Black Bean and Brown Rice Cakes

These patties can be served alone or as a veggie burger. In the picture above I made burgers out of mini corn tortillas, tomato, lettuce, cilantro and veggie cheddar cheese with jalapeno. YUM!!
Ingredients:

2 can black beans (or about 3 cups) rinsed and drained.
2 scallions, coarsely chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 cups cooked brown rice
salt and pepper
olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
In a food processor, pulse half of the beans with the scallions, jalapeno, and cumin until a chunky paste forms.
In a large bowl, combine the bean puree with the rice and the remaining beans. Season with salt and pepper
Divide mixture into eight 3 inch wide patties. (to freeze, wrap patties in plastic)
Oil a baking sheet and place in oven for 5 minutes. Carefully place patties on hot baking sheet and bake 12 minutes. Let rest on sheet for 5 minutes before removing.

Pita Bread

I am so excited that I finally found a pita recipe that works! I have been trying recipes but have not really been happy with any of them. These pitas are delicious and I made them with a little whole wheat flour so they are a bit more healthy for you. Homemade Pitas with homemade hummus and fresh vegetables is one of the best things ever. And the second best thing ever is the next day when you take a left over pita and melt cheese on it. YUM!!

Ingredients:

2 2/3 cups warm water
3 teaspoons sugar
3 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 cups whole wheat flour
3 1/2 - 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting.
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons olive oil

Directions:

1. Combine the water, sugar and yeast and let proof for ten minutes.
2. Stir in the flour, salt and olive oil and knead until dough is soft and barley sticky. Or make the dough in a mixer with a dough hook and knead the dough on low until the sides of the bowl are clean, but the dough is still sticking to the bottom of the bowl.
3.Place the dough in a oiled bowl and cover, let dough rise until doubled.
4.Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
5.Divide the dough into 16 equal portions.
6. Roll each piece of dough out on a floured surface into about a 6-7 inch circle.
7. Place 2-3 pitas directly on your oven rack and bake for 4-5 minutes or until puffed in the center and golden.  Or you can place the dough onto a metal cooling rack, then move the cooling rack into the oven.
8. Repeat with remaining pitas.
9.  Let the pitas cool slightly before eating (they are full of hot steam) Cut in half, fill and enjoy!

*For the first couple pitas you may have to experiment with the size. It takes me a few tries to get the pita dough rolled out to the right thickness. If they are too thin they will not puff up. When I roll mine out, they are about the size of my hand. Luckily, the ones that don't puff up are still good to eat!

Butter Bean Burgers

We eat a lot of veggie burgers, what can I say. This is an easy yummy one. I sometimes double this recipe so that I have leftovers to freeze. I also like to prepare these patties earlier in the day when the kids are napping or something and stick them in the fridge, then when it is time to eat, all I have to do is throw them in the frying pan.

Ingredients:

2 cans butter beans, rinsed and drained
1 onion, diced
1 jalapeno finely chopped
12 saltine crackers, crushed
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (or veg cheese)
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:

Saute onion and garlic until soft.
In medium bowl mash butter beans and mix everything together. Divide into 6-8 equal parts and shape into patties. Refridgerate for at least one hour. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and cook patties until they are golden, about 5 minutes on each side.

Serve with your favorite hamburger bun and toppings.

Grilled Vegetable Sandwich

This sandwich always goes over well. I love that I can take it to picnics and I don't have to worry about it getting ruined or smashed during travel, it is suppose to be smashed, sorta.

Ingredients:

1 (1 pound) loaf bread, like ciabatta, or focaccia
1 egg plant
1 zucchini
2 portobello mushrooms
roasted red peppers
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese (optional)
prepared pesto sauce
salt
pepper
olive oil


Directions :

1. Slice eggplant, zucchini and mushrooms, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and grill until crisp tender.
2. Layer ingredients in sandwich and wrap in plastic wrap and store in fridge at least two hours or until ready to serve. While in fridge place cutting board (or whatever) on top of sandwich and weigh it down with some canned foods or whatever you have that is heavy.
3. Slice and serve.