A little bit of vegan, a little bit of healthy: Chicken tortilla burger

In one of my previous posts, I mentioned that I was in a crossing over phase to becoming a vegan. So far, I gave up eating pork and beef completely. So yes, I  have a looonnnggg way to go- I have to stop eating chicken, fish, eggs, all kinds of animal-produced dairy, condiments, etc.

I'm proceeding with baby steps so I will not shock myself with all the sudden changes. Meanwhile, I am enjoying making and eating pork and beef-free and healthier options for food. I came up with 1 new recipe which I shared with my friends. Well, its not entirely new to everyone I guess, but I made my own version of it. :) Let me share them with you too.

Chicken tortilla burger with cheesy mushroom sauce

INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE PATTIES
1/2 kilo ground chicken breast
1 big carrot grated, pressed a bit to remove a little of the excess juices
2 cloves garlic grated
A few dashes (approx. 1/2 tsp) of your favorite dried herb, I used dried Basil and oregano
3-4 dashes of Tabasco sauce (if you want it spicier, then just add more)
Salt and pepper to taste (just follow your usual preference for seasoning)
1 medium egg slightly beaten
2-3 tbsp flour or cornstarch
Small cubes of cheddar or quick melt (preferably quick melt) cheese

Additional ingredients: I didn't use chopped celantro at the time I made this, but I think fresh celantro will go well with this patty mix. If you will use celantro, just use a milder-tasting herb to go with it. I'm not really a big fan of onions, so I didn't use that, but if you wish, then go ahead and add 1 small onion finely chopped to the mix.

FOR THE CHEESE SAUCE:*
1 1/2 Cup cheese spread (like cheese whiz, but whatever brand you prefer just use it)
2 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 1/2 cup water (if you find it too thick or runny, just adjust the amount of cornstarch)
1/4 (of 1 block) of quickmelt cheese grated
A little bit of salt (control your salt since the cheese is already salty as it is, or omit the salt altogether if you're ok with the saltiness of the cheese sauce) and pepper (I like pepper so I put in lots)
1 medium can of sliced button mushrooms, drained

*For a healthier version, omit cheese spread, instead heat and dissolve vegan cheese or quick melt cheese in 2-2 1/2 cups of low fat milk or soy  milk. Then follow the rest of the ingredients, but remove additional grated cheese.

To make the patties, combine everything together (except the cheese cubes). Mix until a bit sticky and well combined. Form a mound and make a cross on top as your guide to divide the patties into 4 equal parts. Get 1/4 of the mixture, make a ball and press the mixture down slightly on your palm to create a flat patty, place small cube of cheese in the middle then cover entirely with the rest of the mixture. Form into a burger patty, the same size or a little bigger than your palm. Make it plump so that it will not dry out when frying or grilling.

Put the patties on the grill (slightly greased) and cook for about 3-4 minutes each side. On the other side of the grill, you can heat your tortilla (I used whole wheat tortilla), to maximize the heat on the grill and cooking time. Make sure that there's no oil slipping on that side of the grill. The patty will turn golden brown with nice grill marks when done.

For the cheese sauce:

Heat the cheese spread on a small sauce pan, add cornstarch mixture little by little while constantly stirring with a whisk until you achieve the desired thickness. Add grated cheese, mix until dissolved. Add button mushrooms, then season to taste. Stir constantly until mushrooms are cooked.

For presentation, line up the burgers on a nice plate then pour cheese sauce on top and garnish with the fresh version of the herb you used.

Or you can serve individually together with the tortilla. Also best served with salsa. Yum! :)

That's it. Easy. :) Enjoy! :)

P.S. Pictures c/o my good friend, Jerome Sese. Thanks Jem! :)