Button Mushroom and Cashew Burgers

Frack. I'm almost an hour and a half into writing up this blog entry because I have been so deeply distracted by Battlestar Galactica. My intention was to ski, but circumstances had other plans. It's cold at -30C! Screw it, it's going to be a veg-out night instead!

I will just assume that you all have seen Battlestar Galactica in it's entirety, or are currently in the process of watching it for the first time. If this is not you, we are not friends. While I own a television, I don't have "tv" (the television is here because I'm a big film guy). There is little that I find enticing or stimulating about tv... the advertisements, the inane story-lines... Mitch Buchanan. This Battlestar Galactica, though... it's become closer to a life philosophy than a form of entertainment for me. I've decided to make it a project for the winter, to watch it over again in it's emotionally distraught entirety.

My love affair with BSG commenced when I moved down to Costa Rica to work with capuchin monkeys and fig trees. My friend Jess cut out a picture of Jamie Bamber (we've discussed this already. Ungh... my loins) and told me that if ever I was lonely, Jamie would be there, watching over me (or would be my goodbye kiss when I left for work. Sad, but true). The way our schedules worked out, I ended up having a good 4 hours to myself every evening after everyone had gone to bed. I would string up a hammock, watch the rain come down, and veg out with some BSG until the cane toads were so bad that I fled to the confines of my room and tried to sleep. Ohhhhhh nostalgia...

Anyway, today was a terrifically long day at work, and I spent most of it hungry. I spend most days hungry. I'm in training for a few upcoming marathons and my metabolism produces more heat than the baseboard heaters in my office. I'm trying to cook strictly vegan, but what I really wanted was a big ol' burger. This was what became of those hunger pains. I started making the recipe on the way home and I'm happy to report that it worked out damn well! Actually, it might become my new standby meal!


Button Mushroom and Cashew Burgers
1 15 oz. can navy beans
1 1/2 cups button mushrooms, finely chopped
1 cup raw cashews, ground
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 clove organic garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
olive oil


1. In a large mixing bowl, mash the navy beans into a paste.

2. Sauté the button mushrooms over medium heat until nicely browned, and add to the bean paste.

3. Grind enough raw cashews to make more or less 1 cup of cashew flour. Add a 1/2 cup of the cashew flour to the bean paste and mushrooms, and set the remainder of the cashew flour aside.

4. Add the red onion, organic garlic, cumin, chili powder and smoked paprika to the remaining bean paste mixture, and mix well.

5. Shape the mixture into patties, and pat into the remaining cashew flour until evenly covered. When I made them, it ended up making 4 of them.

6. Cook patties on the stovetop over medium heat in a little bit of olive oil for about 7-8 minutes per side, until the cashew flour crust has browned.

7. Fix it up with whatever condiments you enjoy the most (I used a curry sauce, zucchini and tomato). Consume.


If you're taking the button mushroom and cashew patty at face-value, this recipe is vegan as well as gluten- and yeast-free. Kick ass. One problem I consistently run into living in the Yukon is that when it comes to food items like buns, gluten- and yeast-free items just simply don't exist unless you make them yourself. I didn't have time for that today, so I ended up having to use a gluten and yeast heavy bun, which I will almost certainly regret later (damn you, yeast allergy). What I should have done was use a portobello mushroom and make an open-faced burger. See? That would have been smart.

Also, raw cashews are a fantastic substitute for small amounts of flour in savory dishes if you have gluten issues. I've also used it to make custards and panna cottas because the oils help to give the finished product a nice faux-creaminess. They're super easy to find up here. They exist in the bulk foods section of any of our grocery stores!

Enjoy the burgers, and enjoy the rest of your evening!