Chickpea Curry & Coconut Rice

I really burned myself out on curries for a while but I'm back, baby! I didn't know what sounded good, so I just kept adding shit until it tasted exactly how I wanted. It's a mishmash of all my favorite things, and damn was it tasty as hell!

I read somewhere recently about cooking rice in coconut milk for some good flavor. I love coconut milk and I love rice, so there was no way I couldn't fall passionately in obsession with it. I highly recommend making the coconut rice to go with the curry. Recipe: 1 cup uncooked rice to 1 can of lite coconut milk. You won't regret it.

Makes 4 large portions.

What you need:

• 1 can full fat coconut milk
• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• 2 cups cauliflower florets (I steamed mine to cut cooking time down)
• 1 cup diced onion
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 1 slightly heaped cup roasted cashews, but raw is great too
• 4 large button mushrooms cut into wedges
• 1 very large handful baby spinach, shredded or chopped
• 1-2 TB grapeseed oil
• curry powder, a few TB
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4-1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• salt to taste

 

What you do:

1. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Once it's shimmering, add chickpeas, cauliflower, cashews, onion, carrot, and mushroom. Stir well and cook about 5 minutes. 
2. When the veggies are softened, add the spices and 3/4 of the coconut milk. Let simmer until it thickens somewhat, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Feel free to add more coconut milk or spices. It's your dinner, not mine. When you're pretty much satisfied, turn off the heat and stir in the spinach to wilt. It'll only take about 2 minutes.
3. Serve up over some badass coconut rice.

My 1st Chia Smoothie

Alright, dudes. I decided to try adding chia seeds to a smoothie. It's supposed to add protein and essential fatty acids, so I thought, "Eh, why not?"

It turned out quite well and way more filling than I would've thought. I read that there are 3 ways to add chia to your smoothies:

• soak the seeds in liquid a few minutes to let it gel up and soften the seeds
• grind the seeds in a coffee grinder
• or add them straight when you start blending in the, well, blender

I took the soaking route. I was not wanting to have crunchy whole seeds in my smoothie. I soaked 1 TB of chia seeds in 1/2 cup of coconut milk for about 6 minutes while I was gathering the other ingredients. According to MyFitnessPal, this smoothie is 203 calories.

Here's what I used in my smoothie:

• 1 TB organic chia seeds
• 1/2 cup Silk coconut milk
• 1/4 cup organic blueberries
• 1/4 cup carrot (1 smallish carrot)
•  1/4 cup fresh pineapple
• 1/2 small banana
• handful of ice
• 1/4 cup water

Here's what I did:

1. Mix the seeds and coconut milk together in a small bowl and let sit at least 5 minutes for the seeds to soften and gel up.
2. Add all of the ingredients into the blender and blend on high until smooth. Leave out the water if you prefer a thick smoothie. 

Creamy Curry with Tofu

If you read my last post, you know that my pal, Nicole (of Nicole Eats) is completely kickass and my recent cooking inspiration. She has been on a mission lately to help me find a recipe for tofu that will make me actually LIKE tofu. Okay, okay, I am a sucker for a really good scramble. But, I mean tofu as a dish. So, while we were chatting last night I saw a recipe for curried tofu somewhere. It stuck in my brain, so I decided that I needed to make some tofu today...and make it curried. This is not the recipe I found online...or anywhere. This came from my head, and I'm pretty stoked about that. So, I (of course) texted Nicole today to ask if it would work or be any good. I got her approval, and heated up my cast iron skillet.

Making tofu is all fine and good, but what else was this chickpea to make for dinner? Well, I do have a killer rice cooker, so I started some rice. What else? Well, I dug around in the pantry and fridge and scrounged up some awesome. I made a mellow, creamy curry to go with the tofu (which was fucking awesome, by the way), and chowed down.

For the tofu: 

• 1/4 block of pressed tofu, cut into small cubes (or whatever size gets your motor going)
• 1 TB cornstarch
• 1 TB of your favorite curry powder (I've been gifted some Shan brand and it is AWESOME)
• pinch salt
• 1TB oil for pan-frying

1.  Heat the oil in a skillet until shimmering. I had mine over a medium-high heat.
2. Throw the cornstarch, curry powder, and salt into a bowl and mix well with a fork. 
3. Toss in the tofu and shake it around until all the sides of the tofu are covered in starch and spice.

4. Now, carefully pour the tofu into the skillet and make into a single layer if possible. Stir every few minutes, until the sides are a bit crispy and cooked to your liking. 

For the Curry:

• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cups cauliflower florets
• 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into small dice
• 1 small tomato, diced
• 1/4 of a large red onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, tiny dice
• 1TB or more of your fave curry powder
• 1/2 can chickpeas
• 1/2 can of LITE coconut milk
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 TB cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water until the starch is dissolved

1. In a skillet with a lid, heat the broth with the curry powder and coriander mixed in. I turned my burner to Med-High for this. 
2. Once it's hot, add in the cauliflower, carrot, onion, tomato and garlic. Cook, covered, stirring every few minutes, until the veg is a bit crisp. I think mine took 8 minutes. 
3. Add in the chickpeas, coconut milk, and cornstarch slurry. Keep the lid off, and stir often so the coconut milk doesn't burn to the skillet. Cook until the sauce has thickened to your preference. Mine took about 6 minutes.

Almost there. Just another minute or 2.

So, there you have it. I officially like ONE tofu. And, I am getting back into my kitchen. Thank you, Nicole! You're my foodie BFF. xoxo meg

Curried Lentil Soup - OMFG!

One of my super-close foodie-vegan-blogger friends, Nicole, posted this recipe recently and I knew with 100% certainty that I had to make it. I knew it was going to blow my mind. I was completely right. This soup is fucking amazing. The recipe is perfect in every single way. The only problem I encountered was that I didn't have any celery because I almost never have it around the house. But, it was still so incredibly wonderful that it just doesn't even matter. Make this shit, dudes. You won't regret it.

Nicole's Curried Lentil Soup

What you need:

• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup dried lentils
• 1 quart vegetable broth or water
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 peeled carrots, sliced
• 2 stalks celery, sliced (which I didn't have, but the soup was mind-blowing anyway)
• 2 tbsp grapeseed oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 4 tbsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp dried chili powder (optional, but I seriously recommend it)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pepper to taste

What you do:

1. Sautee onion, carrots, celery and garlic in oil for 2 minutes. It should look like this:

2. Add parsley, basil and curry powder and sautee for an additional 2 minutes
   — add chili powder here if you’re using it. Like this:

3. Add broth, salt, lentils and tomatoes and bring to a boil, like so:


4. Reduce to low and simmer until lentils are cooked, about 40 minutes— you may need to add a little extra water/broth (I added about 1 1/4 cups water later in the cooking). Here's what mine looked like when it had cooked down to perfection:

5. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and a dollop of vegan sour cream and enjoy! (I only used cilantro, and it was incredibly tasty). Check it out:

Here's a random delicious photo:

This soup makes carrots happy!

You definitely should check out Nicole's rocking blog and make some of her fantastic food. She's my foodie crush.

Rice Salad - VeganMoFo #4

Rice Salad. Never had it before. So, I invented it. It was pretty good, too. I am known for my pasta salad among my social circle, and I wanted to try something new. I pretty much just made my pasta salad with rice instead of pasta. Don't ask me why because I really don't know.

It all started with some leftover white rice and some raw veggies in the fridge. Add in some spices and some vinaigrette and kapow! You have rice salad. Don't eat it cold out of the fridge or else the rice will be hard. I used cold rice, then let it warm to room temperature. PS- mine turned pink from the purple carrots I microplaned.

What I used:

• 2 cups leftover white rice
• 1/3 cup minced red onion
• 1/3 cup minced bell pepper
• 1 medium purple carrot (or orange), microplaned or grated
• vinaigrette of your choosing, I usually wing it and make my own on the fly
• salt and pepper
• pinch of coriander powder
• garlic powder or very finely minced garlic clove

What you do:

1. Mix everything together in a bowl and adjust your seasonings as needed. 
2. Cover with lid or plastic wrap and let sit out at room temp for 1 hour. If you are making it ahead, cover and put in the fridge. Then let set out 1 hour before serving. You want room-temperature rice.

