Smoky Black Bean Burgers

It's been a long time since I've had a veggie burger - not to mention a good veggie burger.  The last time I checked, most of the ones commercially available brands use wheat gluten or some other gluten-ful product as a binder.  So when I found this recipe on a blog called "Voracious," I couldn't wait to try it out for myself.  These burgers are packed full of protein, with both black beans and quinoa as the base, and the liquid smoke gives them a lovely faux-burger-cooked-outside taste. (Colgin Liquid Smoke is gluten-free!)  And they hold together extremely well, despite being completely devoid of gluten binders.  We enjoyed them straight from the pan with some melted rice cheese and ketchup, and I reheated one the next day and topped it with some roasted red pepper cashew dip and Daiya Vegan Cheese.  But it turns out that they are also delicious right from the fridge as a snack!  We followed the recipe pretty much exactly as is, but made 6 pretty hefty burgers instead of the 4 from the original recipe.  These are quite filling, so you may or may not even need a slice of bread with them.  If you're like me and miss veggie burgers, these are definitely worth a try!

Find the original recipe here.

Quinoa Black Bean Salad with Roasted Corn and Fresh Avocado

I have a surplus of quinoa in my cupboard at the moment, and I have put myself on grocery lock-down, meaning I am not allowed to buy any more food until I have eaten what is in my kitchen already.  I am preparing to move out of my house, and - in fact - out of Swaziland in a matter of 2 weeks, and I can't stand the thought of wasting the food I've already spent money on.

So, I surveyed my cabinets.  Quinoa.  A can of sweet corn.  Half a bag of black beans.  Done and done.

This tasted even more fantastic with slices of avocado mixed in, but it was also very good on its own.  It's a simple salad, thrown together, and it's best chilled overnight after the flavors have had a chance to develop nicely. 

Quinoa Black Bean Salad with Roasted Corn and Fresh Avocado


1/2 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cup water (or vegetable or chicken-flavored broth if you have it), divided
1 15-oz can roasted corn
4 tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 medium green pepper, diced
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans
1/2 large onion, diced
4 tsp. garlic paste
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. garlic powder (only if the garlic taste is not enough for you)
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. onion flakes
2 - 3 tsp. salt
1/2 - 1 tsp. pepper (to taste)
2 - 4 tbsp. lime juice (from concentrate) or juice of 2 fresh limes
Fresh avocado slices (optional)
Salsa (optional)

Put the quinoa with one cup of the water or broth into a pot and a pinch of salt and cook according to directions on package.  When done, set aside. 

Preheat the oven to 400 F.  Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Drain the can of corn well and place in a large bowl. Drizzle about 1 - 2 tbsp. of olive oil and 1 - 2 tsp. salt and toss to coat.  Spread across the baking sheet and place in the oven.  Stir the corn every 10 minutes and cook until it has been roasted and turns dark, about 30 - 40 minutes.  When done, set aside.

Meanwhile, place the onions in a small saucepan with the olive oil.  Cook until translucent, about 5 minutes, and then add the garlic and stir to coat.  Cook for another 2 - 3 minutes and then add the chili powder, garlic powder, basil, oregano, onion flakes, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper.  Stir to coat and cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Add the black beans and stir to coat.  Add the remaining 1/2 cup water or broth, stir, and let simmer for 5 - 10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.

Place the cooked quinoa into a large bowl or pot and add the roasted corn, diced green peppers, and the black bean and onion mixture.  Toss to coat and season with salt and pepper according to taste.

Serve with slices of fresh avocado and salsa, if desired.  You could also wrap this salad in a crepe or wrap for more of a sandwich experience.

Spicy Black Bean Soup

The supermarket here in Swaziland is one of those places where I never know which previously elusive ingredient will suddenly be staring me in the face when I walk in. Gluten-free pasta? Check. Dairy-free, gluten-free parmesan topping? Check. Soy milk? Check. Marshmallow fluff? (You know, the stuff you used to eat on peanut butter-fluff sandwiches?) Check. Taco seasoning and taco shells? Check. But despite the fact that I have access to such rarities as these, I have not seen black beans before here in Swaziland. Recently, thought, as I was passing by the dried bean and lentil shelf, I noticed a pile of small bags filled with them! This is the first recipe I’ve made with them so far, and I think it turned out pretty well. Mine ended up being fairly spicy, so be cautious with the number of chili peppers you add. I had jarred peppadews on hand and threw them in, but they are absolutely not necessary for this soup. If you don’t have peppers at all, you could just sprinkle in some cayenne pepper instead. The main flavor in this dish comes from the aromatic cumin, so if you’re going to be liberal with any ingredient, that’s the one.  Perfect to make a dreary, rainy, cold day better.

Spicy Black Bean Soup

1 cup dried black beans, pre-soaked or 1 can black beans, rinsed
1 – 2 tbsp. olive oil
1 – 4 chili peppers
6 – 8 peppadew peppers (optional)
4 – 6 tsp. minced garlic
1 medium onion, diced finely
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 – 2 tsp. cumin (or more to taste)
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. oregano
1 bay leaf
Dash of cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste

Pre-soak the dried black beans for 12 hours with a ratio of one cup of beans to four cups of water. Rinse, place in pot and cover with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil and cook for about an hour. Drain the beans and set aside. Or, if you are using canned beans, rinse them and set aside.

In a non-stick skillet, heat the oil. Cut the stems off of the chilies and pierce the peppers several times with a knife. Place them in the skillet and cook over medium heat for about 4 – 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to sauté for another 2 – 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium sized pot, fry the diced onion in a scant amount of oil. When the onion has become translucent, add the fried garlic and chilies to the pot. Next add the spices and stir well to mix.

Add the rinsed beans to the pot and stir into the spice mixture. Next, add the vegetable or chicken broth to cover the beans. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for at least one hour. The flavors will only intensify and develop more as you let it simmer, so the longer the better. I simmered mine for about 2 hours, adjusting the spices for my own taste. Towards the end of the cooking time, add salt and pepper to your own taste. Remove the chilies from the soup if desired, or leave them in for some extra heat.
Using a potato masher or an electric hand mixer, puree about half of the soup for a thicker consistency. Serve on its own or topped with freshly chopped tomatoes, chives, or Tofutti sour cream.

Alternatively, fry up some eggs and toast and top them with this soup!

Turkey Rice Skillet with Black Beans, Zucchini, and Fruit

You may be thinking that this seems like a hodgepodge of ingredients that I probably just threw together because I happened to have all of them on hand. You would be correct in that assumption. But I have to say - it turned out really great, and it was just what I wanted: a filling meal that was both sweet and a little spicy.

Rice Skillet with Black Beans, Turkey, Zucchini, and Fruit

1 1/2 tsp. garlic
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 red onion
1 nectarine, peeled and chopped
1 apricot, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp. fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped finely
1/2 small zucchini, chopped very small
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. coriander
1 can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 lb. cooked ground turkey
1 cup cooked white rice (I used the leftover rice from this recipe, cooked with cardamom and cinnamon, and it added a wonderful flavor)

Heat the olive oil in a skillet, and add the garlic and onion. Saute for about 5-8 minutes until the onions begin to get translucent. Add the chopped nectarine, apricot, zucchini, and parsley and continue to saute over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add the dried spices and continue to cook for another 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the diced tomatoes, black beans, and cooked ground turkey, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes, and add more spices, including salt and pepper, to your own taste. When you are happy with the taste, stir in the cooked white rice. Serve with cheese substitute, sour cream, cilantro, or simply on its own!