Black bean burgers.

These gems are rich in fiber, protein and iron. Honestly, I don't miss meat at all. Not even a little. (I'm on day 19.) 

Ingredients:

• 2 cans black beans (15 ounces each), drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed plus 6 tablespoons water
• 3 cloves garlic
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• Salt to taste
• ½ cup grated zucchini
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

1. Place ground flaxseed and water in a bowl. Mix well, and set aside for at least 10 minutes or until it forms into a thick, gel-like subtsance. If mixture does not gel, add 1 more teaspoon ground flaxseed at a time until desired consistency is achieved.
2. Place garlic cloves into food processor, and mince finely.
3. Add one can of beans to garlic. Pulse to combine. Add cumin and salt, and pulse until mixture resembles chunky black bean dip.
4. Transfer mixture from food processor to a large bowl.
5. Stir in bread crumbs, flaxseed-water mixture, and zucchini. Stir well until everything is combined. Add remaining can of black beans.
6. Prepare 8 patties from mixture.
7. Heat olive oil in skillet on medium.
8. Heat black bean burger about 4 minutes per side, until golden brown

We served it on a whole wheat bagel thin and top with vegan cheese, avocado, tomato and veganaise. You can freeze these and eat them another time (since this mixture makes 8 patties).

Spinach artichoke hummus.

I have good news, and bad news. Good news first: I have another delicious vegan recipe to share. Bad news: my photos are still craptastic. I feel like by taking horrific cell phone pictures the internet people of the world won't take their time to really look at the recipe and try making it. Anyway. You can trust me when I say this is a keeper. The original idea came from here, but as always, I made my own tweaks (and I think they're pretty special ones).

Ingredients:

• 1 (15 ounce) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed (use reduced sodium)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seen paste. can be found on natural aisle.)
• The juice of one full lemon
• Olive oil to taste
• Salt and cayenne to taste
•  1/2 package of frozen spinach (6 ounces) thawed, squeezed, drained and choppped
• 1 (14 ounce) can of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

Directions:

1. Puree chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice, tahini and enough olive oil to get your preferred consistency. We used about 4 tablespoons. 
2. Season with cayenne, salt and pepper.
3. Remove from food processor and put the mix into a large bowl. 
4. Add the chopped spinach and artichoke hearts.
5. Stir well. 

Eat it with chips or veggies and use it as a spread for sandwiches. 

Portabella mushroom fajitas.

(photo via)

So far, on this no-meat journey, there have been few things that have knocked my socks off, taste-wise. These mushroom fajitas are one of those few things.

You should know this about any recipes I share: if I'm creating something on my own, I don't really measure. I taste test and add as needed...as is the case with this meal.

Ingredients:

• Black beans
• Canned corn
• 1 portabella mushroom, cut into strips
• Peppers of your choice
• Onion (optional)
• Cilantro 
• Onion powder
• Pepper
• Minced garlic
• Whole wheat tortillas 
• Salsa 
• Cheese
• Avocado

Directions:

On medium heat, cook mushroom strips, onion and peppers in a skillet with a little olive oil for about five minutes. Season with garlic, onion powder and pepper. Heat up the black beans and corn in a separate saucepan. Pile it all sky high on a tortilla and top with a little cheese, cut-up avocado and salsa.

YUM 

The world's best zucchini fries.

The picture makes them look a tiny bit burnt, and gross, but I assure you, they are delicious. I explored the web looking for the best way to make zucchini sticks, but I was let down time and time again. Then I found this recipe. (She has nicer photos. A lot nicer. It's almost as if she used a real camera and not the broken one on her cell phone.) 

Anyway, I did make a few tweaks (and I didn't make the sauce she did) so here's my version:

Ingredients:

• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 3/4 cup Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
•  2 large zucchini, cut into 4-inch sticks

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a cookie sheet with olive oil or nonstick spray. 

2. Coat zucchini in egg then dredge through the flour, parmesan, bread crumb mix. Turn them over and make sure the whole thing is coated.