Smoothie from My Garden

Okay, so the title of this post is a tad misleading. It's not 100% from my garden, but it is mostly stuff I grew. I grew the carrots, kale, and strawberries, but not the orange or banana. Sorry, but the harsh Michigan winters prohibit such fruits. That is your geography/science lesson for the day. This smoothie is seriously awesome. It tastes like magic. Or maybe it's just that I haven't made a smoothie in weeks. Whatever the case, it is still pretty damn yummy...and (gasp) good for you!

What you need:

• 1 banana
• 1 small seedless orange, peeled
• about 6 strawberries (average sized)
• about 6 smallish kale leaves with the thick stems removed
• 2 small carrots or 1 medium
• a few bits of ice

What you do:

1. Do I really need to tell you how to throw everything in the blender and blend the shit out of it? Nah. I didn't think so.

Coconutty Potato Lentil Curry

Curry sure isn't pretty, but it tastes kickass.

I've been meaning to make a coconutty curry for ages, but just haven't. Until today, that is. I had asked for inspiration and @greenvegnliving delivered. She recommended a recipe by Mark Bittman for potato lentil curry. It sounded tasty to start with, but I absolutely can't resist altering recipes like a mofo. I know; I'm a badass. You don't have to tell me. I added all sorts of flavor and goodness to the original recipe and it fucking rocks. I can't wait to have leftovers tomorrow. You do know that curries are even better the second day, right?

Serves 4 adults with rice and flatbreads

What you need:

• 1 can coconut milk (I used full-fat)
• 1-2 cups water
• 1 cup dried lentils
• 1 TB (or more) curry powder of your choice
• 1/2 tsp celery seed or celery salt
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp powdered mustard seed.
• 2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized cubes
• 1 small carrot, peeled and diced
• 1/3 cup red onion, finely chopped
• salt (I used a cool coarse black salt from Hawaii - NOT the sulfurous kala namak salt)

 What you do:

1. Heat a large-ish sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the lentils, 1 cup water and 1 can of coconut milk and mix well. Now mix in your spices except the salt (adding salt early in cooking lentil can cause them to not soften). Above are the starting measurements for the spices. Add whatever you want. 
2. Once the liquid starts to bubble, give it another stir, put a lid on the pot (slightly askew to let a tiny bit of steam out), then turn the heat way down to low. Simmer about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Now, add in the onion, potato, and carrot. Here I added another cup of water because it had cooked down so far. Mix everything really well and put the lid on all the way. You'll cook this for about 20 more minutes on low. I set my stove timer to go off every 4 minutes to stir it. I just wanted to make sure it didn't burn to the bottom of the pot. Add more water and/or adjust your spices as needed. Cook until your potatoes are soft and everything tastes KILLER! The longer you simmer over low, the more time the spices have to develop a stellar, delicious sauce.

Not a Green Smoothie

 

 

There are days that I crave a massive breakfast complete with vegan sausage, pancakes and veg. Today was not that day. I craved some green smoothie...like, hardcore. Sadly, I failed at replenishing my produce because I worked all weekend. Working Sunday (my normal grocery day) threw off my whole veg game. I know, I know...I'm rambling. What the hell was I saying? Oh, yeah. So, I wanted a green smoothie, but I had no greens, thus I made a fruit-ish smoothie instead. I pretty much never make non-green-smoothies. They feel too desserty instead of breakfasty. Yes, those are words. In a crunch, this smoothie will at least get some fruit and veg into your face. It tasted pretty sweet, but was still pretty filling. I recommend it. Fo sho. If you have a little lime on-hand, I bet the smoothie would benefit from a little squeeze.

What I used:

• 1 ripe banana
• 5 big strawberries, green tops removed
• 1 large carrot, peeled, or about 8 baby carrots
• some water...maybe 1/3 cup
• a scoop of ice

Just blend the shit out of this. Drink it down. Easy.

