Vegetable burgers

We're not vegetarians or vegans. We've tried both and it was okay... but not totally awesome for us.

That said, my husband and I thoroughly appreciate a good vegetable burger.... so here's my homemade vegetable burger recipe.

Boil in a pot:
2 peeled, chopped carrots
1 big peeled, chopped yam
frozen peas equal in amount to half of the yam

Cook until mushy. Drain water. Mash all together.

Also cook one can of either red kidney beans, lentils, or black beans with the can juice. When that is cooked until it's quite mushy, mash it in with the other stuff.

Add a handful of cornmeal. Mush it in. Add flour to thicken. I used whole wheat flour. Really, any flour will do. Nobody cares but you.

Scoop golf-ball-sized handfulls into a dish full of cornmeal. Mush it around in the cornmeal until it's evenly and thoroughly coated. Then start to pat it flat and flip it and pat it again and repeat until you have something that looks roughly like a burger. Very gently ease it into a container with wax paper between layers of burger.

Refrigerate overnight if possible.

Cook on a high heat, no oil, no lid. I wouldn't trust these not to fall apart on a barbecue but they're good in a frying pan. If you're using cheese, add it at the very end, turn the heat down low, cover.

If you cover them before the cheese, the moisture stays in and they'll fall apart.

Serve on a crusty roll with all of your usual burger suspects. They'll keep in the fridge for about 5 days.

creamy mushroom soup

together in a pot boil:
1 large peeled sweet potato
2 average peeled carrots
2 cups washed and chopped brown mushrooms, bigger the better in terms of flavour
2 tbsp basil

When all is tender, puree with 1 can coconut milk. Set aside.

Add 4 cups fresh homemade chicken stock (boil chicken in water with green herbs (but not dill or mint), salt, pepper, dry mustard, onion & garlic powder).

Whisk over gentle heat. Do not boil. Serve with sourdough toast or toasted Montreal bagels.