"IRONWOMAN" SMOKY BBQ VEGGIE BURGERS

Lately I have been trying to focus on being healthier from within. I’ve started working out again—a serious workout at Orange Theory Fitness—and I’m trying to go two or three times per week. For any of you who have tried OTF, you’ll know they monitor your heart rate. And my heart rate monitor has proven that I am really out of shape. That must change, especially since I am now halfway through the decade toward 50. And my boys are only 4 and 7 years old. This mama needs to stay healthy and fit for many more years so I can chase them, literally and figuratively.

But along with exercise comes eating better. Many years ago, one of my sister’s best friends beat Stage2/3 breast cancer. Yes, she had surgery and underwent chemotherapy and radiation. In addition, she made a strong, conscious effort to think positively—she would imagine her tumor shrinking every night as she held her son who was less than one year old at the time. But she also dramatically changed her diet after a lot of research about what many believe causes tumor growth. She concluded there were two huge culprits—refined sugar and animal protein—so she eliminated both from her diet and has never looked back. I am happy to say that over a decade and a half later, my sister’s dear friend is as healthy as can be. While it wasn’t until the past year or so that I’ve begun to make huge changes, my concerns about refined sugar and animal protein have been in the back of my mind all of these years.

Animal protein provides a lot of nutrients. Red meat, specifically, is a great source of iron. But I’m not a huge fan of red meat on a regular basis for a variety of reasons. Recently, my youngest son was found to be iron deficient. So we went to see a nutritionist to help optimize his diet in an attempt to increase his iron levels without supplements…because iron supplements for kids taste awful and are extremely difficult to mask. Luckily, there are many great sources of iron besides red meat, although plant-based sources of iron are not absorbed as well and as easily as meat sources. To assist with the absorption of iron, you can do a few things. First, Vitamin C aids in the absorption of iron, so eating strawberries, raspberries, citrus, and red peppers in the same meal with iron-rich foods will help. On the other hand, calcium inhibits the absorption of iron, so steer clear of foods like cheese and milks that are rich in calcium (even many non-dairy milks are now fortified with calcium) when consuming iron-rich foods. It’s best to consume your calcium and iron at least two hours apart.

Luckily for you (and me), these veggie burgers are loaded with iron, as quinoa, chickpeas, and pepitas, aka pumpkin seeds, are all rich in iron. The original recipe is from The Minimalist Baker Everyday Cooking cookbook, and I’ve adapted it to add pumpkin seeds, use a store-bought BBQ sauce, and optimize the ingredients to take the guesswork out. In my opinion, the most important factor in making this recipe delicious is to use a really smoky BBQ sauce. The pumpkin seeds add a little more crunch and a little extra saltiness, but if you don’t like the added crunch, you could always grind the pumpkin seeds in a food processor or Nutribullet before including. My four-year-old LOVES these burgers and would eat them every day of the week if I served them. They’re that good! And they’re super simple. Did I mention they’re healthy and a great source of plant-based protein and iron? You’re welcome!

SERVES 4

          1        15-oz can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed & drained
¾ cup        cooked quinoa
½ cup       plain bread crumbs
1 tsp       garlic powder
  1 ¼  tsp       ground cumin
1 ¼ tsp        smoked paprika
1 tsp        chili powder, plus extra to sprinkle           
  1 ½ tsp        kosher salt, plus extra to sprinkle
 1 heaping tbsp         coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
¼ cup         smoky BBQ sauce*, plus more for serving
¼ cup        roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

  about 3-4 tbsp        grapeseed oil (for frying)
  4        good buns, such as brioche or potato rolls
as desired        fresh cilantro  
 as desired        red onion, sliced

Cook the quinoa according to package directions. But it’s usually a 2-to-1 ratio of water to quinoa. I measure about 1/3 cup uncooked quinoa, which yields a little extra than required when cooked.

Add garbanzo beans to a medium bowl, and using a pastry knife (or fork), mash, leaving a few whole. Add the entire first group of ingredients. Stir and mash together with a wooden spoon and then your hands to combine. Form a huge ball with the dough, divide evenly into 4 pieces, and shape into burger patties. Don’t make them too thick, as you want them to fill the bun. Place on a plate and sprinkle with salt and a little chili powder, if desired. 

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add enough grapeseed oil to generously coat the bottom of the pan. Place burgers seasoned side down and cook for 3 minutes. Sprinkle the top side with more salt. Flip and cook another 3 minutes. Place on a paper towel to cool. Place on a bun with cilantro, red onion, more BBQ sauce, and anything else you may want to add. 

These can be made ahead of time up to the cooking step and stored for 2-3 days in the refrigerator. Before cooking, allow to sit out at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.

*I use Trader Joe’s Kansas City Style BBQ Sauce (you can pronounce all of the ingredients).