Bleeding Burgers

Are you craving bleeding burgers but you're not happy to eat processed food all the time?

This recipe is perfect for you!

Meaty texture patties made 100% of natural ingredients, easy to find in any supermarket, that will easily "trick" any meat eater :)

Ingredients for 4 burgers:

1/2 tin Chickpeas
1 Beetroot
7 Brown Mushrooms
1 Red Onion
1 handful Dried Mushrooms (if you're not a fan of their taste, just omit them)
1 Tbs White Miso Paste
1 Tbs Chickpea Flour
1 Tbs Barbecue Sauce
Rolled Oat
Parsley to Taste
Garlic Powder to Taste
Smoked Paprika to Taste
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Method:

First blend the dried mushrooms to a flour.

Set aside.

Finely chop the red onion and sauté in a pan until soft.

In the mean time roughly blend the fresh mushrooms...

...add them in the pan with the onions and cook until fragrant and caramelised.

Now blend the chickpeas along with the beetroot (previously chopped)

until smooth (it might need a splash of water).

In a bowl combine all the ingredients adding as many rolled oat as necessary to make the mixture drier and easier to shape into burgers 

(I personally add about 1/2 cup of it)

and.... Look at that! It seems almost too real for my taste.. Looks like the mixure of the meatballs that my granma use to make <3

Now all we need is to shape the patty into burgers and fry on a stove with a dash of olive oil for around 3-4 minutes each side.

Serve immediately :)

Notes: 

Rolled oats and fresh mushrooms are essential to achieve a "meaty" texture.

Beetroot is needed to recreate both the colour and the "bleeding effect". 

For these reasons I don't recommend to omit or substitute those ingredients.

Serving suggestion: Spinach wrap with vegan tzatziki sauce, crunchy salad and a pich of hot paprika.

Italian Version

Avete voglia di burger "al sangue" ma siete stanchi di nutrirvi sempre con alimenti industriali pieni di conservanti?

Questa è la ricetta che fa per voi: 100% vegetale e realizzata con ingredienti facilmente reperibili in ogni supermercato :)

Ingredienti per 4 Burger:

1/2 barattolo di Ceci Precotti
1 Rapa Rossa
7 Champignon Scuri
1 Cipolla Rossa
1 manciata di Funghi Secchi (se non li gradite, ometteteli)
1 cucchiaio di Pasta di Miso Bianca
1 cucchiaio di Farina di Ceci
1 cucchiaio di Salsa Barbecue
Fiocchi d'Avena
Aglio in Polvere
Prezzemolo
Paprika Affumicata
Sale e Pepe

Procedimento:

Tritate i fughi secchi con l'aiuto di un frullatore, finché otterrete una sorta di farina e mettete da parte.
Tagliate la cipolla a dadini e soffriggetela in una padella finché non risulterà tenera.
Tritate i funghi freschi e aggiungeteli alla padella con la cipolla.
Infine, passate al frullatore anche i ceci e la rapa rossa, precedentemente ridotta a dadini. Potrebbe volerci un goccio d'acqua per raggiungere la consistenza desiderata.

In una ciotola aggiungete tutti gli ingredienti della ricette e una quantità variabile di fiocchi d'avena, a seconda dell'umidità del vostro impasto (io ne ho dovuti aggiungere un paio di manciate).
Fiocchi d'avena e funghi freschi contribuiranno a rendere i vostri burger più simili alla texture "carnivora", per cui sconsiglio di ometterli.
La rapa rossa è fondamentale per emularne il colore e l'effetto "al sangue" una volta cotti.
Che dire ancora, non vi resta che formare i burger e cuocerli in padella con un goccio d'olio per circa 3-4 minuti a lato.

Servite immediatamente in panini o in piadine, conditi magari con della buona e casereccia salsa tzatziki.

Vegan Aubergine Lasagne

It probably is because of my Italian roots but the fact that I love lasagne is a sure thing.

You won't believe me if I say that this is the first time ever I tried a version with aubergine as the only filling.. and that turned out pretty good I must say!

Ingredients for 6 (or greedy 4) servings:

12 Egg-Free Lasagne Sheets

2 medium Aubergines

1 Onion

10 to 15 Cherry Tomatoes*

350 ml Italian Passata*

Onion Powder

Garlic Powder

1 Garlic Clove

100 gr Grated Mozzarella

Basil Leaves

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

... for the Beschamelle sauce ...

500 ml Plant Based Milk (Oat)

30 gr Vegetable Oil

30 gr Plain Flour

30 gr Nutritional Yeast (Nooch)

1 ts Salt

1/2 ts Nutmeg

* you can only use 500 ml Italian Passata. I love to use both passata and fresh tomatoes because it gives the sauce a fresher kick.

 1) TOMATO SAUCE:
Roughly chop the tomatoes and place in a microwave friendly bowl with olive oil and salt to taste. 

Microwave for 3 minutes at 800 W.

Add passata, pepper, basil leaves, onion and garlic powder.

Microwave for 6 more minutes at 800 W.

2) FILLING:

Wash onion and aubergines. 

Chop and sauté the onion with olive oil, salt and a splash of water for around 10ish minutes. Than add the garlic clove, grated.

In the meantime cut the aubergine into cubes. Combine with the onion (once it became translucent) and cook for 10-15 minutes.

Turn off the heat and set aside.

3) BESCHAMELLE SAUCE:

Combine oil and flour in a microwave friendly bowl and heat for 30 seconds at 800 W.
Gently combine milk (a spalsh at a time), salt, and microwave for another 3 minutes at 800 W.
Stir with a whisk (sauce should be thickened a bit) and add the rest of the ingredients. 

Mix well and microwave for 3 to 5 minutes more. Blend one more time and set aside.

4) ASSEMBLING:

In a tray pour a few tablespoons of tomato sauce.

Place as many lasagna sheets as to cover the entire bottom.

Cover with a layer of aubergine (half of them) first...

 ...then pour some tomato and beschamelle sauce. Sprinkle some mozzarella cheese. Repeat another layer (lasagne sheets, aubergine, tomato sauce, beschamelle and mozzarella).

Top with some beschamelle and tomato sauce and do a little swirl with the back of a spoon.

Pre-heat the oven on 180° and bake for 40 minutes (pierce with a skewer or a fork to make sure lasagne is cooked thoroughly).

Enjoy :)