To this day, my father’s nickname is still “Daddy”. He is named “Daddy” on my phone. My siblings and I refer to him as “Daddy” in conversation. Even now, when my mom is talking about my dad in English, she says “Daddy”. This actually wasn’t always the case, and I still remember how we started calling him “Daddy”.

Before grade school, I only called my father “Baba”, which is how you say “Daddy” in Mandarin. It was some time around first grade when I first heard a classmate call her mother “Mommy” that I decided I was calling my parents by the wrong name. I was the only Asian student in my class, and one of a small handful with immigrant parents. All I wanted to do was fit in with the non-Asian students.

Tie Burgers Assembly

Realizing right away that I needed to adapt in order to be “American”, I started to call my mother “Mommy” and my father “Daddy”. When I began using these new terms, my younger siblings quickly followed along too. And as I got older, even my mother started using them as well.

The reason my siblings and I refer to my dad as “Daddy” is because we only speak English to one another. English was like our secret language growing up. If we spoke fast enough, our parents wouldn’t know what we were saying. It is now the sole language we use to communicate.

We typically call my father “Baba” at home, but when we’re in public, he becomes “Daddy”. It’s interesting to see how my sibling’s and my desire to adapt to American ways transformed how my parents are called in my family. In fact, I’m pretty sure if I used “Baba” to mention my father to my siblings, they would just crack up because nobody uses “Baba” in the English language.

Tie Shaped Black Bean ‘Burgers’ {Vegan, Gluten Free}

By Tiffany Makes

A black bean burger recipe that is vegan and gluten free. It is made with black beans, brown rice, and rolled oats. The burgers are shaped and decorated into ties to celebrate Father’s Day. For regular black bean burgers, form each portion into a ball, flatten into ¾ inch thick patties, and eat between burger buns.

Yield: 4 burgers

Prep time:

15 mins

Cook time:

15 mins

Idle time:

0 mins

Total time:

30 mins

Ingredients

Burgers

• 1 cup canned or cooked black beans
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 3 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup fresh parsley
• 3 tsp fresh oregano
• 3 tsp fresh thyme
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 tsp coconut oil (as needed)

Buns

• 4 hot dog buns (GF)
• ¼ cup coconut oil

Condiments

Avocado Sauce

• 1 avocado – peeled, pitted, and chopped
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 3 tsp lime juice (about ½ lime)
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper, to taste

More Options

• Ketchup
• Mustard
• Relish

Toppings

• Lettuce
• Tomato
• Red onion
• Pickles

Instructions

Burgers

• Pulse the rolled oats in a high speed blender or food processor until it turns into a coarse meal. Remove the oats from the blender and set aside in a large bowl.
• Put the garlic, parsley, oregano, thyme, and salt into the blender or food processor and pulse until they become minced.
• Add the black beans and brown rice to the blender and pulse until everything is combined. Do not overprocess; you want some texture.
• Add the rice and beans mixture to the oats and mix using a spatula or your hands until it can form into a ball.
• Divide the black bean mix into four portions, about ½ cup each.
• Take one portion and split it into a ⅓ piece and a ⅔ piece. Squeeze the ⅔ piece until it is about 4½ inches long. Flatten to ¾ inch thick and create a point on one end. Roll the ⅓ piece into a ball and flatten to ¾ inch thick. Shape it into a trapezoid by forming a triangle, then compressing one corner. Repeat with remaining portions.
• Heat a skillet with 3 tsp coconut oil over medium heat. Add the black bean burgers and cook for 5 minutes on each side until cooked and lightly brown.

Buns

• Melt the coconut oil in a skillet. With the buns split open, brush the melted coconut oil onto every surface of the buns.
• Place the buns onto the same skillet over medium heat and toast for 1 minute on each side.

Avocado Sauce

• Mix together all the ingredients in a small bowl.
• Optional: Filter through a fine mesh sieve to remove any “strings” from the avocado sauce.
• Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

Assembly

• Place the bottom bun with the open side facing up on a plate. Add the tie shaped black bean burger onto the bun with the trapezoid piece above the long piece.
• Put the avocado sauce or desired condiment into a piping bag. Pipe a border around the tie burgers. Add stripes, polka dots, or any pattern you’d like onto the ties.
• Have the toppings on display so everyone can choose their own combination.
• To eat, just add the top bun and enjoy!

Notes

1. You can combine different condiments for added flavor and colorful ties.
2. Recipe adapted from Instagrammer @vegandrra’s vegan black bean burgers.