Amaranth Eggplant Burgers With Sriracha Tahini Sauce

Ingredients

For the eggplant burgers:

• 3 cups diced eggplant
• olive oil spray
• 2 tablespoons Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
• 1/4 cup amaranth
• 3/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 burger buns
• Burger fixings (tomato, lettuce, red onion, avocado, etc.)

For the Sriracha tahini sauce:

• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup water
• 1-2 tablespoon Sriracha
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried dill

Directions

1. To make the Eggplant Burgers: Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the eggplant chunks out on the baking sheet. Lightly spray with olive oil and drizzle the Bragg’s Liquid Aminos over them. Add salt and pepper to taste, then toss to fully coat. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, tossing once halfway through. Once cooked, remove from heat and let cool for about 5 minutes.

2. While the eggplant is in the oven, cook the amaranth. Combine the amaranth and vegetable broth in a small pot and cover. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and crack the lid just a hair. Let simmer until liquid has cooked away, about 10-15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside.

3. Also while the eggplant is in the oven, cook the onion and garlic. In a small frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat for about one minute. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until onion is translucent. Remove from heat.

4. Combine the eggplant, onion and garlic, along with all of the spices, nutritional yeast and liquid smoke in a food processor. Pulse just a few times until it is broken up and mushy, but not pureed. You want it to still be a tad chunky.

5. Add the eggplant mixture to the cooked amaranth and mix together. Divide the mixture into 4 equal parts and use a biscuit cutter to form into patties on the baking sheet that you used to cook the eggplant (you can use the same parchment paper too). Bake the patties in the oven for about 35-40 minutes, flipping once halfway through.

6. Once they are baked, you can pan fry them on each side for a few minutes to “brown” them and make them a little firmer. Just lightly spray the pan with a little bit of olive oil and cook the patties on each side for 3-4 minutes over medium heat. You could possibly try grilling them at this point, but I have not tried that.

7. To make the Sriracha Tahini Sauce: Combine all ingredients in a food processor, or if using an immersion blender, a small bowl. Blend the ingredients until smooth. Chill until ready to use.

8. Enjoy!