Black Bean Burgers

Check out this recipe for Black Bean Burgers! My husband found it and made it tonight. It was delicious between 2 multigrain buns (the thin kind). Try it out for a great vegetarian meal. Add some bite size potatoes drizzled in olive oil and garlic salt and baked at 375 for 20-25 minutes, but be sure to include the skin because where most of the nutrition is.

Recipe #6 PIZZA!!!!

Ok, so I get daily emails from Allrecipes.com and I got one for this pizza crust recipe and boy was it good! So the crust version of this recipe did not come from me, but I did add a couple of notes in there of my own because there wasn't enough information from the original recipe to help me as much as I wanted. But I did however make the sauce on my own. If you like your sauce with a little bit of kick (not too much, just a little) than try my sauce out! My husband says I could open up a pizza chain with this recipe. He couldn't shut up about it, but I told him I have no interest in starting a pizza restaurant.

                                               Pizza Crust                                                   

Prep time: 75-90 minutes (to give dough time to rise) Cook time: 20 Minutes

Servings: enough dough to make one large pizza . James and I make a pizza with 8 large slices and use the rest of the dough to make 8 bread sticks.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 C)

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 1/3 cups of all-purpose flour or 2 1/2 cups of white flour and the rest whole wheat flour.

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and brown sugar in the warm water, and let it sit for 10 minutes

2. Stir the salt and oil into the yeast solution. Mix in 2 3/4 cups of the flour.

3. Turn dough onto a clean, well floured surface, and knead in the rest of the flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Knead a lot longer than you think you need too! Place the dough in a well oiled bowl and cover with a cloth. Let the dough rise until double in a warm place. Approximately an hour. Punch down the dough. Really, punch it! and form a tight ball. Allow the dough to relax a minute before rolling it out. 

4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. If you are baking on a pizza stone, place your toppings on the dough and bake immediately. If you are baking in a pan, lightly oil the pan, and let the dough rise for 15 or 20 minutes before topping and baking it. Some people I read, cook the dough for 10 minutes without toppings and than pull it out and top it and than bake for another 5-10 minutes, but either way is fine.

5. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes or until cheese and crust or golden brown. 

                                            Pizza Sauce                                                    

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

1 (15 ounce) can Fire Roasted Tomatoes

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

1 tablespoon ground oregano

1 teaspoon white sugar

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda (to neutralize the acid and reduce heartburn)

1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon paprika

Directions:

Throw all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and mix until well blended and top on your pizza. YUM!

Jessica's Scrumdiliumptious Summer Pasta -- Recipe #5

Just so you know. I didn't name this recipe. I asked James what I should name it and he kept saying it was "scrumdiliumptious" so I should include that in the name. I told him I would name it this for now and rename it later. P.S. this was inspired from my earlier post. I made my own version since I didn't have all of the ingredients. Feel free to do that too! If you see something on here that looks good, but you don't have everything you need, than substitute it for something you do have. If you are afraid of being that bold, than just follow the recipe. ;-)

                         Jessica's Scrumdiliumptious Summer Pasta                   

Items  you will need:

Large pot

Large skillet

3 tablespoons olive oil 

pinch of salt (or sea salt)

1/2 pound of whole wheat rotini pasta

Half medium onion cut in thin slices

2 garlic cloves chopped (or 1 tablespoon minced garlic)

Half red bell pepper cut in slices

Half green bell pepper cut in slices

2-3 cups of fresh spinach leaves (really I just do 2-3 handfuls)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon parsley

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup vinegerette sun dried tomato

Directions:

1. Prepare pasta according to the directions on the box, but also add a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of olive oil to the water. Set aside. I like to start the skillet portion of this recipe while the pasta is cooking in the boiling water so both are done at the same time.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in large skillet. Sautee onions for a few minutes and then add garlic for another minute. Add bell peppers and cook for additional 2 minutes. Add spinach and stir it around until it no longer looks like it's original leaf like form.

3. Add soy sauce (or shoyu), balsamic vinegar, and sun dried tomato vinegarette. Stir to evenly coat and lastly, add garlic powder and parsley. Sautee all of the ingredients for a few minutes.

4. Add pasta to vegetable mixture, evenly coating the pasta. Cook for another minute. And then serve.

Note: We also had this with sauteed green beans and toasted whole wheat bread with garlic salt. 

I should also mention that most of these portions are good for 2-4 people. Depending on what other food you serve with it. If you only serve this as your meal. It's only enough for 2.

Rustic Pasta - Recipe #4

Before I dive into this next recipe I would like to answer Lindsey's question about how to get ones calcium intake if you decide to go without milk or even dairy all together. Here is a list of food that provide calcium compared with milk.

Calcium Milligrams (per 100-gram serving)

• Butter --- 20
• Whole Milk --- 118
• Chickpeas --- 150
• Collard Greens --- 203
• Parsley --- 203
• Soybeans --- 226
• Almonds --- 234
• Sesame Seeds --- 1160
• Hijiki Sea Vegetable --- 1400

As you can see from this list, there are other choices that are far better for you as far as calcium intake is concerned. James and I personally love to eat almonds and soybeans aka edamame. We are always stocked with a few frozen bags of this delicious soybean. Some even come in microwavable pouches. I personally like to boil water with a pinch of salt and a little olive oil (for flavor), throw the beans in and let them boil in the water for 10 minutes. Just be sure not to eat the shells! It also makes a great snack. Especially, if you're having a salty craving and want unhealthy chips. This always does it for me. *Edit* James and I definitely eat soybeans in moderation. Usually only a serving every 3 or 4 days. Check the comments for details on the Great Soy Debate. :-) *

Moving on to the recipe portion of this post. The following recipe is NOT my own but from the book, The Kind Diet. Try it out and let me know how it turns out for you. I haven't tried this exact recipe, but have done a variation of it. This one looks like it would taste better. I'll be trying it out here in the next couple of days.

