Recipe Test: Black Bean & Quinoa Veggie Burgers

Credit: preventionrd.com

Click here for full recipe

INGREDIENTS:

• Quinoa
• Olive oil
• Red onion
• Garlic
• Black beans
• Tomato paste
• Egg
• Corn
• Cilantro
• Chipotle in Adobo
• Cumin
• Rolled oats
• Oat Flower
• Greek yogurt
• Honey
• Dijon mustard

After my experiment with a sweet potato based veggie burger and being disappointed in the texture I had real hope for this one!  Okay ... I was a little scared of the Chipotle in Adobo but I didn't leave it out!  (Aren't you proud of me?)  

It was easy to mix up the makings for it.  You are supposed to leave them in the fridge for several hours so I put them in a glass baking dish with a lid and in they went. 

Look at all the STUFF in these!

The recipe said you could bake or pan fry these.  I chose to bake them.  They ended up a little dry and sadly (and I'm shocked to say!) bland.  I guess cooking takes some of that flavor out of there.  Next time I'll add more cumin, salt & chipotle.  (I know - can you believe I just said that?!)

The honey mustard yogurt sauce was good with it but dry bun and dry burger together were rough.  I still have 4 leftover and I think I'll try warming them up with a quick pan fry and then just eat them plain with the sauce - forget the bun.  Better for me anyway!  

They definitely have a better consistency / texture than the sweet potato burgers!  Will play with these and see if I can up the flavor.  

Recipe Test: Carrot Ginger Coconut Sesame Rice

Credit: peachypalate.com

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INGREDIENTS:

• Brown Rice
• Carrots
• Sesame seeds
• Coconut milk
• Bragg's Aminos or Soy Sauce 
• Fresh Ginger
• Garlic
• Coconut oil
• Shredded coconut

Clearly in this week's meal planning I had a thing for coconut!  I also have to admit I was curious to try a 100% vegan dish.  No I haven't made any decisions yet but let's just say that today when I went to do my grocery trip at Whole Foods I bought no meat ... only dairy.  Yes on purpose.  I'm thinking about it.  The eggs I have in the fridge right now are from a local farm I researched that truly pasture raises it's chickens.   They can't sell milk at the farmers market or I'd have gotten that from them too.  You can get milk from them but have to drive out (about an hour to get there) to their farm & they are moving right now to a larger location (so they can make cheese too!) so not taking visitors right now.   I think I'm going to make a trip out there and take a tour when they are settled.  They do butcher meat - beef, pork and chicken.   No way will Hubby ever become a vegetarian.  I may go for it - but it is good to know that I've found someplace that I could get it near here.  

So for my first vegan recipe ... well - at least my first on purpose vegan recipe!  

Super simple to make and takes very little time other than cooking the rice.  The coconut milk makes it super creamy!  The ginger & garlic smelled sooooooo good!
 

Sadly I didn't have aminos or soy sauce because Hubby got a bug up his butt last weekend and decided that all of the condiments we had in the fridge needed to be thrown out!  Basically he started cleaning the fridge and gave up mid stream.  While I was at the grocery he removed all of the drawers and shelves.  Wiped it down.  Nice thought but he stopped in the middle and left everything out.  Not to mention he threw out a lot of items that were perfectly good.  God love him.  (Cuz I coulda killed him!)

Anyway so I figured it would need a little salt b/c that's what the soy sauce / aminos would have brought to the dish.  It worked well.

I was shocked at how full I was ... I couldn't even finish this portion above!  It must be the fat in the coconut milk that did it.  It was good.  Almost cheesy in consistency.  I love roasted carrots - it really brings out the sweetness in them.  

Hubby HATED this but he can kiss my butt!  I liked it and will make it again!  

Recipe Test: Cold Asparagus Soup

Credit: alive.com

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INGREDIENTS:

• Olive oil
• Yellow onion
• Chicken or Vegetable Stock
• Asparagus
• Lemon
• Salt & Pepper
• Cayenne pepper
• Lemon zest
• Shrimp 

Since we both loved the broccoli soup so much when I saw this one for Cream of Asparagus Soup with Shrimp I was like "oh yes!" ... it's spring which means great asparagus has hit the store.  But it is still cold & rainy here in Nebraska so soup sounded awesome.   

