Grill Friendly Black Bean Burgers 16 June 08

As you know, I love the Black Bean Burger recipe from Monty’s Blue Plate Diner In Madison, and I’ve taken the finished product to many BBQ’s to throw on the grill. The only drawback to that recipe is that they must be completely cooked first and usually frozen before they can be put on the grill. These burgers, on the other hand, can be made up and thrown directly on the grill. They hold up perfectly and are excellent topped with some tzatziki and served up with Fresh Grilled Flatbread.

Grill-Friendly Black Bean Burger

1 1/2 cups black beans (15 ounce can) drained
1/4 block extra firm tofu, crumbled
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 T chunky salsa
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Ok…I like things with a little more kick to them, so I add the ingredients below as well. They are all optional, do what you like, experiment.

1-2 T chopped pickled jalapenos
more hot sauce
2 cloves chopped garlic

1. Using a fork, mash the drained beans in a medium bowl
2. Drain the tofu (press between kitchen towels if you’d like) crumble with a fork or your fingers and add to the beans
3. Mix in bread crumbs, salsa, hot sauce, cumin and optional ingredients. Season with salt and pepper if desired
4. Using moistened hands, shape the bean mixture into two 3.5 to 4.5 inch diameter patties (these are big burgers!)
5. Prepare the grill (med-high heat) Brush the grill rack vegetable oil. Grill the burgers until heated through – about 3 minutes on each side.

Black Bean Burgers 13 May 08

All of the recipes that are found in A Pinch of This are special to me in some way and each has found it’s way into my life in different ways. Some are things that you will always find in my fridge, some are new favorites and some are special to me simply because they remind of a certain time in my life. All of them are tried and, in my humble opinion, delicious. While writing earlier about the Farmers Market in Madison I started to think about other favorites from my time in Madison. Monty’s Blue Plate Diner (read the reviews) was one of the first to come to mind. The Blue Plate Diner is part of the wonderful Atwood neighborhood of Madison and on any given weekend morning you can find droves of people waiting for an hour or more for a taste of their all day every day breakfast menu. Don’t let the diner decor fool you though. The menu is far from simple diner fare. On Saturdays the restaurant (which seats 80) serves 750 to 800 people. Monty’s is Voted the Best Vegetarian Restaurant and Best Breakfast Restaurant year after year – and is definitely worth the wait.

Although it’s not on their menu at present, the following recipe is both one of the staples of my diet and a favorite from the Blue Plate Diner.

Black Bean Burgers

2 cups cooked or 14-oz. can black beans, drained
1/2 cup of your favorite salsa
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup wheat flour
1/8 cup corn meal
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. black pepper
2 TB olive oil
Kaiser rolls, lettuce, tomato…and any fixin’s that you like.

Thoroughly mix black beans with salsa, egg and vinegar.
Add the wheat flour, corn meal, salt and pepper.
Mix and stir until ingredients are well blended. Form into round patties.
Place olive oil in a non-stick  frying pan on low heat.
Place formed patties into the frying pan and cook until firm and brown on one side.
Flip and fry until brown on the other side.

My boyfriend in college loved these burgers as well – when he told me one day that he was going to stop eating eggs (already a vegetarian) I found myself on a quest for a suitable egg substitute that would still allow these to be a favorite food. Here’s what I found:

Vegan Egg Substitute

1 TB ground flax seed
3 T water

Mix ground flax and water in a bowl and let sit until the water is absorbed by the flax.. (~10 minutes) This is the equivalent of one egg and also works great in baked goods.