Black Bean Burger Sliders

three kind with red, white and blue ravioli & fresh basil pesto

So, I had time on my hands and wanted to scratch cook something special this 4th of July. I made the buns, patties and pesto from scratch (I cheated with the ravioli, though). Here’s how you can pull this off.

For 12 buns, you’ll need…

11 oz (300g) all purpose flour | 7 fl oz (200 ml) tap water | 1 1/2 Tbsp (20g) olive oil | 2 tsp yeast | 1 tsp iodized salt

Here’s how it works:

In a kneading machine, mix all ingredients together and knead until smooth. The dough is perfect when the surface is slightly sticky and feels like the sticky part of a post-it. Cover with a damp cheesecloth and let the dough rise until doubled. Knead again, cover and let rise until doubled.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit or 230 degrees Celsius. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Sprinkle a stone surface or wooden cutting board with flour. Cover your hands with flour. Place dough on floured surface and divide into 12 even pieces. Form 12 small buns, place them on the sheet pan leaving a good space between each bun. Flatten each bun a little with your hand. Cover again, let rise for about 20 minutes, then bake on the middle shelf until golden brown, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Now the patties…

1 cup (170g) quinoa | 30 oz black beans canned | | 1/2 tsp iodized salt | juice of 1 lemon | 2 Tbsp olive oil | 2 garlic cloves | 1/2 medium onion | 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro  | 4 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Prepare the patties:

Cook quinoa as per instructions on the package. Strain beans and transfer to a blender. Add salt, lemon juice, oil and garlic. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a mixing bowl and combine with cooked quinoa, chopped onion, cilantro and sesame seeds.

With wet hands, or wearing latex gloves, form small patties. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

For the pasta with pesto…

4 cups fresh basil | 1 garlic clove | 1 cup olive oil | 2 Tbsp pine nuts | 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese | 2 packages red, white and blue ravioli

Here’s how:

Cook the ravioli as per instructions on the package. For the pesto, blend basil, garlic, oil, pine nuts and parmesan until you have a smooth paste. Toss ravioli in pesto.

Bring all of it together…

12 scratch-baked buns | 12 home-made bean patties | lettuce, tomato, pickles, swiss cheese, brie, cranberry sauce, leftover roasted vegetables, pineapple and any toppings you yearn for |  4 sides of ravioli with pesto

Assemble your masterpiece:

Grill the bean patties. Cut the buns in half. Prepare your toppings. Top one burger with Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato and pickles. Top a second burger with brie cheese and cranberry sauce. Top a third burger with roasted vegetables and pineapple.

On each plate, serve the 3 mini burgers with a side of pesto ravioli. Enjoy with unsweetened home-made iced tea, an ice cold beer or champagne with frozen berries.

Happy Holiday!