Black bean and barley burgers w/ lime cilantro aioli

Ooo Oooo Ooo...I have found a go-to burger I can feel good about and really, really love! Hubby and I wanted to try something new for dinner, and while veggie burgers aren't exactly a new adventure for us, this particular burger had not yet been attempted in our household. I'm a fan of a black bean and barley burger at a nearby restaurant here in NOVA, and since we didn't have bulgur, I subbed in barley. Bulgar could have been used in the same context though. When I found the recipe, Ken was onboard as soon as I said "lime aioli". He's very much a "dip" kinda guy and likes to make hummus, guacamole, and really any dip he can find that doesn't involve cheese. Have I mentioned he's not a fan of cheese? Nope. How the heck did I end up with this guy?? Oh yeah...he will eat pizza though. I'll never figure that one out... 8-) It's a good thing he's good lookin'!

Sooo...luckily, we had everything on hand other than the yogurt and lime, but we were on our way out to Trader Joe's anyway. One lime and a quart of non-fat, plain yogurt later, and we were in business! All we needed to do was throw the yogurt, mayo, cilantro, garlic, lime juice and zest, and a splash of salt and pepper in the food processor. A few pulses later, it was ready! We are serious fans of lime and the brightness the flavor brings to food. It's as if it wakes up the meal! We were majorly loving this aioli, and it was even better after sitting in the fridge for a couple hours waiting for dinner time to arrive.

I know I've said it here on the blog a few times, but  I'm going to say it again. As a vegetarian, finding a good veggie burger recipe that will sear in the pan as well as beef is crucial. if it's a floppy, soft mess, I'm not going to like it. At all. I think this burger was the best sear I've ever had on a veggie burger to date. Just look at 'dem pictures!! One tip when placing the patties in the pan is to shape them with a fairly flat bottom and top. This will allow the entire patty to get that yummy browning and crispy sear! Even Ken was like, "Geez! That looks like a real burger!" 

Another thing I want to note is that this burger also bonded like nobody's business! A lot of times, my from scratch recipes have a patty that doesn't quite stick together and subsequently falls apart in the pan which royally ticks me off. This had one egg, but in the end, I don't even think it needed it! Maybe it was because of the switcheroo I did with using barley instead of bulgur, so I don't want to tell anyone not to use the egg. All I mean is that this recipe could easily go vegan if you like, sans aioli of course.  What I also did differently (after coaxing from Hubby) was to take the barley mixture from the pan and pulse it a few times in the food processor to get it broken down a bit, rather than keeping it whole. What I mean by that is that the pulsing kept the barley partially whole, but turned it into somewhat of a paste, which helped the binding. While I fought him on it initially because I really enjoy some texture in a veggie burger, Hubby was 100% right. It did help, and it still left a bit of texture which crisped up really deliciously during the searing process in the pan. I will add it into the directions so that everyone can do it!

See what I'm talking about!?

 I managed to get five patties from this recipe, and three are in the fridge waiting for another night. I have a big old box of premade veggie burgers in my freezer, but blah! I'm absolutely done with store bought veggie burgers. I plan on making a batch or two of these, freezing the min individual patties, and having them on hand as my hi-to veggie burger. Saves money and geez, it's a no brainer! Yummy, cheap, good for you, and homemade?? Yes, please!

Dinner is served with Hubby's homemade cole slaw which I looooooove!

GET COOKIN'!!

This recipe was adapted from a recipe in Gourmet magazine.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus additional for brushing
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/2 cup bulgur (I used barley, but the preparation is the same)
• 1 (14-oz) can black beans, rinsed, drained and mashed
• 1/2 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcesterchire sauce
• 1 egg, slightly beaten (or egg substitute for vegan)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 whole wheat hamburger rolls

Optional toppings: lettuce, tomato, red onion (Whatever you like!)

For Lime-Cilantro Aioli

• 1/4 cup prepared mayonnaise (I did 1/8 cup)
• 1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt (I upped the yogurt to 1/2 cup, and used plain, nonfat)
• 1 lime, zest and juice
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat olive oil in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, sauté onion until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Add bulgur (or barley) to pan along with 1 cup of water or broth.  Cover and simmer on low until water is absorbed, about 15-18 minutes. Place barley mixture into food processor and pulse until it becomes somewhat paste-like.
2. Put cooked bulgur (or barley) in a large mixing bowl with remaining ingredients and mix well.
3. Form into 4 patties, about 1/2 cups of mixture per patty.
4. Chill at least 20 minutes.  While patties chill, prepare aioli by pulsing all ingredients in a blender or food processor until blended.  Chill until ready to use.
5. In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon oil.  When hot, drop in patties and cook until golden, about 5 minutes per side.
6. Serve on whole wheat rolls with Lime-Cilantro Aioli and desired toppings (lettuce, tomato, red onion, avocado)