Spicy Black Bean Burgers

Here's an interesting factoid about black beans for you to chew on: You can cut your risk of heart attack by nearly 40% just by eating 3 ounces of black beans a sad (thank you Reader's Digest).
Not only that, but these little legumes are packed with fiber, antioxidants, and folate, as well as naturally low fat. Those benefits all add up to a healthy dining option.

But, eating a pile of plain black beans can get a bit boring. That's where black bean burgers make an appearance. Healthy, filing, and flavorful, these burgers make a great dinner and are easy to pack for lunch. Just add some sandwich thins and your favorite toppings and you're set! Just in time for back to school (well, really, back to work if you're me).

Spicy Black Bean Burgers
Source: Adapted from Good Things Catered
Printable Recipe

Ingredients
1 large bell pepper, any color (I used red)
3 green onions, roots trimmed off
1 large clove garlic
2 (15 ounce) cans no salt black beans, rinsed well and drained
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt (taste after mixing in the 1/4 teaspoon)
1 1/4 teaspoons sriracha (Spicy chili sauce)
1 egg
1/4 cup herbed bread crumbs

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roughly chop the the bell pepper, green onions (use both the green and white parts) and garlic into large pieces. Combine them in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until minced.
In the bowl of a food processor, add onion, green pepper, carrot and garlic.

Remove the vegetables from the food processor bowl and place in fine mesh strainer to strain off excess liquid. Gently press the minced vegetables to help squeeze out the liquid.

Add the drained black beans to the food processor and pulse several times to mash the beans into a chunky paste.

Combine the minced vegetables and mashed beans in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and stir to completely combine.

Using your hands, shape the mixture into patties. Place each patty on the parchment paper. The mixture will be thick and goopy, but should hold it's shape easily.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until edges have crisped up and burgers are cooked through.

Remove from oven and serve. You can also freeze these burgers for future meals.

Tequila Chicken Burgers

I was recently searching for some black bean burger recipes when I found this chicken burger recipe on Cara's Cravings. I love this blog because she keeps her focus on healthy, flavorful food and I have yet to be dissapointed with anything I've tried. So when I saw these burgers I decided to put the black bean burgers on the back burner for a bit and make these instead.

The husband and I were both really happy with the way they turned out as well, though I think next time I might add a bit more salt and some dried crushed jalapeno (or some of the jalapeno ribs ans seeds) for a touch more heat. The burgers were incredibly moist and filling and they were a great way to use chicken without tasting boring.

I'm thinking about making a big batch of these burgers, then freezing them individually for quick weeknight dinners, or easy-to-grab lunches, once the school year starts up again, especially once my Masters program begins at the end of September.

Tequila Chicken Burgers
Source: adapted from Cara's Cravings
Printable Recipe

Ingredients
4-5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, roughly chopped
4 green onions, roughly chopped
zest of 1 lime
juice of 1 lime
dash of lite soy sauce
1 shot tequila
freshly ground salt & pepper
1/4 cup plain oatmeal

Directions
Turn on the broiler to High. Spray a sheet of foil with non-stick spray and set aside.

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until chicken is ground.

Form into 4 uniform patties. Set each patty on the foil and broil for 10-12 minutes, flipping over halfway through.

I served my burgers on sandwich thins with tomato slices and Dijon mustard.

Rosemary Dijon Salmon Burgers

I posted this recipe a few months ago, but without any commentary or pictures, and with the unappealing title "Salmon Patties." All of these things added up to a less than stellar, not to mention enticing, post.

The burgers were a huge hit with the husband, who asked that I make them every two weeks, so I felt like a new post was in order. I made the salmon burgers again, much to the excitement of the husband, and dressed them up with slices of avocado and garden fresh tomatoes. Even I, who doesn't care too much for fish (unless it's sushi!), loved these burgers. We use sandwich thins as our buns, which cuts down on the carbs and really lets the flavor of the burger stand out.

