Easy Black Bean Burgers

I love making bean burgers because they are super easy to make -- you can pretty much use whatever ingredients you have as long as beans are involved! I made this up as I went along, so keep in mind that these measurements may not be exact. I used black beans and almonds but you can probably use whatever nuts and beans you have on hand. I also usually use more veggies in my bean burgers but I was lazy at the time and only used onions.

Ingredients:

makes 6 burgers

1 16. oz. can black beans

1 c. almonds

1/2 white onion

2 tbsp. miso

2 tbsp. corn meal

2 tbsp. corn starch

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

pinch of salt and pepper

Instructions:

- Toss everything into a food processor.

- Let the food processor run for only a minute or two. You don't want it to process too long or it could get runny. Add more corn meal or corn starch if you feel it isn't thick enough.

- When you feel that it's the right consistency, let it sit in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.

- Mold into patties and place on greased cookie sheet or frying pan. I chose to bake them. I cooked them on 375 degrees for roughly 15 minutes on each side.

- Serve with whatever toppings you like. I used some delicious Daiya mozzarella and some cooked onions. Michael, however, put ketchup on his. If you know me, you know I HATE condiments. Yuck!

I loved that I used a lot of nuts in these since it gave them a nice crunch. Sunflower seeds are my favorite to put in veggie burgers so I definitely recommend using those if you have any. I do wish I would've added more spices, although they were still delicious as is. These beans are nice to freeze up if you don't have any time to cook them or want to save them for later on. The possibilities are endless!

I wish I had some of these burgers right now. I'm sitting in the San Diego Airport hungry and cold! I can't complain, though. I'm headed to Ohio and it's snow covered. Yikes!

Cleveland!

Michael and I decided to spend the day in Cleveland yesterday since we were planning on attending a concert that night. I discovered this place called The Flaming Ice Cafe. They just opened a location in Cleveland so I knew we had to check it out.

It was in a great location -- right in public square. The only issue I have with the location is the parking available. Luckily we were there in the middle of the day so we found street parking relatively easy. I'm sure if we were there on a weekend, though, that it would be nearly impossible to find anywhere to park.

Anyway, it's a quaint little place with a few tables. We took a seat and our server, George, immediately befriended us. He was an older vegan new to the area, so he chatted with us quite a bit. Once we were able to sneak some time in during our conversations to look at the menu and order, I decided on the Pesto Burger which consisted of: a veggie burger (I think it was tempeh), basil pistachio pesto, vegan mayo, lettuce, and white onions. I must say that this is honestly one of the best vegan burgers I've eaten. I think the pesto was the best part of the sandwich. Yum! Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture before I started devouring it...

Oh yeah, I also decided on the corn and bean salsa as a side.

Michael decided on the Italian Panini which consisted of vegan salami, pepperoni, turkey, onions, and tomato. He loved it and ate it up immediately...

He also chose the potato salad for his side.

I would definitely go back to this place if given the chance. George made us feel very welcome there and even gave us his email! If any Ohioans are reading this, you should check that place out.

Later on we decided to check out Tremont Scoops. I've heard great things about this place but I wasn't sure what to expect since their online menu is sort of up in the air. However, right when we walked into the place I noticed a giant sign on the wall: "Vegan Menu". Woohoo! It took me a while to decide what I wanted, but I ended up getting a sundae with vanilla Tofutti ice cream, strawberry syrup (with chunks of strawberries in it!), vegan whipped topping, and a cherry on top! Oh man, this definitely hit the spot. It was a pretty good size portion and I ended up eating the whole thing. Michael ended up getting the Vegan Brownie Delight. It was a vegan brownie, vanilla Tofutti ice cream, chocolate syrup, vegan whipped topping, and a cherry. I think he loved his because when he finished he had chocolate sauce all over his face, haha.

I wish there were more places like this around. It was an old fashioned-type place with tons of vegan options (even buckeyes!). I hope I can check out that place again sometime.

We went to Now That's Class for the concert. I was excited about this venue because they have vegan food. Unfortunately, they hardly had any vegan options and their menu didn't match up to what they actually had on hand. I just got 3 veggie hot dogs for $5 (don't worry, I only ate 2) and Michael got coconut curry. They were all so-so and pretty much things I could make in my own kitchen. The food was a bummer but at least the show was great!