Homemade Black Bean Burgers and Green Goddess Dressing

The BF and I are big advocates of vegetarianism.  As long as you continue to get a good amount of protein, we feel like it's healthier than eating meat.  We also aren't fans of large cattle and chicken processing plants and farms; that being said, we do enjoy steaks and grilled chicken...so we haven't fully converted.  If I could always buy locally raised and processed animals products, I might feel differently, but I can't.  So, I try to eat less meat and more veggies.

Tonight I was in the mood for black beans...and I was in the mood for burgers.  So I decided to make black bean burgers.   I've never made them before, but I figured what the heck?  I read a few recipes on my favorite new recipe site, foodily.com.  I came home with a plan...which came unhinged when I remembered I'd used all the mushrooms up the night before.  No matter!  I would persevere.  I DID have a recipe for the Greek Goddess Dressing (which I didn't follow).

Julie's Spring Green Goddess Dressing

In a food processor add the following:  1 tbsp dried (or 2 fresh) chives and the same amount of basil.  Then add 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsely and 2 tbsp fresh chopped tarragon.  (Whichever of the 4 you have fresh, use 2 tbsp, of the dried, use 1).  Add like 1/4 tsp lemon grass puree or 1 tsp lemon juice.  Add 1 shallot or about 3 tbsp or 1/4 cup chopped onion.  Add 1/4 cup mayo.  Blend until well-mixed.  Scrape everything out of the food processor into a bowl and add 3/4 cup sour cream (or, if you're me and don't have that much sour cream on hand, add enough mayo, sour cream, and ricotta cheese to make 3/4 cup).  Refrigerate for 30 min.

The burgers:

Start by chopping 2 tbsp parsley, 1/4 cup onion, and 2-3 tbsp red bell pepper.  If you hate onions or bell pepper, you could substitute mushrooms, corn or maybe even finely chopped beets?  Throw all this in the food processor.  Add 1 egg, 1 tbsp oil.

Along with the above ingredients, add 1 can of drained and rinsed black beans, pepper, 1/4 cup bread crumbs (seasoned).  Leave out the steak seasoning...it's not necessary.  Blend everything slowly - pulse.  Once it's all just mixed into a paste, empty into a mixing bowl.  This should be a scraping-out-of-the-bowl process.

Add another 1/4 cup breadcrumbs and 1 tbsp whole wheat flour.  Mix with your hands.  It's going to be sticky.  Before shaping into patties I recommend spraying your plate with cooking spray; spray your hands too.  Shape into 4 patties.  See how pretty? Grill the burgers over medium-high heat for 5 min on each side.  Add cheese and melt.

Put a large dollop of Julie's Spring Green Goddess dressing on each side of your bun.  Top with chopped tomatoes. Add your burger patty, sliced avocado, and lettuce.  Enjoy!