Veggie Burger

   I found this recipe in a magazine.  I tore it out and of course, could not, for the life of me, remember what magazine I tore it out of.  Luckily for me, this recipe is all over the internet, so I felt okay about not remembering the specific magazine where I found this in the first place.  I had never heard of The Counter, but from what I've gathered it is a burger place.  There were lots of rave reviews about this Veggie Burger and now I know the reason why.  

I really like how easy this recipe is and the fact that it contains wholesome ingredients. Sometimes Veggie Burgers are full of fillers and wierd things, but not these ones!  The flavor and texture are wonderful.  I made these the day before I cooked them and they were delicious.  My friend who came over for lunch to enjoy these with me, liked them so much that she made them for her family as well.  

Veggie Burger from The Counter

 recipe by executive chef Marc Boussarie

2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, small dice

3 each garlic cloves, minced

2 carrots, grated

1 yellow squash, grated

1 green zucchini, grated

1 ½ cups rolled oats, (instant is fine)

¼ cup cooked black beans

2 tablespoon Italian parsley, chopped

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon black pepper

2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

1, In a large skillet, heat the olive oil until almost smoking, Add the onions and lower the heat to medium. Mix and then add the garlic. Cook until tender and soft.

2, Add the carrots, squash and zucchini and season. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes until soft and hot. Add the black beans, egg, paprika, parsley and oats.

3, Take off heat and mix. Place in a bowl and let rest for 1 to 2 hours.  (or overnight)

4, Form veggie patties to desired size and place in flour to lightly coat.

5, Place a large skillet on the stove on medium high heat,  add olive oil, and when hot place patties. Flip the burger when golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes and cook the other side the same.

    

Ratatouille with Baked Eggs

Sometimes the simpliest dishes are the most delicious and flavorful. That was certainly the case with this Ratatouille. We are still experiencing warm weather, so I had some zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant and bell peppers, that needed to be used.

I didn't really feel like making soup or simply roasting my veggies (which would usually be my first choice), but I found a recipe for Ratatouille and it looked delicious.
I saw the idea to bake it with eggs in a recent issue of Everyday Food magazine and used that part of their idea, but a simplier basic Rataouille recipe than the one they included in the magazine.

To make this, all you have to do is chop your veggies, saute an onion, and then gradually add the veggies and stir. So simple.

I decided to serve this over quinoa, but it would be great with pasta or as a stew. It really is so versatile.

My son was not excited when he saw this on the stove, simmering away. He actually wrote me a little note that said "Really Mom, Eggplant?", and left it by the stove, but he ate it and decided it wasn't that bad. He even said it was good. So, that was enough for me. Victory!


I also wanted to share a cake I made this past weekend for my daughter's birthday. Not a great picture, but you get the idea.
She was very specific in her request- 3 layers of alternating sizes, pink cake (inside), purple frosting and real Littliest Pet Shop toys for decoration. I used this recipe for Vanilla Buttercream and it turned out really well. She loved it.



to make Ratatouille with Baked Eggs (from Everyday Food magazine)
After you are done cooking the Ratatouille on the stove-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place 3/4 cup Ratatouille in each of four 2-cup ovenproof baking dishes set on a rimmed baking sheet. With the back of a large spoon, make 2 indentations in Ratatouille in each dish. (Alternately, place 3 cups Ratatouille in an 9 by 13 inch baking dish and make 8 indentations.)
Crack 1 large egg into each indentation. Season eggs with salt and pepper.
Bake until egg whites are set, 20 to 25 minutes.

Recipe for Ratatouille
* I used less oil than called for
*I added more dried thyme than called for and some Italian seasoning

Roasted Potatoes& Zucchini topped with a Fried Egg

Recently, I saw a recipe for zucchini-potato hash, topped with a fried egg in a magazine when I was checking out at the grocery store.
It looked really good, so I decided to make my own version, since I couldn't find the recipe online anywhere.

I used little red potatoes because they have a better flavor than other potatoes and they are small, so they are easy to cut and they cook quickly.

I also used zucchini and yellow squash that I got from the Farmer's Market.

I decided to roast all the vegetables in the oven.
I put the potatoes in first and then the squash, since the potatoes took a little longer to roast.
I topped it off with a fried egg and had some sauteed swiss chard on the side.

Roasted Potatoes & Zucchini with Fried Egg
1 pd red potatoes, quartered and sliced
1 pd zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 pd yellow squash, halved lengthwise and sliced
2 Tbls olive oil
oregano
salt and pepper
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Place potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 Tbls olive oil. Season with oregano, salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast in oven for 20-25 minutes or until tender, stirring halfway through.

