Better Veggie Burgers On Demand

Here’s another installment of my Make It Better series. This time, I’m focusing on veggie burgers, which are one of the favorites in our house. Well, besides pizza and garlic knots and homemade ciabatta bread. I used to follow recipes for veggie burgers, but once I got down the basics of this method, I use whatever we have on hand to mix together delicious patties on demand.

Like this kidney bean burger!

// Choose Your Bean

Canned beans are easy in a pinch and if you need burgers to fill your tummy, like, now. If you have a bit more time, try soaking and cooking beans for less salt and BPA. I usually just use one can of beans (drained + mashed) or around 1-1/2 cups as my base.

And anything that’s bean-ish (and mashes) works, too.

• Chickpeas
• Kidney beans
• Black beans
• Lentils
• Split peas
• Canelli beans
• Sweet potato

// Chop Veggies Small

The key to fast burgers that don’t require a food processor? Chopping your veggies super small so they’ll incorporate well. I use around 1 cup of veggies total, but they can be a mix of anything I have on hand. How much you use total might also depend on the specific veggie, so be creative and keep the ratio pretty much 1:1 or a little less.

Some of my favorites:

• Onions
• Shredded carrots
• Shredded sweet potato
• Shredded zucchini
• Garlic
• Peas
• Corn
• Mushrooms
• Olives

// Add Healthy Bulk

A lot of veggie burger recipes I made at the start used breadcrumbs to bulk up. Over the years, I’ve used all different ingredients to get that bulk. I always add this part by feel. You want a patty that is not too dry but also not sticking to your hands. Usually this means around 1+ cup of bulk, depending on what you use. You can also (and I suggest you do) combine different bulk items, like flax meal and rolled oats or almond meal and sunflower kernels.

Any suggestions to add?

• Almond meal
• TVP or TSP
• Whole wheat breadcrumbs
• Flax meal
• Rolled oats
• Sunflower kernels 

// Spice It Up

Here’s where I get creative. I honestly just start dumping in spices and taste as I go along. You can get away with just using salt and pepper. But sometimes, you want to have more fun. Start by adding a half teaspoon of different things and build. You can always add more spice, not take away. And if you splash in any liquids (maybe a tablespoon or so), you might need to add more bulk to soak up the moisture. Play it by ear.

Spice:

• Smoked paprika
• Curry powder
• Turmeric 
• Cumin
• Chili powder
• Garlic powder
• Dill
• Cayenne
• BBQ sauce
• Apple cider vinegar
• Soy sauce
• Tamari

// Bake It

After your mix starts to come together -- and feel free to tweak the ratios till you get something perfect -- you bake. Now, I didn’t always bake my veggie burgers before cooking them on the stove. But I’ve found doing so helps them keep their shape. And once they cool on the rack, you can transfer to your freezer for healthy weeknight dinners in a flash. Anyway, you can take or leave this tip.

If you do choose to bake:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet w/ parchment.
• Scoop burgers by heaping 1/4 cups + flatten into patties.
• (I also love using my muffin top pan for this process!)
• Placing on your cookie sheet and bake around 15 to 20 minutes.
• Then brown them on your stove-top. 
• Add some cheese and melt by placing a cover on your pan.

// Related

10 Steps To Slow Cooker Perfection
Bake Better Kale Chips
Blend Better Green Smoothies
Chickpea Burgers
Bulk Veggie Burgers -- Frozen
Beet Burgers
Full Sandwich + Burger Recipe List

And if you need more ideas on how to use beans in your cooking:


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Breakfast Beans // Chocolate Smoothie

You guys have so many questions about beans! I'm not really the queen of beans, but I do eat my fair share. As some of you pointed out in my post about soaking/cooking them, beans that have been frozen do tend to lose their original form. If you're making foods where texture doesn't matter much, it's all good. So, I thought I'd share the types of recipes I make with my beans after they've been frozen, starting with this delicious smoothie!

