BBQ: The Vegetarian/Vegan Edition

I get a feeling of calm and accomplishment from cooking. I sometimes forget this. For about a month, I ate out and felt stressed regularly. I continued to say that I did not have time to cook with such a busy schedule, but then a friend of mine passed on some wise words. She said, no matter what, cooking gives her a sense of calm. She turns her computer off and takes a break to drink some wine, listen to music, and cook dinner. This is my favorite way to unwind at night. There is nothing more relaxing than throwing on some sweet tunes, opening up a new bottle of wine, and letting the magic begin.

I have a couple of recipes that I have been dieing to share. If you know me, I'm very bad at holding my excitement in. I tend to let it all explode out, but I'm working on it, and I will gradually disseminate the recipes I have recently discovered. To begin, here is my favorite of the bunch. These are vegetarian, but they can be vegan if egg substitute is used. I'm so excited about these burgers that just about everyone I know, knows about these:

Southwestern Black Bean Burgers

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 cup chopped onions

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon salt

dash of ground black pepper

1 cup finely chopped mushrooms

1 cup grated carrots

1 fresh chile, minced, or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 cup orange juice

1 cup ground tortilla chips (ground these in a food processor until they are similar to coarse meal)

2 15 oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 large egg, lightly beaten (or egg substitute)

Preheat the oven to 375.

Put onions over medium heat on a warm skillet for about five minutes. Add cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper and cook until the onions are soft. Add mushrooms, carrots, chiles, and orange juice, lower the heat to medium, cover and cook with occasional stirring until veggies are tender. This should take about eight minutes.

While the veggies cook, combine tortilla chips, beans, and egg in a bowl. Mash them together or pulse in a food processor. Drain the veggies and stir them together with the bean mixture. From this mixture form six patties, and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until the patties are firm and lightly crusted.

Nutritional Facts:

Calories 252

Protein 13g

Carbs 41g

Dietary Fiber 13g

Total Fat 5g

Cholesterol 36mg

Sodium: 847 mg

These are the perfect substitute for a hamburger or turkey burger. In fact, they taste just as good, but leave you without the greasy heavy feeling. You feel a sense of full until later in the day because of the black beans, which is always good to scare away the sweet tooth that seems to suddenly appear right before bed. I had left overs and ate them over fresh salsa the next day.

Music to grill to:

Another thanks to Moosewood Restaurant for this recipe. I have yet to go wrong with this fabulous cookbook.

Summer Lovin'

There is something both beautiful and equally frustrating about working for yourself. I can take off whenever I want, sort of. If that were true, I'd never be in my office (otherwise known as the kitchen); but what also comes with that sort of mentality is this guilty feeling of sitting inside while it's beautiful outside. So, for a little bit of time, I sit outside taking care of my garden. The tomato section is looking wonderful; I have two baby tomatoes that I inspect daily. I'm most proud of my small herb garden. It consists of Dill, Parsley, Thyme, Rosemary, Basil (two big pots), Chives, Mint, and Lavender. With these herbs, I've made my a plethora of foods. Each time I make them, I continuously repeat, "This is made with herbs from our garden," with increasing excited intensity each time the words pour from my lips. I'm like a mother watching my children grown.

As I continue to search for recipes, my focus is on eating locally; you cannot get more local than your backdoor. Two days ago, I made the Dill Shrimp Salad that I posted last summer. My dill gave me an extra zing of pride, which, though completely mental, created an extra satisfying flavor to the meal. I thought, "how could I possibly top that." The answer came in two huge pots overflowing with mature basil leaves: PESTO!

Pesto is pretty simple, and there are tons of variations. However, this pesto is both delicious and economical because it substitutes pine nuts with shelled pumpkin seeds. These are cheap and accessible in your local grocery store. Additionally, the fresher the ingredients are the better the pesto will taste. Pesto is great because it exists as a dip, spread, and a pasta topping. It also keeps well in the freezer. Plus how much fresher can you get than right outside the back door! Picking the basil leaves was probably the most exciting part of this pesto. I threw it over some sliced zucchini, mushrooms, and tri color pasta. Thank you to Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health for this delicious flavorful combination of basil and tomatoes. It is much different than any basil I've had before, and for that I'm thankful.

