Roasted Vegetable Penne with Ricotta

So today was of course, farmer's market Tuesday. It was so nice outside, and now that spring is here, some of my favorite vegetables are on the tables at the farmer's market. One stand has zuchinni already, and one of my favorite stands had beautiful red, yellow, and green bell peppers. I almost dove into the peppers tits first. But instead, I politely handed Dave my fistful of peppers and smiled like an asshole. Oh, and just to show how pocket friendly farmer's markets are, from Dave's stand, I bought 4 huge apples, 4 peppers, and two grapefruits and two oranges for 9 bucks. Suck on that, Ralph's.

I generally have a menu all planned out in my head for dinner every night, but on Tuesdays I like to peruse the farmer's market and see what looks delicious and what I can make with what they have. At home, I knew I had pasta and ricotta cheese, so I decided I'd make a roasted vegetable pasta with the beautiful peppers and zuchinni and tomatoes I saw.

This serves 2-

Roasted Vegetable Penne with Ricotta

1 large Red pepper (or yellow, but don't use green, not sweet enough)

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 onion, sliced

1 large zuchinni, halved and chopped into half moons

1 1/2 cups cauliflower, chopped

2 cloves garlic, whole

2 tbls extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

2 cups whole wheat penne

2 tbls ricotta

2 tbls parmesan

Preheat the oven to 450.

On a baking sheet, toss the vegetables, tomatoes, whole cloves of garlic, and onions with extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper. Once the oven is ready, put in the vegetables and roast for 10 minutes. Turn the veggies and roast for another 10 minutes. I like mine pretty well roasted, but as long as they're nice and golden brown and tender- that's great.

Meanwhile, boil a pot of water and once it boils, salt the water and add 2 cups whole wheat penne. Cook until al dente, and reserve a half cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta. *note- rule of thumb is that you should add the pasta right into whatever sauce you're making in a pan and not drain it, but since the sauce is the pasta water and cheese, we're not cooking it in a pan or anything and I don't want to dirty a pan just to mix it all up. Ok, I feel better.-

Sooo, add the pasta back into the pot, add in the vegetables (remove the garlic cloves or chop them up and toss them in too), 2 tbls ricotta, and a little bit of the pasta water and stir. It will all melt together and you'll want to jump in. I add about half a cup of the pasta water- but just add until it's creamy to your liking. Top with chopped basil if you have any, then put a portion in your bowl, top it with some parmesan cheese, and enjoy!

Kale and Quinoa salad w/ Cumin lemon vinaigrette

I went to this vegan 'fast food' restaurant, which is an awesome concept- a walk up to order healthy food joint. I wish there were a drive thru though, that way I don't have to end up at In 'N Out for a grilled cheese whenever I'm looking for something fast that doesn't repulse me. The closest one to me is in Westwood, and I'm so sad it's not closer. I would go there every day for this one salad I got last week with a girlfriend. This salad was orgasmic. I wanted to take it on a date and then buy it a condo. All of the components were perfect and it was so delicious. So if you're interested in copying that salad, I highly recommend looking at the website and copying it exactly. I've done that too. This recipe, however, is my adaptation and I love it just as much. (That was a lie). But still, it's really good.

Kale is incredibly healthy and good for you, and there are so many different varieties. I get mine from my farmer's market from Kale Lady, and I usually get a few different kinds. For me, the curly kale is the best for salads. It does have a different, tougher texture than lettuce, but that's one of the things I like about it. Quinoa is also something a lot of people don't know a lot about or eat much of, but it's a grain that is a complete protein and it's really tasty. For vegetarians, I think it should be a staple. So you can change up the ingredients for things you like or have in your cupboard, but here's my recipe, I hope you enjoy it. If not, just go to Native Foods and eat the Ensalada Azteca and all will be right in the world.

For quinoa, follow the instructions on the package, and set aside. Side note- I cook my quinoa in vegetable broth instead of water, gives it oodles more flavor.