Rosemary Dijon Salmon Burgers
Source: Adapted from Serious Eats
Printable Recipe

Ingredients
4 salmon fillets, skin removed (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Deli Mustard (optional)
1 tablespoon black pepper
4 green onions, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 bread crumbs
pinch salt
juice of 1/2 a lemon

Topping Ideas
Dijon mustard
ketchup
mayo
tarter sauce
tomato slices
avocado slices
lettuce

Directions

Cut the salmon fillets into large chunks. Put about 1/3 of the salmon in a food processor, with the mustard and pepper. Process until the mixture becomes a thick paste, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the green onions towards the end and process so they are finely chopped into the fish.

Add in the rest of the salmon and the rosemary and process just until the larger chunks are combined with the salmon mixture. The fish should still be in chunks, about a 1/4", not completely pureed.

Scrape the fish into a bowl and add the bread crumbs and lemon juice. Mix together, then form into 4-6 patties of even thickness.

Grill for about 3-4 minutes per side, until the patties reach an internal temperature of about 150 degrees.

Dress with bun and topping and enjoy!

Indian-Spiced Burgers

After serving chicken for multiple nights in a row, the husband was longing for something else to eat. When I told him we'd be having roasted chicken for Easter dinner, he sighed and asked if we could please have something different in the two nights left before Easter. Wanting to please, I flipped through the numerous recipes I tagged in my copy of Great Food Fast, looking for something new--and not chicken--to make for dinner. Unfortunately, most of the recipes I really wanted to try featured chicken, of course.

But then I came across a recipe for Indian-Spiced Chicken Burgers. The husband and I are both big fans of making turkey burgers, and I am always looking for new flavors, so I decided to go with this recipe, subbing in ground turkey for the chicken.

I am so glad we gave these burgers a try! I normally don't care much for cumin, but combined with all of the other spices here, it made for a delicious new burger combo. The cayenne definitely spiced things up too; I was really glad I made the cumin yogurt sauce to help cut the heat! But, to be honest, I think I accidentally used 1/2 a teaspoon of cayenne, instead of the 1/4 teaspoon called for in the recipe.

The husband, who despite being Pakistani, is not normally a fan of spicy or Indian food, *loved* these burgers and commented that I should make them twice a month. That was more specific than "add them to the rotation", so he must have really loved them!

Indian-Spiced Burgers with Cumin Yogurt Sauce
Source: adapted from Martha Stewart's Great Food Fast
Printable Recipe

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey or chicken
4 green onions, thinly sliced
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt (I used regular table salt)
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 a cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
whole wheat pitas

Directions
Prepare your grill for medium-high heat.

In a medium bowl, combine the ground turkey, green onions, ginger, lemon juice, paprika, cumin, cardamom, cayenne, salt and pepper. Mix well to combine. Set aside to marinate for 10-30 minutes.

Form the meat into 3/4" thick patties, about 3 Tablespoons of meat per patty. Sprinkle with additional pepper.

Pour about a tablespoon or two of vegetable oil on a folded paper towel. Using a pair of tongs, rub the oiled towel on the grates of the grill to prevent meat from sticking.

Grill the patties until cooked through (165 degrees internal temperature), about 3-4 minutes per side. About 2 minutes before the meat is done, heat the pitas on the grill as well.

Slice the pitas in half and place a cucumber slice and two patties inside. Drizzle with cumin yogurt sauce.

Cumin Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients
1 container (about 3/4 of a cup) low-fat plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
dash paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve with Indian-spiced burgers.

Teriyaki Turkey Burgers

"I paid the bank note, the car note, an' yes, I paid the 'phone bill too.
An' then I turned around an' I found that the house note's due.
Well, I'd love to take you out like I said I would, honey,
But there's too much month at the end of the money."