There's some CSA spinach in there, too:

I usually thaw my beans in the refrigerator since I'm using them for other things like quesadillas, soups, burgers, etc. -- which I'll get into in another post -- but I imagine you could also use the beans frozen if you have a talented enough blender. As I've mentioned before, we have a Ninja Blender. It does the trick without the huge price tag.

Behold!


CHOCOLATE + BLACK BEAN SMOOTHIE
Makes 24 ounces -- or two 12 ounce servings.

Blend together the following:

• 2/3 cup black beans
• 1-1/3 cup almond milk, unsweetened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 2 gigantic handfuls spinach
• 1 cup frozen banana coins*
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

* What the heck? Well, I just use the bananas that I freeze for Frozen Banana Bites and Banana Ice Cream and Banana Ice Cream Sandwiches, etc, etc, etc,, since they are convenient and blend well.


More chocolatey bean recipes:

• Black Bean + Carrot Brownies
• Red Velvet Black Bean Brownies
• Healthy Chocolate + PB Brownies
• Peanut Butter Blondies

More breakfast proteins:

• 12 Recipe-Lite, Protein-Packed Breakfasts
• 8 Vegetarian Proteins Perfect for Breakfast 
• Cheap Protein: Beans + Meals for the ENTIRE Week!

And don't miss our 90 healthiest recipes of 2013! Lots of delicious, wholesome foods for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and beyond. Includes both vegan and vegetarian recipes to please the entire family -- even toddlers!




Like what you just read? Browse more of our posts + recipes on Pinterest. You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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How to Soak + Cook Dried Beans

You guys know I use a lot of canned beans and tomatoes in my cooking. Holy BPA, right? I'm trying to change my ways for my own health -- as well as my family's. Well, I am happy to report that -- after much experimentation -- I found the "trick" for rehydrating dried beans so I can banish the cans for good (and save a little money in the process).

PS: I bought these beans at Aldi.

#1: SOAK

Basically, I wasn't soaking them nearly long enough. The back of most bags says to soak beans 6-8 hours or overnight. I was definitely sticking to the 6-hour limit and frustrated when my cooked beans were still crunchy.

So, I decided to let them soak a full 24 hours. Magic!

#2: SIMMER

I had even read online that adding a little baking soda (2-3 tablespoons) to the cooking water, along with salt, can help soften beans. Definitely worked like a charm for me. I simmered my 24-hour soaked beans for around 45 minutes to an hour before draining them again and rinsing until the water came out clear.

I usually use some right away, but for the rest? I freeze!

#3: FREEZE

Since I make larger batches (to eliminate having to do the whole process multiple times), I like to freeze my beans. I just scoop them out into Ball jars, leaving a couple inches of headroom. I let the beans cool to room temperature and place in the refrigerator overnight before placing them in my upright freezer with the lids -- these reusable caps work great -- on tight.

Anyway, this method has been working out great for me. But I know some of you follow other methods -- like slow cooking, etc. -- and I'd love to hear what gets the best results for you!

#4: OTHER READS

Full disclosure: I am not compensated per click on these articles. I just like sharing the other writing I'm up to these days -- so feel free to browse around. And have a great weekend!

• Tips for Running with Glasses
• Sex, Drugs, Rock 'n Roll, and Other Surprisingly Healthy Activities
• 17 Ways to Enjoy Greek Yogurt
• 5 Ways to Turn Your Walk into a Real Workout
• 7 Tips for Getting the Best Morning Workout
• The Sweet 16: Delicious and Healthy Frozen Yogurt/Ice Cream Recipes
• 10 Simple, All Natural Bug and Mosquito Repellents
• 8 Easy Beauty Tricks to Hide Your Flaws
• 17 DIY Projects to Make Your Home Look Amazing (And 3 NOT To Try)
• Healthy Homemade Bagel Sandwich Options
• Running in a New Neighborhood
• Can't Take the Heat? How to Cool Off Your Run
• Laurel Festival 10K Race Recap (and WIN!)

