Black Bean Burgers with Avocado Sauce

I found this recipe in one of my cookbooks and it is awesome.  My only issue was that the burgers never really firmed up in the middle, so I'm not sure if I need to tweak the recipe a little or just keep cooking them longer.  The flavor is great though!

The sauce that does with them is basically like a thinner guacamole, with a little green bell pepper thrown in.  Serve them with these fries, and you will have yourself quite a tasty dinner! 

(adapted from The Healthy Hedonist by Myra Kornfeld)

Burgers:

1/2 cup unsalted pumpkin seeds

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup diced onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 15 oz can black beans, drained

2/3 cup water

3/4 cup bread crumbs

Toast the pumpkin seeds in a frying pan until they begin to pop.  Grind in a food processor and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low.  Add the onions and 1/2 tsp salt, and saute until soft, about 8 minutes.

Add the garlic, chipotle, cumin, and oregano, and cook, stirring, for one minute.

Add about a third of the beans and 1/3 cup water, and mast the beans with a potato masher or fork.  When the liquid is absorbed, continue with another third of the beans and the remaining 1/3 cup water.

Mash the beans well, then add the remaining beans and continue mashing until the mixture is mostly smooth.

Cook, stirring, until the liquid is all absorbed.

Remove from heat and let cool 15 minutes.  Stir in the pumpkin seeds and 1/4 cup bread crumbs.

Spread the rest of the crumbs on a plate.  Shape the bean mixture into 4" patties, coating on both sides with the crumbs. 

Place on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and chill 30 minutes.

To cook, heat a little olive oil in a skillet over medium heat until hot.  Add the patties and cook 2-3 minutes on each side.  

Sauce

1 tbsp olive oil

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

salt

1/4 cup water

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

1 ripe avocado

1 cup fresh chopped cilantro

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium, until hot.  Add the bell peppers and saute until soft, 5-7 minutes.  Add the green onions and cook an additional minute.  Transfer to a blender, add a generous pinch of salt, and add the remaining ingredients.  Blend until smooth.