Meatless Monday: Homemade Veggie Burgers

Oh, the things you do for love.

I've never loved veggie burgers. Why would I?! Especially when I can run to Mickey Dees and get a McDouble on the dollar menu? And yes, I said "McDouble" and not Double Cheeseburger because I believe the extra slice of cheese that comes on a Double Cheeseburger (which costs you an extra $0.30) really throws off the meat to cheese ratio. Give me twice patties and ONE slice of cheese instead of two patties and TWO slices of cheese any day.

But alas, Jonathan and I are trying this whole Meatless Monday thing, so I googled veggie burger recipes and this one had great reviews. Up until this burger, the only veggie burger I deemed worthy of respect was from Houston's - a great chain restaurant. Not to brag, but this one rivals that. It's got a Mexican flair to it, though. Next time, I might nix the cayenne pepper. I love spicy food, but spice to the point that it drowns out flavor is never good.

And in case you didn't know, because I didn't, "millet" can be found in the organic hippie section of your grocery store. It's a seed, I think...something birds eat. (No seriously, it's what you feed birds. Again, the things you do for love.) It's gluten free, cooks like quinoa, but a lot cheaper.

Oh, and the side dish is sautéed kale with mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil and fresh garlic.

VEGGIE BURGER INGREDIENTS

• 1½ sweet potatoes
• ⅓ cup millet
• 1 cup old fashioned oats (use certified gluten-free oats if you are avoiding gluten)
• 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained (or 2 cups cooked black beans)
• ½ small red onion, diced
• ½ cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• 2 teaspoons cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon chipotle powder or smoked hot paprika
• ½ teaspoon cayenne powder (optional, to taste)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• High quality vegetable oil for cooking burgers (or coconut oil, if you don't mind the coconut taste, olive oil may burn)
• 8 whole wheat hamburger buns (optional)
• your favorite burger fixings (avocado or guacamole, tomato or pico de gallo, lettuce, sprouts, ketchup, hot sauce, mustard, pickles, cheese)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Chop up the sweet potatoes and boil them until soft. Remove from water and mash them. Set aside to cool completely.
2. Cook the millet: In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup of water to boil. Stir in the millet, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until tender (about 25 minutes). Drain off any remaining liquid and set aside to cool.
3. Grind the oats: Use a food processor or blender to grind the oats until the flakes are broken up, but not as fine as flour.
4. Mix the burgers: In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your electric mixer, combine the cooled sweet potatoes and millet, black beans, onion, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, chipotle or paprika, cayenne (optional, add to taste for spicier burgers) and salt. Use a potato masher, big mixing spoon or the paddle attachment of your mixer to mix really well. It's ok if the black beans get smashed in the process.
5. Mix in the oats: Sprinkle the ground oats over the mixture and mix well with a big spoon until the mixture holds together when you shape a portion into a patty. If possible, cover and refrigerate the mixture for best results (the patties will hold together better during cooking if they are chilled first).
6. Shape the burgers: Use a measuring cup to measure out ½ cup of the mixture. Gently shape it into a patty about 3½ inches in diameter. Use your hands to gently flatten the burgers and smooth out any jagged edges. Repeat the process for each patty; you should end up with 8. If you would like to toast your hamburger buns, preheat the oven to 350 degrees now.
7. Pan fry the burgers: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat. When it's hot, place several burgers in the pan, leaving enough room to flip them. Cook each patty until browned and heated through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet for each pan of burgers you fry.
8. Toast the buns (optional): Place the buns on a baking sheet, cut sides up, and bake until lightly toasted, about 2 to 3 minutes.