Keeping it Weird in Austin Bean Burger Wraps with Avocado-Tomatillo Salsa

Pairs well with:

Chenin Blanc

This wine is bursting with crisp, refreshing fruit flavors like apple, pear, and melon, making you want to swing your legs off a dock at sunset.

Alternative is a synonym for my hometown of Austin, Texas! The sights, sounds and tastes are very independent, if not down right eclectic. My Keeping it Weird in Austin Bean Burger Wraps with Avocado-Tomatillo Salsa pays homage to the city’s motto and mission to KEEP AUSTIN WEIRD by combining the collective eco and health consciousness of a bean burger with the cultural tastes brought to us by our friends south of the border.Quite tasty cold too, we’ve enjoyed these wraps with a bottle of Sutter Home at many an outdoor live music!

Ingredients:

For Salsa:
2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and diced
3 tomatillos, husked and diced
¼ cup chopped sweet onion, like 1015
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons honey
Salt and pepper to taste

For Patties:
24 ounces cooked cannelloni beans (drain well if canned)
½ cup finely chopped pecans
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 ½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup flour (more if needed)
½ cup bread crumbs
Canola oil for brushing grill
3 ounces Cotija cheese, crumbled
6 whole wheat tortillas

Instructions:

In medium bowl combine avocado, tomatillo, onion, cilantro, lime juice, oil, honey and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Add beans to large bowl and smoosh with the back of a wooden spoon, the consistency should be lumpy. Stir in pecans, garlic and salt until well combined. Next stir in flour and bread crumbs to make a firm, but to overly stiff mixture. If needed, add a bit more flour. Shape into 6 equal sized elongated football-shaped patties; refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up.

Preheat grill to medium high heat.

Brush grill rack with canola oil. Gently place patties on grill and cook 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Take care when flipping because patties will be delicate. Sprinkle crumble cotija cheese on top of each patty and close grill lid for 1 minute to melt. Transfer to platter.

Turn grill down to low and toss on tortillas, flipping once to warm up. To assemble, put a handful of shredded lettuce into center of tortilla. Place bean patty on top of lettuce and spoon on a generous serving of avocado-tomatillo salsa.