Veggie Burgers!

I have tried so many veggie burger recipes, and all of them have turned out sub-par. So one day, I decided to use ingredients that I thought went well together and would hold their shape. Not only do these hold their shape and look like a real burger, they are de-li-cious! If you don' t have a good veggie burger recipe, give these a try!

Ingredients:

> Half a butternut squash (top half), peeled and cubed

> 1/2 white onion, chopped

> 1 can black beans, strained and rinsed

> 1 tsp cumin

> 1 tsp garlic powder

> Salt, to taste

> 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed then cooked

> 1/3 cup chopped bell pepper (any color)

> 3 small spicy peppers, membrane and seeds in, minced

> 1/2 cup bread crumbs (I use Panko)

> 2 tablespoons flour

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Directions:

> Add cubed butternut squash to boiling water, boil for ten minutes, strain and mash. Add to a mixing bowl. Set aside.

> In a medium sized sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add your chopped white onions and sauté until almost browned, about 5 minutes. Add the black beans and toss together. Cook until the liquid has mostly evaporated, about another 5 minutes. Take off the burner. Add the garlic powder, cumin and salt. Stir until combined. Mash together until you have a mushy mixture with bits of whole beans here and there. Add to the mixing bowl.

> Once your quinoa is cooked, add that to the mixing bowl as well.

> Add the chopped bell peppers to the mixing bowl, as well as the minced spicy peppers and bread crumbs.

> Add a good amount of salt. Mix thoroughly. The mixture should be light brown in color, with chunks of beans and peppers evident. Lightly sprinkle the flour over the mixture, and mix in again, thoroughly. Press down the mixture so there are no spaces or places where air can get in. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

> Preheat the oven to 400 and grease a baking sheet. Set aside.

> Heat a non-stick pan on medium heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Form your patties and cook on either side until browned.

> Once both sides are browned, lay the patties on the pre-greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes. Toward the last few minutes, add some sliced cheese if you like, and let it melt during its last few minutes in the oven.

> Serve however you want! These are delicious on a bun with mayonnaise and avocado. Pile them high with all the fixings- tomatoes, onions, pickles, ketchup.... Enjoy!