Veggie & Boogie burger recipes

PUMPKIN + FETA BURGERS WITH MINT PESTO + CRISPY BAKED ONIONS
Makes 6 patties

• 3 cups pumpkin, grated

• 1 egg

• 1/3 cup buckwheat flour (or flour of your choice)

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tbsp sweet paprika

• 100g / 3.5oz feta, crumbled

Mint pesto Makes around 1 1/2 cups

• 80g / 2.8oz pine nuts or almonds, toasted

• 80g / 2.8oz mint leaves (around 2 cups, tightly packed)

• juice of 1/2 lemon

• zest of 1 lemon

• 2 tsp salt

• 80ml / 2.7 fl oz olive oil

Crispy baked onions Makes enough for 6 burgers

• 3 red onions, thinly sliced into 3mm rings

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• good pinch of salt

To assemble each burger:

• 1 bread roll

• 1 pumpkin and feta patty

• 1–2 lettuce leaves

• 2–3 slices tomato

• 1 tbsp mint pesto

• 1/3 cup crispy baked onions

For the pesto:

1. Wash and dry the mint leaves thoroughly.

2. In a food processor, whiz together the nuts, mint, lemon zest and juice, and salt until chunky. While the processor is still running, drizzle in the olive oil. Process until the oil is well combined and you’ve got a pesto consistency.

3. Pesto can be made in advance and stored in a glass jar in the refrigerator for 2–3 days, or frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months.

For the crispy baked onions:

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C / 400°F / Gas Mark 6.

2. Drizzle a baking tray with half the olive oil, scatter on the onion rings, sprinkle with salt and drizzle with the remaining oil.

3. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until crispy and dark golden.

For the pumpkin + feta patties:

1. In a large bowl, using your hands, squish together the grated pumpkin, egg, flour, salt and paprika until well combined and sticky.

2. Crumble in the feta and squish together to mix through.

3. Form the mixture into 6 patties, and either pan fry in olive oil for 3 minutes on each side until golden, or place on a lined baking tray and bake in the oven at 200°C / 400°F / Gas Mark 6 for 15 minutes.

4. Patties can also be frozen once cooked. To reheat, just wrap in baking paper and then foil, and pop in the oven at 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4 for 20–30 minutes until hot and golden.

Assembly time!

1. Cut your bread roll in half.

2. On the bottom half of the roll, place the lettuce, and then the tomato slices, and the pumpkin and feta patty.

3. Top the patty with a spoonful of pesto and some crispy baked onions.

4. Pop the roll lid on top, and eat.

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BOOGIE BURGER WITH CHEESE
Makes 4
What You Need

For the burger:

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 brown onion, sliced
• 1 cup whole egg mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup American mustard
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 250g / 8.8oz chuck steak, minced
• 250g / 8.8oz brisket, minced
• 50gm / 1.75oz tasty cheese, sliced
• 4 squishy buns
• pinch of sea salt
• 1 white onion, finely diced
• 1 dill pickled cucumber, sliced

For the salad:

• tomato
• lettuce

What You Need to Do

1. In a small saucepan, on low heat, gently melt unsalted butter. Add brown onion and gently cook for 10 minutes or until the onion is limp.

2. Remove from heat, put onion into a bowl and place in fridge to cool.

3. Once completely cooled, add the mayonnaise, tomato sauce, mustard and Worcestershire sauce, and mix together.

4. In a separate bowl, mix together the 2 cuts of beef with your hands, and then divide into 4 even balls and press each ball flat. (Make sure you press the beef patties slightly larger than your bread bun, so that when the beef shrinks during cooking it won’t end up smaller than your bun.)

5. Sprinkle one side of each patty with salt.

6. Get everything ready to go. Burgers grill quickly, so you want to be ready.

7. Heat a frying pan over medium–high heat. There’s no need to add oil.

8. Place 1–2 burger patties into the pan, salty side down.

9. Cook for 3 minutes and flip.

10. Once you’ve flipped your burger patties, pop the cheese slices on top of them straight away so they can start to melt.

11. While the second side is cooking, toast the buns.

12. Once the burger patties are cooked, allow them to rest for a minute and then pop them straight onto the buns.

13. Top with onion and mayonnaise sauce, pickle slices, white onion and any salad options.

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LOVE YOUR BUTCHER + THEY’LL LOVE YOU BACK

Building a relationship with your butcher is a good thing for all involved. You’re supporting a small local business, tick, and you’re able to request custom meat mincing, tick again.

“Ask for the chuck steak and brisket to be minced twice on a medium grade. Yes, your butcher may roll their eyes, but the boogie burger needs the fat and richness of brisket and the robust flavour of chuck steak … minced twice.”

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Looking for more recipes? Check out our favourite berry treats or get dinner sorted with these black bean bowls with warm tortilla chips.

This story is from Issue 6. Lunch Lady recipes never go out of date! You can order back issues from our Shop here.