Buckwheat Sweet Potato Burgers

These buckwheat sweet potato burgers are not the big fat, smelly, greasy burgers covered in cheese, bacon, fried onions all cozied up between two slices of spongy white bread. The only thing a burger like that would do for us is make us fat, smelly, greasy and spongy. We are what we eat.

If we eat a diet that consists of fresh and alive plant foods, as we do in our UnDiet way of eating, we'll feel more fresh and alive.

I eat a clean diet and apparently it shows. I am forever being assumed much younger than I am. Do I look young because I eat mostly plants? Maybe. More likely, I look young because I don't eat the bad stuff (and have chubby cheeks). After being in Winnipeg with all the people who knew me from birth, I was told I haven't changed a bit. Thoughts?

I am approaching 40 and want to wear a sign that says so. It's good for business.

If we eat nutrient-deficient foods that are salty, fried and greasy like burgers, chicken wings, or cheese, we will have a greater amount of free radicals circulating in our bodies. Free radical damage makes our insides old and beaten, thus making our outsides look old and beaten too.

One of the easiest ways to look and feel younger inside and out is to get more of the good stuff. More of the anti-oxidant rich, plant based fruits and veggies, whole grains, nuts and seeds and spices that not only help kick the back-sides of the free-radicals, but also add in the nutrients that make our skin look young and fresh - selenium, zinc, silica, vitamin C and of course, the good fats. An added bonus is that fruits and veggies are packed to the brim with water.

Our skin, the largest organ of our body, can be a great indicator of what's going on inside - how well we are digesting and absorbing the good nutrients, and eliminating the toxins and waste. No amount of face lifting, botoxing, creams, powders, cover ups or exfoliants can ever replace or override the absolute, tried and tested benefit of simply eating well.

That's why I created this burger, which is packed to the brim with plant-based foods. One of the superstar ingredients here is buckwheat, which is an underrated gluten-free grain. Have you tried it yet?

Other awesome ingredients in this buckwheat sweet potato burger include:

• Onion: a super flavourful veggie that helps fight seasonal allergies.
• Kale: you've heard of this dark leafy green, right? It's high in fibre, immune-boosting and skin-supportive Vitamin C, and fibre. And it's really difficult to eat too much of it.
• Carrot and sweet potato: root veggies that are high in carotenoids, which are compounds that keep our skin glowing and protect it from the sun.
• Almond butter: a high-fibre nut that is full of omega-3 fats that fight inflammation throughout our bodies.

So who wants a burger? These ones are nutrient-rich, low on the glycemic index so they don't fluctuate blood sugar, are high in fibre, gluten-free, vegan and of course amazingly delicious!

Print

Buckwheat Sweet Potato Burgers

Prep time:  20 Minutes

Cook time:  60 Minutes

Total time:  1 Hour 20 Minutes

Yield: 8

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups (375 ml.) dry buckwheat (kasha)
• 3 cups water
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 Tbs toasted sesame oil or extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 2-3 leaves of kale finely chopped
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 2 large sweet potatoes, cubed, steamed or boiled until tender, and mashed
• ¼ cup almond butter, tahini or almonds ground in a coffee grinder or magic bullet
• 2 Tbs tamari or soy sauce

Make It Like So

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Dry-roast the buckwheat in a pot for 5 minutes, stirring now and again.
3. Add the water and salt and bring to a boil over high heat.
4. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until water is absorbed and kasha is soft, about 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile- saute onion in 1 Tbs of oil over medium heat until softened then add celery and carrots. Add kale, cook for additional 5 minutes.
6. Stir in the remaining ingredients (don’t forget the tamari!).
7. Keeping hands moist, form into patties and place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
8. Bake burgers for 20 minutes on one side, remove from oven and turn over. Bake for another 20 minutes until lightly browned and slightly firm.
9. If you really want to, I suppose you can fry them up, but just know that I’ll be giving you the evil nutrition eye.

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