Place zucchini and yellow squash on another rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 Tbls olive oil. Season with oregano, salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast in oven for 10-15 minutes, until tender, stirring halfway through.

Meanwhile, heat a tsp of olive oil in a small skillet. Crack open an egg into hot oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until desired doneness, flipping over halfway through cooking. Repeat with other eggs.

When all vegetables are roasted and tender, toss together and top with a fried egg.

I cooked my swiss chard using this recipe/method.

Farmland Vegetable Pie with Phyllo Crust

Are you tired of hearing about my twitter recipe ideas? Well, I hope not. Because here is another one.

This recipe was also an idea that was "tweeted" to me when I posed the problem of the bag of fresh okra.
Nancy told me about a vegetable pie that she made last year that contained okra, alongside a bunch of other fresh veggies. She tweeted me a link to her post about the pie and that was really all it took.
I decided it would be our meal before church on Sunday (we go to church at 1 pm). That gave me Sunday morning to put it together.
The original recipe calls for summer squash, yellow tomatoes, okra, and corn. Nancy added green beans. I decided to use zucchini along with the summer squash, eggplant instead of the tomatoes (my hubby hates them) and a red bell pepper instead of the corn.

I also decided that I would top my pies with a light phyllo crust instead of making the pie-like crust originally called for. I did this to reduce the prep and cook time and also to save some calories.
The pie also contains hard boiled eggs and cheese. Here is a shot of my sauteed veggies with the chopped eggs.
For my crust, I thawed out my phyllo dough and layered 4 sheets, spraying heavily with cooking spray between each layer. I then cut the pieces to fit over my individual pies. (I halved the recipe). It only took about 15 minutes for the phyllo crust to be brown and crispy.

I absolutely loved this! My hubby and kids had to be bribed a little bit (they like veggies, but this was asking a little much), so I also made some mini meatballs to round out this meal, which were super delicious, that I will share at another time.

The veggies still had a little bit of crispness, thanks to the short saute and small amount of time that they spent in the oven. The cheese and eggs added nice texture and flavor.
I am so glad I have found a few other ways to eat okra!
I also wanted to share this trick for getting your hard boiled eggs perfect. I am sure you know that if the yolk has a greenish tint around it, that means they are overboiled. If the yolk is mushy and dark yellow, then they are underboiled.
I found this method from Martha Stewart a couple of years ago when I first made Open "Face" Egg Sandwiches.
I actually boiled extra eggs so we could make those sandwiches later on in the week- it is one of my son's absolute favorite dinners- you can check out my post about it HERE
Hard Boiled Eggs from Martha Stewart
In a medium saucepan, cover 7 eggs (in a single layer) with water, 1 inch above eggs. Bring to a boil; cook, uncovered, 2 minutes. Cover and remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Place eggs in bowl under cold running water until cool. Peel eggs.
Recipe for Farmland Vegetable Pie

Nancy's post about Farmland Vegetable Pie

One Year Ago-Baked Fish with Roasted Mixed Vegetables

Garden Sliders

I saw these little guys in a recent issue of BH&G, and thought they were just so cute. They were featured with some other yummy bbq recipes and I thought they would be perfect for our 4th of July meal.
My sister had some very delicious White Bean Hummus with Basil and Pine Nuts from Trader Joe's, so I just used that instead of making my own white bean spread. I also just roasted my veggie slices in the oven instead of on the grill and it worked out great.

I thought these were the perfect size to eat in a couple of bites and they would make a great snack. Plus they can be made ahead and chill out in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Easy and delicious is just the way my summer is going. (Too bad all of that is going out the window since school starts in 10 days. We aren't ready!)

Garden Sliders adapted from Better Homes and Garden Magazine

• 1 15- to 16-oz. can Great Northern or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
• 1/2 tsp.Italian seasoning, crushed
• 1 medium yellow summer squash, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 24 1/4-inch-thick slices baguette
• 2 medium roma tomatoes, cut in 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1 small cucumber, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• Small celery top sprigs, small tomato wedges, and/or pickle slices (optional)

Directions

1. For bean spread, in blender or food processor combine beans, 1 tablespoon of the oil, the garlic, and Italian seasoning. Cover; blend or process until smooth. Season with salt and ground black pepper.

2. To grill squash, toss squash slices with remaining tablespoon olive oil. Place in a grill basket. Place basket directly over medium coals for about 5 minutes or just until squash is tender, turning once.

3. Spread one side of each bread slice with bean spread. Top half of the bread with tomato, squash, and cucumber slices. Top with remaining bread slices, spread side down. Secure sandwiches with wooden picks. Top with celery sprigs, tomato wedges, and/or pickle slices. Makes 12 appetizers-size sandwiches.

