Cooking Light's Black Bean Burgers with Mango Salsa

I am in desperate need to start loosing my baby weight; both from my first pregnancy and now from the twins. In a renewed effort to get into shape, I have recommitted myself to regular exercise and healthier meal choices. Part of that vow is to integrate more vegetarian choices in our dinner plans. I have been scouring magazines, blogs, websites, and cookbooks, looking for new and interesting vegetarian recipe ideas. I plan to still serve meat, but just much less than we usually consume. I like the notion of cutting back on meat, and using it sparingly to save money and to be more healthful. So far, it has been pretty easy coming up with new meal selections; and I have already seen a difference (for the better) on the scale. Hopefully, I can continue to keep it up!

During one of my vegetarian searches, I happened across this recipe in the April 2010 issue of Cooking Light magazine. I wasn't sure if I was going to renew my subscription due to the unappealing format change, but the last few issues have had some good sounding dishes. I might give it one more chance and see how it goes. I think I will serve these "burgers" with a side of sauteed zucchini and mushrooms. I can't wait to try these sandwiches!

Cooking Light's Black Bean Burgers with Mango Salsa
From: April 2010 issue, Cooking Light magazine; Marina Delio, Santa Barbara, CA

Ingredients:
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, divided
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 medium jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
2 large egg whites
Cooking spray
1 1/4 cups chopped peeled mango (about 1 medium)
3 tablespoons chopped shallots (I used minced red onion instead)
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 avocado, peeled and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
6 (2-ounce) whole-wheat hamburger buns, lightly toasted
6 green leaf lettuce leaves (I used baby spinach leaves)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Place black beans in a medium bowl; mash with a fork. Stir in 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro and the next 7 ingredients (through egg whites). Shape bean mixture into 6 (1/2-inch-thick) patties. Arrange patties on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes, carefully turning once.

3. Combine remaining 1/4 cup cilantro, mango, and the next 4 ingredients (through minced garlic) in a medium bowl. Place a patty on bottom half of each hamburger bun; top each with 1 lettuce leaf, 1/3 cup salsa, and top half of bun.

Nutritional Information
Calories:320
Fat:11.9g (sat 3.9g,mono 5g,poly 1.7g)
Protein:13.4g
Carbohydrate:46.2g
Fiber:10.1g
Cholesterol:13mg
Iron:3.3mg
Sodium:777mg
Calcium:201mg

Jen's Notes:
My simple side dish of sauteed zucchini and mushrooms is just prepared with olive oil, a little garlic salt, and a dash or two of Lawry's Seasoned Salt. I just cook everything until the veggies are starting to soften and warmed through. It is a quick, easy, and healthy side dish that is well-suited for a variety of meals.



The Result:
Yummmmmmm....these were really good. They were fairly easy to make, super-tasty, and very satisfying. This is a recipe that I will keep in my vegetarian repertoire. I only had to make two slight changes, based on what I had on hand. First, I didn't have any lettuce, so I just used baby spinach. Then, I didn't have a shallot for the mango salsa, so I substituted the same quantity of diced red onion. Both changes worked out well and didn't impact the recipe in any negative way. These burgers were a total success!