The last two weekends have been sunny where I live, which means getting to go outside and do all the work you’ve been shirking for weeks “because of the rain.” For me this meant being a Serious Mountain Woman and cutting down trees. And nothing makes you feel like a total bad ass who should be crushing beers and grilling like strenuous outdoor activity. So that’s what I did.
But you see, there are so many amazing things to cook on the grill, and most of them require a little prep. It’s easy to aim for dinner at 6 and not end up eating until a million hours later. So if you want to make your burgers, you need something simple. This is where Jessicat comes in. She realized that the principles that result in those glorious chickpea cutlets apply to pretty much any bean situation you can imagine, leading to:
The Easiest Burgers In The World
Servings: 4 patties
- 1 16oz can of baked beans or chili
- ~1/2 c gluten (this will depend on the wetness of your chosen beans)
- ~1/2 c bread crumbs (ditto)
First, open the can and put an immersion blender in it. Yep, right in the can. Blend a bit. You can go for totally smooth or just partly mashed–both work, but partly mashed has a more interesting final texture. Pour the blended beans into a bowl and stir/knead in the gluten and breadcrumbs. Taste the dough and see if it needs additional seasoning, especially salt. Since baked beans and chilis vary wildly in seasoning, this is your chance to adjust it. Pat out some burgers, grease them on both sides, and put them on the grill. I have never had an amazing homemade veggie burger, but these really do what they ought to for a minimum of effort: provide a flavorful (but not overwhelming) base for amazing toppings and condiments.
Since those burgers take like 15 minutes to make, you’re free to work on all the other foodstuffs that make grill days so great. You know, like elotes (also known as):
Mexican Street Corn
- corn on the cob, shucked
- vegenaise (1-2 tbsp per cob of corn)
- fake cheese of your choice (about 1 tbsp per corn)
- salt n’ peppa
- finely chopped cilantro and garlic (optional)
- ancho chile powder (cayenne + a little smoked paprika works in a pinch)
- lime
- hot sauce
Mix together vegenaise, fake cheese, salt, pepper, cilantro, garlic, and chile or pepper powder. Smear it all over the cobs of corn, then wrap each securely in tin foil. Put the wrapped corn on a very hot grill, turning it every few minutes until all sides have seen heat. You want the corn to be a little blackened on each side, so don’t be shy with the cooking time here. You can also grill the corn first and smear goodies on after, but the cheese won’t get as melted.
When it’s done, unwrap the corn, squeeze a little lime all over it, add a little hot sauce, and munch. You seriously may never willingly eat plain corn again.