How To Prepare Ace Organic Veggie Burgers

By Janine Hughes


There was a time when vegetarians were regarded as freaks. They were mocked as health nuts who had to have specially prepared meals at restaurants and meals with friends and family. Today, vegetarians are coming out of the closet in droves and specialty vegetarian-only restaurants are popping up all over. Not only are people unafraid to confess to this dietary peculiarity, they can walk into any fast food or other restaurant and order organic veggie burgers.

Organic farming used to be just a matter of avoiding chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Now, it's a national government issue, with countries insisting on farmers using techniques for maintaining biodiversity, conserving natural resources and ensuring ecological balance. It's not just about cow manure any more!

Many commercial vegetable patties use soy as a main ingredient. In many cases, the soy is extracted using hexane, a carcinogenic hydrocarbon. Hexane has been linked to both neurotoxicity and brain tumors. The FDA has not yet set a safe limit on the amount of hexane that food producers may use so nobody really knows how much is safe.

Another advantage of organic fruits and vegetables is they haven't had all taste and nutritive value bred out of them in the interest of increasing yields and resistance to pests. Organic growing methods preserve these. Going organic used to mean going broke. Now, with wide interest in healthier eating, prices have come down. Think of it as an important investment in your health. A healthy worker is a productive workers, attractive to well-paying employers.

If you want to know exactly what is going into your patty mix and you want it to be both tasty and healthy, it is easy to make it yourself. Experiment with different base mixtures, like potatoes and breadcrumbs, or chopped nuts and vegetables. While soy-based mixtures are popular, read the label carefully to make sure it does not contain hexane. Most recipes can be prepared ahead and either refrigerated or frozen. This way, you can give the hostess a break when you go to a dinner party or barbecue.

Nut-based mixtures are popular, healthy and tasty. Toss a handful of shelled nuts into the blender or food processor, add a few vegetables and maybe an egg to hold it together if you are not a vegan. Lentils also make an excellent base for a patty mixture. Find a recipe or two to guide you on the basics and have fun experimenting.

Potatoes, either white or sweet, make an excellent bases for a patty mix. Add breadcrumbs, a few chopped vegetables, herbs and spices and there you go. Another recipe that is making the rounds uses quinoa as a base, along with sweet potato, chopped onions, cilantro, garlic, some basic Indian spices and coconut oil. These can be made ahead and placed in the freezer until needed.

The beauty of preparing your own organic vegetarian patty mixture is you can tailor it to your own needs and tastes. If you have a nut allergy, for instance, you can bring your own and know exactly what you are getting. Vegetable burgers are here to stay. As more and more people are gravitating toward healthy eating plans, they can be part of a nutritious, satisfying diet.




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