Black Bean Veggie Burgers

*In my attempt to get more vegetables, I've been seeking out vegetarian recipes. I thought this one sounded delicious. I'd never had a veggie burger before, but if they all taste like this, I may just eat them more! I found this recipe on NieNie Dialogues blog, but adjusted it a little.*

Black Bean Veggie Burgers

Ingredients:

1/2 - 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
3 TBSP olive oil
1/2 large red onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 hot pepper, such as jalapeno or serrano, chopped. (I had a frozen red hot pepper from the garden left over from the summer, so I used that).
1 tsp ground cumin
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/4 cups cooked, brown rice
1 lime
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 small bunch of cilantro

In a mixing bowl, place 1/2 cup of the Panko breadcrumbs, set aside.

Heat 1 TBSP olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion, sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Saute until soft. Add in garlic and minced pepper. Saute until soft and fragrant. Add the 1 tsp of cumin, stir over heat for about 2 minutes.

Place onion mixture in food processor. Add in beans, rice, juice from 1/2 lime, salt, pepper, and about 1/4 cup of cilantro. Pulse until combined, but not pureed.
Add black bean mixture to breadcrumbs that were set aside. If mixture is too wet, add more breadcrumbs so that you can form patties.

Line baking sheet with plastic wrap. Form patties and place on sheet. I was able to make 7 patties. Place more plastic wrap over patties and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Heat 2 TBSP of olive oil in skillet. Cut burger patties over medium heat for 5 minutes on each side to form a nice crust on the outside and heat through.

Serve with bun, cilantro lime mayo, salsa, and avocado.

I even used a wheat tortilla and made it a wrap. Delish. See below for cilantro lime mayo recipe.

Cilantro Lime Mayo
1/2 cup light mayo
juice from 1/2 lime
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp black pepper
At least 2 TBSP of chopped cilantro, more to taste if you desire.

Creamy Sweet Potato and Rosemary Soup

This is a fantastic soup. It's creamy and delicious. I can easily see it on the menu at a place like Zupa's

3 T unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 T olive oil
3 large or 6 small shallots thinly sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper
2 lbs (about 2-3) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 stems fresh rosemary
5 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
3 T maple syrup

Melt the butter and oil together over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, rosemary, and chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are very tender, about 20-25 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove the rosemary stems. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until smooth and thick. You can also puree in batches in a blender or food processor. Whisk in mascarpone cheese and maple syrup until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Note: If you don't have mascarpone cheese or can't find it, substitute 4 oz cream cheese blended with 2 T heavy whipping cream and 1 1/4 T sour cream. This is what I did, and it was wonderful.

Broiled Zucchini and Potatoes with Parmesan Crust

***Another Giada recipe...Instead of zucchini, I used 3 of the papaya squash and it was delish!***

4 small new red potatoes
2 TBSP butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
2 small zucchini, cut into bite-sized pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and cook until just tender, about 8-10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and let cool. When cool, cut the potatoes into bite-sized chunks.

Place a medium satue pan over medium heat. Add the butter, garlic, thyme, and rosemary and heat until the butter melts, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, season the cut surfaces of the zucchini and potatoes with salt and pepper. Carefully place the vegetables in the melted butter. Cook until golden brown, about 12-15 minutes.

Preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place the browned vegetables on the baking sheet and sprinkle the tops with the parmesan cheese. Broil until the cheese is golden brown, about 4 minutes.

Roasted Tomato and Garlic Sauce

Do you have too many tomatoes in your garden or leftover tomatoes from Boutiful Baskets that you're not sure what to do with??? This simple and flavorful sauce has literally a hundred uses. I used it over parmesan crusted chicken, but you could also use it as a dip for chicken fingers, use it in place of pizza sauce on homemade pizza, toss it with pasta, etc.

1 lb tomatoes

1 onion

3 cloves garlic, unpeeled

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp thyme

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Slice tomatoes in half, and slice onion in large wedges. Place tomatoes, onion, and unpeeled garlic in bowl. Drizzle with half of the oil. Sprinkle with seasonings and toss to make sure everything is coated. Place tomatoes face down on cookie sheet with onion and garlic and cook for 2 hours. Turn the tomatoes over after the first hour. Remove from oven. Put everything in food processor (squeeze garlic from peel first), and pulse or puree to desired consistency with remaining oil. Can add 1-2 T of water to thin sauce out if necessary.

Note: Any type of tomato should work for this recipe. I have used romas and red vine tomatoes. This is also a great way to use tomatoes that are getting a little soft. I lined my cookie sheet with foil and lightly sprayed with oil for easy cleanup.

Zucchini Cakes

I found this recipe on a cooking blog that I follow called The Pioneer Woman Cooks. I thought it would be great to try with all of the fresh zucchini I have! They were really yummy. It satisfies my craving for fried food without feeling too guilty since it's full of zucchini!

Ingredients:

1 large zucchini
1 TBSP minced garlic
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Italian blend cheese (I just used mozzarella since that's what I had)
2 whole eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Wash and cut the end of one large zucchini. Shred it using the large holes of a cheese grater. Squeeze the shredded zucchini with a paper towel until you've removed as much liquid as possible.

Place zucchini into a medium sized bowl. Add minced garlic, breadcrumbs, cheese, eggs, salt, and pepper. Stir with a fork until well mixed.

Head olive oil (about 1/4 inch deep in bottom of skillet) to a medium heat. When the oil is hot enough drop a glob of the zucchini into skillet and flatten a bit. After about two minutes, turn the cakes over and cook other side until golden brown. About another 2 minutes.

Serve with marinara, ranch, or just eat plain!

Baked Potatoes for a Crowd

I learned this fun little tip from a friend! When you need to make perfect baked potatoes for a crowd, use your crockpot!

Spray crockpot with non-stick cooking spray.
Wash potatoes, leave damp and place in crockpot.

Cook on high heat for 4 hours and Wah-la!

Creamy Pasta with Spring Vegetables

This is a Pampered Chef recipe. I really enjoyed it. I didn't take a picture this time, but I will probably be making it again soon since I have leftover vegetables.

8 oz thin fresh asparagus spears
8 oz mushrooms
red bell pepper
2 T olive oil
3 garlic cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 T fresh basil, snipped (or 1 tsp dried basil)
8 oz uncooked rigatoni pasts (about 3 cups)
3/4 cup whipping cream
2 oz Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup)

Preheat oven to 425. Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus. Cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Cut mushrooms in half (or quarters if large). Cut bell pepper into 1 inch spares. Combine vegetables in bowl. Add olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Pour onto cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to package directions. In sauce pan, simmer whipping cream 6-8 minutes over medium-low heat to thicken slightly, stirring constantly. If using dried basil, add basil at this time.

Drain pasta. Transfer to large bowl. Add vegetables, heated cream, and basil (if using fresh). Mix lightly. Add half of the Parmesan cheese. Mix. Spoon onto serving plates. Sprinkle with additional black pepper and remaining cheese.

Giada's Fusilli with Spicy Pesto

For the pesto:

1 cup toasted walnuts
2 cloves garlic
1 (2 inch) jalapeno pepper, stemmed and seeds removed
2 cups grated Asiago cheese
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
3 oz baby spinach
3 oz arugula
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

In a food processor, combine the walnuts, garlic, jalapeno, cheese, salt and pepper. Process until the mixture is smooth. Add the spinach and arugula and process until blended. With the machine running, gradually add the olive oil.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add 1 pound of fusilli pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of pasta water. Toss pasta, water, and pesto. Garnish with extra Asiago cheese.