Like what you just read? Browse more of our posts + recipes on Pinterest. You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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Veggie-Loaded Quesadillas

One of my favorite things to do at the start of a busy week is to roast a big batch of veggies to toss into soups, burgers, and other recipes throughout the week. With my fridge full of inexpensive Aldi eats (see my month of groceries for under $300 -- $72/week!), this usually means I'll roast cauliflower, green peppers, onions, and sometimes mushrooms.

// BASIC ROASTING

Just preheat oven to 375 degrees F, chop veggies, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt + pepper, and then bake in 15-20 minute intervals until browned and delicious.

Then I scoop into containers for fridge storage.

And to toss in recipes like this one!



// VEGGIE-LOADED QUESADILLAS
Makes 4, serves two hungry runners.

What you'll need . . .

• 4 medium flour tortillas
• 1 cup (or more) black or pinto beans, drained + rinsed
• 1 cup roasted veggies, chopped small
• Shredded cheese*, as much or as little as you'd like
• Olive oil
• salsa
• Greek yogurt
• sliced avocado
• hot sauce

Method . . .

1. Get all of you ingredients out and in front of you. This part is important for fast, efficient assembly.
2. Drizzle olive oil into a medium pan over medium-high heat and place your first tortilla on to cook for 15-30 seconds (lightly browned). 
3. Then flip and immediately spread a thin layer of cheese, then some beans, then veggie mixture and use a spatula to fold in half + press down to cook bottom side until golden.
4. Carefully flip to cook on other side, until golden and cheese is wonderful with melty goodness.
5. If your pan gets too hot, lower heat a bit and wait a couple minutes. It happens between cooking sessions.
6. Repeat with remaining tortillas and fillers -- then slice in half or quarters.
7. Scoop a couple tablespoons of the yogurt and salsa on the side, dribble with hot sauce, and top with avocado slices.

* I shred blocks of Colby-Jack, Pepper-Jack, Cheddar, etc.

And did I mention this entire recipe -- soup to nuts -- was made with Aldi ingredients? Believe it! It's a new favorite of ours because it's got a lot of flavor AND nutrition. We use the organic salsa in medium spice . . . and you seriously can't beat their prices on avocados. That used to be a luxury item, and now we're buying them every week.

Pure joy right there.

What great meals have you made with inexpensive ingredients lately?

More #unsponsored ALDI recipes:

Fresh Orange Wakeup Smoothie -- 19 grams of protein!
Slow Cooker Cheesy Potato Soup -- lots of hidden veggies!

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Cheap Protein: Eat Beans! Meals For The Whole Week

I gave you guys 12 quick, recipe-lute breakfasts this week that are not only high in protein (15 grams or more), but also relatively inexpensive to make. Now I'm tackling the other meals, at least a little at a time. I'd like to focus on different ingredients, like beans, that are not only cheap, but also lend themselves to a variety of recipes from soups to burgers, and more.

A singe cup of beans, as I covered in my more comprehensive Food for Runners post, provides nearly 15 grams of fiber and 15 grams of protein. This outstanding protein-fiber combination that isn't found easily anywhere else in the vegetarian/vegan diet.

Here's how to eat beans (dinner + dessert!) all week without getting bored:

// MONDAY

Try simmering up a delicious, basic Pumpkin Chili recipe. Or if pumpkin isn't your scene, you can easily substitute in more vegetable brother or some other nutritious puree to your liking. This recipe makes a good amount, so you can easily repurpose leftovers for lunch.

Serve with some Olive Oil Skillet Cornbread for a perfect pairing.

// TUESDAY 

Get some spice with a hearty Smoked Chipotle Bean Burger. Unlike yesterday's Lentil + Quinoa Burgers, these guys are baked, not fried. And they include a nice dose of healthy quinoa, along with lots of flavorings to keep even the most discerning palate excited.

If you don't need all 12 burgers for a single dinner, consider freezing them (here's how-to!) for future use -- or eating again later in the week.

