Black Bean Burgers, Cool Cabbage Slaw and Southern Style Cornbread

Burgers, Slaw and Cornbread have all gone vegan in this week’s recipe post. Not to mention gluten free, sugar free, and of course delicious.

Recipe # 1: Black Bean Burgers

I ran across this basic recipe for homemade black bean burgers at Whole Foods last week, and I am hooked—the recipe reminds of the Vegan Magic Loaf, where you can substitute different beans and grains to make a different vegan burger each time. The recipe that follows is from the Engine-2 Challenge (Plant Based Diet).

Here’s the basic recipe, slightly adapted:

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked beans (black, white, kidney, chickpea, lentil, etc.)

1 cup starch (uncooked oats, cooked quinoa, cooked brown rice)

1 cup diced vegetables (carrot, onion, mushroom, tomato paste)

½ tsp spices (garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, cumin)

¼-1/2 cup liquid (veggie broth, liquid from beans, water, or non dairy milk)

2 tbs ground flax combined with 3 tbs of warm water

Method:

1. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Put cooked beans in a big mixing bowl, mash with a fork—or if you have one—try an immersion blender.
3. Add the starch and mix really well.
4. Add vegetables, cooked or raw. (I prefer cooked, but this is more time consuming)
5. Add spices, liquid, flax and mix well.
6. Form patties, and place them onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.  You can make 4-5 large burgers, or 8- 10 smaller burgers.
7. Bake for 20-30 minutes, flipping halfway through.  Aim for the lower end of the time range if you made the smaller version, the longer end if you made the bigger burger.

 

We served ours with Cool Cabbage Slaw (Remix), you can serve like a regular burger, or for a twist—make them in a muffin tin and you can have bean muffins!

Recipe #2: Cool Cabbage Slaw (Remix)

We were lucky enough to get an enormous local cabbage in our Produce Box last week, and I immediately thought of one of my favorite recipes from growing up, a Cool Cabbage Slaw, which is a tangier and sweeter twist on coleslaw. My Mom’s original version calls for white sugar and white vinegar—both of which are very acidic, and not so good for the body. My version amps up the veggies, and subs refined sugar for lemon zest, and instead of canola oil and vinegar, uses apple cider and rice vinegars blended with sesame oil. Yum!

Ingredients:

1 small green cabbage (about 6 cups) shredded

3 medium carrots, chopped

3 ribs celery, chopped

1 large green pepper, chopped

1 large red pepper, chopped

3 small cucumbers, chopped

1 large bunch radishes, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

Dressing:

½ cup rice vinegar

½ cup apple cider vinegar

½ cup lemon juice

½ cup sesame oil

½ tsp. pepper

Method:

1. Wash all vegetables, and either use a food processor or a large amount of patience to chop all vegetables and combine in a large bowl.
2. Combine dressing ingredients in a mason jar with a lid and shake.
3. Pour dressing over the vegetables, mix well and chill several hours before serving.

 

If you chop the vegetables in a food processor, you will get a finer product that makes a great topping for black bean burgers, if you chop by hand, it will be more of a salad. Either way is tasty!

 

Recipe #3: Southern Style Cornbread

 I have been really into cornbread lately. I have been experimenting with a number of different recipes, trying to find that perfect gluten-free, sugar-free, vegan concoction that is slightly crumbly,–still a bit cake-like—and reminiscent of the cornbread I grew up with. Thanks To Chocolate Covered Katie and Healthy, Happy Life for some great inspiration— about ½ a dozen pans of cornbread later, I have found a winner!

Ingredients:
2 cups whole grain fine or medium corn meal
4 Tbsp coconut oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 tsp cayenne
1 cup Okra: pan-toasted okra

OR

1 can corn, drained

Method:

 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In large mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder, salt and cayenne.
3. Stir in remaining liquid ingredients until batter is smooth and creamy.
4. Fold in okra or corn.
5. Pour into 8 inch circle baking pan.
6. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until the edges crisp up.

 

 

What I really love about this cornbread is the combination of spicy and sweet, plus the added veggies help keep it moist. The only rule for eating this cornbread is that you have to butter (or earth balance!) it while it’s hot!