My New Favorite Lunch

Okay - this might not be the most extremely healthy vegan* (nay! It's vegetarian!) thing ever invented, but it's danged good!  I started making this sandwich even before vegan-izing and have since removed the cheese.  You can just add that cheese right back in if you want!  It was mighty tasty with it, but it's mighty tasty without it, too!  My mom likes it and she's totally not vegan (said in my best junior high voice).

*oops!  I just realized (two weeks later) that the black bean burgers are not vegan! They're vegetarian, but they use egg whites and other stuff as binders.  darn.  While I'm a tainted vegan, I'm going to have an oatmeal cookie with butter and eggs, wallow a while in my misunderstandings, and then start again fresh tomorrow.

I"ll talk you thru it, then I'll post a proper recipe that you can cut/paste at the bottom if you like.  First, saute about 1/4 chopped yellow onion in olive oil over med-high heat.  After it's as soft or caramelized as you like it, add a couple generous handfuls of fresh greens (you can use spinach, kale, beet greens - whatever you like best!  I usually use spinach or kale.)  Saute 'til they're soft but not, y'know, liquified or disgusting.

I usually just use spinach or kale. This pic has lettuce, too, and it was a little weird.
Straight-up spinach is yummiest!

Meanwhile, prepare your "meat" and bread.  Heat one Morning Star Farms spicy black bean burger.  I just microwave it for 1 1/2 minutes, but you can heat it however you prefer.

You can use whatever burger you want, but the spicy black bean is BEST!

Take one slice of really good bread (italian or french crusty bread, or, my personal favorite, Dave's Killer Good Seed Bread.  Decorate it with a generous amount of your favorite barbecue sauce (I know! that's the not-so-healthy part, because my favorite has corn syrup as the first ingredient, I think.  But it's still not that bad for you.).

Put the sauteed greens on the bread. (Here's where you would add a small handful/sprinkling of feta, if you're so inclined.)

Top with the heated black bean patty and chow down!

I don't really recommend serving this with a pickle.  Lily just wanted her pickle in the picture.

You could put another bread on top, to make it look more finished, but you'd definitely need more bbq sauce, I think.  I like mine open-faced and just pick up the droppings with a fork.

It's pretty danged tasty!

Here's the recipe for two:

BBQ Spicy Black Bean Sammy
extra virgin olive oil for the pan
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
4 to 5 cups of fresh greens (spinach, kale) (It sounds like a lot, but it cooks down I promise!)
2 Morning Star Farms Spicy Black Bean Burgers, heated
2 large slices of really good bread (crusty bread or Dave's Killer bread)
Barbeque Sauce to taste
Crumbled Feta Cheese to taste (optional)

Preheat olive oil.  Saute onion until soft.  Add greens and saute until wilted.  Prepare burger as directed.  Put a generous amount of bbq sauce on each slice of bread.  Add sauteed greens/onion mix, sprinkle feta over the top (if you're using it), then top with the heated burger.  Dig in!  Easy, tasty.  Great way to get your greens in for the afternoon!

Let me know what you think!  And if you have tweaks, more ideas, etc., I'm in!  We're always on the prowl for new yummy vegan eats!