// WEDNESDAY

I don't remember much about normal meatloaf, but this tasty Bean "Meat"Loaf is surely the definition of vegan comfort food. The addition of walnuts to the mix adds even more protein. And the seasonings are really just suggestions -- you can use whatever you like or have on hand.

You could even use leftovers to make faux meatloaf sandwiches!

// THURSDAY

Another soup on the menu, but this one has a trick up its sleeve. This Black Bean Bisque is delightful on its own. But that's just part I. For part II: You can incorporate the leftovers (we had around 2-1/2 cups) into a warm Quinoa Salad for lunch the next day.

The addition of kale makes the second time around even more packed with superfood goodness.

// FRIDAY

This one always sounds a little strange, but I assure you -- it's a winner. Friday is time for celebration of a week gone by and time together as a family. We like this Black Bean + Tequila Crust Pizza that's teeming with vegetables and -- my favorite -- avocados.

The beans are hidden in the crust, but you can always add more on top as well.

// SATURDAY

Sometimes by Saturday I realize I haven't eaten enough greens for the week. That's where these Black Bean + Spinach Burgers come in. They pack 2 heaping handfuls of spinach into them -- along with rolled oats for bulk.

Plus, they're green. Who doesn't love the novelty in that?

// SUNDAY

This is my cooking day, and I always make something in our slow cooker. Today, mix up something to your own tastes using these 10 Tips for Slow Cooker Soup Perfection. Beans are usually the main event in my soups and stews, and for good reason.

If you need something on the side, try Stephen's Garbanzo Garlic Knots -- they're something else.

// BONUS: DESSERTS

And if you have extra time on the weekend, consider baking up Red Velvet Black Bean Brownies or trying out this Black Bean + Avocado Pudding recipe. Oh, and this Chocolate Chip Banana Bread recipe get protein from garbanzos.

Yeah. Beans work well in desserts, too ;)

// DON'T FORGET

Today is the LAST DAY to enter to win a Nokia Lumina tablet + Belkin Cook Stand/Stylus for your kitchen. Don't miss this #giveaway. It's our biggest yet!

Looking for more shortcuts to healthful, satisfying meals?

Check out our tips for Automatic Healthy Eating!

• Stock up on frozen veggies 
• Buy greens and actually USE them 
• Create simple, go-to meals
• Learn to love alternatives
• Prep, Make, and Store
• Add In: Convenience to your advantage
• Eliminate Food Waste
• 20 Ideas for Make-Ahead Meals
• 15 Recipe-Lite Vegetarian Meals to the Rescue

And don't miss our 90 healthiest recipes of 2013! Lots of delicious, wholesome foods for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and beyond. Includes both vegan and vegetarian recipes to please the entire family -- even toddlers!





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Food for Runners: B-E-A-N-S

It's been a while since we visited our Food for Runners series. Today I'm focusing on beans since, well, we eat so many of them. For vegetarians and vegans specifically, beans are a fantastic source of protein and can be whipped into hummus, stirred into soups, mashed into burgers, and even mixed into desserts.

I'll admit that I still mostly use canned beans. I've been meaning to soak my own beans for a long while -- so if you're looking for instructions on re-hydrating beans, here's a fantastic tutorial on The Kitchn.

Psst: If you're catching up, we've covered tomatoes, almonds, pumpkin, cucumbers, bananas, eggs, garlic, quinoa, berries, peppers, kale, and mushrooms -- and included our favorite recipes from across the web.

