Quinoa Pasta, Ma Favorite

I've been updating this blog regularly, right? Every two months or so I hop back on, briefly acknowledge my absence, jump right into the present state of affairs because we all know nothing I do is ever exciting enough to hark back to, and then I realize nothing I am doing currently is quite noteworthy either.

Lounged around all summer, "interned" at a physical therapy outpatient clinic, applied to jobs, decided against it, and worked out some days.

And currently: started escuela - pardon,  j'ai retourné à l'université - and am still finishing my language requirements. I blogged on the food blog today, also returning from a quick hiatus on that blog. And that's what I will be sharing ce jour. 

A recipe ma souer shared avec moi last year that I was intensely craving Monday night. Note: I spent all my grocery money paying off my credit card bill this month, so this is what I will be eating for the next trois semaines. 

Enjoying my Franglish, non?

Ingredients:

• 1 box quinoa pasta
• brussels sprouts
• carrots
• 1 sweet tomato
• olive oil
• parmesan
• oregano
• salt & pepper to taste

Dice brussels sprouts into quarters, slice carrots, and dice the tomato. Toss in a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, and bake in the oven at 325 for 15 minutes. Incorporate with cooked pasta, toss with a little more olive oil, oregano, and top with parmesan.

credit where credit is due! 

Pinterest: Approved - Vegan Sweet Potato Burger

Not that I'm a strict vegan, or a vegan at all, or even a vegetarian, but I will gladly eat anything vegan as I have watched one too many vegan/vegetarian agendized documentaries. This one, to be exact, was the one that did it.

This is a story of your typical late-night pin that comes to fruition 6 months later. The original recipe was created by the LunchBoxBunch, and hers looks much better than mine.

Great recipe! Probably not something I'll make very often, as I'm not the biggest sandwich person, but this is a wonderful chicken sandwich substitute. Don't let the "burger" part fool you. Do not expect this to taste anything like a burger (I don't know why you would, but now you've been forewarned). 

Notes:

- I baked one and I think it turned out better than the ones cooked with oil

- Halving the recipe, I still made 5-6 patties

- I seasoned with a dash of garlic powder, cinnamon, & chili powder

Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers
makes 7-8 large patties

2 cans cannellini white beans, drained
1 large sweet potato, baked/peeled/mashed (about 2 cups)
2 Tbsp tahini
2 tsp maple or agave syrup
1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning OR Cajun seasoning (or another fave spice!)
1/4 cup wheat flour
optional: additional seasoning (whatever you have on hand - I used a few dashes cayenne, black pepper and a scoop of nutritional yeast)
salt to taste if needed

plentiful Panko crumbs
safflower oil for pan

burgers: avocado, Dijon mustard, grain buns, romaine, onion, olive oil, pepper

Directions:

1. Bake sweet potato. Peel, place in large mixing bowl.
2. Add drained beans to mixing bowl. Mash beans and potato together.
3. Mash in seasoning, flour and any additional seasoning. Your mixture will be quite soft and moist. But you should be able to form a patty. Add more flour or a scoop of breadcrumbs - or dry rice to thicken the mixture if needed.
4. Heat 1 Tbsp safflower oil in a pan over high heat.
5. Form a patty from mixture and coat in Panko crumbs. Thick coating. Then drop the patty in the pan. Repeat until the pan is filled. Cook until browned on both sides. You could also bake. If baking, use less Panko.
6. Transfer cooked patties to paper towel. Cool for a few minutes.
7. Serve on toasted bun with lotsa toppings.

Note: yes this patty does fall kind of apart as you eat it. But that is OK because it tastes yummy. 

PB (take two)

 Another pizza bianca. Since when did I become Iron Chef of Italy? Gotta admit, though, as I'm munching on my master creation, I think I may have outdone the Cooking Light recipe. It's vegetarian, not cooked in bacon fat, and tastes better (adjectives were never my strong suite).

Changes:
1/2 cup ricotta cheese + 1tbsp garlic & herb goat cheese
toppings: sauteed onions, sauteed spinach, & roasted red peppers (plus 1/3 cup part skim shredded mozzarella)

Now I need my family come home to help me finish it because I am scary close to running into my room and wolfing it down (while watching season 2 of Portlandia).

Christmas break, all I have is free time, and I've successfully made two pizzas and a beet salad...

On a more productive note, I have started taking self defense classes and am proud to say I am officially a white belt. The "kee-ai"s never get any less awkward, and my half-moons are atrocious. The way I fold my belt, however, is pristine to say the least.

And to leave you in assurance that I am not without faults (although it's still hard to convince most people), I have eaten half the pizza while writing this post. 

Hope everyone had a fabulous New Year's Eve! Mine was laden with Moscow Mules and Almond Champagne

not pictured: myself