Trick: Cook a Vegetarian Meal at Least Once a Week

I try to challenge myself to cook one vegetarian meal once a week.  This is a great way to ensure that I am getting plenty of vegetable servings for the day.  A new recipe that I love is Black Bean Burgers with Chipotle Ketchup.  If you are a vegan you can replace the egg with flax seed, water and flour to help bind the burgers.  The burgers can also be made and frozen before pan frying.  Make and form the burgers and freeze in individual freezer bags and pan fry when ready. 

Black Bean Burgers with Chipotle Ketchup                           Serves 6 (large burgers)

Black Bean Burger

2 ½ cups Black beans (canned), rinsed

½ Tbs Vegetable or Olive oil

½ Medium yellow onion, small dice

½ Red bell pepper, seeded, small dice

2 Cloves garlic, minced

½ cup Cooked brown rice

1 tsp Ground cumin

¾ tsp Salt

¼ cup Pecans, chopped fine

1 Green onion, thinly sliced

1 Egg, lightly beaten

¾ cup Whole-grain bread crumbs

2 Tbs Vegetable or Olive Oil for frying burgers

6 Whole-grain burger buns

Tomato, lettuce and onion for garnish

Chipotle ketchup

To make the burgers:

1. In a sauté pan, heat the oil. Add the onions and sauté until translucent.  Add peppers and garlic until soft. About 3 minutes.
2. Stir in salt. Remove from heat and transfer mixture to a bowl. Set aside to cool.
3. In a food processor, combine beans, onion mixture, rice, pecans, green onion and cumin. Pulse until mixture is coarse.
4. Fold in egg and bread crumbs. Form into 6 even patties ¾ “thick.
5. Refrigerate until ready to sauté.
6. Heat oil and sauté patties, turning only once, until nicely browned on each side, 7 – 9 minutes total. Serve hot.

Chipotle Ketchup

4 Plum tomatoes, concassé

½  Medium yellow onion, small dice

2 Cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbs Tomato paste

2 Tbs Red wine vinegar

2 Chipotle chilis in adobo sauce, minced

1 ½  tsp Ground cumin

½ tsp Salt

To make the ketchup:

1. Combine the peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes, yellow onion, garlic, tomato paste, vinegar, chipotle pepper, cumin, and salt in a saucepan
2. Cook over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil and reduce heat to low
3.  Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally (be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to ensure that it’s not burning)
4. Cook until the liquid is reduced and the sauce is thick
5. Puree and serve warm on burger