Tag Archives: vegetarian

Sweet Potato + Black Bean Burgers with Curry Ketchup

I’ve made more burgers for you!

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I don’t exactly consider these veggie burgers. The last burgers I made for you were definitely veggie burgers. They were packed with veggies. These burgers are simpler, with much fewer ingredients. They really only have one veggie in them + sweet potatoes and beans.

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Are sweet potatoes veggies? Greg and I always do this thing where we count the number of veggies in the meals that we eat. I feel like I always count sweet potatoes.

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I loved the black bean + cilantro burgers I made for you, but they are just a bit time consuming. They don’t take that much time, but this time around I wanted something that can really be whipped up any night of the week, easily and quickly.

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The roasted sweet potatoes lend the perfect texture to these burgers. They are soft + binding. Also, delicious + flavorful. The black beans add  great texture as well, and go great with sweet potatoes. I love caramelized red onion, and also think that they + sweet potatoes are a great combination.

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I made these burgers vegan by using Dijon mustard as a “wet” ingredient rather than an egg. I’m not vegan, but I’m vegan-interested. I also thought recently – if people who eat meat try to go meatless once a week (Meatless Monday), what can already-non-meat-eating people do? They can try to go vegan once a week. So, here is my attempt at once-a-week vegan eating. Dijon instead of an egg. I’ll take it. 🙂

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Also, I topped these burgers simply. Some greens and some curry ketchup. Yes, curry ketchup!

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I first heard of curry ketchup from Greg’s mom. She said she made it and I was immediately super interested. I had never heard of it. And then, Greg and I went out to eat with his sister and we had fries with curry ketchup. It did not disappoint at all. I loved it!

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I followed this recipe. And love it. It will be good on so many things! And, if you don’t want to make your own ketchup, you can undoubtedly just stir some curry powder into ketchup from a bottle.

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You’ve got to try this. Sweet potatoes + black beans + caramelized red onion + curry ketchup = one delicious burger.

Ingredients:
2 medium sweet potatoes
Olive oil
1 medium red onion
Salt
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 – 15 oz. can black beans
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 350*. Peel and cube the sweet potatoes. Combine the sweet potatoes with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Toss well to coat the potatoes. Roast on a baking sheet for about 30 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are very soft.

While the sweet potatoes are roasting, dice the red onion. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Add the onions to the hot oil with a pinch of salt. Stir, and let cook over medium-high heat for about five minutes, or until onions begin to brown. Turn heat down to medium-low and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until onions are caramelized.

When the sweet potatoes are done roasting, add them to a bowl and mash them using a potato masher. I left mine semi-chunky for texture, but they can also be mashed well so there are no chunks left. Add the black beans to the bowl and mash again, to incorporate the beans. Add the red onion, breadcrumbs and Dijon mustard. Stir well to combine everything. The mixture should be thick + gooey.

Add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Form the mixture into patties and cook in the oil for about five minutes on each side, or until the burgers are golden brown, slightly crispy and warmed through.

*Notes:
-You could definitely use an egg here instead of the Dijon, if mustard is not your thing. If using an egg, substitute one egg for all of the mustard. Using the mustard definitely gives the burgers a mustard-y taste.
-To make this gluten free, just use certified gluten free breadcrumbs.
-Click here for the curry ketchup recipe. Seriously so delicious!

Fresh Veggie + Cabbage Slaw

I’ve made you some slaw!

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And I’ve got a couple of things to say about it.

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1. This would be a great side dish (or topping!) for these veggie burgers. Great combo + so delicious!

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2. I’ve done quite a few strange things since I’ve started this blog, but I’ve got to say that photographing a large pile of raw chopped cabbage at 9 a.m. has got to be the strangest. 🙂

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3. I’m calling this slaw (and any other slaw I may someday make) just slaw instead of coleslaw. What does coleslaw even mean? The only thing I think of when I think of coleslaw is what I was served in my elementary school cafeteria. Trying not to compare the two.

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4. This recipe is brought to you by Cabo Fish Taco. Cabo Fish Taco is an amazing restaurant that Greg and I discovered a couple of summers ago in Charlotte, NC after seeing it on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (love that show!). We went once and luckily have made it back a couple of times since and each time was just as good as the last. We always get the BBQ mahi fish tacos that taste like a plate full of fresh. The tacos come topped with this amazing slaw and the recipe is available on food network! The recipe is for the entire taco, and for this post, I just made the slaw. The only changes I made were adding more veggies and less mayo.

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5. As I mentioned above, I never really liked slaw (coleslaw). But this is different.  This tastes so fresh and light! And so flavorful. If you haven’t had a great past with coleslaw, you should definitely try this!

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6. Mayo. Another thing I’ve had a rough past with. I’ve never liked it. And if it is in something I’m eating, I try to forget about it. Like this dip. The dip is soo good, and I wouldn’t change a thing about the recipe. So, if I can forget there is mayo in it, it’s all okay. Does anyone else do this? But now, I’ve discovered something that I can come close to saying I sort of like! This. Has anyone else tried this and/or had this experience?

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7. This slaw is so good. It’s a summer recipe. Light, fresh, bright, delicious. It has a lovely kick with the chili powder and cayenne but is balanced with the cilantro and all of the cool, refreshing fresh veggies. It also isn’t overly creamy like traditional coleslaw, especially if you leave out some of the mayo. I hope you get to try it and love it too!

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Find the recipe here. Enjoy!

Roasted Mushroom, Potato and Carrot Salad + Homemade Garlic Croutons

I think you are going to love this!

