Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Power Lunch

Have you ever had something so delicious, so exactly right for the moment, that you subsequently wanted to eat it every day? (Hopefully, your answer is yes ... in spades.) Well, that happened to me last Wednesday.

The husband and I popped into The Madison Brewing Company, in Bennington, for lunch - a lunch so yummy I exclaimed: "I want to eat this every day for seven years!" He laughed, but I was only half joking. In fact, I set about recreating it as soon as we arrived home.

Today's post isn't so much a recipe as it is an ode to this dish; a shout-out to the kitchen at Madison Brewing. I'm sorry, and a bit shocked, to find that they don't actually have a website of their own - so I can't link you. But I can, and do, urge you to check them out if you find yourself in Bennington. They brew their own beer, (the variety changes seasonally), the service is warm and friendly, and the food is really, really good.

The Madison Brewing Company

428 Main Street

Bennington, VT

(802) 442-7397

No doubt you've heard of "the three martini lunch" ... but how about a three protein lunch? This simple little repast is packed with protein, thoroughly delicious, and 0h-so-satisfying. It will keep you full for hours. I can't remember what it was called on the menu, but I'm calling it ...

The Veggie Burger Supreme:

  • one veggie burger of your choice (I like MorningStar Farm's Spicy Black Bean)
  • some good quality hummus
  • some tabbouleh - traditional style, made with bulgar
  • lettuce
  • bean, alfalfa or any sprout of your choice
Cook the veggie burger according to package directions. I like to throw mine in the grill pan. When its ready, place it atop a bed of lettuce, spread on a nice thick layer of hummus, top the hummus with as much tabbouleh as you can handle and garnish the dish with a handful of sprouts.

As you can see, this time I forgot the sprouts ... but that won't happen again. They're too good to leave out. I like to drizzle the finished product with a bit of lemon, but you could certainly sprinkle it with sriracha or glaze it with green goddess dressing .... whatever floats your boat!

I suspect the veggie burger at Madison was homemade, it was too good to be pre-fab. That said, I'm well-pleased with the Spicy Black Bean patty. I don't like veggie burgers that taste like fake burgers, and this one doesn't. Use whichever brand you like, or, hell, make your own! Just make it. Really.

I did, however, make my own tabbouleh; this time with bulgar instead of quinoa. You can use the quinoa recipe, found here, and just substitute the cracked wheat. Alternately, any standard tabbouleh recipe will do.

It may not look like much, but this is a quick, healthy and delectable meal. I hope you'll try it! While I may not have eaten it every single day this week ... I'm running 3 for 5 and counting.

Bon appetite!

17 comments:

Unknown said...

Sometimes bean burgers can be very dry, so i'm sure the addition of tabouleh (which i love) and hummus (which i love lol) make it really good. I think its so cool you tried to recreate what you love, i do the same. Some successful, some not :D. Yours looks great!

The Messy Baker said...

Your response to the burger made me laugh. Yes, I've loved a dish so much I wanted to eat it EVERY DAY.

When I was single and had complete control over my meals, I WOULD eat a favourite dish for days on end. The problem was I'd have enough food for six meals and would tire of the dish after about four. I'd then got for years without making it again.

My husband -- and my blog-- have forced me to take a more balance approach. And I haven't OD'd on a dish since. But I've been sorely tempted...

stephchows said...

OK I need to go make some of my baked falafel and then top it with all the things you listed!! YUM!!!

The Diva on a Diet said...

HH - thanks! It is fun to try and recreate the magic of a good meal. And, in this case, it was so easy to do. :)

Charmian - happy to offer a chuckle. I tend towards the dramatic ... my grandma didn't call me Sarah Bernhardt for nothin'. ;)

So true about blogging forcing one to branch out. Though, since I'm only cooking for two, we usually end up with an abundance of leftovers. Fortunately, at least one of us (me) is OCD enough to be OK with that!

Steph - what a great idea to use baked falafel! I will have to find your recipe for that ... hope its on your blog!

Anonymous said...

I could definitely eat that! As a reader of my blog you know that I go on 'jags' where I gorge on one thing: watermelon and feta salad, mac 'n' cheese, banana bread. I'm so there.

The Diva on a Diet said...

Thanks, Dana, I'm relieved to know I'm in such find company with you and Charmian! Ditto for the mac & cheese fests ... especially if my mom is making it.

She-Fit said...

YUM! This looks great... I think I might be able to eat that everyday too :)

Tangled Noodle said...

Oooo! Black bean burger topped with tabbouleh, hummus and sprouts sounds fantastic. [Thinking out loud] I've a bit of an allergy to garbanzos so perhaps I can sub the hummus for baba ghannoush; as for sprouts, I recently had sunflower sprouts for the first time - they are soooo good and no I'm hooked!

Laurie said...

My parents live in Vermont and I've actually eaten at that place in Bennington! Very tasty food, but I'm sure it's not as good as your home creation.

Did you climb the tower while you were there? I think it was called Bennington Monument.

The Blonde Duck said...

I would love a protien lunch!

Anonymous said...

Definitely have had many of those experiences and that looks like something I could for sure eat everyday! Yum!

Christo Gonzales said...

great recreation - I love having something like this that sticks with you in such a good way....

Anonymous said...

This burger sounds marvelous! Love the toppings of tabbouleh, hummus and sprouts!

The Diva on a Diet said...

She-Fit - thanks, and welcome to Beach Eats! :)

Tangled Noodle - I'm sure you could sub the baba and it would be delish! The sunflower sprouts sound so good, will be on the lookout for them!

Laurie - how cool! We have a place in Woodford, VT, which is between Bennington and Willmington ... don't get there as much as we'd like but I've been going up there for near on 29 years now. I've been to the Bennington Monument several times - so gorgeous there. I really like to walk along the avenue which leads up to it ... the homes are amazing.

Blonde Duck - hi there! How's your summer going?

foodnfit - thank and welcome to you too! :)

doggybloggy - indeed, the key is in such a good way! Heaven knows I've experienced the opposite side of the coin as well ... not nearly as fun. LOL

5 Star - you really can't go wrong with hummus and tabbouleh on anything, can you?! :)

nora@ffr said...

vat a great topping on this berger! a new way shud give a try soon :)

Astra Libris said...

Ooooh, I'm swooning! I would love to have this gorgeous veggie burger for lunch every day, yes please! :-) I definitely have to fix this for our lunch soon! Thank you for the gorgeous recipe!

The P & A Food Chronicles said...

loveeee it...