middle eastern chickpea burgers

middle eastern chickpea burgers
1 red potato
1 can chickpeas, rinsed, drained and mostly mashed
1T chopped parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 large egg whites or 1 whole egg
olive oil spray.

boil potato, cut, and course mash in a bowl with chickpeas. leave a few whole chicks for added texture. stir in parsley and remaining ingredients. spritz pan with olive oil. form flat patties and cook til golden on each side. these are really yummy and super easy. i’m making them today with sweet potato & fennel fronds instead of red potato & parsley. hope they turn out delish. * i like to eat them with vegenaise and hot sauce. chris’ mom made these for me countless times just after lucy was born and they were always such a treat.

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watermelon tomato salad

watermelon tomato salad:
so light and refreshing for summer!!

watermelon
tomatoes
cucumber
lambs quarter…we have this growing in our garden so i threw some in
basil
splash of olive oil
pepper

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brussel sprout salad

olive oil
1/2 a head of cabbage chopped thin
2 -16oz containers of fresh brussel sprouts
balsamic vinegar
fresh cilantro
s & p to taste
agave nectar
fresh thinly sliced jalapeno….if you wish

saute brussel sprouts in hot pan with a splash of olive oil, with lid on pan, stirring occasionally but letting them remain for a bit in between so some of the sprout surface gets good and brown, and tender. then add in cabbage and a couple splashes of balsamic. you can add more after it’s cooked if you like it a bit on the tangy side. once cabbage wilts a little remove from heat.  add chopped cilantro, salt, pepper and a couple small lines of agave nectar.  serve up in a dish and top with a thinly shaved jalapeno slice or two. delicious with crusty grainy bread or favorite bar-b-que….we had it with lentil sloppy jo’s.

enjoy!!!

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pink lady & cacao

this has become my new favorite snack around here. pink lady & gala apples with peanut butter and cacao nibs. yes, pulleeeeze!!!

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tahini sandwich

i have been feeling behind in the studio lately and am trying to prepare a bit for the holidays as well as work on wholesale orders.  so, i have been in the studio working long fulfilled hours. one day last week i threw this together at a loss for what to make and it has been my go to lunch pretty much all week.

grilled tahini sandwich:

2 slices of bread with a light skim of butter on one side of each piece : tahini : hot sauce : salt

i always put about 8-10 drops of hot sauce (but i love spicy food so feel free to skip the snauce) on the tahini (thin layer) and add a tiny pinch of salt and brown the sandwich on each side in a dry skillet. thought you might enjoy yummy with salad, soup or a handful of sweet 100’s. yum!!!

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dark chocolate peanut butter cups….

these, i think, are the best peanut butter cups i have ever had. this recipe is no joke!!!  i made them to take a few to my girlfriend who is having a birthday party tomorrow night. the recipe is fairly quick and easy, but i made the “mistake” of using the whole jar of peanut and adjusting the other ingredients to follow the recipe….i ended up quadrupling the recipe and was in the kitchen all night….not what i was planning but the outcome was soOOO super delicious that i felt quite accomplished. (it doesn’t take much ;))working thru this recipe made me wish for a big kitchen and be a professional chocolatier with a bounty of decorating bags, fancy decorating tips, bavarian creme, sprinkles and handmade chocolate curls. i was always mesmerized with the happenings in the european pastry room during my years of working at the bakery in st. louis.

dark chocolate pb cups
12 oz bittersweet chocolate (60-70% cacao-no exceptions)
1/3 cup (16 oz jar) creamy peanut butter (I added in an extra 1-2 TB)
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup crushed graham crackers (finely, but not a powder, but not chunks either)
(I added in 1 tsp salt to peanut butter mixture)

-In a bowl, mix together the peanut butter, powdered sugar, salt, and graham crackers. I put mine in the fridge to harden up a bit as it’s easier to form into balls….i skipped this step because mine was already like thick cookie dough….it must have been the brand of pb i used.
-in a microwave safe glass bowl melt the chocolate. run microwave in cycles of 15-30 seconds and stirring in between to prevent burning, lessening the time the more melted the chocolate gets.
-Use mini cupcake tins and line them with cupcake liners. i would double up on the cupcake liner to add some stability.
-Using a spoon, drop a small scoop of melted chocolate on the bottom and push it up around the sides of the cupcake liners; when in doubt, add more chocolate, since this will be the base for your candy. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes. While those are in the freezer get out the peanut butter mixture and form into teaspoon balls, they don’t have to be rolled in balls…..since my peanut butter mixture was already thick i just pinched some off as i went along.
-Remove the cupcake tins from the freezer, and place about one teaspoon of the peanut butter mixture in each cup, make sure to put it in the middle, not touching the sides of the cup. Spoon more melted chocolate on top of each cup, make sure to fill in along the sides too.
-Place the peanut butter cups back in the freezer for another 15 minutes to set. Let them sit at room temp before devouring…or not!! makes about 12 mini peanut butter cups.

i found the recipe on vanilla kitchen. with a few slight adaptations in the process alone, the ingredients are the same.

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breakfast wish….

..yum……

 image from cannelle et vanille

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sesame noodles

this dish is quick and easy…and really yummy!!

angel hair pasta
sesame oil
soy sauce
agave nectar
fresh ginger, peeled and minced, about a 1″ piece
cayenne
s & p

this recipe is not an flexible and good to make in a pinch when you don’t have much time. i had this at my friends house and was craving it for days later so i just improvised what i remembered about the dish and made this up.
cook noodles in salted water.
drain water and splash with a generous amount of sesame oil to prevent noodles from sticking to each other.
add a few splashes of soy sauce (i probably use about a 1/4 cup) & agave nectar depending on how salty/sweet you like it.
add salt, pepper and cayenne to taste
stir well and eat up!!

also good with a handful of snap peas or tofu cubes.

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mango & sesame seeds

tasty quick lunch…

mango & roasted sesame seeds

i like to roast sesame seeds and have them around the kitchen to throw at a salad, bowl of fruit or even a peanut butter sandwich for a little extra twist. those tiny little seeds, when smoked, pack a mighty punch.

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coconut spinach rice

we made this when we had a handful of friends over a couple weeks ago.  it was really yummy. we had madras curry to go along with it but this, to me, was the real highlight.

COCONUT SPINACH RICE

1 t ground cumin
2 t brown mustard seeds
1 t curry powder
1 t sea salt
1/2 t black pepper
pinch of cayenne
2 cups of basmati rice
1 can coconut milk
1 1/2 cups water or veg stock
1 (10oz) package frozen spinach, defrosted, cooked, drained & pressed
1 can of chickpeas
1 cup of cashews

-toast the cumin & mustard seeds in pot for 1 minute over medium-high heat, stir constantly. add curry powder, salt, pepper, cayenne, rice, coconut milk, and water (or veg stock) & bring to boil.
-cover pot, lower heat to simmer, and cook til liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. turn off heat and let rice sit for 5 minutes.
-add spinach, chickpeas & cashews and toss together.

we doubled the recipe…and made this in our rice maker vs. stove top directions above. really yummy. even better cold the next day! enjoy!!!

this recipe came from our new “30 minute vegan’s taste of the east” cookbook that my mom gave us =)

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