Black Bean Veggie Burgers

Ever since I wrote the post about Boca Burgers Exposed, I have been making it a mission to create easy veggie burger recipes.  Like these black bean veggie burgers.  You can read about the Boca Burger post here.  This is a burger recipe we have been making for a long time, so I thought it was about time to get it up on the blog. These burgers provides a nice alternative that even older kids should be able to sink their jaws into.  These black bean veggie burgers would be great on whole grain bread, in a sprouted corn tortilla or served over quinoa.  The key to making this a tasty dish is the caramelized onions and the crispy outside.

Black-Bean-Burgers

This recipe makes a lot so you will be able to freeze some.  That is what we do.  These would go great with my Healthy French Fries.

Black Bean Veggie Burgers

Black Bean Veggie Burgers

Prep Time 20 min Cook Time 1 hr

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400. 
  2. Dice or food process the onion. 
  3. Saute the onions in the walnut oil on medium heat until they are caramelized. 
  4. In a food processor , mix the beans, flax egg and milk until the beans are mostly smooth. 
  5. Put the bean mixture, the onions and the remaining ingredients in a bowl to combine.
  6. To finish, lightly oil a baking pan, grab a quarter cup of the mixture at a time, flatten in a nice round patty, and place on pan. 
  7. Continue until the mixture is gone. 
  8. Bake in oven for about 45 – 60 minutes turning over once about half way through. 

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Recipe Notes

When serving, they go really well with some avocado. Enjoy!

Healthy Snickerdoodle Donut Holes

Okay, these were supposed to be snickerdoodle cookies, but they taste more like donuts to me.  So….they are Snickerdoodle Donut Holes!

Healthy Snicker Doodle

These are pretty healthy compared to most desserts.  They can even probably be eaten for breakfast.  There is little fat, so feel free to enjoy more than one.  I always do!

Healthy Snickerdoodle Donut Holes

Healthy Snickerdoodle Donut Holes

Prep Time 10 min Cook Time 10 min

Ingredients

    Donut

    • 1 1/2 cup spelt flour
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 1 egg (I used flax)
    • 1 tsp vanilla
    • 1/2 cup coconut yogurt
    • 1/3 cup coconut sugar
    • 1 T non dairy milk

    Coating

    • 1/4 cup sugar
    • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 400.
    2. Mix flour, baking powder, salt and 1/2 tsp cinnamon in one bowl.
    3. Mix yogurt, sugar, vanilla, milk and egg in another.
    4. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients.
    5. The dough will be very sticky. With wet hands, form dough into balls and roll into cinnamon and sugar coating.
    6. Place on baking sheet and bake for 7-9 minutes.

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    Cauliflower Popcorn aka Seriously Addictive Snack

    Move over kale chips, I think I have found my next snack addition…

    popcorn

    Cauliflower Popcorn!  Let me start by saying I hate cauliflower.  It was just one of those bland vegetables that I pushed to the side of my plate.  Not anymore!  This stuff is seriously good and really does taste like crunchy popcorn!  Even your kids will try it.  My 3 year old thinks it is popcorn. 🙂  Here is how I made it.

    Cauliflower Popcorn aka Seriously Addictive Snack

    Cauliflower Popcorn aka Seriously Addictive Snack

    Prep Time 10 min Cook Time 45 min

    Ingredients

    • 1 head cauliflower chopped
    • 2 T olive oil
    • 4 T white balsamic vinegar
    • salt to taste

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 425. 
    2. Spread chopped cauliflower onto a greased pan. 
    3. In a bowl, mix the oil, balsamic and salt. 
    4. With a brush, spread the oil mixture onto the cauliflower. 
    5. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes turning the pieces every 10-15 minutes until all sides are a golden like brown.  Enjoy!

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    Banana Chocolate Chip Donuts

    Banana Chocolate Chip Donuts.  It’s been a while since I posted a sweet recipe.  So I am sharing these banana chocolate chip donuts.

    If you don’t know already, I have a sweet tooth.  So in order to get my sweet fix, I need to create healthier alternatives.  This banana chocolate chip donut recipe is one way to curb a sweet tooth.

     

    Banana Chocolate Chip Donuts

    These Banana Donuts are:

    • vegan
    • oil free
    • naturally sweetened
    • simple to make

    I may have gone a little over board with the chips.  It’s all good though.  These are healthy enough to eat for a breakfast and they should keep you satiated for quite sometime.

    This recipe was supposed to be called Apple Donuts, but I realized I was short on applesauce so I had to improvise by adding banana.

    I make a big batch of these so I have some to freeze, some to snack on and some for my father-in-law who loves to taste test these recipes. 🙂

    Banana Chocolate Chip Donuts

    Banana Chocolate Chip Donuts!

    Prep Time 10 min Cook Time 12 min

    Ingredients

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350. 
    2. Mix all dry ingredients in one bowl. 
    3. Mix wet into another. 
    4. Add dry to wet. 
    5. Fold in the chocolate chips. Spoon batter onto greased donut pans and bake for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

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    Homemade Re Fried Beans With Homemade Fajita Seasoning

    This recipe is my husband’s creation.  Like I’ve said before, he’s more the fan of tex-mex food than I am.  I mean, I like it as long as it is not too spicy.  He loves to load on the hot sauce. 🙂  Most canned re-fried beans have that gross metallic aftertaste as only canned products do not to mention preservatives to keep it shelf-stable.  This homemade refried bean recipe  is far tastier and better for you!

    beans 1

    In addition to this yummy recipe, he also created a homemade fajita seasoning.  If you didn’t know (I didn’t until recently), most store bought spice mixes contain MSG.  Yuck!  It is pretty easy (and much cheaper), to make your own.  If you are interested in his other recipes, click here and here.  This would go great with my Homemade Tortilla Chips!

    Homemade Re Fried Beans with Fajita Seasoning

    Homemade Re Fried Beans With Homemade Fajita Seasoning

    Prep Time 20 min Serves 1 cup     adjust servings

    Ingredients

      Homemade Re Fried Beans

      • 2 cups beans that were soaked overnight, and then boiled until soft. You can also use canned beans.
      • 1/4 cup yellow onions rough chopped
      • 2 tsp fajita seasoning
      • 1/2 cup water
      • 1 T oil of choice, I used walnut oil

      Homemade Fajita Seasoning

      • 1 tsp cumin
      • 1 tsp garlic powder
      • 1/2 tsp chili powder
      • 1/4 tsp salt
      • 1/4 tsp pepper
      • 1/4 tsp oregano

      Instructions

      1. In a pan, saute the onion with the oil for about five minutes or until nice and soft.
      2. Add the beans and the seasoning into pan and saute for another five or so.
      3. Remove from heat, and put contents in the food processor.
      4. Add water and blend until smooth. That’s it.

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      Red Lentil Soup (Vegan)

      Red Lentil Soup.  For those of you that do not know, my mother-in-law is Turkish.  When I married my husband, he would tell me stories about his mother’s lentil soup, how good it was, and how much he liked it.  Her lentil soup was the first lentil soup I had ever tried.

      I have to say, it is also the best.  She was nice enough to share her family’s recipe for my blog.

       

      Red Lentil Soup

       

      This red lentil soup is really easy and costs only pennies to make.  My mother-in-law says that in Turkey, they often add a dollop of plain yogurt on top of this soup.  In Turkey, they add yogurt to many things.

      Red Lentil Soup

      Red Lentil Soup

      Prep Time 20 min Cook Time 30 min

      Ingredients

      • 2 cups lentils (rinsed)
      • 1-2 T rice or bulgur (I used 2 T bulgur)
      • 4-6 cups water or broth (I used water)
      • 3 tsp tomato paste (optional) (I did not use it.)
      • 1 large onion diced
      • 2 carrots grated
      • 3 T lemon juice
      • 2 T olive oil
      • 1 tsp garlic powder
      • 1 tsp parsley flakes
      • 2 tsp salt
      • 1 tsp mint
      • 1 tsp cumin
      • 1 tsp oregano
      • 1 tsp black pepper
      • 1/2 tsp turmeric
      • 1/2 tsp cayenne (optional)

      Instructions

      1. In a large pot, cook the lentils, bulgur, carrots and water until soft. It takes about 30 minutes.
      2. In a sauce pan saute the onions and olive oil until they get soft.
      3. Add the dry spices, lemon juice and 1/2 – 1 cup of water and stir well. If you are using the tomato paste, add it in too.
      4. Add the onion mixture to the lentil mixture and let it simmer slowly for about 10 minutes. and your done. Enjoy!

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      Recipe Notes

      If the soup appears to thick, you can add a bit more water. Some people like to use an immersion blender to puree it further. I did not do that. Serve immediately or refrigerate for later. This soup can be frozen also.