Burger Crisis Adverted!

This weekend I decided to make a couple batches of burgers so I could freeze them and have them over the next few weeks (convenience people!). I made cooked a pound of beans, which was perfect for making 2 batches of Black Bean Burgers with some beans to spare (still trying to figure out what to do with those).

I also tried out a recipe for a more 'garden burger' veggie burger. So instead of beans being the base, veggies & rice were the base of this recipe, called the Karma Burger, from my latest obsession, The Karma Chow cookbook.

Missy's recipes are SO simple and require minimal ingredients. Also, no exotic way-out there ingredients. Just whole-food, plant based fun!

Karma Burgers
1/2 red bell pepper, de-seeded and cut into chunks
1/2 med onion, cut into chunks
2c baby spinach leaves
3/4c cooked brown rice
1 15oz can chickpeas, drained
1 tsp chile powder
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp sea salt
1.5-2c plain bread crumbs
EVOO

Puree the red pepper, onion, and spinach in a food processor until liquid. Set aside in a mixing bowl.

Ready to blend!

 Mix the chickpeas and brown rice in a food processor until they form a paste (you don't have to clean the food processor in between - its all going to mix together anyways!)

Add paste to the bowl containing the veggie mix. Add the chili powder, tomato paste and salt. Stir together to mix well - use your hands! Mix in the bread crumbs until the mixture sticks together. Form into patties (makes about 8) and cook on a skillet with EVOO until brown on both sides.

Now, a few Laura notes. First off, I miss read the instructions and only add 1/2c of bread crumbs to start and couldn't figure out why my mixture was so wet! I started adding flour, realized I misread the instructions, but I still feel like I had to add a lot of extra bread crumbs/flour to get these to not stick to my hands trying to make patties.

Also, the texture reminded me more of falafel than burger. I'm not saying that is a bad thing. Considering how wet this mixture was, I'm not too surprised. I was really worried that these were just not going to cook through or end up burnt. I think the extra flour helped me from having to throw away the whole mix. Softer texture than I was originally planning on, but still yummy/ If you are looking for a 'meaty' burger though I suggest you go with the Black Bean Burger recipe. Otherwise, serve up the Karma Burger over some greens and top with a dab of chiptole mayo!

Chiptole Mayo - 1/4c nondairy mayo, 1/4tsp chile powder, 1/2tsp agave nectar (and mix!)

Karma (Falafel) Burger!

Another recipe I wanted to share from the Karma Chow cookbook is the Chiptole Cashew Cheeze Sauce. What is it with me and Chiptole lately? :)

2c cashews, soaked in water for at least 4 hours
1/4c nutritional yeast flakes
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp chiptole chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
Water

Drain the water from the cashews and put all the ingredients into a blender or food processor. Add just enough water to cover and blend until smooth (may take a few minutes).

This sauce is really versatile! I used it at our Mexican-themed Vegan Thanksgiving a few weeks back in a casserole dish and had the left overs in some nachos I whipped up. This time I used it as a sauce on some noodles to make some yummy Mac n Cheeze!

Mac n Cheeze & Greens

Some days, you just crave comfort foods. Yesterday was that day for me! I used some of the cheeze sauce on left over noodles I had, and made a serving of Coconut Greens for a quick meal. Super yummy and filling.

Now you are equipped with some great burger recipes! And a few sauces too! Go out and try the recipes & tell me what you think!

Stay Positive,
L ♥

Black Bean Burgers

A friend of mine has decreed I should start posting recipes of the food I post pictures of and make people drool all over Facebook and IG. As I mentioned yesterday, I had a bunch of black beans left over from Thanksgiving and decided to make some burgers from scratch. I used the recipe in Veganomicon as start and played around with it a bit to make my burgers:

These were actually pretty easy to make & cook up quick. A much healthier & cheaper alternative to veggie burgers offered on the market!

