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Thursday, March 11, 2010

a burger for the health minded

skinny-bovine confession (i'm discovering i have lots of these): there is nothing, i mean nothing, i love more than a good cheeseburger and french fries. or even a bad one really. i love the $1 double stack at wendy's and that is clearly not a fabulous burger.


these black bean burgers i found on sharon's blog (which she found on culinary in the country/desert) are almost better than a real beef burger. they are seriously that good. see the look on my face. sheer heaven, people. we devoured them on our new favorite find - ciabatta buns from wal-mart (6 for $2.50). i would eat anything that comes on these buns. a little expensive for everyday dinners but perfect for date night (which usually entails burgers, especially these pico and guac burgers) around our house. enjoy them!!

black bean mushroom burgers
4 big burgers



1 dash olive oil, plus additional for brushing
1 cup finely chopped onion
8 ounces baby portobello mushrooms, finely chopped (i used cheaper mushies, but portobellos would be amazing if you can afford it!)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (or regular)
4 slices whole wheat sandwich bread, lightly toasted
15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) crumbled goat cheese (again, i used a cheaper cheese, but this would be yummy. i'm thinking feta would be awesome.)
salt and fresh ground black pepper
4 ciabatta buns, split and toasted
your choice of toppings

preheat grill. (Or grill in pan if its your only option...)

in a large skillet, heat a dash of oil over medium-high. add onion - cook until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. stir in mushrooms, garlic, cumin and paprika - cook until the mushrooms have released their juices, about 4 to 6 minutes. remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

tear toasted bread into pieces and place into a food processor (or blender) - process until broken down into crumbs. pour into a medium bowl. add mushroom mixture, beans and cilantro into the food processor bowl - pulse until combined, but not smooth - leave some chunky bits. scoop mixture into the bowl with the bread crumbs - add goat cheese and season with salt and fresh ground black pepper. mix ingredients together, then divide into four equal portions. with dampened hands, shape each portion into 4 thick patties. lightly brush each side of all patties with oil.

place patties onto the grill and cook until thoroughly heated through and the outside has crisped, about 5 minutes per side (mine takes longer - more like 7 or 8 min). serve burgers on toasted buns and with desired toppings.

and just because i love this cute little spaghetti face....

3 comments:

Sharon said...

mmm...these look great! Glad they worked out. I need to find these ciabatta rolls. Do you have a super Wal-Mart?

Cyndie said...

made it and they were fabulous!! just used whole wheat buns. yummy yummy yummy!

Camber said...

Britt! I used to be in your ward and stumbled upon your awesome blog! I tried these burgers and got a hearty approval from Isaac--by far the best I've tried and I've tried several. I also tried your cuban black beans, sloppy sams, and lentloaf and they were all great. I've featured a few on my blog healthybutedible.blogspot.com but always give you credit. Anyway, thanks for the recipes!

healthy cooking on a budget

disclaimer: i don't claim to be an expert on cooking, weight loss or even healthy eating, but i do love to cook, find healthy, taste bud-friendly tricks and most of all, i love to eat!

qualifications: what qualifies me to blog on cooking healthy on a small budget? well, as my husband is still a student, my budget is not what you'd call large. and as for the healthy part, when i was 10 i was diagnosed with pancreatitus - a disease that doesn't effect me much anymore unless i eat food that is too greasy or has too much fat (in which case, well, let's just say i get really sick). this had steered my experience and limited cooking expertise in a health-conscious direction.

please feel free to comment, criticise, rate recipes, try ideas and make requests for future posts!