Saturday Recipe: "Black Bean Burger"

This is a nice basic recipe that can be upgraded in lots of different ways, depending on what you're in the mood for. You should make these at least an hour before you intend to cook or grill them.

1 can of plain black beans, drained and mashed
1 cup of breadcrumbs
2 eggs
3 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup shredded cheese (the type depends on your choice of cuisine)

If you're going with Mexican theme:
choose a mild cheddar or jack cheese, or a blend
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
1/4 cup chopped green chiles
2 tsp taco seasoning

If you're going with an Italian theme:
choose either Parmesan, mozzarella, or a little of both
a few pinches of chopped fresh herbs like basil and oregano
a small amount of chopped roasted garlic according to your taste (I like the kind already chopped in a jar)

Use your imagination on the "extras." I'm sure Feta would make an awesome addition.

Mash the beans in a bowl first. You don't have to mash them very thoroughly, just enough to make the mix kind of mushy. Add all of the other ingredients except the breadcrumbs and mix everything completely. Slowly start to add in breadcrumbs. The key here is that you need the breadcrumbs to help the whole thing stick together, but if the mixture gets too dry, it will crumble in your pan or grill. You want to add just enough breadcrumbs to make the mixture thick and sort of stiff, but still too soft and gooey to form into patties. If you accidentally add to much breadcrumbs, you can add another small amount of scramble egg to add more moisture.

Put the whole bowl in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before you're ready to cook. This will allow the breadcrumbs to soak up the moisture and bring the mix to a consistency that you can form into patties.

Once the mix is chilled, make patties and try to keep them slightly thick. If they are too big or thin, they will crumble. If you lay them out on a plate or waxed paper, you can spray them lightly with olive oil to keep them from sticking to your cooking surface.

Cook them immediately before they get too warm. They don't need to cook nearly as long as a meat patty, so watch them closely. You just want the outside lightly browned, and the center hot but not dried out. The length of time it would take varies depending on what you're using to cook them.

These taste great on a bun just like any other burger, but they are also great on their own.

There you go. Tasty, healthy, and vegetarian. Yum!