Bean-and-Veggie Burgers, and a milestone

Tonight we had a milestone:  Audrey and Theresa were playing the “getchoo” game with each other.  I don’t know who started it, but they were running after each other (and sometimes in opposite directions) giggling and saying, “Getchoo!” and “Oh no!”  It was awesome.

TK at the playground, in frog hat from Aunt K and Uncle K

I just made these tonight, based on another Maya recipe. Veggie burgers or bean burgers tend to be texturally weird, or completely fall apart, and often either really bland or way oversalted.  These came out just right, so I figured I’d write it down before I forgot.

Audrey loved them mostly, I think, because she watched me form some of the patties and later flip them.  She really likes watching me cook, and I have noticed that while she is highly skeptical of many food items she doesn’t recognize (like say, mashed sweet potatoes with carrots and parsnips–all of which she has eaten before, just in a different form), she is more likely to eat that which she has “helped” me make.  We had to put the burgers on a spoon for Jamie and Theresa to try them, but after that they liked them too.

Audrey “helps” in the kitchen.

I doubled the original recipe but I really liked the texture of the refried and partially mashed beans, so I will keep the ratios the same.  They probably freeze well if you want to try them like this.

Jamie dancing in alligator button-down, hand-made by Liz.

Bean-and-Veggie Burgers

Note 1:  makes about 15 burgers, depending on how thick and how big you need them to be.

Note 2:  I sauteed the kale and then the broccoli in a little olive oil for as long as it took them to be mostly cooked.

Note 3:  You could probably add any veggie you wanted here: shredded carrots, chopped spinach, mashed…pretty much anything.

Ingredients:

• 1 15-oz can low-salt black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 15-oz can fat-free refried beans
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped kale, cooked
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped broccoli, cooked
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup shredded cheese (I used a cheddar/Monterey jack/asadero blend)
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Mash the two cans-worth of beans together in a large bowl with a potato masher.  It’s fine if some of the black beans stay whole or in big chunks.
2. Combine all other ingredients and mix well.
3. Form into patties of desired size and thickness.  Cook in a bit of olive oil over medium heat for probably 6-8 minutes on the first side, 3-5 minutes on the second side.  The bottom of the burger should be browned and relatively crisp.
4. Serve on buns with all your favorite toppings, and a side of sweet potato fries, and feel mildly virtuous for a Friday night’s dinner.