If you listen to country music, like I do, you might be familiar with that song by Marty Stuart. I used to feel like there was "too much month at the end of the money" pretty frequently, but now that the husband and I have been paying off our debt and working with a monthly budget, I no longer worry about stretching our pay checks to the end of the month. I know we will have enough to pay all the bills, save, and have some fun money, no problem.

Except this month we didn't do such a great job sticking to the budget. And now we're about a week away from the end of the month and the bank account is running on empty. So if I want to put gas in my car in order to commute to work, I can't spend any money on groceries. Time to be creative! I consider my kitchen to be "empty" if I can't get to the grocery store twice a month, and while we may be severely lacking fresh vegetables, we are far from without food. I knew we had a half-full jar of pineapple teriyaki sauce in the fridge, a can of pineapple rings in the pantry, and lots of ground turkey in the freezer, so threw these ingredients together and created a teriyaki burger. The husband and I both love burgers, and he loves pineapple--in fact, he always orders the teriyaki burger when we go to Islands--so I knew this would be a hit. And I was right!

We used whole wheat buns, but we also like sandwich thins when we want to save some calories. I served these burgers with homemade fries.


Teriyaki Turkey Burgers
Source: A Cooking in Cucamonga Original
Printable Recipe

Ingredients
1 pound ground turkey
1 20 ounce can pineapple rings
3 Tablespoons pineapple teriyaki, plus more for dressing your burger
hamburger buns
sharp cheddar cheese, if desired

Directions

Prepare a charcoal grill, or heat a grill pan.

Dice two pineapple rings and mix into the ground turkey, along with the pineapple teriyaki sauce.

Form the meat into even-sized patties (I made 6 small patties), making sure the middles are not much thicker than the edges.

Grill the patties on each side about 4 minutes, or until cooked all the way through. Grill the remaining pineapple rings for about 2-3 minutes per side.

Toast the buns while the meat is cooking. Top each bun with a patty, a thin slice of cheese, a pineapple ring, and a drizzle of pineapple teriyaki.

Enjoy!

Salsa Burgers

I wanted tacos for dinner, but the husband requested burgers, so I defrosted a package of ground turkey in the fridge. Turkey burgers are a quick, standby recipe in this house, but sometimes I get bored with them. While the meat was thawing in the microwave, I scoured the fridge, looking for flavor inspirations.

I usually add plain yogurt to ground turkey to increase the moisture (I find ground turkey to be really dry otherwise), but we were out, so I settled on light sour cream. That, combine with my craving for Mexican food, pushed me towards the salsa jar. Slowly, I began pulling out ingredients for a spicy, Mexican-flavored burger.

The husband doesn't like spicy food as much as I do...in fact, he even commented that I put salsa on all my food and wondered when I will create a salsa cake! So I divided the meat in half and only added the salsa to my half of the ground turkey (the recipe below calls for the salsa to be added to the entire pound of meat). If you are like the husband, use a mild salsa and omit the cayenne. You'll still have a flavorful burger, but without all the heat I like. If you like a lot of heat, use a hot salsa and up the cayenne and chili powder. That is the great thing about this recipe, it is easily adaptable to your tastes.

Salsa Burgers
Source: me
Printable Recipe

Ingredients
1 pound ground turkey
2 Tablespoons chunky salsa
2 Tablespoons light sour cream
1-2 teaspoons cayenne
2 teaspoons pepper
sprinkle garlic salt
heavy dash chili powder
4 small cubes pepper jack cheese

Directions
Light a charcoal grill or plug in your George Foreman grill (my method of choice here).

Mix all ingredients, except the cheese, together until fully incorporated.

Form the meat into four patties. Push a cube of cheese into the center of each patty and seal.

Cook the meat until your desired level of doneness. Serve on your favorite bun (we used toasted sandwich thins) with additional salsa.