3. Arrange in one layer on the cookie sheet. (If you're anything like me, you will want to add a little pile of extra parmesan to each stick. Do it now.)

4. Bake until golden brown, about 15-18 minutes. Serve immediately with sauce of your choice. 

We used marinara that we made from scratch. I'd share that recipe, but there really isn't one. We experimented by throwing tomatoes, onion, carrot and garlic in the blender with some fresh basil and dried Italian seasonings. Lots of simmering, reducing, adding stuff. It was good, but sort of a mess.

Pico de gallo.

 

This recipe came from Gwnyth Paltrow, originally. She pairs it with grilled tilapia. Pre-vegetarian,we tried it and it was yummy. Now, though, we make this stuff and eat it with almost anything, because it's just that yummy and fresh. Tonight we had it with black beans and avocado in a vegan wrap. I also recommend trying it piled high on Melba Toast.  

• 1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered (in this photo, we used roma, and it didn't turn out as well)
• 1/2 small red onion, peeled and very finely diced
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro (we used more, like twice as much)
• Sea salt
• 1 lime

Combine the tomatoes, onion and cilantro in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and lime juice.

Candycane-crusted fudge.

My first attempt at fudge went well. It's easier than I planned for! That was a pleasant little surprise. A few people asked for the recipe, so I shall share it here. The original came from this blog. But I made some tweaks and used specific brands of stuff, so here you go, friends.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk (I used Eagle Brand)
• 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I used Hershey's)
• 4 squares Bakers unsweetened chocolate (4 ounces. This is the key to the off-the-scale yummy factor. This is the best brand of chocolate.)
• Three crushed peppermint candycanes 

Directions

Line an 8 x 8-inch pan or a 9 x 9-inch pan with foil and set aside. 


Combine the cream and sweetened condensed milk in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Heat until it is steaming, but not boiling, stirring occasionally to keep from scorching. 

Add all of the chocolate and remove from the heat. Allow the chocolate to melt, undisturbed, for 10 minutes. (This part was so hard for me. I wanted to stir it. But I did not.) 

After 10 minutes, whisk firmly until it is thick and shiny. You can add a few drops of flavoring extract or oil at this point, or add some powdered espresso or vanilla. Whisk vigorously again to incorporate the flavoring (if used.) 

Use a rubber or silicone spatula to spread the mixture out evenly in your prepared, foil-lined pan. Sprinkle some of the crushed candycane on top. 

Allow to cool at room temperature 12 hours or overnight so that it firms slowly. Take the fudge from the pan and remove the foil. Place on a cutting board. 

Using a knife heated with hot water and wiped dry, cut the fudge into cubes. Press the cut sides of the fudge into crushed candycanes.

Banana bars with brown butter frosting.

Easily the best thing I've ever baked (confirmed by several people). The original recipe--and the photo--came from this cute blog. The key is browning the butter just the right amount.  I can't believe I got t right on the first try. Bonus: I didn't start any fires.

Ingredients:

Banana Bread Bars:

1-1/2 c. sugar

1 c. sour cream

1/2 c. butter, softened

2 eggs

1-3/4 (3 or 4) ripe bananas, mashed

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Brown Butter Frosting:

1/2 c. butter

4 c. powdered sugar

1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 tbsp. milk

Directions:

1.  Heat oven to 375F.  Grease and flour 15x10-inch jelly roll pan.  For the bars, in a large bowl, beat together sugar, sour cream, butter, and eggs until creamy.  Blend in bananas and vanilla extract.  Add flour, baking soda, salt, and blend for 1 minute.  Stir in walnuts.

2.  Spread batter evenly into pan.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

3.  Meanwhile, for frosting, heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until boiling.  Let the butter turn a delicate brown and remove from heat immediately.

4.  Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk.  Whisk together until smooth (it should be thicker than a glaze but thinner than frosting).  Using a spatula, spread the brown butter frosting over the warm bars (the frosting will be easier to spread while the bars are still warm). 

Yield: 2 dozen large bars

Marinated chicken recipe.

 photo via 

My favorite Lebanese got me a special cookbook which we have been LOVING. The first thing I tried: this marinated chicken. It's so simple, yet so succulent.

Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS

1 chicken--cut up
1 cup lemon juice (we squeezed ours fresh. About 6 lemons)
3 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Rinse and dry chicken pieces and place them in a bowl or resealable bag. Whisk together the lemon juice, crushed garlic, thyme, basil, and cayenne pepper. Pour the marinade over the chicken and refrigerate for several hours or overnight (I HIGHLY recommend overnight), turning occasionally.

Place chicken pieces and marinade in a roasting pan and season with salt and pepper. Bake at 425 degrees for 50 minutes or until thoroughly cooked and golden brown. Baste occasionally.

Chunky turkey chili.

For Chris's big birthday gathering today, we decided to try out a new recipe. The gal who doesn't eat ground-up meat finished hers, most guests had seconds, and I received several compliments..so I think it's safe to say it was a hit. It's a very hearty, flavorful dish. Fantastic for the end of winter.

The original recipe came from here, but I made some alterations and additions so here's my recipe:
Yield 6 servings

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1.5 pounds organic ground turkey
• 1 package taco seasoning mix
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon chili pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 can organic black beans
• 1 can organic garbanzo beans
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can of beef broth
• 1 (13-ounce) jar of salsa (we used Muir garlic cilantro, organic. Beware: it's got a small kick)
• 1 can of crushed tomatoes  with green chili peppers
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 1 bunch green onion
• Light sour cream
• Tillamook cheese, shredded 

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble turkey into the pot, stirring with a wooden spoon to break apart as much as possible. Season with taco seasoning mix, coriander, oregano, chili flakes, and tomato paste, and mix until meat is evenly coated with seasonings. Continue cooking, reducing heat if necessary, until turkey is well browned.
2. Pour in beef broth, and simmer to reduce liquid slightly, about 5 minutes. Add salsa and tomatoes with green chilies. Continue cooking at a moderate simmer for ten minutes. Adjust the thickness at any time you feel necessary by adding water.
3. While chili is still cooking, heat one tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion and garlic, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Add onion and garlic to the chili, and continue cooking at a very low simmer.
4. In the same skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, and cook stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the zucchini to the chili, reduce heat, and continue cooking 15 minutes more. Again, adjust the consistency with water as needed. 
5. Add the black beans and garbanzo beans. 
6. Ladle chili into serving bowls. Top with sour cream, green onion, and cheddar cheese, and serve.

 Note: I tripled this because we had a big party. I made it the night before and then refrigerated it for about 12 hours before reheating in the stock pot. Delicious.

Also, the cute turquoise pot is a Paula Dean gem. Just bought it and I'm in love.

Italian chicken.

This is something I've been making for a while. It's yummy. Wish I would have taken a photo. It even looks pretty with all the Italian herbs and seasonings.

• 1.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced
• 3/4 cup low fat Italian salad dressing
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1 tbsp. dried Italian seasoning
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 potatoes, cubed
• Parmesan cheese

Combine seasonings, garlic and dressing. Poke holes in the chicken breasts. Let it marinade between 1 hour and one day. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Add parmesan (lots) cheese.

Cauliflower chicken casserole.

 Made this for dinner tonight. It was a hit.

• 2 cups cooked chicken breast
• 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
• 2 1/2 cups fat free milk
• 2 T corn starch
• 1/4 cup fat free cheddar, shredded
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup green onions, chopped
• 2 t dijon mustard
• Breadcrumbs
• Salt
• Pepper
• Dash of nutmeg

Boil the cauliflower in salted water for 4 minutes and drain. Combine corn starch and milk in a saucepan, mix well with  whisk, stir constantly for 5-10 mins. Remove from heat add cheeses, onions, mustard, and season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Combine cauliflower, chicken, and cheese sauce in a large bowl. Spoon the cauliflower mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish and sprinkle with breadcrumbs if using.  Bake at 400° for 20 minutes and let set for 10.

The original recipe came from here. Found it on Pinterest (where else?).