I think that sometimes, people associate a vegan life with asceticism and sacrifice – as if we’re only able to eat iceberg lettuce or those cold, tired-looking tomatoes we are stuck with in the dead of winter. I would hope that the past 3 weeks of food reveals that I am anything but deprived. We don’t do without, we just chose to do it differently.
Today was a bit of a long day, so I decided to whip up my favorite black bean sunburgers. These are from Robin Robertson’s Quick Fix Vegan: Healthy Homestyle Meals in 30 Minutes or Less, which is true to its name. I own a lot of Robin Robertson’s books, and for good reason. Robin has a knack for combining simple flavors in new ways, usually using only a few, easy-to-find ingredients. As such, her “Quick-Fix” series takes a lot of the stress out of the kitchen. She’s recently come out with a sequel, More Quick-Fix Vegan, that I am eying closely. (Also note that her Quick-Fix Vegetarian is sneakily all-vegan.)
Anyway, enough free advertising for Robin. I love these burgers because they are 1) quick-and-easy, 2) loaded with sunflower seeds (hence the name “sunburger”), and 3) held together lovingly with some old-fashioned vital wheat gluten. Yes, they are not gluten-free. Sorry, but it works such magic here! And they are delicious – the sunflower seeds add a fullness and a rich flavor that nicely complements the black beans. These burgers are also denser than the standard veggie burger, and hence incredibly filling. Robin’s publisher has posted the recipe over here, if you are so inclined to check it out.
In addition to burgers, I made some old-fashioned home fries with sliced russet potatoes doused in a few tablespoons of olive oil, then sprinkled with salt, paprika, chili powder, and garlic powder. These are healthier and less expensive than what you’d buy in the frozen section, but they do take some extra time to prep and cook.
I like my sunburgers with a bit of ketchup, dijon, pickles, tomato, green leaf lettuce, and vegan mayo (lately I’ve been using Hampton Creek’s Just Mayo, which is less expensive than other brands and has an amazing light mayo taste). Although they’re equally good with a bit of guacamole or avocado spread on top, or layered with pineapple salsa.
As you can see, there is no deprivation here! Just tasty food. Excuse me while I go enjoy it….
Peas and Compassion 