Make-Ahead:Make the bean spread up to 2 days ahead; refrigerate, covered. Slice vegetables up to 24 hours ahead. Assemble sliders 2 hours ahead

Sarah's Vegetable Soup

I saw this recipe in a magazine a couple weeks ago and decided it would make a perfect summer meal. It is quick and easy to throw together and all the vegetables are at their prime during the summer months. You can make it ahead and serve it cold or serve it as soon as it is done cooking, warm.
To give it some thickness, you puree part of the soup and leave some of the vegetables whole.
I really like easy meals in the summer when it is hot and tend to make lots of soups and salads. I will definitely be making this again this summer and hope you will do the same!

Sarah's Vegetable Soup from Good Housekeeping Magazine

Ingredients
2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
3 clove(s) garlic, crushed with press
2 cup(s) water
3 large (12 ounces each) ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
3 medium (8 ounces each) zucchini and/or yellow summer squash, coarsely chopped
1 medium red or yellow pepper, coarsely chopped
1 pinch(s) crushed red pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
1 sprig(s) (large) fresh basil
Additional basil leaves, for garnish
Directions
In 5-quart saucepot, heat oil on medium. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring. Add water, tomatoes, zucchini, red or yellow pepper, crushed red pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and basil sprig; heat to boiling on high, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium; cook, uncovered, 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Discard basil sprig. Transfer 3 cups soup to blender. With center part of cover removed to allow steam to escape, blend the 3 cups soup until pureed. Return soup to saucepot; heat through if serving warm. Garnish with basil leaves to serve. Makes 8 cups.

Coming Next- Spiced Pumpkin Biscuits

Mini Calzones and Italian Roasted Green Beans & Yellow Squash

I am assuming that everyone's family loves pizza as much as my family does. It is the one thing my kids are always asking for! I had quite a bit of leftover spinach-ricotta mixture from last weeks Portobello Roll-ups, since I halved the recipe, so I decided that calzones were in our future. Everything mini is easier for kids, so I made 6 mini calzones and 2 large ones. I used 24 oz. of pizza dough to get that many. So if you just use a lb of dough, you might have some leftover filling ingredients.
I cooked up a little bit of turkey sausage, added a bell pepper and onion, and of course Italian seasoning. I also added turkey pepperoni and we dipped ours in pizza sauce. On the side I roasted some veggies, tossed in Italian seasoning again. I have one of those grinders, so I never measure my Italian seasoning, I just churn it on, until it looks like enough. You could really sub any veggies here, this is just what I had. Enjoy- we sure did!

Mini Calzones by Mary Ann

1 lb. pizza dough (your favorite recipe or refrigerated pizza dough)

pizza sauce (your favorite or try out mine-here, also a great dough recipe)

2 links sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed (about 8-9 oz)

1 orange (or green) bell pepper, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

turkey pepperoni

1 15-oz container skim milk ricotta cheese

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 10-oz pkg. frozen spinach, thawed and drained

Italian seasoning

shredded cheese

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In an electric skillet, season the sausage, bell pepper, and onion, with Italian seasoning, and saute until sausage is cooked through and veggies are tender. Set aside.

Combine the ricotta cheese, egg,thawed spinach, and season with Italian seasoning. Set aside.

Roll out your pizza dough and cut it into squares. (I made 6)

Spread about 1 Tbls of pizza sauce on one half of your dough square, leaving room around the edges. Spread 1 Tbls or so of the ricotta cheese mixture on top of the pizza sauce. Place 1 piece of turkey pepperoni on top of the ricotta mixture. Next pile some of the sausage, pepper, onion, mixture on top of the pepperoni. Sprinkle with cheese and close the calzone by bringing one half of the dough, up and over, and sealing the sides, by crimping the dough together.

Repeat with remaining dough and filling ingredients.

You can also make this into larger calzones, just cut the dough into larger pieces and put more of the fillings inside. Also bake time would increase. Little ones are easier for the kids.

Place the calzones on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 13-16 minutes, until lightly browned on top. Serve with warmed pizza sauce, for dipping, if desired.

Italian Roasted Green Beans and Yellow Squash by Mary Ann

1 lb. fresh green beans, washed and trimmed

1 medium yellow squash, cut in quarters and thinly sliced

Italian seasoning

1 Tbls olive oil

cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray the sheet with cooking spray. Combine green beans and squash on the foil and season liberally with Italian Seasoning. Drizzle with 1 Tbls of olive oil and mix with your hands. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until veggies are tender.

