Power Food Fridays: Black Bean Burgers

Hello Spatularette fans! I'm Pam... the third wheel in the awesome trifecta friendship that is; Meghan (tall one), Laura (small one) and me :) The three of us met in college and we ran cross country and track together. Their friendship means so much to me... when we are together the laughs never stop and they are a support unit unlike any other.

the trifecta @ the 2012 ODDessy Half Marathon in Philly 

Meghan recently came up with the awesome idea of "Power Food Fridays" highlighting those special recipes that keep runners like us full and fueled for our long runs and training weeks. With my commitment to running the Philadelphia Marathon on November 18th on the books, Meghan has been my #1 support. As a runner I know the value in eating right and giving in to those cravings for the "sweetsies," but marathon training has gotten me more and more keyed into my body and what it needs to run my best. The Spatularettes invited me to do a guest post on a recipe I love to make for an easy dinner that reheats perfectly for weekday lunches. I bring you: the Black Bean Burger!

What makes this recipe so great is that you can make these burgers with whatever veggies/beans/grains you have laying around. It's that perfect budget meal while you wait for your next paycheck, but a healthy one! These are the staple ingredients I always use:

to "rice" cauliflower, simply pulse in the
food processor for a few seconds

1 can of beans (I usually use 1/2 black & 1/2 cantellini)
1/2 a red onion
1/2 cup of diced bell peppers
1 Tablespoon of chopped garlic
1 Tablespoon of cumin
1 Tablespoon of chili powder (if you know me I use 2)
Dash of hot sauce (optional)
3/4 cup of Panko breadcrumbs
1 egg (I prefer 3T of liquid egg whites)

Here's where it gets fun... you can add to this recipe with anything. I've used 1/2 cup of peas, 1/2 cup of quinoa, 1/2 cup of riced cauliflower, 1/2 cup of chopped carrots, 1/2 cup of mushrooms, etc. (get why it's good for using up those scrap veggies you didn't use earlier in the week??)

burger patties awaiting the oven!

Directions: Drain/rinse beans and pour into a large bowl. Mash with a fork or a potato masher. Add chopped veggies and garlic. Add your seasonings into the bowl and mix all together. Pour in your liquid egg whites/crack an egg. The eggs are your binder to make patty making easier, so blend well. Form mixture into 4 patties (depending on how thick you'd like). Bake at 375 degree for about 35 minutes (spray tray with light olive oil and a light coat on top of the burgers, too). I'm not one for cheese, so I top my bean burgers with sliced avocado, lettuce, etc!


Here is my finished product! Like I said, this is a great meal for dinner but I reheat leftover with some frozen veggies for work throughout the week.

I also had some time that evening and made homemade pita bread. Hopefully I'll be back to guest blog soon and I can include this amazing recipe for whole wheat pitas. Super easy to make and great for clean eating (makes about 8 pitas).

Hope you guys enjoy! xo