Peanut Butter Banana Green Smoothie

Look carefully at the jar. POWDERED PEANUT BUTTER. I know you're thinking, "What the fuck, Chickpea?" And, dear readers, I was right there with you. My auntie brought this to me from her health food store and I was an instant skeptic, as I often tend to be. But, I decided to give it the ol' college try. I have to say, I'm quite impressed. Though, I have only tried it on a spoon (yummy and it cakes to your roof) and in this smoothie. I have to tell you, I am really quite impressed. I absolutely LOVE it in my smoothie. It gave the smoothie a bit of peanutty flavor without all the oil and fat of jarred peanut butter. Here's what the back of the PB2 jar says:

So, here's how I made my smoothie of excellentness:

• 1 carrot
• 1 ripe banana
• 1 big handful of red grapes
• 1 big handful of baby kale
• 1 big handful of baby spinach
• 3 TB orange juice
• 2 TB powdered peanut butter (PB2 is the kind I used)
• some ice

Blend that shit up and drink it down.You can thank me later.

Chickpeas, Veggies and Dumplings

Comfort food? Hell yes. I was skimming around the internet a few days ago and stumbled on Mama Pea's recipe for Chickpeas and Dumplings. Chickpeas...dumplings...you can't possibly go wrong. I looked through my pantry and fridge and decided that I wanted something similar. So, I started with Mama Pea's recipe and then altered it to my tastes and what I had here already. It was great fresh from the skillet, but it was even better as leftovers for lunch the following day. I took a shortcut when I made mine. I used Bisquick (mixed with almond milk) to make drop biscuits that I cooked in the skillet with the veggies and chickpeas. It was perfect!

Serves 4

What I used:

• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into a small dice
• 1 Idaho potato, peeled and cut into a small dice
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 can, drained and rinsed)
• 3/4 cup frozen peas
• 3 cups veg broth
• 1 TB oil of your choice (I used coconut oil)
• 1 tsp curry powder
• pinch oregano
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• pinch red pepper flake
• 1 TB cornstarch
• salt and pepper
• for the dumplings:
• 1 1/4 cups bisquick mix (approx)
• 1/3 cup almond milk, give or take, until the dough is held together and no dry bits remain
• 1/4 tsp garlic salt

What I did:

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Be sure you use a skillet that has a lid. This helps steam your dumplings once you add them to the skillet. So, anyway, heat the oil. Then add the onion, potato and carrot. Cook, stirring regularly, for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Add in the broth and use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrap up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Go ahead and add in the spices, the peas and the chickpeas. Bring to a light boil, then, in a small bowl mix the cornstarch and a ladle of broth to the bowl. Mix vigorously with a fork until the cornstarch is dissolved. Then add it back to the skillet. Whisk it well, then lower heat to med-low and simmer the liquid down a bit. I think I let mine cook about 10 minutes this way. 
3. Then mix your bisquick mix together in a bowl. Use a fork or spoon to drop blobs of the dough into the veggies and broth. Cover with a lid and cook about 15 minutes. This will steam your dumplings to awesomeness. DONE! Pig out. You know you wanna. 

Another ugly smoothie...

When you mix a lot of colors, you end up with brown. And that's exactly what happened with today's smoothie. It turned a sickly brownish-green. I had odds and ends in my fridge that needed to be used, so I threw them all together. It still tasted terrific, though, so I'm not complaining. If you can get past the color, you'll dig the flavors.

This recipe makes 2 large smoohies.

• 1 huge handful of kale
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 honeycrisp apple
• 1/2 ripe banana (if you like a really banana-y smoothie, use a whole one)
• half a handful of blueberries
• handful of raspberries
• 1/4 cup POM pomegranate-cranberry juice
• 2-3 TB orange juice
• ice

Blend, duh.

French Lentil Soup

I have heard nothing but good things about French Lentils, so I was mega stoked when I found some at a local health food store. Then, they sat on my counter for 3 weeks before I finally felt motivated to use them. Yes, I am a fickle chickpea. It's what I do. I make all sorts of plans to cook things, then I change my mind. I'm sure you understand. No? Bugger. Well, whatever. The lentils are quite delectable and they seem to cook quickly. I do recommend giving them a shot. If you don't have them, just use the basic lentil you find at the grocery store. They're kind of greenish-brownish. They'll work just fine, I'm sure.

I decided to make this stew with the random things I found in my fridge because I had zero desire to head out in the cold and buy more food. In addition to being fickle, I am also sometimes rather lazy. And I am okay with that. Anyway, the soup turned out way better than I had imagined. The use of smoked paprika adds a warmth that I found quite tasty. I seem to be slightly addicted to adding it to my dishes lately. Enough talk. Let's get cookin!

