Black Bean Sliders with Baked Squash Chips

Beans Beans they're good for your heart, and if you cook them right they won't make you f....t! :D  Well that's not true they will make you toot and well that's just a fact of life.....TMI?

Black Bean Sliders wonderfully flavorful and so cute! Plus they are of course nutritional and cheap!!!  I'll provide the recipe for the burgers, but you'll have to get creative with whatever you have in your pantry for the toppings.

Here's what I used:

For my toppings as you can see I made some guacamole and a mixed one Chipotle Adobo pepper (remove the seeds) and a tablespoon of the sauce into about a quarter cup of mayo.  I also chopped up a sweet orange bell pepper and mixed it into some of the Spicy Mango Ginger Habanero sauce.  I had plenty of that sauce left from the Mango Ginger Habanero Drummettes I made a few weeks ago.  Lastly I sauteed up some onions and mushrooms then piled them on a burger with Swiss cheese.  So get creative and come up with your own fancy toppings. Please let me know what you created.

Along side these protein packed sliders I served Crunchy Baked Squash Chips.  Spray a oven safe baking rack into a cookie sheet and coat wtth non-stick spray.  Wash and dry two medium sized squash.  I used zucchini and yellow squash.  Slice your squash into 1/4 inch thick coins.  Whisk two egg whites until frothy.  Dip the squash in the egg then dredge it in a combination of 1 C Panko Breadcrumbs, 1/2 C flour and 1/2 C Parmesan cheese.  Place squash onto the rack coated and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.  Keep an eye on these, my first batch came out a bit darker than I would have wanted, but they were delicious just the same.

You could also serve your Black Bean Burgers with Crispy Baked Parmesan Asparagus too. These are soooo goood!

Here's how you make the Black Bean Burger:

Drain and rinse both cans of black beans, but keep them separated.  Dump one can of beans into the blender with 1 small onion chopped, a small bunch of cilantro (about 2 T). 1 egg, 2 cloves of garlic minced and S&P to taste.  Blend until very well mixed.  Scrape into a mixing bowl.

Add 1/2 C of Panko Bread Crumbs and remaining can of whole black beans.

Mix well to incorporate the bread crumbs and allow them to absorb some of the moisture.  No it's not pretty but either is ground beef really.

Heat a counter top griddle to 350 degrees or heat a skillet over medium-high heat.  Be sure to coat whichever surface you are using with non-stick spray.

With a medium size ice cream scoop drop your burgers onto the hot griddle and lightly press them to flatten with the side of the scoop. 

 Cook until brown then Carefully flip and brown the other side.  Roughly 5 minutes on each side. 

Remove burgers and toast your buns.  Stop steering at your burgers they may look funny but believe me they are tasty, lite and good for you.  Add your favorite condiments and serve them up.  The men folk in this house didn't know they weren't meat by looking at them, until I said something.  They devoured them!

 Black Bean Sliders with Crunchy Squash Chips! 

 Get after it!

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Mango Ginger Habanero Drummette Lollipops

Mango Ginger Habanero Drummette Lollipops

The retailer I work for was so gracious to bump our employee discount up to 20% this weekend,(seriously?).  Anyway it's better than nothing.  Being a lover of all things housewares and gourmet food related I am actually quite pleased to be in charge of that department.  I get to see all the new products before anyone else and can ferret them away before they are gone. Teehee!!!

One of the things I found was a bottle of Mango Ginger Habanero Sauce.  I love flirting with the heat of the Habanero it is so darn hot, but also has a good flavor.  I despise hot just for the sake of being hot.  As you know the Habanero was once the Worlds's hottest pepper known to man.  Go Trinidad!!!

I enjoy chicken wings, but hate the mess of eating them.  Turning them into lollipops eliminates that icky sticky mess.

Here's a quick and super easy, nearly lazy, snack I made today before heading off to work....

You'll need:
1 small package of chicken wing drummettes.  (1.21lbs)
1/4 C Mango Ginger Habanero Sauce

and perhaps a glass of milk....

 

In a small sauce pan over medium-low heat reduce 1/4 C of the Mango Ginger Habanero Sauce to a syrupy consistency, about 10 mins.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grab the thin end of the drummette firmly, then carefully cut through the skin surrounding the bone, using a sawing motion and turning it around. Don’t try to force it, let the knife do the work.  Once the skin is cut all around, use your knife to scrape down the meat from the bone. Cut through the silver skin. Push the meat down to the other end.  At this point you can either turn it inside out or leave the skin on the outside.  I prefer the skin on the outside so it can crisp up.

Season with salt and pepper and place on  baking sheet with a rack.  This will allow some of the fat to leave, and promote even roasting.

 

Roast your drummette lollipops at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  

 

 

Remove and en-robe your roasted chicken wing drummettes in the Mango Ginger Habanero syrup.   Serve with a glass of milk. Enjoy!!!

  These are so good!

Habanero Eating Contest anyone!?!

Crisp Spicy Okra Pickles

This is a snack I was introduced to in Texas at a friends home warming party. I'm not a big fan of 'the okra' there's just something about that slimy mucus, yuck gag me! It's good fried of course, but with my goal to make better dietary choices fried is not an option.

I was so fascinated with this pickled okra as I'd never heard of them before a few months ago.  So, I took a little nibble and was shocked at how good they really are. They are crunchy and spicy, better than a dill pickled cucumber in my opinion (okay maybe not).

You've got to try them and they're not just a Texas thing.  You can get them in any grocery store y'all.  Enjoy! 

Just in case they're not at your local grocer here's a recipe to make your own homemade Crispy Spicy Okra Pickles. 





Crispy Spicy Pickled Okra:

2 pounds okra, stems trimmed
8 garlic cloves
1 cup fresh dill
4 Serrano peppers-seeded, membrane and stem removed
2 teaspoons  red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons cumin seed
4 teaspoons kosher salt
3 cups apple cider vinegar

4-pint sized mason jars

• Evenly divide between the four jars the okra, dill, Serrano chiles and garlic cloves.

• Bring the vinegar and spices to a boil and pour into the jars. Fill up the rest of the jar with water.

• Let them cool for about half hour then cover and refrigerate.

Allow your jars of pickles to sit in the refrigerator to marinate in the brine for a day, they'll be ready tomorrow.  After that they will keep in the refrigerator for a few months.  Note: These cannot be stored in the pantry.

I really do enjoy pickled veggies like Red Cauliflower Pickles, I can hardly wait to try those too.