Would you believe me if I told you there was 3/4 of a box of spinach, 6 stalks of kale leaves, 1 head of broccoli, 6 Brussel Sprouts and 1 Green Jalapeno Pepper in this 2.50 Quart Dish? 
Would you believe me if I told you I took over 100 photos of these vegetables before and after cooking? First, so I could believe myself it actually fit in the dish and second, because well I’m still learning about my camera… Practice takes perfect right! 
We spent alot of time at the swings this summer. They just happened to be on our daily walk route or were a good excuse to go for a walk or sometimes we just stumbled upon a park and hit the swings. Calla had fun on the swings, she loved to get going faster and higher, I know we have a little daredevil on our hands, I just know it. Love it though!
Um I think you’ll agree with me here.. this is Hands down the best swing reaction ever!
We also got into a bit of a burger kick this summer, but not the typical beef burgers with bacon, cheese and condiments. More chickpea burgers, tilapia burgers, even zucchini burgers (coming soon). These black bean burgers were a total hit.
I love the taste of black beans sauteed with cumin, cayenne, and curry powder. I would be happy eating that alone, but instead we stepped it up a notch and added jalapeno, garlic, onion, corn, oats, bread crumbs and cilantro.
Blended together it really doesn’t look like much. But let it chill for a little while, about 2 hours or so, and man the flavors really start to come together. After the ingredients have had some time to get to know each other, add the breadcrumbs and divide into 4 equal parts. Form each part into patties, packing them together nicely so the patties stay intact.
While the patties are heating up, sizzling away, you’ll have some time to gather dressings. There’s always a million ways to dress a burger. Some go plain, some just a little sauce, some exxtra sauce.
It’s a good idea to throw some veggies on top, and a fresh warm (maybe) toasted bun is a great call too. Once assembled, you may need some help diving in, so I say cut it in half for a little extra leverage.
Black Bean & Corn Burgers (adapted from Spoon Fork Bacon)
Serves 4
1/2 Red Onion, chopped
1 Jalapeno, seeded
3 Garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can Black beans, rinsed
1/2 cup plus 2 tbs Rolled oats
1/2 cup Corn
1 Green onion, thinly sliced
2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Curry powder
1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp Paprika
1/4 cup Whole wheat breadcrumbs
1/4 cup Cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp Vegetable oil
4 Whole wheat buns
Topping: cucumber, tomato, lettuce, parmesan cheese & roasted red pepper hummus (or whatever you desire)
Place red onion, jalapeno & garlic in a food processor and pulse a few times, until blended and diced.
Add beans, oats, corn, green onion, cumin, curry powder, and cayenne.
Pulse until combined.
Season for salt and pepper and pulse again until desired consistency is achieved (I would try to keep it a little chunky for extra texture).
Transfer to mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Remove chilled mixture and stir in breadcrumbs. Taste for any additional seasoning.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Divide mixture into 4 equal parts. Using your hands, pack each part into patties about an inch thick.Add patties to skillet and and cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side, until crusty and heated through.
Remove patties from heat, transfer to bun and dress as you wish.
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
This dip is a nice addition to the Black Bean Burger, it’s also a great dip with crackers, pita chip, veggies or you could even mix with pasta. Quick and easy to whip up you just need some roasted garlic, roasted red peppers, chickpeas, a few walnuts and olive oil.
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
1 Garlic clove, roasted
3 Red Pepper, roasted
1 Can Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 Cup Olive Oil, or to taste
1/2 Cup Walnuts
Salt & Pepper
Pulse the garlic in a food processor until finely chopped.
Add the walnuts and pulse a few more times to break up any large pieces.
Add the roasted red pepper and pulse a few times until combined.
Stream in olive oil through feed tube, and pulse until desired consistency.
Taste for salt and pepper, and add more olive oil if needed. Serve with pita chips, veggies or as spread.
Last week something very exciting happened. Something I’ve been waiting ever so patiently for. What we had, some people didn’t even know existed. Ready for it? High speed Internet! No more painfully slow dial up, hurray! To be able to sit comfortably on the couch, bring the laptop around the house, upload, download, it’s amazing. Ah, everything seems so easy now.
At night once my husband, my baby and my dog are sleeping, and before I head off to bed, I have some time to peruse the internet. I could spend hours upon hours looking at beautiful food blogs, searching for recipes, ideas for toddler foods, random google searches, pinterest and yes, facebook too. But mostly food blogs. Honestly I must have hundreds bookmarked. There are so many I am in aw of; food I would love to make, photos that make you drool, moods, scenes and reactions I would love to create. It’s an addiction, I am fully aware, and completely ok with (hehe). You can find my current list of favorites on the right hand side of this blog. They’re each inspiring, each different, telling their story photo by photo, recipe by recipe.
I’m also very excited to be able to put some time in on this little blog of mine. It’s been about 7 months since I started, and I’m so very happy I did. Starting this had been on my mind for awhile, and it’s been really great, but there’s alot still I’d like to learn about. I hope you will be patient with me as I work my way around the site figuring out the best layout and design. You may see some small changes one day and some big changes the next. I would love to hear from you if you think one particular layout is better than another, if you see any mistakes I’ve made or if there’s something missing.
