"Enlightened" Chef Chloe's Drive-Thru Burgers & Special Sauce
Eight in a Batch--You'll Definitely Want More! Just Double the Batch & Save Kitchen Clean-Up Time!
My Rule: If you make a recipe four times in less than a month, you know you have a winner on your hands.
People: This one's a winner.
Goodbye Boca Burgers, Match Meat, & Bean Burgers posing as Old-Fashioned Drive-Thru Burgers. This "enlightened" recipe rocks and all the meat-like ingredients are high-powered players: Lentils, low-fat tempeh, & walnuts for crisping/browning.
I totally owe this recipe to the genius of Chef Chloe. I've adapted it from Chloe Coscarelli's cookbook: "Chloe's Kitchen".
I call it "The Enlightened" Best Burger & Sauce, ever!! The texture, the taste, the nutrition--is simply amazing. And, these burgers do not fall apart--like other burger-posers.
Turns out--it makes sense to just double this recipe--and save yourself the kitchen clean-up X two.
By doubling the recipe you end up with 2 pounds, 13 ounces of "plant-based delicious "raw meat". Enough to make 16 burgers, or turn some of it into Italian meatballs, by adding oregano, basil, fennel seed, parsley & red chili pepper--or maybe use some of it for a "no-meat" loaf.
The "raw meat" can be kept refrigerated for 3 to 4 days. If you freeze it "raw", it will keep for one month. Cooked burgers should keep in the FREEZER for two months, maybe more--if they last that long.
Did I mention that it's actually delicious eaten raw? It's all pre-cooked, so it's not really raw. Jazz it up with some Dijon mustard, maybe some sauteed mushrooms, and spices, and Voila! It's chopped liver.
Your choice.
The burger is fantastic on a sprouted whole grain bun topped with Chloe's special sauce, sliced tomato, & pickles or just crumbled on top of a hefty salad & topped with Chloe's special sauce, or my Creamy Chipotle Topping.
Heck, you could crumble it into a burrito with all the fixings. Delicious!
Very versatile.
A Burger & Special Sauce in the Making
It's Much Easier Than It Looks
Two Slabs of Low-Fat Soy Boy Tempeh Cut Into Quarters
Steam the Tempeh for Twenty Minutes - Removes All Hints of Bitterness
Toast the Walnuts for Ten to Twelve Minutes in a 350 Degree Oven
Saute Onions & Garlic Without Any Liquid in a Covered Pan - Stirring Occasionally
Softened Onions & Garlic - No Oil, No PAM, No Liquid
Pulse Processed Steamed Tempeh
Pulse Process TJ's French Lentils (homemade or canned are fine) & Add to the Tempeh
Pulse Process the Toasted Walnuts to Very Fine--Not Into Flour
Mix Oat Flour & Spices Into the Softened Onions & Garlic
Pulse Process the Seasoned & Floured Onions & Garlic
Mix Well - Tempeh, Lentils, Walnuts, & Onion Mixture! Hands Work Best - 2 lbs. 13 oz. - 5 1/2 Cups of "Homemade Plant-Meat"
Raw: A Double-Batch Makes 16 Delicious Burgers - 1/3 Cup of Meat Per Burger
Out of the Oven in Twenty-Two Minutes - Beautifully Browned, Firm & Delicious
No-Fat Creamy Special Sauce with Sweet Pickle Relish & Fresh Dill
The Special Sauce - Can Double as Thousand Island Dressing, Too.
The 100% No-Oil Plant-Based Drive-Thru Burger - Better Than the Real Thing
Crumble It on a Salad & Top with the Special Sauce or Creamy Chipotle Dressing
"Enlightened" Old-Fashioned Drive-Thru Burger & Special Sauce
- 2 8-ounce package of low-fat tempeh, Soy Boy. (This is available at Whole Foods, TJ's or other health food stores.) Note: You can use regular tempeh if you can't find Soy Boy Low-Fat--the fat content is just much higher.
- 1 very large sweet onion, chopped
- 2 or more garlic cloves, chopped (your choice as to quantity)
- 3 cups of already cooked lentils or 1 package of TJ's Steamed French Lentils (17.6 ounces), French or brown are preferred. (I used, & recommend, Trader Joe's aka Melissa's Steamed French Lentils, available in the refrigerated section. It has a long shelf life, so you can stock up!)
- 1 cup of walnuts, toasted (350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. Watch carefully! Note: Chloe uses twice the amount of walnuts)
- 1 cup of oat flour (easily made with rolled oats blended in a Vitamix, but packaged oat flour is just fine) Note: any flour can be substituted.
- 2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, optional
- 2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2/3 cup of Mori-Nu low-fat firm tofu
- 1-2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Dijon or yellow mustard
- 3 tablespoons of ketchup (low-sodium, low-sugar, if possible)
- 2 tablespoons of sweet pickle relish (reserve to mix in AFTER the "wet ingredients" are blended!)
- 1 tablespoon of fresh dill, chopped (reserve to mix in AFTER the "wet ingredients" are blended!)
Preparation:
1. Combine tofu, garlic cloves, mustard, & ketchup in a blender & process until smooth.
2. Add the pickle relish after the ingredients are blended. Mix to combine.
Note: This could easily substitute for a Thousand Island Dressing. Crumble a burger on top of a salad, & dress with the "Special Sauce". A Drive-Thru Burger Salad!
Nutritional Facts Based for 1 Burger = 1/3 cup of "Meat" (Recipe Makes 16 Burgers)
Nutritional Facts for the Works: Drive-Thru Burger, Sprouted Alvarado Street Bun, Tomato, & Special Sauce
I sincerely hope you & your family enjoy these as much as the Lab Rat & I do. It's great have a "storehouse" of delicious burgers in the fridge or freezer that you know are super healthy.
Don't get put off by the process. It's easier than it looks & you end up with 16 burgers.
Let me know how they turn out for you.