Burgers

This has been one of our favorite things to eat for lunch - Burger Wraps! I've made burgers about 4 times in the past month. We have been really into making lots of other things also: pizzas (just made 4 crusts a few days ago), lasagna (a few times), lots of crackers and dips and more - but burgers may win for frequency.

I made a burger sauce (a sweet mayonaisse with tomato and a bit of mustard), which is great! and another time I made a chili sauce for the burgers, like a sweet and savory BBQ sauce. We bought a stone ground mustard and a habanero sauce that I love from Shashi who sells East Indian food at the market. Indian is a bit of a weakness for me.. and James brought me $58 worth of Indian spices and Masala blends from Toronto when he came.. I have done some experimenting with Indian also.. but here I only went through a temporary phase - it was taking too much of my time, I just put it away.. but the burgers stayed. 1. They are easy  2. They are delicious 3. They are filling.

I havent really followed a recipe, basically its a blend of nuts/seeds/vegetables.. and herbs and spices. You have to get a feel for it - texture-wise, ingredient-wise - so that it holds together well. The last time I made it I decided to use sunflower seeds because I had lots - it was basically 2c sunflower seeds, 1 c walnuts, 3 cups vegetables and I had a cup or so of almond pulp left over from making almond milk.. and for the veg, I just cleaned out the fridge - carrots, cauliflower, red pepper, onion, celery ..I am fairly frugal here, and burgers are great for using up ends of things - we eat insanely well, but food prices are high out here.. I cant even think Toronto prices, often for produce its 40-50% more, maybe its the transport costs? but C'est la vie!  Oh I love mushrooms chopped up in burgers also.. Mmm and garlic ; )

Mushrooms are good for holding the burger together but make it dark.. I didnt have them this time and just ground up the seeds really well to bind the rest of ingredients together. Think about texture with raw foods,  leaving some veg's (or mushrooms or nuts) not chopped up too much can give a nice texture - onions and peppers can give a slight crunch and mushrooms left just chopped can give a tenderness. Parsley and fresh herbs are great for flavor. Spice is always nice. Enjoy, create ..turn the music up and have fun! : )