I have been buying chipotle black bean burgers from the local member box store for a couple of years. We really like them, and since these were organic, they fit our lifestyle for healthier eating. Recently, they disappeared from the freezer section, and I was distraught. For months, I've been going back to check, and it seemed I would never see them again.
Well, I have this new love of cooking, and of modifying recipes to make them healthier, so I decided to do some research and come up with a new veggie burger for myself. What you see below is just that...a healthy veggie burger made up of some of my very favorite things! And guess what!!! They turned out to be even better than the frozen ones I've been buying!!
Needless to say, I'm really excited!!
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds sweet potatoes (I used three medium sweet potatoes)
- ⅓ cup cooked quinoa
- 1 cup old fashioned oats (I used organic from Trader Joe’s)
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, (Trader Joe’s organic) cooked and drained
- ½ sweet onion, minced (food processor)
- 1 tsp. dried cilantro
- 2 teaspoons cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked hot paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne powder (optional, to taste)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- High quality vegetable oil for cooking burgers (or coconut oil, if you don't mind the coconut taste, olive oil may burn)
- your favorite burger fixings (avocado or guacamole, tomato or pico de gallo, lettuce, sprouts, ketchup, hot sauce, mustard, pickles, cheese)
Instructions
1.
Roast the sweet
potatoes: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice the sweet potatoes
down the center lengthwise. Place the sweet potatoes cut side down on a rimmed
baking sheet. Roast until they yield to a gentle squeeze, 40-50 minutes or
longer. Once the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop the insides
and put into a large bowl. Set aside to cool completely.
2.
Cook the quinoa:
Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh colander, then combine with ⅔ cup water in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to boil,
then cover and reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes,
then remove from heat and let the quinoa steam with the lid on for 5 minutes. (Be
careful…this sticks very easily) Then drain off any excess water and set aside
to cool.
3.
Grind the oats: Use a
food processor or blender to grind the oats until the flakes are broken up, but
not as fine as flour.
4.
Mix the burgers: In a
large mixing bowl or the bowl of your electric mixer, combine the cooled sweet
potatoes and millet, black beans, onion, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, paprika,
cayenne (optional, add to taste for spicier burgers) and salt. Use a potato
masher, big mixing spoon or the paddle attachment of your mixer to mix really
well. It's ok if the black beans get smashed in the process.
5.
Mix in the oats:
Sprinkle the ground oats over the mixture and mix well with a big spoon until
the mixture holds together when you shape a portion into a patty. If possible,
cover and refrigerate the mixture for best results (the patties will hold
together better during cooking if they are chilled first).
6.
Shape the burgers:
Use a measuring cup to measure out 1/3 cup of the mixture. I packed the measure
and tapped it onto a cutting board to release. It made the perfect size burger.
Repeat the process for each patty; I made 13, so I had to eat one, of course. I
layered parchment between each burger, set them on a cookie sheet, and set them
in the freezer for a short time to firm up before packing them into bags for
freezing.
7.
Pan fry the burgers:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium
heat. When it's hot, place several burgers in the pan, leaving enough room to
flip them. Cook each patty until browned and heated through, about 3 to 4
minutes per side. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet for each pan of burgers
you fry.