Salad

1 cup curly kale, washed, dried and chopped- add more if you want a bigger salad

1/2 cup quinoa

1/4 cup sunflower seeds or pepitas

1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup chopped mango

1 small red pepper, sliced

1/2 avocado, diced

Cumin Lemon Vinaigrette

1 tsp cumin (or more if you're a cumin whore like me)

1/2 lemon, juiced

evoo, about 1/4 cup

salt and pepper

In a small bowl, add the lemon juice and cumin and mix together with a whisk. Slowly whisk in evoo until the dressing comes together- add salt and pepper to taste. If it needs more acid, add in more lemon juice. Dressing isn't an exact recipe, I kind of just add what I think it needs. Toss the salad together with as much dressing as you want. I generally use all of it because I love dressing.

Again, if you don't have black beans, add garbanzo instead- or if you don't like sesame seeds use another seed or nut. I hope you like it. If not, just lie to me and tell me you do.

Tomato-oh-oh-oh so Good Soup and Grilled Cheese

Now, I know, there are a million, bajillion recipes for tomato soup and grilled cheese. And there isn't much to either of them. Both of those reasons are why it makes the perfect late night, cold weather dinner. In Los Angeles, people drive like assholes in the rain, and it took me an hour to drive 2.1 miles just to get onto the freeway after work today. The one thing that kept me from jamming my car into the car in front of me was the blissful knowledge that I was going to make a huge pot of warm and creamy tomato soup and a crispy, cheesy grilled cheese to go with it. I mean, really, is there anything more seductive than dipping a gooey cheese sandwich into a deep bowl of rich and creamy tomato soup? No, there's not. I came across this recipe when I was looking for a quick and easy tomato soup, and I've made it my own with a few additions and subtractions. I'm a mathematician.

Creamy Tomato Soup

1/2 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 large celery stalk, diced

2 tbls evoo

2 tbls butter (divided)

2 (28oz) cans crushed tomato with basil

3 1/2 cups vegetable broth

2 tbls heavy cream

salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, heat 2 tbls evoo and one tbls butter over medium heat and add onions and garlic. Saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add carrots and celery and saute for about 7-9 minutes until nice and tender. Add in the crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, and salt and pepper. Turn down the heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 20 minutes, turn the heat off and add the soup slowly into a blender or food processor. If it all doesn't fit in your food processor or blender, add in batches. I usually just take a large bowl and put the soup that won't fit into the blender in the bowl. It's another dish to wash- but it's just a rinse. Just do it. Nike says so. After the soup is all nice and pureed, add back into the large pot and turn the heat back on low. Add in the last tbls of butter and the two tbls of cream. You can always add more butter if it still tastes too acidic. Or more cream. Or more of both if you want to be really awesome. Let the soup simmer on very low heat while you make your grilled cheese.

In a pan, add a tbls butter and melt slowly. Take two pieces of whole wheat bread, butter one side of each piece, and in between put as much cheese as your fingers can cram onto the bread, and if you happen to have any leftover pesto, put it on there. I know that american cheese makes the cheesiest, but I prefer cheddar or my favorite new cheese called Parano. It's amazing. Kind of like a parmesanish flavor. Keep the heat on low, and put the sandwich in, flipping occasionally until it's nice and crisp and melted. If you have a George Foreman grill, you can also make it in that, or if you have a panini maker- that works great too, and pat yourself on the back for being fancy.

Take a bowl, fill it to the brim with tomato soup, put it on a plate, slice the sandwich like a triangle, prop each half up on the bowl and stare at your masterpiece. If you're feeling fancy, pour a tiny bit of cream on top of the soup and swirl it around. Then smile, because you're about to make sweet, sweet love.

Black Bean Chili Cheese Baked Potato

Yesterday, I ran the LA marathon. Yep, yesterday my friend Molly and I ran 26. 2 miles for 5 and a half hours in one of the worst storms LA has had in a long time. I love running, and it was a great route and I did all in all have a great time, but I might as well have stood in a cold shower with the door open in all of my clothes for 5 and a half hours. Needless to say, I'm tired, sore and still cold from the wind and torrential rain. What's better for sore and cold bones than chili cheese baked potatoes with avocado and sour cream?! Nothing. Well, scotch. Scotch will warm you up reeeeeal nice. But I like food. So let's go with that. You can use a russet potato or a sweet potato, either or is delicious with this recipe. It's a super easy vegetarian black bean chili that goes with anything like pasta or potatoes or on homemade wedge cut fries. It's also good as just a big bowl of chili. So enjoy! With or without scotch.

