grill

Beet Burgers

In celebration of 4th of July I had to keep the tradition going with a veggie burger recipe!

These burgs are seriously filling. Loaded with brown rice, black beans, beets, oat bran, and jalapeños to add a little heat! They’re also gluten-free, vegan, low-fat, and will give your average beef burger a run for its money.

I hope that everyone has a fun and safe holiday!
For all of my international bunnies, happy Thursday to you tomorrow!

Beet Burgers
Beet Burgers
Beet Burgers
Beet Burgers
Beet Burgers
Beet Burgers
Beet Burgers
Beet Burgers
Beet Burgers
Beet burgers
serves 4

1 can low-sodium black beans
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 cup finely chopped beets (I used canned)
2 Tbsp diced jalapeños
2 Tbsp oat bran
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp Medjool Date BBQ Sauce or BBQ sauce of your choice

Toppings:
4 slices of Monterey Jack cheese or vegan cheese
1 Tomato, sliced
1 Red onion, sliced
Kale or lettuce

Strain beans but do not rinse. Place beans in a food processor and pulse until mashed but not puréed (you want some texture/chunks in there. Transfer beans to a mixing bowl. Strain beets and place beets in the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Measure 1/4 cup and add to the mixing bowl. Add the diced jalapeños, brown rice, oat bran, chili powder, paprika, and salt and fold until well combined. Divide the mixture into four and form patties. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place the patties on the foil lined baking sheet and place in the fridge for 1 hour. This is an important step in getting the right consistency. After the patties have been chilled, Preheat oven to 375. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and cook for 30 minutes. Remove the patties from the oven at the half-way mark (15 minutes) and baste with barbecue sauce (do not flip the patties). Place the baking sheet back in the oven and continue baking for the remaining cooking time. If you wish to add cheese, set the oven to broil during the last minute of cooking, place cheese on each patty and broil for about 30 seconds. Serve on a whole grain bun, in a fresh lettuce wrap, or on “grilled portobello buns” and enjoy your holiday!
Note: Make sure to chill the patties in the refrigerator before baking.
Spicy Tip: Beet Burgers aren’t super spicy, but if you want them a little more mild, remove seeds from the  jalapeños or try using green chillies.
Shortcut: I used precooked brown rice and heated it in the microwave before adding to the recipe to save me a few minutes. I also used canned beets and black beans!
Warning: Do not grill on a barbecue, they can fall apart!

Looking for other veggie burger recipes?
Chickpea Patties
Black Bean Burgers

Medjool Date BBQ Sauce

When Natural Delights sent me an email with their new “naturally sweet” summer recipes, I knew I had to give their Medjool Date & Citrus BBQ Sauce a try! My kitchen is always stocked with medjool dates for raw vegan dessert recipes and my crazy sweet tooth. Although I do throw medjool dates in an occasional salad, I never really thought about using them in savory recipes. I was excited to see a naturally sweet barbecue sauce recipe since I’m always looking for ways to lower my refined sugar intake. This recipe does call for half a cup of brown sugar, but I actually omitted it, using only the dates as sweetener and LOVED how it turned out!

Homemade barbecue sauce= gluten free, vegan, and naturally sweet with no refined sugars!
Just in time for the 4th of July!!!

Natural Delights Medjool Date BBQ Sauce
Natural Delights Medjool Date BBQ Sauce
Natural Delights Medjool Date BBQ Sauce
Natural Delights Medjool Date BBQ Sauce
Natural Delights Medjool Date BBQ SauceMy friend Behnaz brought me a huge bag of fresh picked grapefruit from her backyard! Perfect timing!

Natural Delights Medjool Date BBQ Sauce
Natural Delights Medjool Date BBQ Sauce
Natural Delights Medjool Date BBQ Sauce
Natural Delights Medjool Date BBQ Sauce

Medjool Date & Citrus BBQ Sauce
Adapted from Natural Delights

2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup grapefruit juice
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup low-sodium tomato paste
12 Natural Delights Medjool Dates, pitted & coarsely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Chop onions and mince garlic. Heat oil in a large saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients (grapefruit juice, red wine vinegar, tomato paste, chopped medjool dates, and spices) and let simmer for 15 minutes. Transfer to a blender or immersion blender and purée the mixture. Transfer the completely blended mixture back to a saucepan and let simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator.
Note: Great for basting tofu, or tempeh for a mock BBQ chicken salad!

Visit NaturalDelights.com for the original recipe (using brown sugar) and nutrition information!

If you’re a visual learner, Natural Delights has an excellent YouTube video showing step by step insructions on how to make the BBQ Sauce!
Natural Delights Medjool Dates

Chickpea Patties

I hope that everyone is having a great Memorial Weekend. Thank you to all of the men and women who have served and are serving in the United States Armed Forces!

If you are starting up the BBQ in observance of the holiday today, I have another alternative protein burger recipe for you! Chickpea Patties provide plant-based protein, which makes this recipe a great option for vegans and vegetarians. Use Chickpea Patties in any recipe that calls for chicken or turkey.


For a low carb option, try serving your Chickpea Patties on Portabella Buns!
Simply remove the gills and stem from 2 large portabella mushroom caps and grill over medium heat.

Dress your burger with your favorite toppings such as fresh lettuce, tomato, onion and avocado.
Use the Portabella Buns as you would with a regular hamburger bun!


Chickpea Patties
Serves 4

2 cups chickpeas
1/4 cup grated carrot
1/2 yellow onion
1/4 cup finely ground flaxseed
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric

Thoroughly rinse and strain the chickpeas. Chop the yellow onion, and grate the carrots. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until well mixed. Transfer the contents to a food processor and pulse until it reaches a smooth yet firm consistency. Add water 1 Tbsp at a time to help reach your desired consistency.

Note: The mixture should be moist and smooth but still firm. It should not be crumbly.

After the mixture has reached the proper consistency, divide it into 4 patties. Place a pan over medium/high heat and lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray. Place patties in the pan and cover and grill for about 4 minutes on each side, spray the pan with cooking spray in between flips to prevent sticking. Continue cooking and flipping until they become firm and slightly browned but not dry.


Note: If storing the Chickpea Patties in the freezer; follow all instructions and precook patties before freezing. Let the patties cool. Place wax or parchment paper in-between each patty to prevent from sticking together. Store the patties in a ziplock bag, and freeze. Reheat each patty in the microwave before eating!