Black Bean Burgers
2 c cooked black beans (or 1 15oz can)
1/2c flour (I used a little less)
1/2c bread crumbs
1 tsp chile powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1/4 tsp smoke paprika
1/4 - 1/2 c water
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 cloves garlic

1. Mash up the beans using a fork or potato masher until only a few whole beans remain
2. Add flour, bread crumbs, spices, 1/4c water, tomato paste & garlic
3. Mix everything together first with a fork and then knead with your hands. Add more water if the mixture feels too dry
4. Heat 2tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan.
5. Divide the mixture into 6 balls and then press flat to make a patty
6. Cook burgers, 3 at a time, for 5 min on each side

See, simple! While I was making these, I had some "Ranch Potatoes" in the oven. Its a variation on something my dad used to make. Basically you cut up a bag of baby red skin potatoes, add ranch dressing until they are just coated, and also add 1/2 packet of lipton onion soup mix (dry). Shake it all up in a bag to make sure the potatoes are well coated. Then you bake them for about an hour at 350 degrees on a flat baking sheet. Of course, I don't eat ranch dressing anymore - but I make my own vegan version!

Vegan Ranch Dressing
1 c vegan mayo
1/2c almond milk (or less, if you like your dressing thicker)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
garlic powder
pepper
salt
dill
parsley

Mix the mayo, milk, and vinegar together until you get a dressing consistency you are happy with. I kind of wing it with the spices usually, but you won't want to use more than 1tsp of anything.  I like my dressing to be more dill-y and garlic-y so I add more of that, but just find a balance you like!

It is best to let the dressing sit for an hour or two before using, to let the flavors come together, but if you can't wait, that is ok too!

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I hope everyone is having a relaxing Sunday. The weather is still great here, so I took my dog for a long walk & then did some yoga for my workout today!

Stay Positive,
L ♥

Experimenting in the Kitchen

I took some vacation time this week from work since I had a few more days to use before the end of the year. With my extra free time I've been able to sleep in, go to the gym with Jon (a nice change from going by myself) and do something I love - experiment in the kitchen!

Being a vegetarian since early college, and more recently a vegan, I can't tell you how many times I've heard "so where do you get your protein?" Depending on my mood you'll get a sarcastic or informative answer! Truth is, I have no issues getting enough protein from my diet, because I eat a variety of whole foods. Yes, protein makes up a lower % of my calories as opposed to protein or carb percentages, but I promise I am in no danger of a protein deficiency!

When I am working out and trying to build muscle, I will include a protein smoothie into my eating plan. Sometimes though I would love to EAT my protein and not DRINK it...especially in the cooler, winter months. Enter the protein waffle. I first heard of these through Jon, who gets a powder mix for waffles from an bodybuilding store, adds water, and boom - protein waffle. I've also seen other people on Instagram make protein waffles/pancakes, but had never tried myself.

If you know me, you know I bake from scratch. The same applies to waffles/pancakes - I haven't used an Aunt Jemima mix in years. So I just had to figure out how to tweak my own recipe in order to get the right consistency of the batter with the inclusion of my vegan protein powder. My final inspiration came from the blog The Guiltless Life.

Ta-Da!

This was a chocolate chip protein waffle with a peanut butter sauce & bananas. Yum! I found the waffle to be a little sweet (I think from the Stevia) and I had to use a lot more almond milk than what TGL calls for. Next time I think I will omit the Stevia and this should be perfect! I used Vega Sport Vanilla protein powder as my protein of choice - vanilla goes with anything!

Jon and I rented some movies to watch over the long weekend so I thought I would make a snack for us to enjoy while we watched. Remember this post? I love the mix of sweet - salty - crunchy but the marshmallows were a little overwhelming to me. Smaller marshmallows or bigger chunks of chocolate may balance the mix better, but I thought I would try a rice krispie treat concept this time around.

Mega RK Treat!

I think my balance of marshmallow to other ingredients was still unbalanced, but it was a step in the right direction. The cinnamon flavor from the cinnamon toast crunch really pops in this mix! A great evening/movie snack. I ended up rolling the mix into a log and cutting into individual pieces for grab-and-go convenience.

Today my plans include taking advantage of the mild weather we are having here and going for my long run OUTSIDE!! I can't believe it's December 1st and we are getting into the 50s today. Also, I have some black beans left over from Thanksgiving cooking so I'm going to try to make some homemade burgers from those to eat tonight & also freeze for later. I will post on how that experiment goes later!

Stay Positive,
L♥