Whiskey Burger (New!)

Whiskey Burger (New!)
This one is inspired by all of the bar and pub food that has been so popular of late. The problem is, while most of it looks delicious, it is almost always riddled with hipster sounding (non-vegan) ingredients like “rendered pork fat.” Yuck! This is a great burger to serve to friends over for a casual dinner or game night. It’s high on flavor and richness and low on unnecessary body parts.

Nut-Free

FOR THE WHISKEY GLAZE:
3/4 cup (180 ml) orange juice
1/2 cup (120 ml) water
1/2 cup (120 ml) whiskey
1/4 cup (60 ml) soy sauce or Tamari
1/2 cup (110 g) brown sugar
2 tablespoons (20 g) minced garlic
1 tablespoon (15 g) Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 tablespoon (8 g) cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water to make a slurry

FOR THE BURGERS:
Oil, for frying
1 recipe All-American Burgers, prepared up until cooking instructions (SEE BELOW)
8 slices cracked wheat sourdough bread 
1/2 cup (120 ml) vegan mayo, store-bought or homemade
1/2 cup (120 ml) Aioli Dipping Sauce (SEE BELOW)
1/2 cup (28 g) Crispy Fried Onions (SEE BELOW)

To make the Whiskey Glaze, bring orange juice, water, whiskey, and soy sauce to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer, add in brown sugar and stir to dissolve.
Stir in garlic, mustard, ginger, and chili flakes. Continue to simmer for 10 more minutes. Slowly whisk in the slurry and continue to whisk until glaze thickens. Remove from heat.
To make the burgers, preheat a frying pan or skillet with a smidge of oil over medium heat. Add patties to the pan and fry until browned, three to four minutes.
Spoon glaze over the patties as they cook.
Flip and repeat on the other side.
While burgers are cooking prepare the bread by spreading each side of each piece with mayo. In a separate pan, fry the bread over medium high heat until golden and toasty, the way a grilled cheese looks!
Remove bread from pan and spread with Aioli.
Add a glazed burger to one piece of bread, top with Crispy Fried Onions and drizzle with additional glaze. Top with another piece of toasted sourdough.
Repeat with remaining burgers.

YIELD: 4 BURGERS AND 2 CUPS (470 ML) GLAZE



All-American Burger (Revised!)
Here’s a plain old burger that stands up to the grill with the best of its meaty cousins. Garnish as you would any burger. I just eat mine plain with a smidge of vegan mayo on the bun. Add a slice of vegan cheese for an All-American Cheeseburger.

Nut-Free, No-Sugar Added

2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil, plus more for frying (optional)
8 ounces (227 g) mushrooms, sliced or chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced ¾ cup (180 ml) vegetable broth
1 cup (96 g) TVP granules
¼ cup (30 g) nutritional yeast
½ cup (72 g) vital wheat gluten flour
1 tablespoon (8 g) ground mustard
1 tablespoon (8 g) onion powder
¼ teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
Salt and pepper

In a heavy-bottom skillet, heat the oil and sauté the mushrooms and garlic for 5 to 7 minutes, or until fragrant and translucent.
Add the vegetable broth and bring to a simmer.
Add the TVP granules, mix well, cover, and remove from the heat. Let sit for 10 minutes.
When cool enough to handle, add the nutritional yeast, flour, ground mustard, onion powder, liquid smoke, and salt and pepper to taste and mix well using your hands. Place in the fridge to cool for about 20 minutes. This will help the dough stiffen up a bit.
Form into 4 patties and cook as desired. I love to grill these on the barbecue. I use no foil and it stands up just fine. I cook them on a pretty hot spot on the grill for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. I do rub a little extra oil on the patty before grilling to help prevent sticking.
They can also be fried in a skillet with a little oil for the same amount of time, or Air-Fried at 375°F (190°C) for 13 to 15 minutes.

YIELD: 4 BURGERS



Aioli Dipping Sauce (from the original)
This basic aioli can be your inspiration to never again be tempted to use plain old mayo—unless, of course, you love plain old mayo (like I do!).

⅔ cup (150 g) vegan mayonnaise, store-bought or homemade
⅓ cup (80 g) nondairy sour cream, store-bought or homemade
2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1½ tablespoons (23 ml) fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons (9 g) chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons (12 g) chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon (15 g) minced garlic
1 tablespoon (8 g) lemon zest
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper

In small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream, olive oil, and lemon juice. Stir in the basil, chives, garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until ready to use.

YIELD: 1½ CUPS (338 G)



Crispy Fried Onions (New!)
These crunchy little buggers work great as a topping for burgers when you want to add a little je ne sais quois to an otherwise standard meal. Note: Slice those onions as thinly as possible for the crispiest of crispy onions! If you have a deep fryer, this is a good time to use it. If not a pot filled with about 2 to 3 inches of oil will work just fine. Depending on the milk you choose, this recipe can be made soy-free or nut-free.

No-Sugar Added

1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice
1 cup (235 ml) unsweetened nondairy milk
1 large yellow onion, sliced very thin
2/3 cup (84 g) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper oil, for frying

Combine lemon juice and soymilk in a bowl. Set aside for 2 to 3 minutes. It will curdle and become like buttermilk.
Add thinly sliced onions to the buttermilk mixture and let soak for five minutes.
Heat oil to 375°F (190°C). Have ready a plate lined with paper towels.
Mix together flour, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Add in sliced onions and toss to coat. Carefully add coated onions to the oil, making sure they can float around freely. You may need to do this in several batches.
Fry for about 5 minutes, or until golden and crispy all the way through.
Carefully transfer to towel lined plate to absorb excess oil. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

YIELD: VARIES DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF YOUR ONION