Who doesn’t love a good burger? I know I do. What I don’t like though, is the terrible feeling afterward.
I remember back in my twenties, when I was living on not such a healthy diet, how I felt after grabbing a burger was pretty awful! It was a brief moment of happiness, followed by hours of regret. My stomach hurt and my “movements” (if you know what I mean) would be thrown out of whack, my energy would plummet for hours! I had to stop, but my cancer diagnosis came before I had the chance to.
After what I refer to as my “cancer wakeup call”, I went mostly plant based. I still crave a good burger every once in a while, but now that I view food as medicine, I can’t bare to eat a traditional burger any more!! I do have to admit there may be a few times a year that I roll up to In-N-Out Burger and have myself a single burger protein style (wrapped in lettuce). I’m a California girl, I have to cop to that!!
But, how I get my burger fix mostly is through veggie burgers. I’ve searched high and low (have you checked out my veggie burger dining guide?) for the best home version of a veggie burger, and I have found the recipe that satisfies my craving, but feeds my soul too.
You don’t eat this burger and feel lethargic and sick afterwards. Instead you feel energized, balanced, and completely satisfied! I even added it to my 21 day cleanse program! A cleanse with a burger? That’s revolutionary 😉 I get feedback from cleansers that this is one dish they can get their whole family on board with. Little do they know, this burger is supportive, and is meant to energize, revitalize, and heal.
Black bean and sweet potato is a super food combination, and offer some of the best adrenal support nutrients!
Black beans, naturally boost our stamina, slow the release of blood sugar in our system and banish fatigue. In short, they take a huge load off our adrenal system! They support the adrenal glands, and balance our “fight or flight” chemical releases caused by chronic stress. Because black beans are full of anti-oxidants, they also clean up all that oxidative stress in our bodies released by our adrenals when we are “burning the candle at both ends”!
The addition of root vegetables, sweet potato and onion, is also great for our adrenals! Sweet potatoes are one of the healthiest vegetables we can eat. They fight inflammation and are loaded with anti-oxidants and vitamin C. These also offer complex carbs to stabilize your energy and keep you going all day long!
Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burger
Makes 6-8 patties
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked black beans, mashed (you can also do 1 cup black beans, 1 cup another bean like chickpeas)
2 cups sweet potato, cubed
2 tsp olive oil
3 T yellow onion, grated
2 tsp minced garlic
3 T tamari
2 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup cooked brown rice
1 ½ tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
2 tsp dried oregano
3 T organic GMO-free cornmeal plus another 1/4 cup for dredging
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Peel and cut sweet potatoes. Toss them with olive oil and salt. Spread them out on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Roast in oven for 25-30 minutes, or until tender. Toss occasionally.
Heat a bit of olive oil in large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook till lightly browned. Place mashed black beans in bowl. Add onions to bowl of beans, and stir in tamari, cumin and salt and pepper. Add cooked rice, Worcestershire sauce, maple syrup, soy sauce, oregano, sweet potatoes and 3 tbsp cornmeal. Mix well and adjust seasonings if necessary.
Form into patties and dredge lightly in remaining cornmeal. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat and add more olive oil. Add burgers and brown lightly on each side. Place on baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
Serve with gluten free buns or wrapped in butter lettuce with avocado, tomato, grilled onions, and any other toppings of your choice!
