Corn & Black Bean Burger with a Fresh Carrot Salad

As I’ve mentioned (probably numerous times) we don’t have a grill here.  I like burgers.  There is something amazing about a fresh bun, tomato and an onion.  Although it’s unfortunate that we don’t have a grill, it is fantastic that it forces us to make different kinds of burgers.  There are so many to choose from, and there are different variations.  Some might not be very pretty to look at, but they are all full of flavor.

Now, when you think of a burger, the side that goes with it is usually fries.  Trying to be healthy, and take advantage of all of the fresh vegetables that are around, I try to find other options.  This was very colorful and light carrot salad, so perfect to go with a filling burger!

And remember, this is great for any friends that are vegetarians!

Corn & Black Bean Burger
Adapted from: Eat, Live, Run

1-2 jalapeños, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans of black beans, rinsed & drained
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tbsp flaxseeds
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp tomato sauce
1/2 cup of frozen corn, defrosted
2 tbsp olive oil
4-6 burger buns
4-6 slices of onion
4-6 tomato slices
1 avocado, sliced
burger condiments of your choice

Add the jalapeños and garlic to a food processor and mince finely.  Add 1 can of beans, cumin, salt, chili powder and ground pepper, pulse the processor some more until the mixture looks like a bean dip.

Transfer the bean mixture to a bowl, then add: flaxseeds, Panko breadcrumbs, tomato sauce, corn and the second can of beans.  Stir everything until it is well blended.  Make patties out of the mixture, we made 4 (very) large one’s.  I think 6 is actually the more appropriate size.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the burgers (we had 2 at a time) and fry for about 5 minutes on each side.

We served the burgers on a fresh bun, with onion slices, tomato slices avocado slices.  Feel free to add ketchup, mustard or other condiments.

Fresh Carrot Salad
Adapted from: So Good and Tasty

4-6 carrots, peeled and shaved
3 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp cilantro, minced
3 tbsp parsley, minced
1 tsp salt
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp cayenne pepper

Combine all of the ingredients, but the carrots.  Whisk together.  Then pour over the shaved carrots.  Toss well, and then put into the fridge for at least 30 minutes.  Enjoy when chilled.

Artichoke, Mint and Cilantro Quinoa Salad

Another quinoa salad!  Obviously, I can’t get enough.  It’s just that they’re so easy, and perfect for lunch.  Walking through Trader Joe’s one day, I saw that they had a bag of frozen artichokes, and I’ve been wanting to use them- this salad was perfect for it.

Artichoke, Mint and Cilantro Quinoa Salad
Adapted from: Easy Everyday: Simple Recipes

1 cup cooked quinoa
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 marinated artichoke hearts*
3 green onions, chopped
1 15-oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup grape seed oil (can use olive oil)
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
juice of 1 lemon
salt & pepper to taste
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped

Cook quinoa according to box directions.  Then put the quinoa in a bowl, add the tomatoes, artichoke hearts, green onions and chickpeas.

In a separate bowl make the dressing.  Mix the oil, vinegar and lemon juice and beat with a fork.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add the dressing to the quinoa mixture.  Then top with herbs, and toss.

* You can used the one’s from the can, drained and halved.

Broccoli & Radicchio Pasta Salad

It’s a Sunday night, and what can we make (quickly!) for lunch tomorrow?  Pasta salad!  This was an extremely fast dish to make (the pasta cooking was the most time consuming), and by the next day the flavors blended even better.  This can be a dish for dinner, but we enjoyed this quick and easy lunch for the next 2 days. 

Broccoli & Radicchio Pasta Salad
Adapted from: Power Foods Cookbook

1 lb spiral pasta
1/2 lb frozen broccoli
1/4 cup grape seed oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 pints cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
1 small head radicchio, cored & shredded
1/2 cup basil, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
2 oz feta cheese

Bring a pot of water to a boil, and cook pasta until tender.  Add the broccoli 4 minutes before the pasta is cooked.  Drain pasta and broccoli.  While the pasta is cooking, whisk together the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, honey, garlic, red pepper flakes, pepper and salt in a large bowl.  Add the drained pasta and broccoli.  Mix in tomatoes, olives, radicchio, parsley and basil stir to combine.  Top with feta cheese before serving.

Chile Reyenos with Rice

Sometimes everyone needs a little more green in their lives- and this recipe is defeinitely green!  Different cheeses can be substituded in the chiles, depending on your liking.  This can be a side dish- or a main dish.  Although, the amount of rice and cheese was perfectly filling.  You can also change up the heat level of this recipe- jalapenos can be excluded, or more heat can be added. 

Chile Reyenos with Rice
Adapted from: So Good and Tasty Blog

4 poblano chiles
1/8 lb smoked cheddar, shredded
1/8 lb smoked mozzarella, shredded
1 cup parsley, chopped
1 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, chopped
2 jalapenos, chopped
2 cups rice
3 cups 1% milk
2 tsp salt
1 tsp red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Lay the whole peppers on a pan, and place it in the upper third of the oven.  Roast them for 10 minutes, and then turn them over.  Roast for another 15 minutes, make sure all the sides are evenly roasted.  Once they are roasted, take them out of the oven and let the cool.  Remove the stem and seeds from the chiles; cut in half.  Divide both of the cheeses between the 4 poblano peppers.  Set aside.

In a food processor combine parsley, onion, garlic, jalapenos and 1/3 cup of water.  Blend thoroughly.   

In a saucepan, heat the milk with the salt.  Once the water has began boiling, add the rice.  Turn down the heat to low and cook.  After 5 minutes, add the parsley mixture from the food processor.  Stir, and then cover; cook for 25 minutes.  Meanwhile, place the chiles into the oven for about 5 minutes- or until the cheese has melted.  When the rice is done, transfer to the serving dish.  Then place a poblano chile on top.  Sprinkle with red pepper flakes.