Serves 2 (there will be leftover chili- which is awesome)

2 Russet or sweet potatoes

1/2 cup cheese

3 tbs extra virgin olive oil

1/2 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (or leave in seeds for a lot more heat)

1 15 oz can black beans

1/2 of a 15 oz can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 15 oz can of tomato sauce

2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbls chili powder

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450. Wash and dry the potatoes, then take a little bit of extra virgin olive oil and salt and rub all over the skins of the potato- bake for an hour. My mom covers them in foil, I don't because I like the skins to get crispy. Works either way- don't tell my mom I said that.

With about 30 minutes left for the potatoes get started on the chili. Over medium high heat, saute onions, garlic and jalapeno in the extra virgin olive oil until soft, about 5 minutes. Then add the black beans and *their liquid, half the can of garbanzo beans, and the tomato sauce and reduce heat to medium low. Add in spices and stir. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.

Now, you can just cut the potatoes open and put on some chili and cheese and be done, and it's delicious. But if you want to get fancy, then once the potatoes are done, cut open and scoop the flesh of the potatoes into a medium bowl. Add a few large scoops of chili and mix with the potatoes. Then add in a bit of cheese and stir- stuff the filling into the potatoes, cover with cheese, and put on a baking sheet and stick in the oven and let the cheese melt for about 3 minutes. You can also add anything you like to this- if I'm in the mood, I'll add some chopped bell peppers, corn, and zuchinni to the onion mixture and let them get nice and browned before I add in the beans and tomato sauce. You can add in any veggies to bulk it up a little if you want to just have it as chili instead of a topping for potatoes. Any way you make it, enjoy it! (with a beer. or scotch).

Green Eggs (no ham)

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I'm posting this delicious breakfast recipe because it's green, see? Even though I'm in no way Irish, I will join the rest of the people who celebrate it just to have an excuse to drink. If you want to make this tonight, you could also eat it for dinner if you're the kind of person that doesn't get freaked out by eating breakfast for dinner. I personally can't wrap my brain around eating breakfast for dinner, I get really confused and want coffee and the Today Show on. I'm not very smart. But none the less, this dish has protein, whole grains, calcium, iron, and most importantly, deliciousness.

I only make this dish for myself because I'm lonely... but if you have someone to share this with, just double the recipe.

2 Eggs

1 tbls Extra virgin olive oil

1 cup chopped kale (any kale you like, I like dinosaur kale)

2 tbls chopped onion

1 tsp cream or milk

4 oz feta cheese- couple of tablespoons, or more if you're me.

sprinkle of crushed red pepper

salt and pepper

1 slice whole wheat bread

Scramble 2 eggs, cream, and salt and pepper. Set aside. Chop up kale and rinse and dry. Chop up the onion and in small skillet, add evoo and the onion and saute until the onion is soft and browning. Add in the kale and saute until the kale is wilted, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in crushed red pepper, toss with salt and pepper, and then put the kale mixture on a plate. No need to dirty another pan- just wipe it out with a paper towel, and put back on the burner. Put it on very low heat, and I always either add a little tiny bit of butter or spray of some kind so the eggs won't stick. Add the eggs and scramble until just cooked- don't over cook them. Once they're to your liking, add back in the kale mixture and keep the heat on low. Then, crumble in the feta and melt. Serve with a slice of whole wheat bread, and enjoy!

Farmer's Market Tuesdays

I love Tuesdays so very much. Right down the street from where I live there is a cute little farmer's market that sells everything from flowers, to fresh produce, to specialty nuts and dried fruits, to specialty cheeses.

A lot of times when you hear the words "Farmer's Market", you think of something trendy, or something fun to do on a weekend when it's nice outside and you want to walk around and enjoy the weather. Most people don't think of it as their normal place to shop for fruits, vegetables, breads, eggs, and even meats and cheeses. But they're always around, and they're always a bargain and always the smart place to shop. A farmer's market isn't just a cute title, it's actually what it implies; a market place where farmer's from cities all around your city come to sell what they've grown. I was buying apples the other day from Dave, who I've been buying apples from for a year now. I know that their family farm is in Riverside, and everything except the green apples are organic. His stand sells lots of different fruit and they also sell some root vegetables. I overheard this girl say, "ewww, this carrot is dirty". I started laughing, and said, "well I hope so. It does come from the dirt- that's how vegetables should look until you get them home and wash them." She didn't think my comment was very funny, but I did, and that's all that matters.

