Recipe: Black Bean Patties with Cucumber Salsa

July 5, 2007 in beans, vegan

Once again in lieu of a hamburger presentation, we ate these in olive oil tortillas from Trader Joes. Those are some great tortillas! I really liked that these were broiled – very easy to clean up. ;) These are rich in flavor and very satisfying.

Salsa:

  • 2/3 c. cucumber, coarsely chopped
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 c. red pepper, coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 c. red onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1 T. fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 t. dried dill
  • pinch of salt & pepper
  • pinch of red pepper flakes

Combine ingredients in a small food processor and pulse a few times until salsa consistency achieved. Refrigerate.

Black Bean Patties:

  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 c. dried breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 c. minced red onion
  • 1/2 t. dried oregano
  • 1/4 t. cumin
  • 1/4 t. black pepper
  • 2 T. silken tofu combined with 1 T. flour (or 1 egg)
  1. Place beans in large bowl, mash partially with a fork.
  2. Stir in all remaining ingredients.
  3. Divide mixture into 4 parts and shape patties.
  4. Turn broiler on high and place rack near flame.
  5. Prepare baking sheet by spraying with cooking spray (I also like to line with foil first). Place patties on sheet and spray tops with cooking spray.
  6. Broil in oven for about 5 minutes per side or until nicely browned.
  7. Serve with cucumber salsa & tortillas. Enjoy!

Based on a recipe from Cooking Light: Black Bean Burgers

Recipe: Red Lentil Patties with Aioli

July 4, 2007 in beans, recipe, vegan

I hope to post a photo of these soon. Unfortunately we ate them so quickly there were none left for a photo shoot! ;) This recipe is based on a red-lentil burger recipe from Cooking Light and I highly recommend it! I made the patties smaller and served them with olive oil tortillas as a wrap. On the side was aioli, lettuce and tomato. Brad also liked the patties alone – so as a snack, burger, or wrapped – enjoy.

Aioli:

  • 1/4 c. vegan mayonnaise
  • 1/2 t. fresh lemon juice
  • 1 garlic clove, minced

Combine all ingredients, cover & refrigerate.

Lentil Patties:

  • 2 c. water
  • 3/4 c. dried red lentils
  • 3/4 t. salt, divided
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 1/2 c. finely diced carrot
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 c. chopped mushrooms
  • 1 t. dried marjoram
  • 1/2 t. cumin
  • 1/4 t. black pepper
  • 3 T. red wine (if desired)
  • 1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs
  • 1 T. fresh lemon juice
  • 2 T. silken tofu mixed with 1 T flour (or 2 egg whites)
  • olive oil
  • vegetable oil
  1. In a saucepan, combine water, lentils, and 1/4 t. salt. Bring to a boil then cover and lower heat. Simmer for 20 minutes. If there is excess water drain – mine absorbed all the water which is also fine. Remove from heat and set aside.
  2. In a non-stick saute pan over med-high heat, add a small amount of olive oil and saute the onions, carrots, and garlic for about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 t. salt, mushrooms, marjoram, cumin, and pepper; cook for another 3 minutes.  Add wine and cook ~1 minute until absorbed.  Remove from heat and add to large bowl.  Let sit for 5 minutes to cool down some.
  3. Add  lentils, lemon juice, and tofu mixture to the onions.  Mix well to combine.  Cover and chill for 30 minutes to help the mixture firm up.  I place the bowl in an ice bath but you could use whatever method is easiest.
  4. Form the lentil mixture into patties – I made them about 2-inches across.
  5. Heat a small amount of vegetable oil in the non-stick pan.  Saute in batches approximately 3-5 minutes per side until nicely browned.
  6. Serve with tortillas to wrap in and aioli.

Recipe: White Bean, Swiss Chard, and Sausage Pasta

April 4, 2007 in beans, pasta, recipe

This pasta dish was delicious! It had a nice spread of flavors and a lot of health benefits in the beans and chard as well. The only time consuming (but not hard!) element in this recipe is preparing the beans. You can do that in advance or used canned (rinse well) if desired. Don’t let the bean prep stop you from enjoying this great dish! :-) Note: there are carrots on the right side of this plate – Brad always loves to eat the boiled stock carrots – these are from the white beans. Read the rest of this entry →

Recipe: Italian Butter Beans

February 26, 2007 in beans, recipe, vegetarian

Recently at the farmer’s market, I found these wonderful Italian Butter Beans from Iacopi Farms. I spoke to the lady selling them who said they were her absolute favorites!

I want to start incorporating more legumes into my diet for a multitude of reasons. Sadly, beans are often over looked in our society as “peasant” food. They shouldn’t be because they are quite amazing little creatures:

  • they have more protein than any other plant food
  • they are very high in fiber
  • they help reduce cholesteral
  • they are inexpensive
  • they are available in a wide range of types, colors, sizes, and flavors

Nifty little guys, no? Along with the suggestions from the farmer’s market and my trusty Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison, I prepared them in manner described below. Brad and I had these butter beans with fresh organic brown rice for a light dinner last night after he got off the plane. We both gave them a big thumbs up! The lemon juice gives them a fantastic freshness. Read the rest of this entry →