Meaty Mushroom Veggie Burger - The Least Terrible Veggie Burger Ever!

Sometimes I'll be standing at the neighborhood burger joint counter, waiting for my flame broiled, half-pound cheeseburger, when someone will step up, look over the menu, and sheepishly order the veggie burger. When this happens, I always say to myself, "you poor bastard." Now, before you get your hemp shorts all bunched up, let me explain.

This person I'm describing isn’t a vegetarian - if they were, they would have ordered the garden burger immediately, and would not have looked so healthy. That they looked at the menu for a few minutes means, momentarily intoxicated with sirloin vapors, they thought about ordering a real beef burger. Then, listening to that little voice in their head (which sounds just like their wife's voice), they come to their senses and order the veggie burger.

My empathetic feelings come from the fact that veggie burgers are usually dismally dry, flavorless discs of disappointment. Especially the ones burger joints serve just to spite their vegetarian customers. Well, things may be changing. This video recipe shows how to make a meaty, juicy, delicious meatless burger.

It's my dream that one day, someone will order this amazing mushroom burger, and a person standing next to them, waiting for their half-pound cheeseburger, will say to themselves, "you lucky bastard." Enjoy!



Ingredients:
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
1/2 finely chopped onion
4 cloves minced garlic
2/3 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper