Bean Burgers

Bean Burgers made with black beans

This recipe was originally given to me by my mother over the phone one day; she had made these burgers for me a couple of times and I just had to try to make them on my own, so I had called her for it.  I wrote the ingredients down on a note pad shaped like Jack Skellington's head and I still have that note years later.  Sometimes it's hanging out on the fridge and sometimes I have to hunt it down, but both the recipe and that peice of paper feel like they have become a part of me and this recipe is always something I refer back to.  When I finally made them on my own, my burgers came out a bit different then my mothers.  We compared notes and eventually decided that the difference was in the processing of the vegetables.  Even though the instructions that my mother had given me were to process the vegetables in a food processor, it turns out that she had always hand chopped them.  When put in the food processor, the vegetables create extra liquid and I found that due to this I had to add more dry ingredients in order to be able to better form the patties.  Due to this, I'm not sure that I ever completely followed that recipe even once before tweaking it and retweaking it over time.  In a way I'm thankful for this as it helped me to be open to the possibilities that this recipe can hold.

Serving suggestion!

Over time, I have added the green bell pepper (which was jalapeño before the IC diagnosis) and the flour and i have increased the amount of breadcrumbs and I love the results.  Another thing that I love about his recipe is its versatility.  While the original recipe called for black beans, over the years I have also used kidney beans, white beans, red beans, and of course pinto beans (since they are bladder friendly) as you see below.  Besides working well with any bean that you may have on hand, you can change up the veggies and seasonings, the shape, and cooking method to make it into other things.  In the past, I have adapted this recipe to make bean balls (both Italian style and sweedish) and my boyfriend and I once turned this recipe into a really tasty loaf.  We had written that recipe down, but I think it got lost in a move as I haven't seen it, which is really a shame.  I have to talk to him about it because I'm hoping that our combined memories can recreate what we once made.

As always, if you have IC and are making this, please keep your personal triggers in mind.  If something is bothersome to you, leave it out or replace it.  If you need to leave out the onion and would like to keep the flavor, scallions and chives are more bladder friendly options.  Red orange and yellow bell peppers seem to be more tolerable then green and the seasoning can be changed.  The original recipe called for Cajun seasoning, but I don't think I've ever had that.  I've always replaced it with Mexican favors, as you can see below that I've replaced it with my IC Friendly Taco Seasoning.  Also, before using any breadcrumbs, read the label first to make sure that they don't contain any trigger ingredients. 

Happily, after about a month and a half of flaring up, my IC has finally calmed down.  The migraine in my bladder is gone and my frequency has decreased.  I believe that this is due in large part to sticking to the IC diet and using Preleif those few times that I've had to stray.  I have posted some of the recipes that I had made during this time period and I have a few more to come.  I look forward to continue sharing my efforts on this journey of mine.  Until next time, happy eats!

Ingredients: 

*Green = Bladder Friendly foods; *Orange = Foods to try wih Caution; *Red = Foods to Avoid

*1 can Pinto Beans, rinsed and drained well 

*2 cloves Garlic

*1 medium Onion

*1/2 Green Bell Pepper 

*1 Egg

*1 cup Flour

*1 cup Breadcrumbs (either seasoned or plain)

*2 tsp IC Friendly Taco Seasoning 

*2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Method:

Place rinsed beans in a bowl and mash with a potato masher.  Some beans can be left whole for aesthetic value, but you are looking to turn the beans into a paste.  Process the garlic, onion, and bell pepper in a food processor until very finely chopped (it will look like mush) and stir into the beans.  Add the egg, flour, breadcrumbs, and seasoning and stir together well.  Pour oil onto a skillet and heat on medium heat.  Using your hands, scoop out balls of mixture and flatten them slightly (this will get a little bit messy).  Place the flattened ball on the heated skillet and finish flattening with either your hands or the back of a spatula.  If you use your hands, be very careful not to touch the surface of he skillet so as not to get burnt!  Cook until both sides are browned.  Serve as you would any other burger and top with your favorite burger toppings.

Nutrition facts are based on a 2,000 calorie a day diet and are computed using the MyFitnessPal app.  As I have entered the ingredients by hand and picked he best matches from a list, some human error may exist in their calculations.