Sunday Afternoon Bean Burgers and Bittersweet Chocolate Fudge Dip

To compete or not compete, that was indeed the question.

When I saw Isa Chandra Moskowitz post a challenge on the Post Punk Kitchen Facebook page on Friday inspired by the TV show Chopped, my first reaction was, "it's too bad I won't have time to enter a recipe!" It only took me a moment, however, to change my mind completely. I love Chopped, I love the PPK, and I love this game my fiance so adorably calls "food blog." It would have been silly for me to have sat this one out. And I'm so glad I did it!

Just like in the show, Isa gave her competitors four ingredients with which to make a dish (or two... maybe). Those ingredients were blackberries, fresh mint, bittersweet chocolate, and canned blackeyed peas. An interesting combination, to say the least. A panel of judges will be choosing a winner on Tuesday who will receive some radical prizes. Read all of the rules here.

I had honestly no experience with blackeyed peas whatsoever. But my favorite thing to do with beans of any kind is to make burgers! So true to my form, that's what I did.

After making a special trip to the grocery store this morning, I had all of my ingredients and was ready to go. I started with my dessert, which was easy enough, but my heart nearly sank when I opened my can of blackeyed peas to find that the majority of it was brine. The one can provided me with approximately one cup of legumes. I thought for sure that it wouldn't work, but things ended up weaving themselves together just fine. See?

So let's get to my recipes!

Bittersweet Fudge Dip

This is a thick, flavorful dip that's super easy to make. When I saw that blackberries were on the list, I knew that I wanted to make a dip for them. It's my favorite way to eat berries of any kind. I'm kind of a "purist" when it comes to fruit. I like it as whole as possible, uncooked, and fresh.

INGREDIENTS
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2 tablespoons vegan butter
1/2 cup small vegan marshmallows
1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
Blackberries (strawberries would also be real nice!)

DIRECTIONS
Add all ingredients to a medium sized microwave safe bowl. Cook for three minutes. Stir well to ensure that the marshmallows and chocolate have completely melted. You may need to return them to the 'wave and stir again. When you've reached an even consistency, transfer to a serving bowl and refrigerate. Let warm on the counter for a few minutes before serving. It gets really thick so you'll have to use a spoon! You can use a fork, fork a berry, and dip into the fudge, too.

Sunday Afternoon Bean Burgers

These delightful fritter-like burger patties are flavorful and filling and so easy to make. The blackeyed peas provided a full-bodied flavor and I was very pleased with what they brought to the mix. I expect that other types of beans would work well, too, like chickpeas or black beans. I'll definitely be making these guys again.

INGREDIENTS
1 medium shallot, finely diced
1/2 of a jalepeno, seeds removed and finely diced
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, partially thawed
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 cup canned blackeyed peas, drained (or a whole can, if you're lucky enough to get one! Ha!)
1 14-ounce can petite diced tomatoes in garlic and oil, drained
1/4 cup fresh curly parsley, minced
1 teaspoon fresh spearmint, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin seed
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon potato starch
3/4 cups chickpea flour
1/4 cup shredded vegan cheddar cheese (optional)
Oil for frying

DIRECTIONS
In a nonstick pot or pan, heat the olive oil. Saute the shallot, jalepeno, and corn until thoroughly cooked, approximately five minutes or so. Remove from heat.

Using the S-blade in your food processor, pulse the blackeyed peas until they reach a uniform consistency. Just a few times is all you need.

Transfer beans and saute mix to a large bowl and add all remaining ingredients except flour and cheese. Mix well, add flour 1/4 cup at a time until the batter is thick but not runny. It doesn't have to be dry to the touch and you will get it sticking to your fingers if you touch it. Add cheese and stir to combine.

Warm a small amount of oil in a large frying pan on medium heat. Add dollops of batter to the pan and shape into rounds with a wooden spoon as you do. Cook two at a time, three minutes on each side, adding oil to the pan as you add new batter.

Let stand on paper towels before serving to absorb some of the oil.

Makes 6 patties.

Chopped Vegan Conclusion

I'm so glad I participated! It was a lot of hard work but I really enjoyed myself. And check out all of the other wonderful entries other people have posted. There are nearly 100 entries and the deadline isn't until tomorrow. Wow!

I have to admit, though, I'm not sure my entry is going to qualify considering it's more like two dishes as opposed to an entree with side or condiment like most other entries where the ingredients aren't used in one recipe. 

I guess one of the points is to stretch your culinary muscles. I used to be what most people considered a "food wimp" before I became vegetarian. Heck, including the mint in my burger patty was something I almost, almost didn't do. But I'm glad I did it! It added a bit of depth and most assuredly added complexity to it, overall.

This is a great contest and I'm just thrilled to be somewhat involved. I'm off to bookmark a few of the other entries and I can't wait for Chopped Vegan #2!

Thanks for reading!