Recipe Friday and a Giveaway Winner!

I'm finally feeling like myself again, which means I'm back to work and working out!  YAY!  I was starting to go a bit stir crazy.  Yesterday I hit the gym for an easy run on the 'mill + some body weight work as per coach Ming (and holy smokes was that hard!).   Then I did my 1 hour ride when I got home.  He originally suggested I do an easy spin but I actually missed the pool so I asked if I could swim instead and he said that was ok.   I didn't want to wait until Sunday to get another swim in.  It's always painful to get back in the pool after missing a few days so I figured the less time away, the better.  Today's swim wasn't great but at least I got something done so Sunday should suck less. 

Today I'm linking up with Kierston at Candy Fit for #RecipeFriday.  Those of you that follow me on instagram would have seen my black bean & quinoa burger shots from earlier in the week...well guess what folks?  I'm sharing the recipe.  They turned out quite well, other than they were a bit too crumbly for my tastes.  I might omit the ground flax seed next time I make them.  These are not vegan as I used an egg as a binder but that's an easy fix with an egg substitute.

But first things first.  Before I post the recipe, I've got a winner for the giveaway!

Congrats to Colleen @30minutes4me - you & a friend are headed to the Passport for Change event on Sunday!  Send me an email (phaedrakennedy at sympatico dot ca) with your contact info and I'll pass it along to the folks at Tonic.  They'll be in touch with you about how to claim your prize.

Ok on to the recipe!

Black Bean & Quinoa Burgers

1 - 19 oz can of black beans + 1 cup from another can both rinsed and drained
3/4 cup of cooked quinoa
1 TBSP of ground flax  - optional
1 tsp of ground cumin
1-2 tsp of smoked paprika (depending on how smoky you like 'em - I used 2)
1/4 tsp of onion powder
1/8 of tsp of garlic powder
1/8 of a tsp of Franks Red Hot
1 egg
olive oil

Combine the can of beans with the quinoa, spices and egg in a food processor and puree until fairly smooth.  It's ok if the beans aren't totally mashed up. 
Transfer contents to a bowl and add the remaining beans + flax seed and mix well.  I mashed up the beans a bit more with a fork.
Heat some olive oil a frying pan over medium heat .  Form into 4 large patties.  Place in frying pan and cook for approx 8-10 minutes until golden brown.  Flip gently with a spatula and do the same for the other side. 

These actually freeze fairly well too so I wrapped them up individually and put them in the freezer.  I will top mine with avocado, cheese and sometimes even salsa.  Delicious. 

Tomorrow is supposed to be 9 degrees and rainy.  I can't believe I'm actually excited about the rain!  I'm really hoping it will wash away most of this snow.  I'm supposed to run 23km tomorrow and I suspect it's going to be a nasty slushy mess.  But hopefully it will clear the roads of all the ice and snow and we'll have some good running surfaces once again.  I'm so done with all this white nonsense!  Just give me clear roads and sunshine, PLEASE!

What are your plans for the weekend?