Tofu Sunshine Burgers

I hear a lot in the blogosphere about the quest for "the perfect veggie burger". It seems like standards are much higher for veggie burgers than regular beef or turkey burgers - they have to have the perfect texture (firm with a bit of crunch to them), hold together well, and have lots of flavour.

I guess I would have to say that while I've made lots of different kinds of veggie burgers, I'm still on my quest for one that meets those high standards! Usually my veggie burgers get good marks on flavour, but they barely pass on the texture and holding together well tests. Somehow I always seem to end up with burgers that taste good but are a bit on the mushy side and crumble easily.

Luckily, I've figured out a couple of tricks to improve on those two veggie burger flaws, and my latest attempt - these tofu sunshine burgers - have both great texture and hold together really well!

For the texture issue, I've discovered that brown rice makes a great addition to veggie burgers to add bits of chewiness throughout.  The first time I tried using brown rice in a patty was when I made The Vegan Chickpea's Sunshine Burgers.  I loved how crunchy they were from the rice and sunflower seeds, so I used her recipe as a guide for these burgers.

I combined that recipe with one from Canadian Living for carrot, tahini and tofu burgers. A lot of veggie burgers use an egg to bind the ingredients, but in this vegan recipe, the thick tahini and blended tofu help to act as glue to hold everything together, making for a firm burger that's more similar to a storebought patty than the crumbly, mushy homemade ones that I'm used to.

And last but not least, these veggie burgers also have lots of flavour! The spices really come through, especially the curry powder, and the parsley, garlic and tahini add a Mediterranean flair. These work well on a bun or in a pita with lettuce and a creamy spread like hummus, tzatziki, or a tahini-yogurt sauce (which is what I made for mine, shown in the photos).

And if you want even more veggie burger inspiration, Courtney from The Fig Tree recently did a round-up of 25 veggie burger recipes, so you can find some more ideas on her list!  I've already tried out one of the methods of wrapping the burger in lettuce leaves instead of using a bun with my leftovers of these burgers - a fresh and tasty way to eat them!

Tofu Sunshine Burgers
Adapted from Canadian Living and The Vegan Chickpea

1/4 cup dry brown rice

1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 large clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup shredded carrot

1/4 tsp cumin

Dash of cayenne

175g firm tofu (Soyganic sells a package this size, or just use half of a regular sized package)

1.5 tbsp tahini

2 tbsp packed chopped parsley

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

Ground pepper

1/2 tsp curry powder (optional)

2 tbsp raw sunflower seeds

Preheat oven to 400°F and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Cook rice according to package directions. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring. Add the carrot, cumin, and cayenne and cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and set aside.

Drain the tofu and place in the bowl of a food processor. Add tahini, parsley, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and curry powder (if using). Process just until everything is mixed together. Add the carrot mixture and sunflower seeds and process again briefly. Add the cooked rice and pulse a few times until the rice is mixed in.

Form mixture into five equal patties, pressing down so that they are evenly flat. Place on prepared baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until lightly browned and firm on the outside.

Serve warm, with buns, pitas, or lettuce wraps and desired toppings (e.g. hummus, tzatziki, lettuce, cucumber, tomato, sprouts).

Makes 5 patties.

Tofu, Broccoli & Pineapple Rice Bowl with Pineapple-Peanut Sauce

Happy long weekend! I can't believe it's already the last weekend of August, which to me pretty much equals the end of summer, since school starts back up next week. As a grad student, I don't really get to experience the whole "back to school" process anymore, since my program runs all year long, but I still get caught up in the excitement of all the students returning to campus and the feeling of a fresh new start!

But until Fall officially begins, I'm going to enjoy every last drop of summer that I can!  That means spending as much time outside in the sun as I can, and eating up the rest of summer produce.

It also means that I'm still focusing on tropical fruits like pineapple.  There was an amazing sale on pineapples at the market last weekend, so I bought one without any specific plans for it.  After eating some with my yogurt for breakfast, I came up with this tasty dinner recipe.

I love pairing pineapple with broccoli, and I had been wanting to make my own rice bowl after seeing this recipe on Babble. I thought that a spicy peanut sauce would go perfectly with my broccoli, pineapple and tofu combination, and then I remembered that I had bookmarked a recipe for a pineapple-peanut sauce, which sounded even more appropriate!

I kept the dish as simple as possible - all you need to do is blend up the sauce, prepare a serving of rice, and  cook the tofu and vegetables.  Then everything gets mixed together in a bowl, which you can add as much sauce as you like to - I always prefer having extra sauce on my dish, so I used the full amount!

This was an easy single-serving meal complete with fruit, veggies, protein, and carbs. I thought all of the components went so well together, and I especially loved the chewy tofu and the sweet-and-spicy sauce that had a hint of peanutty flavour!

I'm looking forward to more delicious summer meals enjoyed outside with my family this weekend. Hope you all enjoy the long weekend too!

Tofu, Broccoli & Pineapple Rice Bowl with Pineapple Peanut Sauce

~100 grams firm tofu

1/4 cup dry brown rice

1/2 tsp vegetable oil

1 cup diced broccoli

1/2 cup diced fresh pineapple

2 tbsp water

1 tbsp cashews (toasted in a dry skillet if desired)

1-2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Pineapple Peanut Sauce
Adapted from Robin Robertson
1/4 cup chopped fresh pineapple
2 tbsp peanut butter
2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
1/2 tsp sriracha
1/2 tsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger
pinch of salt

Prepare the sauce by adding all ingredients to a blender and pureeing until smooth. 

