Vegan Burger Topped with Mint Avocado Mash

This is the best veggie burger I have ever made! I am keeping this recipe forever.

It's based on the recipe from Vegetarian Times, though I ad-libbed and changed things as usual.

Vegan Veggie Burger

1 cup canned chickpeas, drained
1 cup canned red kidney beans, drained
2 large carrots, grated
2 TBS dried minced onion
1/2 cup dry rolled oats (not quick-cook)
5 to 8 mint leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp sea salt and Pepper
5 Greek peppers (pepperoncini), chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2  tsp Trader Joe's taco seasoning mix (or other brand)

In a food processor, pulse all ingredients until it looks crumbly and pinches together (do not puree).

Hand form into 4 large patties. Can refrigerate, covered, over night if preferred.

In large skillet, heat 2 TBS olive oil until hot. Cook veggie patties until browned and slightly crispy on the outside.

Mint Avocado Mash
2 ripe but firm avocados
1 TBS fresh lime juice
5 to 6 fresh mint leaves, chopped
Pinch of sea salt
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)

Do I need to explain? Oh, all right. Mash it all together.

ENJOY!

Veggie Pizza!

Crispy is the best, in my opinion, for a tasty pizza. Starting with a thin crust, your prep time for this delicious meal is less than 30 minutes.

Veggie Pizza!

1 Archer Farms (or preferred brand) thin ready crust
1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 fresh garlic clove, minced
1 medium eggplant (cook according to recipe found here)
1/2 red bell pepper, shaved thinly
1 small onion, shaved
2 TBS sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup red cabbage, shredded/shaved thinly
1 cup whole grape tomatoes
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
1 Haas avocado

Start by smearing the olive oil and garlic over the entire uncooked crust. Set aside.

Next, slice your eggplant lengthwise, thinly, and brush coat with a mixture of 4 TBS Olive oil, 3 TBS balsamic vinegar, minced garlic and oregano. Press cook in a panini or George Forman grill (fastest way) until brown. Remove and coat with more marinade. Chop into pieces.

In a medium sized bowl, cut grape tomatoes and kalamata olives in half and combine. Dice avocado and sprinkle with sea salt. Add to tomato/olive mixture. Set aside. (This goes on pizza after it's cooked)

Top pizza crust with everything except grape tomatoes, olives and avocado.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place pizza directly on rack and cook 8 to 10 minutes, until edges just start to brown.

Remove from oven and top with tomato/olive/avocado mixture.

Serve to your wonderful guests.

Millet and Fennel Stuffed Acorn Squash

This photo does not do this justice! It was delicious with the roasted orange bell pepper sauce smothered all over the top (guess that's why you can't see most of it).

I started by roasting my acorn squash cut side down in the oven at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. I threw in some cut orange peppers to roast along side it.

Millet and Fennel Stuffed Acorn Squash with Orange Pepper Sauce

1 acorn squash (or as many as you need), cut in half, seeds removed
2 orange bell peppers, cut in half, seeds removed
1 fennel bulb, chopped
Olive oil
Toasted Pepitas
Sea Salt & Pepper
1 cup of millet

Sauce
2 orange bell peppers (roasted) or use jarred if desired
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp extra virgin coconut oil
1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
pinch of natural sugar (optional)

1. Cook millet in 2 cups of water over medium heat until all water is absorbed.
2. In a large skillet, heat 2 tsp olive oil over medium heat and add chopped fennel. Cook fennel until soft and slightly brown (about 15-20 minutes).
3. Add fennel to millet, stir.
4. Add sea salt and more olive oil to taste. 
5. Take 1/2 of the cooked orange pepper, chop into chunks and add to millet.

For the sauce, add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.

Scoop millet mixture into each half of roasted squash and top with bell pepper sauce. Sprinkle with pepitas.

Crispy Veggie Pizza

Archer Farms now sells thin crusts for make-your-own pizzas. This is the first time I've tried it and it tastes great and bakes perfectly crisp. If I had the time, I would make my own thin flat bread crusts, but convenience rules today.