This recipe makes about 6-8 bowls of soup.

What I used:

• 14oz can of crushed tomatoes
• 3-4 cups veggie broth (I'd start with 3 1/2 cups and add more if necessary later on)
• 1 1/4 cups dried French Lentils, picked through and rinsed
• 2 large carrots cut into 1/4 inch thick coins
• 1 large russett potato, diced small I peeled mine but you don't have to
• About 2 cups of kale, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2-3 TB olive oil
• 1 TB sugar to help take the tinny taste from the canned crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp all-purpose seasoning (I use Simply Organics brand)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp onion powder/granulated onion
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• a small pinch of cumin
• lots of pepper
• 1/8 - 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• salt

What I did:

1. Heat a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the oil. Once hot, add the onion, carrots, potato and the garlic. Stir occasionally to keep anything from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
2. Once the onion is translucent, add in all the other ingredients and stir very well. I increased the heat to bring the soup to a boil for a few minutes, then put the lid on the pot and then turned the heat back down to medium-low. I stirred it every 10-15 minutes, for about 40 minutes.
3. Then, I removed the lid and let the liquid cook down a little bit further to make it more like a stew. I think that took about 10-15 minutes. But, you can leave it more liquidy...whatever floats your veggie boat. 

I very highly recommend serving this with some garlic bread. Not sure why, but it tasted amazing together. And, really, I eat garlic bread every chance I get.

The Ugly Smoothie

I was really craving a smoothie this morning, as I do most mornings. So, I got adventurous and just threw a bunch of stuff in my VitaMix. It turned out quite ugly (brown-ish green), but it did taste pretty good. Just don't look at it when you drink it. Hey, remember those old Cocoa Wheats commercials where the kids wore blindfolds and bags on their heads because the food was so ugly? No? Perhaps this will refresh your memory:



Yeah. So. There you go. 1989. Awkward and strange.

Ugly smoothie ingredients:

• 1 medium carrot
• 1 cup kale
• 1/2 large red apple
• 2 small blood oranges
• 1 small banana
• 1-2 TB ground flax
• 1/4 cup cranberry juice
• a few pieces of ice

I assume you know how to put this in a blender and blend the shit out of it. It's easy. Enjoy. Or not. Whatever you do, don't look at it.

Cauliflower Steaks

Cauliflower steaks. WTH? They're essentially just thick slabs of cauli roasted in the oven. Easy. They really require no commentary! Just spritz them with some cooking oil or olive oil. Roast in a 435 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes total, flipping halfway through cooking. Don't forget to salt them just a little. When you roast it like this, you can even eat the stalk if you want. It gets nice and tender. I made mine with some mashed taters, steamed veggies and some vegan Caesar salad. It was a wholesome, filling, delicious meal. Nothing snarky there. So, yeah, I thought I'd expose you to the wonders of the cauliflower steak. NOM!

KACK Smoothie

Yup, that's one thick smoothie.

On my quest to conquer kale, I have cut another notch in my belt. The KACK smoothie. Yeah, so, KACK sounds like the noise a cat makes when yacking up a hairball...not so appealing. I understand. However, KACK is all green smoothie goodness.

Kale
Apple
Carrot
Kiwi

See? It's all good in the KACK smoothie hood.

Here are the measures:

• 1 cup kale
• 1 small apple (I used an ida red)
• 1 carrot, medium size
• 2 kiwi (I cut the ends and leave the skin on)
• 1/4 cup almond milk

Directions....really? You just blend the hell outta this and then drink it. With a straw. It's thick. Notice in the top photo how my glass straw is standing up on its own...it's that thick.

Kickass Kale Kiwi Smoothie

 

I have to say that I have never been a kale lover. I keep trying it and I never seem to like how it turns out. Anyway, I bought some a couple days ago to give it another shot. I was going to try mixing it into some of my super tasty OMG Hashbrowns recipe, but inspiration struck and I added them to my smoothie instead! I was shocked at how awesome it turned out.

I usually add fruit juice to my smoothies, but I have been using almond milk lately. To my surprise, I stumbled on this super awesome new milk at the grocery store. It's a coconut milk and almond milk blend and it rocks my socks so hardcore!!

