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Friday, March 9, 2012

Black Bean & Corn Burgers

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Can we stop for a moment to admire the pictures in today's post? Normally I would never do this--my photography is decent but I have plenty of improving to do. These pictures, however, are Ryan's work, not mine. Yesterday, I woke up at 4:50, as I do on every weekday morning to get an hour of exercise in before heading to work. Within seconds of waking, I heard loud gusts of wind shaking the windows and splatting large raindrops on the skylights in our bedroom.

Rainy runs I can do. I actually like them. Windy, rainy runs are another story! I got back in bed and was confronted with the fact that once awake, I can rarely fall back asleep. Rather than lie there for the next hour, I headed down to the kitchen and instead prepped this dinner. I managed to get these burgers made (less baking) and still had plenty of time to check my email and steal a few spoonfuls of ice cream. Don't judge me, it's a new flavor and I was excited to try it ;)
While I set off on a run after work, Ryan popped these in the oven, along with a bag of Alexia Sea Salt & Pepper fries, courtesy of the Foodbuzz Tastemakers program. I came home to dinner that was hot, fresh, and photographed beautifully. I think I'll keep him around ;) I think I'll keep this whole meal around! We both loved the burgers...baking them was definitely the best way to keep them together; I learned my lesson after the sweet potato chickpea cakes. These were thick and hearty with amazing flavor, no puny veggie burgers here! We topped ours with avocado and spinach, but salsa and sour cream would also be good!

As for the fries, I was impressed. Though I typically make sweet potato fries, it was nice to have the work done for me. They baked up perfectly crispy and we loved the sea salt and pepper seasoning. If you're craving summer foods but it's too chilly (or windy!) to grill, I recommend making these and grabbing a bag of Alexia fries!

Note--Foodbuzz and Alexia provided me a coupon for the fries. All opinions are my own. Alexia is spending the month of March "Reinventing a Classic" and allowing its fans to vote on a new fry flavor. Check it out and cast your vote on their Facebook page!


Two Years Ago: Buffalo Chicken Wraps

Black Bean-Corn Burgers
from Self Magazine, September 2011


Ingredients:
-1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
-3/4 cup corn, thawed if frozen
-1/2 red bell pepper, diced
-1/2 cup oats
-2 tbsp whole wheat flour
-1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
-2 large eggs, lightly beaten
-1 tbsp chopped chipotle chile in adobo
-1/2 tsp dried oregano
-1/2 tsp ground cumin
-1 avocado, sliced
-spinach, for topping
-4 whole-wheat hamburger buns, split

Directions:
1. Combine beans, corn, and cilantro in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until it begins to form a paste but still has some chunks. Transfer to a large bowl and add bell pepper, oats, flour, eggs, chipotle chile, oregano, and cumin. Stir to combine well.
2. Form bean mixture into four equal-sized patties. Place patties in a greased baking dish. Bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes.
3. Place patties on buns and top with avocado and spinach. Serve immediately.