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Monday 22 August 2016

Garden Veggie Patties Make Healthier Meals

By Jennifer Martin


When it comes to eating right, some people still believe this is synonymous with starving or eating foods that are bland. In other cases, they may feel that eating the right foods takes a lot of preparation. However, with garden veggie patties, not only is it easy but it takes less time than a burger cooked well.

In recent, vegetable entrees are becoming more popular as people are coming up with new ways to make satisfying meals for people who do not eat meat. Some of these are designed for the busy person who may feel that eating out is the best solution. While it may be one of the fastest ways to get a substantial meal, it should not become a habit.

There are many types of veggie burgers out there now, both at the grocer and recipes that have been tested in many kitchens. Although soy or tofu products have been the mainstay of vegetarian meals, there are other choices that use a combination of garden vegetables, grains like quinoa or garbanzo beans. Brown rice patties with protein are sometimes a good meatless alternate.

Vegan and others may want to have more vegetables like zucchini, eggplant and colorful potatoes as their binding agents. The advantage of using mostly veggies is there is little guesswork about their content and it can be easy to gauge things like protein and sodium intake. These also are versatile when it comes to choosing spices. Popular flavors of recent include spicy southwest, smoky grilled and Mediterranean.

Preparation is just placing patty into heated pan with a little cooking oil. Using medium heat, cook on each side for no more than five minutes total. If cooking in an over, use a grill pan or coat surface with oil to prevent sogginess. Most veggie patties should not be cooked in the microwave, as they may not retain their form.

For some who are looking to make the conversion into vegetarianism, making a burger like this has its advantages. One is that cooking meat of any kind takes longer than a veggie patty. Secondly, cleanup is much easier as there is no raw meat residue that may cause contamination during preparation.

These can topped almost like any other gourmet style burger that is growing in popularity. Onion strings, hummus, and pico de gallo are just some of the items that will make a veggie burger taste special without the excess fat or calories. Condiments like sriracha ketchup, chipotle mayo or hot and sweet mustard make excellent toppers as well.

And side dishes can offer just as many choices. Roasted potato strings, fried onion blossom, or zucchini chips are alternates that provide more nutritional value than deep fried potatoes loaded with salt. Or a person can cut down on cooking time with a side of chilled vegetable sticks.

Vegetarian burgers have come a long way, as newer flavors are both colorful and succulent. The taste has also improved as some frozen versions have fewer mystery ingredients or fillers that defeat the idea of having a healthy meal. This type of food is not only good to eat but there are many choices that can satisfy almost any palate.




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