This meal is an incredible investment piece. Both the eggplant burgers and tomato jam freeze well, so you can heat and eat at a moment’s notice.
Tip
If packing this meal for lunch the next day, skip the bun and place two patties per person on a bed of arugula and top with Roasted Tomato Jam and a little mayo on the side.
Eggplant Burgers with Roasted Tomato Jam and Arugula
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant (about 1 1/2 lbs/750 g)
- 1 1/2 cups (350 mL) cooked short-grain brown rice, cold
- 1/3 cup (80 mL) tahini or almond butter
- 1 cup (250 mL) almond meal (almond flour)
- 2 garlic cloves, grated or minced
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) tamari almonds, chopped
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) dried currants, chopped
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) finely chopped fresh mint or 1 tsp (5 mL) dried mint
- 2 tsp (10 mL) lemon juice
- 28 oz (796 mL) can whole plum tomatoes
- 1 large sweet onion, peeled and sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) vegan butter or extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) evaporated cane sugar
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
- 1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) ground cloves
- 8 whole grain or gluten-free buns, split
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) vegan mayonnaise
- 2 cups (500 mL) baby arugula
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories374
- protein10g
- fat20g
- saturated fat3g
- trans fat0g
- carbohydrates42g
- sugars15g
- fibre7g
- sodium258mg
Directions
01
Eggplant Burgers
Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C).
On large rimmed baking sheet or glass or ceramic baking dish, add eggplant and pierce several times over with fork. Roast for 35 to 50 minutes, until eggplant has darkened and collapsed. When cool enough to handle, scrape out flesh into fine-mesh sieve (a touch of skin is fine), place over bowl and drain for 10 minutes. Discard eggplant juices or save for another use.
To large bowl, add drained eggplant and rice. Using your hands, squish together eggplant and rice until mixture is evenly blended. Switch to spatula or wooden spoon and mix in tahini or almond butter, almond meal, and garlic, followed by almonds, currants, mint, and lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate mixture to firm up a touch, at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.
Arrange oven racks to accommodate 2 trays. Preheat oven to 450 F (230 C). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper and scoop out burger mixture (it will be slightly tacky and wet) to make 8 patties, evenly spacing on baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes, remove baking sheets from oven and gently flip, being careful not to break burgers. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer, until both sides are golden brown and patties are firm. Cool if packing or storing in refrigerator for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Roasted Tomato Jam
Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C).
Drain as much liquid from canned tomatoes as possible and add whole tomatoes to large 13 x 9 x 2 in (33 x 23 x 5 cm) baking pan or glass or ceramic casserole dish along with remaining jam ingredients. Put on an apron, then very slowly, using your hands, squish tomatoes until broken into small pieces (the slower, the better, as the juices will go everywhere otherwise). Roast for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours, until mixture is thickened and bubbling. Cool and refrigerate, airtight, for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 2 months.
To assemble burgers, reheat burgers in a low oven until warmed through. Toast buns and spread bottoms and tops with mayonnaise. Add a burger patty to the bottom of each bun, followed by tomato jam, arugula, and the top burger bun.
Allison Day, RHN
Allison Day, RHN, is a nutritionist, blogger, and cookbook author. Her cookbooks, Whole Bowls and Purely Pumpkin (Skyhorse Publishing, 2016), are out now. She is currently working on her third cookbook, Modern Lunch (Appetite by Random House).
READ THIS NEXT
SEE MORE »
GF Almond Tahini Ice Cream Cookie Cake
Ice cream cakes and/or cookies are everyone’s favourite. And here’s a great option for a delicious “Dad’s” cookie cake that’s gluten free! A simple-to-make cookie cake that’s made even easier when the dough is tossed together in a food processor. End a delicious Dad’s Day meal with this deliciously cool and creamy sweet dessert. Best beer? Extra yum when served with small glasses of chocolate-flavoured stout or porter. When Dad loves his cookies We made this delicious dessert into a cake, but it can easily be made into individual ice cream cookies. Roll out dough into 1/4 in (6 mm) thickness and cut into 2 in (5 cm) rounds. Bake, cool, and chill. Once chilled, spoon ice cream in between chilled cookies. Freeze until firm. Drizzle with melted chocolate or dip into melted chocolate.
Pork Tenderloin with Espresso BBQ Sauce
Coffee-flavoured BBQ sauce? Why not? It’s a strikingly flavourful combo—sweet, tangy, bold, and rich. It can be used not only on pork but on a variety of other meats. We marinated tenderloin in it and doubled up on the smoky flavour by grilling it on a cedar plank. Serve with a side order of grilled broccolini for extra yum. Best beer? You can’t go wrong with an IPA or a honey lager to complement this flavourful dish. Looking for an easy way to grill broccolini? Toss with a little oil and season with salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Near the end of grilling, place broccolini beside plank with tenderloin on hot grill for about 6 or 7 minutes. Using tongs, turn a few times until tender and lightly charred. Place on platter with sliced pork and drizzle with lemon juice and some shaved Parmesan.
Everything-But-Meat Salad
If there’s a vegan or vegetarian in the crowd, then this dish will be sure to please. Chock full of complementary textures and flavours, it not only qualifies as eye candy, but is also a substantial stand-alone meal—a stunning meal in a dish! Best beer? Serve this salad with an IPA or pale ale. For a more adventurous sip, it’s equally delicious with a Belgian pale or dark ale. Endlessly customizable When it comes to this powerhouse salad, the sky’s the limit. Swap out apples with orange wedges, or mix up your greens by substituting spinach for endive. Bump up the protein with some canned chickpeas or black beans, if you wish. Or cut up some corn tortillas into bite-sized strips, fry in pan until crisp, then toss over salad for added crunch.
Grilled New Potatoes and Lentils with Creamy Lemon Dressing
Early summer potatoes, cooked and grilled, are just the ticket for this fabulous salad. Coupled with lentils, they’re a delicious add-on to any meal plan. This recipe offers an added bonus: it can be made in stages, so you’re not cooking all afternoon. Best beer? You can’t go wrong serving this dreamy salad with a simple and uncomplicated pale ale. Variety is the spice of potato-salad life Potato salad lends itself to any number of variations, and this recipe doesn’t disappoint. Try swapping out microgreens for baby spinach leaves. Another interesting slant: crisp up (optional) prosciutto on the grill before breaking into bite-sized pieces and scattering over the salad.