Black Bean Burger

Oh, I love a good hamburger, pork burger, turkey burger, just about any kind of burger, so why not try a black bean burger. Turns out they are quite tasty and loaded with fiber and protein while being extremely low in fat. Over the past couple of years I have eaten these in various eateries. Some have been better than others, but I have not made them at home. Until last evening . . .

One of my nieces is staying at Mrs. Clark's Home Style B and B this summer. Hannah and I  have a lot in common and discovered that among our commonalities is an enjoyment of said Black Bean Burger! Right then and there we made one of our summer projects the development of the perfect BBB. Game on!

The Adventure Begins . . .

As we watched the Cooking channel on TV, Hannah and I found ourselves both on an internet hunt for that perfect burger. I think Hannah's go-to food site is foodgawker.com while mine is allrecipes.com. One is a photo gallery of food and the other is a recipe data base. Of course both sites are a doorway to much much more! We both found examples of burgers made with black beans and quinoa. Oh, there is so much to try and to learn!

It turns out that our first black bean burger might have also been our last recipe to try. It was so good, that I can't imagine experimenting further! 

This is the Black Bean Burger I had for lunch today and here is the link to the recipe I used. click here for recipe  It is actually a Quinoa and Black Bean Burger.

I used this recipe exactly as written except I only used about half the hot sauce (I was a tiny bit chicken) and I used less oil to cook the burgers.  

I followed the directions and these were easy to make. 

If you haven't used quinoa, don't be scared. It is pronounced keen-wa, and it is a very nutritious grain. You can buy it at our local grocery stores along side the rice and beans. It cooks pretty much like rice, but has a little different texture and more vitamins, minerals, and fiber than white rice. 

Chop up the veggies into tiny bits so they incorporate into the mixture and beat the egg before adding it. I used just below medium heat to cook.

We served the burgers with a green lettuce leaf and a slice of tomato. I also added a squiggle of ketchup. Use whatever you like on your burger. Last night we had our burgers along with roasted asparagus and today I had one with thin sliced peppers, onions, mushrooms and bits of tomato cooked in a tiny bit of oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. Delicious both times.

Just turned, now cooking on the second side

I used a scant tablespoon of oil to cook these three burgers and about the same amount to cook the next two. The cooked burgers kept well in the fridge and were easy to reheat on the George Foreman grill or in the microwave. 

What's next?

I have no idea! Since we found this great burger so easily, Hannah and I will be on the hunt for the best of something else. Stay tuned!