Quinoa & White Bean Veggie Burger

 I loaded this beauty up with leafy greens, slice of heirloom tomato, sliced red onion, whole grain mustard, mashed avocado and a nice drizzle of sriracha. Lot's of flavors going on and I loved it. As the saying goes, "Eat like you mean it!" :)

 

Ingredients (makes four patties)

• 1/2 cup quinoa (I used tri-color)
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 teaspoons thyme, divided (oregano would be good too)
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper, optional
• 1 can (15 oz.) white beans (I used cannellini), drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup corn, fresh or frozen (about 1/2 fresh corn off the cob)
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely diced (about 1/2 bell pepper)
• 1/2 cup shallot, finely diced (about 1 medium) or red onion
• juice of one lemon
• 1/3 cup oat flour, or flour of choice 
• 1 Ener-G egg replacer or 1 flaxegg (1 Tbs flaxseed meal + 3 Tbs water), optional*
• mineral salt & cracked pepper, to taste
• coconut or olive oil, to grease

To Serve:

• tomato, sliced
• leafy greens
• avocado, sliced or mashed
• red onion, sliced
• whole grain or dijon mustard (hummus or vegan mayo is great too)
• sriracha or Sriracha Cashew Cream (use the sriracha cream in place of mustard)
• burger buns of choice

Start by making your flaxegg or ener-g egg replacer and set aside. If baking in the oven, turn oven to 375 degrees F. (It's helpful to read instructions first before making the patties)

In a medium pot, bring water, quinoa, garlic powder and 1 teaspoon thyme to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Once done, remove cover and let set for 10 minutes.

While quinoa is cooking, prepare your corn, shallot and red pepper. Be sure to dice your onion and red pepper fairly fine, they should be about the same size as the corn kernels.

Next, mash your beans. I mashed about 3/4 of the beans leaving a quarter of the batch whole or somewhat whole.

Once quinoa is ready, add the quinoa to the beans along with the shallots, red pepper, corn, remaining 2 teaspoons thyme, smoked paprika and optional chipotle powder and lemon juice. Mix well. Add in the flour and egg replacer, mix well again. Season to taste with salt, pepper and more of the other spices. We all vary on how strong we like our spices...you can't take out but you can always put in.

Now to divide and make your patties. I like to pat my mixture into the bowl a little and divide it with a knife into 4 sections, making a plus sign if you will. Take each section and pack it tightly into a ball in the palm of your hands. It should be about the size of your hand. Flatten with your palms and place on hard surface. Cup the edges with your palms and tighten them in a bit and flatten the top to the desired size. Mine were about 1/2 inch thick by 3 1/2 - 4 inches.

Cook one of two ways:

In the oven at 375 degrees on a greased or parchment lines cookie sheet for 30 minutes, turning once after 15 minutes. I also added a sprinkle of himalayan salt to the top before baking.

OR

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil over medium to medium high heat. Cook patties about 4 - 5 minutes on each side.

I cooked both ways and had no preference. They both held up well and cooked great. (pic shows skillet cooked)

Serve on bun or bed of leafy greens with choice of toppings!

Notes: The patties can be made ahead of time and stored covered in the refrigerator for a couple days prior to cooking.

*I have a sneaky feeling that this can be made without the use of any egg replacer if you don't have it available. I have it here for good measure until I try without. If you decide not to use an egg replacer, when adding the flour, just try adding two - three tablespoons of water instead if needed...the amount may depend on the flour you're using.

For mashed avocado, cut open avocado, remove seed and using a fork, mash the flesh right in the skin...it's like a bowl. 

Yum!!!

Recipe by julie@thesimpleveganista

Quinoa Veggie Burger

This quinoa veggie burger recipe is a meat-lover’s burger: toasted pecans, mushrooms, Cheddar cheese, fresh herbs and red quinoa pack this vegetarian burger full of delicious flavor. Red quinoa, which you can generally find in stores where white quinoa is sold, gives the quinoa veggie burgers the perfect color. If you can only find white quinoa, that’s fine too. These quinoa veggie burger patties hold together well for freezing, making for a quick and easy meal. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before cooking. Serve with your favorite burger garnishes.

Makes: 8 burgers
Active Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 1/2 hours

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup red quinoa
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 cup diced onion
• 2 cups finely chopped cremini or white button mushrooms
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 3/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 large egg
• 2/3 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup whole pecans, toasted and finely chopped (see Tip)
• 1/3 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 8 small whole-wheat burger buns, toasted if desired 

Directions:

1. Combine water and quinoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.
3. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, garlic, marjoram and oregano; cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes.
4. Beat egg in a medium bowl. Add the quinoa, mushroom mixture, cheese, pecans, oats and soy sauce; stir to combine. Scoop scant 1/2-cup portions of the mixture onto the baking sheet and shape into 8 patties, about 3 inches wide, leaving about 1 inch of space between each patty. (The mixture will be crumbly; patting it into burgers on the baking sheet makes it easier to work with. The burgers hold together very well once baked.)
5. Bake the burgers until crispy, 28 to 30 minutes. Serve on buns with your favorite garnishes.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Individually wrap and freeze cooked burgers for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat in a skillet with a little oil.

