Vegetable Burger, the Healthy Burger

"Mom, what's for lunch?"

"Mom, what's for lunch?" This is the text message I received this morning from my eldest son, Romnuel. I was surprised that he was able to send a text message during school hours. Looking at the clock, I realized it was already break time. It also means that I have to stop working and start preparing for our lunch because I myself do not know what to cook! 

I am trying to reduce, if not eliminate, pork and beef in our diet. Hence, our meals are usually composed of chicken, fish, seafood, fruits, and vegetables. We had Sweet and Sour Tilapia last Monday, Chicken Tinola last Tuesday, and Yellow Fin Tuna in Coconut Cream yesterday; therefore, we should have vegetables today. 

With this decision in mind, I sent him a reply, "Vegetables". He sent another text message asking what kind of vegetable dish but I really do not have anything in mind. Then, he requested for either tortang Talong (Eggplant Omelette) or Vegetable Burger. Eggplant Omelette? We do not have eggplants on the refrigerator and I do not have the time to go out and buy eggplants. So, I opted for the healthier Vegetable Burger. 

Vegetable Burger

On the other hand, our version of Vegetable Burger is not actually a burger, but an omelette. According to Wikipedia, "an omelette or omelet is a dish made from beaten eggs quickly cooked with butter or oil in a frying pan,sometimes folded around a filling such as cheese, vegetables, meat, or some combination of the above." 

I developed this recipe because I had having hard time encouraging my children eat vegetables. They are very picky with the vegetables they eat, but they love eggs. they would eat almost any dish with egg on it. Hence, if we will look closely at the cooking process of this dish, we can say that this is an omelette. 

However, my children preferred to call it as "burger" because of how it looks. They love the bright colors -- yellow, orange, and green. Its sweet and salty taste is a sure delight to their taste buds. Furthermore, the thick, rounded patty resembles a burger. Besides, a burger is more appetizing to children than an omelette! 

A close up look at our burger

Ingredients: 

1 small can (225 grams) sliced mushroom
2 blocks tofu, mashed
1 piece medium onion, minced
1 piece medium carrot, grated
2 pcs. medium potatoes, grated
bunch of malungggay leaves
2 eggs, well-beaten
1 tbsp. flour
salt and pepper to taste 
1/2 cup cooking oil 

Procedure: 

1. In a bowl, mash tofu using a fork.
2. Add onion, carrot, potatoes, malunggay leaves, eggs, and flour.
3. Season with salt and pepper. Mix until well-blended.
4. Scoop out a tablespoon of the mixture and form into patty. 

Veggie Burger Mixture

5. Heat cooking oil in a pan.
6. Fry each patty until both sides turn golden brown.
7. Drain on paper towels. Set aside.
8. Arrange on a platter. Serve with banana catsup. 

Veggie Burger on Lunch Box

This nutritious meatless burger landed on the lunch boxes of my two sons. As per agreement, I will be bringing their lunch in school because they have classes until the afternoon. Though the school is very near our place, they are not allowed to go home during lunch break. It is best that they stay in school so that they can have some rest.