Remember how I was just gushing about my love for cycling?

Well, yesterday I fell off my bike. And when you fall off a bike with clipless pedals the bike goes right along with you. Meaning, it falls on top of you. Before I could unlatch my foot from the pedal I somehow rode off the sidewalk, got caught at the edge, and then fell flat over on the sidewalk. Good thing I was at almost a complete stop and good thing for that helmet. If you have ever worn clipless pedals before you most likely have had a similar experience.

This doesn't dampen my love for cycling, I just found the timing to be funny.

Of course there was a witness to the scene about 10 steps in front of me. To see someone on their bike almost at a complete stop fall flat over must have been quite the site. Embarasssing.

My leg + arm are a little scuffed but nothing too bad at all. These things are bound to happen I suppose!

Now let's talk about these burgers.

And this cheese.

There is a time and place for cheese and this is definitely it.

Gooey, melty, stretchy cheese.

I'm kind of on a temporary hiatus from my go-to Mexican style flavors. They're just not doing it for me at the moment. Veggie burgers are so great to have on hand for dinners and lunches but can get a little boring if you don't change up the flavors every now + again.

This mix of flavors is exactly what I was looking for.

There's the fresh, summery scent from the basil and a kick of robustness from the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes.

Topped with a thick slice of tomato and fresh mozzarella then sent off to your broiler to get all hot + bubbly.

Served up open-faced style.

Print this!

Basil, Garlic, + Tomato Veggie Burgers

gluten-free, vegan [w/o cheese topping] // yields 6-8, 3-inch patties

2 cups chopped lacinato/dino kale, stems removed + lightly packed
1 3/4 cup chickpeas, rinsed + drained
2/3 cup chopped yellow onion
5 tablespoons coarsely chopped basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 - 2 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/3-2/3 cup partially ground gluten-free rolled oats
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/4+ teaspoon salt/pepper
oil or ghee for cooking
toppings: sliced tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil, 1/2 bun

Place kale, chickpeas, onion, basil, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes in your large food processor and pulse until all ingredients are well-chopped and uniform in size. Do not puree. You want the mixture a bit chunky with the chickpeas broken down.
Add in 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil and pulse to combine.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add 1/3 cup partially ground oats [ground about 1/2-way to flour], sunflower seeds, and 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt + pepper.
Stir to combine. The mixture should easily form patties and not feel wet/mushy or dry/stiff, you want it right in between. *If the mixture feels dry, add 1/2-1 tablespoon more olive oil and stir to combine. If the mixture is too wet add 1 tablespoon more of the ground oats at a time until patties form. The amount of oil needed will vary depending on how oily your sun-dried tomatoes + how wet your onioins are. I ended up needing 2 tablespoons oil and 1/2 cup of oats.
Heat a large pan over medium heat and add enough oil or ghee to lightly coat the pan.
Form a few patties while it's heating about 3-inches wide and 1/2-inch thick.
Once hot add a few patties to the pan [do not overcrowd] and cook for about 5 minutes until golden brown, then carefully flip and cook another 4-5 minutes.
Place patties on a wire rack and continue to cook the rest of the patties.
Preheat your oven to broil on high.
Place burgers on a baking sheet and top with a slice of tomato [lightly patted with a towel] and fresh mozzarella.
Place until the broiler until bubbling + golden brown. Broil time will vary depending on your oven.
Top with black pepper + basil and serve over a toasted bun.

And just wait until you see what I do with veggie burgers next week. They're going to end up on a Friday post if that gives you any clues.

In the meantime, enjoy these summery-style burgs!

Ashley

pssst...check out this mountaintop wedding I shot in May over on my photography site!

Also! If you live in the Denver/Ft. Collins/Boulder area I'm running a summer photo special! Contact me for more details! The photo below is a shot from my sister-in-law's senior photo session last week.

Grilled Asparagus with Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing

gluten-free, vegan // yields 3-4 servings

2 pounds asparagus, ends trimmed

8 sun-dried tomatoes, oil-packed

1-2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest, divided

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 small clove

1/4 teaspoon salt + pepper

toasted sliced almonds or pine nuts

oil to toss asparagus before grilling

Preheat your grill to medium heat, about 350* F.

Toss asparagus with a light coating of oil and then place on a grill pan [or on the grates] for about 10-12 minutes until tender + golden brown. Turn 2-3 times while grilling. Taste-test for doneness.

While grilling, place the sun-dried tomatoes, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon zest, garlic, salt, and pepper into a small food processor, magic bullet, etc.

Pulse the mixture for about 30-45 seconds or until the sun-dried tomatoes are evenly chopped. The mixture will be thick. Refer to photo 3.

Taste and add more lemon juice or oil if desired for taste or a thinner consistency. Set aside.

Remove the asparagus from the grill, spread in a single layer on a baking sheet, and place in the fridge until fully chilled or in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes. Set a timer if using the freezer method!

Toss asparagus with desired amount of dressing [I used about 3/4 of the mixture], a squeeze of lemon, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, and toasted almonds. Add more salt + pepper if desired.