Kidney beans originated in Peru and were introduced to Southern and Central America by migrating Indian traders. They were brought back to Europe in the late 15th Century by explorers on their return from The New World. I love their deep red colour, so attractive in bean salads and hot dishes.
When I was researching the nutritional benefits of kidney beans, I discovered that one cup contains about three times the daily dietary requirement of Molybdenum, an essential trace mineral. Deficiency of molybdenum is rare but levels may be depleted by poor diet or long term parenteral feeding often experienced by sufferers of IBD.
These deep red beans are rich in protein and in addition to molybdenum, are a great source of the following :
- manganese
- iron
- phosphorus
- copper
- Vitamin B1
- folate
- Vitamin K
But beware - uncooked kidney beans also contain a high concentration of phytohaemagglutinin, a toxic substance also known as kidney bean lectin. Soaking kidney beans for at least five hours and rapidly boiling them for ten minutes is required to destroy the high levels of this toxin, however, if you are following the SCD then you might like to follow the advice available here. Kidney beans are one of the few legumes allowed for followers of the Specific Carbohydrate Diet but only when an advanced stage of healing has been achieved.
These burgers are best made in advance and stored covered in the fridge. If you eat eggs you could bind the mixture with an egg.
These burgers are best made in advance and stored covered in the fridge. If you eat eggs you could bind the mixture with an egg.
Mediterranean Kidney Bean Burgers GF SCD
450g cooked kidney beans
50g black olives (optional)
2 red or yellow peppers
1 large carrot450g cooked kidney beans
50g black olives (optional)
2 red or yellow peppers
1 large red onion
3 large cloves garlic crushed
a handful of sweet cherry tomatoes
6 tblsps ground almonds plus extra for coating
1 tsp dried or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 heaped tsp dried basil
2 heaped tsps dried oregano
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
- Set the oven to 180° C.
- Slice the red peppers in half and de-seed them.
- Place in a baking tin, drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil and roast in the oven for 40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the other vegetables. Finely dice the red onion and grate the carrot.
- Chop the cherry tomatoes in half.
- De-stone and chop the olives into small pieces.
- Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Tip in the chopped onion and fry for about ten minutes or until soft. Add the crushed garlic and grated carrot then cook for a further five minutes.
- Tip the tomatoes, dried oregano, dried parsley and dried basil into the pan and cook until the tomatoes have softened.
- Mash the kidney beans in a bowl.
- When the peppers have cooked chop into small chunks, add to the bowl with the cooked onion, carrot, tomatoes and stir well.
- Add the chopped olives and almond flour, season well with freshly ground black pepper and sea salt and mix together. If the mixture looks a bit wet, add extra almond flour.
- Stir in the fresh parsley.
- Tip some ground almonds on to a plate and shape the mixture into eight burgers coating each one in ground almonds.
- Heat a little extra virgin olive oil in a pan and fry over a gentle heat for about twenty minutes, turning after about ten. Be careful not to burn them since the almond flour browns very quickly.
You may like to serve these burgers with a tomato sauce.
