[Vegan] Black Bean Burgers with Avocado and Quinoa

Hey guys! 

So I've been experimenting a lot with flax seeds lately. Flax seeds are awesome because when combined with water they can be used as a binder to replace eggs in vegan cooking! Flax seeds also have TONS of amazing health benefits. Flax seed contains tons of soluble and insoluble fiber, it is plentiful in omega-3 fatty acids, and also contains lignans. Lignans are a phytoestrogen (plant estrogen) which are known to help prevent cancer!

As some of you may know, I attempted to make flaxseed crackers last night. It was a disaster. I used wax paper to line the pan with and they stuck to the paper and I couldn't get them off! They did taste pretty god though. ;] I'm going to try again this week but with something else to line the pan with instead ;]

Today for lunch I had a craving for black bean burgers. So I decided to give my flax seeds a second chance and I used them as the binder for the burgers instead of eggs and WHOA did that make a difference! It was delicious! The flax seeds combined with the black beans and quinoa and avocado gave off this really awesome texture and mixture of flavors. They created a nice crispy outer crust and warm, soft inside... which is how a black bean burger should be! I didn't have any onions or parsley, otherwise I would have probably thrown those in as well. I hope you enjoy this recipe!

[Vegan] Black Bean Burgers with Avocado and Quinoa
- makes 3 to 4, depending on how large or thick you make them

• 2 Tbsp Flaxseeds
• 2 Tbsp Water
• 1/4 Cup Cooked Quinoa (I used tricolor)
• 3/4 Cup Cooked Black Beans, rinsed and drained (I make my own but you can also use canned)
• 1/2 Avocado, diced
• 1/4 Tsp Minced Garlic
• 1/8 Tsp Ground Cumin
• 1/8 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
• Salt and Pepper 

Directions: 

1. In a large bowl, combine flaxseeds and water. Let sit for at least 15 minutes.
2. Add to the bowl the quinoa, black beans, and avocado and stir until incorporated. Add spices. 
3. Scoop 1/3 cup of mixture for each patty. Make sure to get them nice and firm so they won't crack and fall apart while cooking! 
4. Heat a large skillet over medium heat with olive oil on pan. Cook patties for 2 minutes on each side. 
5. Serve over mixed greens and top with fresh parsley. 

Hope you guys enjoy!

Quiche!

So, I have an abnormal addiction to brunch food- especially when served for dinner! I love, love, LOVE quiche! Quiche is great because all you really need are eggs and a crust, and you can pretty much make whatever your heart desires with various combinations of meat (if you go for that), cheese, and most importantly, veggies.

One of my personal favorites is bacon and asparagus, with caramelized onions and gruyere. However, if you are pressed for cash, extra sharp white cheddar is a perfectly acceptable substitute as well.

Now, the most important part of a good quiche is a good crust. Quiche crusts differ from more traditional pie crusts in that they tend to be a little more crispy and do not have the added sugar. I've experimented around with several different recipes and so far my favorite omits the butter and uses olive oil instead!

Quiche Crust
 - Makes one 9" crust.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil (you may substitute canola oil but I've never tried it)
• 1/4 cup chilled filtered water

Preparation:

1. Mix dry ingredients in small bowl with fork.
2. Mix wet ingredients in separate bowl with whisk, until combined.
3. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix together with fork.
4. Press into 9" pie crust.
5. Refrigerate until use.

Bacon and Asparagus Quiche

Ingredients:

• One quiche crust (see above for recipe) 
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup half and half
• salt (to taste)
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 6 stalks of asparagus, blanched, chilled, and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
• 6 pieces of bacon 
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 small shallots, sliced 
• 1/2 cup grated gruyere cheese (You can also substitute extra sharp white cheddar or Swiss)
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. 
2. Cook bacon in a skillet over medium high heat. When finished (should be cooked all the way through but not crispy), set bacon on paper towels to drain some grease off. Using the same skillet, caramelize shallots in the bacon drippings. When shallots are finished, set in a colander to drain off excess grease.
3. In a small bowl, beat eggs. Whisk in half and half, salt, and pepper. 
4. Toss bacon, shallots, and asparagus into bottom of chilled quiche shell. Sprinkle cheese evenly over. Pour egg mixture over all of the other ingredients. 
5. Place quiche in preheated oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until firm. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. 

I suggest to serve alongside a baby arugula salad tossed in balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Think Outside of the Can!

Spaghetti brings back very warm memories for me because it is one of the first things that I ever learned to make, and it has remained one of my favorites to this day. I learned how to make it from my Yiayia and I used to make it for her all the time whenever I stayed with her. Needless to say, my children and their children will also learn this recipe.

One of my favorite things about making red sauce is that it is very versatile. You can make it without meat and serve it over pasta with just cheese. You can serve it over steamed vegetables. You can add it to an omelette. You can also add almost any vegetable you have into the sauce. 

Traditionally, most Americans make their red sauce with canned tomatoes, or even a base sauce. I usually use canned tomatoes when I'm in a rush, but the past few times I've made it with fresh roasted tomatoes. And WHOA does that make a huge difference! The flavor is so rich and natural, and not to mention fresh! 

Roasted Red Sauce with Garlic and Cremini Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 lbs tomatoes, quartered
• 4 whole garlic cloves
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 lb cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 cup red wine (I go by the rule if you won't drink it, then you shouldn't cook with it)
• 1 lb lean ground beef (optional)
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp dried basil
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp black pepper
• salt (to taste)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Toss the tomatoes and garlic cloves in olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Place in preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes. 

