Review Of The Beyond BurgerCheck Your Local Markets

No soy or gluten and it's GMO free. And delicious!

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Race to Replace the Meat Burger
There seems to be a lot of upcoming competition in the field of vegan burgers that really look, feel, and taste like burgers. I had been patiently waiting to try the much anticipated Impossible Burger from Impossible Foods. But they are only served in restaurants and I discovered that they contain wheat and soy, two ingredients many people try to avoid. The Beyond Burger, on the other hand, is available in stores and is soy and gluten free.

High in Plant-Based Protein
If you love burgers but are trying to reduce or eliminate your beef intake, you'll be happy to discover the Beyond Burger from Beyond Meat.

Beyond Meat has a mission. They want to create better way to feed the planet by replacing animal protein with plant protein. This tasty, meat-like burger is loaded with 20 grams of protein. The source is pea protein. 

It's actually found in the meat section

Now I'm sure there are a lot of vegans who don't want their food to resemble meat so this product may not be for you. But for those who gave up red meat and miss it, you may want give this product a try.

Guilty Pleasure
I'm not saying that this is the healthiest meal in the world. It's pretty high in calories (290 calories per burger) and fat (22 grams of total fat and 5 grams of saturated fat). The fat is probably what makes it taste so good but it's from canola oil, coconut oil, and some sunflower oil. I think you can reduce the fat by blotting it with a paper towel before serving. But it's free of cholesterol and the saturated fat is from coconut oil. 

No Soy, No Gluten, GMO Free
The ingredients are:
Pea Protein Isolate, Expeller Pressed Canola Oil,Refined Coconut Oil, Water, Yeast Extract, Maltodextrin, Natural Flavors, Gum Arabic, Sunflower Oil, Salt, Succinic Acid, Acetic Acid, Non-GMO Modified Food Starch, Cellulose From Bamboo, Methylcellulose, Potato Starch, Beet Juice (for color), Ascorbic Acid (to maintain color), Annatto Extract (for color), Citrus Fruit Extract (to maintain quality), Vegetable Glycerin.

How To Prepare
You can cook these on a grill or in a pan. We cooked it in a pan.
Pre-heat the grill or pan to medium-high heat and cook for 3 minutes per side. Because of the high fat content, you don't need to put any oil in the pan.

You can see the fat being released in the pan during cooking.

After 3 minutes, flip to the other side.

The center will remain pink due to the beet juice and annatto.

Prepare your bun. Cook the other side for 3 minutes and serve. 

And take a big bite!

Enjoy!

To find a store near you go to The Beyond Meat Store Locator and enter your zip code. 

Enjoy Memorial Day Weekend With A Vegan Menu Featuring Lentil Burgers With Fire Roasted Green Chiles

Top your lentil burger with a big juicy slice of heirloom tomato and sliced avocado

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GET READY TO GO RAW!
JUNE 1ST THROUGH JUNE 7TH
ONE WEEK OF RAW MENUS

Lentils, An Important Vegetarian Food
Lentils are a staple in vegetarian diets. They are a good source of protein and iron and a very good source of dietary fiber, folate and manganese. For McD lovers, replacing a few Big Macs a week with a great tasting lentil burger like this would keep blood sugar levels stable and coronary artery disease at bay! 
For an extra zing, I added a small can of fire roasted chiles to this recipe!


Memorial Day Menu
Along with these lentil burgers (recipe below), I suggest a few easy and yummy side dishes.
Lentils go really well with corn. Try this Fresh Corn Salad with Red Bell Pepper and Basil.  In this post, I'll show you a way to cut the kernels off of the cob without them flying all over your kitchen!

Together, corn and lentils make a complete protein!

Another good salad to serve with burgers is Vegan Potato Salad. Turmeric gives this salad the yellow tint that you'd find in a traditional potato salad containing eggs. 

Without the eggs and mayo, potato salad is a healthful side dish!

And for dessert, make some of these wonderful Vegan Brownies with Macadamia Nuts and Chocolate Chips. My brother-in-law lives in Hawaii and this weekend he brought me a HUGE bag of macadamia nuts! I can't wait to make my favorite brownies!

Macadamia nuts and vegan chocolate chips make these brownies to die for!

