Homemade Veggie Burger

1/2 c whole garlic cloves

1/3 c olive oil

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 lb button mushrooms

2 large carrots (peeled and shredded on a box grater)

1 white onion (diced)

3 Tbsp picked fresh thyme

2 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar

2 heads of broccoli

1/2 c rolled oats (ground to a flour like consistency in food processor)

1 lemon

1 can of chickpeas (drained & rinsed)

1 head of celery (washed, trimmed & diced)

1 c cooked brown rice

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper, diced

1 c vegetable stock

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 Tbsp ground cumin

Salt and pepper to your liking

Directions

Begin by placing the garlic cloves in a small pot with the olive oil. Let that simmer on low heat for about 45 minutes or until the garlic becomes soft and turns a light golden brown color.

Begin peeling the vegetables you will be dicing. Any peels or scraps can go in a small pot filled with two cups of water to make the vegetable stock.

For the broccoli, take a sharp knife and gently run it over the florets, basically shaving off the green tops of the broccoli floret. Then, save them for later use. For the stalk of the broccoli, cut it into small pieces and give it a rough dice. When all the vegetables are processed, the garlic is roasted, and the oats are ground, we can start cooking.

Take two tablespoons of the roasted garlic olive oil and begin to heat it over medium heat in a large sauté pan. Add the onion, celery, peppers, and broccoli stalks to the pan and cook over medium heat until the onions become soft and translucent, seasoning as you go.

Add in the rough chopped mushrooms, picked thyme, and seasoning. Cover for five minutes to allow the mushrooms to release some liquid. Stir occasionally.

After five minutes, remove the lid and deglaze the pan with the white balsamic vinegar and the juice from half the lemon. Allow the liquid to reduce by half in the pan. Then, drain the cooked vegetable mixture.

Add the liquid to the vegetable stock and set the cooked vegetables aside for a minute.

Using some of the vegetable stock and some of the roasted garlic oil, make a homemade hummus. Use some as a binder in the veggie burger recipe and save the rest. Put the drained chickpeas, 1/4 cup of the vegetable stock, the zest of the lemon, as well as the juice from half of it, and three tablespoons of the garlic oil into the food processor and blend until smooth.

You may need to add a little bit extra garlic oil or stock to achieve the consistency you want.

Now you have all your ingredients ready. Put half of the cooked vegetable mixture in the food processor with three tablespoons of the homemade hummus, 1/2 cup of rice, the Dijon mustard, the drained roasted garlic, and all of the ground oats. Pulse that mixture until a thick paste like consistency is achieved.

Fold in the rest of the cooked vegetables, 1/2 cup rice, the shaved carrots, and the tiny broccoli florets for texture. At this point you can portion and form your vegetable patties.

Lay them out evenly on a tray lined with parchment paper and freeze the patties for an hour before you cook them. Cook them on the grill or in a skillet with just a little bit of oil. Toast a bun and garnish with your favorite burger sides and enjoy.