Spicy Black Bean Sliders

Meatless Mondays will be an on-going menu option for Eric and I. It's a smarter way of eating because it's one day of the week where I'll plan a meal with no meat, and it's budget friendly. We'll save on our butts and wallets -yup, it's a double winner for menu planning. Sadly, Eric recently went to the doctor for his yearly check-up and received some bad news that his cholesterol was a little high which meant that he had to cut back on red meat (which we don't eat alot of). No worries hubby, we will cut back and figure a way to lower it.

Exercise and healthy meal options with the occasional indulgent only weekend meals will be my focus. I love how these look similar to little hamburger patties, but definitely have the texture of black beans. Be careful when warming the patties on grill pan, they might break apart if you flip them. You must make the Spicy dressing, it truly completes the meal and adds a spicy kick to your meatless meal. Enjoy!

Spicy Black Bean Sliders
Adapted from Delicious Meliscious
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
4 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Sriracha
1 teaspoon freshly chopped cilantro leaves
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon whole-wheat flour
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
Cooking spray (Misto)

Preparation:

In a food processor, add the black beans and garlic - puree the black beans until it is fully incorporated. Add the seasonings of red pepper flakes, paprika, worchestershire, sriaracha, cilantro, egg, flour and breadcrumbs. Pulse again until everything is fully mixed. Form into small patties using your hands (about 1/3 cup) and arrange onto a plate.

In a large grill pan over medium-high heat, add a couple sprays from your misto or cooking spray. Add the patties and let them sear patties for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until they have a nice crust. Remove the patties onto a paper towel lined platter. Assemble the sliderss with a patty, lettuce, fresh tomatoes and red onion on the little burger buns. Top with a good drizzle of Spicy Dressing and serve.

Spicy Dressing:
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons of ketchup
3 tablespoons of Sriarcha
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped finely
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, add the sriarcha, ketchup, maple syrup, garlic powder and cilantro. Whisk in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish on top of the the black bean sliders.

Review: These were really good sliders, and with the addition of the Spicy dressing - it completed the slider. The dressing was not too spicy but with the sweet maple syrup and the spicy Sriracha sauce - it made a great burger. This was an easy meal to prepare for a weekday dinner, and basic burger ingredients found in the pantry. It was definitely the healthier router for everyone to enjoy. I look forward to more Meatless Monday options!