Spicy Jalapeño Black Bean Burgers

Bravely I took on the task of cooking dinner for 4. Potentially tricky as it was for 2 vegetarians and 2 non-vegetarians. Since I decided to cook a vegetarian meal, I felt like the pressure was on. Usually when I have guests over who are carnivores, I bravely venture into the land of purchasing and preparing meat. I struggle with this for all of the obvious reasons. For the first time ever, I decided to make it all veggie. I knew it had to be good. On the menu: pineapple salsa and guacamole with blue corn tortillas, spicy jalapeño black bean burgers and oven cooked sweet potato fries with chipotle mayo. It seemed like I had a delicious menu lined up, but I was nervous.

I would love to report the meal was a huge success, however I only won over my fellow vegetarian. The rest of the feedback consisted more of… silence. Not complaining, not overjoyed. I however, loved the spicy burgers! So, although I was quite pleased, I will continue on with my quest to create a burger that keeps everyone – meat-lovers included – coming back for more.

This spicy burger recipe is definitely still on my favourite list. I loved the sweet of the pineapple salsa combined with the spicy jalapeño. Play around with the amount of jalapeños to suit your taste buds.

1/2 cup quinoa
2 cups black beans
1/4 cup pickled jalapeños
1/2 cup red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp chia seeds
2/3 cups steel cut porridge oats
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

In a small sauce pan combine 1/2 cup quinoa with 1 cup water. Bring to a boil. Reduce to low and cover for about 12 minutes or until water is completely absorbed. Fluff with a fork.

In a large bowl mix drained black beans, onion, jalapeño and garlic. Add quinoa. Using a hand-held immersion blender, combine ingredients until smooth. Stir in oats. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Using a 1/2 cup measure, scoop out mixture and shape into patties.
Pan fry burgers until golden brown. Top with a slice of cheddar cheese and serve with pineapple salsa and guacamole. Enjoy!

Layer extras in wax paper in an air tight container and refrigerate. Keeps well and it’s a delicious – not to mention kind of fancy, weekday lunch.

Makes 6 patties.
Each is 4 weight watchers points plus.

Pineapple Salsa

This salsa is so quick and easy to assemble. It is packed with flavour and tastes so much better than store bought. Use in Mexican Quinoa Bake and Spicy Jalapeño Black Bean Burger recipe.

1 medium yellow onion, diced
5 vine ripened tomatoes, chopped
1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup fresh pineapple, chopped
1 jalapeño deseeded, chopped
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients well. Let sit for at least an hour before serving to allow all flavours to mix. Refrigerate.

0 weight watchers points plus.

Mexican Quinoa Bake

Mexican food is full of fresh ingredients and flavours. I love how there are tons of possibilities for vegetarian cooking. Not only is this recipe delicious, it is also high in protein and fibre. I first tried out a similar recipe in one of my favourite cookbooks, Quinoa 365 by Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming. This is my version.

Salsa
1/2 medium red onion, diced
3 medium vine ripened tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp salt

1 cup uncooked quinoa
I- 540 mL can black beans, rinsed
1 cup corn kernels (fresh if in season or frozen)

Seasoning
1 tsp chipotle chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried oregano

Fresh Veggies
I medium zucchini, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 orange pepper, chopped
I medium green jalapeño, seeds removed, finely chopped

I cup jalapeño jack cheese, grated

Start by mixing all of the salsa ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside; allow flavours to mix while preparing the other ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a 9 x 13 casserole dish.

In a medium sized saucepan, bring 2 cups of water and 1 cup of quinoa to a boil. Cover and turn heat to low. Cook for 10-12 minutes until all of the water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork.

While quinoa is cooking, start chopping the veggies. Combine all vegetables together in the bottom of the casserole dish and spread evenly.

Once quinoa is cooked, add the black beans, corn and spices to the saucepan. Stir until mixed thoroughly.

Place the quinoa mixture evenly over the vegetables in the casserole dish.

Spread fresh salsa over top of quinoa mixture. Top with grated cheese.

Bake for 25- 30 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve immediately and top with your choices of cilantro, salsa, tortilla chips, freshly squeezed lime juice or sour cream.

Cut into 12 pieces – 3 weight watchers points plus per piece (without additional garnishes)