Saute onions in a large pot with olive oil. When onions are softened add the tomatoes and garlic. Stir well and let sit for 10 minutes to let juices flow. Meanwhile, saute the mushrooms with butter in a separate pan. Once mushrooms are softened (it should take about 10 minutes), add 1/2 cup wine and let reduce over high heat for about 5 minutes. 

While mushrooms are reducing, pour tomato mixture into a blender and puree. Pour tomato puree back into pot and reduce to a simmer. Add remaining 1/2 cup of wine, and an additional cup of water. Stir thoroughly and add all dry ingredients. Add mushrooms into wine mixture, and make sure to get as much of that reduced butter and wine as you can! 

Using the same pan the mushrooms were cooked in, brown the ground beef. After it is browned, drain all of the grease off and add to the tomato sauce. Let simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes. This will really let the flavors blend and the sauce will naturally thicken as the meat and mushrooms suck up some of that extra liquid.

Serve over angel hair pasta (I used organic whole wheat angel hair pasta). Top with fresh parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

As you can see, I had a side of broccoli alongside my spaghetti. :]

You will notice that this sauce is a more orange color, and not the traditional red of most red sauces that you will see. This is because fresh tomatoes are not going to keep that cherry red color after being cooked. Canned tomatoes and canned sauce both have added coloring to give the illusion that all tomatoes are naturally bright red. This is not true! In fact, some of my favorite varieties of tomato are not red at all! You will not find a great variety of tomatoes at regular grocery store. Instead, if you would like to branch out, I would recommend a local farmer's market when tomatoes are in season. 

Foods To Avoid- The ABC's

Hey guys and gals!

So as some of you may know, I am kind of obsessed with trying different things with nutrition. I don't believe in diets but I do believe in making healthy choices, which includes cutting out certain foods. I have become an avid label reader. I go by the rule that if I can't pronounce it, then I probably shouldn't be eating it. Here are a few things that you should REALLY avoid:

Aspartame- Aspartame is an artificial sweetener used in many sugar-free foods and beverages (such as Diet Coke). It is also used in Splenda. it contains methanol, aspartic acid, and phenylalanine which have been proven to alter brain function, nerve damage, and systemic organ complications. Also, studies have revealed that aspartame clinically worsens any borderline predisposing illness, and complicates certain known medical illnesses like Parkinson's, diabetes, allergies, and mental disorders. (Description courtesy of Sadie Miley).

Genetically modified organisms- GMOs. If you have seen the groundbreaking documentary Food, Inc. then you already know why these are so bad. GMOs are most commonly found in your local grocery store's produce section, as well as about every other aisle which contains processed food. The most dangerous of all GMOs are corn and soybeans. GMO corn and soybeans are especially evil because about 90% of processed food contain corn or soybean products. GMO corn is also fed to livestock. The FDA does not require labeling for GMOs. The FDA also does not require labeling on organic meat to say whether or not it has been fed genetically modified food. GMOs have been linked to cancer, as well as other horrible diseases. If you would like to stay away from genetically modified fruits and vegetables I would recommend to find a local farmer's market, and of course always ASK where exactly they get their produce from, or where they buy their seeds. Most commonly genetically modified fruits and vegetables are:

1. Corn
2. Soybeans
3. Alfalfa
4. Tomatoes
5. Squash (zucchini)
6. Sweet peppers
7. Rice

Monosodium glutamate- aka MSG. MSG can be found in almost everything which is processed. Horrible for you! MSG triples the amount of insulin the pancreas creates. MSG can cause migraines. It has been linked to obesity, diabetes, autism, ADHD, and Alzheimer's. One of the reasons why MSG is so dangerous is because FDA rules require no labeling at all. Which means that you can be eating it without knowing it! Companies are also very sneaky when they do use MSG and it can be found under other names. Here's a list of its other identities:

• Monosodium Glutamate
• Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
• Hydrolyzed Protein
• Hydrolyzed Plant Protein
• Plant Protein Extract
• Sodium caseinate
• Calcium Caseinate
• Yeast Extract
• Textured Protein (Including TVP)
• Autolyzed Yeast
• Hydrolyzed Oat Flour
• Corn Oil

Propylene glycol- Propylene glycol is used as a solvent and emulsifier in many different food products. It can also be found in other household products like toothpaste, deodorant, mouthwash, certain hair care items, and lotions. Propylene glycol is used in tobacco products and also found in ANTIFREEZE. I'm sorry, but I do not want to eat something that contains a chemical product that can be found in antifreeze. Propylene glycol has very similar qualities to the highly toxic ethylene glycol. Almost all fast food restaurant have ingredients that contain propylene glycol, including Chick-Fil-A and Panera Bread. 

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I will be adding many more things to this list. As you may be able to tell I have thoroughly researched each of these items, and it can be a little time consuming. 

I hope that you will take this advice into consideration and realize that I do not intend to scold people for not knowing any better, but merely to educate. Unfortunately, many of us have been raised to not know any better when it comes to nutrition (myself included). Growing up we always ate very healthy but not until a few years ago did my family start researching what is actually IN the food we eat. We have come to realize that it is not only what you eat, but also the other factors that go behind making the things that we eat that, that truly matter. I acknowledge that each and every individual are in different stages of their journey to better health and nutritional enlightenment, and I will admit that I am still pretty new to this myself! 

If you have any suggestions or corrections on what I have posted I would LOVE to hear back from you! If you would like to suggest a few more additions, be my guest. 

Abby