Black Bean Burgers

Oh, I’ve tried a lot of homemade veggie burgers. Lentil burgers that took hours, Bulgur and Black Bean Burgers that didn’t hold together very well, and the Pumpkin Black Bean Burgers which were actually pretty good. I am looking for the perfect veggie burger, except I’m not sure exactly what that means. So here is yet another option, adapted from this recipe.

The verdict is……they’re OK. I like the pumpkin version better, although these are nice for their simplicity, and I could have made them more interesting with spices. I already have my eye on the next veggie burger recipe I want to try, with spelt flour.

***Stay tuned for a blog announcement tomorrow!***

1 (15oz.) can black beans, rinsed, drained, and mashed
1/4 c. whole wheat flour
2 T ketchup
1 T mustard
1 T lime juice
Salt and Pepper

Mix all ingredients, and form into thin patties. Cook on a hot skillet coated with cooking spray for 5 minutes on each side.

Cashew Parsnip Fries

This is a whole new spin on vegetable fries! First, I saw these Nut Butter Crusted Parsnip Fries, which were adapted from this original recipe for Almond Crusted Root Vegetable Fries. The wheels began turning when I bought my very first jar of Maranatha Creamy Cashew Butter. So I whipped up these Cashew Parsnip Fries, and they were great! The nut flavor is subtle, so next time I might use a combination of nut butters, and perhaps include one that is crunchy. The next time you are craving some fries, give these a try!

1 lb. parsnips, peeled and cut
2 T cashew butter
2 T canola oil
Salt and Pepper

Mix parsnips, cashew butter, and oil, preferably using your fingers to coat the fries. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake on a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray at 400F for 30-40 minutes.

Aloo Matar

Time for another round of Indian cooking! I have had so much success lately with Indian recipes, and I actually crave the spices now. I adapted this recipe, and it fulfilled my craving very well.

2 T canola oil
2 onions, chopped
1 t minced garlic
1/2 t ground ginger
4 potatoes, cubed
1 c. frozen peas
1/2 c. tomato sauce
1 1/2 t paprika
1 1/2 t garam masala
1 t sugar
1 t salt
2 c. fresh spinach

Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add onions, garlic, and ginger, and cook for 10-15 minutes until onions are soft. Add potatoes and peas. Turn the heat down to medium-low, and cook covered for 15 minutes. Stir, and then continue cooking until potatoes are tender. Remove cover and add tomato sauce, spices, and fresh spinach. Cook until heated through, and serve.

Sardine Salad

Kath has been talking a lot about sardines on her blog, and encouraging readers to try them. Sardines are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and calcium, and they really are less ‘fishy’ than tuna. So I bought a tin of water packed sardines at the grocery store, and they sat in my cabinet for a few weeks until I gathered the courage to make this sardine salad.

I have no idea why I waited so long, the sardines were great. I think they’re best suited to a meal eaten at home as the tin might be a little messy, but there was no smell at all in my kitchen. Because they have more fat naturally, sardines don’t seem as dry as tuna either. Really, go ahead and give them a try.

1 stalk celery, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 tin sardines, drained
2 t low-fat mayonnaise
1 t mustard
Dash salt, pepper, garlic powder

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl with a fork. Place on a bed of spinach and chopped cucumber, and drizzle with balsamic dressing.

Roasted Asparagus and Potatoes

I love reading Real Simple magazine. I can’t say that it’s made my life any simpler or more organized, but there are a lot of great food ideas. One of the featured foods in this month’s issue is asparagus, with some suggestions for preparation. For this one, you toss cut asparagus and potatoes with olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper, and roast at 400F for 30-40 minutes. The suggested cooking time was 20 minutes, but my vegetables definitely needed longer. Next time I’ll cut the potatoes smaller! Topped with a fried egg and accompanied by ketchup (not pictured) this was a complete meal.

Anything Goes Sauce

It’s a shame to waste produce, so when I discover something in the final stage of freshness, I often use it to make a quick tomato sauce. Last week, the featured item was mushrooms. I sliced the mushrooms and sauteed them in a saucepan with a drizzle of olive oil , and then added a 15 oz. can of tomato sauce. Diced or crushed tomatoes work well too. Finally, I added some white beans that I had leftover from another recipe, and after simmering for a bit on the stove, a small pot of “Anything Goes” sauce was ready. Served over whole wheat linguine and topped with shredded Parmesan, it makes a wonderful meal.

Lemony Cauliflower, Spinach, and Wheatberry Salad

That’s a big title for a recipe, so let me start with the lemony cauliflower. I followed this recipe which yielded a dish of roasted cauliflower, and a kitchen that smelled very nice after zesting and squeezing two lemons! You could just stop there, but I had a container of cooked wheat berries and some fresh spinach, so I threw everything together in a bowl. With a squeeze of any remaining lemon juice and a drizzle of fig and lemon balsamic vinegar, the salad was ready. I did chop the spinach leaves slightly after taking the photo which made it easier to eat, but otherwise this salad was perfect.

Cabbage and Tofu Stir Fry

I was disappointed with the salad version of this recipe, but turned things around with a stir fry. I took the vegetables (cabbage, snow peas, and broccoli) that had been briefly steamed for the salad and threw them into a frying pan coated with cooking spray. I splashed in some soy sauce, and added some cubes of Baked Tofu. It didn’t take long before everything was heated through, and dinner was served. This certainly wasn’t a novel recipe, but it was a quick meal and ensured that the produce would not go to waste.