Friday, November 7, 2008

Kathy In The Kitchen

Okay, so my entire family is rolling on the floor laughing. Tears are streaming down their cheeks and they can't catch their breath! That was the reaction I got when I said I was going to put a recipe on my blog. "You hate to cook and you are never even in the kitchen. Why would you do that?" Of course, their reaction wasn't quite that dramatic, but it is true....I hate the kitchen and I hate to cook, but that doesn't mean that I don't have hundreds of great recipes...after all, I love to eat!

(They just might be rolling on the floor for real though when they see what I titled this blog!!)

So, today's recipe is for Barley-Mushroom "Burgers". These are the best non-meat burgers I have ever had. Even some of the carnivores in my family like them. Here goes.....

BARLEY-MUSHROOM "BURGERS"
from Vegetarian Times Magazine
Serves 6 (unless you like mega-burgers like me, then it's 4)

1/2 cup uncooked quick-cooking barley
1 large egg, well beaten
1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup minced mushrooms
1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs
1/4 cup minced parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper (I don't grind pepper. Regular old pepper works just fine)

1. Cook barley according to package directions. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, combine egg, ricotta cheese, cheddar cheese, mushrooms, breadcrumbs, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir barley into egg mixture.




The batter for these "burgers" is soft, so turn them carefully. (They aren't kidding! The first couple of times I made these, I ended up with a tasty pile of mush) As the cheese cools, the patties do firm up. I do mine a little different and I explain that below.





3. Spray large nonstick skillet or griddle with cooking spray. When it is hot, spoon about 1/2 cup of mixture onto hot skillet; repeat until skillet is full, but take care not to overcrowd. (If you do overcrowd, you will regret it when you try to turn these things over)



Cook until golden, 5-7 minutes on each side. Using a spatula, turn "burgers" over carefully, and cook until mixture is firm and cheese has melted. Remove from skillet, and set aside. Repeat until mixture is used up. Serve.





You can top these burgers with anything you would top a regular burger with...ketsup, mustard, lettuce, tomato.

The only thing that I do differently, is that I actually take the batter and make it into patties. Then I put them in the fridge until they firm up a bit and then I cook them like I would any other burger. It seems to work better for me that way.

Just don't poke around at them too much while they are cooking either, because they will fall apart. I guarantee it.

They are quick and easy to mix up, a pain to cook...but well worth it! Enjoy!

2 comments:

Unknown said...

That looks yummy! I'm going to have to try it!

Unknown said...

Thanks for sharing the recipe. Those look so good!
xo,
Linnea

http://linneapaulina.typepad.com

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