The ultimate comfort food for many seems to be the burger. Comfort foods are meant to be delicious, satisfying and make us smile. During times of stress we all hunger for a meal that we associate with happier times, family gatherings and emotive memories. In times of stress at work and life difficulties such as the current pandemic situation, turning to a food that makes us glow with warmth is a lovely way to relieve anxiety.
We think that the burger can be made in a way that provides the craving satisfaction for comfort food without compromising our health. Burgers can be high in fat with lots of added salt and sugar. The other bonus of a Burger is that they are perfect for customising! Add a variety of different toppings and everyone can create their own ultimate dream burger. This way we can all enjoy our personalised healthier and happy meal.
Our favourite burger recipe at the moment is a Black Bean Burger. We love the flavour and the consistency.
Ingredients for 5 burgers..
•3 tbsp Ground flax seeds + 3 tbsp water
•1 medium Onion Chopped
• 1 clove of minced garlic
• 150g Chopped Mushrooms
•300g Drained Black bean and Red kidney beans
•50g Oats
•50g chopped walnuts
• 3 tbsp Chickpea flour
•3 tbsp Olive oil
•3 tbsp Tomato paste
•1 tbsp Soy sauce
•1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp Smoked paprika powder
•1 tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp Thyme
• 1 tsp Salt
Instructions
Combine the ground flax seeds and water, then set them aside to rest for a few minutes. Heat a frying pan and add 1 tbsp of the oil, onions, garlic and mushrooms, frying until it starts to brown. In a food processor combine beans, oats and all the spices. Blend into a smooth paste. Now add in the mushrooms mix, walnuts, flax seeds and chickpea flour and pulse until well combined. With wet hands, divide into 5 burgers. Heat the remaining olive oil in the frying pan and when hot add the burger. Fry for 5 minutes each side.
We serve with a nice spicy tomato sauce, salad, cucumber, fresh tomatoes, gherkins and quick pickled onions. But this is your burger and your comfort meal, so serve with whatever makes you happy!
Ingredients for 5 buns
• 1/2 cup Warm water
• 2 tbsp Dry yeast
• 1 1/3 cup Whole wheat flour
• 1 cup White flour
• 1 cup Rye flour
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 2 tbsp Salt
• 2/3 cup Warm milk
•1 tbsp Chickpea flour + 3 tbsp water
• 3 tbsp Oil
• 1 tbsp Rice Syrup
•3 tbsp Oat Milk
In a small bowl combine warm water and yeast and set aside for ten minutes until it starts to bubble. In separate bowls, combine all the different flours, sugar and salt, in the other all the wet ingredients: milk, Chickpea flour and water (this is the egg) and oil. After ten minutes mix all ingredients together and knead for about five minutes, the dough will become soft and no longer stick to your hands. Rub a little oil around the dough, place it back into the bowl covering with a damp cloth. In a warm place, allow it to rest for one hour, it will nearly double in size. After one hour knead it again, get the air out, shape it into 5 buns. Oil and flour a baking sheet, placing the buns with space in between, cover with your wet cloth again and let them rest for another 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200°C, when the buns are ready slice a cross in the top so they will open at the right place. Mix milk and syrup together, brush the surface of the bun gently, then bake for 20 minutes.
Keep in touch with your favourite burger recipes and enjoy your MoaAlm happy meal! We serve these burgers sometimes at MoaAlm Mountain Retreat and especially on Vis Island, Croatia. During our kayaking, SUP and biking holidays in July and August in Croatia we have lots of families. This burger is the perfect meal to keep teenagers and parents happy after a day kayaking.