Best-Ever Beet and Bean Burgers

Process the oats in a food processor until they have reduced to a fine flour.

Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

Drain and rinse one of the cans of beans and transfer the beans to the food processor. Scatter the prunes on top. Pulse in 1-second bursts just until the beans are roughly chopped not so long that they become mush 8 to 10 pulses.

Transfer this mixture to a large mixing bowl.

Drain and rinse the second can of beans and add these whole beans to the mixing bowl as well.Grate the roasted beets: Use the edge of a spoon or a paper towel to scrape the skins off the cooled roasted beets; the skins should slip off easily. Grate the peeled beets on the largest holes of a box grater.

Transfer the beet gratings to a strainer set over the sink. Press and squeeze the beet gratings to remove as much liquid as possible from the beets. (You can also do this over a bowl and save the beet juice for another purpose.)

Transfer the squeezed beets, cooked rice, and sauted onions to the bowl with the beans.

Sprinkle the olive oil, brown mustard, 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, and thyme over the top of the mixture.

Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat.

Add a few tablespoons of vegetable oil to completely coat the bottom of the pan. When you see the oil shimmer and a flick of water evaporates on contact, the pan is ready.

Transfer the patties to the pan. Cook as many as will fit without crowding; I normally cook 3 patties at a time in my 10-inch cast iron skillet.Cook the patties for 2 minutes, then flip them to the other side. You should see a nice crust on the cooked side. If any pieces break off when you flip the burgers, just pat them back into place with the spatula. Cook for another 2 minutes, then cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 4 more minutes until the patties are warmed through. If you're adding cheese, lay a slice over the burgers in the last minute of cooking.

Serve the veggie burgers on soft burger buns or lightly toasted sandwich bread along with some fresh greens.Recipe Notes:Freezing Burgers: Burgers can be frozen raw or cooked. Wrap each burger individually in plastic or between sheets of parchment paper, and freeze. Raw burgers are best if thawed in the fridge overnight before cooking. Cooked burgers can be reheated in the oven, a toaster oven, or the microwave.Grilling Burgers: While I haven't had a chance to try grilling these burgers, they are firm enough to do well on a grill, particularly if you cook them in a grill pan or other device. You may also want to add an egg to the mix to help the burgers hold together better.Making Your Own Beans: Northstar makes their own black beans for their burgers. If you would like to do this, try cooking your beans with an onion, a clove or two of garlic, and some dried ancho or chipotle chile peppers for extra flavor.This post and recipe have been updated first published October 2009.