Veggie Burgers

If you ask me, a burger without meat is not really a burger. Even though Everyday Food calls these bad boys a Veggie Burger, I call it a tasty sandwich. The patty is mainly made of bulgur and beans, with a few mix-ins to give it some flavor. The patty is pan fried to give it a crisp outside, and it remains soft in the middle. I really enjoyed them, they had great texture and taste.

Veggie Burgers with Tahini Mayonnaise
from Everyday Food
serves 4

Ingredients:
•1/2 cup medium-grind bulgur
•Coarse salt and ground pepper
•1 can (14 1/2 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
•1/4 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
•4 scallions, thinly sliced
•1 large egg
•1 large carrot, coarsely grated
•1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
•2 tablespoons tahini (sesame-seed paste)
•3 tablespoons vegetable oil
•4 whole-wheat English muffins, toasted
•Tahini Mayonnaise  (see below for recipe)
•Lettuce

Directions
1.In a medium bowl, mix bulgur with 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt and 1 cup boiling water. Cover bowl, and let sit until bulgur is tender (but still slightly chewy), about 30 minutes. Drain in a fine-mesh sieve, pressing to remove liquid.
2.Place beans in a medium bowl; mash with a potato masher until a coarse paste forms. Add breadcrumbs, scallions, egg, carrot, cayenne, tahini, and bulgur. Season with salt and pepper, and mix to combine. Form mixture into 4 patties, each about 1 inch thick.
3.In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-low. Cook patties until browned and firm, 5 to 8 minutes per side. Serve on English muffins with tahini mayonnaise and lettuce.

Tahini Mayonnaise:
Makes about 1/2 cup

1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon tahini (sesame-seed paste)
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions
1.In a small bowl, whisk together light mayonnaise, fresh lemon juice, and tahini; season with coarse salt and ground pepper.

I couldn't find any tahini at the grocery store, so I used sesame oil instead. Because sesame oil is so strongly flavored, I used just under half the amount that the recipes called for.

Overall, these sandwiches were great. They are healthy, tasty, and filling. I loved using English muffins as a bun. I can't wait to make these again!