Mushroom Lentil Veggie Burger

I have not eaten meat since I was 10 years old. I have been vegetarian, vegan, or some form of a non meat eating individual for more then 20 years. Needless to say, the other day I was craving a burger!!! I wanted to pour ketchup on something juicy and meaty and delicious. However , after 20 years I wasn't sure I was ready to take a bite of a real burger. Not that I am opposed to it. I am just not really sure how my body will react after all this time and I wasn't exactly willing to take that chance last night. So here is "my" version of a burger. Meatless, bunless, vegan, and gluten free.  The only thing it was full of was flavor!

Ingredients:
2 cups of cooked lentils
2 teaspoons chia seeds
3 tablespoons warm water
1 medium onion
8 ounces of mixed mushrooms, washed ( i used a mix of baby bells, shiitake, 
3 cloves garlic
2 cups cooked lentils (green or brown), well drained
1/3 cup old fashioned oats (certified gluten-free, if necessary)
1/2 cup of ground flax meal
2 tablespoons of arrowroot ( used to keep the burgers together)
1 tablespoon tamari
1/2 teaspoon dried chervil
1/4 teaspoon dried chives
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt ( to taste)
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
Generous grating black pepper

Steps 
1. Bring 1 cup of dry lentils to a boil and then allow to cook for about 20 minutes. Should yield two cups once cooked. At the same time mix the chia seeds and the warm water and set aside. The chia seeds will help keep the burger together.
2. While the lentils are cooking, chop the mushrooms in a food processor. Once they are chopped into fairly small pieces transfer to a skillet.
3. Saute mushrooms, garlic, and onions with a tablespoon of olive oil and some salt. Saute for 5 minutes.
4. Add the paprika to the mushroom mixture and sauté for 1 more minute. Then allow to cool down.
5. Once cool, add the lentils and mushroom mixture back to the food processor and pulse. Then add the oats , flax meal, arrowroot, chia seed mixture and all herbs and pulse again. 
6. Remove from food processor and make them into patties to the size of your liking. I was able to get five burgers out of mine.
7. Bake in the oven at 350 for roughly 35 to 40 minutes.

You can put them on a bun, but I chose to go bunless. I added avocado, hot sauce , and a little ketchup. YUMMY

Chick Pea Stew

Ok here is how this stew came about last night. I am suffering from some inflammation in my SI joint and was looking for alternative ways to help alleviate inflammation without loading up on ibuprofen. This recipe is similar to the curry down below , but there is some changes in the preparation and definitely in the presentation. I loaded it with ginger and turmeric which are known to help with any inflammation in the body.
Turmeric is mostly used as powder form and is very popular in South east Asian cultures. It was first used as a food flavor enhancer but later was discovered to have medicinal properties. One of those properties being that it acts as an anti-inflammatory . Now none of this has been completely FDA approved but I am always one to try alternative therapies and food sources for my aches and pains. And if it doesn't heal, at least it won't harm . Which we can't say about a lot of other conventional methods.
Ginger is a root which aids in digestion, helps settle stomach, and also aids in reducing inflammation.
So here is the recipe! It is so tasty and easy to make so enjoy.....

1 cup of garbanzo beans ( fresh preferably, but canned is ok)
3 carrots ( cubed)
1 large sweet potato ( cubed)
1 medium onion
4 cloves of garlic
fresh ginger peeled and diced ( decide how powerful you want this to be, I love ginger so I add a lot)
3 cups of vegetable stock
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon of cumin
1/4 teaspoon of chili powder
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1/2 teaspoon of fennel seeds
cilantro  (added as garnish at the end)
avocado (added on top at the end)
sriracha sauce ( or any hot sauce on hand also added at the end)
salt and pepper to taste

In a large sauce pot sauté the garlic and onions in a tablespoon of olive oil for 1 minute, then add ginger. Sauté for another minute. Now add all the herbs ( cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, chili powder and fennel seeds) Saute one more minute.
Add the sweet potato and sauté for 5 minutes and  season with some salt. Add carrots and garbanzo beans for 1 minute stir in with everything else. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer for about 30 minutes.
To prepare I served over Jasmine rice, topped with fresh cilantro, avocado, and squeeze of lime juice, salt, pepper, and sriracha sauce.

Then Devour!!!! :)

JoJo's Goodies: Strawberry and Walnut Cilantro Salad

JoJo's Goodies: Strawberry and Walnut Cilantro Salad: This is my go to salad. Whenever I am stuck and I can't think of what to bring to a pot luck party or what to make as an appetizer for...

