Daiya-stuffed Jalapeno Tempeh Burgers

Back on the 4th of July… Hopefully to return to posting with some regularity 🙂

Today we had our 4th of July barbecue with some amazing food. My main contribution was something I have wanted to make for a while now ~ (vegan) Daiya-cheese stuffed jalapeno tempeh burgers. And they were amazing…

The grilled burgers

I baked them first, then grilled for a few  minutes

All decorated

Daiya-cheese stuffed jalapeno tempeh burgers

2 packages of tempeh, crumbled (you can crumble it up by hand, or cut it into squares and pulse them in the food processor for a minute, until it falls into pieces)

3 cups of brown rice, cooked (the stickier the better for this recipe)

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

2 Tablespoons hemp seeds

1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

1/3 cup parsley, chopped

1 /2 to 1 teaspoon salt

1/2 to 1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

2 Tablespoons ground flax seed, mixed with 6 Tablespoons warm water, then let sit for about 15 minutes

1 package Daiya cheese, cheddar flavor, wedge style. The shredded kind would work, but the wedge is best.

Combine all ingredients in a very large bowl, except the Daiya cheese, mixing as you go. Mix really well after adding the flax, and let sit for a few minutes.

The unbaked mixture also tastes delicious – the raw jalapeno and onion are very sharp-tasting now, but the mellow out totally once baked & grilled. They are very subtle in the finished burgers.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, then prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the Daiya into small chunks.

Take about 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup of the mixture and roll it into a ball, then make a large indentation in the ball.  Place a chunk or two of the Daiya into the indentation, then cover it over with the tempeh mixture, adding extra if needed. The ball can be flattened slightly when placed on the baking sheet, but it is fairly fragile, so don’t press too much.

Continue with the rest of the mixture and Daiya chunks – this amount will make about 10 burgers.

Bake for about 15 minutes, turning them over halfway.

If the patties aren’t going to be grilled, you can bake them longer, until golden brown and crispy. If grilling, take them out after 15 minutes and grill for a few minutes on each side.

Very tasty and beautiful!

All of the barbecued deliciousness –  tempeh burger, grilled turmeric-garlic potatoes, grilled brussels sprouts, grilled balsamic asparagus and an amazing salad with balsamic viniagrette (not shown).

Ok, so this isn’t the most beautiful photo, but it shows all of the amazing ingredients…..

Hope you all had a happy and healthy 4th!