"Happy Trails" Veggie Burger

From “Rogue Chef” Bob Fabia, made famous at Cat 50k ultra.

After reviewing various recipes on veggie burgers, I narrowed my focus or attention to the Chipolte Black Bean Veggie Burger. Here is the resulting recipe for that dish:

Roughly 12 patties from:

• 1 cup black beans - soak ‘em overnight or buy a can of ‘em
• Place the black beans and a handful of black lentils and kidney beans in a crock pot or slow cooker and add 1 dried chipotle pepper (I like adding Guajillo, Pasilla and Ancho dried peppers as well).
• Add herbs (Thyme, Rosemary, Marjoram, Basil & Oregano) and spices (salt, black pepper, cumin)
• After slow cooking for several hours - overnight? - take a 1/3 of the beans and lentils and puree them.

Meanwhile, take a small sweet potato and zap it in the microwave for 4 minutes. Coat it with olive oil and roast in the oven. Peel and smash and add to your bean mixture.

• Take 2 cups of brown rice. Cook it in veggie or chicken stock. Dump into bean mix.
• Add 1/4 cup of dark molasses and 2 tablespoon of honey
• Now add 1/4 of your favorite BBQ sauce
• take 12-14 oz of tofu or a soy protein product, like Gimme Lean, and brown with some butter.
• For binding, add some finely chopped mushroom and chia gelatin
• Drop of tamari

Mix and incorporate everything together.

• Grab a handful and roll into a nice ball.
• Roll the outside so that it is coated in Japanese Panko bread crumbs.
• Place on a cookie sheet and flatten a bit in the middle. (I like putting mine in a whoopee pan - something more shallow than a muffin pan.)
• Now bush the tops with a browning mixture made from anchovy paste, honey and olive oil.

Bake in the oven at 375 F for 25 minutes.

Let cool and wrap each one in double plastic to store in the refrigerator for the next several days - or place in freezer to keep for about a month.

After cooling or bringing a pattie back up to surface room temperature, brush with olive oil and pan fry or on a grill, cook each side to brown (about a minute or two on each side).

Serve with your favorite bbq sauce on a toasted bun with pickles, etc., just like you would a real hamburger.