Better Burgers and Fries

High-fructose corn syrup, monosodium-glutamate. . . Doesn't sound like a tasty burger and fries meal to me. The problem is, that's exactly what's in the burger combo you'd find at your local drive-thru. Even with these frankenstein ingredients, your meal rarely looks are great as it does in the ad.

Why settle for something that comes on a paper-lined questionably clean plastic tray when you can have something so much better?



At school I get to eat whatever I want but now that i'm back home for the summer, compromises must be made. After all, I do have to share the dinner table with my meat-atarian younger sister. Luckily, I got them to agree to 'Meatless Monday's', one day a week when we'll have a completely meatless supper. Here's how week 1 went:

Better Burgers and Fries
Yield: 7-8 burgers

Burger patties:

• 3/4 cup canned chickpeas
• ~ 1 cup cookied quinoa (cooked from 1/2 cup dry quinoa)
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 egg
• salt and pepper

1. Preset oven to 350F
2. Slightly mash chickpeas in a large bowl
3. Add remaining ingredients, salt and pepper to taste, mix well
4. form into patties and bake until slightly browned, ~15 minutes
5. serve on toasted buns

Fries:

Adapted from Baked Butternut Squash Fries

• 1 large sweet potato
• vegetable oil
• salt
• garlic powder

1. Preset oven to 400F
2. Clean and peel sweet potato
3. cut into fry shaped pieces
4. In a large bowl, drizzle fries with oil and toss to mix well, sprinkle with salt and garlic powder
5. Bake on a cooking rack until crisp ~15 minutes

Creamy garlic sauce:

• 3/4 Greek yogurt
• 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped finely

1. Mix yogurt and garlic well and serve with burgers and fries