Eggplant Patties

These Eggplant Patties are an extra special guest contribution to TheCulinaryGym.com. Not only is this one of the simplest recipes here, but it's also the eldest.

Although there's not a single herb or spice added, this recipe is remarkably flavorful.

My first time enjoying these Eggplant Patties was at the Thrive 'N' Shine dinner party in Youngstown, OH at the home of Mark and Wanda Huberman.

It was a couple days after they lead the inspiring plant-based National Health Association conference, and just a day before the 4th of July, so our theme was All-American with delicious veggie burgers as our main course.

The National Health Association (NHA), previously known as the Natural Hygiene Association has been promoting a pure whole food, plant-based diet without sugar, oil and salt (SOS-free), and a very holistic approach to health since 1948.

Thanks to his parents, Max and Ruth Huberman, Mark grew up in this movement and eating a plant-based diet, which was utterly obscure to the rest of the country outside of the NHA. Now, as the President of the NHA, Mark is working harder than ever to promote a healthy plant-based, SOS-free diet and lifestyle.

Mark is also a fabulous plant-based cook, as was Ruth. Mark graciously contributed his mother's famous Eggplant Patties for our plant-based dinner party. As he prepared the recipe, he was kind enough to teach Dr. Anthony Lim—from TrueNorth, Dr. McDougall's, and Kaiser—along with myself, how to make this family recipe.

Whether they enjoyed them as a burger patty with our Sweet Potato Buns over a bed of greens, or just by themselves, the pure flavor presented here is incredible. Dr. Lim, myself and all of our guests enjoyed these patties even more than you could imagine! I hope you enjoy them just as much!

The Greatest Eggplant Patties

By Ruth Huberman, Permission Given by Mark Huberman, Transcribed by Chef Katie Mae

Makes 8–10 patties | Ready in 50 minutes, without chill time | Stores 5 days in fridge

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large eggplants
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 yellow onion
• 10 cremini mushrooms
• ¾ cup pecans
• ¾ cup almonds

DIRECTIONS

1. Finely chop the eggplant, celery, onion, and mushrooms. If using a food processor, roughly chop them and then add everything to the food processor and pulse to small pieces.
2. Transfer the vegetables to a steam basket on the stovetop over medium heat. Cover and steam until the veggies are very tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer everything to a mixing bowl.
3. Making sure the food processor is clean and dry, add the pecans and almonds. Grind into a nut powder, careful to not over-process them into nut butter. Stir the ground nuts into the veggie mixture. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. Use your hands to form mixture into patties around ¾-inch thick and 4 inches in diameter. Place the patties on the prepared baking sheet evenly spaced apart. Bake for 15 minutes.
6. Then pull the patties and use a spatula to gently flip them. Bake for 10 to 15 more minutes, until browned to your desired consistency.

CHEF'S NOTES

If you prefer for whatever reason, steps 1 and 2 can be reversed. You can roughly chop the vegetables, steam the roughly chopped veggies, and then add it all to a food processor to where you’ll pulse them into a semi-chunky consistency, stopping before it’s a puree.