Nirvana Black Bean Burgers

By Pam Hadder

The quest has ended!  After years of making so-so black bean burgers, I have found the perfect combo of ingredients to produce a moist, flavourful patty - this truly is black bean burger heaven, hence the name: Nirvana Black Bean Burgers.

The best part of this whole situation - they are super easy to make and require no unusual or hard-to-find ingredients.  Another wonderful aspect is how amazing the aroma is when they are baking!  Once baked and cooled, I individually bagged and froze these - then you can pan-fry, BBQ or microwave, depending on your time and preferences.  A quick and easy option is to microwave to thaw (1-2 minutes per patty), and then broil in the toaster oven to get a nice crispy, brown exterior - I place the patties on a square of foil and flip mid-way when preparing them in this way - also great way to add melted vegan cheese, mmmm. Hope you will enjoy making these yummy vegan burgers - my recipe was adapted from many recipes I have tried over the years, and I am so happy that I finally found ingredients and proportions that work for me - in the past I found many bean burgers too bland or very dry xox

Nirvana Black Bean Burgers

Makes 12 patties - approximately 4.5" across and 1/2" thickness

Ingredients:
2 cans of black beans, well rinsed and drained
1 medium cooking onion
8 baby carrots, or one large carrot
1 small bell pepper - any colour (I used yellow)
2 Tbsp. fresh crushed garlic, or approximately 6-8 cloves
6 Tbsp. chili sauce, ketchup or Sriracha sauce (chili for sweet 'n spicy, ketchup for milder flavour, and Sriracha for extra garlic and fire!)
2 Tbsp. corn starch
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. seasoning salt
1 cup wheat flour or ground spelt
Approximately 1 cup, fine bread crumbs* (I use Pastene brand, seasoned bread crumbs, but you could use any type, or even crush your favourite healthy crackers!)Method:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment or wax paper, and spray lightly with vegetable oil.  If you don't have veg oil spray, just put a few drops of oil on your hands and lightly spread it over the parchment.

Mash the beans in a large bowl with a potato masher - I don't recommend blending or processing unless you have a really good appliance; you want the beans to be a bit coarse, not like a purée - this makes for a nicer texture.  Next place the onion, carrot, bell pepper, and Sriracha (or ketchup, chili sauce) into the blender - buzz until smooth.  In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, chili powder, cumin, pepper, salt, seasoning salt, and flour - mix together to combine.  Add the wet mix from the blender to the mashed beans alternating with the dry spice and flour mix, then add in enough of the fine bread crumbs to make a good consistency for patties. For those of you that have worked with ground meat, the bean mixture will be slightly moister than meat-based burgers - this is how it should be. Add just enough crumbs to allow the mixture to bind together - no bits should be falling out.  *NOTE: it is hard to give a precise measure on the bread crumbs, as the size of the veggies and their moisture content will vary - you just have to get a feel for the right consistency - trust in your abilities and know you are very close to one kick-ass vegan burger!  

Using a small serving spoon or a tablespoon, scoop out about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the bean patty mixture and plop it on the prepared baking sheet - pat it into a circle or square about 1/2" thick and smooth the edges with your finger tips.  Place the patties about 2" apart on the sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes, flip patties and return to bake second side for another 12-15 minutes. 

These are amazing as a traditional burger on a bun, or on top of a crunchy salad, or just as-is for a quick protein fix. Hope you will try and enjoy - they are really just so yummy!  xox

Eggless!

By Pam Hadder

For so many years I choked down eggs – they grossed me out, but I was told they were good for me!  In my early 30s eggs were a big part of low-carb dieting that allowed me to keep my weight down even when work and family demands kept me from engaging in the physical activities I had once enjoyed.  Looking back, eating all of the meat and eggs was soul-less for me – most of the time I was politely swallowing while trying to distract myself from the dead animal realities. It was functional and disengaged consumption.

Now I have been dairy-free for over 14 years and vegan for about three years and eggs are one thing I do not miss.  Having not eaten them in so long, the sulphurous odor is really repulsive for me when I am in a restaurant, or when one of my kids is cooking them!  Yes, I live among omnivores but for me, "scrambled" silken tofu with veg has become my weekend breakfast treat - great in a vegan crepe, with toast, or solo. Although I am a vegan, I am not an enforcer type – it is my choice not necessarily theirs, and I do not preach to my kids about my choices; they always have omnivorous options as they choose without my judgement.  I still make my son his “love eggs” (basically scrambled with LOTS of butter, lol), but I feel good about the choices I make daily with my diet. 

And although I recognize my choices are not those of the majority, I do share my vegan recipes and tips in the hope that a few folks will consider Meatless Mondays or will sub some vegan meals into their diet.  Vegan eating is heart-smart, is a natural fit for those of us that love all animals, and may contribute to the betterment/sustainability of Earth’s ecosystems.

Another concern of those wanting to go egg-less is all of the recipes that call for eggs – for baking, this is an easy fix.  Here are a few options to substitute for one large egg in any muffin, cake or cookie recipes.  You will find that most family favourites can be converted with great success and with equal or improved taste:

One small banana mashed = one lg. egg
1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce = one lg. egg
1/3 prune puree = one large egg
1 Tbsp. ground flax or chia seed and 3 Tbsp. water = one lg. egg
(NOTE: cover flax/chia mixture and chill 15 minutes prior to use)

Additionally, Bob’s Red Mill foods sells an egg replacer that works very well in many recipes without altering the flavours.  Prune and flax eggs do have distinctive flavours, particularly for those new to these ingredients – therefore, you will want to use them in recipes that have strong flavours like chocolate or spice (i.e. ginger snaps, brownies) to avoid having the flax or prune overwhelm the recipes.  Chia is perhaps the most neutral of the homemade options, and Bob’s Red Mill’s is a great option for those who don’t want to fuss with grinding their own flax or chia seeds.  Bob’s is made with flax, but their process neutralizes any strong flax flavours.

Many other ingredients, such as potatoes, oatmeal and agar agar naturally serve as binders so you may need to surf the web and try some recipes posted by vegan cooks. Some recipes just need a bit more oil to compensate for the absence of animal eggs.  I will admit, some vegan recipes I have found online and tried were duds, but the vast majority were just amazing.  Here is a link to PETA’s site with several more options for replacing eggs in your recipes.  Enjoy in excellent health xox

http://www.peta.org/living/food/egg-replacements/