White Bean and Basil Burger with Fried Shallots

White Bean and Basil Burger 

(Please don't read this recipe and mistake me for a vegetarian)

My almost 1 year old, Wesley, is obsessed with beans. Since his stomach is pretty tiny, he can only eat so many beans in a day; this means that I have an excess of beans around me all the time.  You will probably see an abundance of bean recipes pop up and I appreciate your continued attention as we move through the bean phase...  

A bean is, for all intents and purposes, a blank canvas. Without a ton of flavor of its own, you can dress it up to make friends with nearly any flavor profile. This recipe uses Great Northern beans but I am sure that Navy beans or Cannelloni beans will also do the trick. I prefer the slightly nutty flavor of these beans so I tend to use them a lot. 

Ingredients: 

3 1/2 cups cooked Great Northern beans

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil 

2 eggs

1/2 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese 

2 tablespoons oil, plus some for cooking 

1 tbsp garlic powder

salt and pepper 

Method: 

Place the beans in a medium bowl and squish them with your hands until you form a lumpy paste. (Mmm... sounds like something you can't wait to eat, right?) It is okay if there are several whole beans still in there- it actually will help to provide a nice texture. 

Add the eggs, basil, oil, garlic powder and a generous amount of salt and pepper.

Combine the mixture well with a spoon and then add the parmesan cheese. I happen to really love cheese and I have made these burgers before with double the amount of parmesan. This recipe reflects my attempts to cut down a smidgen on the dairy intake. 

Once you have combined all the ingredients, heat up some oil over medium heat (I like to use canola oil for this part) in a non-stick skillet. Form patties with your hands and place them into the hot oil. Try not to touch them for  at least 2 minutes, otherwise you might make them fall apart. Cook on each side 3-4 minutes. 

As a garnish for the burger, I sliced and fried some shallots in the leftover oil. I also added some fresh grape tomatoes because they are so sweet and juicy. The burger can tend to be a little on the dry side so it is nice to have the contrast there. 

Place a bed of baby spinach on a toasted slice of Udi's GF sandwich bread (my fav!!) and then stack the burger, tomatoes and fried shallots. I serve this burger with a homemade parmesan cracker- the recipe is below! Enjoy!! 

Homemade Parmesan Cracker:

1 tbsp all purpose gluten free flour

1 tsp water

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Dried basil, oregano and rosemary blend

Preheat the oven to 350F. Stir the flour and water in a small bowl until all the flour is absorbed into the liquid. Add the cheese and stir by hand until well combined. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and then take small handfuls of the cheese mixture and place them on the sheet. Press each little mound down until it is uniformly flat; be careful not to make the edges too much flatter than the centers. Sprinkle the dried herbs onto each cracker. Bake until they turn golden brown (about 10 minutes). Bake for a shorter time if you want them to be a little gooey, and for longer if you prefer them crispier.