Broccoli and Kale Burger for One

This burger is quite delicate and nearly falls apart when you touch it with the fork. But don’t let that dissuade you—a soft burger is a delight to the palate as well as to the tummy.

½ TBLSP olive oil

2 TBLSP chopped yellow onion

2 chopped green onions

1 clove garlic, chopped finely

4 teaspoons coarsely chopped button mushroom (about 2 large-ish ones)

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 cup broccoli (florets and stems)

¾ cup kale

½ slice bread

1 teaspoon peanut butter

2 TBLSP walnut pieces

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil for frying

1. In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and sauté the onion and green onions. This should take 3-5 minutes, just until the onion begins to soften. Toss in the mushrooms and cook until most (but not all) of the water has released and evaporated, about 3 more minutes.
2. Add the garlic and let it cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until fragrant.
3. Remove the onions and mushrooms from the heat and stir in the cumin. It will smell fabulous.
4. In a food processor or blender, whirl the broccoli, until it’s broken down into little pellets but isn’t mush. Place this in a bowl. Repeat the blender-to-bowl activity with the kale and the bread. They don’t need to end up in separate bowls because you’re about to mix them.
5. Add in the peanut butter and walnuts and mix it all together. Taste it and add salt and pepper, if needed.
6. Form the mixture into a patty (or two, depending on your mood) on top of a piece of plastic wrap. Cover with wrap (wrap with wrap) and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. (Otherwise, it will be too soft to fry.)
7. In a small skillet, heat the olive oil and fry the patty for about 5 minutes on each side.

Serve with carrot salad, on a bun, with a side of rice and corn (as shown), or break it up to put on top of a nice crispy salad.

Variations:

• You could make the same kind of patty using equal amounts of spinach, chard, or whatever your favorite green is.
• Stuff a pita bread with the broken-up patty and some veggies. Tahini sauce is pretty good with this.