28 Day Challenge.... Day 1

28 Days of Challenge 

Howdy!

I've decided to pick up the Engine2 28 Day challenge and am participating through Whole Foods Market.  Over this month I will learn how to switch out dairy, meat, eggs and processed foods; discover plant based protein options, learn cooking without oil and sustaining a plant based living option.

I am brushing up on how this all works as I have been eating plant based for over a year.  More on that later.  Let's move on to my first day recipe on the Challenge.

I am hooked on the PBS series, A Chef's Life.  I love Vivian Howard's story and I could sit and listen to her talk all day.  BUT, there are very few things that she makes that I can eat...except 1...  her ButterBean Burger, with a few modifications. 

Here's the original recipe.  And here's mine:

Better ButterBean Burgers

4 cups butterbeans, also called baby lima beans in the freezer section of your grocer

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

3 teaspoons salt, divided

2 large yellow onions, peeled & sliced very thinly with the grain

1/4 cup white wine

2 T. red wine

1/2 cup roasted garlic puree, or 5 whole heads of raw garlic 

3 teaspoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon chipotle powder or chili powder

1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire 

1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice

2 T ground flax seed 

1 cup fresh Ezekiel bread crumbs (use blender to make bread crumbs, approx. 2-3 slices of bread)

Wrap 5 heads of garlic up in aluminum foil.  Pop into oven as you preheat it to 450 degrees.  Allow garlic to roast while you prepare the beans.

Cover the butter beans, bay leaf, and black pepper with cool water in a 4 quart pot. Bring the butter beans up to a simmer and skim off any scum that rises to the top. Cook the beans until they are completely tender and add 2 teaspoons of salt to the pot. Let the beans sit for about ten minutes in the seasoned water, then drain, reserving the liquid to use as veggie broth.

Meanwhile, in a medium sauté pan, cook the onions dry with a lid on over medium heat for about 30 minutes, or until they are slightly caramelized.  When they start to color and stick to the pan, deglaze with white wine and then red wine to bring up the color. Stir well. Allow some of the liquid to evaporate. Set aside.

Remove garlic from oven, unwrap until cool enough to handle.  Squeeze out the roasted garlic buds into a food processor and the puree.

In a large bowl, toss the beans together with everything else but the bread crumbs and onions. Transfer this mixture to the bowl of a food processor and blend until it’s mostly broken down. You should be looking at a mixture that is about 70% paste and 30% recognizable pieces.

Transfer the contents of the food processor back to the bowl and stir in the bread crumbs. Let the burger mix rest for about 30 minutes. 

Divide the bean mix into 12, roughly 5 oz portions and patty them out to 1/2 inch thickness. I make mine 3'' in diameter and get about 15 burgers. Pat the burgers out onto a silpat lined cookie sheet.  Cook in 450 degree oven 20 minutes; flip burgers over and then 10 minutes on the reverse side.

Serve on whole grain toasted buns with my favorites, the grilled onions, siracha ketchup, dill pickles, tons of fresh spinach shreds and green pepper slices.  Also good served plain with a side salad.