MUSHROOM ONION YAM BURGERS: KEEPIN' IT REAL YO

I don't feel like I am missing anything when I eat a good veggie burger; all I want is something dense, flavourful, and hearty to bite into and it's really easy to get that with fresh ingredients. Plus you're getting multiple servings of vegetables in for the day, as well as - with this recipe - some super foods like chia and hemp seeds. But to be honest, I think any edible raw plant can be seen as a super food. I don't miss one thing about meat burgers. A round of rotting, ground-up flesh that was once a sentient being who had a mom? Sorry I'm not drooling... I'll stick to eating veggies.

There is ALWAYS a new study excitedly telling us Westerners that a previously unheard-of herb recently found in the jungle has an antioxidant level off the charts and has a specific nutrient that fights cancer so we should all be sure to include this specific plant in our diets from now on. I feel like no one is getting the broader picture: we should just eat more plants, they are powerful medicine. Like the brilliant Michael Pollen wisely advises in his best-selling book In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Bam. Also get in some sunshine, lots of clean water, plenty of z's, a few laughs and a good workout - that is health! There is nothing complicated about it, nor should there be. The simplest solution has the highest chance of being the right one.

Okay getting completely side-tracked but my mom just came in here and handed me a bag full of raw macadamias! Oh. My. Nuts. I am so excited. It's not a huge bag but it cost like $25, so I will savour every macadamia as if it were gold; actually gold probably tastes gross and macadamia nuts are more valuable in any case so scratch that - I will savour every one for the delicious, creamy, crunchy, wholesome treat it is.

Aaaaaanyways - back to burgers. These babies are keeping things juicy and satisfying with only the freshest ingredients and mind-blowing flavours. If you like yams, mushrooms, onions and tastiness then you will love these. I know a lot of you like to keep fat to a minimum (I'm with ya) so these are very low-fat. You're welcome. Hehe.

Of course... we all need fat in our diet so when you ARE looking to get your daily intake, go no further than this chocolate buttercream tart (or any dessert recipe on my blog). Hurray for omega-3's and all the other vital nutrients nuts, avocados, and coconut oil give us! Life is goooood and this song makes it better. So do raw vegan burgers. Let's dance and live long.

yam mushroom onion burgers: makes about 12

Burgers:

1 peeled yam

3-4 chopped white mushrooms

1 peeled, chopped onion 

Salt, pepper and coriander, to taste (and whatever other spices you like)

2 tablespoon chia seeds

2 tablespoons hemp seeds

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes

1/4 cup raisins 

Toppings:

Sliced onions, tomatoes, avocado, nut cheese, lettuce, cilantro, ketchup, hummus (all optional) 

Buns:

Swiss chard leaves or chickpea bread

To make the burgers: pulse all the ingredients in your food processor until it becomes an orange-y mush. Not the most pleasant-looking but it should taste yummy. Form the mixture into patties (mine were about 1/4 cup) and dehydrate for 5-7 hours, or until they are dark and hold their shape. I put mine in the oven at 200 degrees because I'm not too picky about specific temperatures. 

Top off with your condiments and wrap up in green lettuce goodness! Chomp chomp chomp. I eat like a dinosaur. Or a cow. 

raw yam burgers & daikon fries with ketchup

Oh MAN, these are yummy. Fun and easy to make - what else is new? - and equally fun and easy to eat. They do get a tad messy but I trust you can handle this. It's family pizza and movie night at the von Euw household but this week I'm skipping the pizza and snarfing down one of these babies. (I don't literally mean an infant - I don't eat kids.) 

All that's in these burgers and fries is a whack load of vegetables and spices. Goes like this: throw stuff in the food processor, rub things with your hands, toss something in the dehydrator and you'll get a gourmet raw food meal in no time! (Okay, I may have simplified that process a little.) But seriously - it's pretty much that easy. Look at the colours of this food.

It's alive. I'm alive. Let's boogy. 

I didn't actually mean to get daikon for the fries - I was looking for jicama but the grocery store didn't carry it so I went with what there was. The fries turned out great, nonetheless! They have a fresh crunch and are superb with the ketchup. I should say this though - if you are new to raw food and the flavours that go with it - you may want to use jicama for the fries. The burgers are bursting with flavour and when you pile them up with fixing's and lettuce - there ain't no better option for dinner. 

yam burgers & daikon fries with ketchup: serves 5 or so

Burgers:
1 yam 
2/3 cup green onions (or onion)
1 red bell pepper
4 dates
5 tablespoons ground flax seeds
4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
4 large mushrooms
4 garlic cloves 
Salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, basil, turmeric, paprika (to taste)

Fries:
1 jicama root or daikon radish (the size depends on how many you're feeding)
1 teaspoon veg oil (optional but recommended)
Salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, basil, turmeric, paprika (to taste)

Ketchup:
1-2 tomatoes
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes
Salt (to taste)
3 dates
Water or lemon juice (as needed)

To make the burgers: prep the veggies as needed and cut them into chunks. Then pulse all the ingredients in your food processor until everything becomes a thick, wet-ish mixture, but don't pulse too long. You want pieces of the food still visible and you don't want it to be too wet. Adjust according to taste. Then form into patties and dehydrate for 3-4 hours, or use your oven at it's lowest temperature. You could eat them right away if you like, but they won't hold their shape too well. 

To make the fries: peel the daikon and slice into fries. Rub in the oil and spices. Dehydrate for 3 hours or in your oven at it's lowest temperature, (or you could eat them right away if you like).

To make the ketchup: blend all ingredients in your food processor or blender until smooth, adding liquid as needed. Adjust according to taste. Serve the burgers, fries and ketchup with lettuce, tomatoes, marinated mushrooms, onions, sprouts, avocado, and anything else you like. Enjoy!