Eggplant and Flax Veggie Burgers

Make a batch!

You'll be surprised how fast they go!

(If you are uncooking for 1 or 2 eaters, no worries, they freeze and re-heat well.)

You will need a food processor, a spice mill or clean coffee grinder and a dehydrator with temp setting or 105 degrees.

All ingredients are grown using organic practices. This recipe makes 8 to 10 patties.

Prep:
Prepare the eggplant by slicing into 1/4" slabs. Position half the slices in layers in a stainless steel strainer, salting in between each layer liberally with Himalayan pink salt or coarse ground unprocessed salt. Let stand for 15 minutes to 2 hours at room temp or overnight in the fridge.

Wash off the salt with clean source water, drain the eggplant slices to remove excess moisture.

(Use the other half of the eggplant to make marinated dehydrated eggplant slices. Add freshly sliced eggplant to olive oil infused with herbs. Use a garlic press to add the pulp of 3 or 4 garlic cloves. Add a thinly sliced lemon, if you have it. Dehydrate for 2 to 5 hours. Serve as a "topper" for the veggie burgers.) Speaking of "toppers"... While you have the extra virgin olive oil in hand, marinate some mushrooms and onions in the same mix. Add rosemary or basil, if you have it! Oh Yum. In a few hours you will have heaven. Expose to sunlight, if possible. If it's cool out (below 40 degrees, but not freezing), you can set marinating veggies out covered with a parchment paper tent. Otherwise, use a tight fitting "bug screen". (A draw-string, laundry-delicate-bag works well or an unused nylon paint strainer with the over end tucked under the dish will keep most critters out. Check and rescue anything that's still moving!

Remove the eggplant and lemons from the marinade after 1/2 hour or up to 2 hours, and transfer to the dehydrator. Set at 105 degrees. Use the flavored oil to marinate Swiss chard, Rainbow Chard (pictured here) or kale.

Measure 1/4 cup whole flax seeds, freshly grind in a spice mill or or clean coffee grinder with 1/4 tsp of course unprocessed salt.

Shred carrot or parsnip or sweet potato or all three. Use a total of 1/2 cup of shredded root vegetables in the veggie burger recipe. (Add a vinaigrette dressing and celery seed to shredded veggies and refrigerate to use as a topper for the veggie burger or side salad or serve as a slaw)

To make the veggie burger:

(Grind together the ingredients in two phases)
First add to the food processor:

• 1/4 cup whole flax seeds, freshly ground
• 1/2 a spicy chili pepper, seeds and pith removed
• 1 whole mild jalapeno pepper, seeds and pith removed
• 5 to 7 sage leaves (or 1 tsp of rubbed sage)
• 2 TBs fresh rosemary, chopped fine
• 3 coves of garlic, pressed

Pulse and scape down the sides, grind again until chili peppers are small bits. Then, add:

• 2 cups or activated walnuts
• 1/2 a medium eggplant (salted and washed)
• 1 small onion
• 3 to 5 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, plus 2 TBs of the oil
• (Substitute 1/4 cup homemade ketsup)
• 1/2 cup shredded carrot or parsnip (optional)
• 1/2 cup fresh mushroom stems (optional)
• 1 TBs grade B maple syrup
• 1 or 2 tsps of maca root or carob powder to color (carob results in a very dark brown patty. Maca, a golden brown)

Scoop out burger-sized blobs of the "meat" mixture onto Teflex sheets. Use wet hands to shape and flatten each into a patty. Dehydrate for 3 to 5 hours at 105 degrees flipping once. When reheating, or just before serving, crank the temp up to 125 degrees for 5 or 8 minutes and transfer to a warm plate to serve.

Still working on the "bun." Let me know if you have a recipe for a soft raw sandwich sunbread. In the mean time, I serve the burgers with a large salad and top with marinated mushrooms, kale and onions, root vegetable slaw with optional BBQ sauce, mustard, kraut and ketsup. Didn't get a "finished" shot. Both times I have made these, it was for a group and we were too hungry to wait for pictures! Amazingly, this recipe makes 10 patties! They were so good! I'll make more and add a picture soon.

Raw "Cheeze Cake" : better than the real thing!

Inspired by Cynthia's Winter Solstice Chocolate Moose, this delicacy has many variations but one thing in common: Avocados. Yup. I didn't believe it until i tried it. It's smooth, silky, chocolate yumminess without a clue to the main ingredient. Not that I don't love avocados, BOY, do I?! However, this is worth sacrificing the guacamoli or purchasing extra. They are in abundance this time of year. You can add-on Organic Avo's to your Fresh-Connect home delivery for $1.50 each. worth it! They are twice that in the store.

Turn's out, it's fairly common in raw food circles to whip up a batch of coaco-enhanced avo-meat. Check the dessert section of any reputable raw foodie un-cookbook. you will find at least one raw chocolate or carob dessert made with the secret ingredient: alligator pear!

Avocados are a healthy fat, complete protien and packed with: vitamins E and K, dietary fiber, folic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin C, trace minerals, oleic acid, (a monounsaturated fat that may help lower cholesterol.), potassium (a mineral that helps regulate blood pressure)

All ingredients are organic.

