2 tablespoons tahini or nut butter (I used cashew butter the first time and left it out the second)

The recipe also calls for 3 cloves of garlic, which I leave out, and suggests optional additions of cooked vegetables or rice, which I haven’t tried.

I add a pinch of salt and a teaspoon or so of chipotle powder for flavor.

Recipe makes about 14 burgers, which is perfect for 2 big dinners for 2 adults and a small child.

The actual making of the burgers is quite simple (assembling the ingredients is the hardest part): dump into a food processor and push the on button.  Form into patties.  Cook that day or freeze on a cookie sheet for later use.

Nut Burgers formed and waiting to be cooked or frozen

There are a few bumps though.

I have a pretty rocking food processor but it’s just a bit too small for the entire recipe.  The first time I made it, the parsley didn’t get processed very well and I had to pull out strands of it and some of the beans stayed whole (you can see this in the picture above).

The mix from the top half of the processor formed easily but the bottom half was insanely sticky.  I tested them carefully though and found no difference in how they cooked or tasted or in the final texture.

The second time I made them I added a bit more liquid and pulled out processed parts into a bowl to make room for more ingredients and mix later.  The bowl was great but the liquid was a mistake.  The burgers were even stickier than before and didn’t form nicely into patties, though they were still okay.  The taste wasn’t as intense but they were still good.

I like to cook them with plenty of oil on medium high heat, so the outside browns a little.  I was afraid the inside would be gooey but it was really good and the whole thing was quite similar in texture to the Amy’s Bistro burgers we often have.  When Michael cooks them, he prefers less oil on low heat.  The insides come out the same as mine but the outsides are like the insides and not browned.

Frozen burgers came out just as well as fresh ones, so this is a good recipe to make ahead.

Variations:

This is a pretty adaptable recipe.  You can make all sorts of changes and still have it come out good.  The original author recommends dried parsley if you don’t have fresh, or you could use another herb.  If you can’t eat nuts, try pine nuts instead of walnuts/pecans.  If you want it 100% soy-free, use any salty sauce in lieu of the soy sauce, or try water and salt.  To lower carbs, you can use edamame instead of beans, or use a cooked vegetable to round out the texture.  I don’t know what would happen if you left out the oats but I suspect the answer is not much.

Serve:

I like my burgers on a plate with mayonnaise, mustard, avocado if available, and plenty of pickled and/or cooked vegetables.  Michael skips the mayo and uses plenty of spicy mustard.  Miriam sometimes likes hers with catsup and prefers her burger cut and and her condiments on the side so she can dip.  Then of course there’s the usual burger in a bun.

I’m very happy with this recipe and it will be one of our staples for a while I’m sure.

Burgers dressed & on a plate