addendum 1:
I'm in the process of making my healthy burgers, and I'm finding the process of "just throw it in and gauge the proportions" to be a harder task than I thought. Sofar it just means I have a bigger batch. I have my black beans, barley, onions, and garlic finished in a sticky mess in one pot (also added several pieces of home baked 100% whole wheat bread as a thickener). I'm cooking the fish seperate now and about to combine in a few minutes to see if it will be thick enough to form patties. if not, I have a bit more experimenting to go to keep flavors high and calories low.
<short pause for a kitchen run>
all is combined, and I think next time I'll save the whitefish for the final fold in. I had to add quite a bit of thickener to keep the patties at a minimum formable density. letting it set helped, but I added some brown rice flour to add flavor and thicken, the healthy way. I'd have used arrowroot if I actually had some. that's one starch I go through almost as much as tapioca for pie baking. I also added 2 eggs for binding. its a very large batch, easily 8 to 12 burgers, so 2 eggs work without overpowering.
I formed the patties by using a big spoon, then dropping the mixture into a bowl of mixed breadcrumbs...wheat and seasoned italian. In the future I want to work on a system where I can cut calories without the white flour. By dropping the spoonfuls in, I can hand work them with the breadcrumb crust into patties.
I placed six on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray(and covered with aluminum foil). 350 for 20 minutes, then I check em.
Sofar it all looks good, and it tastes good! the fish unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) integrated with the mix so you can't tell its there except for the vague flavor. I seasoned with italian seasonings plus the italian crumbs, to try to disguise the fish and have a generic italian meat substitute patty. Since this is my first time making a non-red meat or poultry or pork substitute for red meat, I have high hopes.
<another kitchen break as the patties bake>
My friend got back to me on his fish patty recipe I gave him. his daughter loved it. They came out crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside due to the potatos, and it was a good dinner.
...
OK, the results of my burger experiment!
MIXED RESULTS.
The final product holds together well, but the texture is a bit gritty due to the overuse of brown rice flour. I needed to cook it first, which I did not. If I had arrowroot or even used normal flour, the texture issue would have been avoided.
Flavor...very good! aside from a slight grit, the taste is fantastic. I get a sense of mushroom and beans, with the crunch of the barley. I even get a faint flavor from the flounder.
Recipe viability for the future: HIGH
I can modify my experiment a bit to remove the gritty taste, and also add the fish in later on to provide a better texture with larger chunks of fish instead of having it pureed in. Or as an alternative, I may add in pureed shrimp/scallops for protein, and fold in a smaller amount of flounder on top to provide visible chunks.
I think my garden burger idea could also benefit from more veggies ,although moisture needs to be taken out. green peppers and squash would work in well with the onions and garlic and mushrooms. I just have to reduce the moisture more, or compensate it without adding a bad texture to the mix.
I did find the second batch of six came out better as I made the patties thicker. 350 degrees for 20 minutes, fliped halfway through, works well for a nice THICK patty.
I'll come up with a formal recipe the next time I attempt this, as I have plans on refining the recipe that's currently stirring in my head. I need to find someone to feed these to, as I bet I'll make the second batch tomorrow so I don't forget. LOL.
That's my saturday night dinner. home made protein burgers based on whitefish, black beans, barley, and mushrooms(whitecap and portabella caps). definately good enough to feed the healthy eater, and perhaps good enough for vegans who allow fish?
-Matt F.
Self proclaimed Gourmet who is redefining the term to mean "cooking with fresh, simple ingredients, in creative ways."
Sorry for my brainstorming as I type style. :P Its how I get my ideas, and I thought I'd share a rambling with y'all tonight.
