Veggie Nut Patties – Recipe

I decided to try my hand at making veggie burger patties that are actually made from vegetables. I threw this recipe together using what I had on hand, and I really liked it. So did the Pontiff. He had his in a burger bun, while I just had mine with some sliced avocado and tomato. We were both happy.

I knew I wanted to base it on nuts for protein, and that I’d also need something pasty to bind it. I had some delicious, left-over butternut squash that I figured would do the trick. Add in some additional veggies and seasonings, and we had a winner!

It’s vegan, gluten-free, and paleo-friendly, for those who care.

Cheryl’s Veggie-Nut Patties

Serves 4, ready in about 20 minutes if your vegetables are all cooked/defrosted already.

For a bit of extra flavor, you can toast the nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant and lightly browned.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup raw walnuts
• 1/4 cup raw almonds
• 1/4 cup raw sunflower seed kernels
• 1/2 cup cooked, chopped cauliflower*
• 1/2 cup cooked, chopped broccoli*
• 1/2 cup cooked and mashed butternut squash (pumpkin might be a good substitute)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• pinch of black pepper
• vegetable oil for frying

* I actually used 1 cup of frozen (defrosted) broccoli/cauliflower mix. If you are using fresh vegetables, cook them until just tender.

Place the nuts in a blender or food processor, and process until they are the texture of coarse breadcrumbs. Add the broccoli and cauliflower and continue to process a few seconds, until the vegetables are finely chopped. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until mixed. If the mixture is too thick to process well, you may need to dump everything into a bowl and mix by hand.

Divide the mixture into four equal parts and shape into patties. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the patties until nicely browned, about 2 minutes on each side.