Black Bean Burgers with Cilantro Lime Mayo

 image

This dinner was a SERIOUS crowd pleaser at my house last night (if two is considered a crowd.)  Nonetheless, both my husband and I were in love with this meal!  You probably feel like I say that about recipes a lot . . . and I think I do.  We either just really like food or I rock at finding REALLY good recipes . . . or both!

This recipe is perfect for you vegetarians or people like me who are trying to not eat quite as much meat.  I grew up in a house with a Dad who had to have meat with every meal and the past couple of months I have realized that mindset stuck with me.  And ever since getting Bountiful Baskets, my mindset has really changed.  We've been eating meatless meals a couple times a week and we are both loving it!

We also used up our red potatoes from weeeeeeeeks ago by serving roasted red potatoes alongside these yummy burgers.  It was the perfect side.  Just dice up your red potatoes into bite size pieces, toss them into a Ziploc bag with some olive oil and some spices of your choice (I used fresh garlic, seasoning salt, parsley, thyme, basil, and black pepper).  Shake the bag real good to coat each piece of potato and dump out onto a baking sheet.  Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 25-40 minutes (just depends on how cooked you like them).

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!

Black Bean Burgers with Cilantro Lime Mayo

Burgers:
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse 4 slices stale or toasted whole wheat sandwich bread to form breadcrumbs. Pour into a bowl and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive or canola oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add 1 medium onion, chopped, and sauté until soft. Add 2 cloves garlic, minced, 2 tablespoons minced jalapeno pepper (membranes and seeds removed – unless you like more heat), and 1 teaspoon ground cumin. Saute for additional 2 minutes.

Scrape the mixture into the food processor. Add 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed, 1 ¼ cups cooked brown rice, 2 teaspoon fresh lime juice, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Pulse until the beans are chopped, but not pureed.

Scrape the black bean mixture into a large bowl. Add ½ of the breadcrumbs and ¼ cup chopped cilantro. Using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture until combined.

Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and form into patties. If the mixture is too moist to form patties, add more breadcrumbs. Place the patties on a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap and cover with additional plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour.

Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large skillet (preferably not nonstick, so a good crust can form) set over medium heat. Add the burgers and cook for 4 minutes per side.

Cilantro-Lime Mayo:
In a small bowl, combine ½ cup mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Stir well.

Lightly toast 4 whole wheat buns. Spread 2 tablespoons cilantro-lime mayo on each bun, and top each with a black bean patty, 2 tablespoons crumbled cotija cheese (found in most supermarkets, but we just used cheddar), lettuce, 1 slice large tomato, and 3 slices avocado. Serve and ENJOY.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

This was a delicious meal!  And quite simple for the pretty and tasty outcome.

We used LOTS of our Bountiful Basket vegetables from the past couple of weeks with this meal . . . crookneck squash, celery, tomatoes, lettuce, and English Cucumbers.

I made these last night and had some of the left overs for lunch today . . . I think my leftovers were even tastier.  The hours in between dinner and lunch gave all of the yummy ingredients time to soak in and really make themselves at home.

I didn't follow an exact recipe . . . I read several different recipes online and used a little something from each one.  I did print this recipe off and used it as a reference for baking temperature, time, etc.  I also tried really hard to keep mine as healthy as possible, by adding lots of extra veggies and NO cheese.

Here's what I did:

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients:

6 bell peppers (I used 2 green, 2 yellow, and 2 red)

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 TBS olive oil

1/2 white onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large carrot, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 small crookneck squash, diced

14.5 oz canned petite diced tomatoes  

1 - 2 cups cooked brown rice (I used 1 1/4 cups uncooked instant brown rice.  Not sure how much it made cooked!  I also only cooked it in a little over half the water the instant rice called for.  Didn't want it to get too soggy with the baking.)

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp mexican oregano

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp coriander

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.  Cut off tops of peppers and clean out seeds.

2.  Heat 1 TBS olive oil in a large sauce pan.  Add chopped onion and minced garlic.  Let saute for 5 or 6 minutes. 

3.  Add the carrots, celery, and squash to the onion/garlic mixture and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes.  Remember everything is going to cook together for another 40 minutes in the oven, so don't overcook at this point if you don't want soggy vegetables.

4.  Remove the cooked vegetables from the pan and place in a bowl, off to the side.

5.  Add the lean ground beef and spices.  Chop your beef up so it is really broken up.  Cook until browned.

6.  Add the rice, tomatoes, and vegetable mix to the beef/spice mix and cook together for a few more minutes.

7.  Coat the bottom of a baking dish with tomato sauce or another can of diced tomatoes.

8.  Fill each pepper with the mixture, pressing it down to maximize the space.

9.  Cover with foil and bake on 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

 

By the way, Yes! You could do this with the Anaheim Peppers. Kim, made a stuffed pepper recipe last night (she'll post later) and used her Anaheims.  She cut off the top and sliced it down one side to create a "pocket" that she stuffed.

Tomato Basil Bisque

Hello!  It is good to be back . . . back to getting our Bountiful Baskets, trying new recipes, and eating more fruits and vegetables again.

We started our New Year off with another amazing soup recipe.  Are you tired of soup recipes from me yet?  Sorry if you are, but I can't help myself . . . I LOVE homemade soups!

We still had our butternut squash from a couple of weeks ago, and I'm hoping you do too.  This soup is SO QUICK AND EASY and the perfect side dish to a yummy salad or sandwich for these cold winter days.

Tomato Basil Bisque

*Serves 4 - 6

Note:  I cooked my butternut squash the day before and stored it in the refrigerator.  Worked great!

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash (about 1 1/2 cups cooked squash)

1 tablespoon butter (I used olive oil to lighten it up)

1/4 cup finely diced onion

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 can (14.5 oz) Italian-stewed tomatoes

1 cup chicken stock

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half (I used the latter)

1/3 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

Prepare the butternut squash by preheating your oven to 375 degrees.  Cut your squash in half and clean out the string and seeds.  Place the squash on a baking sheet lightly sprayed with cooking spray, cut side down.  Roast in the oven for 45 minutes, or until soft all the way through.  Let it cool about 15 minutes before scooping out the flesh.  If preparing the day before, scoop out the flesh and place in a tupperware.  Let cool completely.  Cover and refrigerate until using it in the soup.  If using the squash immediately, scoop the squash into the blender or food processor.

While the squash is cooking, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter (or heat the olive oil) and saute the onion until soft and translucent.  Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Scoop the onion/garlic mixture in the blender or food processor with the squash.

Add the canned tomatoes (undrained) to the blender or food processor.  Process until the mixture is smooth.  Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and add the chicken broth, salt, sugar, basil and cream (or half-and-half).  Stir to combine well.  Heat over medium-low heat until the soup is warm.  Do not let the mixture boil or simmer to avoid the cream curdling.  Serve immediately.