June (Crystal)

Black Bean Burgers

1 lb. cooked black beans
1 red onion, diced
1 c. corn, cooked and drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
Cumin and chili powder
¼ c. flour
1 Haas avocado
Sliced Muenster
Honey mustard dressing
Burger buns

1. Mash the beans and corn with a potato masher.

2. Add the spices, garlic, and onion.

3. Mix well, adding flour gradually until bean mixture can be formed into cohesive patties.

4. Pan-fry the patties in a little vegetable oil. You can also grill the patties, but you might want to fry them a little first so they will hold together better.

5. Top patties with Muenster to melt.

6. Dress bean burgers with slices of avocado and top with honey mustard.

Gastrography

These black bean burgers were the main feature of the first vegetarian meal I ever prepared for my family. I learned how to make them from a friend who claimed them as his signature dish, and I was excited to share them with my family the next time I went home. However, I tried to make them without a very clear idea of the process, used the wrong kind of canned corn, and attempted to mix the ingredients together with a hand mixer. I ended up with an overly gooey mess that was nearly impossible to salvage, and the burgers I ended up with fell apart and fell off the buns. My dad said they were “alright…” My brother refused to eat. My mom was encouraging but clearly unenthused about my culinary skills. My subsequent endeavors have been much more successful, but I will never forget those early days when no matter how hard I tried to show my family that vegetarian cooking could be delicious and fun, they just wanted me to leave them alone so they could cook their burgers.