Keep the burgers coming!

I thought another post about burgers would be fitting for Memorial Day.  We've still been loving "The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet" and it seems like every recipe we try is better than the last.

Pintos and Rice Burger

This burger is so easy!  Joni even says something like, just mash all the ingredients together.  It takes no time (unless you forget to make some rice ahead of time, in which it will take you almost an hour.  Ugh.) and is so delicious.  We cooked these on our George Foreman grill, which we probably haven't used in two or three years.  They had a nice crispy, crunchy crust and were dense, but chewy on the inside-- just perfect.  We topped them with a healthy scoop of guacamole, some green onions and a few cilantro leaves.  I think these would hold up well on the grill and can't wait to make these again and share their deliciousness.

Potato Samosa Burger

I've never made a real samosa before, but we bought a big bag of potatoes from Trader Joe's, so I thought I would give this a try.  They turned out super tasty, almost like a fancy mashed potato-ish burger.  There were lots of seasonings, but next time I might even double them.  We ate this with a smear of vegan mayo.

Super Quinoa Burger
Chad did most of the work for this burger.  The ingredients are pretty simple, quinoa (2 cups!), beans, peas, cashews, tahini and a couple spices.  They are super flavorful and have very little oil, so they're a healthy choice, too.  We made these on the Foreman grill and they turned out great.  Joni also suggests that this can be used as a side if you don't form the "batter" into burgers, which is definitely something I'm going to keep in mind this summer!

Bacon Cheeseburger
We saved these to grill outside today-- with the temps over 90 and humidity through the roof, I didn't want to turn on the stove or oven and it was a good excuse to leave the air conditioning for a bit.  Plus, I worked up a sweat just kneading this dough for five minutes!  I made a few adjustments to the recipe, subbing a mix of barley and cracked wheat for the TVP and cutting the oil in half.  They have a ton of flavor going on, from the bacon (we used coconut bacon bits from AVK), peanut butter, liquid smoke, nooch and more.  After I formed the patties (which were about 1/2 c each), I stuck them in the freezer for just about 15 minutes to firm while we preheated the grill.  They held up well and since I oiled them, even got great grill marks!  They turned out perfect-- a little crunch from the grill, super flavorful and a little chewy in the center.  Next time, I might even make a double batch, just to have some extras on hand in the freezer.

Cook Book Challenge Week #10

Viva Vegan!: 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers

Last Night's Menu:  Cuban Black Bean Soup

Tonight's Menu:  Sweet Potato-Chipotle Bisque

I've been looking forward to this week for a while, because 1) I LOVE Mexican and Latin-inspired cooking and 2) I don't own the book, so I've really only looked through it a few times at Barnes and Noble.  I decided to start out the week with two easy soup recipes.  My jaw is still quite swollen and stiff, so I can't handle much chewing action and the weather has been perfect for soup, but these soups were no compromise on flavor!

Last night we made the Cuban Black Bean Soup.  Black beans have long been my favorite bean, but lately we've been eating far more chickpeas, so I was excited to get back to the black beans.  We even made an extra batch while we were at it.  This soup was pretty simple, but very flavorful.  You soak the beans overnight, simmer for a couple hours, add the Sofrito (which is garlic, onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, seasoning), season with liquid smoke and lime juice and serve!  For the minimal amount of ingredients, like I said, it was really good.  Terry lists the liquid smoke as optional, but I would definitely recommend it. Chad had two bowls and a piece of pie in the time it took me to eat just one bowl... someday I'll be able to use my molars again!  I had leftovers for lunch today with some cornbread, and it was just as good as last night.

Tonight we made an equally easy and delicious soup-- Sweet Potato-Chipotle Bisque.  The ingredients were minimalist in this recipe, too and I followed everything, only using coconut oil in place of olive oil.  It was super easy for me to eat, because once everything is softened you blend it (potatoes, onion, garlic, chipotle) and then add "cream" (I used coconut milk), lime juice and cilantro at the end.  It was so fresh and flavorful and the smokiness from the chipotle made the soup taste thicker than it was.    We served this soup with cilantro-lime rice and black beans.  It was very light and filling and ready in less than an hour.

Not sure what we're making tomorrow, but I'm looking forward to soup for lunch again!

Cook Book Challenge Week #9

Vegan on the Cheap

Last Night's Menu:  Smoky Red Bean Chili with Chipotle-Cornbread Dumplings and Chocolate Chip-Walnut Rice Pudding
Tonight's Menu:  Mexican Rice and Bean Bake with Cheezee Sauce

We had an early dinner again last night, partly because it was raining after school so we couldn't run and partly because it was an easy slow cooker meal.  I threw everything in the slow cooker before leaving in the morning, which was as easy as opening a few cans and chopping a few vegetables.  Then, per the recipe, about 45 minutes before we were ready to eat, I mixed up the dumplings and plopped them atop the chili.  By the time they finished, the entire top of the slow cooker was filled with fluffy dumplings!  We love cornbread with chili, so this recipe saved time and effort.  The dumplings were really good, but not as spicy as I expected.  The chili was smoky (no surprise) and spicy (again, no surprise), but next time I might add some extra vegetables such as corn or broccoli and maybe an extra chipotle pepper.  There was enough for a filling dinner and leftovers for lunch.

We ate the rice pudding for dessert later in the evening.  It was the first time I made rice pudding, which is really no more difficult than making plain rice.  Since I hadn't made this before, I followed the recipe pretty closely.  I used almond milk, but cut the sugar in half.  Also, I served it with a sprinkle of cinnamon.  It is for sure something I will keep in mind for a sweet, but not too unhealthy treat!

Tonight was another quick dinner, Mexican Bean and Rice Bake.  It was really quick to prep and fairly quick, ready in just under an hour.  I also made the Cheezee Sauce, which was an excellent choice.  I melted in to the bake and brought everything together.  I didn't take a picture of this meal, because, well... it was beans and rice.  Let me give you a visual-- imagine pinto beans and rice on a place with some runny sauce.  I'm not saying it was bad, it was really good, just pretty simple and not the most photo-worthy meal that I've made.  We served it with a big salad and tortillas on the side.  As my dad would say, "It hit the spot."  In fact, if I don't leave the kitchen soon, I might eat the whole pan...

Cook Book Challenge Week #5

Eat, Drink & Be Vegan
Last Night's Menu: Lemon Chickpea Lentil Soup

Last night's dinner was really quick and surprisingly filling.  All I had to do was chop the veggies, add seasoning, measure a few things and let the soup simmer.  Once the soup is ready, you blend it (I left mine a little chunkier) and add extra chickpeas.  It reminded me of pea soup, but with more flavor and a little lemon.  I thought it was interesting that you blended the cooked lentil, but the resulting texture was great.  I ate leftovers for lunch today, and since it was thicker today, served it over brown jasmine rice.  It was just as tasty today!

Thought's on "Eat, Drink & Be Vegan"?  Originally, I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but I was pleasantly surprised by a few things-- lots of veggies, quick recipes and simple ingredients.  I LOVED the Thai Chick-Un Pizza.  The other two recipes were good, relatively quick meals that I'll keep in mind for the future.  I'm sure there are other things in the book that I would really like, so I'll add this to my wish list!