A tasty looking vegan black bean recipe
I was just reading an article at GOOD, Are there Neurotoxins in Your Veggie Burger?,
worth a read if you are a vegi-burger eater. One of the commenters, callmenancy, posted
this yummy looking recipe that I really want to try.

**UPDATE** Tried it, it was amazing. Also you can use the leftovers as a substitute
for ground beef (I did for spaghetti).

I always feel like the alternate is missing in this kind of article, so I’d like to share a recipe my friend Sean gave me, which makes perhaps the best vegan burger I’ve ever had. Ever. I’ve decided to try and go a year without eating anything pre-prepared, besides a few staples like tofu or certain condiments.

Granted, I love to cook, so this is mostly personal preference, but you can make better veggie burger for a lot less than you buy them for. They’re simple, freeze well, and absolutely aces. If you really want a soy burger, use soy beans instead of the black listed below, but given that so much in the vegetarian/vegan community is made of soy, I like to include other sources of protein. It’s insanely easy to take one day of the weekend and just cook, to really get your hands dirty in the kitchen, and then freeze a large portion of the food for the coming month. I really enjoy the connection, and the sense of pride in it, not only when I eat it, but if I serve it to others. There’s magic in the thought “I made this.”

So here’s the recipe:
Sean’s Black Bean Burgers

2 cups black beans (rinsed + drained from can or soaked if dried)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 vegetable bouillon cube or 1 tsp bouillon paste
1/2 cup warm water
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 cup vital wheat gluten
1 cup plain panko crumbs or 1 cup crushed toasted bread
4 cloves garlic, pressed or grated or garlic powder, to taste
1-1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon dried onion powder
1 teaspoon parsley
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
olive oil for brushing or spray canola oil

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2) In a bowl, mash the black beans together with the oil until no whole beans are left. In another bowl, dissolve bullion cube in warm water. Add onion and soy sauce. In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients/spices. Add all wet and dry ingredients to the bowl with the beans. Knead together for about 3 minutes to “activate” the gluten.

3) Mold the dough into 8-9 pieces, forming patties about 3/4″ thick.

4) Brush both sides of each patty with olive oil or spray with canola, place on baking sheet, and bake for 15 minutes. Flip patties and bake another 10 minutes. Remove from oven. If you are making patties for next day, let them cool, then refrigerate or freeze. If eating now, pan fry indoors or grill outside for another 5-10 minutes (depending on burnt-ness desired). Goes amazingly well with barbecue sauce.