My mom’s classic fishcakes are golden and crispy, simple and delicious – and made with only a few ingredients. It’s one of those recipes you never forget from childhood. They are crispy on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside. They are the Jewish answer to a crab cake (kind of) and so quick and easy you’ll want to make them over and over again!
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Yes, I’m a copycat – but only when it comes to food! My Israeli couscous with root vegetables and my new favorite spice Baharat is case in point. It’s so delicious I can’t make it enough. So who am I copying you ask? There is a great vegetarian restaurant here in Columbus called Little Eater. To say I love the food there is an understatement. The flavor profiles they use are so creative and always delicious combinations you wouldn’t ordinarily expect. Among my favorites are the butternut squash and goat cheese sandwich with onion jam, the sweet potato soup, chocolate chip cookies, and this root vegetable couscous. I literally have cravings for it and decided I needed to make it at home.
Israeli couscous is pasta which is toasted instead of dried and it has a nice chew like orzo. It is sometimes called pearl couscous because it looks like little pearls which make it such a pretty addition to any meal or buffet table. It’s also a nice change from rice or potatoes. I add it on top of salads, serve it as a side, place a bed of it under fish, chicken, lamb or stew, or just eat in a bowl as a little nosh. The ratio of vegetables to couscous in this dish makes it very appealing. If you are trying to cut down carbs it’s a way more than 50/50 in favor of vegetables which you can see in the photo. Plus, it’s very quick and easy even with all vegetable dicing. Start to finish you will be done in less than an hour. Sounds good right?
I have to get off topic for a minute to share this tip with you… a few months ago I took a vegetable butchery class at Little Eater with the owner Cara Mangalini. She shared a wealth of knowledge on how to select, prepare, store, and cook vegetables. One of my favorite takeaways was the concept of using nut oils. She used walnut oil in one of the salads we sampled and you could taste something different which may not have been obvious, but it added something so special to the dish. I have just started to incorporate walnut and almond oil in some of my cooking as a finishing oil, or in dressing and strongly recommend you try it.
Another thing she suggested was to try new vegetables and prepare them in a way that is unexpected. Her couscous has rutabagas and currents which is an amazing combination. As much as I like them, unfortunately, I don’t think rutabagas like me very much. Given that I love parsnips (and they me!), I thought I would use them in my recipe. Plus, I think parsnips are an underappreciated vegetable so it’s time to give it a try if you haven’t already. As for the spice, that was easy. Since my trip to Israel last summer, one of my new favorite spices is Baharat* and I thought it would be a nice combination with the root vegetables because it has a nice warming flavor with notes of cinnamon. Baharat, which literally means spices, is an Israeli spice which if you think of as similar to pie spice with a kick and a little exotic, you’ll at least have a frame of reference.
When creating or recreating a recipe it’s always trial and error. I write down all of the ingredients, guess the ratio and give it a try. It took a few tries, but I just kept adding more and more vegetables until I came up with a version I absolutely love and think you will too. Of course, if you love rutabagas, swap them out with the parsnip.
Oh, and Cara, if you are reading this, Thank you for bringing your vegetable forward restaurant to Columbus! I’ll be in soon for another butternut squash sandwich and of course, a chocolate chip cookie. But I’ll be making my version of your couscous at home. Any Columbus peeps reading this, make a trip there, you’ll be glad you did! But in the meantime, go buy some Israeli couscous! Enjoy!
Makes 8 to 10 side dish servings
Ingredients
1 ¼ pound carrots peeled and diced small ½”
1 ¼ pound parsnips peeled and diced small ½”
¾ cup whole roasted almonds chopped**
½ cup cranberries chopped
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly minced parsley
1 tablespoon fig balsamic vinegar (or other fruity balsamic)
1 teaspoon Baharat
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
For the couscous:
1 cup dry Israeli couscous (also called pearl couscous)
1 and 1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
Heat your oven to 425 degrees. Dice all of your vegetables into a small dice and place into a 5qt bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Place on 2 sheet pans. When roasting, never crowd the pan as the vegetables will steam instead of roasting. Place in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes checking on them after 10 minutes and toss them around. You want them to lightly roast but still have a little bite to them.
While the vegetables are roasting prepare the couscous: In a small pot, bring 1 ½ cups of water to a boil with ½ teaspoon salt. While waiting for the water to boil, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-low heat in a 3 quart saucepan. Add the dry couscous and stir around to coat in the olive oil. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes to lightly toast the couscous. Add the boiling water to the couscous very slowly and cover the pot. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the water is absorbed, and the pearls are tender.
While everything is roasting and boiling: Chop the almonds and set aside. Chop the cranberries and set aside. Mince the parsley and set aside.
When the vegetables are ready it’s time to assemble everything. Into a large bowl, add the couscous and vegetables (use a spatula and try to get some of the roasting oil as well), parsley, cranberries, almonds, Baharat, balsamic and toss. Taste for seasoning and adjust to your liking.
*If you click on the word Baharat anywhere in this post it will take you to a website which has some history, cooking tips, and different spice combinations of Baharat. I brought some back from Israel with me, but have also found it at a couple of local groceries, World Market and Whole Foods. Each one tastes a little different, but of the 4 I have tried, all were very good – just different.
**Toasting almonds (or any nut) is very easy. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Put the almonds on a sheet pan and place in the center of your oven for about 5 to 10 minutes. Once you start to smell them, they are done. Make sure to keep an eye on them. You can also buy them already roasted.
