Once upon a time, I was a vegetarian.

Once upon a time, I was a vegetarian. There was this boy that I liked in college and he was vegetarian, so I become one, too. He had his reasons for doing so and he was my reason. That phase lasted about a year. That boy is now my husband. (At least something stuck it out.)

One of my favorite cookbooks during that meatless time in my life was Betty Crocker's Easy Everyday Vegetarian. I steered clear of the "meatless crumbles" and the "breaded soy-protein nuggets." They never appealed to me. Soups, stews and burgers were where it was at. OK, they weren't burgers, they were patties. They were made with beans, grains and/or vegetables. My absolute favorite was and still is the "California Black Bean Burger."



California Black Bean Burgers

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (4.5 oz.) chopped green chiles, undrained
(I chop up banana peppers that I canned and add a little of the liquid from the jar.)
1 cup unseasoned dry bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1/4 t. cumin
1/4 t. chili powder
1/4 cup cornmeal, for coating the patties.

Put beans in a food processer to mash slightly, then put beans in a medium sized bowl. Stir in green chiles, bread crumbs, egg, and seasonings.
Shape mixture into 5 patties. Coat each patty with cornmeal.

In a skillet, heat up 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Cook patties about 4-5 minutes on each side.

Usually we have these on a bun, but the other day when I made them, we didn't have any buns, so we opted to serve these burgers over brown rice.



Whether you've made resolutions to eat better or not consume as much red meat this year, these California Black Bean Burgers have lots of flavor and a good texture. No, they aren't trying to be hamburgers, but they are worth a try. If you don't like so much spice, omit the cumin and chili powder. Toppings I like are mayo and lettuce, when it's on a bun. Add salsa if you'd like.
It's a new year, try something new. <3