Aduki and Black Bean Burgers

What's Aduki you say???  It's just another can of beans you can purchase near the other cans of beans in the store.  It's really not fancy!  They can be spelled azuki, adzuki, or as I found them aduki.  These beans are a small, russet-colored bean with a sweet flavor.  The can I purchased also had Kombu Seaweed in the ingredients but you can't taste any seaweed at all (maybe just another health benefit)!

Ingredients:
1 15oz. can aduki beans, washed and drained
1 15oz. can black beans, washed and drained
1 medium onion, cut in half
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 reconstituted mushrooms, optional
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1/2-3/4 cup almond meal
1/4 cup all purpose baking flour (Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Olive oil

Toppings:
Sliced green onions, sliced baby tomatoes, sliced avocado, vegan or regular mayo, spinach leaves, parsley leaves, lime juice to squeeze on top.

Method:
1) Place 1/2 can aduki beans, 1/2 onion diced into small chucks, fresh thyme, garlic, reconstituted mushrooms (optional),  1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper into Vitamix blender or high powered mixer and blend.

2) Once blended pour into a bowl and add the rest of the aduki beans, and can of black beans.  Mash with a hand masher just to get well blended (some chucks still visible).
3) Dice the other half of the onion and mix into the bean mixture.  Add almond meal and baking flour (I used gluten free) and make into patties.  The patties will be sticky, if to wet add more almond meal.
4) Place oil in frying pan and heat on medium-high.  Place patties into frying pan, lightly salt and pepper and cook until lightly browned.  (I did patties in batches, placed on a parchment lined pan and put in the oven on 300 to keep warm until I was ready to serve).

Printable Version

Iced Green Tea with Lemongrass, Stevia and Mint

I love warm days and a glass of ice tea.  I really don't think there could be anything better!  This brings me to this little concoction which is sure to please!  Really easy and the bonus is a lemongrass stalk is so inexpensive.  This only cost me $0.24!  So if you want to make something a little different try this healthy drink on for size!

 Directions:

4 Green tea bags
1 Mint tea bag
1 Lemongrass stalk, trimmed at the bottom
1/2 teaspoon Stevia sweetener
2-3 stems Spearmint
2-3 stems Stevia leaves (Optional- just decor)
5-6 cups boiling water

Method:

Pour boiling water over tea bags.  Steep 3 to 5 minutes add the stevia sweetener and the lemongrass stalk.  Allow to steep another 5 minutes or until serving.  Can be made a day in advance and kept in the refrigerator.  Serve with lemongrass stalk, fresh spearmint and stevia leaves!  Yum!

Printable Version

Tuna Boats

How gratifying it is to come up with unusual Appetizers!  This one is popular with adults however, I have to admit my oldest son thought they were incredible!  These are pleasurable to eat as well because you can cut them in half and eat them in smaller proportions without them being too messy. So proper!

2 cucumbers, cut lengthwise, seeds removed
1 7oz. can tuna, drained
2 hard boiled eggs
2 Tablespoons vegan mayonnaise (You could use regular, this is all I had)
2 Gherkin's (sweet pickles), diced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 Tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
Lemon slices to squeeze on top

Method

1) Cut cucumbers lengthwise and remove seeds.
2) Drain tuna place in a small bowl and add yolks of hard boiled eggs, reserving the egg whites for topping.  Also, add mayo (of your choice), chopped gherkin's and salt and pepper.
3) Stuff each cucumber with tuna mixture and top with chopped reserved egg whites.  Then lastly dust with chopped chives and add a slice of lemon to squeeze on top if desired.  Enjoy...These are so yummy!

Printable Version

Grow and Pass Party...aka Garden Party

  This year I came up with an idea to have a party to divide perennial plants from the garden and pass them in a party environment.  Everyone that got an informal invitation were told to divide three plants from their garden, place them in plastic containers (recycling), then come to a party where NO MONEY was needed.  Just a bunch of girls that wanted to exchange plants and have a little fun!  I think we have decided this is going to be an annual event!  It was so much fun!

As a centerpiece I just added some tags to a green houseplant.

On a table in the kitchen I placed decorating, gardening books, and flowers from the garden!

On the herb garden bench I placed a fun face with sedum coming out of his mouth!

On the other side of the herb garden bench I filled a little bird container with the same sedum!

From the hanging baskets beautiful bright flowers!

Pathway to the herb garden was framed with an rose covered arch!

Plants were all labeled for sun/shade and name of the plant just for easy decisions!

Moss covered monogrammed letter just for a little decoration!

Oh ya...Did I mention the yummy Appetizers I came up with???  I'll blog about that tomorrow:)

Big Day Breakfast...Smoothie

Some mornings the outlook on the day seems so long... it makes you want to jump back into bed!  Or...you can just jump start it with an easy to prepare smoothie that is energy packed!  This one is a wonderful fuel for our bodies because the bananas and sesame seeds provide a perfect fuel in the form of slow-release carbohydrates.  Oh... and did I mention your not compromising taste because with the added mango and orange juice make it refreshing~YUM! 

SERVES 2

1 whole mango, peeled & cored
2 small bananas (By this I mean NOT Costco sized...just regular)
1 large orange, (Juice of)
2 tablespoons raw sesame seeds
1 tablespoon honey
4 ice cubes

METHOD

Place all ingredients in Vita-mix blender.  I juiced the orange with a little hand-operated citrus squeezer and used all the pulp (Pictured below). ENJOY!



Bright Eyes...Smoothie

  I take pleasure in creating recipes with various ingredients I have around the house.  Equally as fun, is formulating a name!  The name above was uncomplicated but cutesy and ingenuous.  "It is what it is," as my Grandmother would say!
  Hope it was as pretty outside in your "neck of the woods," as it was here in Minnesota today!

2 1/2 large carrots, peeled

5 pineapple chunks, 1 1/2 inch chunks

1/2 cucumber, peeled

1/4 cup water

1-3 ice cubes

1/2 teaspoon Lecithin Granules (Supports healthly nervous system)

Method

Mix all ingredients in a vita-mix blender and serve.

Printable Version

Grilled Lavender Sweet Potato Sliders

Side dishes are so gratifying to make!  The possibilities are limitless.  Tonight's meal is a superb example.  I simply took sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced them, added some quick and easy ingredients, placed in foil lined with parchment paper, grilled and served. 



2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick

2 Tablespoons Earth Balance butter (it's vegan)

                     (*Note: Buy the sticks they taste better)

3 Tablespoons Agave Nectar

1 1/2 tablespoons Lavender, chopped (use extra after your done grilling) 

Dusted with Salt and Pepper

2 large pieces of foil

1 large piece of parchment paper

Method

1) Line foil with parchment paper, place sliced sweet potatoes in the center so your able to fold up the sides to cover the sweet potatoes. (This helps them cook quicker.)

Sliced Sweet Potatoes

2) Place earth balance butter, agave nectar, chopped lavender and dust with salt and pepper.

3) Fold up the side and close up if possible to make a ball shape.  Place on the grill for 10-15 minutes or until slightly soft.  Place on a warm serving platter, dust with more lavender and serve.  YUM!

Printable Version