The Natural Goodness: Spicy Black Bean Burgers

Spicy Black Bean Burgers for

Superbowl weekend!

With this weekend being Superbowl weekend there is going to be a lot of food and by a lot of food, I mean a lot of junk food. Oh, and a lot of football and awesome commercials!

When there is going to be so many food choices, there is not always a healthy or for some, a vegetarian option.

I recently had a coworker give me a new Vegan cookbook called How it All Vegan! by Tanya Barnard and Sarah Kramer.

This recipe was in the cookbook and I knew I immediately I wanted to try it! I love anything spicy. Although this recipe was not super spicy, I did add a few red pepper flakes even though it wasn't called for in the recipe.

What you need:

1/2 cup flour

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 small hot or jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced ( I used a jalapeño and I did keep some seeds for extra spiciness!)

1/2 medium red pepper, diced

1/2 cup of corn niblets

1 tbsp of olive oil

1 can of black beans, drained and mashed

1/2 cup of bread crumbs (you may add more if the burgers aren't sticking together)

1/2 tsp cumin

pinch of salt and pepper

2 tsp of chili powder

pinch of red pepper flakes (optional!)

What you need to do:

1. Pour flour onto a plate for coating and set aside.

2. In a saucepan, saute the onions, garlic, oregano, hot pepper, red pepper and corn in the olive oil until the onions are translucent. Once done set aside for later.

3. In a large bowl, mash the black beans with a fork or potato masher.

4. Stir in the sautéed vegetables, bread crumbs, cumin, salt, pepper, chili powder, and red pepper flakes. Mix well.

5. Divide and shape in to 4-5 patties. Tip* really squish the mixture together to make sure the patty's stay intact.

6. Lay down each patty in flour, coating each side.

7. Cook on a lightly oiled frying pan on medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes, until both sides are browned. These are pretty delicate patty's, so flip carefully!

8. Serve with your favorite condiments and toppings! I used spring mix for my lettuce and guacamole, which I bought. Yes, from a store. Just being honest people!