Vegan Onion Burger on Reinhart's Kaiser Roll (Post Tornado: 5k Race Results Today for APA's Fast & Furriest!)

Diner food at it's best. There ain't a burger you can make with meat (ewww) that I can't make vegan. Go ahead, try me! Animals need not die. Vegans need not deny themselves! That Reinhart Kaiser Roll should have had more sesame seeds and poppy seeds, but I sort of lost 'em as I was juggling the burger bun. It's okay--this burger was pure diner grub heaven--with baked fries on the side. What's not to love?

Whew. Where to begin? Okay, so if you live under a rock, you may not have noticed that the Midwest was socked with some pretty fierce weather yesterday. Here in St. Louis, some communities sustained more storm damage than others. We were lucky. It could have been much worse.

If you've ever read the book, Smilla's Sense of Snow by Peter Hoeg (btw, I loved this book)--Vegan Thyme could write a book called: Kelly's Sense of Storms. I grew up in Indiana--just off Lake Michigan. Our home was struck by lightening twice when I was growing up. I have a vivid memory of one of the holes left in the corner of our house, my grandma holding my sister and I close, calling the fire department to put out the smoking left over from the strike. And we did not live in a big house, so don't imagine this as some cavernous dwelling with us on one side of the "great room". The friggin hole was like an arm's length distance from where we sat, I swear.

I was having flashbacks yesterday. It was not a day fit for man nor beast. It was grey-green all day. I was tense. And this low cloud and low pressure zone bearing down on us kept us weighed down both emotionally and physically. I was on pins and needles most of yesterday (after I woke up from my nap). As the storms approached, Mr. Thyme was wishing I'd "take something or calm-the-h-down." So I kept busy. I baked Kaiser Rolls and a pie, then made the most amazing vegan diner food ever--all to keep my hands busy, my mind calm! More on that food in a sec.

So here it was, it's about four in the afternoon. I am at the kitchen sink--with perfect view out the window and look up to see that it is suddenly brighter in my kitchen than outside. Winds had picked up, trees were bending in not-so-good ways and my poor birds were flying hither and yon. I screamed: There's a tornado coming! My one boy is pacing back and forth, trying to watch me as my anxiety causes him more anxiety. Then there is our girl, one of our Pyrs, who, poor baby, just goes into this mighty "panting" phase. We all group hug a lot during storms.

I am scared to death of storms. (Well, I sometimes jump at myself when I see my own shadow)--but that is not the point. It was B-A-D. Not that living in the Midwest and on Tornado Alley doesn't leave you expecting days like this. Our favorite weather saying in St. Louis is: If you don't like the weather, wait ten minutes, it will change. And change it did.

We survived the storm. They called it a "funnel cloud". I was like, My eye. . . funnel cloud. A few limbs fell, birds returned to eating and the sun came out. (See, ten minutes later, all bright and sunny--it's nuts.) Now the food.

I came across a photo last week of a dish on a cooking site and just had to replicate the carnivore meal to a vegan standard. After all, that is my goal in life--bring all grub-food, non-vegan things to the vegan world. The photo was of an "Onion Burger" from Sid's Diner in El Reno, Oklahoma (another Tornado Alley place)--which was highlighted in Saveur magazine's August/September 2009 issue. If you go to this link and tell me your mouth wasn't watering, I'll tell you to go get your pulse checked. And, please don't write me to say how "carnivore" the burger is--I know what it's made from. I also know that I can make it, too--using Match Meats Beef in a most delicious vegan-happy way. And I did!

My vegan onion burger was served on Peter Reinhart's Kaiser Roll recipe from The Bread Baker's Apprentice. I was pleased as all get out with how amazing a Kaiser Roll (this is not Peter's recipe--but a good beginner Kaiser recipe) could be and what a difference a two-day ferment makes in the creation and finishing of said rolls. Mmmm. This was an extraordinary roll to be sure. My hat is off to Peter's recipe. I shall use it from now on (even though I made Kaiser's once already using the one-day recipe found in the link)--I would have to say, the difference is amazing. Two day ferment it is.

This morning--I ran in the Fast and The Furriest 5k race for the Animal Protective Association here in St. Louis. Please visit their site. The volunteers and staff there are wonderful. They have so many adorable, loving, precious dogs and cats. (I wish they didn't, as in, I wish they'd all find homes.) It is hard for me to think about that--but it is a stark truth about our "disposable" society--animals ending up in shelters.

I wasn't sure I'd make it what with all the shakes I had from yesterday's "active" weather system. But once the front had moved through, I got up at six this morning and felt pretty good. Called my friend, and we met at the finish line. I will always have race jitters. My finish time was pretty good, all things considered. Plus I was nearly felled by a woman and her dog as we were a few hundred feet from the finish line--and was like, HEY, watch your dog, and please do not trip me! (Run ettiquette: Uh, if you run with Fido, he or she needs not to be on the heels of fellow runner in front of you--no matter how bad you want to pass 'em)--and pass she did, but by a few seconds. I felt sorry for the dog is all. I finished in 27:23. Not a personal best, but I was pleased and for someone almost fifty--I'll take it!

Here's the cool part. When I got in line to look around me, I spotted a gentleman whom I have seen participate in the fundraiser I organize for OpSpot called Sweat-4-Pets. (Please visit OpSpot's site--they do so much good for animals and families with animals--raising money to spay and neuter pets for families unable to afford to do so--thus eliminating "unwanted pets" thus, lowering the number of pets euthanized each year in our local shelters--again, another group of wonderful volunteers to work with!) I introduced myself and said, Hi, I'm Kelly, I'm the race director for Sweat-4-Pets, you've run it before, right? And he replied with a smile, Why yes, I run it every year. (This November is our 10th Anniversary!) Nothing could have made my day brighter. I was happy to be in line with fellow animal lovers and runners but even better, runners who also support our fundraiser! I ran into a few other Sweat-4-Pets runners at the finish line and beamed! Very cool, you all are so cool--I love them all!

Vegan Onion Burger

1 package Match Meats Beef
3 tablespoons safflower or vegetable oil
1 tabelspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried parsley
2 tablespoons Braggs Liquid Aminos or Tamari
1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
2 onions sliced very thin

Thaw out the Match Meats--but not to room temp.--it needs to stay cool. Place Match and all ingredients except onion in a large mixing bowl--mix well to combine. Heat oil in large saute pan over medium heat. Take a handful of Match (about a 1/2 to 3/4 cup worth) and flatten it in your hand--the ends will be all splayed out, but that's okay. Place directly into the pan--making sure the oil is hot enough to begin cooking the stuff. I was able to cook three burgers at once. I took a handful of the onion and just smothered the pan with them, covering the burgers. Then, smashed the burgers down with a spatula. Give it about five minutes--on medium heat--you don't want them to burn--but be browned. Then, carefully, flip the burgers over and try to grab some of those onions while you're at it. Allow them to cook on the other side. Serve immediately with your fave toppings. For me, ketchup, mustard and vegan mayo. What can I say, I love the mayo.