Oh yeah, that's what I'm talking about! I'm in serious love with it. Anywhoooo, give it a shot if you see it. It's comes in sweetened and unsweetened varieties, but I prefer the sweetened for my smoothies. Yum! Now, on to the smoothie.

What I used:

• 1 cup kale
• 1 small banana
• 2 kiwi, ends cut off (I always leave the skin on, but you don't have to)
• 1 medium carrot
• 1/2 cup almond-coconut milk
• handful of ice

What I did:

1. Threw it into my VitaMix and blended it. Duh. 

It makes 2 smallish smoothies or 1 very large one.

Veggie Black Bean Burgers of Awesomeness

Dudes, it has been ages since I've made burgers! I've been super seriously craving them bad. A quick scan of my cupboard revealed a can of black beans and, thus, it was decided. I've had a bit of a sketchy history with making the illustrious black bean burger. I crave bean burgers, and *gasp* sometimes I just buy the frozen ones. Come on! You know you do it, too. My biggest difficulty has been making the burgers hold together, especially enough to flip them while baking. Well, my dearest darlings, I finally accomplished this feat of awesomeness. Part of the trick is making sliders (little burgers) and the other is the use of vital wheat gluten and breadcrumbs. The small size of the sliders fit easily on the spatula and they seem to cook throughout without the edges drying out very much.

An a-side: I love flavored mayos. Garlic mayo, cajun mayo, chipotle mayo, etc., so I made some spicy mayo for these burgers and it was mega rad! I mixed my Vegenaise (best vegan mayo by leaps and bounds) with some chili powder, cajun seasoning and smoked paprika. Let it sit aside for at least 5 minutes so the flavors can develop more. You won't be sorry.

I also made my own slider buns! I used someone else's recipe for those, so I can't take any credit. But here is the link to the recipe. The only real changes I made were to skip the "wash" and the sesame seeds. While I love sesame seeds, I do not enjoy them on buns. Then, I just made them into a bunch of smaller buns instead of full-size burger buns. When they were done, I brushed some melted Earth Balance butter on top to keep them soft while the burgers were cooking. Here's the progression:

Just rolled following the first rise in the bowl.

This is after the second rise. Ready for the oven.

Hot buns!! Just need a little brush of butter and they're good to go.

Now, on to the burgers! It made 7 small burgers or about 4 large ones.

What I used:

• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/4-1/3 cup finely chopped green pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh mushroom (about 4 average white mushrooms)
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 tsp oil of your choice for cooking veggies - I used coconut oil
• 1-2 tsp steak sauce
• 2-3 TB bbq sauce
• about 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
• about 1/4 cup or a bit more vital wheat gluten (also called vital wheat gluten flour)
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp onion powder

What I did:

1. Preheat oven to 420 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat. Even though I used silicone, I still spritzed it with some cooking spray just to be sure the burgers didn't stick.
2. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, green pepper and onion. Stir a few times and cook until the onions are nearly translucent. Add in the garlic, carrots and mushrooms and cook another few minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. 
3. Add your beans and cooked veggies to a food processor and pulse about 10 times, or until you don't see any whole blackbeans left, but don't totally puree the mix. Now, empty the food processor into a large mixing bowl.
4. Mix in the spices, and sauces. Then fold in the bread crumbs and gluten. Let it sit a few minutes to activate the gluten. Now, here's the tricky part. You want to pull off a little bit of the burger mix and roll it into a ball in your hand. Then smoosh it down a bit. If the patty seems to be holding its shape and not instantly turning to mush, you're probably in the clear. Otherwise, add more bread crumbs until it reaches a stable consistency. It won't be super firm or anything, but it should stay together when gently handled. 

5. Okay, well, now make a bunch (or a few patties) about 1/2 inch thick and carefully transfer to the prepped baking sheet. 

6. Bake for about 12 minutes. Spritz the tops with some cooking spray and then gently use a spatula to flip the patties over and cook about 6 more minutes. The edges should be just a bit crispy. 

Do you all have any favorite burger recipes? I'm pretty sure these are my new favorites. They were so awesome. I ate 3. Oink, oink!!