Of course by the time I made the recipe it was a beautiful day and soup sounded wintery.  BUT I saw a little note about how this can be served hot or cold.  I tasted it when it was still warm and decided it would be even better cold so in the fridge it went!

I didn't have any homemade stock left so I picked up some at whole foods.  Sadly I got lazy and didn't read the ingredients.  Later I saw this blog from 'My Whole Food Life' comparing the low sodium version of this brand to another kind.   DAMN!  I should have looked at the label!   

See the whole article here but these two shots from will show you why I'm kicking myself.  Here's the ingredients for the Whole Foods 360 Brand: 

Photo Credit: mywholefoodlife.com

And just down the isle I could have found this Pacific Foods stock had I just looked:

Photo Credit: mywholefoodlife.com

Well ... I have one more box of it in my pantry that I'll use on a recipe this week but I WILL remember this next time I go to the store.  Though I'm a few months into a real foods lifestyle I'm still no expert - can't get cocky! 

Alright so back to the recipe...  I would have sworn that in both the broccoli soup and this one that there was some kind of dairy or cream but there isn't!   What they do both have - ONION!  God bless onions.   Of course you pay for it while chopping them & crying.  I'm starting to think one of those infomercial chopper things isn't a bad investment considering how often I'm cooking with onions and crying ... oh and yes I've just bought a big box of band-aids since I've accidentally cut myself a couple of times.   ALWAYS with the damn onions!  

After throwing in the rest of the ingredients and letting it simmer to get soft I put it in my trusty blender and pushed power ...

zzzzzt ....

Well that was a strange noise ... why isn't the bade spinning?  Unplug ... replug.  Hit power again.

Nada ... other than a strange burnt odor coming from the blender.   Yep ... my blender went to small appliance heaven before I'd gotten the soup done!  DAMN!  Well ... I still had my food processor so whipped that out ...

And learned why you don't put liquids in food processors as the broth ran out the sides and bottom!   I quickly salvaged it by throwing it back into the pot.   Once I cleaned up all the broth I strained out the onions and asparagus and put those in the food processor to puree THEN threw them back in the broth and stirred it all up.   PAIN IN THE ASS but it worked!

Once it cooled completely I garnished with cooked cold shrimp and there you have it!

It is good.  Lemony flavor comes out quite a bit.  This isn't something I'd make on a regular basis but it was worth trying.   Of course I could have told you how EASY it was if it weren't for the blender mishap.   

RIP blender ... time to go shopping for a new one! 

Recipe Test: Coconut Ginger Chicken & Vegetables

Credit: simplebites.net

Click here for original recipe

INGREDIENTS:

• Garlic
• Ginger
• Sweet Onion
• Olive Oil
• Butter
• Chicken Thighs (I decided to use shrimp instead)
• Coconut milk
• Cornstarch
• Baby corn cobs 
• Peas or other frozen vegetables of your choice
• Pepper
• Cumin
• Coriander
• Tumeric
• Salt

This recipe called for a 'slow cooker' so I used my crock pot .... but I really think it didn't need it since I switched out the chicken for shrimp.   I may try it again with chicken but otherwise I'll skip the long cook time.   

Just some easy chopping & mixing up of the sauce ingredients first ... 

Then threw it in the crock pot with the shrimp.  I'd bought pre-cooked frozen ... again I think the slow cooking part in the recipe is to slowly cook the chicken - which makes sense.   It probably allowed the sauce to soak into the shrimp a bit but I doubt I needed all that time.

When done you throw in the veggies and wait a little bit more.  I chose an easy peas & carrots mixture.

