Day 1

Black Bean Rice Burgers
The recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 6 tablespoons salsa, divided
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 4 lettuce leaves
• 4 slices reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
• 4 hamburger buns, split

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mash beans with a fork. Add the rice, onion, egg and 2 tablespoons salsa; mix well. Drop by 1/2 cupfuls into a large nonstick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray. Flatten to 1/2-in. thickness. Cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until firm and browned.
2. In a small bowl, combine sour cream and remaining salsa. Place a lettuce leaf, burger, sour cream mixture and slice of cheese on bun.

The verdict:
A new recipe for our family. Easy to make. The only real difficulty was flipping the burgers, but that became easier when I switched to a bigger spatula. Next time I will pair the burger with a different roll. Tonight we used a whole wheat roll, but I think Arnold's Sandwich Thin would be a better match since there would be less roll taste. We used a spicy salsa, which gave the burger a nice little kick. This "burger" is very economical and a great alternative to a real meat burger. Even my almost 3 year old who normally won't eat a hamburger had a few bites of this Black Bean and Rice Burger. This recipe is a keeper and we'll try it again.

recipe found at: allrecipes.com