what's cooking: spicy three-bean veggie burgers

I just love veggie burgers. I do. And recently, we've begun making our own. These are outta this world! The recipe makes a ton of them, so we usually shape the extras into patties and freeze them (before cooking) for later. Better yet, just have a picnic and invite a bunch of friends over!

spicy three-bean veggie burgers
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 can great northern beans
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
3 eggs
1 Tbsp Tabasco sauce
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 cups plain bread crumbs
2 Tbsp olive oil

Add the carrots, onion, garlic, and jalapeno to a food processor and blend until finely minced. Rinse the beans and drain well, then add the beans, eggs, and spices and blend until combined (the mixture will be very wet). Transfer the bean mixture to a large mixing bowl and add the bread crumbs, one cup at a time, to the beans. Mix thoroughly until the mixture assumes a drier, slightly crumbly texture (you may not need to use all 4 cups).

To cook, add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Form patties from the bean mixture (using about 1/2 cup)--we like them about 1/2 inch thick--and cook them for about 3-5 minutes per side, until the patty is heated through and gets a nice, crispy texture on each side. Then just add your favorite fixin's and dig in! This recipe makes at least a dozen "burgers" depending on what size you make them.