Black Bean Veggie Burgers

I haven't gone vegan, don't worry. This recipe looked so good, I decided to give it a try…

• 1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1/2 onion, cut into wedges
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon parsley
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs

The trick here is to make the mash solid enough to press into a burger patty. If there's too much liquid in the mixture, it will come apart. That's why it's important to run the beans through a strainer, leave them in the strainer, and rinse them off before mashing them.

In a medium bowl, mash the black beans with a fork until thick and pasty.

Finely chop bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Use a garlic press, cast iron skillet, or other weight to press down on the chopped spices and squeeze out the liquid. Stir pressed spices into mashed beans.

In a small bowl, stir together eggs, chili powder, cumin, parsley, oregano, and hot sauce. Stir the egg mixture into the mashed beans.

Mix in bread crumbs until the mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide mixture into four patties.

The bean burgers can be grilled on high heat for about 8 minutes on each side. If they are baked in the oven, bake at 375 degrees F for about 10 minutes on each side.