Vegan Lentil Burgers with Fire Roasted Green Chiles
[makes 6 burgers]
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
3 tablespoons room temperature water
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon for frying
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely diced
15 ounce can lentils, rinsed and drained
4 ounce can diced fire roasted green chiles, drained
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/4 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
6 whole grain hamburger rolls
red leaf lettuce
2 heirloom tomatoes, sliced
1 large avocado, sliced
Dijon mustard, ketchup, salsa or Veganaise


Make a flax egg by combining ground flaxseed and water. Beat until gooey and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium frying pan and sauté onion and red bell pepper for 4 or 5 minutes or until soft.
Add lentils, green chiles, pepper, cumin, garlic and salt and cook until all liquid evaporates and the mixture is pretty dry.

Cook until the mixture is pretty dry

Place mixture into a bowl and add breadcrumbs and flax egg. Mix thoroughly and let sit until the breadcrumbs absorb all moisture. 
Clean out the frying pan. You will be using it again.
Make 6 patties - make them nice and flat so they crisp up when you cook them.  

If you are not ready to cook them, place the patties on a plate covered with wax paper and put them into the refrigerator.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the frying pan and cook the patties until they are brown and crisp, about 5 minutes a side.

Cook on medium high heat until crisp and brown

Serve the lentil burgers on fresh whole grain buns with red leaf lettuce, a thick slice of heirloom tomato and avocado slices. You can also top them with a slices of red onion or sprouts. Serve with Dijon mustard, ketchup or Veganaise. For some added spice, top with salsa!


Per serving (burger only): 135.8 calories, 5.6 g fat, 0.7 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 4.6 g protein, 13.3 g carbohydrates and 5.2 g dietary fiber.

Have a safe Memorial Day and remember our troops, past and present, who have sacrificed so much!

Vegan Grilled Rosemary Portobello Mushroom Burgers With Spicy Red Pepper Hummus And Watercress On Sprouted Whole Grain Buns

Place on large dish and brush rosemary marinade on both sides.

Portobell0s on the grill - you can also broil them in the oven.

Portobello Mushrooms, a Great Meat Alternative

Eating less meat or giving it up completely doesn't mean you can't enjoy a good burger! I can write about how much riboflavin, selenium and other key nutrients these wonderful mushrooms contain or what a good source of protein and fiber they are but one of their most important attributes is simply this: THEY TASTE LIKE MEAT! So if you are looking for a natural meat alternative that is free of highly processed wheat gluten or soy protein isolate, look no further.

This delicious portobello burger recipe also includes spicy garbanzo hummus, a complete protein. It's pretty easy to make but feel free to use a ready-made hummus from your local grocery if you are in a pinch for time. Throw this on a sprouted whole grain bun with your favorite sprouts or watercress and you may have the tastiest and healthiest burger in the world! And, it by-passed the factory farms and its production didn't generate any greenhouse gas. Life is good.

***

Grilled Portobello Mushroom Burger with Spicy Red Pepper Hummus

[makes 4 burgers and 2 cups of hummus]

For the marinade and burger

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

4 large Portobello mushrooms, stems carefully removed

For the hummus

One 15 ounce can garbanzo beans, drained (1 1/2 cups)

2 tablespoons tahini

2 cloves garlic, chopped

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup roasted red peppers (8 ounce jar)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

The rest

4 sprouted whole grain buns

1 cup watercress or sprouts

To make the marinade, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, rosemary, black pepper, garlic powder and dijon mustard in a small bowl. Carefully remove the stems from the portobello mushrooms and clean with a damp paper towel. Place the mushrooms in a large casserole dish or plate and slowly brush the marinade on both sides. Set aside.

To make the hummus, rinse the roasted red peppers well, removing any seeds or blackened skin. Combine garbanzo beans, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, roasted red peppers, cayenne and salt in a food processor or blender and process until smooth, occasionally scraping down the sides. This will make more than you need for the burgers.

Cook the marinated portobellos on a hot grill for about 10 minutes turning a few times. You can also broil in the oven or cook on an electric panini maker or George Foreman grill. If you'd like, brush a little olive oil on the buns and throw on the grill until lightly toasted.

To assemble the burger, place 1/4 cup of spicy hummus on the top half of the bun and 1/4 cup of watercress or sprouts on the bottom half of the bun. For additional flavor, you could put additional dijon on the bottom side of the bun under the watercress. Place the cooked portobello mushroom on the watercress and serve immediately.

Per burger with bun, watercress and 1/4 cup hummus: 351.5 calories, 15.5 g fat, 1.8 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 15.7 g protein, 44.2 g carbohydrates and 8.3 g fiber.

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