Green Bean “Fries” and Asian Veggie Burgers with Star Fruit Relish

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February 19, 2012 by Dana

Is there anything more quintessentially American than a burger and fries?

Think about it.   I bet you can’t name one thing.

Ok, well maybe life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and all that jazz…. Oh yeah, and jazz. And baseball.  Definitely baseball.

Let me rephrase.

Is there any meal more quintessentially American than a burger and fries?

Nope.  Nothing. I’m glad we agree.

So when it came time for me to come up with a meal for the Marx Foods East Meets Delicious Recipe Contest, it only seemed fitting to embrace the “east meets west” theme by incorporating the markedly Asian ingredients into the ultimate American meal.

My mission, if I chose to accept it: create two original recipes using at least four of the samples provided by Marx Foods (samples included adzuki beans, maitake mushrooms, mochi rice, dried star fruit, organic millet, hijiki.). The recipes must be for one appetizer and one main course.

Appetizer:  Green Bean “Fries”

Ingredients

2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/2 cup millet
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2  eggs
1 lb green beans, trimmed

Directions 

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Drizzle a large baking sheet with the sesame oil and place into preheating oven.

2.   Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender, ground the millet seeds into a fine, flour like consistency.  Combine the ground millet, salt, garlic powder and cayenne pepper in a shallow bowl and mix well.  In another shallow bowl, beat the eggs.

3.  Remove the pan from the oven.  Dip the green beans, one by one, into the egg and then the millet mixture, and then arrange them on the hot pan.  Roast the green beans for 8 minutes.  Flip the green beans and then bake until golden brown and crispy, about 8 more minutes.

4.   Serve immediately with desired dipping sauce (spicy mustard suggested.)

Main Course:  Asian Veggie Burgers with Star Fruit Relish

Ingredients for Veggie Burger: 

1/2 cup dried adzuki beans
1 oz dried maitake mushrooms
1/2 cup mochi rice
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1  onion, shredded
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 large zucchini, shredded
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp minced scallions
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
8 multigrain buns

Ingredients for Star Fruit Relish:

8 dried star fruit, minced
zest of one orange
juice of one orange
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon Asian chili-garlic sauce

Directions:

1.  Soak adzuki beans overnight.  The next day, cook beans according to these directions on Marx Foods website.  Divide the beans in half, mashing half of the beans with a fork, and leaving the other half whole.  Set aside.

2.  Reconstitute the dried maitake mushrooms according to these directions on the Marx Foods website.  Mince reconstituted mushrooms.  Reserve the liquid used to cook the rice.

3.  Rinse mochi rice well, until rinsing water runs clear.  Place the rice in a small sauce pan along with the mushroom broth.  Bring water to a boil and let boil for one minute.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cover pot. Cook for about 40 minutes, until water is absorbed.

4.  Meanwhile, in a large skilet, heat sesame oil over medium high heat.  Once hot, add onions and garlic to the oil and saute for 2 minutes.  Add mushroom and zucchini.  Saute for 3 additional minutes.  Remove from heat.

5.  In a large mixing bowl, combine beans, rice, vegetable mixture, vinegar, soy sauce, scallions, and cayenne pepper.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add flour and mix well.

6.  On a greased baking sheet, form mixture into 8 veggie patties.  Mixture may be on the wet side, but do the best you can to keep them together. The burgers will firm up as they cook.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Flip patties and bake for 15-20 more minutes, until patties stay together and are no longer wet.

7.  To make star fruit relish, combine all relish ingredients except for chili-garlic sauce in a small sauce pan.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  Add chili-garlic sauce and continue to simmer until all liquid is absorbed.

8.  To assemble, place one veggie burger and any desired toppings on each bun.  Top each burger with star fruit relish and serve immediately.