Black Bean Burgers with Mango Salsa...

Always full of surprises, Jeff asked the other day if we could have burgers one night for dinner this week. That really wasn't a big surprise, but what followed is what took me aback - he asked for a veggie burger! That's a new request! Happy to oblige, I gave him a few options and since he's been crushing on mangos as of late, he ended up snatching the recipe for these Black Bean Burgers with Mango Salsa.

Black beans, of course, form the base of these burgers. The beans are smashed chunky-smooth using a potato masher, and ramped up by mixing them with fresh cilantro, Monterey Jack cheese, crisp panko breadcrumbs, cumin, oregano, a touch of ancho chile powder, salt and a finely chopped half to a full serrano pepper. Use a jalapeño if you like and to reduce the bite, take the ribs and seeds out of whichever you use - we, however, used the whole shebang as we both like a little burn. I'd also think about maybe using chipotle peppers in adobo for a more smoky heat.

To help bind the burgers together, an egg is tossed into the mix and once formed into patties, we let them chill in the refrigerator to further aid in them holding together. You don't have to chill them if you are rushed for time, but as I've found with past homemade veggie burgers, this does wonders.

You can cook these bean-y burgers a couple ways. We decided to drizzle our trusty cast-iron skillet with a bare amount of canola oil and crisp each side, warming the middles through. If you don't want to fuss with that, you could use your oven - heat it to a moderate temperature (350) with a sturdy sheet pan inside. Drizzle the pan with oil (or spray with cooking spray) and carefully place the burgers on and bake, turning them over halfway through, until completely heated through, about 20 minutes. I do think the skillet is the way to go as the outside had a good crust, which set off the creamy inside.

For a rejuvenating condiment, these burgers are topped with a brilliant salsa made from chopped mango, bits of shallots, chopped creamy avocado and garlic, which we spiked with fresh lime juice to not only add an acidic note, but to keep the avocado vibrant and green. To serve, we opted to pile the burger, a leaf or two of crisp lettuce and salsa on those flat sandwich thins instead of a bulky burger bun, which may have put us in carb overload - pitas might be a nice, lighter option too.

Recipes
Black Bean Burgers with Mango Salsa