Veggie Saturday

wow. what a beautiful day... going out in the bright sunshine here in a bit. i did wake up this morning with the urge to be in the kitchen. it's so funny how that is my saturday 'thing' during the winter, as much as the rush to the garden is my thing in the summer.

today, i decided to use some stuff i had on hand. that is so fulfilling! i made two recipes, one of which i'll share. i'll talk about the other one (carrot soup) later, if anybody wants to know.

so, on to my black bean burgers. i was trying to duplicate these by morningstar farms. they are kind of good, but at $3.99 for 4 tiny burgers, for BEANS, that is just crazy.



i found a recipe on the internet, and added some corn and chopped onion. they were really messy to mix up, but quite easy to form into patties!




i was surprised that they held their shape so easily. i think the whole wheat flour and cornmeal helps. i am planning on freezing the remaining ones, which i can then defrost and fry (no differently than the store bought ones). i stuck them in the fridge for a couple of hours first, though.


here's what they turned out to be. they were pretty yummy! to be honest, they would have been even better if i had put a tablespoon of olive oil in the frying pan, to kind of make the 'crust' firmer. they were pretty soft....

anyway, i feel good to have mastered these on the first try... though i will surely add some chopped green/red pepper next time, if i have it on hand. these cost practically nothing, with homemade salsa and rani's corn. if i were REALLY being frugal, i would have cooked the beans instead of using canned. try em if you like :)

Vegetarian Black Bean Burgers with Cornmeal

Ingredients:

• 2 15 ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup corn kernels
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup whole wheat or all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 
  

Preparation:
Place beans in food processor; process until fairly smooth. Add flour, cornmeal, salsa, cumin and garlic salt. Process until well combined.

Spoon mixture into 6 balls on a large plate and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours before cooking.

Heat barbecue grill or ridged grill pan over medium heat. Coat grill or pan lightly with oil. Form each ball into a 4-inch patty about 1/2-inch thick. Place the patties on the grill or in pan and cook until browned and heated through, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Serve your black bean cornmeal patties on hamburger buns with your favorite toppings.