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A healthy salad! That is delicious!

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I’m telling you, I am in love with this salad.

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I mentioned the other day that I am ready for light summer food and this is just that.

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Roasted mushrooms are unbelievable. If you have never roasted mushrooms, you need to. And if you have, I hope this is a friendly reminder of how to-die-for they are.

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I feel like I am kind of at a weird in-between stage with fruits and veggies. I’m sort of done with winter produce and ready for summer foods but it’s just not time yet. But, I feel like it is always a good time for potatoes. And carrots. And I’ve discovered that cubed fingerling potatoes roast up so nicely. And carrots too! Why is everything better roasted?

croutons

And, these croutons. I definitely have a love-hate relationship with croutons. They are yummy and a nice crunchy addition to salad, but have you ever looked at the ingredient list on store-bought croutons? If you haven’t and you have any desire to eat minimally processed foods, don’t look and don’t buy. Make these instead.

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I’ve had problems with homemade croutons in the past. They seemed confusing and have turned out either too soft or hard as rocks. These turned out perfectly. The garlic flavor is subtle but delicious. These were slightly soft but had a nice crunch. And so super simple. They take no time at all. I feel like I will start to make a big batch of these to keep on hand.

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The whole thing together is amazing. Everything works together so perfectly. The veggies, greens and croutons. There is nothing I love better than a plate full of veggies that tastes delicious and is satisfying!

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And, come back tomorrow to see what I dressed my salad with. It. is. amazing!

This is what I used to make probably four servings
Ingredients
8 oz. mushrooms (I used baby portobello)
3 large carrots
10 oz. fingerling potatoes
Fresh ground black pepper
Greens, I used spring mix lettuce, probably about 6 cups
4 pieces of grainy/seedy bread
Olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced

Method

Preheat oven to 375*.

Cube the carrots and the potatoes and cut the mushrooms in half. I left the stems on. All veggies should be about the same size. Add veggies to a bowl and drizzle with olive oil, about 1-2 tablespoons, just enough to coat the veggies. Toss to coat well and season with pepper. Transfer veggies to a baking sheet and roast until soft and nicely browned. I roasted for 25 minutes.

While veggies are roasting, cube the bread slices. Add them to a bowl. Add about 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the garlic is soft. Pour the oil and garlic over the bread cubes and toss to combine well. You can add the bread cubes to the same pan as the veggies or get a new one, but they will need about 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until just crispy.

Assemble the salad by placing the greens in individual bowls or one big bowl. Top with the roasted veggies and garlic croutons. Drizzle on dressing and toss to combine everything well.

Tomorrow I’ll share my dressing recipe!

Enjoy!

Mango Salsa

I’ve got a little topping for your burgers!

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Some mango salsa.

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Tomatoes + mangoes + jalapenos + red onions + cilantro + lime. Yum.

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This salsa is fresh, juicy and bright.

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It would be good with chips. Or on a veggie burger. Or for meat-lovers, how about on some chicken? This would also go great with fresh fish. On a bed of salad greens. The possibilities are endless. I kept a container of this in my refrigerator last week and it went on everything.

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This is getting me ready for summer. For the fresh + sweet + light food of summertime.

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Summer food, I am ready for you.

Ingredients:
1 mango (I used a champagne mango)
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 jalapeno (or less, depending on how spicy you want it to be)
1/2 of a red onion
1 large bunch of cilantro
1 lime

Dice mango, tomatoes, jalapeno and onion. Roughly chop the cilantro. Add to a bowl. Squeeze the juice from one lime over the ingredients and then stir to combine everything well.

Enjoy!

Smoky Black Bean + Cilantro Veggie Burgers

I made veggie burgers for your Monday!

carrots

celery

Have you guys heard of Meatless Monday?

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peppers

It is a national campaign encouraging people to limit their meat consumption by not eating it on Monday.

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By going meatless on Mondays!

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I think that it’s a great idea.

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What better way to start a week than with something fresh and healthy? That makes you feel satisfied and nourished. And with these veggie burgers, also delicious.

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They are smoky from paprika, cumin and chili powder.

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They have a bit of spice from crushed red pepper.

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They are bright and fresh from lime and cilantro.

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The thick and creamy texture from the black beans is perfect.

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Try serving on a bun and topped with avocado, salsa and an extra squeeze of lime. Or, over a bed of greens. I’ve been loving both ways.

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Whether you are trying to cut out meat or not, you should try these burgers! They will please meat lovers and veggie lovers alike!

Ingredients
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
1/2 of a red pepper
1/2 of a green pepper
1/2 of a yellow onion
Olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2- 15 oz. cans of black beans
1 c. bread crumbs (I used panko)
1 egg
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Large handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice from 1/2 lime
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Dice the carrots, celery, peppers and onions very fine.  I used a mini food chopper to get the veggies diced very small. Add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, to flavor the oil. Add diced veggies to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes, or until veggies are soft. Remove from heat and set aside.

Drain and rinse black beans. Add to a large bowl and mash using a potato masher or the back of a fork.

To the bowl with the black beans add the breadcrumbs, egg, onion powder, paprika, cumin, chili powder, crushed red pepper flakes, cilantro and lime juice. Stir well. Then add the cooked veggies. Stir well to incorporate everything. Add salt and pepper, if desired.

Make this mixture into rounded patties. This should make about 6 to 8 burgers, depending on the size.

In a pan over medium heat, add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the patties and cook 5-6 minutes on each side, or until slightly crisp and cooked through.

Enjoy!