Start with a Nut-Crust of Choice. My two favorites are Peanut/Pumpkin Seed and Hazelnut Date

Peanut/Pumpkin Seed Nut-Crust

You will need: 1 glass dish or pie plate, flat-bladed food-processor (Cuisinart), refrigeration.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of dry or soaked pumpkin seeds
• 1 cup roasted peanut stock (from New Mexico)*
• 3 or 4 soaked majool dates (soaking water reserved)
• Soaking water from the dates, as needed
• ¼ cup grade B maple syrup
• ½ tsp of living sea salt
• ½ cup coconut butter
• ¼ cup coconut oil plus a bit more the oil the glass dish
• ¼ cup wild-crafted mesquite pod meal (optional)
• seeds of a whole cured vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla caviar (optional)
• ½ tsp of pure almond extract (optional)

Process in flat-bladed food processor to desired consistency. Add small amounts of the soaking water from the dates and scrape down the sides of the processor bowl frequently. You can pulse it into a course and crunchy crust, or a consistently smooth dough. I like course and crunchy and it’s easier to work with. Use wet hands to press crust into a glass dish. Pop it in the freezer while you make the filling.

Option #2: Hazelnut-Date Crust

Same as above. Substitute 2 cups of soaked or dry hazelnuts for the peanuts and pumpkin seeds. Or use half pumpkin seeds, half hazelnuts or any fraction you’d like. It’s a very forgiving recipe as long as you keep it fairly sticky, but not too dry. Avoid too much liquid. If it does become to wet, add lucuma powder or tocol trinols to desired consistency. It will firm up when chilled.

Chocolate Filling

• 2 or 3 pitted medjool dates, soaked (soaking water reserved)
• seeds of two whole cured vanilla beans or vanilla caviar, in a pinch, natural vanilla extract
• Fruit meat from 3 or 4 ripe mashed avocados
• 1/4 cup grade B maple syrup
• 2 to 3 TBs of raw honey
• 1/4 cup of coconut butter (optional, but, will have a lighter texture without it)
• 2 TBs of coconut oil
• 1/4 cup of raw carob powder
• 2 to 3 TBS of raw cacao powder (For color. Carob alone makes a murky greyish green color pie.)
• soaking water from the dates

Place the dates, maple syrup, coconut butter and vanilla in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the avocado, 2 TBs coconut oil, raw honey, carob and cacao powders. Blend until creamy, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides. Add the date-soak-water as needed. Take out 2 to 4 small protions to eat as “mousse” at room temp. Fill crust with the rest. Chill until sliceable. Will keep for three days in the refrigerator or two weeks in the freezer.

Variations: Omit the water and use as mouse as a frosting for uncookies. Double the water to use as chocolate sauce. Freeze for 4 hours then thaw 15 minutes to use as frozen custard.

Top with fancy stuff that you like!

Other Cool Stuff to Do with Avocados Disguised as Chocolate Mousse:

Mesquite Almond Spoon Truffles

Add mesquite pod meal and sprouted almonds in amounts to your liking to the Chocolate Filling recipe above, eat by the spoonful! Be creative, you can ad whatever you want! Who's going to argue with that!? Here, have a whole spoonful of goodness for goodness sake!

Fancy Freezer Truffles

Use a melon-baller dipped in oil to form little round globes of Chocolate Filling. Decorate with fancy stuff like: sprouted almond "leaves", black walnut bits, candied flower pedals and berries of all types. Serve chilled. Don't worry if you forget to pass out the napkins. There will be finger-licking, even among the most polite.

Live Vibe: Treats! Banana Date Smoothie (or Ice "Cream")

Live Vibe: Treats!

For Your Bohemian Holiday of Choice

Banana Date Smoothie (or Soft-serve Ice "Cream")

Add to Vitamix or blender:

• 1 organic banana
• 2 soaked organic dates (plus 1/4 cup soaking water from dates)
• 8 oz of frozen organic coconut mylk*
• 1 TBS of raw organic honey or organic maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp of organic pure vanilla extract or organic vanilla bean seeds (optional)
• 1/2 tsp of organic almond extract (optional)

Note: (double for 2 or more servings)

*Buy frozen bags of coconut mylk or pour a can of organic coconut mylk into a zip-lock bag and freeze flat on a tray, so that it can be easily broke into pieces.

Soak dates for a couple of hours or overnight.

Peel the banana.

Add everything to the Vitamix and blend until smooth. Add extra clean source water for a smoothie.

Optional: Pour 1/2 the banana ice "cream" into chilled bowels, tip to keep it on one side of the dish. Add 1/2 tsp of carob powder and extra honey to remaining banana ice "cream" in the blender. (Do not over-flavor. Carob is quite strong. The color should be light mocha. ) Pour carob ice "cream" into other side of the dish. Make a yin-yan. Serve immediately or freeze for up to 20 minutes.

Please use organic foods to enjoy the full benefits of whole living food that is expressing love!