Black Bean Burgers

November 11, 2008

I’m not sure if it is obvious or not, but I’m trying to find a bit of a balance with my blog. My goal is to provide you with thought provoking health information related to fake vs. real foods. In addition, I’ve really fallen for this world of food blogging and it has helped me gain a renewed love of cooking which had been wavering since my move abroad due to various barriers.

So my plan is to feature a few real foods with recipes each week along with plenty of posts about health and wellness. Have some thoughts? Tell me what you think in the comments today. I’m open to all suggestions and opinions.

Now on to today’s subject – Black Beans!!

Black beans are so popular these days they seem to be a staple in most of our kitchens. I happen to love them. I have them in anything from salsa to salads to my scrambled egg omelets.

We can’t forget that they fall into that category of black foods which offer so many health benefits. In addition, to the protein and fiber those rich, dark pigments provide us with unique set of disease fighting antioxidants.

I’ve had a black bean burger recipe sitting out on my counter forever. I finally got around to trying it late last week and they were so great! They were featured in the August issue of Shape magazine and I highly recommend them.

They tend to have a bit of a summer feel, I know, but they could be just the lighter fair you are looking for among all the heavy comfort food around at the moment.

I followed the recipe pretty closely, however, I used white onion instead of red and I also cooked them in a little olive oil. The recipe had a pico de gallo with it, but I just used some of the same ingredients to make my own salsa. I also skipped the tortillas that the original recipe called for.

Black Bean Burgers
Slightly modified from a recipe at Shape.com

1 tbsp olive oil
16 oz. cooked black beans
1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup panko bread crumbs
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp salt
Dash of pepper

Sautee the onion and garlic in a little olive oil until slightly browned and tender. Mix all ingredients in a bowl, mashing the black beans as you combine everything together (I had to add about a tablespoon of water for moisture). Shape into 4 patties and cook in skillet coated with olive oil until browned on each side and heated through. Top with salsa.

For the salsa, simply chop the following ingredients and toss together with lime juice, salt and pepper.
Tomato
Onion
Avocado
Jarred jalapeños
Cilantro

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  • VeggieGirl November 11, 2008 at 5:10 am

    Black beans = LOOOOOOOVE. Great burger recipe you got there!!

  • Erica November 11, 2008 at 6:15 am

    mmm this looks way yummy. I am really enjoying bean burgers- what a yummy combo! I think these are much better than the veggie burgers of the past. I think you’re doing a fabulous job with the combo of health information and recipes. Don’t change a thing. I can’t get enough of your posts!

  • lauren November 11, 2008 at 6:50 am

    I love the information and adding in some recipes is awesome.

  • Tangled Noodle November 11, 2008 at 7:02 am

    I know what you mean about food blogging – ever since I started, I’ve broken out of my cooking rut of making the same 3-4 dishes every week. Healthy info, excellent recipes, lovely pics – the ingredients for a great blog. Looking forward to more of your posts!

  • Jenn November 11, 2008 at 7:33 am

    I love the new blogging plan. The mix of recipes and info will be great!

    And I love me some black beans!!!

  • cathy November 11, 2008 at 7:36 am

    It’s all good, Lori! I always learn something from the information you pass along, but I’m also a food blog junkie, so the recipes are wonderful too. So keep it coming – I want it ALL!

  • laura November 11, 2008 at 8:08 am

    It sounds like a great balance–I love the information and commentary you provide, and the real food recipes seem a perfect complement.

  • Meg November 11, 2008 at 8:31 am

    I love black beans. These burgers look great! I love that you used panko!

  • Delightfully Healthy November 11, 2008 at 10:00 am

    Yum! And they sound so easy. Yay!

  • Katie November 11, 2008 at 10:15 am

    Ooooooh!! Black bean burgers are my VERY FAVORITE! These look great!!

  • Blake Hagen November 11, 2008 at 10:22 am

    Love black beans! My mom was born and raised in Guatemala so we grew up having lots of them! I will for sure try these. Thanks!

  • James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H. November 11, 2008 at 12:07 pm

    Looks delicious. I love black bean burgers.
    Thanks

  • Ray Adkins November 11, 2008 at 12:56 pm

    Lori,

    Any thoughts on canned beans versus dry beans that you cook at home?

    Ray

  • Lori November 11, 2008 at 3:43 pm

    veggiegirl – They were so tasty and really easy.

    erica – I totally agree, bean burgers are the way to go. Thanks so much for the feedback.

    lauren – I really appreciate the feedback. Thanks!

    tangled noodle – Thanks for your comment and feedback. It is so great to be out of the rut. I had about the same amount of regular dishes too. Ha, ha!

    jenn – Thanks so much for the feedback. Much appreciated!

    cathy – Thanks! Food blog junkie here too. We should start a support group or something. 🙂

    laura – Thanks for the feedback. It is so helpful!

    meg – I’m really learning to love panko. So great!

    delightfully healthy – The easy is definitely the best part. 🙂

    katie – Thanks for stopping by! Glad you liked the burgers.

    blake – Oooo! I bet you have some great recipes from her. Would love to see some of them.

    Dr. Hubbard – They are such a great alternative to the standard, aren’t they? Glad you liked them. Thanks!

    ray – I feel like i have a love/hate relationship. Ha, ha! I love dry beans for dishes like rice and beans where the beans are the main attraction. I don’t think canned can compare in those cases.

    However, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found a quick recipe I wanted to make and couldn’t because I didn’t have the beans ready. The convenience for some things is a definite bonus. I have to plan ahead a lot more! Plus, I don’t think I’ve completely mastered the dry beans yet. Mine are just so-so. 🙂

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