MUSHROOM BULGAR BURGER........ delicious and nutritious

Mushrooms - roasted, fried with onions and potatoes, sliced raw into salads, added to soups......
....there are many ways to include mushrooms in your meals.
The benefits of mushrooms are huge. They have a great deal of nutritional value, are full of micronutrients, and are considered to be a Super Food.
 Mushrooms are low in carbohydrates and high in fiber.
They are a good source of B-vitamins (riboflavin, pantothenic acid, and niacin), iron, and selenium.

Our family loves mushrooms, as a child my parents took my sisters and brother along with them into the mountains in the West Kootenay to search for wild mushrooms in the Spring late Summer and in the Fall. These spots were always kept 'in the family' to return to year after year. My Mother then processed them into pickled mushrooms and many, many containers of frozen or canned mushrooms to be eaten throughout the year. Today's recipe includes shitake and brown mushrooms, a hearty burger that will satisfy even a 'meat eater'. Serve with our favorite sauce, in a bun or just on the side along with a crispy, tangy coleslaw. Our favorite is homemade horseradish sauce.
This recipe I have adapted from one that Chef Michael Smith prepared.

 MUSHROOM BULGAR BURGER

  

The ingredients you will need

Onions and garlic ready to be cooked

Shitake and Brown mushrooms sliced and ready for the pan

The rest of the ingredients for the Mushroom Bulgar Burgers

The brown rice and bulgar are cooked with the mushrooms, onion and garlic

Mushroom mixture cooling to room temperature before the rest of the ingredients are added

All the ingredients have been blended in a food processor

and have been shaped into patties.

A delicious, nutrition burger, serve in a bun or on the side with sauce.

MUSHROOM BULGAR BURGER RECIPE

YIELD: 6 LARGE OR 8 SMALL BURGERS

Ingredients

2 tablespoons any vegetable oil

1/2 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced

1/2 pound small brown mushrooms, sliced

2 onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups water

1 cup bulgur wheat

1 cup brown rice

4 ounces (1/2 block) firm tofu

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 eggs

2 tablespoons miso paste

1 cup breadcrumbs

1 19 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Method:

Splash the oil into a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, onions and garlic. Sauté until the mushrooms lose their moisture and the onions caramelize, about 20 minutes. This step is one of the keys to the mixture; it is important to cook out as much moisture as possible so the burger will hold together.

Add the water, bulgur, brown rice and soy sauce. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook over low heat until the bulgur is tender and has absorbed all the liquid, about 20 minutes.

Pour the mixture onto a plate or tray and let it cool to room temperature.

When cool, transfer the bulgur-mushroom mixture into the bowl of your food processor. Add the eggs, miso paste, breadcrumbs, black beans, tofu, thyme and salt and pepper. Purée until smooth.

Form the mixture into evenly shaped patties about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Preheat your barbecue on its highest setting.

Lightly brush the burgers with oil and grill until they are cooked through and caramelized a bit. Alternatively, you may pan sear them in a lightly oiled preheated pan or simply bake them at 400 °F (200 °C). Enjoy with your favourite burger toppings.

~One day my face will show that I have loved and lost
That I have frowned and fought
That I have yearned and cried
That I have celebrated and smiled
My face will show that I have lived and it mattered to me~

Now I understand what true beauty really is. You feel it, you touch it, you see it, and you live it. You see it in your face, your feel it within your heart and it burns within your soul.