Austerity Cooking

If I have to read another "recipe" involving condensed soup or taco mix packets I am going to go apoplectic. So in the spirit of "You think you can do better?" here is what I made for dinner tonight. If you bake your own bread and cook your own beans it is even cheaper. What's more, it tastes better than the frozen meat substitutes which are all TVP anyway.

The coleslaw is a departure for me as I usually make mine without mayo-I ended up with more of the stuff than I can use, so I am actively seeking out recipes for it. I may have to bake the dreaded mayonnaise cake at this point.

I froze a few of the prepared burgers-I'll post again when I use them to let you know how it went.

Black Bean Veggie Burgers With Cole Slaw-serves 6-8 with leftovers:

For the burgers:

3 cups black beans, soaked and cooked with three bay leaves until quite soft.
2 thick slices of bread (three if using store-bought) crumbled
1/2 cup (more or less) all purpose flour
1 cup frozen peas, cooked and drained
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
cooking oil
Salt, pepper, ground cumin, chili powder to taste

In a large bowl mix together the beans and crumbled bread-let sit while you fry the onions and garlic in a bit of oil. When onions are cooked through, add to the bowl along with peas and seasonings. Mash together. At this point, begin adding flour until it comes together and will hold shape as patties. Form into patties and put on a plate. Chill at least fifteen minutes before frying.

Heat a bit of oil in a pan (a couple tablespoons) and fry the burgers over medium heat until browned. repeat on other side. Serve with cheese if you like.

For the coleslaw:

6 cups shredded cabbage
2 cups shredded carrots
about 8 scallions, chopped

Dressing:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Salt and Pepper
2 tablespoons sugar

Mix it all together and chill well before serving.