Summertime is here, and you’re having a cookout! There’s one problem though: what do you cook for your vegetarian friends?
This is a nice option whether you’re doing a barbecue or not. Make these ahead in a skillet, then warm them up when the rest of the grilled meats are done. Serve like a hamburger or on a salad. (Some of your meat-eating friends might even want one!)
- 1/4 cup onion finely chopped
- 1/4 cup red bell pepper finely chopped
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon high heat cooking oil
- 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika (smoked recommended)
- 1-1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon oregano fresh or dried leaves, not ground
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup sweet potato purée (canned)
- 1 (15-ounce) can black-eyed peas
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup cornmeal (medium grind)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2-3 dashes hot pepper sauce (optional)
- 8 whole grain hamburger buns (or English muffins or tortillas)
- 2 avocados sliced
- 1 tomato sliced
- 1 red onion sliced
- lettuce or sprouts
- mayonnaise
- Chop onion and bell pepper.
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, then add onion and bell pepper. Cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes, while you continue.
- Mince garlic and add to onions, along with cumin, chili powder, and paprika. Cook and stir 1 minute, then remove from heat. Stir in salt, oregano, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.
- Stir in sweet potato purée. Drain any excess juice from black-eyed peas, but do not rinse. Add to sweet potato mixture and mash some of the peas with a fork (or spoon) as you stir.
- In a small bowl, lightly beat egg with a whisk (or fork). Add to sweet potato mixture, along with cornmeal, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce if desired.
- Refrigerate mixture 30 to 60 minutes to give the cornmeal time to soak up some of the moisture and thicken.
- Form patties using about 1/3 cup of the mixture for each.
- Heat some oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook 3 to 4 patties at a time for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until browned and cooked through.
*Tip: To make your own sweet potato purée, bake a medium sweet potato until very soft, then scoop out the inside and mash with a food masher (or fork). (Alternatively, peel the sweet potato, cut in chunks and boil in water until soft. Drain and mash.) Canned purée tends to have more liquid in it than a home cooked potato, so decrease the amount of cornmeal to 1/2 cup.
SERVING SUGGESTION:
- Serve on a bun, English muffin, or in a tortilla. Top with avocado slices and any other optional toppings you like. Garnish with a dollop of mayonnaise.
- Serve on a bed of greens and any toppings you like.
VARIATIONS:
- Form into smaller patties to make about 16 sliders, and serve on slider buns.
- Substitute lentils for the black-eyed peas.
- Substitute 1 cup chopped mushrooms or corn for bell pepper.
- Add 1 to 2 teaspoons minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce instead of red pepper flakes and hot sauce.
The ingredients don’t sound like they would go together, but it is very delicious! My husband and I don’t usually eat veggie burgers, but after tasting it he said it would make a grown man want to eat healthy. We both liked it very much!
Thanks! So glad you enjoyed them! Please try some of our other recipes as well.