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Jump to recipeThe move is complete! If you’ve followed my social media, you know I have just recently moved… Hence the radio silence over here! While I’m still on the hunt for a job, I’m going a little stir crazy at home and trying to save money so I don’t go broke during the transition. I know this feeling all too well, so I made this Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger. Sweet and smoky, with a little heat, this burger is good for you AND easy on your wallet!
Status Update – Positive
“…We don’t look backward for very long. We keep moving forward, opening new doors and doing new things…” -Walt Disney
“Keep Moving Forward” is exactly what I’m planning to do in this new adventure. You know at the beginning of the year how we always resolve to do better than the last year? Well, what exactly is “better”? I often find myself measuring my life and accomplishments against those of my friends and family. But this time, I’ve decided that it isn’t about them, it’s about me! I’m going to live my life and work with what I’ve got.
“There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” – C.S. Lewis
“Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder.” – E.B. White
If those just don’t fit into what I’m about right now… I don’t know if there could be any better quotes! I’ve started doing some research on foods that are good for your mental health, specifically foods that are good for stress. If you’re dealing with a stressful time, it’s important to consume foods that are rich in beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, magnesium, and tryptophan.
Each of these nutrients helps the brain to function optimally as they aid the body in the release of (natural) dopamine and serotonin. Lucky for you, these burgers contain all five! Sweet potatoes are a great source of beta-carotene and vitamin E. Red bell pepper adds some vitamin C. Magnesium comes from the black beans and the avocado slices on top of your burger. Quinoa, oats, and the black beans all come together to offer up some tryptophan.
… Maybe we should call these burgers “Don’t Worry (Sweet Potato) & Bean Happy” Burgers! (Ohmygawd stop! I already face-palmed myself for that one…)
Curiosity and Wonder: The Path to Creating this Burger
As I mentioned, moving makes for a tighter wallet. So, I went into my pantry and fridge and pulled together the ingredients to make this burger. A sweet potato, leftover quinoa, old-fashioned oats, frozen corn, garlic, half a can of black beans, some cherry tomatoes and green onions that I’d been growing… I was on track, though a little worried. If this is truly to be a budget-friendly burger, how many burgers am I going to get from these ingredients on hand? Well, 6 burgers later, there was enough mix left over to use for some taco filling and/or taco salads! So far so good!
All in all, I only spent a little money on 6 items to round out my burger (chipotles in adobo, a bell pepper, and buns). Since that only cost me about $3.00 thanks to coupons and sales, I’m feeling pretty good about technically only spending (this time around) about $0.45 per burger! (I know I had bought the rest of the stuff, but since a lot of it is from leftovers/pantry staples and it’s my blog, I don’t feel like counting it. 🙂
These burgers are freezable and are going to be great for summer cookouts! We have a flat-top grill here that just gets a squirt of oil when we grill. If using a gas or charcoal grill with grates, you may want to put a greased sheet of aluminum foil or consider using a non-stick pan for cooking so they don’t stick to the grill grates.
Ingredients
- 1 medium-large Sweet Potato, baked, peeled, and mashed (should yield 1 cup mashed potato)
- 1/2- 15 oz can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
- 3/4 cup Frozen Corn, thawed
- 1/2 cup Red Bell Pepper, diced
- 2 Green Onions, chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 tsp Cumin
- 2 tsp Chili Powder
- 2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 cup Old-Fashioned Oats
- 1 3/4 cup Quinoa, cooked and cooled
- 3-4 TBS Chipotle sauce
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1/3-1/2 cup oat flour or cornmeal
For Assembling the Burger
- Buns (Use gluten free buns or lettuce wraps to keep this gluten free!)
- Onion Slices
- Avocado Slices
- Tomato Slices
- Lettuce
- Chipotle Mayo (you can make your own but I'm obsessed with Hampton Creek's Chipotle Just Mayo)
Instructions
Burger Mix:
- In a large mixing bowl, smash the black beans with your hands, leaving some beans slightly intact. Add in the cooled, mashed sweet potato, stirring until throughly combined.
- Mix in corn, bell peppers, green onions, garlic, spices, quinoa, and oats. Stirring well to ensure even distribution of the spices and veggies!
- Add in chipotle sauce. I tend to go heavy handed because I love spice. If it's not for you, start off with a tablespoon and increase to your liking. (Best part about veggie burgers is tasting the mix as you go!)
- Let mix chill, covered, for approximately one hour.
- Once it has chilled, slowly add in oat flour or cornmeal until mix is thick and not too sticky.
To Form Patties:
- Using 2- 2oz cookie scoops or a 1/2 cup of mix, press the mix into patties. **See tip following recipe for my No-Mess trick!**
- You can place patties onto a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze for later at this point.
Last Steps:
- If you want to keep this recipe no-oil, use a non-stick pan over medium heat for 10 minutes, turning once. Personally, I like the crust that forms when cooked in a little fat. I use a tsp of coconut oil in a non-stick pan and cook each patty for 4-5 minutes per side.
- Serve on your choice of bun with lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado and chipotle mayo!
Patty Forming Tip:
- 2 Round Tupperware lids make for awesome, even patty forming! (Doesn't have to be fancy, I use lids from Chinese take-out soup containers for mine!)
- Take one lid with the big edge facing up, put a square of parchment paper over it. Scoop burger mixture onto center of the lid/paper. Top with another square of parchment paper and the other lid with the big edge facing down. Press gently from the center of the lid to the edges to evenly distribute patty mixture. Open lids, peel away top parchment and you've got a perfect patty!
For lids like I use to form my patties try these out!
