SOUTHWESTERN BLACK RICE AND RED BEAN VEGGIE BURGERS

According to the legend back in the day, black rice was reserved for the enjoyment of exclusively the emperors and royalty in China. This was mostly due to the fact that the rice was so delicious, rare, and nutritious. They gave it the name forbidden rice as it was not accessible to the peasants; who could actually be killed if caught with black rice without approval of the proper authorities. Luckily now a days, it is widely available in most health food stores!

Black rice is very high in the antioxidant anthocyanins, also found in blueberries and acai, but without the sugars of the later.  It is also high in iron, fiber, and specifically vitamin E. 
Here, I blended this amazing rice with mashed red kidney beans, and a mixture of onions and peppers to make these tasty and nutritious veggie burgers with a slightly spicy Southwestern flair. 
They are sure going to impress friends at BBQ's, and you will have a great story about the origin of black rice to tell!

SOUTHWESTERN BLACK RICE AND RED BEAN VEGGIE BURGERS

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups of cooked red kidney beans (about 1 cup dried, soaked overnight in water)
2 1/2 cups of cooked black "forbidden" rice, (about 3/4 cup dried)
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 onion, chopped small
3 garlic cloves, chopped small
1 orange, yellow, or red pepper, seeded and chopped small
1 Anaheim chili pepper, seeded and chopped small
1/3 cup of frozen corn (preferably organic to avoid GMO's), thawed
1 tablespoon of cajun seasonings
1 teaspoon of cumin
1/2 teaspoon of allspice
1 1/2 cup oat flour* 
Sea salt and pepper to taste
*To make oat flour: put 1 1/2 cup of gluten free old fashion oats in a blender, and blend until you get a coarse flour consistency



Preparation:

To cook the black rice:

Rinse the rice in a sieve. Bring the rice and 1 1/2 cup of water to a boil in a medium saucepan, then reduce the heat to low, and let simmer.  Keep it covered until most of the water is absorbed, for about 30 minutes. Stop the heat and let the rice stand, covered for 10 more minutes

To cook the red beans:

Rinse the soaked beans, Bring to boil in a medium sauce pan with about 8 cups of water. Reduce the heat to medium-low,and let them simmer for about 60-90 minutes, until tender. Add water if needed during cooking. Once tender, let them cool, and drain before using.

To make the burgers:

In a large skillet, heat up the olive oil under medium heat, and add the onion and garlic. Cook for about 3-4 minutes until translucent.
Add the peppers and corn, and cook another 5 minutes until softened. Remove from the heat.
In the mean time, put the drained red kidney beans in a food processor, and process until you get a chunky puree consistency. Do not over mash!
Add the mashed beans, the forbidden black rice, the spices, and the oat flour atop the onion and pepper mixture, and mix together until it is all blended evenly. Season with sea salt and pepper, then let it cool.
Form burger patty by using a 1/2 cup measuring cup, placing them on a board, so that they are all equal in size. 
Refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.

To assemble: 

Put the patties on the BBQ, or saute them in a pan with a little olive oil for 2- 3 minutes per side.
I like to serve them on whole wheat buns, with mashed avocados, lettuce, and tomatoes.  But feel free to use any breads/condiment that you like.

Bon appetit!

This will make 10 patties