BLACK BEAN BURGERS

Serves: 6 to 8

■ 2 x 14 oz. (398 ml) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

■ 1 lb (454 g) medium sized mushrooms

■ 1/2 lb (225 g) onions, approximately 1 large, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch (6-mm) half moons

■ 4 tbsp (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

■ 1 cup (250 ml) cooked brown rice

■ 5 tbsp (75 ml) vital wheat gluten or wheat gluten — check the package to confirm it has around 75 per cent protein

■ 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) salt

■ 1 tsp (5 ml) smoked paprika

■ 1 tsp (5 ml) sweet paprika

■ 1 tsp (5 ml) granulated garlic

■ 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) ground black pepper

■ 2 tbsp (30 ml) nutritional yeast

■ 1 tbsp (15 ml) tomato paste

■ 2 tbsp (30 ml) tahini

■ 2 tbsp (30 ml) soy sauce

■ 1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetarian Worcestershire sauce (use regular if it’s not a concern)

■ 2 tbsp (30 ml) water

1. Heat the oven to 350 F

(175 C). Spread the beans out in a single layer on a rimmed, parchment lined baking sheet. On a separate rimmed baking sheet, toss the mushrooms and onions with the oil and spread out evenly.

2. Place both in the oven and roast until most of the beans split open and skins starting to crisp, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven.

3. Give the mushrooms a stir and return to the oven until they are brown and shrivelled, about 35-40 minutes total time. Some of the onions will look black and that’s fine. Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 300 F (150 C).

4. Place the wheat gluten, salt, paprikas, garlic, pepper, yeast, tomato paste, tahini, soy sauce,

Worcestershire and water into a food processor. Pulse until the mixture comes together evenly.

5. Add the mushroom mixture and pulse until chopped a bit smaller than a pea. (You can also chop them by hand if a food processor is unavailable and mix the wheat gluten mixture by hand. Then combine the two mixtures.)

6. Liberally oil an 8-x-8-inch (20-x-20-cm) baking pan or line with parchment paper. Press the bean mixture evenly into the pan and smooth the top. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and let sit until cool enough to handle.

7. Combine the gluten mixture, rice and beans. Mix well with your hands until thoroughly blended. Pick up a patty-sized portion and form it into a patty.

8. A tiny bit of cracking around the edge is fine, but if there are a lot of cracks in the patty and the mixture seems dry, add 1 tbsp

(15 ml) of water to the mixture and test again. If more moisture is needed, add water in 1-tsp (5-ml) increments.

9. Form into 8 small or 6 larger patties; 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) is a good thickness, but they will heat through faster if 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick. You can use a ring mould or round cookie cutter for shaping.

10. Heat a liberal amount of your oil of choice in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the patties without overcrowding and turn the heat to medium-low.

11. Low heat is important as the burgers brown quickly. Carefully flip and brown the other side. Keep warm in a low oven and cook the remaining patties.

12. Serve on buns with the condiments and toppings of your choice.

Storage notes: The patties can be frozen for up to three months. Cook them from frozen.