Veggie Burger

I've grown to love veggie burgers over the past several years. It all stemmed from my college anatomy class. I won't go into any details (this is a food blog, after all), but let's just say that it turned me away from eating red meat for the better part of 5 years. My sweet mom would make a separate pot of vegetable/beef soup, spaghetti sauce, and other beef meals just for me. I'm sure she's glad those days are over (I know my husband is glad those days are over).

Even though we eat beef burgers quite a bit, I still enjoy eating a good hearty veggie burger. I'm so lucky to have a husband that's willing to try new things... even if it means trying a veggie burger. To my surprise, he actually loved eating this. He even said that he would be happy eating this on a weekly basis, and I agree. I think the only change I will make next time is to add a chopped jalapeno. We have some growing in our garden, and I'm kicking myself now because I didn't think to add this.
Serve with baked onion rings, baked french fries, or potato chips.

Black Bean Burgers

Ingredients:
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
3 Tablespoons, plus 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained, divided
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 red or orange bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely diced.
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
1 shallot, minced

Directions:
Place a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Combine the panko with 2 teaspoons of olive oil and mix with a fork to blend. Add the mixture to the skillet and toast the panko, stirring frequently, until light golden brown. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

Place 2 1/2 cups of the beans in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher or a fork until mostly smooth. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, 1 tablespoon of the oil, cumin, salt and cayenne. Whisk to blend. Add the egg mixture, toasted panko, the remaining 1/2 cup beans, bell pepper, cilantro and shallot to the bowl with the mashed beans. Stir together until evenly combined.

Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions. Lightly pack into 1-inch thick patties.
At this point the patties can be covered tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before cooking.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Carefully lay half of the patties in the skillet and cook 4-5 minutes on each side. Transfer the cooked burgers to a plate, tent with foil, and repeat with the remaining oil and bean patties. Serve warm.

Source: Annie's Eats