Eat to Live: Simple Bean Burgers

I’m up to something new!  Over the next six months I’ll be making and posting the recipes from Dr. Fuhrman’s book “Eat to Live.”   When I first completed the 6 week plan I didn’t take the time to make many of the recipes in the book–no wonder I stopped!  Now, I’m no longer a nutritarian-novice and I’m in this for the long haul (not just a quick fix), so I need to take the time to try these recipes out!  If you are following the Eat to Live program, join me on my delicious journey and find out exactly how to make these nutrient-packed recipes from Dr. Fuhrman’s best-selling book!

I like heat and serve food.  I like convenient food.  Unfortunately, convenient almost always means processed.  And processed, according to Dr. Fuhrman, almost always means chemical-shit-storm!  Yup, it’s a scientific term.  You can find my two favorite processed veggie burgers here (one of which is chemical-shit-storm-less).  But for the true, die-hard, let’s-get-to-our-ideal-weigh-and-stay-there Nutritarian, (aka who I want to be when I grow up) a homemade veggie burger is required.

Enter Dr. Fuhrman’s simple and surprisingly delicious bean burger recipe!  Made with just 7 ingredients (one of which I added myself) and no added salt, these bean burgers have won me over!  If I take the time to make a batch of these burgers once a week, I’ll no longer have to support my heat-n-serve veggie burger habit!  And, I’ll be that much closer to reaching my ideal weight, and staying there!

SIMPLE BEAN BURGERS (Modified from Dr. Fuhrman’s EAT TO LIVE book all changes noted in italics)

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 2 cups cooked or canned red or pink beans, no salt or low salt, drained and rinsed (I used 1 can of pinto beans which is just shy of 2 cups)
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 2 tbsp. low-sodium ketchup (I used my TJ’s organic ketchup which is not low sodium)
• 1 tbsp. wheat germ or old-fashioned rolled oats (I used 1 1/2 tbsp. rolled oats)
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• optional: 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• optional: 2 tbsp. water (I used it to help blending)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly oil a baking sheet with a little olive oil on a paper towel. 
2. I used a blender for this part instead of a food processor and potato masher.  In high-powered blender combine the onions, seeds, beans, water, and oatmeal using the “Pulse” button.  There should still be whole beans and sunflower seeds remaining. 
3. Place in mixing bowl and add mustard, ketchup and chili powder.  Mix well.  Separate mixture into 6 portions and mold into patties.  Place on oiled baking sheet and cook for 25 minutes. 
4. Take patties out and flip them once.  Using a spatula, press them down to compress.
5. Bake for an additional 15 minutes–burgers should just be beginning to brown on top. 

I enjoyed my burgers with a cup of wild rice and a large mixed baby greens salad!

Check out this Portobello-Red Pepper Pita recipe, also from Dr. Fuhrman’s Eat to Live program!

For dessert, make this amazing Almond Chocolate Dip, also from the Eat to Live program!

Check out this super-yummy (and filling) Eat to Live tofu Mexican Salad!