On this pizza, I used roasted red peppers, chopped up, sauteed onion, grape tomatoes chopped and seasoned, handful of arugula and several chunks of garlic jalapeno Daiya.

Done after 10 minutes directly on the rack.

Top with avocado chunks. Perfect.

Power-Full Juice

I have encountered so many people on Instagram who have inspired me even more so than I can imagine. This particular recipe comes from Chauds Juice Therapy (@chaudsjuicetherapy). Hundreds of juice recipes and information~

This particular juice is called Staywell 2.0. A good juice to drink in the cold months and around flu season.

You will need a juicer for this recipe

 

 

10 Carrots

2 peeled oranges

2 inches of peeled ginger

2 cloves of garlic

 

Tastes delicious!



Balsamic Spiced Tempeh Wrap

I have been a little (a lot) obsessed with Instagram, which leaves me lacking in the Blogger posts. If you're an Instagramer, you can find me @therawcookedvegan. I have most my Blogger pictures there with the link here for the recipes.

This wrap has a wonderful taste combo of pan grilled tempeh, sun dried tomatoes, Romaine lettuce, pepperoncini and Jalapeño-garlic Daiya vegan cheese all rolled up in a tomato garlic wrap.

BALSAMIC SPICED TEMPEH WRAP

1 block of tempeh, cut super thin
Hydrated sun dried tomatoes, chopped
Natural-cured pepperoncini, chopped
Romaine lettuce, chopped
Jalapeño-garlic wedge sliced into strips
Tomato garlic wrap or wrap of choice

MARINADE
Start by placing your sliced tempeh in a medium-sized shallow dish. In a small bowl, whisk together 4 TBS aged Balsamic vinegar, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 2 TBS olive oil, 1 TBS packed brown sugar or maple sugar, dash or two of cayenne pepper. Cover and marinate in refrigerator overnight or at least 6 hours.
Heat a skillet over medium heat and brown tempeh to your liking.

Load, tuck, wrap and roll!

Lemon Raspberry Tart

I totally ad-libbed on this recipe to make it vegan. I knew it would be dense and sweet, so I used my fresh lemons to compliment the sweetness. I had a lot of frozen raspberries to use up which made the combination delish.

I recommend a spring-form pan when making this. It works perfectly getting your tart out of the pan!

Lemon Raspberry Tart

1 and 1/4 Cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3 TBS fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp fresh grated lemon rind
2/3 cup natural granulated sugar
1/4 cup natural brown sugar
1/3 cup softened Earth Balance Spread
1/4 cup unsweet almond milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 and 1/2 cups frozen raspberries, rinsed under cold water

Vanilla Lemon Glaze:
1 cup of Powdered sugar
1 TBS Almond milk
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla bean extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 8 or 9 inch spring-form pan with non-stick product of choice.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and sugars. In a separate bowl, hand mix the softened Earth Balance, lemon juice, vanilla and rind.  Combine the buttery mixture with the flour/sugar mixture until mixed well. Stir in the rinsed raspberries.

Scoop mixture into prepared pan. Bake 55 minutes to 1 hour. Remove and let cool.

Whisk together ingredients for glaze and drizzle on top.

Organic Lemons!

 

Finally, our Meyer lemon tree produced! Last year, all the blooms fell off (or got eaten by deer) and we grew a total of 2 lemons. This time, we are juicing and eating lemons everyday! I plan on making lemon squares with a walnut crust next week.

Any other ideas for lemon recipes? I would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below this post (if you aren't signed up as a Google member, just post as anonymous).

Have a wonderful and safe New Year's Eve.

 

 

Roasted Veggie Melt with Arugula and Jalapeno Garlic Daiya

This was too simple.

But worth posting because I can't say enough good things about Daiya "cheese." I especially love the Garlic Jalapeno!

Oven roasted veggies of choice (I chose red onion, pablano peppers and orange peppers)
Olive oil and seasoning for veggies
Lavash or pita wedges
Arugula leaves
Garlic Jalapeno Daiya wedge, sliced

Sprinkle veggies with olive oil and seasonings. Bake on a cookie sheet in a 400 degree oven, stirring a couple times, until browned (about 15 to 25 minutes).