Mexi-Burgers

My husband and I recently took my parents out to celebrate my dad's 64th birthday. Dear old dad chose Outback Steakhouse (mmmmm, ribs) and we all enjoyed a scrumptious dinner and celebration, followed by some Wii bowling and boxing at home. Dad KO'ed me in boxing....just like he does when we hike. But my mom kicked his butt in Wii bowling...even if she did hold the Wii-mote with two hands.

During dinner, as my husband barely touched his rib eye (he doesn't eat a lot), he and my dad got into a conversation about what Omar likes to eat. The husband's favorite foods? Burritos, hamburgers, and pizza. Ahhhh, a man after my own heart.

To satisfy two of the husband's three fav foods, and with some inspiration from this blog, I created a Mexi-burger. But of course, I shredded some of those pesky summer squash in the food processor to hide in the meat. We've gotta at least try to be healthy, right?

Mexi-Burgers
Printable recipe

Ingredients
1.25 pounds ground turkey
1 package fajita seasoning (or burrito, taco, etc seasoning)
1 tablespoon crema (or plain yogurt or sour cream)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
a dash of garlic powder
1-2 teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon citrus pepper
1 - 1 1/2 cups shredded squash (I used two small-medium patty pans)


Directions:
Heat your BBQ grill, or plug in your George Foreman.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Using your hands, smoosh the seasonings into the meat. Be sure to fully incorporate everything, making sure there are no large pockets of squash.


Using your hands, form the meat into evenly sized patties (about 1/2 inch thick). Make sure they are not significantly thicker in the middle, otherwise they won't cook evenly.

I sprinkled extra pepper on top of the formed patties.

Place patties on the grill and cook with the lid on for about 3 minutes. Flip burgers over and cook until done all the way through (about 2 more minutes).

Serve with your favorite toppings and fat free refried beans. We made ours into protein burgers, with lettuce instead of buns.

Turkey Veggie Burgers

My husband and I love to eat homemade turkey burgers. Whenever there is a sale on ground turkey at the grocery store, I stock up and buy several packages to throw in the freezer. We buy the packaged Jennie-O brand of turkey, which is usually on sale for about $2.50-$3.50 (they are 1.25 pound packages). In an effort to be healthier, we stopped buying red meat about a year ago and now eat mainly turkey and chicken at home...eating out is a whole 'nother story. I love me some In-N-Out burger!!

Turkey can be pretty dry, so I usually up the moisture by mixing tons of fresh veggies and herbs into the mixture. (This is also a great way to up your veggie intake!!) I also will add about a tablespoon of plain yogurt into the meat as well; this keeps the meat really moist, but you can't taste the yogurt. Just make sure you use plain...unless you want a fruity tasting burger. :) We didn't have any yogurt on hand the last time I made these burgers though, so I didn't include it, but it is listed in the ingredients list.

Most of the veggies we put in our burgers come straight from our garden, lending these burgers a really fresh, healthy taste. :) You can mix up the veggies to incorporate whatever you have and like; we've used zucchini, mushrooms, garlic, white onions, and other produce before with great results.

Turkey Veggie Burgers


1.25 pounds ground turkey
grape tomatos, smashed (smash them into the meat so the juice is incorporated as well)
fresh oregano, diced
fresh basil, diced
green onions, diced
dried oregano
garlic salt
pepper
a few red pepper flakes
a dash of cayanne pepper
1 tablespoon PLAIN yogurt (optional)

Toppings:
Lettuce
Tomatos (I used a tomato picked fresh from our garden....SOOO good!!)
Low-fat cheddar cheese

Mix all burger ingredients together in a large bowl until well combined. Form into patties by hand (I like to make thick patties if I am using my Foreman grill since it smashes them).
Grill on your charcoal grill until cooked most of the way through (about 5-7 )min. and then flip over to finish. **Leave the lid ON throughout cooking to help cook the meat all the way through.
If using a Foreman, place on the grill, put the cover down, and cook for about 7-8 minutes.

Top with your desired toppings. I served these with steamed green beans from our weekly CSA basket.