"From a single, one-cup serving of black beans you get nearly 15 grams of fiber and 15 grams of protein. You won't find this outstanding protein-fiber combination in fruit, vegetables, grains, meats, dairy products, nuts and seeds, or seafood." (Source)

"When paired with whole grains, garbanzo beans provide a source of protein comparable to that of meat or dairy products, without the worry of saturated fat or cholesterol. One cup of garbanzo beans supplies roughly 27 percent of daily protein requirements." (Source)

And if you're like me, you have your budget in mind. Great news! "Beans and lentils are the cheapest source of protein out there." (Source)


Here are some of our favorite recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner:

Black Bean Breakfast Burrito via Gimme Some Oven
Apple + Pumpkin Baked Beans via Kitchen Vignettes
Bean Bowl w/ a Poached Egg via The Stone Soup
Fall Harvest Chowder via A Family Feast
Our New + Improved Pumpkin Chili
Quinoa + Bean Party Dip via Citron Limette
Crock Pot Vegetarian Refried Beans via Kitchen Treaty
Our Canelli Bean + Beet Burgers
Honey Balsamic Bean Salad via My Whole Food Life
Kale + Mushroom + White Bean Stew via Love & Lemons
Our Smoked Chipotle Bean Burgers
Cauliflower + Garbanzo Bean Curry via Indiaphile
Chocolate Black Bean Cookies via A Couple Cooks
Our Black Bean + Avocado Chocolate Pudding
Garbanzo Bean Brownies via Fit Foodie Finds


Ada eats beans every single day, actually. They're super simple to just gobble up plain. Like I mentioned above, we add them to almost all our soups + stews. We toss black beans in homemade quesadillas. I even added garbanzo beans to chocolate chip cookies once after reading to do so in a cookbook.

What's your favorite way to use beans?

Don't forget to read up on these other healthy ingredients:

Food for Runners: M-U-S-H-R-O-O-M-S
Food for Runners: T-O-M-A-T-O-E-S
Food for Runners: A-L-M-O-N-D-S
Food for Runners: P-U-M-P-K-I-N
Food for Runners: C-U-C-U-M-B-E-R-S
Food for Runners: E-G-G-S
Food for Runners: B-E-R-R-I-E-S
Food for Runners: B-A-N-A-N-A-S
Food for Runners: G-A-R-L-I-C
Food for Runners: Q-U-I-N-O-A
Food for Runners: K-A-L-E
Food for Runners: P-E-P-P-E-R-S

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Dill Potato Salad

GOOD NEWS: It's January 11th -- ten days after the New Year began -- and I'm still doing well with the healthy eating. This recipe makes a great, filling lunch that lasts for four days for one OR two days for two. The dill is key for us, but if you're into another type of flavoring, go with it. We used walnut oil because it's what we had, but olive oil (or grapeseed, even avocado!) is also a good substitute.

I'd like to focus the blog on menu planning next week. I've been a champ at it lately. Since we're on an incredibly tight budget, our food money has to stretch farther than ever these days. I've been mapping out meals on the weekends and buying specifically for those meals. It's working fantastically for us -- so much so that we're finding no reason to order out, even with a newborn in the house.

And we're still eating like vegetarian royalty.

DILL POTATO SALAD

What you'll need . . .

• 5 to 6 medium red potatoes
• 2 to 3 cups frozen green beans
• 15 ounce can of Canelli beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/3 cup walnut oil
• 2 to 3 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dill

Method . . .

1. Fill a stock pot with cold water and bring to a boil. I put a tablespoon of salt in there, too.
2. Scrub and rinse potatoes. Cut into 1/2 to 1 inch slices (I cut mine in half first). Then put them in the boiling water to cook for about 10 minutes. Potatoes should be soft, but not mushy.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the walnut oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and dill. You can add more oil if you want, but I found that 1/3 cup does the trick.
4. Put a tablespoon or 2 of the oil mixture into a pan and heat over medium heat. Pour your green beans into the pan and cook until softer, but still slightly crisp.
5. When your potatoes are done cooking, drain and then place them in the bowl with the oil mixture. Add the green beans, too. Then add your drained and rinsed white beans. Mix well until everything is coated.
6. Portion out for 4 lunches in all.

NOTE: You'll obviously want to refrigerate those portions, but you can serve this salad hot or cold. I prefer it somewhere in between those extremes.