Over brown rice and wa-lah! Dinner

So some notes ... shrimp worked fine but I was stupid and left the tails on.  That was a pain in the ASS while eating.  And the baby corn cobs?  Didn't work.  They just didn't match the flavor of the rest of it.   The sauce is YUMMY!  Sweet but not too sweet - almost like a curry only not spicy.  I will definitely make this again but change it up a bit.   Just fresh veggies in the sauce would be really good! 

Recipes Now Available By Type!

I've revamped the Recipes page to show them by type & also with a couple of different ratings: 

Of course "Hubby Approved!" - anything that Hubby has raved about or asked me to make again.  

And also "Repeat Recipe!" - these are those that I've liked enough to make more than once.  

Here they are so far - but I'll continue to build on this list as I go on the Recipes Page!

DRINKS / SMOOTHIES:

• Citrus Berry Smoothie   Repeat Recipe!
• Green Reset Smoothie
• Miroissa Juice Repeat Recipe!
• Shoo Flu Juice
• Spicy Lemonade (Juice) Repeat Recipe!
• Glowing Green Smoothie
• Pumpkin Spice Latte

BREAKFAST: 

• Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins  Hubby Approved!
• Cream Cheese Pancakes  Hubby Approved!
• Stuffed Portobellas
• Quinoa Breakfast Bowl  Repeat Recipe!
• Quinoa with Avocado, Almonds & Honey
• Whole Wheat Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes  Repeat Recipe!
• Granola Hubby Approved!  Repeat Recipe!
• Banana Pancakes

SALADS: 

• Black Bean, Avocado, Cucumber & Tomato Salad 
• Simple Spinach Salad
• Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
• Roasted Cauliflower, Broccoli & Sun Dried Tomato Salad with Chickpeas
• Farmers Market Salad with Spiced Goat Cheese Rounds Hubby Approved!  Repeat Recipe!
• Superfood Salad
• Black Bean Taco Salad with Green Chile-Honey Mustard Dressing
• Asian Chicken Salad with Honey Sesame Dressing  Repeat Recipe!
• Caprese Salad with Basil Pesto  Repeat Recipe!

MEAT / FISH: 

• Sesame Chicken  Hubby Approved!
• Stuffed Peppers
• Hoppin' John
• Lazy Sunday Casserole  Hubby Approved!
• Chicken with Basic Pan Sauce  Hubby Approved!
• Cauliflower Crust Pizza
• Bruschetta & Shrimp Bake
• Clean Eating Chicken & Dumplings
• Polenta with Crispy Peas & Roasted Shrimp  Hubby Approved!  Repeat Recipe!
• Southwestern Chicken Wraps
• Honey Lime Enchiladas (Chicken)
• Quiche Hubby Approved!  Repeat Recipe!
• Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot  Repeat Recipe!

VEGETARIAN (Mostly lacto / ovo): 

• Corn Cakes with Tomato Avocado Relish
• Smoky Sweet Potato Burgers with Roasted Garlic Cream
• Roasted Vegetable Sandwich  Hubby Approved!  Repeat Recipe!
• Rosemary Potato Kale Tart
• Tomato, Spinach & Feta Strata   Hubby Approved!
• Zucchini Lasagna
• Spinach Crepes with Ricotta, Tomatoes & Basil 
• Roasted Veggie Ratatouille
• Stuffed Shells with Eggplant, Ricotta & Kale
• Stuffed Tomatoes with Mushrooms, Parmesan & Spinach
• Brussels Sprouts & Noodle Stir Fry with Cilantro & Almonds
• Polenta & Vegetables with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
• Kale, Spinach & Mushroom Pie  Hubby Approved!
• Vegetable Pizza Crisp
• Eggplant Salad Sandwich  Repeat Recipe!
• Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Balsamic-Sage Brown Butter Sauce
• Crispy Fried Tofu & Asian Salad
• Creamy Avocado Pasta
• Baked Brussells Sprout Mac & Cheese
• Eggplant Gratin with Herbs & Creme Fraiche
• Crispy Mushroom, Spinach & Avocado Quesadillas
• Black Bean Spinach Enchiladas
• Egg Rolls
• Caprese Tart in a Whole Wheat Crust
• Zucchini Boats
• Spinach Pasta Alfredo
• Creamy Polenta with Roasted Mushrooms
• Mushroom & Edamame Fried Rice
• Pasta with Green Olive Pesto
• Whole Wheat Pizza  Repeat Recipe!
• Vegetable Pancakes
• Farmer's Market Stir Fry
• Vegetable Fajitas Hubby Approved!  Repeat Recipe!