Before I give away my secret recipes, I have to note that there is nothing better than good wine and great music to set the cooking juices and inspiration flowing. I've decided to add a music while you cook segment to this blog:

I make sure to crank it loud, sing, and dance while I stir. It's my not-so-secret ingredient for anyone that lives with me or who I've shared a cooking experience with. You can take the instrument from the girl, but the music will forever live in her heart. Shake it like a salt shaker, right?

Pepita (Shelled Pumpkin Seeds) and Tomato Pesto

Yields: 1 3/4 cups

Time: 20 Minutes

1/2 Cup Sun-Dried Tomatoes

1/3 Cup Shelled Pumpkin Seeds (Pepitas)

2 Garlic Cloves, Chopped (I threw in three because my garlic was not super fresh)

1/3 Cup Olive Oil or Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

2 Packed Cups Fresh Basil Leaves

1/2 Cup Chopped Fresh Tomatoes (The freshness of the tomatoes is important because it gives it texture and flavor)

1/4 (or two cranks of my sea salt grinder) teaspoon salt

Generous Dash of Ground Black Pepper

In a small pan bring to a boil the sun-dried tomatoes covered with water (about 5 minutes). Drain and chop.

Throw everything into a food processor. Give it a swirl until everything is smooth or to your desired texture.

One serving = 2 Tablespoons

Calories: 81

Protein: 2G

Carbs: 3G

Dietary Fiber: 1G

Total Fat: 8G

Sodium: 84mg

This book is absolutely fabulous. I got it for Christmas, and have read it cover to cover as my mouth salivates. The tastes, smells, and calories/fat saved are worth the $24.99.

In the meantime, I'm working on my own Vanilla Extract, Vanilla Essential Oil, Mint Oil, Ice Coffee, and Green Tea Concoctions. My new website should be up soon (GGRoseOrganics.com) with options to purchase the lotion from my previous post, face mists, shampoo, but also will be the new home of my blog. In the meantime, eat your pesto hot or cold, but do not anticipate leftovers for long. I write this, as I just polished off last night's dinner, yum.

Sodium, and Fat, and Calories..Oh My!! Some fun Chinese food facts

This salad dressing is great and it's not bad!

Honey-Lime Dressing
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp honey
1 clove chopped garlic

Blend together (makes 4 servings)
Nutritional Facts per serving
155.5 calories
13 g fat
7.25 carbs

If you're ever wondering what you're eating this is a cool website .

I topped the salad with romaine lettuce, ground turkey meat, and sauteed zucchini.

Before dinner since we're eating Chinese, I spent some time surfing the internet. I usually order shrimp lo mein , but I kind of want to throw up after I read the nutritional facts. Now, I understand that this isn't exact, but it's a ball park. I also found this great article on sodium .

Here is what I found about

Healthy Asian food

Asian cultures tend to eat very healthfully, with an emphasis on veggies, and with meat used as a “condiment” rather than being the focus of the meal. Unfortunately, Americanized versions of these ethnic foods tend to be much higher in fat and calories – so caution is needed. But here’s a great tip for all Asian restaurants – use the chopsticks! You’ll eat more slowly, since you can’t grasp as much food with them at one time as you can with your normal fork and knife.

Asian Food Choices(the bolded purple ones are what I'm having for dinner)

Less healthy choices Fried egg rolls, spare ribs, tempura Battered or deep-fried dishes (sweet and sour pork, General Tso’s chicken) Deep-fried tofu Coconut milk, sweet and sour sauce, regular soy sauce Fried rice Salads with fried or crispy noodles

Healthy Choices

1. Egg drop, miso, wonton, or hot & sour soup
2. Stir-fried, steam roasted or broiled entrees (shrimp chow mein, chop suey)
3. Steamed or baked tofu
4. Sauces such as ponzu, rice-wine vinegar,wasabi, ginger, and low sodium soy sauce
5. Steamed brown rice
6. Edamame, cucumber salad, stir-fried veggies
   

Another quick tip for when you're hungry, have a cup of hot tea. If I have a snack craving at night, I have a cup of decaf hot tea. It does the trick! Try it out!