More Black Bean Burgers

I liked the black bean burgers I made a few weeks ago so much that I decided to make them again. This time I melted some cheddar Daiya cheese over them and covered them with salsa and sliced avocado. I made a nice big salad to go along with them. My doctor had told me to avoid raw foods because they can be too harsh on the digestive system, but my digestion's been pretty good lately. Also, spring is the time of year when we should be eating more salads and raw foods, so I'm adding them back into my diet.

I made my own lemon herb dressing for the salad. It's super easy to make and much healthier than bottled dressings.


Lemon Herb Dressing
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh herbs (dill, parsley, basil, oregano, etc.)
1 clove crushed garlic
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Dash of black pepper.

Wish all ingredients together to combine. Dressing will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.


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Spicy Stir-Fry

This is from a Vegetarian Times recipe, although you really don't need a recipe to create a stir-fry like this. The stir-fry consists of a red bell pepper, boy choy, broccoli, snow peas, onion and peanuts, which are all cooked in peanut oil. The recipe doesn't call for them, but I added mushrooms. I used rice noodles instead of whole wheat noodles, and I don't have hoisin sauce, so I used a little umeboshi vinegar and Bragg's Amino Acids. This meal was delicious and packed with nutrition! Look at how colorful and green it is!


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Oyster Mushrooms Rockefeller

This is a recipe from the latest issue of Vegetarian Times. I've never had Oysters Rockefeller, and I have absolutely no idea what goes into it, but this recipe looked really interesting.

It consists of a layer oyster mushrooms and a layer of sautéed spinach. It's then covered a sauce that's made of fennel, shallots, garlic, olive oil, mustard and Vegenaise.



I couldn't find fresh oyster mushrooms, so I bought two packages of dehydrated mushrooms and soaked them in water for a few hours. I substituted chard for the spinach, and I omitted the garlic from the sauce. I mixed together regular and black quinoa to serve on the side while the dish cooked in the oven.



I'll admit I was a little apprehensive about this dish. I didn't know how the dehydrated mushrooms would taste and I wasn't sure if the sauce would be any good. But I was pleasantly surprised when I took the first bite and realized how really delicious it was! The mushrooms tasted fine and the sauce was the perfect compliment to the vegetables. The meal was perfect!



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Red Jumble Crumble

Dennis loves strawberry rhubarb pie, and he also loves crumbles, so when I saw this recipe for Red Jumble Crumble in The Urban Vegan, I knew it would be the perfect dessert for him. We had it for dessert after the Millet Crusted Mushroom Leek Pie, which is also from The Urban Vegan.

The crumble consists of strawberries, rhubarb, cranberries, flour, lemon juice and zest and a little sugar. The crust is made with rolled oats, flour, amaranth, pecans (I subbed cashews) and maple syrup. I used spelt flour, which worked really well. This was really delicious, and it made the house smell incredible while it was baking!! We served the crumble with Soya Too's Rice Whip.


Rhurbarb's leaves are toxic, but the stalks are edible and are often used in pies and jams. It is one of the first plants to ripen and is usually available early spring. Studies have shown that rhubarb has anti-cancer properties and might help in cutting down the risk of cancer. It is a very good source of dietary fiber and is beneficial for those suffering from indigestion. Rhubarb has anti-bacterial properties and when applied topically, can inhibit the problem of staphylococcus aureus. It also has anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergy properties. It is a good source of magnesium, vitamins C and K, calcium, potassium and manganese.


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Millet Crusted Mushroom Leek Pie

I just bought The Urban Vegan by Dynise Balcavage and this recipe was the first one I made. It was easy to make and delicious.

The pie crust is cooked millet and nutritional yeast. The filling is leeks and mushrooms that have been sautéed in olive oil, and then they're mixed with chickpea flour and nutritional yeast in a food processor. The filling is added to the crust and cooked for 25 minutes. I cooked some kale to go along with it. The pie fell apart when I took it out of the pan, so I probably should have added a little more chickpea flour, but it didn't matter. This was a great dinner, and it was the meal Dennis and I christened our new dining room table with!


Millet is a very small, round grain with a history that traces back thousands of years. It was the chief grain in China before rice became popular, and continues to sustain people in Africa, China, Russia, and India, among other places. Millet is an extremely nutritious and hardy crop that grows well under harsh or dry conditions, both of which contribute to its widespread use and popularity around the world. It is gluten-free, and it is high in protein, fiber, iron, magnesium, and potassium. It is also very soothing, and is good for indigestion or morning sickness.



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Pizza Pizza!

Pizza night again! I want to try experimenting with different gluten-free crusts, but I haven't had much time to look for different recipes and mixes, so I bought Bob's Red Mills' mix again. It's not too bad, so I'll keep buying it until I find something else.


This pizza has eggplant, zucchini, portobello mushrooms and arugula. I used tomato sauce and, of course, Daiya cheese. This was delicious, and I'm already looking forward to the next pizza night!



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Eggplant Parmesan

This wasn't a planned meal. There wasn't too much in the fridge, and I didn't feel like going shopping. I had an eggplant, some mushrooms, a red pepper, some kale and a little Daiya cheese. I had rice noodles and tomato sauce in the cabinet. After some thought, I decided on eggplant parmesan.

I chopped up the mushrooms and red pepper and added them to the tomato sauce. I thinly sliced the eggplant, brushed it with a little olive oil and placed in the oven to roast. Once the eggplant was tender, I dabbed slice with tomato sauce and topped them with Daiya cheese. I sautéed the kale with a little olive oil, cooked the rice noodles and assembled the dish with the kale on the bottom, then the noodles, the sauce and the eggplant. Yum!!

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