This little post here was from one day in the summer. One day when I looked through the fridge, saw nothing but vegetables and was struck by not knowing what to make. Literally the only think we had was vegetables. Not such a bad thing I know, but I was drawing a blank. So finally after some pondering, repeatedly opening and closing the fridge door to see if anything had changed inside, I came up with Spaghetti Squash Primavera. Who knew a bowl of veggies, some dried herbs and spices, a few artichokes and a handful or two (or three) of Parmesan Cheese could taste so good.
Spaghetti Squash Primavera
1 Spaghetti Squash
3 small zucchinis, diced
10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 hot house tomato, diced
1 can artichokes, sliced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 long red pepper, diced
1/2 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper
Parmesan Cheese
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, finely diced
1 tbsp Olive oil
Preheat oven to 375F. Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop and flesh and seeds. Spray lightly with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook for about 30 minutes or until soft and a fork can easily pull squash out in spaghetti strands. Remove from oven and set aside.
Heat a large skillet with olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and let cook until slightly browned, 1-2 minutes. Add zucchinis, yellow and red pepper. Let cook 2-3 minutes, until just softened. Once squash has cooled enough to touch, take a fork and scrape out squash working outter edges in, so it pulls out in spaghetti strands. Add to skillet and mix together. Add all remaining ingredients, stir together to combine and let cool about 5 minutes or until all ingredients have combined and tomatoes are soft.
Remove from element and stir in parmesan cheese, as much as you would like. Taste for seasoning. Divide into bowls and garnish with more parmesan cheese. Serve warm.
When I think of barley, I think of stew. Hearty beef and barley stew on a cold winter day. I now have a newfound admiration for barley and its at the completely opposite spectrum. Cold barley salad with vegetables on a warm summer day. This salad is so addictive, it puts regular lettuce salads to shame.
The barley and dressing alone tastes incredible and I will admit, I snuck a couple spoonfuls before adding the vegetables. Tossed together with some fresh herbs, cherry tomatoes and parmesan cheese creates a salad that’s filling and delectable.
For such a small chewy grain, barley brings so much more to the table than just incredible texture. It’s soothing to the digestive tract and liver, heals stomach ulcers and lowers cholesterol.
Vegetable Medley & Barley Salad (adapted from Sprouted Kitchen)
1 Cup pearled barley, rinsed
3 Cups Water
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp honey
1 Large Zucchini, sliced into half circles
1 Yellow Pepper, diced
1 Orange Pepper, diced
2 Cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/3 cup basil, finely chopped
1/4 cup Parsley, finely chopped
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt & Pepper
In a medium pot, add rinsed barley and 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for about 25-30 minutes, or until tender. Drain any excess water, transfer to a large mixing bowl and mix in garlic and just a pinch of salt while the grains are still hot. Stir together. Add oil, honey and vinegar, stir again to coat and set aside.
In a large saucepan, heat about 1 tbsp olive oil. Add zucchini and let cook on medium high heat until slightly browned and cooked through, 5-10 minutes. Transfer to a side plate. Add yellow pepper and a touch more oil, cook for a few minutes, just enough to take the edge off, but still crispy. Transfer to side plate. Repeat with orange pepper.
Once zucchini and peppers have cooled, add to mixing bowl with barley and stir together. Toss in quartered tomatoes, basil and parsley. Season with salt, pepper and parmesan cheese. Mix together and add extra fresh herbs and vinegar if needed.
Brown rice simmers in a bath of coconut milk.
Sliced chicken breasts give in to a healthy dose of cajun seasoning before blackened.
Sweet, juicy ripe mango is peeled, sliced, and sliced again into long strips.
2 Lovely Green Avocados are pitted before slicing into strips as well.
Crunchy green onion & vibrant red pepper become diced into equal size pieces.
All being prepared to meet each other in a perfectly balanced, fresh and colorful dish.
My mouth waters just thinking about it.
The combination of spicy chicken with fruity mango, soft avocado and creamy rice is so enticing, its frequently made in our house.
Coconut Rice With Chicken, Mango & Avocado (adapted from Chatelaine)
3 Chicken Breasts, sliced
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 tbsp cajun, optional
1 400ml can Unsweetened Coconut Milk
1 1/2 – 2 cups Water
1 Cup Brown Rice
1/2 tsp Hot Chili Flakes
3 Green Onions, diced
1 Ripe Mango, peeled and cut into long strips
1 Avocado, sliced
1 Red Pepper, cored, seeded and diced
2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tbsp unsweetened coconut, optional
In a large saucepan, add Coconut Milk and water. Stir in rice and chili flakes. Cover and bring to a boil. Stir and reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, or until rice is cooked and liquid in absorbed.
Heat a medium pan on high heat. Add oil and garlic. Let cook a minute or two. Once pan is hot, add chicken and cajun seasoning, if using, and cook on high for a few minutes until blackened. Flip and repeat.
Once rice has cooked, stir in red pepper. Let cook for just a few minutes until just barely soft. Remove from heat. Stir in chicken, avocado, mango and green onion. Garnish with unsweetened flaked coconut. Serves 3-4