Spicy Peanut Veggies & Noodles

I have been itching to make something spicy and peanutty for a while now. So, get this, I did it. Amazing, I know. Shower me with praise. Or not. I just know that this turned out awesomely and I will absolutely be making it again. For the noodles, I used a thinnish spaghetti noodle as that's what I had onhand. You can use whatever you want, but I like long, floppy noodles. Hahaha. I used to love lo mein noodles, but they have eggs in them, which is oh so sad. I haven't tried the rice noodles yet...they kind of freak me out for some reason. Perhaps I shall soon. Who knows. Crazier things have happened. In the meantime, I highly suggest you make this ridiculously yummy dish. I know you'll like it.

This makes 3 rather large servings or about 5 as a side.

What I used:

• 1/2 head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1/2 bunch broccoli, cut into florets
• 3 carrots, grated
• 1/2 red onion, cut into thick strips
• 1 cup pea pods, ends removed and cut in half
• 5 button mushrooms, cut into chunks
• noodles
• 1/4 cup (or a bit more) smooth peanut butter
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2-3 tsp rice vinegar
• 1 TB (or more) sriracha sauce
• a couple TB water
• 2 tsp coconut oil 
• dry roasted peanuts for a tasty garnish

What I did:

1. I steamed the broccoli and cauli for about 5-6 minutes until they were just tender enough to spear with a fork (the broccoli will be a vibrant greeen). Then, I heated the coconut oil (you can use any oil) in a skillet over medium heat. I sauteed the onions until they started to lose their color. Then added in the carrot and mushroom along with the steamed broccoli and cauli. While the veg is cooking, start cooking your pasta.
2. While the pasta and veg are still cooking, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, sriracha and water. It seems like it will never mix together, but keep on whisking. Taste it when it looks homogenous and add any more spices as necessary. Set aside. 
3. By now, your veggies and pasta are ready. I added the pea pods in the last minute of cooking the veg because I love them nice and crispy. You can do whatever you want. Now, add the sauce to the pasta and then gently fold in your veggies. I let mine sit a few minutes to meld together and this is what it looked like:
   
   
   

Kiwi Smoothies are Rad

Smoothies. Who doesn't love 'em? Well, my dears, I have been in kind of a smoothie rut lately. I've been less than creative with my green smoothies, so I decided to shake things up a bit. I found a great deal on kiwis yesterday, so I bought 8 of them for $2.00. I couldn't resist their furry brown goodness. And, to top it off, kiwi are crazy good for you. Don't believe me? Click here for more info. So, yeah, I bought 8 kiwifruits on a whim. A damn tasty whim, if I do say so myself. What's a chickpea to do with 8 kiwi? Make a smoothie...though I didn't use 8, just 2. Forgive me for misleading you. Now make the smoothie already.

Makes 1 smoothie.

• 2 peeled kiwi (mine were partially peeled because I like the skin)
• 1 smallish ripe banana
• 1 small carrot
• 1/4 - 1/3 cup almond milk
• a small scoop of ice

Blend all that tasty shit together and you have a wicked tasty smoothie.

I must say, though, that I was a little disappointed that the smoothie wasn't the mega-vibrant green of the inside of a kiwi. I blame myself for adding carrot and banana. But the taste more than makes up for it.

Curried Quinoa!!

Ever have those days when you just don't feel like making anything fancy? Yeah, I had that day today. I decided to start with some quinoa and see where it took me from there. As I puttered around my kitchen looking for other stuff to add to the quinoa, I found some frozen peas and some chopped walnuts. But what spices? Dudes, you know I can't resist curry powders, so I decided to take a chance and make curried quinoa. This was pretty tasty on its own, but even more so with some garlic naan (or a garlicky pita). They go perfectly together. Take my word for it! I command you. Enjoy....or not....whatever.

This makes enough for 3 bowls as a main dish or 4-5 as a side.

What I used:

• 1 cup dry quinoa
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup diced red onion
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 large carrot, grated (I actually used a microplane to grate mine)
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1-2 tsp curry powder of your choice
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp coriander
• salt

What I did:

1. Combine broth, water and spices in a pot over medium-high heat with lid on. Once lightly boiling, stir in the quinoa, carrot and onions. Leave the lid on and lower the heat to medium. Cook for about 12-15 minutes.
2. Remove the pot from the heat. Carefully stir in your peas and walnuts, and place the lid back on the pot. Let sit for about 15 minutes. Taste for spices and dig in.