Slap Ya Mama Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burgers
Man, talk about good! These burgers are spicy, filling, and bursting with fiber and solid nutrition on all fronts. Why? Because these humble looking little burger patties contain not one, not two, not three, but SIX of the top 50 “superfoods” you can eat. That’s right – SIX.
- Avocados
- Black beans
- Flax seeds
- Rolled oats
- Spinach
- Sweet potatoes
Trust me, you NEED these burgers in your life and in your belly.
These tasty treats contain no animal-derived artery clogging saturated fat in the form of eggs, beef or pork. Those of you struggling with high cholesterol or high blood lipids would do well to switch out meat for these. So not only are they good for you, the taste is out of this world delicious because of the addition of Slap Ya Mama Cajun seasoning spice. After I was gifted some by a friend in Texas, this stuff has seriously become my new favorite. Of course, you can feel free to substitute whatever Creole or Cajun spice blend you like, but don’t say I didn’t warn you to use what I used.
Mixing up the blend of beans and spices
Patties formed and waiting to be pan fried after an hour in the fridge
Cooking up lunch – you can see the bits of black beans, oats and spinach
Oops, got on the phone and let mine cook a LITTLE BIT too long, but it was still delicious
Yup, I scarfed that puppy down in no time flat!
A perfect way to use leftover sweet potatoes; if not, just plan ahead and bake a medium-large sweet potato in advance. Canned sweet potatoes have too much water and make the burgers mushy and fall apart. No bueno.
Find more great recipes in my new cookbook Why Vegan is the New Black: More than 100 Delicious Meat and Dairy Free Meal Ideas Your Whole Family Will Love
- 1 15 oz can black beans
- 1 cup of baked sweet potato (no peel and no canned stuff), packed into measuring cup
- 1 5 oz package of fresh pre-washed baby spinach leaves
- ⅔ cup rolled or quick cooking organic oats
- 2 Tablespoons ground flax seeds
- 1-2 teaspoons Slap Ya Mama or other Cajun seasoning salt (to taste)
- ½ teaspoon granulated garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon granulated onion powder
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Pour can of beans into fine mesh strainer. When drained, put half in a mixing bowl and with a pastry blender or potato masher, make them a lumpy cream. Add the rest of the whole beans to the bowl and stir.
- Mix in the baked sweet potato until thoroughly blended with beans.
- Place spinach in large colander and run hot tap water over it for about 45 seconds to wilt it. Allow water to drain off, then using your hands, squeeze ALL the moisture out of the spinach. You want a tight dry little ball of green in your hand. Chop spinach into small pieces and add to the bean and potato mixture. Stir thoroughly.
- Add the ground flax seeds and spices and mix well; add the oats and stir to blend.
- Pat the mixture into patties about ¼ to ⅓" high and place them on waxed paper or a tray which has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Place patties in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes to "set".
- Place a bit of oil in a small non-stick skillet and when hot, add one burger patty. Fry it over medium-low heat until crisp and lightly browned on one side, then flip and do the same to the other.
- Serve on whole grain buns with sliced avocado, sliced tomato, mustard, pickles, banana peppers, lettuce, and whatever other burger condiments you like.
Category: Light Meals
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The other day I bought two purple sweet potatoes, and decided to use them in this recipe. Since purple sweet potatoes are more dense and thus require a longer cooking period. With that in mind I intentionally purchased the two smallest ones available in the bin. Purple sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C and also provides fiber. They’re unusually high in antioxidants, such as those found in blueberries, and are low on the glycemic index which is perfect for those watching their weight and diabetics.
Purple sweet potatoes are only available September through early April, so if you want to try some you need to get busy.
The texture of the burger is much more firm and it holds its shape better with the purple sweet potatoes. I think I like this experiment!