Arrange veggies on pita wedges, toss some arugula leaves on, top with Daiya and stick under broiler for 5 minutes until melted and slightly browned.

Avocado and Beluga Lentils in a Salty Lemon Scallion Vinaigrette

Beluga Lentils (or French lentils) are very tiny and firm. I occasionally find them in the bulk section of my natural food store, however, I've discovered  Archer Farms has a pre-cooked 8 ounce bag. Saves so much time!

2 cups cooked Beluga Lentils
1 large ripe and firm avocado, diced
2 scallions, white and green part, sliced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 Anaheim red pepper, chopped (seeds and all)
2 and 1/2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt
1 fresh lemon, juiced

Combine cooked lentils, scallions and red pepper in a bowl.
Whisk together olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and sea salt. Pour over lentil mixture and let marinate for several hours.

I served it with pita wedges and hummus.

Spaghetti Squash with Sundried Tomatoes Green Onions and Melted Jalapeno Garlic Daiya

A perfect vegan main course.

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash, washed and cut lengthwise in half
3 green onions, white and green part, chopped
5 to 10 sun dried tomato halves in oil, sliced in pieces
Daiya Jalapeno Garlic Havarti-style wedge
Olive oil
Sea salt/pepper
Smoked paprika
Fresh parsley, chopped

• After cutting squash, scoop out seeds and set aside
• Line a cookie sheet with foil and preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
• Drizzle inside of squash with olive oil and sea salt, pepper and smoked paprika
• Place cut-side down on foil and bake 40 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork
• Once squash is cool enough to handle, scrape out the stringy squash with a fork or spoon and place in medium sized bowl
• Add chopped green onions to squash and mix well
• Season squash with more sea salt, pepper and paprika

With a burger-press or other similarly shaped tool, create a round of squash on an oven-safe plate. Top with sun dried tomato pieces and thinly sliced pieces of the Daiya Jalapeno Garlic dairy-free cheese.

Heat under broiler for 5 to 8 minutes, watching carefully, until cheese is melted and browned. Remove from broiler and top with fresh chopped parsley.

My squash was medium in size and I had enough to make at least 10 servings.

Open-Face Veggie Stack with Fried Garlic Squash

I had some left over purple potatoes which played a small but tasty part in this veggie stack.

I started with a whole grain tortilla, cut with a circular biscuit cutter. My yellow squash was pan-fried in olive oil, first coated with a mixture of rolled oats, sea salt, pepper, garlic powder and dried minced onion.

The layers were arugula, cooked purple potato slices, Daiya jalapeno garlic dairy-free cheese (melted slightly on the cooked squash) and sliced sweet onion. I added a few more potato slices and arugula on top.

I ended up putting another rounded slice of tortilla on top because it was much easier to eat that way!

Mixed Dal with Tomato Tarka

 

 

Dal is the name of spicy, aromatic side dishes made with curry, onions, tomatoes and seasonings which are generally eaten with rice or bread. Dal comes from the Sanskrit word meaning "to split", as in split peas and lentils that are usually used in making these dishes. This recipes get credit from the November issue of Vegetarian Times. I changed it slightly, according to what I had on hand or didn't have on hand. This is my first attempt at Dal and I really liked it. I added a few extra things for my liking.

 

 

Mixed Dal with Tomato Tarka

 

1/2 cup dried red/pink lentils

1/2 cup dried split green or yellow peas (I used green)

3 TBS olive oil or vegetable oil, divided

2 TBS fresh grated ginger, divided

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 to 3 cups fresh baby spinach leaves

1 tsp sea salt

2 tsp whole cumin seeds

1 medium onion, chopped (1 and 1/2 cups)

1 tsp garam masala

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced (1TBS)

1 small (4oz) can of roasted green chile's (not in the original recipe)

2 TBS capers (not in the original recipe)

1 tomato or 1/2 pint baby tomatoes, chopped/diced

 

1. Rinse and drain lentils and split peas. Place in large bowl and cover with hot water to soak 30 minutes.

 

2. Combine drained lentil mixture, 1 TBS of olive oil, 1 TBS ginger, turmeric and six cups of water in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 1 hour, or until peas and lentils are very soft. Whisk with wire whisk to break up lentils. Add spinach and salt, cover and simmer 10 minutes more.

