Veggie Burgers

My sister, Jess, and I attempted veggie burgers, and it was a success! Not only did we throw in tons of our week's veggie share, but we also thoroughly enjoyed eating them! After a lot of chopping and a bit of mashing, we had burgers. Not a pretty start, but so good.

They turned out very nutty and a little bit sweet. I'll definitely be making these again.

Here is the recipe, adapted from Sharon Leopardi, owner of BUG Farms:

Baked Beet-and-Carrot Burgers with Brown Rice, Sunflower Seeds, and Cheddar Cheese

• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• 2 cups peeled, grated beets (4-5 small beets)
• 2 cups grated carrots
  
• 1 cup minced onion (about 1 medium onion)
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed (about 1/2 teaspoon)
• 1/8–1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with butter.

2. Place a small, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the sesame seeds and stir them on the dry skillet just until lightly browned and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes, watching closely to avoid burning them. Immediately remove from heat and transfer the toasted seeds to a dish to cool.

3. Return the skillet to the heat. Add the sunflower seeds and stir them on the dry skillet just until lightly browned and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes, watching closely to avoid burning them. Immediately transfer them to the dish with the sesame seeds.

4. Combine the beets, carrots, and onion in a large bowl. Stir in the toasted sunflower and sesame seeds, eggs, rice, Cheddar cheese, oil, flour, parsley, soy sauce or tamari, and garlic (your hands work best here). Add cayenne (use 1/4 teaspoon for spicier burgers) and mix until thoroughly combined.

5. Using your hands, shape the mixture into 12 patties and arrange them in rows on the baking sheet.

6. Bake the patties until brown around the edges, about 20 minutes. Unless they are very large and thick, it should not be necessary to turn them. Serve alone or on buns.