Classic, Favorite Veggie Burger From Old World

DEAR SOS: For years I’ve been going to the Old World restaurant for their Veggie Burgers and love them. I’ve tried to re-create them at home, with no success. Could you get the recipe for me?

--SUZANNE

DEAR SUZANNE: You and hundreds, perhaps thousands of readers have hankered for these extraordinary burgers made exclusively with vegetables and eggs, and so have we. We’ve tried for years to obtain a recipe to no avail. Finally, a recipe arrived from Old World Westwood in response to yet another “oh, what the heck” request. Now we can all rest assured the recipe is safely in our hands.

The recipe goes back to the peak of the health food movement some 20 years ago, when Dr. Robert Frank, a prominent Los Angeles dentist, opened Old World restaurant in an attempt to help teach consumers how to eat well nutritionally. The burger was a development of the idea that even burgers can and should be healthful. These vegetable burgers contain assorted nutrient-dense vegetables, nuts, eggs and even corn flakes for a nutrient-packed meal-in-a-dish, served either as a hamburger, topped (or not) with tomato and cheese on a sesame bun or plain with baked potato and fruit. Thank you, Old World.

OLD WORLD VEGGIE BURGERS

1 carrot

1 stalk celery

1 green pepper

1/2 small onion

1/4 head broccoli

1/4 head cauliflower

1 bunch spinach

1 zucchini

Salt, pepper

1/2 cup walnuts

5 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

3 cups dry corn flake cereal

Chop carrot in food chopper or food processor. Add celery, green pepper, onion, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach and zucchini. Chop into small pieces.

Mix in salt and pepper to taste, walnuts, eggs, Worcestershire and corn flakes. Mix until thick.

Shape into 3- to 3 1/2-inch burgers about 1-inch thick. Cook on griddle, in nonstick pan or under broiler 5 minutes, turning once until golden brown. Makes 12 patties.

Note: Burgers may also be pan-fried in small amount of butter. Mixture is best shaped in the pan, as it falls apart easily.

DEAR SOS: Can you persuade El Torito Restaurant and Cantina to part with their Kahlua Mousse? It’s so delicious.

--CARRIE

DEAR CARRIE: The Kahlua Mousse recipe appeared in an El Torito Restaurant and Cantina brochure of favorite recipes sent to us some time back. We’re delighted to pass this rather easy recipe on to you. Isn’t it a perfect cool dessert for a hot summer evening?

EL TORITO KAHLUA MOUSSE

2 cups non-dairy whipped topping

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon instant coffee

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

3 tablespoons sugar

6 tablespoons Kahlua liqueur

Additional whipped cream

Chocolate sprinkles

Wafer cookies

Whip non-dairy whipped topping and whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Add coffee, cocoa and sugar, blending well. Add Kahlua, stirring mixture with rubber spatula. Chill in refrigerator.

When ready to serve, top mousse with additional whipped cream, chocolate sprinkles and serve with wafer cookies. Makes 8 servings.

DEAR SOS: Can you obtain a recipe for the Old Spaghetti Factory Clam Sauce? Thanks.

--JEANNE

DEAR JEANNE: Yes, we can. We’ve printed the recipe several times by popular demand.

OLD SPAGHETTI FACTORY CLAM SAUCE

6 tablespoons butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 medium onion, chopped

3 celery stalks, peeled and finely chopped

3 tablespoons flour

2 (6 1/2-ounce) cans chopped clams

1 quart half and half

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground thyme

1 teaspoon salt

Melt butter in skillet. Add garlic, onion and celery and saute over medium-low heat until vegetables are tender, but not brown. Stir in flour until smooth and golden.

Combine drained clam liquid, half and half, pepper, thyme and salt in saucepan. Heat until just below boiling point (about 185 degrees on candy thermometer). Add clam meats. Stir in onion mixture and cook until smooth and thickened. Makes 6 cups sauce.

DEAR SOS: Would you please print the recipe for Chinese Chicken Salad served at Bullock’s? It would be great for summer luncheons.

--JAN

DEAR JAN: How right you are. This recipe has been printed in The Times frequently since 1979.

BULLOCK’S CHINESE CHICKEN SALAD

1 (6 3/4-ounce) package rice sticks

Oil for deep-frying

1 head lettuce, chopped

Dressing

3 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken

6 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds

Deep-fry rice sticks, small handful at time, in hot oil few seconds or until puffed. Drain.

For each serving, place 1 cup chopped lettuce in bowl. Add 1 tablespoon Dressing and toss. Add 2 cups cooked rice sticks and toss. Top with 1/2 cup chicken and 1 tablespoon nuts.

Or combine everything in large bowl and toss with Dressing to taste. Makes 6 servings.

Dressing

2 cups mayonnaise

1 1/4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons oil

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon prepared mustard

1/8 teaspoon lemon juice

Combine mayonnaise, Worcestershire, soy sauce, oil, mustard and lemon juice and blend well. Makes about 2 cups.

Only recipes of general interest will be printed. We are unable to answer all requests. Please include restaurant address when requesting recipes from restaurants. Send your letter with self-addressed, stamped envelope to Culinary SOS, Food Section, The Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053.