Lay tofu between layers of paper towels and press under a heavy book for 15-30 minutes. When done, slice into cubes.

Cook the rice according to package directions.  When it is done, transfer to a bowl.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the tofu pieces and sauté, turning occasionally, for 7-8 minutes, until lightly browned.  Remove and set aside.

Keep the pan heated and add the broccoli, pineapple, and water to the pan.  Cover with a lid and let steam for about 2 minutes, shaking the pan a couple of times to toss the broccoli around.

Remove lid and reduce heat to low.  Add the tofu to the pan and pour about half of the sauce over everything. Stir to mix and let cook for 1-2 minutes, until heated through. 

Pour the contents of the pan over the rice.  Top with the cashews and garnish with cilantro.

Heat the remaining sauce for about 10 seconds in the microwave.  Serve sauce on the side and stir in extra to the bowl if desired (I used all of mine!)

Makes 1 serving. 

Sweet Potato Coconut Cashew Rice

A lot of people probably think of rice as a boring side dish, but this sweet potato coconut cashew rice bowl definitely proves that plain rice can be transformed into an incredibly tasty meal!

I love both sweet potatoes and coconut in any form, so when I saw this recipe on The Family Kitchen, I knew I would be making it myself as soon as possible!

You actually get a double dose of coconut in this dish - I changed the recipe so that the rice is cooked in coconut milk to soak up the flavor better, and then you toast some shredded coconut and mix that into the cooked rice.  I love the smell and taste of toasted coconut, and even though it is usually used in dessert recipes, I thought it fit perfectly in this rice dish!

Between the chunks of sweet potato, the coconut, the raisins and the maple syrup, this meal was a bit on the sweeter side, but it was also balanced out by the spices, cilantro and some chopped spinach that I added to increase the nutritional value a bit more!

So as long as you have a bit of a sweet tooth and you like coconut as much as I do, I'm sure you will love this rice too!

Sweet Potato Coconut Cashew Rice
Adapted from The Family Kitchen

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/3 cup chopped cashews
2 tsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 cup Jasmine or Basmati white rice (I used Jasmine)
1 cup water
1 cup coconut milk
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp ground ginger
pinch of salt
pinch of cinnamon
2-3 tbsp sultana raisins
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
2 cups chopped spinach
chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400°. Place the diced sweet potato on a baking sheet and toss with a bit of olive oil. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until tender. 

Heat a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add the coconut and cashews. Cook for a few minutes, stirring often, until the coconut is lightly toasted and the cashews are lightly browned. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add the olive oil to the pan.  Once the oil is hot, add the onion and cook for about 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for about 30 more seconds. 

Add the rice, water and coconut milk to the pan. Stir in the spices and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 12 minutes (or cook according to rice package directions).

Once the rice is done, remove the pot from the heat, take out the bay leaf and add the raisins. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Remove lid and fluff the rice with a fork. 

Stir in the maple syrup and spinach, and the reserved sweet potato, coconut and cashews.

Serve warm. Garnish with cilantro. 

Makes about 4 servings. 

Mango, Cucumber & Squash Rice Salad

I made this salad a couple of weeks ago and I wanted to make sure I shared it before the summer ends!

The recipe comes from the summer issue of Food Network Magazine, which I love reading. I must have passed over this recipe when I first saw it in the magazine, but then when it appeared on Perry's Plate, it suddenly became much more appealing and I knew I wanted to make it!

This is a cold rice salad that uses a mix of grains, a light dressing and a combination of fresh ingredients that make it a healthy and refreshing summer meal. In addition to the mango and cucumber, I added some raw pattypan squash - I saw it at my local natural food store the day I planned on making this salad and it was so adorable that I had to buy some! The salad would still be great without it, but I liked having an extra vegetable in there.

If you're looking for a nice summery dish to make this Labour Day weekend, I recommend this recipe! It would also be great to bring to a potluck or a BBQ as a side dish because it makes a large amount.

Mango, Cucumber & Squash Rice Salad
Adapted from Food Network Magazine, as seen on Perry's Plate

1.5 cups uncooked rice blend (I just used a packaged mix of long grain and wild rice)
1/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 large mango, peeled and diced
About 1/2 to 2/3 of an English cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
2 pattypan squash (or 1 summer squash), diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1/3 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
zest and juice of one lime
2 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp agave nectar
Pinch of salt and ground pepper

First, cook the rice and quinoa. If you are using microwaveable rice: Cook the rice according to package directions. Bring a small pot of water to a boil on the stove. Add the quinoa and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and let sit for 5 minutes before lifting the lid and fluffing the quinoa with a fork.

If you are not using microwaveable rice: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the rice and cook about 15 minutes. Then add the quinoa to the water and cook an additional 15 minutes.

When the rice and quinoa are done cooking, drain and spread out on a baking sheet or shallow dish. Put the dish in the freezer to cool down.

Meanwhile, whisk together the lime juice, zest, oil, agave, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

Prepare the remaining ingredients (mango, cucumber, squash, jalapeno, nuts and cilantro).

When the rice and quinoa have cooled, transfer them to a large bowl. Add the remaining salad ingredients and pour the dressing overtop. Toss to combine.

Refrigerate until ready to serve. Season with additional salt and pepper, and a squeeze of lime juice when serving if desired.

Makes about 4.5 cups.