I tried to start this blog with a funny headline but no one in my family laughed. First I thought “A veggie burger walks into a bar and gets sauced” . . . . . . . . get it, . . . . . . . because of the secret sauce? When that didn’t work I simplified it with “A veggie burger walks into a bar… ba – dum – bump!” While it made me laugh, and I think my sister-in-law Barbara would appreciate it, my family heckled me to the point that I just wrote what it is – a veggie burger recipe! Wait, here comes my husband chiming in with a joke of his own! I’d better start writing this post…
A friend of mine told me she went to a restaurant last week and when she asked about the veggie burger on the menu the waiter said it was a frozen Morningstar Farms black bean burger. She was horrified to learn they use a frozen burger you can buy in the grocery. Plus, it’s not the healthiest and definitely not fresh tasting. She inquired as to why they didn’t have a house-made one and they said they’ve never found a good recipe for one. I find it difficult to believe in today’s day and age they couldn’t find a really good recipe or come up with one of their own. She told them they should take it off the menu, and I agree.
One thing you’ll learn about me pretty quickly is that I love good veggie burgers – and, I can be a bit of a snob about them! Even the frozen brands, that’s why I like to make them myself. I don’t like the kind that pretends to be meat. I like the ones where you can see the vegetables and grains. You know the kind that say “hey look at me! I’m healthy and delicious!” Here in Columbus, we’re lucky to have Northstar Cafe where their veggie burger reigns supreme! It’s filled with brown rice, black beans and beets, it’s very different and very delicious! Bare Burger (an up and coming NY chain) has a few vegetarian burger options, including mushroom and quinoa and recently opened in town. Sad is the restaurant that serves a frozen brand when they are so easy to make.
I was watching a show on the Food Network the other day featuring a bar and grill. All of the customers were raving about their veggie burger. The chef was making what he called bar food kicked up a notch. A few days later, I watched the show again, wrote down all of the ingredients and then tried to figure out the quantities of each component. I substituted shredded hash browns for mashed potatoes in the original to keep calories down and for simplicity, however, if you have leftover mashed potatoes, go for it and use that instead.
I must have done a great job because everyone in my family loved them. Everyone from my son who is a pescatarian (vegetarian who will eat fish), my other son who is a carnivore (meat lover), and my husband who is an adventurous eater as long as there is a good sauce. Then there’s me, I’m a bit of a wild card. My diet is different from everyone in my family. I am happy with a piece of grilled salmon on a salad any day of the week! While I enjoy a good burger, I can’t remember the last time I actually had one. I usually opt for a turkey burger, tuna burger, and obviously a veggie burger!
So here you have it, my version of an upscale bar food veggie burger, I hope you Enjoy! Let me know how it turns out if you make it! Oh, and while I don’t think it needs cheese, if you just have to have it, select something like fontina, brie, or port salut; mild and creamy that won’t take away from the deliciousness of the burger.
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 red pepper diced fine
1 cup shredded frozen hash brown potatoes (or mashed potatoes if you have them on hand)
1/2 cup corn
1/2 cup green peas
1/2 cup cooked barley
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 cup scallions sliced thin both green and white parts
2 teaspoons – no salt seasoning
1 extra large egg (omit if you want to keep it vegan and add extra potato)
1/4 to 1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper or to taste
canola or light olive oil to pan fry the burgers
Toppings:
Use a good lettuce like crispy frisée or spicy arugula or mixture of both
sliced tomato
slices of avocado
1 soft challah roll, ciabatta roll, or pita
1 to 2 tablespoons of special secret sauce (recipe follows)
While the barley and rice are cooking, prepare everything else. It took about 1/2 an hour to assemble and another 15 to cook. Cook the barley according to package directions. I purchased mine from Trader Joe’s and it was a quick cooking barley that took only 10 minutes. Cook the brown rice according to directions on the package as well.
While they are cooking, assemble all of your other ingredients. Dice the red pepper in a small dice, and slice the scallions finely. Measure the shredded potatoes (I used the Trader Joe’s shredded hash brown potatoes), peas and corn and place in a large bowl then set aside. Finely shred 2 or 3 carrots (depending on size to make a cup). Do the same with the zucchini. I like to buy smaller zucchini when I can find them, they have less seeds and are less watery. It’s okay if your measurements aren’t exact. If it’s a little more or less of an item, it will still turn out well. Just don’t overdo it, keep well within the recipe guidelines especially the first time you make it. Then make it your own!
Into the bowl with the potatoes, peas, and corn, add the rice while it is hot and it will defrost the other ingredients and cool down the rice. Rinse the barley and add that in as well. Next, add in the shredded carrots, zucchini, red pepper, and scallions, Mix well with a fork. Add the salt, pepper and no-salt seasoning and stir gently. Side note here… I like the Kirkland Organic No-Salt Seasoning from Costco or Trader Joe’s 21 Salute, but any no-salt seasoning you like will do.
Add in the egg, mix and then add in the breadcrumbs until everything just comes together enough that you can make a patty. I used a 1/2 cup measuring cup to scoop out the portions so they would all be the same size. Mold the patties tightly so that they’ll stay together and place on a plate.
Heat a large frying pan or griddle with a couple of tablespoons of canola or extra light olive oil on medium heat. When the oil starts to bubble, place the burgers into the pan. Cook until golden brown on each side – approximately 6 – 8 minutes a side.
This recipe makes approximately 10 burgers and they freeze very well. Just make sure to individually wrap them tightly with plastic wrap and then place in a zipper bag in the freezer. The only problem is that these are so good, they’ll never make it to the freezer!
Continue reading “Bar and Grill Veggie Burger with Secret Sauce”
