There’s something that always surprises me and it’s that most people do not buy grain (other than rice). If they do buy corn, beans or peas, they get them more expensive in a can, already cooked, slimy, with preservatives and other added chemicals. I’ve always been a fan of every kind of wheat, corn, barley, lentils of all colors, etc. But now that I live on a boat, they just seem magical to me. They are so good for your health! You can buy any bag for under a dollar and, inside a good container, they’ll last for years, literally. You can stock 20 different types in your pantry and trust they’ll be there when everything else fails!

Today, at noon, we were hungry and we didn’t have many options. We have totally run out of fresh foods since the veggie boat has not come for over 20 days now and we have already eaten all the stuff we bought in Panama. Today we had fresh garlic and some leftovers from last night: cooked green peas, lima and kidney beans and a tiny bit of rice. We did not even have one egg left. What did we make? We made up some yummy bean burgers!

 

Ingredients:

+ any cooked beans or grain (even rice)

+ any veggies you have around

+ oats

+ salt, spices and herbs

+ we also used oat bran, wheat germ and sesame seeds

 

Procedure:

+ put the cooked grain and veggies in a bowl

+ process the mix into a paste with a fork or with an appliance (do not be too thorough, it’s nice to see bits of color here and there)

+ add the salt and seasoning (we used chili sauce, pepper, paprika and masala)

+ try it for flavor, add whatever you feel it’s lacking

+ add oats by the tablespoon and stir until the mix gets a bit dry, not so sticky, easy to handle.

+ make little burgers with your hands

+ cook them on a non-stick pan with a tiny bit of oil until they are crunchy outside

+ enjoy!!!

 

As soon as we finished cooking them we thought they would be great for long passages: they can be made from any dry grain at any given time, they are easily stored in our little fridge, they are full of nutrients, taste great, they can be eaten cold and without using plates or cutlery.