Black Bean and Walnut Burgers
Last week my husband and I lost power in our apartment. Not only did my work come to a grinding halt (not complaining) but I couldn’t cook dinner. I quickly picked up the phone and dialed for Thai food take-out, my favorite. We had some brown rice leftover but not enough for a meal. I decided to hang on to it even though I didn’t have a plan for it (pretty unlike me).
So I was stoked when I remember this recipe I found with a client. She is both vegetarian and gluten intolerant and wanted a new recipe or two. It’s a recipe for Black Bean and Walnut Burgers from Vegetarian Times.
*Marci’s Note: The recipe makes for 8, but I easily cut it in half.
*Marci’s Note: I used the extra black beans, rice, onion and corn to throw in a batch of pre-made tomato soup. Two recipes in about 30 minutes. Easy.
Ingredients
2 15-oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained well
2 tsp. ground cumin
3 tsp. chili powder
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup chopped red onion
3 Tbs. canned corn
1/3 cup cornmeal
guacamole, for garnish
chunky salsa, for garnish
Directions
1. Purée 2 1/2 cups beans with cumin, chili powder and cayenne pepper until smooth. Add rice, walnuts, onion, corn and remaining beans, and pulse 2 or 3 times to mix. (Mixture should be stiff but not dry.) Add 2 to 3 Tbs. water to moisten, if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and chill, if making ahead.
2. Divide mixture into 8 burgers. Dredge burgers in cornmeal. Chill 30 minutes (unless mixture has been made earlier and chilled).
3. Coat nonstick pan or grill with cooking spray. Cook burgers over medium heat 4 minutes. Flip, and cook 4 minutes more, or until heated through. Garnish with guacamole and salsa, if desired, and serve.