spicy black bean veggie sliders

- mains, vegan -

Long time no see... again. When life gets busy, the blog is the first thing to go off of my agenda. I am trying to get better at getting more consistent, but it gets hard when I feel like making the same 10 basic dishes every few weeks. These black bean veggie sliders are everything but boring, however. Finally felt like getting out of the same ole same ole routine, and I am glad I did.

​Do not get me wrong, these are not a mock-burger. I still enjoy meat, but these are a great way to get a few extra veggies in and still eat a filling meal. This recipe is a great one to use as a base because you can add other veggies in. 
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INGREDIENTS

1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 small butternut squash or sweet potato, pealed and cut into cubes
1.5 bell pepper of any color, roughly chopped
1/2 red onion, roughly chopped
2.5 medium carrots, grated
3 tablespoons of diced green chiles (from a can)
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp mustard powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne (leave it out if you want it slightly less spicy)
​1/2 tsp paprika
2 tbsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2-4 tbsp oil (avocado or extra virgin olive is best)
​slider buns or rolls
​toppings (i suggest avocado)

DIRECTIONS

1. boil your sweet potato or squash cubes in a pot of water with a pinch of salt until fork tender. 
2. put the bell pepper and onion in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. remove from food processor and place on triple lined paper towel or a kitchen towel. squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the veggies. place the dry veggies in a bowl
3. add the grated carrot and diced green chiles to the bowl.
4. once the squash or potato is soft, drain it and add it to the food processor. puree until smooth. 
5. add the black beans and pulse 3-4 times until slightly broken down. you still want there to be some texture in the beans. 
6. add the bean and squash mixture to the veggies and mix to combine well.
7. mix the spices and breadcrumbs in a separate bowl then add them to the other ingredients. 
8. stir to thoroughly combine.
9. using an ice cream or cookie scoop (or a 1/4 cup measure), scoop out even patties then use your hands to form them into circular disks. the recipe should make about 12 small slider sized patties. 
10. if making ahead of time, put them on a parchment-lined tray sprayed with oil spray before chilling.
11. heat a large cast iron pan with 2 tablespoons of oil on medium heat.
12. once the oil is pretty much warm, add the patties in an even layer (you will have to do batches) and cook until brown, about 2-5 minutes. flip and cook until the other side is brown and remove to a plate to cool. repeat with remaining patties, adding more oil to the pan as necessary. serve on warm slider buns with avocado.