BLACK BEAN BURGERS

I am not a fan of frozen veggie hamburgers.  I find that they taste like cardboard, but I love homemade veggie burgers.  They are easy to make and packed full of protein.  The recipes are large enough that we always have enough for leftovers, or they freeze really well.  The key is not to over cook them otherwise they dry out. This recipe is compliments of Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's The Vegan Table. I made them according to the directions, but the second time I adjusted the spices to our tastes.  I put in 1/2 the chili powder, no cumin, and I didn't use the corn.  I haven't tried serving them on a bun yet, but each time I made them I simply served them alone, with oven fried potatoes and sliced tomatoes. They are crispy and delicious!

SPICY BLACK BEAN BURGERS

-1/4 cup of flour
-1/4 cup of cornmeal
-olive oil or canola oil for sauteing
-1 small yellow onion diced
-1 jalapeno pepper minced and seeded.
-1 red bell pepper diced
-2 cloves of garlic minced
-1/2 tsp of oregano
-2 cups of black beans drained and rinsed (about 2 cans)
-1/2 cup of corn kernels (optional)
-1/2 cup of bread crumbs
-2 tsp of chili powder (I used 1 tsp)
-1/4 tsp of cumin (i don't use any.  I am not a fan of cumin)
-1/2 tsp of salt
-2 Tbs of fresh minced parsley

1. Combine flour and cornmeal on a shallow plate and put aside.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan and saute the onion, jalapeno, red pepper, and garlic for a few minutes.
3. In a large mixing bowl mash the black beans with a potato masher or fork. Stir in the sauteed vegetables, and the remaining ingredients.
4. Add some more oil to the frying pan and heat over medium heat. Shape the bean mixture into 8 patties, (not too thin) and add them to the frying pan.  Cook for about 5 minutes on each side or until they look brown and crispy.

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