Over the past month, I have decided to venture into the world of entirely plant-based, vegetarian eating. I was surprised by the conscious effort required to avoid meat in the beginning, though this got much easier as time went on. I’m now at a point where I’ve not only become accustomed to altering my food choices, but I’m thoroughly enjoying the peace of mind that comes with choosing foods that result in less suffering of other beings.
I’m an advocate of eating foods that make you feel well, not only physically, but mentally as well- and I know that this change has been a long time coming! While not a drastic leap from my former way of eating, it is a conscious shift that is leaving me feeling fully contented and aligned with my beliefs. IT FEELS AMAZING!
If you’re scared to “commit” to something, try it out for a defined period of time and see how it goes! Think of it as a practice round. You’ll never know how you truly feel about something until you give it your best shot. I’m so grateful I did!
Now, onto the real reason you’re here — these tempeh black bean burgers! A cinch to whip up (let the food processor do all the work) and super tasty. I hope you enjoy them as much as my husband (the carnivore) and I did!
Ingredients:
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 small onion, peeled and cut into quarters
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1-198g package plain tempeh, broken into pieces
1-19oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp. nutritional yeast
1 tbsp. ground flaxseed
2 tsp reduced-sodium tamari
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt & pepper, to taste
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
2) Add the carrots, onion and garlic to a food processor and pulse until uniformly minced. You don’t want the veggies to be too fine- some texture is nice.
2) Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until the mixture is combined and somewhat chunky. Again, this contributes to some texture in the burger.
3) Form mixture into uniform patties. I do this by lining a dry measuring cup (1 cup measure) with plastic wrap so that it’s hanging over the edges. Pack the mixture as tightly as possible into the measuring cup until it’s 3/4 full. Invert overtop baking sheet and ease the mixture out of the measuring cup by pulling on the plastic wrap. Flatten mixture slightly using the palm of your hand.
4) Bake in preheated oven for 45-55 minutes, flipping halfway through. The patties are delicate, so flip gently! They do firm up as they cool.
5) Serve with your favourite toppings!