• For the best flavor, toast nuts before adding to recipes. Spread whole nuts on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F, stirring once, until fragrant, 7 to 9 minutes. For chopped nuts, place in a small dry skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Nutrition

Per serving (with bun): 280 calories; 12 g fat ( 2 g sat , 4 g mono ); 29 mg cholesterol; 35 g carbohydrates; 4 g added sugars; 11 g protein; 6 g fiber; 320 mg sodium; 353 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Magnesium (19% daily value), Calcium (16% dv), Zinc (15% dv).
Carbohydrate Servings: 2
Exchanges: 2 starch, 1/2 vegetable, 1/2 medium fat meat, 1 1/2 fat

Recipe by  EatingWell

Maple-Glazed Chicken with Apple-Brussels Sprout Slaw

Chicken cutlets can range in size from about 2 ounces each to close to 5 or 6 ounces each. For this dish, we chose the smaller ones.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 cutlets and about 3/4 cup slaw)

Total: 20 Minutes  

Calories: 282 

Fat: 8.7g

 

Ingredients:

• 8 (2-ounce) chicken cutlets
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, divided
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 8 ounces Brussels sprouts
• 1/4 cup dried currants
• 1 medium Fuji or Gala apple, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices

 Directions:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan; keep warm. Add 2 tablespoons vinegar and syrup to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until reduced to 3 tablespoons. Return chicken to pan; turn to coat with glaze.
2. Cut Brussels sprouts in half lengthwise; thinly slice crosswise. Place remaining 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add Brussels sprouts, currants, and apple; toss to combine. Serve slaw with chicken.

 Recipe by Caroline Wright, Cooking Light

Healthy Hacks: Cauliflower Crust Breakfast Pizza

Ingredients:
For the Crust
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 1 cup part skim mozzarella
- 1 egg

For the Toppings:
- 1/2 cup basil pesto
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan
- 5 fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 5 eggs

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. First, we’ll start by making our crust. Cut the florets from the head of cauliflower and drop into a large food processor. Process until completely shredded, then a add to a skillet and cook for 5-7 minutes on medium heat to reduce some of the moisture and cook the cauliflower.

Once you’ve cooked your cauliflower, transfer it to a large bowl to cool. Once the the temperature has cooled off, add your egg and mozzarella. Mix together until well combined.

Lightly grease a baking sheet or we actually recommend covering with parchment paper if you have some on hand. Spread the crust out into an even layer and pop in the oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

Now it’s time to gather your toppings.

Start by covering the crust with a thin a layer of pesto. Then place chunks of your mozzarella followed by a sprinkling of the parmesan and basil. Finally toss some chopped sun-dried tomatoes on top. Bake for 5 minutes.

Now top with your 5 eggs and toss the pizza back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes, depending on how runny you want your yolks to be.

Ta-daa! What a beautiful and healthy pizza!  Don’t forgot to save a piece for yourself!

Recipe by Sarah Jones

Cauliflower Power: Low Carb Mini Quiche Cups

This veggie packed, low carb tart is perfect any time of the day. Not only is it easy to grab and go, it’s packed with all the vitamins and nutrients needed to help you beat that afternoon food coma!

Ingredients:
- 1/2 of a cauliflower (medium sized)
- 2 packed cups of washed and cut kale
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, plus more for garnishing
- 1/4 cup sun dried tomatos
- 1/4 cup egg whites
- 1/8 cup cottage cheese
- sunflower seeds for garnish
- tools: food processor, mini tart pan

As usual, get the oven started and preheat to 375 degrees F. Then, we’ll prepare the cauliflower.

Cut off the stem of the cauliflower. Then cut the cauliflower into small florets. Put it in the food processor and pulse until it looks like grains of rice. Remove from the food processor and microwave for 6 minutes. You don’t need to cover it.

While the cauliflower is microwaving, you can prepare more of the filling. In a food processor, pulse the kale until it becomes large chunks. Then, add in the sun dried tomatoes and pulse. When it’s all shredded, add in the cheese and repeat until everything is shredded.

When the cauliflower is done microwaving, add in the kale mixture to the cauliflower. Pour in the egg whites, cottage cheese, and mix together with a spoon.

After your mixture is complete, spray your tart pan with cooking spray and then begin filling it! When you’re done filling all the cups, garnish with cheese and sunflower seeds.

When they’re all done, pop into the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the tops begin to brown.

We love that golden brown crust. Yum!

Recipe by Nanette Wong

Carrot Chips Recipe

Difficulty: Easy | Total Time: About 30 mins | Makes: 2 servings |

Calories 70

| Calories from Fat 30 | Total Fat 3.5g

 

Why munch on boring carrot sticks when you can turn raw carrots into crispy, delicate chips instead? A vegetable peeler is the only tool you’ll need to make these sweet, paper-thin crisps that are perfect for healthy snacking or as a garnish for your next salad.

What to buy: The carrot slices shrink considerably when baked, so buy the thickest carrots you can find to end up with wider, sturdier chips.

Optional: Special equipment: Use a Y-shaped vegetable peeler to shave the carrots into thin, even slices. These types of peelers have a thin, flexible blade that takes off less flesh, and they easily maneuver around odd-shaped fruits and vegetables. They’re also great for turning vegetables, cheese, or chocolate into thin shavings. They can be found in most kitchen stores or online.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large carrots (at least 1 inch in diameter), peeled
• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Basic Ranch Dressing for dipping (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange the racks to divide the oven into thirds.
2. Holding the stem end, shave the carrots lengthwise into thin strips using a Y-shaped vegetable peeler. Place the carrot strips in a medium bowl, add the oil, salt, and pepper to taste and toss with your hands until thoroughly coated.
3. Place the strips in a single layer on 2 baking sheets—the strips can be touching but should not overlap. (Discard or save any remaining carrot slices for another use.)
4. Bake for 6 minutes, then rotate the pans between the racks. Bake until the edges of the chips are just starting to turn golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes more. Place the baking sheets on wire racks and let the chips cool until crisp, about 3 minutes. Using your hands, carefully transfer the chips to a serving dish and serve with ranch dressing, if desired. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Recipe By Christine Gallary featured on CHOW