Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers with Tempeh Bacon

I stumbled upon this amazing recipe on Pinterest, Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers. These burgers are full of nutritious veggies and fiber and were SO filling! I loved the crispy outside from the panko and the creamy-fall-apart inside from the sweet potatoes. I made a couple changes to the original recipe. I used 2 medium sweet potatoes instead of one large, organic black beans instead of white and I skipped the tahini because I didn't have any on hand. I also decided to skip the buns (and the carbs!) and turned them more into a pattie or crab cake and served them over some homemade broccoli cheddar rice. Yum!

 

I have been experimenting with tempeh lately and saw that Publix sold some Tempeh Bacon. I ALMOST bought some...then I looked at the ingredients on the back and saw apple cider vinegar and maple syrup and decided I would attempt to make it myself. The bacon was crispy and sweet and super easy to make. Save your self (and the poor animals!) some fat and sodium and try tempeh bacon over the traditional.

 

Top the patties with avocado, tempeh bacon and a drizzle of dijon and honey! Delicious!

 

 

 

Prep Time: 60 Min (includes 50 Min baking the sweet potatoes)

Cook Time: 10 Min

 

Ingredients

 

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers

- 2 medium/large sweet potatoes

- 2 cans of organic black beans, drained

- 2 tsp maple syrup

- 1 tsp cajun seasoning

- 1/4 cup wheat flour

- 1 egg ( recipe did not include because it is vegan, however it does help hold the patties together)

- panko breadcrumbs

- 1 large avocado, sliced

- dijon mustard

- honey

- buns, lettuce, onion (optional if you are making into actual burgers)

 

Tempeh Bacon

- 1 package of Tempeh (I only used half of the cake,) sliced thin

- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

- 3 tbs maple syrup

- 1 tbs hot sauce

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 1/4 cup water

- additional maple syrup for flavor

 

*NOTE* If you want to make the Broccoli Cheddar Rice, cook rice according to directions. Substitute 1 cup of water for 1 cup of creamy broccoli soup and add some chopped broccoli. When rice is cooked add 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese.

 

Directions

 

- Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400 F

- Pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork and bake them for about 50 minutes until tender

- Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the vinegar, syrup, hot sauce, salt and water. Add the tempeh and allow to marinate in the fridge.

 

Tempeh, sliced thin

 

- Scoop the insides of the sweet potatoes into a large mixing bowl. Add the beans, maple syrup, cajun seasoning, flour and egg. Mash together to combine. Batter will be very wet and sticky.

- Shape into patties and coat with panko breadcrumbs

 

 

- Pan fry patties in a small amount of olive or safflower oil. Allow to drain on a paper towel

 

 

- Remove tempeh from marinade and drain on paper towels

- Pan fry tempeh in a small amount of oil and 2 tbs of maple syrup, turning once or twice until browned and crispy. Drain on paper towels

 

 

- Top patties with avocado, dijon mustard, honey and tempeh bacon. Enjoy!



 

 

 This was Nick's contribution :) I think it is a tribute to our dog Remi.

 

 

Turkey Zucchini Burgers with Truffle Mac n' Cheese

 I made a special dinner for my father this week for his birthday. He is not a herbivore by any means, in fact, he is the exact opposite...more like a meat and fast food extremist. When I asked him what he wanted me to cook him for dinner, he said "burgers and hot dogs." Really?! Of all the yummy creations I can make, you want a burger and a hot dog. OK, I will give you a burger and a hot dog...just not the kind loaded with red meat and sodium :) I decided I might be able to trick him into eating healthier by using ground turkey and adding veggies like zucchini and carrots. The zucchini and carrots added a lot of flavor to the burgers and also kept them moist inside. My parents called this meal "Augi food" which basically means "fancy food." They used to know a man by the name of Augi that cooked gourmet meals.

I absolutely loved this dish, it is not the healthiest by any means when you add in the truffle mac n' cheese but you could always substitute another side if you prefer. That was my way of giving him something more familiar...buttery and cheesy! Yum! I also made a quick Apple Slaw as another side dish and I would highly recommend you making it as well. It ended up being a great topping for the burgers too, added the sweet to the savory.

To finish it off I made some delicious homemade Chocolate Raviolis with different fillings like sauteed bananas and peanut butter for dessert. Be on the lookout for that recipe in my next post.

Turkey Zucchini Burgers with Truffle Mac n' Cheese and Apple Slaw

Prep Time: 20 Min

Cook Time: 35 Min

Ingredients

Turkey Burgers

- 1 3/4 lb ground turkey

- 1/2 package of medium soft tofu (you can make without if you prefer)

- 2 zucchini, grated or shredded

- 2 carrots, grated or shredded (I bought store bought shredded to save some time)

- 1/4 onion, diced

- 3 garlic cloves, minced

- 1 tsp of Worcestershire sauce

- salt/pepper to taste

- 1 egg or egg substitute

- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

- hamburger buns (I used whole wheat and english muffins, toasted)

- Pesto

- Brie Cheese

- Spinach or lettuce leaves

- Dijon mustard

Apple Slaw

- 2 apples, peeled and julienned

- 1/2 cup grated carrots (I used some that I had leftover from the store bought bag)

- 1/4 cup cider vinegar

- 3 tbs maple syrup

- 2 tbs dijon mustard

- 1/3 cup honey

- 2 tbs mayo

- salt/pepper to taste

Truffle Mac n' Cheese

- 3/4 box of elbow pasta

- 2 cups of hazelnut milk (1 cup of milk and 1 cup of cream will also substitute)

- 3 tbs of truffle butter (you can find at local market like Fresh Market or Whole Foods)

- 2 tbs of flour

- 2 chopped portobello mushrooms

- 1 package of fontina cheese (you could also substitute another creamy cheese like a havarti)

- parmesan

- panko breadcrumbs

- truffle oil

Directions

Turkey Burgers

- In a mixing bowl, combine the first 10 ingredients. Mix well. Shape into patties.

- I shaped my patties the night before and put them in the fridge in between layers of wax paper. That way all I had to do was throw them on the grill right before our guests came over.

- Grill for about 4 minutes on each side until blackened and not pink on the inside

- Top burgers with some brie cheese right before they are done

- Spread some pesto and dijon mustard on the toasted buns

- Put the burgers on the buns, top with spinach and apple slaw if you prefer.

Apple Slaw

- Combine all of the ingredients in a small mixing bowl. You can add more honey, maple or dijon to your liking if the cider vinegar is too tart. Place in the fridge until ready to use. 

Truffle Mac n' Cheese
- I recommend preparing this first, then you can put in the oven about 30 minutes prior to dinner time.
- Bring a medium saucepan with salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to directions
- Preheat oven to 350 F
- In a large saute pan, saute flour and truffle butter on medium heat with a whisk to form a roux
- Add the hazelnut milk and bring to a boil for a couple of minutes
- Reduce to low and add mushrooms and fontina cheese
- Let simmer to thicken for about 5 minutes
- Drain pasta and mix with sauce
- Pour in a lightly greased casserole dish
- Top with parmesan and breadcrumbs. Drizzle with truffle oil.
- Bake for 25 minutes, covered with foil
- Broil on low for 2 minutes uncovered to brown the topping
- Serve with turkey burgers and apple slaw. Enjoy!