We love to take a simple recipe and then make it a few times until we get it ... juuuuust right.
This is one of them, and it's the first recipe we're sharing as we think it's not only delicious, it's a perfect choice for a quick and easy dinner.
(Important Note! We're not food photographers so all our photos will be taken quickly, with a cell phone, just before we dive in. Drips on the plate? Oddly cropped? No worries here.)
These black bean burgers were originally meant to be eaten inside buns but we wanted to add so many delicious toppings that using a bun was far too messy, and rather pointless. So we put them on a plate, stacked high with healthy additions. We make all four patties, fry two, and freeze the other two layered between wax paper.
Here's the basic recipe, altered a bit for our taste. Makes 4 good-sized patties.
1 can low sodium black beans
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup chunky salsa (fairly well drained)
1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips
1/2 cup grated cheese (any kind will do)
1 scallion, diced
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp roasted garlic powder (our fav is from Savory Spice)
1/4 tsp steak seasoning (we like low sodium Montreal)
Toppings: coleslaw (we like a vinegar dressing over a mayo-based dressing), finely chopped cilantro, avocado, black olives, lime wedge, and extra salsa or pico de gallo.
In a wire strainer, rinse the beans until no more foam appears. Drain very well.
In a medium bowl beat the egg a bit, then add the salsa, chips, cheese, scallion and seasonings.
Add the well-drained black beans. Using a potato masher, gently mash about 3/4 of the beans, leaving some whole. Mix well to incorporate all the ingredients.
Make four patties of even size and place on a plate. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes. The colder they are, the better they'll stay together.
To fry, heat 1 Tbl vegetable oil over medium heat in a non-stick pan. Gently place the patties in the pan and fry for 4 minutes or until slightly crispy. Turn and fry on the opposite side for another 3-4 minutes, until crispy. (Cooking notes: We find that using a table knife helps slide the patty onto the spatula so that it doesn't fall apart when turned over.)
Serve with toppings.
Last note: We tried doctoring up the coleslaw with Mexican seasonings but found that we really love the combination of regular coleslaw, avocado, lime, olives, and a little salsa or pico de gallo.
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