It's been a while since I last updated. Still nursing an injury, and still not posting much due to life being incredibly busy. But I figured I'd share a little gem of a meal that has been great for my busy evenings.

The star of this meal is the spicy black bean chipotle burgers from Gardenburger. You could use any kind of vegetarian burger you like, including homemade ones, really, but I love these. They're spicy and flavorful, and good for you, to boot. When I'm in a hurry, they're a reliable source of flavorful energy. Packed full of fiber (5 grams each) and vegetables, they're a tasty way to help get your fiber and veg for the day. They're so healthy that you can have two without worrying about overdoing it.

First, I fry the burgers in a pan in just a little bit of oil, giving them 5-6 minutes each side over medium heat. You can use any kind of oil, I use nut oil. I don't like using corn oil for a variety of reasons, and olive oil isn't great for frying. Make sure they're frozen when you start cooking them. I have friends who make them in the toaster, but I find that this is a good way to make your toaster rather icky, and rather fast.

I top the burgers with a heaping spoonful of salsa, as well as 1/4 of an avocado, which is split between two burgers.  

At this point, I really enjoy wrapping my spicy black bean chipotle burgers and toppings in lettuce. Yes, you could use a bun, but there's something about the cool, wet, crisp lettuce together with the texture of the warm, slightly soft, spicy burgers. The best kind of lettuce for this is iceberg, but I've been known to use romaine, as well. The trick is to use a lot of lettuce, and to wrap it up in something that will keep it together - you can use food-grade butcher paper for best effect, or brave the paper towel experiment, or even use saran wrap. Anything that will keep it from completely exploding in your hands. Of course, sometimes the exploding in your hands part is half the fun.

You can put other stuff on these bad boys - try sprouts, fresh tomato... anything you'd put on a burger, really, and then some. A fried egg can really make things interesting, but then you lose some of the health quotient. There is something about fried eggs (in butter!) that is appallingly delicious, though. Especially when those eggs come from your local co-op.

Try it! Tell me how you like it.