Beet Patties

Beets. They bleed wealth, don't you agree? I find them to be romantic...indulgent.

And it's goes beyond the blushing colour. Beets transport ordinarily lovely dishes into the realm of divinity with their stunning red stain and luxurious, flush flavour. Thus, I quite favour beets as my "special occasion" vegetable. Though I fancy most meals to be a special, beet-worthy occasion...

Today is most definitely a special occasion, as I share with you my favourite recent recipe discovery - beet burgers (or "patties", as I tend to use them beyond burger form). This recipe, from the exquisite blog Green Kitchen Stories, is so very good. These vegetarian burgers are beyond delicious, beyond scrumptious. Does anything exist beyond scrumptious? Do not be wary of the rolled oats addition, you cannot even notice them. Perhaps the cheese distracts you... No, it's most certainly because you're swooning over the beets. Don't blush now.

I served these patties as the recipe suggests, as burgers. I have also served them in salads and, lovingly for breakfast one morning on a bed of spinach, topped with a fried egg and sprinkled with sprouts.

Beet Patties

Recipe by Green Kitchen Stories, with only a few minor adjustments below.

Makes 6-8 depending on the size you form

Ingredients
3 cups grated Beetroot
1.5 cups Rolled Oats (or 1 cup Rolled Oats and 1/2 cup cooked Quinoa)
1 Onion
2 cloves Garlic (use 1 clove if you don't enjoy a garlic taste, it's quite prominent)
3 Eggs (or 2 very large eggs, we found the mixture needed an extra one)
150g quality Feta (I love Dodoni. Lightly cooked Haloumi pieces would be a delicious alternative to feta)
2 tablespoons Olive Oil, plus more for cooking
1 handful fresh flat-leaf Parsley (or Basil, as the original recipe calls for), chopped
2 generous pinches Smoked Paprika
2 generous pinches Sweet Paprika
Salt and Pepper

Method
1. Peel the beets, onion and garlic and then grate them (by hand or using a food processor). Place the grated goods in a big mixing bowl and stir through the oats (and quinoa if using). Whisk the eggs and add them to the mix along with the olive oil, parsley, smoked and sweet paprika, freshly cracked pepper and a generous sprinkle of salt. Mix everything well.
2. Crumble in the feta and stir again, then leave for 30 minutes to help the oats soak up the liquid and ensure the patties will stay together in the pan.
3. Form the patties with your hands, adding more oats if the mixture is too wet and set aside.
4. Heat a generous glug of oil in a large, non-stick pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the patties and cook for a few minutes until golden. Using two pans might be a good idea to avoid over-crowding. Flip the patties (I find using two spatulas does the trick most glamourously) and cook for a further few minutes until golden.
5. Serve as you wish, as burgers, in a salad or with a fried egg on top. These patties go excellently with lots of greens - spinach, sprouts, avocado... Enjoy.

Heidi xo