Deng Bliven

In the mood for a big, juicy burger? Forget the drive-thru and keep your frozen patties on ice. These delicious plant-based burger recipes are packed with flavour and protein and are sure to satisfy your burger craving while getting a few extra veggies into your diet in the process.

The general rule for making a good veggie burger? You need six basic components:

◦ Two cups of finely diced cooked vegetables like zucchini, carrots, sweet potatoes or corn

◦ One and a half cups of cooked legumes like kidney beans, lentils or chickpeas

◦ One cup of cooked grains like quinoa or rice

◦ One half cup of something that adds texture like chopped walnuts or sundried tomatoes

◦ Three teaspoons of spices like chili powder, garlic powder or garam masala powder

◦ One half cup of a binder like oatmeal, panko breadcrumbs or almond meal

When it comes to cooking your burger, homemade plant-based burgers are generally more delicate than traditional meat burgers. They don’t always like being slammed down in a hot pan and they definitely won’t survive on a grill.

After mixing your ingredients and forming into patties, we suggest putting them down on a parchment paper-lined and oiled baking sheet and baking them in a 425°F oven for about 15 minutes to ensure you don’t end up with a crumbly mess. If you’re feeling experimental, you can finish your burgers under your broiler to give them a little crust.

1. Bean burrito burger

Can’t decide between burgers or burritos? With this recipe, you don’t have to choose. Pulse about half of your black beans, then combine all of your beans with cooked rice, oat flour, cooked (and peeled) sweet potato chunks, corn, chopped walnuts and cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika. Don’t over mix, as you want your burgers to have some texture. Season your burger with salt before cooking. Serve on a bun and top with sliced avocado, vegan sour cream and pico de gallo.

2. Spicy Pakistani BBQ burger

These Pakistan BBQ burgers look as hot as they taste — they’re bright red in colour thanks to the beets, kidney beans and seasoning mix (which contains red chili).

Shred your beets and combine with cooked rice, kidney beans, National Tikka Boti Recipe Mix, coconut yogurt, raw papaya, ginger and garlic paste, thinly sliced scallions and ground oats. Form into patties and season with salt before you cook.

Top your burger with some cooling fresh mint chutney and serve on chapati. If you want to amp up the spice even more feel free to add extra hot mango pickle.

3. Green Monster Burger

This bright green plant-based burger truly looks like it was made from plants.

Pulse about half of your peas and combine with finely diced onion, spinach, cooked lentils, oats, parsley, garlic, quinoa and Italian spices.

Season with salt, cook, top with slices of roasted eggplant, vegan mayo and crispy lettuce and serve on a bun.

These simple plant-based burger recipes are tasty, healthy and easy-to-make and are also a great way to make use of those veggies you’ve been neglecting in your vegetable crisper.

There comes a time in everyone’s life when you want to go and get yourself a pizza oven. It’s practically a necessity that you get yourself one. As soon as you do, your life will change forever.

You’ll be able to whip up pizzas in no time at all and enjoy them with your friends and family. The challenging part is that there are so many pizza ovens out there for sale. It can be tough to find the right one for your home.

Here are some of the critical things that you must consider when buying a new pizza oven

1. Price

The price of the oven is always going to be one of the biggest factors. If you’re on a budget, then you might want to look into cheaper pizza ovens instead of shelling out for a costly one.

If you’ve saved lots of money, then maybe it’s worth investing in a highly pricey one? It depends on you. We know that a cheaper oven isn’t going to be as good, but maybe this is a compromise you’re willing to make?

2. Size

How much room have you got in your home for a new oven? You need to think about its size and whether or not it’s going to fit into your kitchen. You may have to think about moving cupboards, knocking down walls, or even adding an extension if you want it to fit comfortably.

3. Portability

Is the new oven going to be portable, or are you planning on having it fixed in your kitchen? It is crucial if you’re buying a wood-fired one that’s going to be burning hot. You need to know that you cannot pick it up and carry it around the house with you!

4. Temperature control

The biggest benefit of having your own oven is that you can create different pizzas using different temperatures. You must consider how easy it will be for you to change the temperature.

5. Design

You might want to go for a sleek and stylish design that will look perfect in your home. For this to happen, ensure you liaise with a company like Fontana Forni. They will provide quality and fuel-efficient pizza ovens. You don’t necessarily need to worry about the oven’s appearance as long as it comes with all of the features that you’re looking for.

6. Durability

The oven needs to be durable. A cheap and flimsy oven won’t last that long, and you’ll end up having to buy another one in a few months. We recommend that you invest in an expensive, quality pizza oven if you want it to last for years and years!

7. Ease of use

How easy is the pizza oven to use? If it’s complicated, then you’re probably better off without it. It would be best to make sure that the instructions are simple enough for you to understand before buying them. There should be nothing too technical or advanced about it at all!

In a nutshell, when looking for a pizza oven, you should always consider the following things: price, size, portability, temperature control, design, and durability.