Vegan Fast Food - Look Ma' No Oil!

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Veggie Burger & Oven Roasted Fries

I love my new eating lifestyle! I feel better than I have ever felt and can't believe that I actually crave a bowl of veggies. In my 20's I used to tell people that I ate anything that wasn't green. The primary reason was that I had never eaten properly prepared vegetables. More often than not, they were overcooked or over seasoned. It is a delight to learn that if you take time to clean, prepare and season correctly, all vegetables can be delicious.

With that said, I still have a hankering for 'comfort foods'. I'm sure you all have your definition of what a comfort food looks like. For me, it's a burger and fries.

To my delight, I found that I can make burgers and fries that truly taste better than any fast food products out there. Yesterday, was one of those 'comfort food' days. Larry has been resistant to eat veggie burgers so he was not too enthused about the idea. After our meal he enthusiastically stated, 'this is a 10! You can make these again".

The added surprise was that I was able to prepare this entire meal without any oil - something I've eliminated from my diet in my continued effort to keep my genetically high cholesterol under control. Honestly, I feel like I've been hood-winked by the food industry to think that you can only prepare delicious meals with added oil - like olive oil. Breaking the habit has been difficult but I'm amazed how I haven't missed the taste (or cholesterol) one bit. If you'd like some cooking tips on eliminating oil, let me know and I'll write a blog specific to this topic. In the meantime, enjoy these burgers and fries. You won't be disappointed!

Deluxe Veggie Burger
-Veggie burger of choice (we prefer Morningstar Farms)
-Splash of Tamari (or low sodium soy sauce)
-Splash of vegetable Worcestershire sauce
-Whole wheat bun (make sure it says 'whole' - anything else is not)
-Green leafy lettuce
-Dill pickle sliced
-Grilled onions (onion of choice)
-Tomato sliced
-Brown mustard
-Avocado sliced (we left this out - another way to cut out fat)

Add a splash of Tamari and Worcestershire to your veggie patty and brown in a medium non-stick skillet. This usually takes about four minutes to get a nice brown texture.

Slice onions and brown in a dry non-stick skillet. Put onions in preheated skillet and stir constantly. They will give up their moisture and begin to brown without the help of added oil. You can add a dash of worcestershire sauce if you like the taste.

Brown the burger buns by placing them in the toaster or browning them in the same skillet as your patty or onions. We like the way the toaster ensures a nice crunch.

Build your burger and enjoy!

Oven Roasted Fries
-One good sized potato scrubbed with skin left on (we love sweet potatoes but you can use russets, or any other), cut or sliced as desired. The smaller the slices, the quicker they will cook.
-Seasoning of choice

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Toss potato slices in a bowl and season. We used a dash of sea salt, onion salt, garlic salt and paprika. Be sure to exercise caution to limit sodium intake. You could just as easily add finely chopped garlic and onion to avoid salts altogether. Let your imagination run wild with healthy seasoning options.

Place the potatoes on a sheet of foil or parchment paper on a baking sheet and cover with aluminum foil. Cook for 30-40 minutes, turning once. Remove the foil after 20 minutes to allow the slices to brown.

What are some of your comfort foods? Let me know!