Spicy Butternut Squash & Black Bean Burger

There's nothing quite like a messy burger, is there? I love them. And what I enjoy most about veggie burgers is the endless possibility of combinations. Kale, apples, squash seed, and persimmon, are just a few of the things I have snuck into a garden burger.

They are such a great way to increase your vegetable intake, even with veggies you might not like. This burger is a favorite, however I do love butternut squash. It is slightly sweet, earthy and pretty spicy.

Recipe: Spicy Butternut Squash & Black Bean Burger

Ingredients:
• 4 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup of uncooked quinoa
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1/4 cup red onion, minced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 serrano chile, minced
• 1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 cup pistachios, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs.
• Olive oil

Instructions:

1. Toss the butternut squash with just enough olive oil to cover and place it in a baking dish. In a preheated oven at 400 degrees F, roast the butternut squash for about 45 minutes or until it is super tender.

2. Wash and clean the butternut squash seeds and then fry them in a small frying pan over a medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When they just begging to brown, transfer them to a paper towel lined colander and finish them with sea salt.

3. Bring 1/2 cup of water to a boil. Add the quinoa, reducing it to a simmer and cover. Cook for about 10 minutes until the quinoa is tender.

4. Add the roasted butternut squash to a large mixing bowl and mash. Add in the black beans and mash them too. Fold in the cooked quinoa, chili powder, ground cumin, coriander, butternut squash seeds, pistachios, and salt.

5. Lightly sweat the red onion, garlic and serrano chiles in a small sauce pan with one tablespoon of olive oil over a medium heat. Fold that into the mixture.

6. Fold in the bread crumbs.

7. Using a biscuit cutter, make your veggie patties. You don't have to do this but I am a bit anal retentive.

8. Add one tablespoon of olive oil to a cast iron skillet and warm it over a medium-high heat. Fry the burgers until they are browned on each side, adding more oil as needed.

Enjoy!