Fruits and vegetables come from the earth. They shouldn't be shiny and all the same size sold in plastic bags with labels showing pictures of farms on them; instead, they should actually come from farms, and have flaws, and look like they were just picked or pulled. Nothing makes me happier than seeing a bunch of carrots that have their beautiful leafy green tops still attached that look like they've been yanked from the earth by a cartoon character rabbit. That's what real food looks like. We are so used to the grocery store's perfected display of fruits that have a shiny, waxy coat around the apples that are all one size with no blemishes, or the carrots that live inside a plastic bag tied tightly and all cut and washed for you by a machine at a factory.

When you go to a farmer's market, you're helping your local community by buying straight from the people working hard to grow the food. Not every person there selling is a grower, but most of them there have worked hard to farm their food and give us organic, pesticide free produce that didn't come from Mexico in trucks. Less fuel was used to drive it there which also means it's much more fresh, and a machine didn't clean and package them for you. Plus, for me, I like to get to know the people I'm buying from. There is the most adorable french woman who sells her pastries and breads there. She has a shop in Los Angeles, but also sells at farmer's markets around her city. She always says 'Bonjour!" in her cute french accent, and makes the most delicious whole wheat honey bread- and I can read every ingredient that goes into the bread. Each loaf of bread is around $3.65. I've never actually gotten my kale lady's name, but I call her kale lady, and she sells the best, most delicious kale all organic and all pesticide free, and I get two HUGE bunches for $4. Gabriella farms and sells berries, I get three containers of raspberries and blueberries mixed for $10- an amazing deal when you see how much fruit it is. There are specialty stands like greek stands with hummus and pita bread, fresh and local exotic seafood, stands to buy different kinds of olive oils and vinegars, and so much more. It's also seasonal, obviously, so anything you buy produce wise is always at it's peak of freshness and is supposed to be grown and eaten in the month you're buying it in, unlike supermarkets where everything is available year round, no matter how tasteless it is.

You might be thinking, but I don't know where a farmer's market is near me. Here you go- http://www.localharvest.org/. Go and find a farm and a farmer's market near you- they're usually going on somewhere near you a few times a week, especially with spring in town now. Also on that link is a location of farms. Real farms- and you can go to most farms and pay a small price to get in the door, then you pick what you want and pay for what you got in weight, and it's a great, great deal.

So go out, enjoy spring, get to know farmers around your cities, find out if they're organic, pesticide free, or just local if that's what you're concerned with, and start shopping outside the horribly lit grocery stores. Food wasn't meant to be surrounded by flourescent light bulbs and unfriendly employees who take too many smoke breaks. Also, if you're interested at all in where your food comes from, where it should come from, and the importance of fresh, seasonal food, read this book- it will change your life. "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingslover.

Oh- and farmer's markets are like Costco, free samples everywhere you look.

Happy produce shopping!

Pesto Pronto

Have you been buying store bought pesto? Well, knock it off. Seriously, pesto is the easiest thing to make, ever. It's also one of the most incredibly versatile recipes out there, and if you make it yourself, you can make it the way you like it. I like mine awesome. It also is much more cost effective if you make it yourself, and you can make as much as you need for the recipe you're making, or make a whole bunch and save it in an airtight container for convenience. Pesto can go with so many things- in breakfast scrambles, in pasta, on sandwiches or wraps.. or you can just eat it right out of the container with a spoon sitting on your kitchen floor in the dark. Alright, so I'll give you the recipe, and since I do it by taste every time I make it, it won't be exactly spot on, so just taste it and go from there. I usually make about 1/4 cup at a time and either use it all or put the rest in the fridge. So this should make about 1/4 cup. If you want to make more, just keep adding more of each ingredient until it comes together the way you like it.

