Black Bean Burgers

It's not often I watch the Food Network anymore, but I did catch this burger on an episode of Big Daddy's House the other weekend. I've had black bean burgers from a box in the frozen aisle of the grocery, but have never made my own, so it was time to try it out.

We both really liked how this came out. The outside of the burger was a little bit crispy and the inside stayed soft. I will say this is a bit spicy for my taste and I even cut back on some of the spices listed in the recipe. And, like many recipes I make, I failed to include everything listed. This time I forgot the Worcestershire sauce. Instead of the tomato szechuan dressing listed in the recipe, we topped with a slice of cheese, tomato, lettuce, ketchup and mustard. This is a great low-calorie alternative to your normal burger!



Source: Food Network

Ingredients:
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 shallots, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon freshly chopped cilantro leaves
1 egg white, slightly beaten
3 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
Spinach
Sliced roasted red peppers, jarred
Sliced red onion
4 multi-grain rolls
Szechuan Tomato Dressing, recipe follows

Directions:
In a large bowl, finely mash the black beans with a potato masher or your hands. Add the shallots, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, Worcestershire, hot sauce, cilantro, egg white, flour, salt and pepper. Mix well with a wooden spoon. Form into 4 patties and arrange on a platter.

In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add the oil. Sear patties for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until they have a nice crust. Remove the patties to a paper towel lined platter. Assemble the sandwiches with a patty, some spinach, roasted red peppers and red onion on the multi-grain rolls. Top with a good drizzle of Szechuan Tomato Dressing and serve.

Szechuan Tomato Dressing:

1/4 cup Szechuan sauce
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 tablespoon freshly chopped cilantro leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a small bowl, add the Szechuan sauce, tomatoes and cilantro. Whisk in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Use as a dressing for the black bean sandwiches.