Even the very thought of the 4th of July brings many memories to mind, and not just those important ones filled with relevant historical references. It also brings to mind our Goleta neighbourhood’s “red, blue and white” parties on our private street, and also fireworks in a small(-ish) town in Arkansas when I was almost convinced that the mosquitoes were going to eat our 5 months old son and us alive, and also laughter filled times around a picnic blanket in a crowded park in Florida when my husband-to-be was arguing with a policeman about the open container drinking policies in  the US, stating that because he was from Britain, he did not know the rules (yes, all that took place on the Independence Day – talk about the irony of that moment!), and also, of course, those hours of celebration (and trepidation) at our dear friends’ home here, in Goleta, California, after we had to evacuate (yes, all 5 of us and extra 3 people from Europe) during the fires a couple of years ago…

The memories are so diverse and yet, when thinking of the foods served, it always was structured and happening around the burgers. Some type of burgers always took the main role in these celebrations.  So, I now truly believe that Burgers and the 4th of July go hand in hand, but I also wanted to find out if we could come up with some variations on the Burger theme for this years’ upcoming celebration. Having friends from out of town stay with us presented the opportunity to do a test run for the “Black Beans and Friends “ burgers. I am happy to report that it was a success – even the carnivores among us all liked them! (Oh yes, and “Friends” in the burger name refers not just to the people eating the burgers but also to the bell peppers and spices added to the beans that all make the simple black bean burgers come alive with flavors!)

Enjoy!

And Happy 4th!

Written by Indra Strong, Certified Let It Go Yoga teacher.

Want to know more about Let It Go Yoga? Start here with our Diaphragmatic Breathing Video!

“Black Beans and Friends” Burger

You will need:

2 (14 ounce) cans black beans, drained, rinsed, and patted dry, then baked for some time*
1 (or a tad more of)  Tablespoon of organic extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper (any/all color)
1 cup finely chopped onion (1/2 of a large onion)
2 large garlic cloves, minced (about 1 Tablespoon)
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4  to ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 cup  bread crumbs  (I used rice cracker left-overs (gluten-free!) !!!!)
2 large eggs
A tad of ANY hot sauce (optional!) However, it gave the character to these patties…
A pinch salt + pepper

*(I learned (on-line!)  that in order to get a better consistency of the patties one should pre-bake the rinsed and dried  black beans. Preheat oven to 325°F. Spread beans evenly onto a lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes until slightly dried out. As a result the patties did not come out mushy or wet, or looking weird, because the beans were partially dried in advance… It helped!)
Mix it all together. Place patties on a lined baking sheet and bake at 375°F for 10 minutes on each side, 20 minutes total. (Each pattie should be around ⅓ of a cup of the mixture evenly spread on a baking sheet.) It yields 6-8 burgers, depending on the size!
“It works and is very yummy!” said my kids and our guests agreed (even the serious meat eaters among them, nodding their heads with approval!)  You can also serve them on top of the arugula (or any other green) salad and forget about the bread buns… Enjoy!