 

3. While lentils are simmering, heat remaining 2 TBS olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add cumin seeds; cook 30 seconds to one minute, or until seeds darken. Add onion, garam masala, and cayenne, and cook 3 to 5 minutes until onions soften and begin to brown. Stir in garlic and remaining ginger; cook 1 minute. Add tomato and cook a few minutes more or until tomato releases juices and most of liquid evaporates. Stir in roasted green chile's and capers.

 

4. Combine tomato/onion mixture with lentil mixture. Season with salt and pepper.  

 

Serve with cooked rice, warm flat bread, pita bread, or naan.



In the Juicer

Most likely one of the best juices I've made for a morning energy boost. Packed with potassium, vitamin A (from beta carotene), vitamin C and vitamin K.

In the juicer:

5 medium organic carrots
1 package of organic celery hearts
1 small orange
1 small organic apple

Penne Primavera

What is pasta without vegetables? I believe if pasta does not have deliciously prepared vegetables with it, then there is no use eating it at all. Not everyone will agree, but I like using pasta as my side instead of my main dish.

PENNE PRIMAVERA

1 Head of organic broccoli, rinsed in hot water
15 baby bell bell peppers, washed, left whole
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half
2-3 large garlic cloves, sliced thin
2 and 1/2 TBS olive oil
Sea salt
Pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp olive oil
5-10 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Slice grape tomatoes in half. Put in bowl and add chopped basil. Drizzle with 2 tsp olive oil and 2 tsp balsamic vinegar. Set aside.

Cut broccoli florets leaving 2-3 inches of stems.

Combine 2 TBS olive oil, 1/2 tsp sea salt and 1 tsp smoked paprika. Pour oil mixture over broccoli and toss to coat.

In a cast iron pan over medium heat, add broccoli. Pan-roast until broccoli is browned, adding sliced garlic in the last five minutes of cooking. Remove from pan. Add 1/2 TBS olive oil to empty cast iron pan. Add baby peppers, sprinkle with sea salt and cook over medium heat until semi-blackened. 

In large serving dish, spread a thin layer of pasta noodles. Top with broccoli, peppers and tomatoes.

Miso-Grilled Tempeh over Arugula Greens

A wonderful combination of flavors. This has to top my list of favorites. Lisa, Michele and Clint, you will LOVE this!

Starting with the marinated tempeh:

2- 8oz blocks of tempeh (I used flax)
6 TBS olive oil
1/3 cup Miso Tamari (I used Miso Master brand)
5 TBS Red Balsamic Vinegar
4 TBS packed Dark Brown Sugar
2 TBS water
1/2 to 1 tsp Habanero pepper sauce (or other hot sauce)

Cut each block of tempeh crosswise into 4 equal chunks. Take each chunk and slice it horizontally to reduce thickness by half.

In a lidded jar, combine next six ingredients (olive oil through Habanero sauce). Shake vigorously until the brown sugar is dissolved. Place tempeh pieces in large, shallow dish big enough that each piece will be covered in the marinade (I used an 9x9 ceramic dish). Cover and refrigerate overnight. Save the marinade!

In a panini press or George Forman Grill, lay tempeh pieces in a single layer. Reserve the marinade. Press and cook until browned (about 5 minutes). Remove from grill and place back in dish with reserved marinade.
 For the Arugula Salad:
1 bag ready-washed fresh arugula greens
1 1/2 TBS finely diced sweet onion
2 TBS sliced green olives
3 TBS sliced almonds

Arugula Dressing:

2 TBS Olive oil
2 TBS Sunflower oil
1 TBS Natural Rice vinegar
3 small garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 to 2 tsp fresh squeezed lime juice

In a lidded jar, combine salad dressing ingredients (olive oil through lime juice)and pour over the Arugula, onion, olives and almonds. Mix thoroughly.

I'm not a big fan of dairy-free cheese, but this has changed my mind completely!

