Black Bean Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries and Avocado Sauce

This was a very refreshing meal. I loved the avocado dip and was really excited about the spices on the sweet potatoes. The burgers were delicious and as you can see from the picture I don't think they needed a bun. The dusting of corn meal added a nice crunch to the burgers and complimented the black beans nicely. We used the avocado dip for both the burgers and fries.


Avocado Dip
1 avocado
1/2 C plain non-fat yogurt
2 T light sour cream
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
2 scallions, chopped
1 lime, juiced
salt & pepper, to taste

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.

Sweet Potato Fries
2 sweet potatoes
2 T olive oil
1 t paprika
1/2 t ground coriander
1/2 t chili powder
salt & pepper, to taste

Cut potatoes into "fries" size pieces. Toss potatoes with evoo in a large bowl. Add spices and coat. Spread potatoes on baking sheet and bake at 450 degrees for 25 minutes, until lightly browned and crispy. Don't be alarmed if the potatoes loose their crispness. Sweet potatoes hold more moisture then other potatoes so they become a little limp after coming out of the oven.

Recipe Source: Erica's Kitchen Adventures

Black Bean Burgers
1 can black beans rinsed and drained
1 egg white
1/4 C corn
1/4 grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 T diced pickled jalapeno or fresh
2 T reduced fat sour cream
1/2 t cumin
2 T minced red onion
3 T chopped cilantro
1 T salsa or diced tomato
1/2 t salt and ground pepper
1/4 C corn meal

Lightly smash beans with potato masher leaving some beans intact. Add egg through salt and pepper and mix to combine. Form mixture into desired size burgers. They will feel very wet and may come apart. Place corm meal on a small plate and carefully dust burgers with corn meal. Let the burgers sit for at least 15 minutes to firm up. Heat skillet over medium heat add 1 T vegetable oil and cook burgers 6-8 minutes until lightly browned flipping once.

Spicy Turkey Burgers

These may have hit the top of the list. I couldn't believe how good these were. Wow. I can't wait to eat the ones we froze! The pickles really made the burger so don't omit. We didn't add anything else to these. We even used the touch of mayo. No need for katchup or mustard, lettice or tomato. This recipe is from EatingWell.

Pickled Onions
1 cup red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 small red onion, halved and very thinly sliced

Burgers
1 pound 93%-lean ground turkey
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper (used chilli pepper)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice1 teaspoon canola oil
4 whole-wheat buns, split
8 teaspoons reduced-fat mayonnaise

1. To prepare pickled onions: Whisk vinegar, brown sugar, salt and allspice in a medium glass bowl. Cover and microwave on High until the mixture boils, 2 to 3 minutes. (Alternatively, bring the mixture to a boil in a small saucepan on the stove.) Add onion and toss to coat.

2. To prepare burgers: Preheat grill to high. Place turkey in a medium bowl and gently mix in cilantro, cumin, ground chipotle, salt and allspice until distributed throughout the meat. Form the mixture into 4 patties. Brush with oil. 3. Grill the burgers until cooked through and no longer pink in the center, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Toast buns on the grill, if desired.4. Drain the onion, discarding the marinade. Spread 2 teaspoons mayonnaise on each bun; top with a burger and pickled onions.

Turkey Burgers take two or ten

I love these! I whipped them up this morning before going to work and was looking forward to one all day. There are so many variations so here is one that worked.

1 package of lean ground turkey
1 t dijon mustard
3 T minced cilantro
2 T minced red onion
1/2 t worchester sauce
2 T seasoned bread crumbs
1 egg
dash of garlic salt
salt/ pepper

Gently mix all ingredients together with you hand. Be careful not to over mix because it will result in tough burgers. Score into four and form into patties. I double wrapped them in suran wrap and froze all but one. Tonight I grilled them in our grill pan- six minutes per side on medium and topped with cheese. Oh man this was so good!