So here it is, the recipe that made Hubby fall out of love with Jamie Oliver ! To be honest I think that Hubby is a little stressed at work and probably not relaxing in the kitchen as he usually does, rushing and working at the same time as cooking is never going to be a good recipe is it ? I just think that we took the squeezing of the liquid from the tofu just a little to far which led to a rather dry mix and the burgers kept falling apart. On this occasion we added a little water to hold it all together, but please note, if you do decide to make these Tofu Burgers, just don’t over squeeze your tofu !
Now tofu is a funny one, I was pretty convinced that I didn’t like it, Hubby was convinced that I did, so he made me give these burgers a try and I am so pleased that I did. This recipe is another one that really fills you up, and afterwards you feel like it is working away making you more healthy from the inside out, silly as that sounds it felt very cleansing.
Not surprising when you consider that Tofu is a good source of protein and contains all eight essential amino acids. It is also an excellent source of iron and calcium and the minerals manganese, selenium and phosphorous. In addition, tofu is a good source of magnesium, copper, zinc and vitamin B1.
Tofu is an excellent food from a nutritional and health perspective. It is thought to provide the same sort of protection against cancer and heart disease as soya beans and a 100 grams only has 70 calories. Its pretty impressive isn’t it ?
Apart from the little problem of over squeezing the tofu, this recipe worked out perfectly, even my 13 and 19 year old Son’s loved them, I was worried that as hearty meat eaters that love a good gourmet burger they may be a little disgruntled, but no, they went down a treat.
The whole dish is full of flavour, extremely filling and just a complete joy to eat, so if you fancy a break from meat, are watching the calories, trying to find healthy alternatives or just fancy a change, I can highly recommend these yummy tofu burgers.
Buon appetito
350g firm silken tofu
1 large free-range egg
75g wholemeal breadcrumbs
2 heaped teaspoons Marmite (Hubby said that he would add more)
8 ripe tomatoes
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 sprigs of fresh basil
4 soft wholemeal buns
400g mixed seasonal salad veg, such as cucumber, red cabbage, apples, cress, baby spinach
olive oil
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
50g Cheddar cheese
50g gherkins (we used Bread & Butter Pickles)
CREAMY BASIL DRESSING
4 tablespoons natural yoghurt
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 sprigs of fresh basil
¼ of a fresh red chilli (it packed a punch, so may use less next time)
Wrap the tofu in a clean tea towel, then squeeze and wring it out to remove the excess liquid (about 4 tablespoons should come out – it’s messy, but really important to do this for great burger texture later). Place the tofu in a bowl, scraping it off the tea towel.
NOTE : See blog post above !
Crack in the egg, then add the breadcrumbs and Marmite. Mix and scrunch together, make sure that you have washed your hands ;), then shape into 4 even-sized patties that’ll fit nicely in your buns once cooked.
Roughly chop the tomatoes and put into a dry non-stick frying pan on a high heat with a pinch of black pepper, a splash of water and the vinegar. Squash the tomatoes with a potato masher, cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until thick and delicious, then tear in the basil leaves and season to perfection (You can add a pinch of dried red chilli flakes too, if you fancy a kick).
If you want to plump up your buns, pop them into a warm oven for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, finely slice or prep all the salad veg.
Next, pick the basil leaves into a blender and blitz with all the other dressing ingredients and a pinch of salt and pepper until super-smooth.
Place 2 teaspoons of oil in a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat. Pick the rosemary leaves into the pan in four piles, place the patties on top and cook for 3 minutes on each side, or until golden. Slice or grate the cheese, place on the patties, reduce the heat to low, then cover and leave to melt for 3 to 4 minutes.
Spread the tomato sauce into the buns, then sandwich the cheesy burgers and sliced gherkins inside.
Toss the salad with half the dressing (save the rest for another day), serve alongside the burgers and enjoy.
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