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♥

Thoughts & Budgeting

Do you ever wonder what other people are listening to when they work out? I mean, sometimes their music is SO LOUD you can basically hear it through their headphones, but when I'm on the treadmill and my mind is wandering sometimes I look across the gym and imagine what these macho men are jamming to. It keeps me entertained...

 
Nothing motivates like the Biebs. 

This week is a little abnormal for me, so my workouts may not follow my half-marathon training plan. Sunday is an 'active rest' day though and I am really lucky the yoga studio I love offers a $5 community class on Sundays. I honestly can't afford the 'normal' classes right now and all the money they collect through the community classes is donated to a different charity each month. It's a win-win in my opinion! Love kickboxing but hate the bill? Need to de-stress through yoga but can't stomach the price? Scope out deals like this in your area! Most places offer community classes once a week or student rates that can save you some cash. I have even found a few Groupon deals that have worked out great! Do your research and you can still enjoy your favorite activities, even on a budget!

Back to Blogging

Life can be exhausting some times! So much has happened between my last post and now, I'm not sure where to even start! Wedding planning & online classes for my master's degree have sucked up all of my free time. The wedding is over though now, and one of my 'resolutions' for the new year is to commit more time to blogging & online coaching because, well simply, I really enjoy it!

I find New Year's resolutions a bit laughable. I mean, why do you need a new year to commit to bettering yourself? I know its a good reference point in time, but I think if you have a good idea you should just run with it, no matter the calendar date! For example, I was going to start training for the half-marathon I signed up for in January (the race itself is in May) because all the training plans I can find have you on about a 16 week plan. But why wait? I have lots of excess energy from sitting at a desk all day & need some outlet to burn my stress off! Plus, I'm just excited about FINALLY getting around to a half-marathon, so I'm trying to ride this good feeling. I know there will be days I won't feel like running the 13.1 miles I committed to, so this gives me some cushion room for training!

Back to blogging...I do need somewhere to keep track of my workouts & what I am eating & all the random fun fitness things I find on the web. In the past I've always used my blog as a place to store inspiration, so what better reason to start blogging again. As I say, my goal really is to inspire others as I have been inspired too!

So what is your New Year's resolution? Do you really need to wait until Jan 1 2013? Get started today!

Monday Mantra - Give It All You Got

I was traveling for work last week and a friend who lives in town invited me to a hot yoga class she has been going to. First off, I was ecstatic to get back to hot yoga since I had not gone since completing The Ultimate Reset. More importantly, the yoga teacher said something interesting that I will keep with me for a long time. More or less, she pointed out a workout only lasts "x" number of minutes. Give it all you got for that time period and leave knowing you couldn't possibly have done more. If your mind is elsewhere during your workout or you only give half an effort, you will leave feeling unsatisfied.

I think that is a great piece of advice! So often I find my inner voice complaining or whining and I give in. Before I know it, the workout is over and I *know* I could have given more. I tried to apply this 'give it all you got' mentality to my run the next day. I knew, total, I only had to run 25 minutes, and then I would be done with the workout. I ended up cutting about 10 secs off my normal pace! And by having this mentality on a consistent basis, I know I will only get stronger. This can apply to any workout or challenge you are taking on right now - push yourself! You can do it, I believe in you!

Snack Time at the Movies

"I don't know about you, but whenever I go to the movies I really crave s'mores!"

Ok, so maybe I was lacking a bit of sleep this past weekend since I was watching after my 1-year old nephew, but I'm pretty sure I heard this quote right. I was expecting "popcorn" or "candy" to come at the end of that sentence. S'mores? I want to know what movie theater this person goes to!

I cannot remember the name of the show or the host for the life of me (I blame a sleep deprived Laura!) however I do remember the concept of her show was to come up with reduced cal versions of foods we all love. Since she loves to have s'mores while at the moves (still trying to figure that one out) she came up with this alternative:

2 c popped kettle corn
10 chopped up tootsie rolls
1/2c cinnamon toast crunch or similar cereal
1/2c mini marshmallows

Basically you put everything in a bag and shake it all up and keep on hand or sneak into the movie theater with you. I made a few tweaks:

2 c popcorn (not kettle)
1 tbsp dark chocolate chips
1/2c cinnamon toast crunch
1/2c mini marshmallows

It is a very tasty treat, not too high in calories if you are watching that sort of thing, and a lot less messy than a real s'more if you would like to indulge while watching your favorite flick! Enjoy!