Sashi Made A Recipe: Jalapeño Black Bean Burgers

 

I often end up disappointed in black bean burgers from most restaurants because they end up being mushy. Like flavorful paste the squishes out of the bun on the first bite.  No bueno.  And so many of the frozen ones are either high in sodium or taste bland or both. I happened across these from Slender Kitchen and immediately realized I found my go-to with very tweaks. The main thing I switched up is using full fat cheese. I do not like fat free or low fat cheese at all. It just doesn't taste good to me. I also added a touch more mustard. I sometimes use regular yellow and sometimes Guldens. It depends on my mood. And my husband loves these, too, so it's all kinds of winning!

Jalapeño Black Bean Burgers 

• 1/2 c old-fashioned oats
• 15 oz can no-salt-added black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• Few grinds black pepper
• 1 jalapeño pepper, deeded, deveined, and chopped small
• 2 oz cheddar, finely shredded (1/2 cup)
• 1 Tbsp mustard 

1. In a small food processor, process the oats for 4-5 pulses until chopped fine. Add half the beans, the egg, cumin, salt, and pepper. Process on high until everything has been combined into a semi-smooth paste, about 30-60 seconds. Scrape into a medium bowl.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until well blended.
3. Line a plate with a piece of parchment.  Divide the bean mixture into 4 parts and form each into a 3"-4" patty on the lined plate. It will be sticky. 
4. Place the plate in the freezer for 7-10 minutes or the refrigerator for 15 minutes to let the patties firm up. Don't leave in the freezer for longer than 10 minutes.
5. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and spritz with cooking spray.
6. Cook each for 4-5 minutes per side or until golden brown and crispy.
7. I like mine with BBQ Ranch and my husband likes his with taco sauce. 

Makes 4 patties

On WW Blue 💙, 3 points per patty

I tried the L'oven Fresh Keto Buns from Aldi that people have been raving about on WW Connect because they are only 1 point. They were okay but had a stale texture and made my tummy really hurt. 🙁 I'm not surprised, really, based on how processed they are but the flavor/texture are not worth it. So I probably won't use them again. BUT I plan to try making cauliflower buns soon! 😁

Sashi Made a Recipe: Mexican Street Corn Style Salad

You can make this with fresh corn that has been boiled on the cob for 5-7 minutes or use your favorite canned variety or frozen that has been thawed. If using fresh, you will need 3-4 ears to get roughly 3 cups of kernels. I served this with Squash Taco Boats!

Mexican Street Corn Style Salad

• 3 c of corn kernels (I used 2 15oz can of no salt added corn that had been drained
• 15 oz can of reduced sodium black beans, drained and rinsed well
• 3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro or parsley 
• 1/4 c nonfat plain Greek yogurt*
• 1/4 c lowfat cottage cheese*
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp hot sauce, more or less to taste (I used Cholula)
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt 
• Fresh ground pepper to taste
• 2 oz finely shredded part-skim mozzarella 

1. In a large bowl, add the corn, black beans, tomato, and cilantro or parsley. 
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt, cottage cheese, lime juice, chili powder, hot sauce, salt and pepper.  Mix well.
3. Add the dressing to the vegetables and the shredded cheese. Stir well to combine everything.
4. Serve immediately or refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

Makes 8 ~ 1 cup servings 

On WW Blue 💙: 1 pt

* When buying lowfat or nonfat versions of things, I look at the ingredient list before buying. Oftentimes, lowfat products have ingredients that most people can't pronounce, so I look for brands that start with skim milk or are still minimally processed. This is just my preference. 🙂