Matt and I have been craving Southwestern flavors: chili, tomatoes, peppers, etc. Luckily for us, this is the perfect time for that since all the farmer's markets have tons of fresh vegetables begging to be made into something yummy.
These are not your traditional American hamburgers since there is only half a pound of ground meat. We've cut back our meat consumption to about once a week; in fact, the last few times we've eaten burgers we have experimented with different meatless varieties such as chick peas, black beans, tofu, etc. However, today both of us were very excited about the prospect of eating meat which is why we also included a few strips of turkey bacon!
Most cooking I do is loosely based on a recipe. This, however, is one I came up with for tonight's dinner using ingredients I found in the fridge. Matt requested that I write it down, so I figured I would share!
Southwestern Burgers
makes about 4 burger patties
1/2 lbs any lean ground meat (beef, turkey, chicken, or meat-less product)
12 oz of black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 small bell pepper (I used yellow)
3 oz of sliced black olives
Garlic (freshly grated or minced)
1 Tbl. chopped onions
Add the following spices to taste:
Cumin
Chili powder
Paprika
Dried red pepper flakes
Garnish with:
Fresh tomatoes (we used yellow and reds)
Sliced bell peppers
Turkey Bacon
Directions:
Combine meat, spices, garlic and onions into a large mixing bowl. Next, add the beans, pepper, and olives mixing well. Shape into patties
Garnish with fresh tomatoes, pepperjack or colby jack cheese, and freshly sliced bell pepper.
**This recipe can be easily double for company -- just use full cans of olives, and beans!
