Recipe: Black Bean Veggie Burgers
For the Fourth of July, Jack and I went to our friends' house for a damp-weather cookout. It was a very rainy day, but that didn't matter a bit because Karla and Frankie always have the kind of party that's fun regardless of what the weather is doing outside. :)
Among a few other items, I brought black bean veggie burgers that I had found on a recipe website. Karla is a vegetarian, so it was the perfect opportunity for me to try this recipe which I had printed out a few weeks before. Unfortunately it drove me nuts. The mixture was so wet that I kept adding bread crumbs, then oatmeal, then oat bran before it would hold even a basic "pattie shape". I also had to bake the burgers to firm them up a bit more, then finish them on the grill at our hosts' house. It was way too much bother (and too much filler).
Today I decided to try my hand at my own version of the burgers. I added oatmeal (pulsed in the blender to chop the flakes up a bit) and also some additional spices. The result was just what I had hoped for-- burgers with a nice texture for grilling or frying, and a great flavor. And they formed a nice patty shape, not needing to be prebaked.
I used 5 ounces of black beans which was perfect for the two of us. If you use canned beans, a 15-ounce can, drained, will yield about 9 ounces of black beans. Just double the recipe for 4 servings, the "missing" ounce of black beans will not matter.
Also, the buns that I find in the stores are so huge. I make my own, and can control the portion size, but in the summer (due to lack of a/c) I have to buy. I purchased some kaiser rolls to take to the cookout which weighed in at over 4 ounces each, and those were way too big. So I bought some wheat dinner rolls at a bakery, weighing about 1-1/2 ounces each. I made the bean patties 3" diameter to fit these "buns", and I had two burgers while Jack had three. These were perfect serving portions for us.
I topped our burgers with 50% less fat jalapeño jack cheese, and a dollop of prepared salsa. These were great! Next time, I'll mix light sour cream with finely chopped avocado for a condiment, and use sliced tomato as well.
* Exported from MasterCook *
Recipe By: Vicci
Servings: 2
5 ounces black beans -- cooked, drained
1/2 cup rolled oats
3 ounces red bell pepper -- cut into 1" pieces (about 3/4 cup)
2 ounces sweet onion -- cut into 1" pieces (about 1/2 cup)
2 large garlic cloves -- minced
1 large egg white
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
hamburger rolls
toppings/ condiments
In a medium bowl, mash the black beans. Set aside
In the food processor, pulse the oats five or six times. Pour into the bowl with the beans. Add the peppers, onion, and garlic into the processor bowl and pulse until finely chopped. Roll the vegetables into several layers of paper towels and squeeze out excess liquid (I believe that, if you chop the vegetables by hand, this would not be necessary. But don't take my word for it...) . Add to the bean mixture and stir until combined.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy. Add the spices and mix well. Pour this into the bean mixture and mix well ("hands as tools"!!!). Form into 2 (or more, depending on the size of the rolls) patties, 1/2" thick, place on a plate, and allow to sit for 15 minutes.
Spray patties with cooking spray. Grill or pan-fry over moderate heat for about 3 minutes on each side.
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Per serving: 379 Calories (kcal); 4g Total Fat (1g Saturated fat); (8% calories from fat); 22g Protein; 17g Fiber; 68g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 111mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 4 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable;
