Black Bean Burgers

My mother-in-law is fond of saying, "Don't make the same mistakes I did; make new ones." Her logic is sound: learn from the mistakes of others and build upon it, accepting that you will make mistakes too. Tonight's bean experiment was for an item that I have eaten quite a few times in restaurants and from store bought (freezer section) versions, and I've been meaning for quite a while to do it myself and just haven't gotten around to it. Tonight's dinner was black bean burgers with tomato slices and leaf lettuce with chips and pickles on the side. I used a good looking recipe from Sandra Lee on Food Network.

Problem one: my garlic was a bit strong, and the other, more subtle flavors were drown in garlic. I'm not sure if that was completely my garlic or if it was also the fault of the amount called for in the recipe.

Problem two: the directions really didn't mention that the mixture is fairly sloppy. Actually, I have no idea how I would have been successful doing these on an indoor grill. I decided to do half the burgers in an oiled skillet over medium-low heat and the other half on a piece of foil on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. The ones in the skillet were exceedingly difficult to flip and by the time they were quasi solid, they were sticking to the pan even though I had drizzled it generously with olive oil. The ones in the oven looked much better until I tried to flip them over and they were just about as miserable as the skillet version.

So I'm including the recipe below. I won't be making this one again, but I will be trying another recipe. I'll post what happens with future attempts!

1/2 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 T chopped garlic (I would really reduce this to 1 tsp)
2 15-oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained, divided
2 T chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tsp chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 egg (I used 1/4 cup Eggbeaters)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 c. bread crumbs (I used whole wheat)

1.  In a food processor, pulse onion and garlic until finely chopped. Add one of the cans of beans, cilantro, parsley, egg, and red pepper flakes and pulse to combine.
2.  Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl, add the remaining can of black beans and the bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper if desired, and mix until well combined.
3.  Divide mixture into 8 - 9 patties (I used 1/3 measuring cup, leveled off).
4. Directions said to cook on a hot oiled grill or grill pan over medium-low heat for six minutes each side.