Spicy Black Bean Burgers

After trying a few varieties of premade, frozen black bean burgers (some of which are quite delicious!), I decided to take a stab at creating my own.  These are simple to make and come together quick enough for an easy weeknight meal.  Spicy black beans, brown rice and a little blend of spices create a delicious burger that you can top in a variety of ways.

Servings: 6

Points Plus: 2 per patty

Works with SFT: Yes

Ingredients:

·         15oz can black beans, drained*

·         ¼ cup carrot, in chunks*

·         ¼ cup onion, in chunks*

·         1 egg white*

·         2/3 cup brown rice, cooked*

·         1 tsp chili powder

·         ½ tsp cumin

·         ½ tsp salt

·         ½ tsp black pepper

·         2 tsp hot sauce (use more or less to taste)

·         ½ tsp worcestershire

·         Cooking spray

Directions:

In a food processor, combine the onion, carrot, and egg white.  Pulse several times until combined. 

Add ½ of the black beans and pulse until the mixture is pureed. 

Pour into a bowl.

Add the brown rice, remaining black beans, and all spices and combine.  Mix until well blended.  Allow to sit for 10 minutes.  I used this time to prepare some sweet potato crisps and a salad.
When ready, heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Coat with cooking spray.  Using a heaping 1/3 cup of the mixture (I pre-measured onto a cutting board to make sure they were all divided equally), pour into the skillet and push down to form a patty shape.  Cook for about 7-8 minutes or until the patty can be wiggled around to flip over.  Don’t try to force this too soon or the patties will break.  Flip over and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.  The patties should be slightly crisp on both sides when they are done.
I topped ours with a slice of Kraft Singles Sharp Cheddar and served with tomato slice and alfalfa sprouts on a Healthy Life Whole Wheat Sandwich bun.  The total for the whole burger: 5 Points Plus