Bean Burgers for Nick's First Meatless Monday

A few weeks ago I made a new black bean burger recipe for dinner and as we were eating Nick said, "I haven't had any meat this entire day." In other words, Nick took part in an unintentional "Meatless Monday!". I was so impressed.

The black bean burger recipe was from Grace at Food, Fitness, FreshAir. As always, I made my own modifications to the recipe. The ingredients highlighted in red were omitted or modified.

Black Bean Burgers
(Makes 8 burgers)

Ingredients

• 15oz. can black beans, drained, rinsed, and patted dry

• 1 red onion, ½ thinly sliced, remaining ½ finely chopped (**contain FODMAPs**)

• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced

• 1 fresh jalapeno, de-seeded and minced (**forgot to buy!**)

• 1 cup corn (**buy something other than sweet corn if you don't want FODMAPs**)

• 3/4 cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs (about 2 slices, toasted and processed) (**buy gluten free if you don't want FODMAPs**)

• 1 Tbsp. chili powder

• 2 tsp. smoked paprika

• 1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce (** I used 2 tsp. Frank's Red Hot, which contain a small amount of FODMAPs **)

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1 cup cilantro, tightly packed (** I accidentally purchased parsley instead. Oops **)

• 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil

• 5-6 whole-wheat hamburger buns (**Use gluten-free if you don't want FODMAPs**)

• Vegenaise or mayo. (**Nick and I used a bit of BBQ sauce to top off our buns**)

Directions

• Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in large nonstick skillet. Saute pepper and corn until peppers are tender. Stir in chili pepper, paprika, salt, Frank's Red Hot, and cook another 1-2 minutes.

• Transfer ½ of the mixture into a food processor, scraping any spices remaining on bottom of the pan. Add the beans and breadcrumbs. Puree until smooth. Add parsley, and pulse until combined. Stir in remaining corn/pepper mixture.

• Return nonstick skillet to stove and place over medium-high heat. Coat bottom of pan with a light layer of olive oil. Shape bean mixture into 8 burgers. Cook burgers 2-4 at a time, until outer edges are crisp, about 5-6 minutes.

• Toast your whole wheat buns and add your favorite condiment (and cheese if you want!).

Nutrition Facts
(doesn't include the bread, cheese, or BBQ sauce)

QUESTION: Are you a bean burger lover?!

I am definitely a bean burger lover now! These burgers were delicious. Thanks Grace!

QUESTION: Any big plans for the week and upcoming holiday weekend? Nick and I are having our second annual "Fourth of July Party" so we've got a lot of work to do to prepare. I'm very excited though, I love throwing parties!

Bean Burgers and a New Beano

What do you get when you mix these ingredients?

A wonderful bean burger!

What else?


Lots of gas!

But if you take one of these wonderful pills BEFORE you eat that fiber-filled bean burger, you won't get gas! Yep, your eyes aren't fooling you, Gas-X now makes their own version of Beano. Beano costs about two dollars more, so I suggest checking this out. With the Gas-X version you only need to take one pill and you're good to go (take it from me, they work just as well as Beano). Be sure to take the pill before your first bite of problem food.

Gina's Bean Burger Recipe
(Makes ~7 burgers)

1 can black beans (partially drained, keep about 1/4 cup worth of liquid)

1 cup Fiber One cereal

1 cup raw spinach

1 beaten egg (or 1/4 cup egg beaters)

4 T ground flaxseed

~1 T Red Hot

Garlic, as much or little as you want **I omitted this from mine because I can't eat garlic, boo**



1) Grind the Fiber One into a powder with your food processor or Magic Bullet

2) Smash the "almost fulled drained" beans in a medium sized bowl.

3) In a large bowl, combine the Fiber One, the beans, and the rest of the ingredients and blend well with a clean set of hands.

4) Make into patties and heat in a greased pan for about 3 minutes on each side!

Nutritional Highlights

- ~100 calories

- Lots of cholesterol-lowering fiber

- Phytoestrogens called lignans (may help fight estrogen-sensitive cancers)

- Iron, magnesium, and B vitamins for overall healthy and wellness


QUESTION: Do you like beans? Which beans are your favorite?! I love baked beans, although they are typically loaded with sugar. I also love black beans, obviously. And kidney beans are great in chili!