Strawberry and Walnut Cilantro Salad

This is my go to salad. Whenever I am stuck and I can't think of what to bring to a pot luck party or what to make as an appetizer for a dinner party I am throwing this salad always comes to mind as my saving grace. I have yet to make it and not win over the crowd. There is such a balance of flavors and textures and the colors alone will for sure be a crowd pleaser.
For the grocery list : strawberries, avocados, red cabbage, walnuts, cilantro, mixed greens
For the dressing: balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, olive oil, sea salt, cilantro

Veggie Curry

This Veggie Curry was on the menu for dinner last night! Still this morning , the house is smelling of ginger, spices, and curry....I love it! Especially since there is more than enough for left overs the next day.
Here is the Ingredients:
2 medium white onions (diced)
2 sweet potatoes(cubed)
3 large carrots(cubed)
1 cup collard greens
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup chick peas (fresh or canned)
1 large ripe tomato (diced)
1 cup cooked Quinoa
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 heaping tablespoon of extra virgin coconut oil
1 tablespoon of minced ginger
1 tablespoon of fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of tumeric
2 tablespoons of curry powder
1/4 teaspoon of cumin
pinch of cayenne pepper
generous sea salt to taste

In a large crock pot saute the onions and ginger with the coconut oil for about 5 minutes. Then add all the spices (cinnamon, tumeric, curry powder, cumin, cayenne,salt and fennel seeds) Coat with the onion , ginger, coconut oil mix. Add the olive oil and diced tomato and stir. Then add the vegetable broth. Let simmer for about 2 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and carrots and stir. Allow to cook for about 30 minutes on medium to low heat.
While the curry is cooking prepare the quinoa. 1 cup of quinoa to 1 1/4 cups of water or vegetable broth. Allow to cook and set aside when finished.
Test the sweet potatoes and carrots. You should be able to pierce them easily with a fork. If they are ready;then add the broccoli, collard greens, and chick peas to the curry. Stir and allow to cook for another 15 minutes...
Serve over a bed of quinoa and garnish with a sprinkle of raw pumpkin seeds.

Roasted Parsnips with Mushrooms and Parsley

This is a lovely side dish that can be paired great with any protein of your choice ( my friend swears it would go great with pork! My veggie taste buds are unsure.) Either way stop wondering and just make it. The sweetness of the parsnips compliments the savoriness of the mushrooms. Make extras cause you won't want to share! Here is the ingredients:

4 or 5 medium size parsnips ( cubed)
1 cup of mixed mushrooms of your choice
1/2 cup of parsley
4 cloves of garlic (diced)
1 medium size shallot (diced)
1/4 cup of coconut oil
rosemary and thyme ( chopped roughly 1 teaspoon)
salt and pepper to taste

.Pre heat oven to 400'.In a mixing bowl place the cubed parsnips ,  shallots, garlic, and the mixed herbs. Heat the coconut oil and once melted add the 1/4 cup of oil to the bowl. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix all together in bowl and once mixed thoroughly place on a baking sheet and roast at 400' in oven for about 45 minutes. Stirring every 15 minutes or so.
While that is roasting in the oven , prepare  the mushrooms. Saute on low heat with a touch of olive oil , salt, and garlic. Roughly 5 to 8 minutes.
Once the parsnips are done , combine the mushrooms, parsnips, and raw parsley together and serve.

Pumpkin Pecan Apple Muffins

October would not be October without pumpkins. The combination of pecans and pumpkins goes so well together , once you have tried these muffins you will see why! I miss making these muffins at The Little Bird. My muffins became such a hit I started to obsess over new recipes daily.. It was one of the highlights of The Little Bird for me because before this time I had never really considered making muffins. Once I got started I couldn't stop and the pay off on how well they were received was priceless.
One of my tricks to getting those lovely muffin tops was to heat the oven to 450' , then bake the muffins at this very high temperature for around 3 to 4 minutes. The hot air plumps up the tops! Immediately bring down the temperature to 350' and then allow to bake the rest of the time at the low temperature.
Try and enjoy while they are still warm from the oven!
The smell coming from the kitchen will be enough incentive to make these almost every single day!

Start by poaching one apple until a knife can easily go through it. Then set aside to cool down


Mix wet ingredients together:
3/4 cup of extra virgin coconut oil
3/4 cup of pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/4 cup of apple butter

Mix dry ingredients together:
1 cup of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of baking powder
2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of clove
poached apple cut into cubes

Topping ( set aside till 5 minutes before the muffins are done!)
1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup of pecans
1 teaspoon on cinnamon
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 tablespoon of maple syrup

Combine wet and dry ingredients together and blend with hands without over mixing.
Bake in the oven at 450 for 3 to 4 minutes and then at 350 for about another 20 to 25 minutes minutes or until the center is dry. You can check the center with a toothpick.
Just before the muffins are ready roughly 5 minutes before , add a spoonful of topping to each one and put back in the oven for the remaining time.

Enjoy these treats, The customers of The Little Bird sure did and I couldn't make them fast enough!
Hope the put a smile on your face as they did mine!