Once again proving that burgers do not have to be unhealthy, this one’s a nutritional powerhouse full of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, as well as healthy fats and extra health-giving spices.

You will need

• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (or 1 cup same, cooked, drained, and rinsed)
• 3 oz walnuts (if allergic, substitute with pumpkin seeds)
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tbsp flax seeds
• ½ red onion, finely chopped
• 1 small eggplant, diced small (e.g. ½” cubes or smaller)
• 1 small carrot, grated
• 3 tbsp finely chopped cilantro (or if you have the “this tastes like soap” gene, then substitute with parsley)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped (adjust per heat preferences)
• ¼ bulb garlic, crushed
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust per heat preferences)
• ½ tsp MSG or 1 tsp low-sodium salt
• Burger buns (you can use our Delicious Quinoa Avocado Bread recipe if you like)

For the guacamole:

• 1 large ripe avocado, pitted, skinned, and chopped
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tomato, finely chopped
• ¼ red onion, finely chopped
• ¼ bulb garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp red chili pepper flakes (adjust per heat preferences)

Method

(we suggest you read everything at least once before doing anything)

1) Process the walnuts, chia seeds, and flax seeds in a food processor/blender, until they become a coarse mixture. Set aside.

2) Heat a little oil in a skillet, and fry the red onion, aubergine, and carrot for 5 minutes stirring frequently, then add the garlic and jalapeño and stir for a further 1 minute. Set aside.

3) Combine both mixtures you set aside with the rest of the ingredients from the burger section of the recipe, except the buns, and process them in the food processor on a low setting if possible, until you have a coarse mixture—you still want some texture, not a paste.

4) Shape into patties; this recipe gives for 4 large patties or 8 small ones. When you’ve done this, put them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, to firm up.

5) While you wait, make the guacamole by mashing the avocado with the lime juice, and then stirring into the onion, tomato, garlic, and pepper.

6) Cook the patties; you can do this on the grill, in a skillet, or in the oven, per your preference. Grilling or frying should take about 5 minutes on each side, give or take the size and shape of the patties. Baking in the oven should take 20–30 minutes at 400℉ / 200℃ turning over halfway through, but keep an eye on them, because again, the size and shape of the patties will affect this. You may be wondering: aren’t they all going to be patty-shaped? And yes, but for example a wide flat patty will cook more quickly than the same volume of burger mixture in a taller less wide patty.

7) Assemble! We recommend the order: bottom bun, guacamole, burger patty, any additional toppings you want to add (e.g. more salad, pickles, etc), top bun:

Enjoy!

Want to learn more?

For those interested in some of the science of what we have going on today:

• Level-Up Your Fiber Intake! (Without Difficulty Or Discomfort)
• Chickpeas vs Black Beans – Which is Healthier?
• Kidney Beans or Black Beans – Which is Healthier?
• Coconut vs Avocado – Which is Healthier?
• Our Top 5 Spices: How Much Is Enough For Benefits?

Take care!

Pancakes have a bad reputation healthwise, but they don’t have to be so. Here’s a very healthy crêpe recipe, with around 20g of protein per serving (which is about how much protein most people’s body’s can use at one sitting) and a healthy dose of fiber too:

You will need

Per crêpe:

• ½ cup milk (your preference what kind; we recommend oat milk for this)
• 2 oz chickpea flour (also called garbanzo bean flour, or gram flour)
• 1 tsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp ras el-hanout (optional but tasty and contains an array of beneficial phytochemicals)
• 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
• ⅛ tsp MSG or ¼ tsp low-sodium salt

For the filling (also per crêpe):

• 6 cherry tomatoes, halved
• Small handful baby spinach
• Extra virgin olive oil

Method

(we suggest you read everything at least once before doing anything)

1) Mix the dry crêpe ingredients in a bowl, and then stir in the milk, whisking to mix thoroughly. Leave to stand for at least 5 minutes.

2) Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil in a skillet, add the tomatoes and fry for 1 minute, before adding the spinach, stirring, and turning off the heat. As soon as the spinach begins to wilt, set it aside.

3) Heat a little olive oil either in the same skillet (having been carefully wiped clean) or a crêpe pan if you have one, and pour in a little of the batter you made, tipping the pan so that it coats the pan evenly and thinly. Once the top is set, jiggle the pan to see that it’s not stuck, and then flip your crêpe to finish on the other side.

If you’re not confident of your pancake-tossing skills, or your pan isn’t good enough quality to permit this, you can slide it out onto a heatproof chopping board, and use that to carefully turn it back into the pan to finish the other side.

4) Add the filling to one half of the crêpe, and fold it over, pushing down at the edges with a spatula to make a seal, cooking for another 30 seconds or so. Alternatively, you can just serve a stack of crêpes and add the filling at the table, folding or rolling per personal preference:

Enjoy!

Want to learn more?

For those interested in some of the science of what we have going on today:

• Level-Up Your Fiber Intake! (Without Difficulty Or Discomfort)
• Three Daily Servings of Beans?
• Lycopene’s Benefits For The Gut, Heart, Brain, & More
• Our Top 5 Spices: How Much Is Enough For Benefits?
• Sea Salt vs MSG – Which is Healthier?

Take care!