Southwest black bean and corn mini burgers with a smokey paprika cashew cheese

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon neutral tasting high-heat oil, plus 2 tablespoons
• 1⁄2 large onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
• 1⁄2 cup corn, fresh or frozen
• 1⁄2 large red or orange bell pepper, finely chopped
• Dash sea salt, plus 1⁄2 teaspoon
• 1⁄4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed
• 1⁄4 teaspoon chipotle powder
• 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons agave nectar
• 3⁄4 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup bread crumbs or 2 slices spelt bread
• Whole grain mini burger buns
• Ketchup, mustard, pickle relish, tomato and lettuce (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat large (6-quart) pot over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon oil. Add onion and garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Add corn, bell pepper, dash of sea salt and black pepper. Cook until mixture is slightly browned, about 3-4 minutes, and set aside.
2. In a food processor, combine black beans, chipotle powder, 1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and agave. Pulse together 5-8 times. Add oats and bread crumbs or spelt bread. Pulse until uniform, scraping down sides to further incorporate into food processor. Transfer to a large bowl.
3. Add cooked onion and pepper mixture to bowl and fold into veggie burger mixture.
4. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat and add remaining oil. With damp hands, form burgers into patties and place in heated pan. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side or until browned. Serve on a toasted mini bun with cashew cheese, if using and desired toppings!

Cashew Cheese Ingredients (gluten-free)

• 3⁄4 cup cashews
• 1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 teaspoons agave nectar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons neutral tasting oil
• 1⁄4 cup unsweetened almond or soymilk
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme, stemmed and finely chopped

Directions:

1. In a large food processor or high-powered blender, pulse cashews, garlic powder, sea salt, agave, paprika, oil, almond or soymilk and lemon juice.
2. Blend until smooth and uniform, scraping down sides of machine as needed.
3. Fold in thyme once mixture is creamy.

About Spork Foods
Spork Foods is a gourmet vegan food company owned and operated by sisters Jenny Engel and Heather Goldberg. They offer live vegan organic cooking classes in Los Angeles at Spork Foods. Their cookbook, Spork-Fed, is currently in stores, with a foreword by fellow fans and sisters, Emily and Zooey Deschanel. Heather and Jenny are Chef Ambassadors for two major corporations, GO Veggie! Foods and Setton Farms. They teach all over the country and the world reaching about 10,000 people a year. For more information please visit www.sporkfoods.com

About V-Lish
V-lish.com is your resource for the recipes, videos, and tips you need to join in on finding, or creating, the most luscious meat-free meals around. For more information please visit  www.V-lish.com