The June issue of Food Network magazine features “meaty” versions of vegetarian burgers from across the country, including the Taro Burger from Hilo’s very own Sweet Cane Café.
The June issue of Food Network magazine features “meaty” versions of vegetarian burgers from across the country, including the Taro Burger from Hilo’s very own Sweet Cane Café.
The favorites from around the country include:
1. The veggie burger from The Grind in Phoenix was created when the owner, Valerie Gutterson, challenged her kitchen staff to create a one-of-a-kind veggie burger. Using gluten-free Texas toast, the winning chef made a burger with zucchini, red peppers, sweet potatoes, jalapenos, and topped it with barbecue sauce, Swiss cheese, and tempura mushrooms. Website: thegrindaz.com
2. The Shake Shack was first opened in New York City in 2004 and now has multiple locations. Their veggie burger, the ‘Smroom Burger, is a Portobello mushroom stuffed with cheese, then fried, and topped with lettuce, tomato and their special ShackSauce. Website: shakeshake.com
3. Seed + Salt in San Francisco has an oven-broiled S+S Beet Burger, made of beets with smoky “bacon” made of eggplant, with gluten-free bun and smothered with cashew ranch dressing. Website: seedandsalt.com
4. Root Down in Denver’s chef, Justin Cucci, spent over 20 years perfecting his Veggie Burger Sliders. He uses 14 ingredients, including three types of lentils, sunflower seeds and tamari. The burgers are small sliders with sprout salad, pickled onions and jalapeno jam. It is so popular and in great demand that the Veggie Burger Sliders have been shipped all over the world, from Israel to Bermuda. Website: rootdowndenver.com
5. The Black Bean Frita from Frita Batidos in Ann Arbor, Mich., is a black bean patty covered with muenster cheese, cilantro-lime salsa, tropical slaw, avocado, a sunny-side-up egg and French fries on top. I can only imagine what a challenge it is to eat one on those burgers with the slaw, avocado, egg and fries! Website: fritabatidos.com
6. Another beet burger, the Crispy Beet Burger from Nan and Byron’s in Charlotte, N.C., are two thick slices of fried beets, arugula, sliced red onions, avocado, and a goat cheese spread. Website: nanandbyrons.com
7. The Taro Burger from Sweet Cane Café in Hilo makes their veggie burger from taro, onions, carrots and cumin, which is then topped with cheese, sprouts and tomatoes. Their buns come from Island Naturals! Website: kalapnaoorganics.com
8. A vegan, gluten-free burger, the Vegan Burger from White Owl Social Club in Portland, Ore., is made from shredded beets, topped with green pea shoots, carrot ribbons and is a favorite of their customers. Website: whiteowlsocialclub.com
9. The El Jefe Vegetarian Burger from Billy’s on Burnet in Austin, Texas, is a cross between a Frito pie and a burger. The vegetarian patties are topped with a mixture of beans and corn chips and covered with jalapeno peppers. It is a messy burger that is served in a basket of fries that end up getting soggy, drenched in the drippings. Website: billyonburnet.com
Sweet Cane Café in Hilo
I talked to Jackie, Jasmine and Cherub at the Sweet Cane Café on Kamana Street in Hilo about being in the Food Network Magazine.
They were thrilled about it and felt that it is important to serve the people in Hilo healthy, sustainable foods from their two farms as well as “small truck” farmers in the area. Taro is the main ingredient in their burger and is alkaline, unlike many other carbohydrates.
It is high in dietary fiber, vitamins A, C, E, and B6, as well as folate, magnesium, iron, zinc, phosphorous, potassium, manganese, and copper.
At their new location on Kamana Street, they have more room and are able to offer cooking classes as well as fundraising dinners and caterings.
Their name, Sweet Cane Café, means they use cane sugar in most of their smoothies, which has a low glycemic index, is low cholesterol, low sodium, and one teaspoon is only 15 calories.
Sweet Cane Café also makes its own macadamia nut milk they put in their smoothies. Macadamia nut milk slows the aging process, lowers the risk of heart disease, satisfies one’s appetite longer, and is good for a weight loss diet. It contains calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, selenium, vitamins E and A, and flavonoids.
If you have some raw macadamia nuts available, here is how you make milk with it.
Macadamia Nut Milk
1 cup raw macadamia nuts
6 cups filtered water
1 vanilla bean, split, and seeds scraped
Place in a high-powered blender like a VitaMix or Ninja, and blend until white and smooth. Sweeten with cane sugar or stevia.
Amigos Taqueria
There is a new restaurant in downtown Hilo, Amigos Taqueria, located where Ocean Sushi used to be on Kilauea Avenue. Monica and Francisco Gonzales have made their way from Guadalajara, via Los Angeles and Seattle to Hilo, with their home-style cooking. Their chile rellenos is very popular and they were out of it the night we went to eat there with friends Jack and Jane. Birria is a traditional Guadalajaran dish, which is a spicy stew. Amigos Taqueria is open 10:30 a.m.- 9 p.m., Monday-Saturday, and is closed on Sundays.