Sorry to be brief today. I'm working to get Ada on SOME sort of schedule. If you'd like to read more about life at our house these days, check out (never home)maker, baby! Ada is 8 weeks old, and I'm sharing a postpartum update.

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READER SPOTLIGHT: Molly's Jetlag Cure

Hi, I'm Molly! I recently quit my job to focus on cooking delicious food for people like me who have allergies and intolerances. you can read all about my exploits at The Particular Kitchen.

I'm American, but I've been living here in London for the past year and a half with my boyfriend, Phil. We travel back to the states a few times a year, visiting family and friends, and we're returning in April for a little spring break getaway. I love to travel, but jetlag is a horrible thing. However, I think I've found the cure: My kale and white bean soup.

It's completely vegan and allergy-friendly. It's full of fresh veggies, beans, a spicy red chili, and a very bland broth. It fires you right up and shakes the sleepies away -- and it also helps you get rid of that gross "airplane" feeling. But the soup isn't just a jetlag cure. It serves as a great immunity booster, too (especially if you're feeling rundown or sniffly during cold, cruel February).

Maybe we could consider this the vegan equivalent to chicken soup for the soul? Again, the recipe is not an exact science, but here's what I used:

• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 4 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 red chili, de-seeded and finely chopped
• 1 can cannelini (or other white) beans, drained
• 1/2 bag of kale, chopped
• salt and pepper
• red chili flakes (optional for extra heat)
• boiling water

And the instructions:

1. Heat some olive oil in a large saucepan and cook up the onions, carrot, and celery. once the onion is transparent, add the garlic and chili. Cook for a few minutes, then add the beans and kale.
2. Add as much boiling water as you think you will need. this soup is kinda nice with slightly less water than you’d expect, so you can see the beans and kale poking out of the top.
3. Season with salt and pepper, and add a dash of red chili flakes if it's not spicy enough.

Enjoy!


Thanks to Molly for sharing with us such a tasty cure for our second READER SPOTLIGHT! And if you'd like to be featured, just check out our info post with all the gooey details about the spotlight, as well as guest posting opportunities. And keep an eye out for Sarah's unique taco recipe, with EGGS -- which will be featured in next Friday's post.

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Rainbow Stew: Another Slow Cooker Favorite

My typical lunch "hour" is spent hunched over at my desk doing work, unfortunately. My responsibilities entail not only my attention to detail as the director's assistant, with the PR committee, and with various editing and photography needs (all of which I love) . . . but I'm also the building manager. What exactly does this mean? Well, I'm responsible for arranging to fix anything that breaks within a gigantic, four-story monster of a building that enjoys foot traffic from most of the campus daily. Toilets explode. Alarms go off. Students spit on the floor (true story). ID cards stop granting access. Electricity fails and outlets spark. Ants take offices by force. The list goes on and on (and on). Yesterday I found myself leading an entourage of facilities employees through the building to find nuts and bolts to fix one of our periodicals stacks. Random, random stuff here. And it doesn't stop for lunch.

What's worse is that until recently, I always, always would forget to even BRING my lunch . . . or wouldn't have enough time in the morning to slap something together. For a while, Lean Cuisine was my savior. But all the salt in them started to concern me. And since my favorite is mac and cheese, I wasn't exactly getting the best nutrition.

Enter, again, the slow cooker. I made this "rainbow stew" -- a rather psychedelic name for a rather trippy stew -- by throwing all the veggies I could find into a pot. My favorite ingredients? The sweet potatoes and eggplant AND cauliflower. But the kidney beans and fire-roasted tomatoes have their moments, too. It's all good. If you're wondering why you should eat a rainbow of fruits and veggies, read this.

So, when I take the time to actually bring my lunch, I find myself taking time to actually TAKE my lunch. Use this recipe as a jumping point and you, too, can enjoy a week of intensely nutritious, relaxing lunches (or half a week for two people eating a little over a cup daily). I paired mine with half a PB&J on multi-grain.

Just look at all those veggies!




RAINBOW STEW

What you'll need . . .

