White Bean Cheddar Burger

Sedona, AZ

  I know I always talk/rant (haha) about healthy eating.  But  I just want to be clear, my diet is in no way about deprivation!  I enjoy food more than anyone I know.  The combination of tasting delicious, with feeling great from all the health benefits of the diet is part of what makes it so enjoyable!   The key to delicious, healthy, plant-based food is this:  Fresh produce, creative substitutions, and a killer spice rack.  My recipe ingredients may sometimes be a little unusual,  but their flavor profiles often recreate classic flavors and dishes into healthy, natural, veganized ones.   My White Bean Cheddar Burger, for example, contains all whole food natural ingredients.  No dairy or processed imitation cheese involved, but it sure is cheddary!  

  As an added bonus, these burgers contain turmeric which is an excellent superfood!  Turmeric is a root in the ginger family.  It is an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial food.  It naturally treats joint pain, sores, digestion issues, and skin conditions such as eczema and chicken pox!  It also helps the body recover rapidly from bruising and sprains.  Really quite incredible.  So it's time to add turmeric to your grocery list.  You can sometimes find it in the produce section near the ginger.  If you can't find it fresh, you can find it dried and ground, in the spice section of the grocery store.  

White Bean Cheddar Burger

White Bean Cheddar Burger
Dinners, Kid Friendly, Lunch, Oil free, Quick Meals, Sandwiches, Vegan, Vegan Cheeses
makes 2 burgers

1 cup cooked navy beans
1/2 tsp smoked paprika (much different flavor from regular paprika, in spice section)
2 Tbsp chopped onion
1 clove garlic, pressed or grated
1/8 tsp fresh turmeric, grated or 1/8 tsp dried ground turmeric
1 tsp lemon juice & zest
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 Tbsp panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp fresh parsley
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast

In a bowl, mash beans with a fork while slowly adding all other ingredients.  Stir and mash to combine.   Form into 2 patties.

On a very lightly sprayed or oiled pan, over medium heat, sauté for approximately 6-7 minutes on each side.  Until golden brown.  Serve hot.  Excellent topped with Tahini Thousand Island Dressing (recipe here)!


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Sean's Ultimate PB&J

Sean makes me this almost every day, and he cuts mine in half on a diagonal, because that's what makes me smile.  He's a keeper!  This is the very best PB&J I ever did eat.  Enjoy!

Sean's Ultimate PB&J

Sean's Ultimate PB&J

2 slices of Ezekial bread
1 large strawberry, sliced
1/2 tbsp all natural peanut butter
1 tsp golden flax meal
1 tbsp almond butter
1 tbsp all natural organic strawberry jelly


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Fresh Homemade Falafel

  A classic Middle Eastern dish, delicious, packed with flavor, and naturally gluten free and vegan.  Falafel is usually deep-fried, but my version is sautéed, which is not only healthier but much easier to make at home, or in your RV!  You will love this fresh, tasty, and easy recipe that can be whipped up in less than 30 minutes.

Falafel pita with cucumber, lettuce, & tomato.

Fresh Homemade Falafel
Vegan, Gluten Free (without pita)
makes 13-15 balls

1 ½ cups cooked chick peas, or 1 15 oz can drained and rinsed
½ cup Garbanzo flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp turmeric
1 tsp oregano
¼ tsp cumin
¼ tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley
½ tsp dried parsley
½ of a lemon, juice & zest
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tbsp olive oil

In a large bowl, mash the chickpeas with a fork (or process in a food processor).  Add all  other ingredients except olive oil.  Stir to combine.  Press a spoonful of the mixture into your palm, then roll into a ball approximately 1 ½" thick.  Repeat with the rest of the mixture.  Heat pan to medium, add olive oil.  Sauté balls in oil, rolling often medium heat for 15-20 minutes.  Serve hot.

Falafel is excellent served over rice with a side of veggies, or in a pita with lettuce, tomato, avocado, and cucumber.

* For a great sauce, try mixing some dill & sriracha sauce into a vegan mayo, tahini, or vegan yogurt.  Garnish with fresh cilantro.

You can find garbanzo flour like this in the baking section of some grocery stores.

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Seitan BBQ Sandwich with a Quick Hot & Pickled Slaw

9/2/12 Boulder Canyon- Boulder, CO

   We worked 6am-2pm today, so for breakfast Sean made our usual breakfast of champions.  We have a similar version of this meal for breakfast almost everyday.  I will post a recipe soon,  but basically it is a breakfast burrito consisting of rice or quinoa, tofu, broccoli, kale, arugula, maybe some beans, lots of spices, and hotsauce.  It is the best concoction ever, and it is neccesary nutrients to start our day to prepare us for a very early fast paced, stressful, physically draining job.
    Lunch we bring to work everyday.  It is either leftovers from dinner, or a sandwich that is fast to make.  We make peanut butter by putting a jar’s worth of peanuts in a food processor and process for a few minutes until creamy, then store in that jar in the fridge.  We buy organic strawberry preserves preferrably sweetened by fruit or cane sugar, we never buy it if it has corn syrup.  We are serious label readers, and don’t want any processed crap.  We buy Ezekiel bread for sandwiches, which is found in the freezer section because it has no preservatives.  It’s made from sprouted grains, and it tastes good.  Soooo basically lunch is a PB&J....and a carrot stick.  We also bring a trail mix for a snack, consisting of almonds, cashews, peanuts, shredded coconut, and and organic dried fruits.

julienned carrot

Dinner:

Seitan BBQ Sandwich
with a Quick Hot & Pickled Slaw
serves 2, (10 min prep time, 12-13 min cook time)

3 slices of seitan*, cut into thick shreds
2 leaves swiss chard cut, veins removed but saved, chopped
¼  onion, sliced
½ cayenne pepper, thinly sliced
2 white button mushrooms, sliced
1 carrot, julienned
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup white vinegar
1tsp red wine
¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp BBQ sauce
2 tsp olive oil (optional)
¼ cucumber sliced
4 slices of bread of choice, a baguette or good quality bun would work well

For the slaw:
In a small bowl, or (measuring cup) add vinegar, garlic, carrot, red wine, cayenne, salt, & half of the chopped veins of chard.  Set aside

The sandwich:
Heat frying pan at med-high.  Add onions and other half of chopped veins of chard, add oil if
needed and saute for about 5 min.  Add seitan and mushrooms, cook another 3-5 min.  Add
BBQ sauce, cook 1-2 min, add chard leaves and slaw mixture to pan, turn to high and cook 1
more min.  Remove from heat.
Load onto bread and add sliced cucumbers on top.  Serve with a salad

* I make the seitan myself in advance, slice it, and store it in the freezer.  I just take how many slices I need from the freezer, and defrost per meal.  A loaf of seitan lasts over a month in the freezer.  I use Robin Robertson’s recipe from her book Vegan on the Cheap.   You should own that book.  It will change your life.

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