“Beans are neither fruit, nor musical.” -Bart Simpson
You may remember that I mentioned M’s disgusting-looking bean patties in Shitake Just Got Real (or at least the meatball version of them). He made them again and he swears they are delicious, so here is the recipe for all you vegans out there. The original recipe was from allrecipes, but of course, M changed it up considerably. I am going to try a bite of one. I don’t eat regular burgers (not for any noble reason, just because I really hate the taste of them) so I don’t know if I am going to dig these or not. A little wiki info for those of you (like me) who don’t know that much about quinoa:
…a species of goosefoot (Chenopodium), is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds… Quinoa seeds contain essential amino acids like lysine and good quantities of phosphorus, and magnesium…Quinoa is considered a superfood. Protein content is very high (14% by mass), yet not as high as most beans and legumes. Nutritional evaluations indicate that it is a source of complete protein. Furthermore, it is a good source of dietary fiber and iron. Quinoa is also a source of calcium, and thus is useful for vegans and those who are lactose intolerant. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest…Quinoa seeds are in general cooked the same way as rice and can be used in a wide range of dishes…
So super good for you, and if you can cook rice, you can cook quinoa. Which I can’t. But that’s a story for another post….Anyhow, he paired these vegan burgers with Flying Dog’s Raging Bitch Belgian Style IPA (which has awesome artwork by Ralph Steadman on the label). This recipe makes what he calls, “Six big ass patties”. We made 3 and froze 3.
My verdict: I cannot believe I am going to say this…These were wonderful! They were kind of crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside and they tasted like samosas from the Indian restaurant. Not at all what I thought they were going to taste like. Seriously. Wow. I said I was going to take a teeny bite, but I went to town on that thing. He had his on a toasted whole wheat Arnold sandwich thin with some organic Heinz ketchup (which I did not know was even a thing). I just ate mine plain, with a fork. I didn’t think it needed anything. Though I can never give up my beloved chicken, I am definitely ok with eating more vegan stuff like this. What is happening to me???
- 6 oz dry beans
- ¼ cup of quinoa
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup minced yellow bell pepper (adjust to taste if you want more sweetness)
- 1/3 of a small yellow onion, minced (This time we actually used a quarter of a red onion for a change.)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. Ground cumin
- ½ tsp. Salt
- 1 tsp. Sriracha sauce (or other hot sauce)
- 1 egg (or you can substitute 1 tblsp. of ground flax seed to 2 tblsp. water to keep it vegan, which is what M does)
- Soak beans in water overnight. Reconstituted beans will now be around 15 oz. (M read that doing this releases the chemical in the bean that causes flatulence. Go science!)
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. DO NOT ADD SALT. Add beans.
- Cook beans at a simmer for 50 minutes.
- Drain and let cool.
- Rinse quinoa.
- Bring medium pot of water to a boil. (Follow package instructions for proper water ratio.)
- Add quinoa and then simmer (covered)for 15-20 minutes.
- Heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Remove quinoa from heat.
- Mash black beans in a large bowl.
- Add all other ingredients (including quinoa) and mix like crazy. Get in there and use your hands!
- Form mixture into patties, about the size of a burger. They don't grow much.
- Place on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes each side (or til browned).