Chicago Diner at home and a Winterized Salad

Chicago Diner Mushroom Burgers with Winterized Salad
(burger toppings are dips from earlier post)

Somehow, I ended up with three packages of mushrooms in my refrigerator.  So on Tuesday, I knew a mushroom-based dish was in order, and I had been craving a patty (having been particularly naughty this past week with eating only the french fry portion of this comfort dish -- doh!).  I've not done much patty experimentation to date, so I took to the internet and quickly received a sign -- a recipe from the Chicago Diner.  A bit of home and hearty goodness -- perfect!

Regardless of whether or not you are from the Chi-town area, you may have heard of this well-established vegan dining mecca.  I actually took my first trip to it solo, last summer, when I was in town for a visit.  It was the first time in a long time that I have been to a restaurant where I am overwhelmed by the menu.  I remember literally sitting there with my coffee, mouth agape, as I tried to narrow my options.  I finally gave in and asked my server what her favorite dish was because I couldn't decide.  Needless to say, it rocked, the place rocks, and the next time you are in or through the Chicago area, you should make a stop (preferably with several people...so that you can try more delicious eats!).

I was going to include this recipe a different way, but I thought it was quite cool of godairyfree.org to provide such easy access and citation for their recipes, so here it is:

Chicago Diner Mushroom Burgers (Vegan, Nut-Free, Soy-Free)
Go Dairy Free - Thursday, 24 February 2011

2011© Go Dairy Free

Here are my recipe notes:

* Used 3 carrots for celery/peppers and leeks for the onion (Probably closer to 4 c. instead of 2 c. for these items)
* Used all cremini mushrooms
* For quick-cooking oats and flour, I might start with 2c. and 1/4 c. respectively next time, and then add as needed to bind (remember the oats will expand in the 5 min. of cooking). My patties were lovely and dense, but I am curious to see if (with reduction) I can bring out even more mushroom-y goodness. When you are cooking the entire mix together, you will feel like you are rolling a ball around in your soup pot -- that it ok!  And yes, do use a soup pot!
*For cooking, I did the oven time as directed and then sauteed burgers in pan on the stove.  Worked out just fine, though I am certainly eager to put these on the grill in the summer!
*As for the yield, our batch made 16 thick patties about 3-4" in diameter.  I would be afraid of the size if we only made 8 patties.  Oh...and also, we ate these without buns, did not need buns, and were pleasantly full with the side of vegetables.
* The sun-dried tomato dip was AMAZING on these burgers and a little goes quite a way to heighten the flavor even more.

If you have mushroom fans in your life or are looking for a great vegan burger option, this recipe will become a fave!

Winterized Salad
When we were in grad school, my friend, Em, used to make this red cabbage salad that I loved, which I always found entertaining because I wasn't the biggest fan of red cabbage.  I thought the same was true for my hub -- he is always a good sport about eating what I make, but I wondered if I could help his enjoyment of red cabbage by taking away some of its bitterness.  So, I wanted to revise this recipe into a warm cabbage salad and hope that some adaptations would help with enjoyment a la my playing with brussels.  Ultimately, this is a lovely warming version for the winter, even though I found out that he generally enjoys the raw version -- go figure.

Serves: 4-6 as a side

1 T. oil
4 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 small head red cabbage, decored and sliced as thinly as possible into about 1" pieces
4 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1.5 T maple syrup
Salt and pepper
2 heads of baby bok choy, bottom trimmed, washed, thinly sliced
1.5 T red wine vinegar (to taste)

1.  Heat oil over med. to med. high heat in large saute pan, then saute shallots  for 4 min. until softened, but not crisped.
2.  Add cabbage and saute for 10 min. uncovered (add a bit more oil or water, as you don't want sticking).
3. Add carrots, syrup, salt and pepper.  Stir to combine turn down to med. and cover for 30-40 min. until veggies are softened.
4. Add bok choy and vinegar; stir until combined and bok choy is wilted but vibrant green (about 5-7 min.).  Check and adjust salt, pepper, and vinegar balance with veg/maple sweetness as needed, and serve.

Yum -- and a great way to vary fiber intake!  Green of the month:  definitely baby bok choy.

Enjoy -- and don't forget to let me know if you try/enjoy the recipe or have any questions!