We’ve been spending a lot of time with our first few 4 Your Benefit Newsletters talking about our EAP (Employee Assistance Program). This is because it is one of our newest benefits and we don’t think that people know about it.

This month is National Nutrition Month and we think it’s another great time to bring up the EAP because did you know that our EAP provides fun, healthy recipes to try?

If you go on to the EAP website and log in, then click “Thriving” on the left side and then select “Healthy Recipes” from all of the tiles, you can browse them there.

Here is just one we found we’re going to try out:

Black bean burgers with chipotle ketchup

These black bean burgers may be prepared ahead of time and frozen.

1 1/4 cups dried black beans, picked over and rinsed, soaked overnight, and drained
3 cups water
1 bay leaf
2 plum (Roma) tomatoes, peeled and seeded, then diced
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce, minced
1 3/4 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 red bell pepper (capsicum), seeded and chopped
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 green (spring) onion, thinly sliced
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup fresh whole-grain bread crumbs
6 whole-grain hamburger buns
6 slices tomato
6 slices red onion
3 bibb lettuce leaves, halved

In a large saucepan over high heat, combine the beans, water and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and simmer until the beans are tender, 60 to 70 minutes. Drain and discard the bay leaf.

While the beans are cooking, make the chipotle ketchup. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the tomatoes, half the yellow onion, half the garlic, the tomato paste, vinegar, chipotle chili, 3/4 teaspoon of the cumin and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced and the mixture is a thick sauce, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In a frying pan, heat 1/2 tablespoon of the canola oil over medium heat. Add the remaining yellow onion and saute until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the bell pepper and the remaining garlic and saute until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, transfer the mixture to a bowl and let cool. Set the pan aside.

In a food processor, combine the drained beans, onion mixture, brown rice, pecans, green onion and the remaining 1 teaspoon cumin. Pulse several times until the mixture is coarsely pureed. Fold in the beaten egg and bread crumbs. Form the mixture into 6 patties, each about 3/4-inch thick.

In the same pan used for the onion mixture, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook, turning once, until nicely browned on both sides and heated through, 7 to 9 minutes total.

Serve each burger on a bun topped with 1 tomato slice, 1 onion slice, 1/2 lettuce leaf and a dollop of the ketchup.

DASH Recipe
Fats: 1
Grains: 2
Vegetables: 2

Diabetes Recipe
Fats: 1
Meat: 2
Non-Starchy Vegetables: 1
Starches: 4

HWP
Carbs: 2
Fats: 1
Protein/Dairy: 2
Vegetables: 1

Nutrient Analysis
Calories: 432
Cholesterol: 31 mg
Fiber: 10 g
Protein: 17 g
Saturated Fat: 2 g
Serving Size: 1 prepared burger
Sodium: 538 mg
Total Fat: 12 g

If you don’t know how to log in to our EAP, please reach out to Jennifer Gertz at [email protected]

Last Updated on April 11, 2024