Smoky Vegan Sweet Potato-Avocado Veggie Burgers

Back from camping!

My dad and I went for a two-day hike up in Sierra Nevada range, near a place called Lake Sylvia. Did you know that the entire range is granite? We passed by a ton of it, and it's a geographical feature that I have very rarely seen before this point (I came from Arizona, where our mountains were covered with both pine trees and cacti-- we didn't have the plants that are here in CA, and most of our landscape consisted of pine needles on dirt or maybe some red rocks, if you happened to be down in Sedona). There were also a ton of marmots and birds, and we saw two snakes that were just gorgeous. There were some bumps: it was wicked cold that night and the trail was pretty much all uphill, but I had an amazing time nonetheless. Being on the trail makes it easy to leave your worries about anything behind.

Isn't that just beautiful? It's amazing how a drive and about five miles of hiking can bring you to such beautiful places. That's something that I really love about nature, as I feel like it provides these moments of zen that really are a break from the chaos of my busy schedule. The only places I have ever felt truly spiritual, as if my soul is being touched by something, are in nature and when looking at art. There is nowhere else I would rather be than in nature and the mountains, and no other person who I could cherish it with more than my father. (I know, I'm a sappy person who waxes poetic in an obnoxiously stereotypical way. Stick with me, the food part is coming soon).




Naturally, after camping food (which wasn't even that bad: I had lasagna the first night and then quinoa-apple oats the next morning, not to mention a dark chocolate cheesecake mousse for dessert that night), I couldn't stop thinking about all the food we had at home. We had a few other foods (trail mix, Luna bars, some chocolate covered espresso beans, even dried apples which were awesome), but it's not the kind of things that I'm really used to eating, exactly. I was really craving warm things, which I feel was understandable considering the fact that I spent about six hours that night shivering and wondering if my toes were going to be OK. One recipe kept popping up into my head, particularly during the freezing cold night that I spent outside the tent on the trip (I had to see the stars!): Veggie burgers.



Recently my dad has been big into grilling because we got a new, fancy grill about a month ago (I swear, this guy is pleased by the easiest things! I think he is happier about the grill than the new car he bought a few weeks ago... still love him!). At the same time, I've been big into Avocados (who hasn't?? This is such a great time for them, particular being in CA at the moment with a farmer's market across the street from where I work). Add in some spice and smoky-sweetness with a vegan patty that combines hearty black beans, smooth sweet potato, peppers, and onions, and you've got an awesome combo.They hold together very well and have the added benefit of oats (instead of breadcrumbs!) and a ton of healthy fats and vitamins.

These don't have to be spicy (you can use bell peppers or leave out the chipotle peppers), but I am originally from the Southwest, so a little kick makes everything better to me! The avocado really helps cool down the spice, too; also, I just now thought that maybe adding ranch would be good? I'll have to make them again and try it out. Regardless, these veggie burgers are quite healthy and obnoxiously delicious, so much so that I think we have made the recipe three (four? five?) times by now? It's an addiction. 

Smoky Sweet Potato-Avocado Veggie Burgers (Vegan!)

Serves 6      Serving Size: 1 burger with avocado

Ingredients:

• 6 canned adobo chipotle peppers (7.5 oz can with no sauce) (If you are not a fan of heat, I would cut this in half or skip them entirely)
• 5 ¼ Oz pepper (bell or poblano- 1 lrg) roughly chopped
• 6 Oz shallots (2 large) roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, cut in half
• 6 Oz cooked sweet potato, no skin, lightly mashed with a fork
• 1 (15 oz) can reduced sodium black beans, drained
• 1/4t salt
• 6 oz oat bran (aprox 1 3/4 c.)
• Cooking spray
• 1 large avocado
• 6 whole wheat burger buns, toasted*

Optional other toppings: tomato, mustard, sautéed mushrooms, arugula, lettuce

Instructions: 

1. Preheat your grill to 450F (high heat).
2. In a food processor, finely dice both peppers, shallots, and garlic. Add sweet potato and black beans, along with salt, and pulse until the mixture is relatively smooth and most beans are pulverized. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl and stir a few times to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed.
3. Stir in oat bran in two batches. Your end result should be slightly moist, but easy to manipulate into the shape of a burger. It should hold its shape together when placed onto aluminum foil or a plate. Form the mixture into six burgers
4. Spray with cooking spray, and transfer to the grill (bottom rack, main heat). Cook for approximately 8 minutes per side. 
5. Thinly slice avocado, and divide it evenly among the six burgers. Put on buns, and build whatever combination of burger ingredients you so please! My personal favorite is adding tomato, arugula, and humus.

*Nutrition information does not include bun, because it is so variable. I used buns that are about 150 calories each; my recommendation is to find smaller buns if you are watching your calories.

Nutrition Information

Sodium: 257mg

Total Fat: 6g

         Saturated: 1g

         Mono: 3g
         Trans: 0g

Sugar: 4g

Protein: 10g

Calories: 212