Naraya Cooking Health Recipe

I don't feel like I am missing anything when I eat a good veggie burger; all I want is something dense, flavourful, and hearty to bite into and it's really easy to get that with fresh ingredients. Plus you're getting multiple servings of vegetables in for the day, as well as - with this recipe - some super foods like chia and hemp seeds. But to be honest, I think any edible raw plant can be seen as a super food. I don't miss one thing about meat burgers. A round of rotting, ground-up flesh that was once a sentient being who had a mom? Sorry I'm not drooling... I'll stick to eating veggies.

There is ALWAYS a new study excitedly telling us Westerners that a previously unheard-of herb recently found in the jungle has an antioxidant level off the charts and has a specific nutrient that fights cancer so we should all be sure to include this specific plant in our diets from now on. I feel like no one is getting the broader picture: we should just eat more plants, they are powerful medicine. Like the brilliant Michael Pollen wisely advises in his best-selling book In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Bam. Also get in some sunshine, lots of clean water, plenty of z's, a few laughs and a good workout - that is health! There is nothing complicated about it, nor should there be. The simplest solution has the highest chance of being the right one.



Aaaaaanyways - back to burgers. These babies are keeping things juicy and satisfying with only the freshest ingredients and mind-blowing flavours. If you like yams, mushrooms, onions and tastiness then you will love these. I know a lot of you like to keep fat to a minimum (I'm with ya) so these are very low-fat. You're welcome. Hehe.

All that's in these burgers and fries is a whack load of vegetables and spices. Goes like this: throw stuff in the food processor, rub things with your hands, toss something in the dehydrator and you'll get a gourmet raw food meal in no time! (Okay, I may have simplified that process a little.) But seriously - it's pretty much that easy. Look at the colours of this food.





yam burgers & daikon fries with ketchup: serves 5 or so

Burgers:
1 yam 
2/3 cup green onions (or onion)
1 red bell pepper
4 dates
5 tablespoons ground flax seeds
4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
4 large mushrooms
4 garlic cloves 
Salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, basil, turmeric, paprika (to taste)

Fries:
1 jicama root or daikon radish (the size depends on how many you're feeding)
1 teaspoon veg oil (optional but recommended)
Salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, basil, turmeric, paprika (to taste)

Ketchup:
1-2 tomatoes
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes
Salt (to taste)
3 dates
Water or lemon juice (as needed)

To make the burgers: prep the veggies as needed and cut them into chunks. Then pulse all the ingredients in your food processor until everything becomes a thick, wet-ish mixture, but don't pulse too long. You want pieces of the food still visible and you don't want it to be too wet. Adjust according to taste. Then form into patties and dehydrate for 3-4 hours, or use your oven at it's lowest temperature. You could eat them right away if you like, but they won't hold their shape too well. 

To make the fries: peel the daikon and slice into fries. Rub in the oil and spices. Dehydrate for 3 hours or in your oven at it's lowest temperature, (or you could eat them right away if you like).

To make the ketchup: blend all ingredients in your food processor or blender until smooth, adding liquid as needed. Adjust according to taste. Serve the burgers, fries and ketchup with lettuce, tomatoes, marinated mushrooms, onions, sprouts, avocado, and anything else you like. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Loaf
1 cup dry lentils (use green/brown)
2 1/2 cups water or vegetable broth
3 tablespoons flaxseed meal (ground flaxseeds)
1/3 cup water (6 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons olive oil for sauteing or steam saute using 1/4 cup water
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, finely diced
1 small red bell pepper, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced or grated
1 celery stalk, finely diced
3/4 cup oats (I used GF oats)
1/2 cup oat flour or finely ground oats (any flour of choice will work here too)
1 heaping teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 heaping teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon each garlic powder & onion powder...for good measure!
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper, optional
cracked pepper & sea salt to taste

Glaze
3 tablespoons organic ketchup
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup