Black Bean Burgers

My roommate Matt is a vegetarian which has inspired me to experiment more with non-meat meals.  I had made black bean burgers before but I wanted to spice them up (literally) and add some more veggies.  I messed around with several different variations and finally perfected these.  You can make these in 20-30 minutes and, best of all, make a big batch and save them for the entire week.   Here's the recipe.  ENJOY!

Recipe:
2 cups of black beans (soaked and drained) or
1 can of black beans (much easier)
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 cup shredded sweet potatoes (1 big 2 small)
3/4 cup shredded zucchini
2/3+ cup good bread crumbs
1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (do you dare...)
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
1 egg
3 tbsp fresh cilantro (optional)
several dashes of hot sauce (sriracha) http://www.huyfong.com/no_frames/sriracha.htm


Directions:
First, preheat the oven to 350 and cook the sweet potatoes for about 12 minutes just enough so they can be shred easily.  Let cool then shred with a cheese grater (seen above).
Open and rinse the beans and place in a large bowl (seen above).  Mash slightly to allow for other flavors to meld then add the minced garlic, sweet potatoes, zucchini, bread crumbs, and seasoning.  Mix well with your hands (it's not cooking unless you're getting your hands dirty), then add the egg and hot sauce mix some more and you're ready to go.  If you wish, add cilantro as well and form patties (usually makes 4 burgers).  Put some olive oil in pan and cook on each side for about 4 minutes (I like it crispy but you just need to cook them long enough for the egg to cook).  
I serve on a cibata bun with mustard, and goat cheese on the bread and a sliced tomato with spinach and some more sriracha.  Now give them a shot, as they truly are delicious and anyone will love these guys!