Bean there, done that

Last night M had a dinner meeting, which I'm sure he was thrilled about because he got to eat steak, which I never ever cook.  I'm sure he enjoyed every single bite and was very sad when it was gone.  K and I used a Groupon and went out to dinner for a little mother-daughter night.  It was fab.

So on to tonight!  During Lent, we don't eat meat on Fridays.  Well, I should clarify.  M doesn't eat meat on Fridays.  I usually get a phone call at about 1:30on a Friday afternoon from M reminding me not to eat meat....after I've already downed a chicken sandwich or something similar.  Listen, I keep the laundry clean and the children alive, I can't be expected to remember everything.

Anyway, I came across a recipe for Black Bean Burgers on Pinterest and the picture totally sucked me in.  They.  Looked.  Amazing.  And the recipe apparently came from the eMeals Clean Eating plan so I figured it was tested and approved.  I thought tonight would be a great chance to try it out, but I was a bit nervous.  M is not huge on beans, unless they're baked and out of a can and served with a hot dog.  But he signed on for this and I thought it had a chance of expanding his mind a bit about how you can serve something like beans in a completely different way.  Hey, I enlighten.  It's what I do.

The meal:  Black Bean Burgers (I served these with a slice of Swiss cheese, a dollop of salsa, tomato and lettuce).  Side of homemade oven roasted potato wedges.

Why is it challenging:  M has stated repeatedly that he thinks veggie burgers are....well, not for him.  He is an Irishman who needs beef.  This is a bit too "crunchy" for him.
ESL:  6.  I was optimistic but I didn't think I'd totally win him over.  I figured it would be one of his "it's passable as a meal but it's no hamburger.  I'd eat it if I had to" kind of things.

What happened:
So M came home from work starving, which I think worked in my favor.  He asked what I was making and I paused.  I thought maybe I should lie, or maybe mumble incoherently so that I would appear to answer and appease his curiosity without actually giving it away.  But I didn't - I owned up and told him I was making bean burgers.  His response was much more positive than I was anticipating.  "I'm intrigued."  Oooooh!

ASL:  8!!!!  We both actually really really liked these.  They were very hearty and meaty in texture, each burger was really big, and I like that they don't shrink like beef burgers.  Super tasty.  M said that he thought they were very good and he would definitely eat these again.

Veggie burger success!!!  I never thought I'd see the day when M would eat and enjoy a veggie burger.  These will probably become a regular in our house, they are so healthy and very yummy.