Piles of Brown

Now that I'm photographing my food, I've noticed that I make an awful lot of brown piles. Hm, maybe not so appetizing to look at. I'll work on that.

This one is no exception because it's a nice way to use black beans. Cheap? Goya O-Boya you bet. Nutritious? Si. Attractive? Maybe.

One way to keep ourselves feeling good about the no-moneymoon and trying to get healthy has been to transform ingredients into a meal reminiscent of richer fare. Black Bean Burgers turn yet another can of beans into something bueno.

Black Bean Burgers

1 can black beans, drained

1 egg

1/4 c. bread crumbs

1/4 c. corn meal

1/2 green pepper

3 cloves garlic

1/2 small onion

1 Tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 dash cayenne pepper

Place spices, pepper, onion and garlic in food processor and blend. Add in the bread crumbs and drained black beans and pulse to combine.

Mix in by hand the egg and the corn meal. You may not need as much corn meal. The goal is a mixture that holds together slightly.

Heat 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Pat together burger-sized patties. This is a loose mixture but it will hold together when cooked! Slide into hot oil. Cook 5 minutes or until well-browned. Flip! Cook until browned on both sides. Serve with fruit salsa to compliment the smoky, spicy bean flavor.

Fruit salsa: lime juice + apple chopped + half pink grapefruit segments + chopped onion + cilantro + mint + salt (You could easily skip the grapefruit and the mint.)

Tally:

Vegetarian food that satisfies

Fiber-licious "burgers" offer lots of good nutrition

A new way to serve up a cheap source of protein