Veggie Burger Patties

As you all know, vegetables can be quite bland. To me, they are the manna of the food world, especially black beans and lentils. As in the case of manna, you have to put in work and creativity to transform vegetables into something delicious. I have made black bean patties and zucchini patties in the past, following someone else’s recipe. But this time I decided to put the two together and make my own version of a veggie burger patty. I did not follow any recipes here, but sort of made a trial-and-error recipe that would be nutritious and packed with flavor. I actually do not like to eat vegetables very much despite how much I know it’s truly good for my body. But the taste and flavor of this recipe has the stamp of approval from Missionary Grace and Jessica Rothrock.

This relates to today’s communion passage with Jesus because we have to eat Jesus’ flesh and drink His blood to have union with Him and also to have Eternal Life. Just like how Jesus’ body was beaten and mutilated for our sins, the black beans and lentils had to be beaten to a pulp. Even though it is hard to eat, once you eat Jesus’ flesh and drink His blood you will be packed with spiritual nutrients to feed your spiritual body and bring you to be with Jesus. In the same way, eating vegetables helps nurture your physical body.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of black beans

3/4 cup of Trader Joe’s red split lentils

3/4 cup of red onion

3/4 cup of zuchini

3/4-1 cup of ground flaxseed or flax meal

1 teaspoon of smoked paparika

1/2 teaspoon of chili powder

1 teaspoon of cumin

1-2 tablespoons of agave

2 tablespoons of white miso paste

1-2 tablespoons of Nutritional Yeast

1 teaspoon of salt or to taste

Step 1: Simmer/boil black beans in a pot of water for about 2-3 hours or you can just use a can of black beans.

Step 2: Cook red lentils in a pot of water until soft and tender for about 30 minutes.

Step 3: Transfer the black beans to a bowl and use a smasher. (Drain as much liquid as possible)

Step 4: Add drained red lentils to the smashed black beans and wear gloves and squish the two together until well combined.

Step 5: Add the red onion and zucchini to the same bowl with the lentils and black bean mixture. The zucchini should be shredded and moisture needs to be drained out by use of a paper towel, cheese cloth, or a strainer. Mix ingredients together well with a spatula.

Step 6: Add agave, salt, cumin, smoked paprika, nutritional yeast, white miso paste. Mix everything well with a spatula.

Step 7: Add the ground flaxseed of flax meal to the mixture and combine well.

Step 8: Add oil to the skillet and cook until browned on each side or put in the oven at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes. Oil both sides of the veggie patties and flip the patties at around 15-20 minutes and bake for the remainder of the time.

Enjoy!