Kale Black Bean Poblano Burger with Japanese Steakhouse Dip

I wanted to use up the kale I bought which came chopped in a bag.  I thought of incorporating it in a recipe I had used before in this blog, here. Instead of tofu, I used cauliflower and walnut mixture as the meat substitute. 

Since I used a whole poblano pepper,  the burger came spicy but good. I needed something to cool down the tongue to complement the heat of the burger.  I decided to use the Japanese Steakhouse Dip I brought from Sawa Restaurant. Wow. It was perfect pairing.  I concocted a no oil and vegan version of the dip from a recipe from this source.  Wow wow. You should try this combination.

Kale Black Bean Poblano Burger with Japanese Steakhouse Dip

Adapted from previous blogpost

• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 1/2 or 1 whole poblano pepper, stem and seeds removed
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/4 head of a cauliflower
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp chipotle from can
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp chia seeds in 3 tbsp water, allowed to steep for 10 minutes
• 2-15oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups loosely packed kale leaves, chopped
• 2 cups panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place all the ingredients except the panko bread crumbs in the blender or food processor in the sequence given and pulse before adding the next item in the sequence if using a blender so as not to overload the blender.  Transfer to a bowl and add the bread crumbs to the mixture and blend well.

Form into large or small patties.  Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. Serve with the Vegan Japanese Steakhouse Dip (recipe below).

Vegan Japanese Steakhouse Dip

Adapted from this source

• 1 cup vegennaise (I used low fat)
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• a dash of cayenne pepper

Place all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix with a fork or a whisk till smooth.