As you may have observed in the recipe photo to the left, today I'm dealing with one of the major foes of a food blogger: The Brown n' Beige Blahs.
You know the usual culprits: corn, potatoes, rice, bread. Try as they might, they're just not Cover Girl material. Food bloggers prefer the Heidi Klum's of the culinary world: bright green cilantro, vibrant red bell peppers, and juicy purple blackberries.
Today's recipe is freak-tastically good. It's finger-lickin' tasty. It's literally erupting with flavor. But let's face it, friends: These patties have a face that only a mother could love.
We're talking Baked Cauliflower Dijon Patties. Holy delicious-ness! We served ours on top of a bed of lettuce, smothered with sauteed onions, bell pepper, and garlic, and topped with chopped avocado.
Adam adapted these baked cauliflower delights from a recipe in Lukas Volger's Veggie Burgers Every Which Way. You MUST buy this cookbook. It's loaded with over 150 pages of meat-less burgers and (of course) burger condiments. We're hoping to cook our way through the entire book.
Lesson learned today: Don't judge a book by it's cover. You never know when your Beige n' Brown Blahs will turn into Cover Model material.
Baked Cauliflower Dijon Patties
(adapted from a recipe in Veggie Burgers Every Which Way by Lukas Volger)
You can't tell in the picture below, but there IS a Cauliflower Patty buried under that pile of veggies. While I LOVED the Parmesan crumb topping on these patties, you could easily vegan-ize the recipe by eliminating the cheese. If you're feeling daring though, go ahead and mix some Parmesan right into the burgers. A little more cheese never hurt anyone :)
Ingredients:
- head of cauliflower, cut into large florets
- 3 TBSP Dijon mustard
- 2 TBSP cornstarch
- 1 egg
- 1 TBSP lemon juice
- 2 - 3 TBSP dried parsley (use fresh if you have it; we just didn't have any on hand)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. salt, divided
- 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs, divided
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- For topping: sauteed onions and bell pepper, spinach/lettuce, and chopped avocado
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2) Over a saucepan of simmering water, steam the cauliflower for 8 - 10 minutes, or until very tender (easily pierced with a fork).
3) In a food processor, puree 2/3 of the cauliflower mixture with the mustard, cornstarch, egg, and lemon juice. Transfer to a large bowl. Chop the remaining cauliflower into small pieces and add to the processed mixture. Stir in parsley, pepper, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 cup bread crumbs. Shape into 6 patties.
4) Combine the remaining 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 1/2 tsp. salt, and Parmesan on a plate. Dredge the patties in the crumb mixture until they are fully coated on both sides. Place on prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 - 25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until burgers are nicely browned.
5) Serve on top of a bed of lettuce or spinach, topped with sauteed onions and bell peppers, and diced avocado.
These look delicious! With the exception of pumpkin, my favorite foods are brown and beige :)
ReplyDeleteOh we love cauliflower and this looks soooo good. I am really looking forward to trying this like tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteI haven't had cauliflower in months! I'm totally craving it now!!!!
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Jenn @ Peas and Crayons
Gosh I so need that book!! I really dont care that much for meat, and would so love to experiment with all the ways to replace it! These burgers look excellant!
ReplyDeleteI have a head of cauliflower languishing in my crisper- it may have to be transformed into these burgers. They sound yummy!
ReplyDeleteWow! That sounds awesome! I have cauliflower in my fridge that I was going to throw in soup, but this sounds better...
ReplyDeleteSometimes the best foods are also just boring blah colors---I'm fine with that. It's all about the taste :)
You're too hard on yourself. I think there are downright pretty, especially with the sauteed vegetables. Cauliflower is probably one of my most under-utilized veggies. I really enjoy it but don't cook it often enough. Thanks for reminding me to make it more often!
ReplyDeleteOhhh those sound SO good. I'm always looking for new ways to use cauliflower - what a great recipe!
ReplyDeleteWow, I never would have THOUGHT to use cauliflower as a veggie burger ingredient, but (beige or not) these look delish!
ReplyDeleteSometimes the most "boring" colors produce the most wonderful flavors and textures. This looks and sounds like a winner to me! Thank you so much for sharing with me tonight...and thanks for all the sweetness you leave on my blog...it means so much to me!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love Dijon mustard... oh its creamy yet punchy flavour... I really, like cauliflower as well, and am always looking for ways to eat it = )
ReplyDeleteOh wow--that cookbook sounds great! I am going to have to order it because I am huge fan of burgers without the beef. Thanks for the heads up on this! I'll be anxious to follow you cooking your way through the book! :-)
ReplyDeleteLOL...loved the post! Only a Mama would love them! I'm a Mama, know what you mean...and love them to death! Pretty cool idea, and that sounds like a great book! WOW!!
ReplyDeleteThis looks so good! I have been looking for a good way to use cauliflower. I have never tried it before but I want to cook it and see if I actually like it. :)
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite foods, peanut butter, is brown, so I agree you can't judge a book by its cover! These look delicious brown and all!
ReplyDeleteGosh, I just bought some cauliflower that I was going to use in soup tomorrow, but now I want these too! I love how you guys go all out with the toppings. Onion and avocado are two of my favorite things!
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