Electric Roots: Spring Green Veggie Patties

Hi friends! May is my birthday month and a batch of veggie burgers is up there on my list of favorites to make, so I’d like to share this recipe with y'all, (yup, definitely a Taurus baby over here). There are maybe a million ways to do a veggie burger and this particular version is inspired by Spring. Spring time is a time of emerging, coming out of the darkness and preparing for the heat to come. This shift can sometimes feel super erratic. It can feel... less than grounding. You wake up and it’s super sunny and you’re feelin' jazzed and you throw on some shorts and shades, and by noon it’s pouring rain. This spring energy can really be all over the place and it’s important to find things to keep you grounded on your way to a fiery Summer. These veggie patties are a hearty addition to your grounding routines, easy to make and easy to grab in a hurry. Oh! And did I mention they are filled with some of my favorite spring time plant babies that are a huge help during this time? These veggie patties are loaded with plant based protein, fiber, and omegas. This version is also packed with some of my favorite cleansing Spring time greens and herbal friends that are popping back up all over the place right now. Nettle, chickweed, and dandelion leaves are mixed into other earth friends to create a hearty meal, quick snack or meat alternative for a summer BBQ. These burgers are: Gluten free! Vegan! Plant based! Protein packed! Omega rich! Full of actual veggies! A fun way to get your liver cleansing greens! Ingredients: 1 ¼ cup cooked quinoa (about 1 cup dry) 1 15oz can garbanzo beans drained 1 tablespoon water ¼ cup pumpkin seeds ¼ cup walnuts 1 tablespoon chopped parsley 2 tablespoons sliced green onions 1-2 teaspoons olive oil ½ cup diced onion (about half of large onion) 2 garlic cloves (minced) 4-5 mushrooms (chopped up/minced) 1 handful of a combination of dandelion leaves, chickweed leaves, cleavers, and nettle leaves (if using fresh nettle, make sure it has dried for a few days so it doesn’t sting!) 3/4 cup shredded carrot (about 1 small carrot) 2 flax “eggs” (1 tablespoon flax meal mixed with 3 tablespoons water = one flax egg) 1 teaspoon potato starch ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar ½ teaspoon nettle leaf powder or regular dried nettle ½ teaspoon chickweed powder 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon chili powder ½ teaspoon cayenne ¼ teaspoon turmeric ½ cup gluten free oats (regular is also fine if you do not need completely gf) 1 teaspoon sea salt ½ teaspoon black pepper Method: Get your flax “eggs” going. For this recipe, we need two flax eggs, so measure out two tablespoons flax meal and six tablespoons water in a small bowl and set aside. Now, get your quinoa cooking according to package directions. While the quinoa is going, chop your veggies so they are ready when it’s time to cook. Mince your garlic, dice up your onion and mushrooms, shred your carrot and chop up your rinsed parsley, green onion, and spring greens of choice. Measure out your walnuts and pumpkin seeds and throw them in a food processor. Pulse until they are nice and minced. Pour into a large bowl. Now, grab your garbanzo beans. Throw half of them into your processor and pulse a few times to chop them up a bit. Dump this into a large bowl. Add second half of 'banzos and a tablespoon of water and blend until a slightly smoother mixture has formed. Dump this into your bowl. Add your green onion and garlic to the bowl of banzos and nuts and give it a little stir. Next, heat a small skillet to medium and add your olive oil. Give it a minute or two to heat up and add your onions and mushrooms to the pan. Toss them around to get them nice and coated and sizzling. Add a little salt to release some of their moisture. Add in your greens and stir. After about another minute or so, add your carrots and other dry seasonings (nettle powder, chickweed powder, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, chili powder, cayenne, turmeric), give it a good stir to combine, add a little water to deglaze (about a tablespoon or two),turn off heat, and transfer your seasoned veggies to a plate to cool slightly. Now is a good time to set your oven to 350 and allow to preheat. Most likely your quinoa is done cooking. Pull it off the heat, transfer to a bowl and allow to cool. Return to you bowl of banzos/nuts. Add in your oats, salt and pepper, flax egg mixture, potato starch, apple cider vinegar. Add your veggies and quinoa, and stir well to combine. Your mixture should be wet but able to be formed into nice patties. If too wet, add some more oats. If too dry, add a little water one teaspoon at a time. Put in fridge for a little bit for easier forming. Grab a sheet pan and line with foil. You can also throw a little olive oil on there so your burger patties don’t stick. Form your burgers into patties. (I grab about a cup of mixture at a time to end up with about 6 patties). At this point, you can pop these babies into the preheated oven, but I like to sear them on each side to get some more flavor and crunch: If you want to pan sear first: Grab a large nonstick or cast iron pan, heat with oil to medium/medium high. Once heated, grab patties and put them in (I can get a bout 4 on my pan before I start crowding the pan). Allow to sear on one side for about 4 minutes, flip and repeat. Now add these to your sheet pan and pop ‘em in the oven; set timer to 15 minutes. When timer goes off, flip the burgers and set timer for another 10 minutes. When timer goes off again, your burgers should be nice and done- a little dense and soft on the inside, with a crunchy exterior. Now you can build the burger of your Spring with a creamy aioli and fresh greens and onions or any version you would like. (In my picture I made a creamy vegan slaw and coconut oiled bun with some veggies) See some more tips below! Some tips: *This is a perfect time to use leftover quinoa to make this dish. It soaks up all the flavors if it’s a little dry, and it will also save you a step when you go to make these. *Don’t worry if you don’t have access all the fresh greens for these. The powders are fine. Don’t worry if you have all the powders, regular dried chickweed and nettle work super well too. *Serve traditionally on a toasted bun, or make a collard wrap out of them! *These will keep super tasty in the fridge for 5-7 days and in the freezer for a couple months. *Don’t be intimidated by all the ingredients, and find your favorite ways to make veggie burgers. Sometimes I like a spicy black bean version. Sometimes I add lentils, or other veggies. Feel free to play around, using the legumes/grains or veggie additions as ratios to have fun with these! Happy Springtime everyone and remember this transition from darkness to fire and can be little scattered and challenging. Stay with your self care rituals, look to your plant friends, hold tight, take advantage of the awkward rainy days because hot Summertime is just around the corner! Lot’s of love, Nige