This is one of my favorite veggie burgers. It has everything I want: hearty chickpeas, fortifying spinach, a hint of nutty toasted cumin seeds, and final finish of fresh lemon. It's also very easy! As with most burgers in this book, be sure to reserve a portion of the beans and mash them by hand, rather than blitzing all of them in the food processor, as this gives the burger texture. I like to serve them accompanied by traditional burger fixings: lettuce, tomato, and mustard.
Variations on this simple relish/salad turn up throughout Southeast Asia. The purpose is to give you a bite of cool, crisp, crunch to counterpoint spicy hot meat.
There is nothing weak-kneed about this vegetable broth. It's big flavors hold their own in any dish where poultry or meat stocks are usually used.
These fragrant apricots are so useful, I make big batches of them to give as gifts and to use for my own entertaining. They are delicious with drained whole milk yogurt, ice cream or creme fraiche make an excellent filling for tarts and turnovers, or accompaniment to plain cakes, with some whipped cream. They are also spectacular roasted and served with crème fraiche (see recipe). I like to use California apricots because they have more intense flavor and delicate texture than Turkish ones.
Pickled grapes look a lot like olives, and we use them a lot like olives, too, tossing them in cold salads or just serving them in a ramekin as a cocktail nibble, with toothpicks (no dish for pits required!). Their playful sweetsour flavor, their crispness, and their gentle chile heat make them super-addictive.
Ingredients
Serve each half squash filled with a generous scoop of bean soup.
From Chef Mark Reinfeld's menu for A Holiday Vegan Feast:
These potatoes will be the brightest taste on the plate.
A beautiful sight. Tomato chips of many colors and sizes are fun as a garnish.