Black Bean Burgers w/ Corn Salsa



Dear Paula Deen,

     Thank you for making the Food Network a fun place to visit. Thank you for not going all Hollywood on us by hiring a vocal coach to overcome your sweet southern accent. Thank you for putting the sweet back in iced tea and bringing the mint back to the julep. Thank you for putting buttah back into the kitchen, even if it took me a while to figure out what buttah meant. And most importantly, Ms. Deen, thank you from the bottom of my heart for introducing me to Black Bean Burgers and Corn Salsa, even though I had to "tweak" your recipe just a tad. If you ever need a taste tester, I'm your gal.

Sincerely,

Me

As promised, here's my version of Paula's recipe. I hope you love it as much as I do!

*It's a good idea to make the Corn Salsa first and refrigerate. It will allow time for the flavors to mesh, and more importantly, your corn won't still be frozen by the time dinner is ready.

Just sayin'.

Black Bean Burgers

~The Players~

2 (15 oz.) cans organic black beans, drained and rinsed (or about 4 cups home-cooked)

1-1/2 cups panko (I found organic panko at Whole Foods)

1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies, drained (or roast, peel and dice an Anaheim or Poblano pepper)

1/4 cup green onion, minced

1 t. chili powder

1 t. ground cumin

1/2 t. sea salt

oil for frying (beef tallow, coconut oil, lard)

6 organic corn tortillas

Corn Salsa (recipe follows)

Optional: sour cream for garnish

In the bowl of a food processor, combine black beans, panko, chilies, green onion, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Process until mixture is smooth.

Shape black bean mixture into 6 burgers.

In a large cast iron skillet, heat a couple of tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add the black bean patties, and cook, for 3-4 minutes per side, or until heated through. Repeat until all the burgers are finished. Set aside, and keep warm.

In the same skillet, heat a couple more tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Cook tortillas, 1 at a time, for 1 minute per side, or until lightly browned and crispy. Drain on paper towels.

Place 1 black bean burger on each corn tortilla. Top each with Corn Salsa. Add a dollop of sour cream. Serve immediately.

~Corn Salsa~

2 cups frozen organic corn, thawed (Use fresh in the summer!)

1 cup diced tomato

1 (4 oz.) can of green chilies (or roast your own for best flavor!)

2 Tb. green onion, minced

zest and juice of 2 organic limes

1-2 Tb. fresh cilantro, minced

1/4 t. sea salt

In a medium bowl, combine corn, tomatoes, green onion, lime zest and juice, cilantro, and sea salt. Cover, and chill.

Thank you Paula Deen!

Enjoy!

*Unfortunately, only 2 of my pictures made it to the computer. It appears that a little camera thief may or may not have deleted the rest. And yes, the case is still pending.

This post is linked to Fight Back Fridays at The Food Renegade.