Grilled Veggie Burgers

With Pete McGahey and David Gauvin

Let's have another picnic before summer is over! . . . a Mediterranean picnic. Break from the traditional hotdogs and hamburgers and try a healthy, tasty alternative -- homemade veggie burgers that the whole family can help prepare.

Chefs Chef David Gauvin  and Tim Casey of Addison Gilbert and Beverly Hospitals’ Café and cooking series called Men In Aprons show you how to prepare delicious, and might we say, healthy veggie burgers for your grilling pleasure.

These are easy to make veggie burgers with healthy sides featuring legumes, whole grains, and vegetables. The veggie burger (which is vegan) can be made ahead and stored in the freezer; hummus can also be prepared ahead and used as a spread for the burger.  The menu is not only healthy but a break from traditional picnic foods – hot dogs, hamburgers, potato salad – all of which can be high in fat and sodium.

According to Guest Chef Tim Casey, charcoal, especially the lump wood charcoal, makes everything taste better and these veggie burgers are no exception. One of the main objectives when making a veggie burger is to be sure that they do not fall apart. The way this recipe does that is to combine garbonzo flour with all of the other ingredients as a binding agent. This allows the vegetables, the whole grains, and the fiber to all combine for a wholesome, tasty and healthy treat.

The recipe is fairly easy. You start with cooked barley, crushed cooked garbanzo beans, and cooked bulgur. Saute the celery, onions and carrots and add to the bowl. Add garbanzo bean flour, which helps bind everything together, and then add the cooked quinoa, roasted butternut squash or any other of your favorite, available vegetables. Soy sauce will add some extra flavor.

A few tips: Lightly oil grill so the vegetable burgers do not stick. Remember they do not have any of their own fat. All the ingredients are already cooked so you are primarily just trying to warm the burger and put the grill marks on.

Ingredients

2 cups Carrots - minced; cooked slightly soft in canola oil
2 cups Onions - minced; cooked slightly soft in canola oil
2 cups Celery - minced; cooked slightly soft in canola oil
1 pound Bulgur Cooked
1 pound Barley Cooked
1 pound Quinoa Cooked
2 cups Garbanzo Beans (canned) – crushed
4 cups Roasted Butternut Squash
2 cups Scallions- Sliced
1/8 cup Garlic – Minced
½ cup Parsley –Chopped
1 cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
2 cup Garbanzo bean flour
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Add All ingredient except FLOUR to bowl and combine well.
2. Slowly add Flour and incorporate until mixture begins to retain form.
3. Test mixture for flavor, adjust seasonings as needed.
4. Portion 5.5oz-6oz Patties.
5. Sear on both sides until well browned and 165 degrees

Nutrition Facts: (per 6 oz serving)  247 Calories; 3 grams of Fat;  0 grams of Saturated Fat;  45 grams of Carbohydrates; 9 grams of Fiber, 11 grams of Protein; 460mg of  Sodium

Recipe courtesy of Chefs Pete McGahey and David Gauvin, Unidine, Beverly Hospital and Adam Gilbert Hospital, 2011.

Chef David Gauvin has 16 years of culinary experience. He studied and trained at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI. Chef Gauvin honed his skills in healthcare dining services during a 5-year tenure with Massachusetts General Hospital.

He serves as a board member of the oldest chef's organization in the country - the Epicurean Club of Boston, which is the local chapter of the American Culinary Federation. He is committed to staying current on local trends by competing in cooking competitions and attending educational conferences.  Chef Gavin also serves as a professor at the Cambridge School of Arts. Pete McGahey is the Executive Chef at Beverly Hospital. He has 20 years experience in the culinary field, focusing primarily in seafood. He has been a resident of Beverly for 3 years.  He is an active member of the Saugus/Everett Elks and the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance, an organization promoting sustainable fishing off of the coasts of New England and Canada.  He and his wife are expecting their first child.