SOUPS: 

• Split Pea Soup  Hubby Approved!
• White Bean Chowder  Hubby Approved!
• Creamy Broccoli-White Bean Soup  Hubby Approved!  Repeat Recipe!
• Peanut Squash Soup  Hubby Approved!
• Chicken, Beans & Greens Soup  Repeat Recipe!

SIDES: 

• Parmesan Potatoes
• Roasted Eggplant & White Bean Dip  Hubby Approved!  Repeat Recipe!
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Apple & Pancetta
• Kale Chips  Hubby Approved!  Repeat Recipe!
• Garlic Butter Mushrooms
• Roasted Zucchini, Onion & Peppers
• Cucumber Avocado Caprese Salad Repeat Recipe!
• Mashed Potatoes

BAKED / MISC:  

• Whole Wheat Yogurt Bread  Hubby Approved!  Repeat Recipe!
• French Bread (Whole Wheat)
• Honey Beer Bread
• Life-Changing Loaf of Bread
• Baked Tortilla Chips
• Whole Wheat Tortillas Hubby Approved!  Repeat Recipe!
• Ranch Dressing / Dip  Repeat Recipe!
• Whole Wheat Biscuits

SWEETS:

• Coconut Crack Bars  Hubby Approved! 
• Sweet Potato Brownies
• Peanut Butter Quinoa Cookies
• Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Coconut-Almond Chia Seed Pudding
• Primal Fudge  Hubby Approved!  Repeat Recipe!
• Chocolate Power Balls
• Brownies

Recipe Test: Black Bean, Avocado, Cucumber & Tomato Salad

Credit:  skinnytaste.com

Click here for full recipe

INGREDIENTS: 

• English cucumber
• Tomatoes
• Avocados
• Black beans
• Red onion
• Cilantro
• Lime
• Salt & Pepper

Simple flavors and simple to make!  Used it as a side to the Corn Cakes but it was good enough to eat on it's own. 

Recipe Test: Corn Cakes with Tomato Avocado Relish

Corn Cakes Credit:  annies-eats.com

Click here for recipe

INGREDIENTS:

• Corn on the cob
• Whole wheat flour
• Cornmeal
• Red Onion
• Basil
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt & Pepper
• Eggs
• Buttermilk (I used whole milk and it worked fine)
• Butter
• Oil for frying
• Tomato
• Scallion
• Garlic
• Lime
• Olive oil
• White wine vinegar
• Avocado

The 'batter' on this one is pretty easy to mix up and get ready.  This is another recipe where you fry the patty until crispy. 

The recipe calls for you to keep the patties small - just a rounded tablespoon each.  I assume if you made them much bigger the middle may not cook enough.  

They turn a wonderful golden brown and you can still see the basil, onions and some of the corn.  These actually might be good for party appetizers with a ranch dipping sauce.  They'd cool off quickly but I suppose you could keep them in a warming plate?  

Here's dinner!  (I'll post the black bean side salad we had in just a moment.)  Since the salad I made was so much like the 'relish' in the recipe I decided to just have the corn cakes on lettuce with a drizzle of homemade ranch dressing.   Here's what the relish looked like: 

Tomatoes, avocado, basil, oil, vinegar and seasoning.  I put it on top of Hubby's dinner but decided it was all just too much food for me.  

Overall I'd say a hit.  Hubby approved!  The cakes remind me of cornbread on the inside but with a great crispiness from frying on the outside.  Next time I may make a salad with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado & onion and then make even smaller cakes and use them almost like croutons.  

Definitely worth making!