Black bean burgers

This is a recipe I got from a registered dietitian.  They are delicious substitutes for beef burgers, though you need to be very careful turning them.  To cook them on the grill, use foil or a heavy bottomed pan - do not cook directly on the grate - they will fall through and you will have a stinky burning mess...

• 2 cups cooked or 1 (15 ounce) can black beans


• 1 whole egg


• ½ cup plain whole wheat bread crumbs


• 1 teaspoon chilli powder


• ½ teaspoon cumin


• ¼ cup water


• 1 Tablespoon tomato paste (or ketchup)


• ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro (optional)


• 2 cloves garlic


• ½ small onion


• About 2 tablespoons olive oil (if you are going to use the stove top)


• Whole wheat buns

1)      Mash the beans with a fork in a mixing bowl.  You don't want to puree them, just get them mashed so that no whole beans are left, but you should leave some half beans.

2)      Add the egg, bread crumbs, chilli powder, cumin, water, and tomato paste (and cilantro, if using), but don't mix yet.  Use a micro plane grater to grate the garlic in (a garlic press works well too.)  Use the large holes on a box grater to grate in the onion.

3)      Mix everything together with a fork, and then proceed to knead with your hands, until the mixture is firm and uniformly mixed (about a minute)

4)      Preheat the grill / or a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat.

5)      Divide the burger mixture into 5-6 equal burgers

Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes per side, or until solid in center.  *Tip: to make better patties with your mixture, get two small bowls that will nest.  Line the inside of one with plastic wrap, put your bean mixture inside, fold the corners in and use the second bowl to form the patty.  Place patties in freezer for 15-20 minutes.  Patties will be firm enough to place on cook surface without falling apart

Just another note: my friend just made these for the first time and said that she formed them into balls, placed them in the frying pan, and then smooshed them down with a spatula she had sprayed with cooking oil.  Her method sounds much easier!!