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 Mushrooms and Beans Burgers

Hello everyone! Today I'm very pleased to share with you this amazing burger recipe, 100% plant based.

For 6 Burgers:

8 to 10 Closed Cup Mushrooms

1 can of Mixed Beans

1 handful of dried Porcini Mushrooms

1 jar of Mushroom Paste (optional)

4-5 tablespoons of Gluten Flour (or chickpeas flower for a GF version)

1/2 Onion

1 clove of Garlic

2 tablespoons of Liquid Smoke (optional)

1/2 teaspoon of Curry Powder

1 tablespoon of dried Parsley

1 tablespoon of Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

Method:

Dice the onion and place it on a plate with olive oil, salt and a splash of water.

Microwave for 4 to 5 mins at 800 W.

Wash and roughly chop the mushrooms. Blend with a food processor and transfer in a bowl.

Drain and rinse the beans and pour them in the blender. Add the onion, the garlic and the dried porcini mushroom (after soaking them in water for 10-15 mins)

Blend for a few seconds then add some liquid smoke for extra flavour.

Transfer the bean paste in the bowl with the mushrooms and combine the extra mushroom paste together with all the spices (curry, nutmeg, parsley, salt and pepper). Mix well then add some gluten flour.

Please note that the quantity of gluten may vary depending on how wet your mixture is. Make sure you achieve the consistency below :)

Allow the mixture to set for at least a 10ish mins. 
Now it's finally time to shape the burgers!
I usually use two plastic containers: easy peasy job that helps you straightforwardly achieve the perfect burger shape!

You only need to cover the first container with some film, pour a couple of tablespoons of mixture on it, and squeeze it down with the bottom of the second container.

Et voitlà! The burgers are now ready to go in the oven at 180° for 25-30 mins.

Once they're cooked you can eat them straight away or (recommended) fry each side in a pan for a couple of minutes before enjoing them in your favourite buns, or plain with a rich side salad :)

Lebanese Moussaka with Green Peppers

As promised here's the recipe of the lebanese moussaka. Traditionally, it doesn't have green peppers in it, but the one I had in this lebanese restaurant in Greenwich a few weeks ago did, and I think they taste gourgeous!

Ingredients are few, and making this dish is really simple and quick, as long as you have all things prepared, like the roasted aubergines, which you can do up to two days in advance.

This is great to be eaten both as a starter and as a main dish.

Here follow what you need to replicate it:

2 Roasted Aubergines (CLICK HERE)

15-20 Long Green Peppers

1 can of Chickpeas

1 can of Chopped Tomatoes

1 Big Shallot

2 Gloves of Garlic

3 tbs of Tomato Paste

3 tbs of E.V. Olive Oil

1 ts of Smoked Paprika

Salt and Pepper to taste

Fresh Parsley

Preheat the oven at 200°.

Wash the peppers, then cut them in half and get rid of the seeds.

Place the peppers on a tray, sprinkle on some olive oil and salt, and bake for 30 mins on grill mode, turning them half way.

In the meantime, chop the onion and the garlic and allow them to cook in a wok with some olive oil and a splash of water for about 5 mins.

Add the chopped tomatoes, the chickpeas and season with some smoked paprika, pepper and salt. Add the tomato paste and a couple of glasses of water, then cook for about 15 mins.

In the meantime peal off the skin of the aubergines and put the filets in a bowl.

Once the green peppers are cooked, add them into the wok and cook for others 15 to 20 mins. Combine the aubergines filets during the last 5 mins of cooking.

Serve your moussaka at room temperature with some fresh parsley finely chopped.

Insalata di Orzo, Legumi e Verdure

Ricetta ricca e gustosa che ben si presta a esser trasportata in ufficio o per una gita fuori porta. Ottima sia appena preparata che dopo un paio di giorni, conservata in frigo.

This rich and tasty dish is perfect to be enjoyed on lunch time in the office or in a lovely day out.

Ingredienti per 6 persone:
350 grammi di orzo perlato
1 vasetto di ceci precotti
150 grammi di piselli (freschi o surgelati)
150 grammi di fagiolini
1 peperone rosso
1/2 zucca butternut
3-4 spicchi di aglio
1 manciata di prezzemolo
3-4 cucchiai di olio di semi
3 cucchiai di curcuma
2 cucchiai di salsa di soia leggera
un pizzico di semi di coriandolo macinati
1 cucchiaino di dado granulare vegetale
sale

Ingredients for 6:
350 gr of pearl barley
1 can of chickpeas
150 gr of green peas (fresh or frozen)
150 gr of green beans
1 red pepper
1/2 butternut squash
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 handful of parsley
3-4 tbs of vegetable oil
3 tbs of curcuma
2 tbs of light soy sauce
1 pinch of grated coriander seeds
1 ts of vegetable bouillon powder
salt

Bolliamo l'orzo per circa 30 minuti in acqua bollente in cui avremo aggiunto sale e dado granulare.

Tagliamo a listarelle il peperone e lo saltiamo in padella capiente (preferibilmente un wok) per una decina di minuti con aglio, olio e sale. 
Una volta cotto, lo mettiamo da parte e cuociamo nella stessa padella, in cui avremo lasciato l'aglio, anche la zucca tagliata a dadoni. 
Lasciamola intenerire per un'altra decina di minuti, dopodiché aggiungiamo i piselli. 
Dopo circa 5 minuti possiamo incorporare i ceci precotti e di nuovo il peperone.
Aggiungiamo ora un mestolone del brodo di cottura dell'orzo, la curcuma e la salsa di soia. Spegniamo il fuoco.

Circa 5 minuti prima di scolare l'orzo, mettiamo a bollire nello stesso contenitore anche i fagiolini, tagliati a pezzetti di circa 1,5/2 centimetri.

Scoliamo orzo e fagiolini e li andiamo a incorporare nel wok con tutte le verdure. Facciamo insaporire qualche altro minuto a fiamma vivace, spegniamo il fuoco e spolveriamo coi semi di coriandolo e del prezzemolo tritato fresco.

Put the water to boil, add a pinch of salt, the bouillon powder and the pearl barley. Allow to cook for around 30 mins.

Slice the red pepper. In a large pan (preferably a wok) pour the vegetable oil, the garlic and the pepper. Cook for about 10 mins at medium heat. Once the pepper is tender, move it into a plate. Leave both the garlic gloves and the oil in the pan, then cook also the butternut squash for 10 mins, previously cut into cubes.
Now add the peas, heat for about 5 mins then add the chickpeas and the pepper.
Pour a generous spoonful of vegetable broth, the curcuma and the soy sauce. Turn off the heat.

About 5 minutes before the pearl barley is cooked, add to boil the green beans, roughly chopped into pieces of about 1.5-2 cm. 

Once both the pearl barley and the green beans are cooked, drain them then combine with the veggies.
Turn on the heat and mix well for a couple more minutes.
Serve with the coriander seeds powder and some fresh minced parsley.