Fresh ~Not Frozen~ Black Bean Burgers

Before I dive into this post I have to confess.. I'm only still in college so my kitchen is not professional by any stretch of the imagination. But...my roommates and I make do with what we have. That said we're limited to about 3 feet of counter space and a stove-top with 4 semi-functional burners. But on the bright side the oven works fine!!

While I'm still in the apartment, these recipes will probably be fairly basic but I hope I can give any college students out there some new meal ideas. College can be an interesting time for anyone who likes to cook. For the most part if students aren't in dorms they are in apartments with small kitchenettes and money can be tight. This Black Bean Burger recipe gives you some bang for your buck. Canned beans are inexpensive and easy to come by. Overall this recipe is fairly quick and can be done in even the smallest apartment kitchen. 

     
   Black Bean Burgers 

Ingredients: 

Canned Black Beans--- 1 16oz Can
Egg--- 1
Bread Crumbs--- 1/2 CUP
Onions (Chopped)--- 1/4 CUP
Garlic (Minced)--- 1/2 Clove
Worcestershire sauce (If you have it)--- 1 TSP
Salt & Pepper--- To taste

Other Additons:
You could also add 1/2 CUP of Corn, Tomatoes, Pepper, etc.. you can get creative with what you mix into your patties
Salsa, hot sauce and avocado are great toppers for the burgers too!! 

STEP BY STEP:

• 1. Preheat oven to 375F

• 2. Chop onion and mince garlic 

• 3. Strain beans and pour into mixing bowl.

• 4. Using a fork (or my favorite potato masher) crush beans until they resemble a paste (it tastes better than it looks)
  

• 5. Add worcestershire sauce, onion and garlic to beans and mix evenly

• 6. In a separate bowl or mug, crack and and whisk until smooth and yellow

• 7. Add whisked egg into bean mixture and combine. Feel free to add salt and pepper too

• 8. At this point the beans will look sort of runny so add the bread crumbs to bind it all together. 

• 9. Pull apart the bean "dough" and form into 2 or 4 patties. (In this case, I made two large patties)

• 10. Place patties on an oiled baking sheet then put sheet in oven

• 11. Let bake for 10-12 minutes on each side. I find that 4 smaller patties only take 10 minutes on either side. The bigger patties take a bit longer

• 12. Once finished you can eat these burgers as a sandwich, salad or even a little steak!!

For dinner I used Russian Black bread and added a pickle and hot salsa. Great dinner, with leftovers, all in under 30 minutes and less than $5!!