• 1 medium-large sweet potato, skinned and cubed (orange)
• 1 medium eggplant, cubed (purple)
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped (green)
• 1/2 medium Spanish onion, chopped (yellow)
• 2 small heads cauliflower, chopped (white)
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped (dark green)
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced (white)
• 1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped (green)
• 1 can kidney beans, drained (dark red)
• 1 can garbanzo beans, drained (light brown)
• 1 can fire-roasted tomatoes, drained (red)
• 2 cans vegetable broth (a little over four cups)
• Salt and pepper to taste . . . though we only used pepper

Method . . .

1. Chop, mince, and otherwise prepare all your ingredients.
2. Put EVERYTHING -- all vegetables (and fruits if you want to get all technical on me) and beans -- in the slow cooker pot and mix them to distribute.
3. Pour in the vegetable broth
4. Turn the slow cooker to high and cook for about 3 to 3-1/2 hours. Mix every hour or so.

PS: Unless you like your soups hot-hot-hot, you'll really want to seed the jalapeno. My husband didn't do this, and ours was very good, but for the first couple days, I'd choke when I took my first slurp. :)

PPS: Check us out on one of my favorite cooking/kitchen-related blogs -- THE KITCHN -- our kitchen tour made the cut and is now up for your viewing pleasure.

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Meatloaf: I would do anything for love . . .

. . . but I won't eat meat. Good morning! Those vegan chocolate-peanut butter cupcakes are a tough act to follow! Instead of trying to one-up them, I thought I'd post something entirely different. Plus, it's getting to be that time again. When there's a dusting of snow on the car every morning (and afternoon, really) . . . and it's absolutely freezing. When we all know the chill won't lift until early April. When it seems everything I eat needs to be comfort food.

But there's good news. This vegan "meatloaf" falls into the comfort food category quite well. But . . . since I haven't eaten any meat since age 12 -- I don't have much experience with meatloaf. And this recipe isn't quite like the rest of the "meatloaf" recipes out there on the web. I didn't use ketchup. I didn't use any meat substitute. I suppose it isn't at all like a lot of them.

Authentic or not -- it sure is delicious. Especially when topped with your favorite barbecue sauce (or ketchup). It's also a fantastic & super portable lunch option. Just heat and eat. And, if you're my husband, repeat that process several times until you're full. I know I've mentioned his insatiable appetite . . . but his display of hunger, no, his love of this "meatloaf" tops all others.


What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1-1/2 cups mushrooms, chopped
• 1/2 cup crushed walnuts (raw)
• 1 can large kidney beans (drained but not rinsed)
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 cup quick oats
• 1 cup whole grain bread crumbs
• 3 teaspoons poppy seeds
• 3 teaspoons sesame seeds
• pinch salt

Method . . .

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Pour vegetable stock, water, and soy sauce into a large stock pot and heat over medium-high heat until bubbling.
3. Lower heat to a simmer. Add onion and garlic. Stir. Cook for approx. 4 minutes.
4. Add mushrooms, walnuts, kidney beans, cayenne pepper, and paprika. Cook for approx. 5 minutes. Then lower heat to low and continue with the next steps.
5. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, bread crumbs, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and salt. Mix until well incorporated.
6. Add the wet (and warm) ingredients to the dry mixture and mix until fully incorporated.
7. Generously "butter" (with your favorite butter substitute) a 9" x 5" loaf pan (mine was slightly larger -- just don't worry about the loaf rising at all -- it stays pretty much the same size as when you pour it in).
   
8. Pour in mixture and spread evenly.
9. Place in oven and bake for 1 hour, rotating the pan at the half-way mark.
10. Let cool a bit and then serve.

NOTE: I invented this recipe by referencing at least five . . . mixing them up a bit . . . and adding ingredients I like. Feel free to do that same. As well, this recipe makes one large loaf. Enough for six. Or two if you're living in my household. Oh, well. I plan to experiment with more loaves in the near future.

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