                                                Rustic Pasta                                          

Items you will need:

1/4 pound pasta, long or short shape, as you prefer

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large onions, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or thinly sliced (if you have mince garlic -1-2 teaspoons should do

2 celery stalks, diced or thinly sliced on a diagonal

1/4 cup shoyu (also known as soy sauce -the healthy version)

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (or regular table salt if you don't have this)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 head green cabbage, thinly sliced

5-6 tablespoons marinara sauce

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. Salt the water (I personally love to add a tablespoon of olive oil to every pot of water I boil for pasta) add the pasta; cook just until al dente. Drain the pasta well.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the onions and cook for 7 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and saute for 3 minutes longer, until the onions are transparent and turning golden.

3. Add the celery to the skillet and saute for 3 or 4 minutes. Stir in the shoyu, salt, and garlic powder, then add the cabbage; saute for 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes longer.

4. Add the pasta to the skillet with the sauce and toss together. Cook over medium-high heat for a minute or two and serve.

You can also serve this with meat-balls (tofu or real) if you choose. A yummy fresh salad (avoid Iceberg lettuce - it doesn't really have very many nutrients compared to other greens out there - I personally love spinach leaves) and garlic bread. Don't have any garlic bread on hand? Try Pan frying some pieces of bread in sesame or other oil for a couple of minutes on each side. Cut a garlic clove in half and rub onto the fried bread slices.

This is making me hungry! I hope you enjoy it!

Some Tips on Eating Healthy

 In case you didn't know, at the start of the summer, James and I changed our diets. I can't say we are 100% vegetarian/vegan, but a lot of our meals are. Our goal was to try and eat as healthy as possible. We have eliminated a lot of processed foods, meat & dairy from our diet. Not to say that we don't ever have these things, but we have them a lot less now. With my new calling as a mother, I have found it rather discouraging, that the last 15 pounds I gained during my pregnancy has been sticking to me like white on rice. I wanted to do something about it and overall I was tired of lacking energy and focus.

I asked James to embark with me on this journey as I tried to find/invent recipes that didn't use meat. He was skeptical at first, but after we talked about it for a couple of weeks and he saw that he had gained some weight and was having a hard time losing it, he agreed. (Awkward sentence I know; too lazy to revise it.)

So I wanted to pass some tips on to you. Here they are in no particular order.

• Eliminate as much processed food as you can. I'm talking food from a box. Get rid of it or stop buying it and finish up what you have. Get out of the habit or mentality of thinking that boxed meals are quick and easy. I have so many recipes that take under 25 minutes to make and they are a lot more healthy that's for sure
• Stop eating out at fast food restaurants! No really, Stop! Not only are you throwing your money down the drain, but your health as well. If you want to go out on a date to a restaurant, than go for the vegetables not the fries. Baked potatoes are healthy has long as it's not smothered in a bunch of butter, sour cream, bacon and cheese and you eat the skin.
• Eliminate or at least try to limit how much white sugar is in your diet. You know, all those yummy sweets that you just can't avoid? Well, you don't have to necessarily. I have a couple of recipes for sugar free & dairy free desserts. Or take the recipe you have and substitute sugar for applesauce or all-natural maple sugar.
• Fresh, Fresh, Fresh! Buy as much fresh fruit and vegetables and use them! When I go grocery shopping 70% of the food I get is from the produce section. I have also read somewhere that it is healthier to eat fruits and vegetables that are in season and grown in your area. So if you can, support your local farmers markets or start your own garden! Keeping in mind to look up which fruits and vegetables are ok for the season you are growing them.
• Do not drink Soda or sugary drinks. I repeat, do not drink soda or sugary drinks! It is so so bad for you. Challenge yourself to drink as much water and whole juice as possible, but especially water. Sometimes this may mean asking your spouse or friend to join your for support. I have had to tell James no to buying soda a few times. Kool-aid is no better.
• Beans beans they're good for your heart, the more you eat the more you....yeah you know the rest. It may be a silly song, but it's so true. Same goes with the musical fruit version.
• Multi-grains and whole wheat. Multi-grain bread is better for you than white and even better than whole wheat. Whole wheat pasta (it takes a couple of times trying this to get used to it, but you will).
• Brown rice is soo much better for you than white rice. White rice is said to be one of the top 5 worse foods you can eat. Top 5! So stop eating it! Along with drinking soda! :-)
• Try to limit the amount of milk you consume. Soy milk is not to be consumed regularly either so I would suggest rice milk if you like to use milk often. I don't, so I just buy soy milk and it takes me 12 days to finish one little carton and even then I end up throwing some out. I don't say this because I'm against drinking milk; I'm not, but milk is fattening.
• I don't coupon for food. That's right, I don't coupon. You know why? Because all or most of the coupons out there are for processed foods. I realized that I was tempted to buy unhealthy food when I was looking up coupons. Instead, look at your local grocery store ads to see who has the best deals on produce. That's really where you want to be spending your money anyway. It's a long term investment into your health.

That's all I can think of now, but I"m sure I'll think of more later. If you have any questions, need clarification, or have specific requests for incorporating certain foods into meals, just leave me a comment.

Break out of the norm and do something good for yourself. And one more thing, just because you're skinny and eat junk doesn't mean you are healthy. I have known people like that who ended up having several vitamin deficiencies  with their doctors deeming them as being as unhealthy as someone 100 pounds heavier than them. Take care of yourself, you'll be happy you did!