Homemade "Spicy" Black Bean Burgers

Spicy Black Bean Burgers
Honestly, I don't get the Boca Burger craze. I've eaten Boca Burgers many a time, and am usually grateful for their presence (in my world, Boca Burgers tend to be the almost after-thought when someone has decided to provide an alternative, but don't have any idea of how to construct a meal that doesn't revolve around meat). But really and truly guys, Boca Burgers aren't that tasty.

So, when I happened upon a recipe for homemade black bean burgers, I was pretty excited. Thank you for the recipe Katie, Good Things Catered. And, overall, I have to say I've been pretty pleased. I cooked this recipe once a few months ago, and cooking it a second time was a no brainier.

The recipe itself is pretty easy to follow. I did have a hick-up while putting too large chunks of carrot into my food processor -- the food processor began smelling like a burning clutch. Lesson learned: cut up your carrots a bit more before tossing into cheapo food processor. Also, "straining excess liquid" with fine mesh strainer didn't go so well both times...as in the water really didn't want to strain out...and I ended up just moving on after making a mesh of the strainer. Also, mashing black beans with a fork...gotta admit, my forks weren't very good mashers. I ended up using something a bit more hearty...and nameless...from my kitchen drawer.

Alterations to the recipe: I didn't use the optional tsp spicy chili garlic sauce. And although I have smoked paprika, I just used normal paprika. Also, I used more like 2 cloves of garlic than 1 and a red pepper instead of a green pepper. I molded the dough into 6 patties rather than 8. I share this information because if for some reason it alters the affect of the dish in a grand way, you need to know.

The burgers come out of the oven smelling good and taste pretty good too, but I think "spicy" is definitely an overstatement. The flavor is good, certainly, and a tsp of chili garlic sauce would no doubt make a difference...but these still come out a bit simple flavored.

Next time, if I want "Spicy", I'll add some jalapeno to the mix and probably a tiny bit more salt & paprika. Also, because I only made 6 patties, the burgers are probably a tiny bit undercooked, so I'd leave them in the oven longer as well. They reheat very nicely though and making a smashing lunch.

When I serve this burger up, one way to dress it that never fails is: Black bean burger + delicious bun (stay tuned, got a recipe that will knock your socks off) + avocado + little pico de gallo (sub: tomato slices & onion) + arugula + dab of mayo. Yum!