Black Bean Burger and Homemade Hamburger Bun

This is super easy to put together once you have the ingredients ready. I was half way into making the patties when George popped up at our door. The good thing about cooking vegetarians is you can increase the serving size, easily, just by throwing in more vegetables.

Hamburger Bun:

We bought a packet of organic black beans the other day but didn't cook it because Adrian said it would take 5 hours to cook, which I will tell you in moment is not true. Anyway I found a black bean burger recipe that sounds good, and decided that's what I would do with the black beans. Then we were watching How to Cook Your Life. In the movie, Zen priest and chef Edward Espe Brown teaches people to be attentive in everyday dealings with the most mundane things and also open our eyes to one of the most beautiful occupations: cooking. Especially baking. The way Edward kneads and rolls the dough seems effortless, and inspiring. I asked Adrian "you think it's hard to make hamburger bun?" I quickly dropped the movie and went to consult Google. Didn't seem too difficult. It was then that I decided to make hamburger buns for the black bean burger, instead of the day-old french bread in the refrigerator. So pardon me I didn't watch the whole movie but I had work to do.

I went through a roller coaster of emotion with this. First I thought it went really well as I was kneading the dough - it felt very right. Then I was dismayed by the size - too small to make a decent hamburger. I also thought the bread was a bit to the hard side, but Adrian thought it was good. I was still skeptical and unsatisfied.

As it turned out, although the buns were too small to fit the black bean burger patty, both Adrian and George approved. George called them the Kaiwaii Mickey Mouse Ears Hamburger Bun (too long to make a copyright of it). He actually singled them out to be "especially the buns. I really like them). Guess who's taking home the extra bun.

(make 4 small buns)

• 1/3 cup warm water
• 1/3 teaspoon sugar
• 1/3 tablespoon dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm whole milk
• 1 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 Tablespoon butter, melted
• pinch teaspoons salt
• 1 cups all-purpose flour + a tablespoon or two of organic rye flour
  
• 1 egg white
• 1 teaspoon water
• white sesame seeds
  

1. Dissolve sugar in water. Stir in yeast to proof. Let it sit for 10 minutes until foamy.
   
2. Whisk together flour, salt, sugar, milk and melter butter. Add proofed yeast. Process with a electric mixer attached with kneader hooks. Blend until the dough is semi-sticky and holds around the hook. Add flour, a little bit at a time, if necessary.
3. Roll it out onto a floured surface. Knead for 7 - 8 minutes. Cover with damped towel for 10 minutes.
4. Grease a large boil with butter. Gently knead the dough for 30 seconds with hands. Place in the greased bowl and cover with damped towel for 60 - 80 minutes. Let rise in a warm place. The dough will double in size.
5. Punch down the dough. Divide it into 4 balls and place on a greased baking sheet. Cover with towel and let sit in a warm place for 30 - 40 minutes.
6. Preheat oven at 150C. Whisk together water and egg white. Carefully brush the top and sides of dough with egg mixture. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes, until golden brown.
   

Black Bean Burger:

I had made some pretty good burger before but this one is more intricate because of the mixing with different vegetables; it looked vibrant and pretty on the plate. However the patty didn't hold up very well. Not enough bread crumbs?

I soaked the beans for a day before I cooked them. It took less than 2 hours to have them all cooked. With the fresh corns, I just boil them in hot water until they turned into bright yellow.

(make 3 patties)

• 11/2 cup cooked black beans
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 gloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 big red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup cooked corn kernels
• 1 orange chili pepper,chopped
  
• 1 - 2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 - 2 teaspoon American-style chili powder
• 3 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• Organic Rye flour
• Pure Coconut oil to fry
  

1. In a large bowl, mash the black beans. Throw in cooked corn kernels. Set aside.
2. Saute onions and garlic with a generous pinch of salt. Add red bell pepper and orange chili pepper. Stir in spices except parsley.
3. Stir the vegetable mixture into the black beans and corn mix. Add parsley and bread crumbs. Divide and shape the mixture into 3 patties. Store in the freezer for 10 minutes.
4. Remove patties from freezer. Coat them with flour.
5. Heat up a pan of coconut oil to boiling but not smokey. Turn the heat to medium. Fry the patties, about 3 minutes on each side.
   

To serve:

• Mango and Avocado Salsa
• Spinach leaves, chiffonade

Place spinach leaves on individual serving plates. Top with mango and avocado salsa and black bean burger. Serve buns on the side with a slate of butter.