Basil Pesto

1 bunch of basil (washed and patted dry)

1 clove of garlic (chopped fine or crushed)

a few handfuls of parmesan cheese

a couple of glugs of evoo

about a 1/4 cup of pinenuts (toast nuts in a dry skillet on low for a few minutes)

In a food processor or blender, throw in a handful of basil leaves, the chopped garlic, parmesan cheese and pinenuts. Start blending this all together and slowly stream in the extra virgin olive oil. The pesto should start coming together and looking nice and smooth and creamy. (see the picture above) I like mine a little thicker than most, so I don't add in as much olive oil as most recipes. You go by whatever you like. As long as it will spread on a sandwich, I know it's ready. At this point, I taste it and see if it needs any salt, which usually it doesn't because of the parmesan cheese. Sometimes I'll add in more cheese, or more nuts or more basil leaves depending on how it tastes. The most important thing is to get a nice fresh basil taste. mmmm so delicious. See, easy! So easy!

So if you want to make different pestos, this recipe is really interchangeable. If you have spinach, throw in spinach instead of basil. If you have walnuts, throw in walnuts instead of pinenuts. If you're doing mexican and want a mexican pesto, use cilantro and pepitas (nuts) instead. See! Easy, versatile, and really, really delicious. This recipe is just a method.

Now go make this.

Holy Sweet Potato Hash Batman

Stop whatever you're doing and make this for breakfast. Now. I don't care if you've already had breakfast... go back to sleep for 20 minutes, then wake up and eat again.

Do it. You won't regret it. I was looking around on some of my favorite food blogs for recipes last night, and I came across this from Vanilla Sugar. I made this sweet potato hash for a burrito last night and filled it with rice and beans and guacamole, and it was delicious as a burrito, but man oh man this was meant to be a breakfast hash. I made a breakfast scramble with it this morning and I considered licking my plate, because I'm not above that at all. So, fine, you've already had breakfast and you won't go back to bed- but then make this for lunch, or dinner- or breakfast tomorrow. Oh, and they say that the one vice vegetarians have is bacon- all vegetarians want and crave bacon. I personally don't find that true, but if you do- you will dance in your kitchen when you're cooking and realize it smells like bacon...and it also tastes like there's bacon in the dish. It's fucking brilliant. And it's even better the next day. Oh, and bonus- sweet potatoes are the most nutritious vegetable. You're welcome. Happy eating!

Smoky black beans

1 can black beans

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

salt and pepper

Put the black beans and their liquid into a pot, add in the spices and salt and pepper. The beans take about 5-8 minutes, so you can put the mixture in a pot when you start cooking, and then turn on the heat when you're finishing the hash and cooking the eggs. Cook over medium heat.

Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes

1/2 large onion (yellow) chopped

worcestershire sauce (a few drops here and there)

2 tbls butter

4 tbls Extra Virgin Olive Oil (divided)

chipotle in adobo (2-3 chipotle peppers, chopped fine) *if you've never had chipotle in adobo, they're a smoky, delicious spicy pepper. So add in 2, give the hash a taste, then add in another if you're up for it.

Heat up a large skillet and add 2 tbls of evoo and the onions. Cook the onions over medium heat until the onions are tender and browning, about 8 minutes. Drop a couple of drops of worcestershire sauce and stir into the onions, cook for a minute and then put the onions onto a dish and set aside.

Don't clean out the pan- you're gonna put the sweet potatoes into the delicious onion residue. Add another 2 tbls of evoo and add in the cubed sweet potatoes. Season with salt and pepper, and cook on medium high until nice and tender and crisp and brown. mmmmmmm, I'm getting hungry again. Browning the sweet potatoes will probably take about 10-12 minutes, you want them browned really well, cripsy and fork tender. If it takes longer, no problem, just be patient with them. Once they're nice and browned, add in 2 tbls butter and melt it all over them. Then add in a couple more drops of worcestershire sauce, and then add in your chopped chipotle peppers. Stir well and let sit with a tiny flame under the pan while you cook the eggs.

Scrambled Eggs

2-4 eggs, depending on how many people you're serving

1 tsp heavy cream or milk

salt and pepper

hot sauce

Scramble the eggs in bowl with the cream or milk, salt and pepper, and a dash of hot sauce. In a small skillet, spray with non stick cooking spray or add in a tab of butter. Scramble the eggs on low heat until they're just cooked. You want them nice and fluffy and not overcooked.

