Chicago Diner Burger

This recipe is from the December 2007 issue of the Dr. John McDougall newsletter

Vegetarian burgers made without soy, tofu or beans are hard to find, so when I found this recipe online I had to try it immediately. The recipe also included a very high fat dressing (Red Pepper Aioli) to serve over the burger, which was modified into a much lower fat version. The sauce makes the burger very special so give it a try! These were a hit with all of my family members, although some of them preferred the burger with more traditional burger toppings.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Chilling Time: 1 hour
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Servings: makes 14-15 burgers

4 cups water
1 onion, finely chopped
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
¼ cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups rolled oats (not quick cooking)
12 ounce mushrooms, finely chopped
½ cup white whole wheat flour

Place the water in a large pot with the onion, celery, soy sauce, onion powder and garlic powder. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in oats, mushrooms and flour and cook 5 minutes longer. Transfer to a bowl and chill for at least 1 hour, preferably longer.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil baking sheets (see hints below). Shape mixture into burger sized patties and place on baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes (see hints below). Carefully flip over and bake 10 more minutes.

Before serving:
Place baked patties on a non-stick griddle and grill for about 7 minutes on each side, until browned. Serve on buns with Red Pepper Aioli (recipe follows).

Hints: There are quite fragile until after they are baked, so use extra care when flipping them for the first time. I found it worked best if I let them rest out of the oven for at least 5 minutes before trying to loosen them from the pans. I used non-stick baking sheets, but I still had to lightly oil them before using. To lightly oil my pans, I use a very small amount of cold pressed vegetable oil on a paper towel, and then rub that over the pan. Silicone baking pads that fit into the bottom of your baking pans also work well for this recipe.

Red Pepper Aioli

Use this as a topping for the Chicago Diner Burgers, as a dip for raw veggies, or as a spread for crackers or bread.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Chilling Time: 1 hour or longer
Servings: makes 2 cups

1 12.3 ounce package soft silken tofu
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
dash salt
½ cup jarred roasted red peppers

Place the tofu in a food processor and process until fairly smooth. Add remaining ingredients and process until very smooth (this may take several minutes). Refrigerate at least 1 hour for flavors to blend.