1 Avocado
1 small slice Daiya jalapeno-garlic Havarti (this stuff is delicious!)
Place a serving of Arugula on plate, top with a slice of warm, grilled tempeh, spread a chunk of Daiya jalapeno-garlic dairy-free cheese on the tempeh. Top with a slice of avocado. Aweeeesommmme!

Lunchbox Ideas

I've spent many years packing lunches for my kids. I enjoyed packing their lunches and would often ask how they liked it when they got home from school. Don't get me wrong, there were days where I threw together items that didn't take much effort...like a yogurt, an apple, some triscuits and a health bar (yes, that was it). I know not every mom or dad is a lunch-packing whiz, which likely has more to do with time constraints than ability. What I do know for certain is most parents care about their kids eating right and making good choices at home and away from home.

First things, first.
The lunch box: it has to be acceptable to their fleeting taste, and if you're lucky, it holds up into the next school year. Could be a super-hero or flowers, whatever it is, let them pick it out.

Second,
The water bottle: I get some say in this ever since BPA became an issue. You can find BPA-free bottles everywhere now. The good thing is, they held up 3 to 4 school years! Since the beginning of pre-k through high school, they always took a reusable water bottle filled with purified water (I'm a big believer in filtered water). They never asked for anything else. Now, it is their preferred choice with meals to this day.

Third,
Appearance: This is probably the most important. Say you made a stew or a stir-fry that was delicious. But the next day, in a bowl packed into your child's lunch box, it sort of looks like a pile of mush. Well, chances are they don't eat it based on what it looks like. The trick here (it doesn't always work, but bear with me) is to pack it in a way that looks appealing. For instance, arrange the stew or stir-fry over brown or white rice or pack it in a sectioned container separately (Bento box style is very appealing). Maybe your child loves eating with chopsticks but if that's too weird for school, don't bother. If your child "visually" likes what he or she sees, there is a better chance that it's going to be eaten.

Bento Box Style

You can also purchase small, square, individual plastic containers to fit Bento-style inside his or her favorite lunch box.

Last,
Pack it well but not too much food: Over the years I've found out that if I wrap a sandwich or pita securely sitting on the bottom with lots of extras on top, they eat all the top items first, and don't even get to the main course. So, as simple as it may sound, I try and arrange it where they see it all at once or at least put the main course on top with the other additions below or at the side.

Interestingly enough, my kids always ate salads. I made them with chopped romaine (stays crisp longer) or spinach, chopped bell peppers, sliced almonds, chopped apples, dried cranberries and croutons (for the crouton lover). I used a small, lidded jar or mini Tupperware and combined olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a dash of oregano for the dressing.

 

I found pita to be the most versatile lunch prop. You can basically put anything in it your child likes. It's fast for me and more or less easy to eat for them (once you teach them HOW to eat it).

 



 

Pack something sweet and healthy. Of course I had no say in what they would acquire at school, but at least I tried!

 

Goji Bites made with dates, goji berries, cashews and coconut. Yum!



 



The Raw Cooked Kale Salad

I named this The Raw Cooked Kale salad because adding a little sauteed kale with the raw gave it a nice chewy texture. The apple bits were a nice touch with a tart-sweet taste against the more savory greens.

Kale is rich in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, calcium and lutein (a naturally occurring carotenoid).

I found that kale is best mixed with your (clean) hands, but feel free to use utensils if you don't like getting your hands oily. Another option is "shaking" it up in a large Tupperware with a secure lid.

The Raw Cooked Kale Salad

One bunch of your favorite kale, divided (I used Russian Kale)

1 large crisp apple, diced

2 TBS toasted pine nuts

2 TBS olive oil

1/2 TBS red or white balsamic vinegar

sea salt and pepper

2 tsp raw hemp seeds

Wash and dry kale thoroughly. Saute half the bunch in a skillet with a little olive oil and salt and pepper until wilted. Remove from pan and let cool.

Combine everything together except the oil and vinegar. Whisk together vinegar and oil and pour over kale salad. Using your hands (or other device), mix greens until coated. Sprinkle with extra hemp seeds.