Jamaican Jerk Veggie Burgers
This Caribbean pepper is famous for being the hottest chile pepper in the world. They come in a variety of shapes and colors (yellow, orange, green, red, chocolate). Not only are they extremely hot, but they also have a unique, distinctively fruity flavor. It is the key ingredient in the popular Jamaican Jerk sauce. The habanero is also widely used in many different types of hot sauces. The popularity of this chile pepper continues to grow and is becoming easier to find on the grocery shelf.
Ingredients
For the Jamaican Jerk Veggie Burgers:
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup vegetable broth
1 small onion, peeled and quartered
3 garlic cloves
1 (15-ounce) can or 1 3/4 cups cooked red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 habañero or Scotch bonnet pepper, stemmed, seeded and minced
1/4 cup rolled oats
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons molasses (not blackstrap)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon grape seed oil
For the Ginger Lime Slaw:
3 cups shredded cabbage
3 scallions, chopped
1 carrot, shredded
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon lime zest
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon agave or honey
1 teaspoon grape seed oil
Dash of salt
For Serving:
4-6 burger buns
Instructions
To make the burgers:
Rinse the quinoa well under cold running water. Place the vegetable broth in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, stir in the quinoa, lower heat to a simmer and cover. Gently simmer the quinoa until all the liquid is absorbed, 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and let the quinoa sit, covered, for another 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
Place the onion and garlic into the bowl of a food processor fitted with an S-blade. Pulse a few times to chop everything. Add the beans, habañero or Scotch bonnet pepper, oats, lime juice, molasses, soy sauce, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, thyme, black pepper and nutmeg. Blend for a few seconds, just until everything is well-mixed, stopping to scrape down the sides of bowl as needed. Fold in the quinoa and season with salt if needed.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Shape the burger mixture into 4-6 patties. Working in batches if needed, arrange the patties in the skillet. Use a spatula to gently press down on the tops of patties and pull the sides in, shaping them as they cook. Cook until the mixture has firmed a bit and the patties are browned on the bottoms, about 5 minutes. Gently flip and cook until browned on the opposite sides, about 5 minutes more. Add a bit more oil between batches if skillet becomes dry.
To make the Ginger Lime Slaw:
Place all the ingredients in a medium bowl and toss until the veggies are mixed and evenly coated.
To assemble the burgers:
Place a few tablespoons of ginger lime slaw on the top and bottom half of each bun. Place the patties over the bottom halves, top with the avocado slices and top halves of the buns.
Notes
Always wear gloves when handling hot peppers. For a spicier version, include the seeds, as this is where most of the heat resides.
The burger mixture will be very moist. For this reason, I like to form the patties and transfer them directly to the oiled and preheated skillet, rather than to a plate first, which they might stick to. The mixture firms up as it cooks. Test before flipping–if the burger doesn’t feel ready, give it another minute or two.
From ohmyveggies.com