Eggplant sliders with tzatziki sauce
Eggplant sliders with tzatziki sauce
Ingredients
Yields 15 mini burgers
Burger
1 medium eggplant – roasted
1 cup barley – cooked *see note
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bulb roasted garlic
¾ cup almond meal *see note
¼ cup almonds – finely chopped *see note
1 tablespoon tamari
2 tablespoons raisins - chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
2 teaspoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon Himalayan or sea salt
Tzatziki sauce
Yields approx. 2 cups
2 cups of yogurt – I make my own coconut yogurt, but any non-dairy version will do
1 long English cucumber – grated (other cucumbers can be used, but they should be peeled and seeded)
¼ cup lemon juice
2 cloves roasted garlic or 1 teaspoon garlic powder – I sometimes find raw garlic to sharp
1 ½ teaspoons Himalayan or sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 teaspoons fresh mint – finely chopped
Steps
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
In a small bowl combine chopped almonds and tamari. Let it marinate while the eggplant is roasting.
Roast eggplant and garlic together (if you are making the tzatziki sauce, roast a few extra cloves at the same time). Pierce eggplant with fork a few times to let the steam out while cooking. Place it on a high rimmed baking sheet or dish. Roast 30 to 40 minutes, until it gets dark and collapses. When cool enough to handle, scrape out the flesh and place it in a sieve over a bowl and drain for a few minutes. Discard the skin.
In a large bowl combine the eggplant, peeled roasted garlic and cooked barley. Use a potato masher or your hands to break down the mixture. When it is well combined use a wooden spoon to stir in tahini, marinated almonds, almond meal, raisins, salt, pepper, cumin and lemon juice. Toss in parsley at the end.-
Refrigerate mixture for 15 minutes. It will help them hold together better.
Preheat oven to 450F. Line baking sheets with parchment. Form patties, place them evenly on parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes, then flip them gently. You don’t want the patties to break apart. Bake another 5 to 10 minutes, until they are golden brown and firm.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. In the freezer, three months.
Tzatziki sauce
Grate cucumber. Put it in a sieve over a bowl and let it drain. You can use a little salt to accelerate the process. Discard or save your juice to make a refreshing vinaigrette. *see note
Take drained cucumber and combine it with yogurt, garlic, finely chopped mint, salt and pepper. Gently stir. Place it in the fridge in an airtight container until serving.
*NOTE
To cook barley, it is one-part grains, three parts water. If you make extra, store it in a freezer bag and use it for future recipes. It is good in a salad, soup or wrap.
Any nuts or seeds I use in recipes are soaked and dehydrated. The soaking removes the enzyme inhibitors making them easier to digest. You get maximum nutrient value out of the nuts this way. However, if you choose not to or don’t have the equipment, this recipe will still work.
Almond meal is just finely ground almonds. You can grind them yourself or buy them already ground. To keep your almond meal fresh, store it in an airtight container in the freezer.
Vinaigrette – ¼ cup of cucumber juice, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. I used it over a cabbage cucumber slaw. Thinly slice cabbage, grated cucumber and white portion of scallion.
