Nick's Black Bean Burgers with Beetroot
Recipe #3 - What Alice Forgot
Australians love beets (or should I say beetroot?). Either way, they are crazy about those lovely, messy, sweet, red bulbs. And I heartily concur.
Most every Saturday in the Summer when I was young, my mother would take me to the farmer's market in our church parking lot. I was allowed to pick out a treat for myself in exchange for being the all-around "beast of burden" (she and my sister literally called me that...I thought it was hilarious...) lugging around the heavy grocery-laden bags. I would walk right past the baked goods up to a vegetable stand, and load my bag with as many beets as I could carry. Later that evening, Mom would take those beets and boil, bake, or even microwave them for dinner. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
Anyway, imagine my delight when I discovered that putting beets atop a burger is actually quite common in Australia! It's a genius, delicious, inspired idea that I wish I had discovered sooner.
This recipe is inspired by the scene in which Alice first sees her husband Nick, after she suffered horrible memory loss. In her mind, they are deeply in-love newly weds, while in reality, they are 10 years into their relationship and on the brink of a messy divorce. Alice fixes burgers for dinner, and invites Nick to stay for a family meal after dropping the children off at the house. It is over this meal that Alice begins to feel the extent of the deep chasm in their marriage that has formed over the past ten years.
Even though this is an unsettling chapter, we can all agree that burgers are delicious, right? And I am quite sure that both Alice and Nick would enjoy some comfort food right about now...
Ingredients:
2 beets, rinsed, with stalks/greens cut off (I used 4 so I would have leftovers...)
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained (I used Whole Foods 365 brand Super Grains mix of quinoa and buckwheat)
1 medium onion, diced
2 15-oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. steak seasoning (I used McCormick Grill Montreal Steak Seasoning)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1.5 cups water
8 vegan hamburger buns (I use potato rolls - make sure to check the ingredients!)
Whatever toppings your heart desires (vegan cheese, ketchup, mustard, raw onion, pickles, lettuce, tomato, etc, etc, etc, go crazy)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover beets in aluminum foil and place in oven, once preheated. Cook for 45 min, or until a fork can pierce the beets easily.
Meanwhile, cook quinoa in a small pot according to package directions (bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to low simmer for 20 min or so).
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, and cook over medium heat until onions are soft and translucent.
Add 1/2 of the black beans (1 can's-worth) to the skillet, stir, and cook for about 2 minutes.
Add steak seasoning and 1.5 cups water to skillet, stir, and simmer for about 10 minutes over medium heat until the water is cooked off.
Put skillet contents (bean mixture) into a food processor and add 1/2 of the cooked quinoa.
Process together until smooth and completely homogeneous.
Transfer this mixture to bowl, and stir in the rest of the cooked quinoa, as well as the remaining beans. Set aside and let cool.
By now, the beets should be done. Take them out of the oven and remove aluminum foil. Place them in a cold water bath to quickly cool, cut off tops and bottom tips, and peal off skin (this should be very easily done with just your fingers, if beets are completely cooked through)
Slice beets into 1/4 inch rounds, and set aside. Do not turn off the oven.
Coat a baking sheet or cast-iron/oven-safe skillet with olive oil or cooking spray.
Shape cooled bean mixture into patties, and place on skillet or baking sheet.
Bake for about 15 minutes, until the burgers are crisped on top. Flip each burger, and bake for another 15 minutes or so until all sides are crispy to the touch. If cheese is desired (I use Daiya "cheddar" slices), place on top of burgers about 6 minutes before taking them out of the oven. This allows cheese to get nice and gooey... Daiya takes a little bit longer than real cheese, but it's worth it!
When burgers have about 2 minutes left to cook (or after removing them from the oven), carefully place opened burger buns directly on an oven rack and warm/toast for 30 seconds or so (be careful not to burn!).
Remove buns and burgers from the oven, and place burgers on toasted buns.
Add a slice or two (your preference! I added 3 to mine...) of beets to each burger, and assemble to taste with lettuce, onion, ketchup, mustard, etc.
Enjoy!
