Veggin’ Out- A Veggie Burger Attempt

I really wanted a veggie burger. And I really didn’t want a frozen patty thawed in the microwave. I also had some left over kidney beans that had been chillin’ in the fridge for a few days, and it was about time they got used up. I know I’ve seen some great recipes for veggie burgers in the blogosphere but for some reason, I couldn’t find any that looked easy enough for me, so I decided to just attempt my own. Here’s what I threw together:

Homemade Veggie Burgers (Makes 1 large burger)

• 1/3 cup kidney beans
• 1/4 cup choppeed green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic salt
• 3 tbsp egg whites (approx 1 egg white)
• 1/4 cup oats

I mashed the beans with a fork, and mixed in the egg whites in the bowl. Then I diced up the onion and pepper in the food processor until it was nice and finely chopped. I then mixed the veggies with the bean-y mixture, and added the oats until it made a nice paste. I shaped the goo into a burger and then cooked it on a skillet over medium heat. (I melted about a tsp of Smart Balance in the skillet first.)

Honestly, the burger didn’t totally stick together as planned. But after I flipped it once, I kind of smooshed it back into a burger shape, and then it stuck pretty well. Maybe I just flipped it too soon? Not sure. I didn’t have any buns, but that’s ok. Veggie burgers are GREAT over… more veggies!

I cooked some onion, zucchini and peppers in a little more Smart Balance, and then topped it all off with the veggie burger.

Yummm delicious!

After dinner, I was doing some blog reading, and Keepin’ The Faith reminded me that it was national peanut butter day!!! I can’t believe I almost let the day pass me by! Clearly, this called for some homemade PB action!

I tossed 1 1/2 cups of roasted peanuts into the Vita-mix, added a bit of vegetable oil, a dash lot of salt and a splash of vanilla. It turned out to the the perfect balance between creamy and crunchy. I like my peanut butter to be spreadable, but I also like a crunch!

Two questions for today:

1. What’s your favorite kind of veggie burger? Black bean? Straight up veggies? Any brands or recipes you recommend?

2. Did you celebrate National Peanut Butter Day, yesterday?

<3 Liz