Monday, September 17, 2012

White Bean Burgers and today's lunchbox

So, eating healthy is challenging.   At least 50% of the time, I will make the right decisions.  I have the luxury of time to prep and cook, so there's no excuse not to eat healthy.

But there are days when I just WANT something bad for me.  And I have it.  But then I have to deal with the guilt, and the actual physical discomfort of having EATEN something that was too heavy, too salty, too bubbly, too fatty.

I have learned that there are ways to satisfy those cravings, without blowing all of your hard work.  I have a handful of special 'cheat' recipes that make me FEEL like I'm cheating, but really I'm not.

Veggie burgers are a great substitute for heavy, fatty beef burgers.



I have made black bean burgers before, and they are fantastic.  But today, I'm going to tell you about white bean burgers!

White Bean Burgers

  • 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/4 onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 carrot, diced
  • 1/2 cup oats
  • 1 tsp. basil
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • 1/4 tsp. chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic

  • Process all the ingredients in your blender or food processor.  


    I was out of oats, so I used a half-cup of all-purpose flour, instead.  When you reach a texture that's sort of oatmeal-like, you're ready to start shaping into patties.


    Now, I experiemented.  I wasn't sure if I would like these baked.  So, I pan-fried four in about an inch of canola oil, and baked four at 425 for 20 minutes.

    My observation is that the fried burgers had a much harder time holding together, while the burgers (baked on parchment) held together like a dream, but were slightly drier.  And probably much lower in fat.

    I would bake them, next time.  Frying isn't worth the added fat.  The burgers were messy and had too much of that oily flavor, for me.


    But both were good, and filling.  I was thinking maybe I could make these into meatballs for the kids.  Hmmmm.

    Speaking of the kids, here is today's lunchbox!    We're so excited this year, because we are allowed to pack peanut butter!    We have peanut butter on wheat bread (no crusts), with grapes and strawberries. 


    If you know of any good lunchbox sites, let me know!  I love to read them.
     
     
     
     

    0 comments:

    Post a Comment

    Shop Inappropriate T-Shirts!