Garden Vegetable Burgers   

6 servings

These delicious patties are a mixture of vegetables and mashed potatoes. Serve them with catsup or even better a Simple Tomato Sauce.

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh or canned
     low-salt tomato
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1/2 cup frozen petite peas, defrosted
• 1/2 cup frozen whole kernel corn, defrosted
• 1 small zucchini, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 3 (8-12 oz each) large Idaho potatoes,
     baked and peeled +++
• 3 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup skim milk
•    whole wheat bread crumbs, for dipping burgers

Peeling Tomatoes: Cut out the stem; plop tomatoes into boiling water for about 1 minute; remove from water with a slotted spoon and immediately drop into a bowl of cold water and ice cubes (to stop the cooking process); peel should practically slide off easily with the help of a paring knife.

Spray a large nonstick skillet with vegetable oil and heat over medium heat. Add tomatoes, red pepper, green pepper, celery, zucchini and onions. Cook and stir 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Drain vegetables. Stir in peas, corn and thyme. Mash the cooked potatoes in a large bowl. Stir in egg whites and skim milk. Stir the potato mixture and vegetable mixture and shape into 12 burgers. Place the dried bread crumbs on a plate. Dip burger in crumbs to coat.

Brown burgers in a nonstick skillet lightly sprayed with vegetable cooking spray, for 5 minutes. Turn and saute for 5 minutes more

+++ Pre-heat the oven to 425. Wash the potato lightly to remove dirt without breaking the skin then dry with a paper towel. Pierce the skin a couple of times with a fork to allow steam to escape and prevent possible bursting in oven. DO NOT wrap in foil as you will get a soggy potato (the steam didn't escape) instead of the desired flaky texture. Place potatoes on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 50-60 minutes (depending on the size of the potato). Test potato for doneness by squeezing gently...if done the potato will be slightly soft and the skin will be nicely crusty.

Note: Would you like to make your own bread crumbs to ensure freshness. Cut 3 large slices of bread (I prefer whole wheat) into 1-inch cubes and arrange in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 6 to 10 minutes or until cubes are thoroughly dry and tops turn a medium brown. Toss into your food processor and grind into a coarse powder. May be stored in refrigerator in a tightly sealed container for several days. Makes 1 cup.

Bon appetit!