America's Test Kitchen

"The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook"


Jack Bishop from the hit PBS television show America's Test Kitchen talks about the newest book, The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook. Bishop will give us some recipes to try as well as talk about the 15th season of the hit series.

Pinto Bean, Beet, and Bulgur Burgers

Thanks to our sponsors:

View all sponsors

Serves 8 • Vegan

photographer: Joe KellerWhy This Recipe Works: For these modern bean burgers, we combined pinto beans with sweet, earthy shredded beets and hearty, chewy bulgur. While the bulgur cooked, we pulsed the rest of the ingredients in a food processor to get just the right consistency. Along with the beets and beans, we added basil for freshness and walnuts for richness and texture. Garlic and mustard deepened the savory flavors. Using carrot baby food (which was already conveniently pureed) as a binder instead of eggs lent the patties a subtle sweetness—and, as an added bonus, it kept the recipe vegan. Panko bread crumbs further bound the mixture and helped the patties to sear up with a nice, crisp crust.

Any brand of plain carrot baby food will work here. Use a coarse grater or the shredding disk of a food processor to shred the beets. If using the food processor, you may need to cut the beet into smaller pieces to fit inside the feed tube. We like to serve these burgers with Tahini Sauce, Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce, or Sriracha Mayo (recipes follow) over salad greens or on a burger bun.

Salt and pepper
2/3 cup medium-grind bulgur, rinsed
1 large beet (9 ounces), peeled and shredded
3/4 cup walnuts
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15‑ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed
1 (4‑ounce) jar carrot baby food
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup vegetable oil

1. Bring 1 1/2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to boil in small saucepan. Off heat, stir in bulgur, cover, and let stand until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain bulgur, spread onto rimmed baking sheet, and let cool slightly.

2. Meanwhile, pulse shredded beet, walnuts, basil, and garlic together in food processor until finely chopped, about 12 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add beans, carrot baby food, 2 tablespoons water, mustard, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and pulse until well combined, about 8 pulses.

3. Transfer mixture to large bowl and stir in panko and cooled bulgur. Divide mixture into 8 equal portions and pack into 4‑inch-wide patties.

4. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12‑inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until simmering. Gently lay 4 patties in skillet and cook until crisp and well browned on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes per side, turning gently halfway through cooking and reducing heat if burgers begin to scorch. Transfer burgers to plate and tent loosely with aluminum foil.

5. Wipe out skillet with paper towels and repeat with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and remaining patties. Serve.

Tahini Sauce

Makes about 1 1/4 cups • Fast • Vegan • Gluten-Free

1/2 cup tahini
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice (2 lemons)
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt

Process tahini, water, lemon juice, and garlic in food processor until smooth, about 20 seconds. Season with salt to taste and serve. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature and stir to combine before serving.)

Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce

Makes about 2 1/2 cups • Fast • Gluten-Free

Cilantro, mint, parsley, or tarragon can be substituted for the dill if desired.

1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and shredded
Salt and pepper

Whisk yogurt, oil, dill, and garlic together in medium bowl. Stir in cucumber and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 day.)

Sriracha Mayo

Makes about 3/4 cup • Fast • Gluten-Free

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 scallion, chopped fine
2 tablespoons Sriracha
1 tablespoon lime juice

Combine all ingredients in bowl. (Mayo can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)


Mushroom Bolognese

Serves 4 to 6 • Gluten-Free

Courtesy of America's Test KitchenWhy This Recipe Works: We wanted to create a vegetarian pasta sauce that mimicked the rich, long-cooked flavor and hearty texture of Bolognese. Traditional Bolognese sauce gets its rich flavor from a combination of several types of meat, so we turned to two types of mushrooms to replicate that complexity: Dried porcini delivered depth of flavor while 2 pounds of fresh cremini gave the sauce a satisfying, substantial texture. To further round out the sauce’s savory flavor, we added two umami-rich ingredients: soy sauce and tomato paste. To make prep easy, we used the food processor both to chop the cremini roughly and then to finely chop the onion and carrot. Pulsing whole canned tomatoes in the food processor allowed us to get just the right texture. We also used red wine to lend richness and depth and a little sugar for some balancing sweetness. A dash of heavy cream at the end rounded out the sauce and gave it a decadent silkiness.

Cremini mushrooms are also known as baby bella ­mushrooms. In order for this recipe to be gluten-free, you must use gluten-free pasta and gluten-free soy sauce or tamari.

2 pounds cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed and minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 pound fettuccine or linguine
Grated Parmesan cheese

1. Working in batches, pulse cremini mushrooms in food processor until pieces are no larger than 1/2 inch, 5 to 7 pulses; transfer to large bowl. Pulse carrot and onion in now-empty processor until chopped fine, 5 to 7 pulses; transfer to bowl with mushrooms. Pulse tomatoes and their juice in now-empty processor until chopped fine, 6 to 8 pulses; set aside separately.

2. Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add processed vegetables and porcini mushrooms, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they release their liquid, about 5 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium-high, and cook until liquid has evaporated and vegetables begin to brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

3. Stir in garlic and sugar and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in wine and simmer until nearly evaporated, about 5 minutes.

4. Stir in processed tomatoes, vegetable broth, soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce has thickened but is still moist, 8 to 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in cream.

5. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot. Add sauce and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and adjust consistency with reserved cooking water as needed. Serve with Parmesan.

Thanks to our sponsors:

View all sponsors

Thanks to our sponsors:

View all sponsors