The Great Veggie Burger Challenge: Down the wrong path

I tried a new veggie burger theme this week: tofu.

Results: not promising.

My method was to crumble the tofu very small, and mix with veggies, herbs, and some flax to hold it together.  The trick with the flax is to simmer it in a little water until it turns sticky; it makes a good egg substitute in baking, but apparently less so with tofu patties.  The patties just didn’t hold together.  I think the only way to make them stick would have been to add lots of rice or some other grain, and use a softer tofu.  Using eggs instead of flax might have worked as well – I suspect the flax works better with grains.  Though the “burgers” I made were too crumbly, I think that making them softer and wetter would make them more inclined to fall apart on a grill, though it might help in a frying pan, which is what I used.  Most of all, they were lacking the heft and substance that I look for in a cow-free burger.  I don’t think tofu is the main ingredient that I’m looking for.

Anyhow, we had tofu scramble on hamburger buns, and some braised beets that convinced me once and for all that I just don’t like beets.  I was pleased with how they came out – braised in a mixture of stock, balsalmic vinegar, and white wine, with rosemary, they were some of the tastiest I’ve had.  And I still didn’t like them – the beet undertones in the flavor just didn’t sit right with me.  I’ve been trying to work myself up to liking them, recently, with no great results.  So, I’m going to take a vacation from beets, and just settle for the fact that they’re not for me.

Next steps in the veggie burger challenge: I’m going to go back to the legumes-and-quinoa theme that I tried at first, and see where that takes me.  I have some ideas for improving on my last attempt.  I will report back with my findings.