Now the fun part, assembling breakfast- there will probably be too much hash for one breakfast, so you can put half of it into tupperware and save. Add some big spoonfuls of hash into the egg mixture, and add a big scoop of black beans. Serve, and eat like you mean it.

Enjoy!

Yeah, but....

One of the most common questions I get asked from non vegetarians is, "yeah, but where do you get your protein?" Meat eaters really think the only source of protein is from meat, and you can't blame them, that's what they know. I'm a runner, and protein is really important to my body and I need to eat a diet high in protein. How do I do that without chicken breasts? It's easier than you think. Now, I haven't been completely honest with you, I'm a known liar. I eat seafood. You're probably thinking, well then you're not a vegetarian. You're right, I'm technically a pescetarian which is a vegetarian who eats fish and other seafood. However no one except pescetarians know what a pescetarian is, and if I refer to myself as a 'pescetarian' I have to explain to confused people and also feel like a real asshole by saying fancy things like 'pescetarian'.

So yes, I eat seafood, but I treat it the same way I'd treat eating meat if I did and the same way I buy my fruits and vegetables. I eat sustainable seafood that I get from sources like Whole Foods or stands at farmer's markets. I only buy seafood that was wild caught and NEVER buy seafood that was farmed and raised. Farming fish doesn't even sound possible, and it kind of freaks me out. I also rarely eat seafood at restaurants unless I know it's wild caught- I guess I have a pretty great advantage living in California by the coast. Oh, and please, never go to Long John Silver's or buy shrimp tacos from Taco Bell. Just don't.

Alright, so protein and other nutrients. Quick side note- I'm not a nutritionist or doctor or expert or anything, I've just done research on where to get all of the nutrients I need. Aside from fish and other seafood like shrimp, I get my protein from varied sources. Beans and legumes like lentils, chickpeas, black beans, edamame are an amazing source of protein- and they're delicious. Beans can be thrown into just about anything. I put them in pastas, burritos, chilis, breakfast scrambles and anything else I can put them in. Also since chickpeas are a great source of protein- that makes hummus high in protein. And delicious. Of course eggs and cheese are great sources, and you can also get protein from brown rice, quinoa (a complete protein) nuts, and even dark leafy greens like kale and swiss chard. There are tricks to getting complete protein found in fish and lean meats- quinoa is one all on its own, but you can also combine peanut butter and whole wheat toast for a complete protein, and black beans and brown rice for a complete protein. See, it's easy. And delicious.

So the next time you run into a vegetarian, don't ask them where they get their protein because they know where to get their protein and how to take care of themselves. We're not hippies who talk to trees and wear dreadlocks and wear hemp. Well, some of us are.

Black Bean Burgers with Chipotle mayo

This recipe is a slightly altered recipe from AllRecipes.com and it is AMAZING. Stop whatever you're doing and make this. Leave work. Do it. You'll be really happy you did.

Serves 4 (or 2 if you eat like I do)

1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained well

1/2 onion, quartered

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 jalapeno, minced

1 tbls chili powder

1 tbls cumin

2 eggs

1/2-1 cup breadcrumbs (play around with the ratio until you find the consistency you like)

couple drops of hot sauce

salt and pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 375.

In a food processor (or blender), pulse the onion, jalapeno, garlic, and bell pepper until really finely chopped. Squeeze out the excess liquid in a fine sieve with a paper towel or clean kitchen towel. Add the mixture back into the food processor, add the can of black beans and pulse until the mixture comes together. It will be a little soupy, don't worry about it. Or be like me and think you did something wrong and realize you really shouldn't be cooking anything. Then re-read this paragraph and realize that's what it should look like.

Next, in a large bowl, crack two eggs and mix in the chili powder, cumin, and hot sauce. Beat the eggs and spices well and don't feel bad. They had it comin'.

Pour the black bean burger in with the egg and spice mixture, and combine with a wooden spoon, adding a little salt and pepper. Add breadcrumbs a little at a time and see how the mixture is coming together for you. I like about a cup of breadcrumbs, but my boyfriend likes a little less because he says only a 1/2 cup makes the burgers more moist. Men really think they have everything figured out. So either listen to your boyfriend, or yell at them for not cooking for you and tell them to get out of the kitchen.

Once everything is all mixed together, it will still look a little mushy and you won't understand how you'll be able to form the mixture into a patty, and you'll be mad at me and look back at this recipe to see if you missed something, but you didn't, and I promise this will work. Refrigerate the mixture for about 20 minutes, then make 4 small (or two large) patties, and put them on a lightly sprayed baking sheet. The mixture will be soft it's tricky to form into a patty because it's pretty loose (hehehehe). So for me, the easiest way is to scoop up a big handful, and put it on the baking sheet and form it into a patty on the baking sheet itself. It definitely won't come together like a patty you buy from the store. (Pat yourself on the back for making a homemade black bean burger that has no preservatives and doesn't come out of a box. Then brag to everyone about how you make things from scratch and you fancy now. Then hide all of the frozen macaroni and cheese boxes from Trader Joe's you have in your freezer.) Cook on one side for 10 minutes, then flip over and do the other for 10 minutes. Since the burgers are pretty moist, some might stick to the pan and they're a little tricky to flip, but it's completely doable. If you'd like, you can put a small amount of canola oil or olive oil into a pan and get them crispy once they're cooked. I like them either way.

Chipotle Mayo

4 tbls mayo or vegenaise

1 can of chipotle in adobo (found next to canned green chile in the international aisle)

salt and pepper to taste

Put the mayo into a ramekin or small bowl, and add about 1 tsp of the liquid from the chipotle in adobo, and about one chipotle pepper finely chopped. Mix it all together to taste, and add however much salt or pepper you want. Since everyone has different levels of heat they like, just go with your own taste.

Once the burgers are cooked, put them on a whole wheat bun and top with chipotle mayo, avocado, cheese, and whatever else your stomach desires. To go along with these, I like homemade oven fries. Serve on whole wheat buns.

Enjoy!

You Are What You Eat

When non-vegetarians find out that I'm a vegetarian, I get two things: the question, "Why did you decide to become a vegetarian?"; and a strange, defensive, weary look. It's almost as though people think I'm automatically judging them for eating meat. I never judge anyone for their choices in food. I love, love, love food, and support everyone's right to their own food choices. The only people I judge are people who don't get as excited as I do about their food. I get pretty stoked about my food. I love cooking food, reading about food, watching shows on food, and talking to people about food. I have been following so many food blogs that I decided to start blogging myself, posting my thoughts (which mostly entertain only me), and also posting recipes I adore. Aside from being a foodie, I'm also a very big proponent of eating healthy foods that not only benefit the body, but eating foods that benefit the earth.

If you were wondering why I became a vegetarian five years ago (as most carnivores do), I'll tell you! Again, if you're a meat eater, no judgement. Who am I to judge? I eat more than teenage boys in one sitting. I'm not joking. I can eat more than most men I know, including my boyfriend. I always find myself up getting seconds before he's even finished with his first plate. Most everything I do is around food and what I'm going to eat. But, I digress... so, why did I become a veggie. Well, first and foremost, I've always loved vegetables. I started going to restaurants and ordering things without the meat. I'd want the chicken, cheese and avocado sandwich, but to me, the chicken just got in the way of the condiments and delicious cheese and avocado. I started eating less and less meat due to my palate, and then, I read a little book called "Skinny Bitch" that changed the way I looked at meat forever. I also watched a few movies, one being "Fast Food Nation", and I started researching how my food was getting to my table. I didn't like what I read or what I watched, and the decision for me to stop eating meat was really easy. As much as I love, love love animals, I also realize that in the food chain of life, humans have been eating animals to survive since the beginning of time. But the meat has changed. It's full of hormones and it's over processed, and when I stopped eating meat, I felt so much better. So I'm not PETA who will throw red paint on people or start using breastmilk in ice cream instead of cow's milk or anything crazy like that. This way of eating just works best for me. And, if I ever decide I really, really want a hamburger, then I'll go to Whole Foods or a local farmer who I can trust has raised their cows like a cow, and not just like cattle, buy the meat, and cook it myself. I can tell you, in complete confidence, that I will never, ever buy anything from McDonald's. Wait, I take that back. The vanilla cones are delicious.

So, enjoy my recipes. Eat well, eat healthy, and eat like you mean it.