Tomorrow- Craving Ellie in my Belly- Oven Fried Chicken

Polenta Rounds with Turkey Sausage and Vegetables in Marinara

I love polenta. I love that you can buy it in a little tube at the grocery store and it is ready to go. I had some leftover turkey sausage in my fridge and some leftover marinara, so I bought some polenta and came up with this dish. Full of veggies, with just a little meat- it was delicious and with all those colors almost to pretty to eat. But, we did eat it and it was good! Happy November!

Polenta Rounds with Turkey Sausage and Vegetables in Marinara by Mary Ann

1 tube refrigerated polenta, sliced into 1/2-1 inch rounds

4 white mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 4-oz link sweet turkey sausage (I use Jenny-O)

1/2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced

1/2 medium yellow or summer squash, thinly sliced

1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped

3 oz baby spinach

marinara sauce

Squeeze turkey sausage out of casing, into a warm electric skillet. Crumble with a wooden spoon and add mushrooms, zucchini, summer squash, and yellow bell pepper. Saute for 5-7 minutes, until sausage is cooked through and veggies are tender. Stir in spinach, just until wilted. Transfer to a bowl and cover to keep warm.

Spray electric skillet with cooking spray. Layer polenta rounds in skillet and cook until warmed and browned, 2-3 minutes on each side.

Warm marinara sauce and ladle some on a plate. Arrange 3 polenta slices in marinara and spoon sausage-veggie mixture over top of polenta. Serve and enjoy!

Tomorrow- You Want Pies with That? Fashion Edition- Banana Pudding Pie and a Southern Dinner to go along with it- Chicken N Dumplings, Fried Okra.....

Baked Fish with Roasted Mixed Vegetables

At the beginning of this year, I was determined to fix fish at least once a week for my family. I did pretty good for awhile, but got off track. My kids love fish and I have alot of frozen tilapia on hand, so we are going to start having some kind of fish at least once a week. This was something that I just threw together that turned out being really yummy. The lemon pepper adds a little zing to the fish and the roasted veggies are great because the leftovers can be used in sandwiches, quesadillas, etc. (Look for some of them to reappear in next week's lunchbox). So, here is an easy weeknight dinner that is satisfying and healthy!

Baked Fish by Mary Ann

5 tilapia fillets

5 tsp fat free mayo

salt and pepper

3 Tbls lemon pepper

3/4 cup plain dry breadcrumbs

Preheat broiler and spray broiler pan with cooking spray. Place tilapia fillets on broiler pan. Spread 1 tsp mayo on each fillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine lemon pepper and breadcrumbs. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over fillets and press into fish with fingers. Drizzle fillets with olive oil and bake under the broiler for 8-10 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Roasted Mixed Veggies by Mary Ann

4 yellow squash, cut in 1/2-inch slices

3 zucchini, cut in 1/2-inch slices

2 green peppers, 1 1/2-inch chunks

1 yellow and 1 red pepper, 1 1/2-inch chunks

2 Tbls olive oil

2 Tbls dehydrated onion flakes

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 450.

Coat 2 large baking sheets with cooking spray.

Mix all veggies in bowl with oil and seasonings. Toss to coat. Roast in a single layer on pans. Roast 30 minutes, turning veggies halfway through and switching baking sheets from top to bottom.

Roasted Vegetable and Italian Chicken Sandwiches with Marinara

This is something I came up with the other night and it is based on two of my favorites. One of those is a sandwich I always get at Maggiano's, deep-fried, breaded eggplant, roasted red peppers, roasted mushrooms and squash,with some lovely cheese, all on crusty Italian bread, with marinara to dip it in. The other favorite is something my mom always used to make when we were kids. She thinly sliced zucchini, peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, whatever veggies we had from the garden, layered them on a hoagie bun, put a slice of mozzerella on top, and broiled it until golden. So, this is me trying to recreate all those delicious veggies, without the deep-fried goodness, and I added some chicken, because some people in this house can't handle just eating veggies (It isn't me). Oh, and I found these wonderfully, thinly sliced chicken breasts in the poultry section of the grocery store, which saved me some pounding! I was also able to use some of the great produce I found this past weekend at the local farmers market.
Roasted Vegetable and Italian Chicken Sandwichs with Marinara by Mary Ann
2 red bell peppers or pre-bottled roasted red peppers if you don't want to roast your own
1 japanese eggplant, (or normal eggplant), thinly sliced
1 summer squash, thinly sliced
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
4-5 button mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 chicken breast halves, sliced thin, or pounded thin
Italian seasoning
arugula or spinach leaves
provolone cheese slices
ciabatta bread, or other crusty Italian bread (hoagies would work too)
marinara sauce, for dipping

1. Preheat the broiler. Cut the red peppers in half, discard seeds and membranes. Place them cut side down, on a piece of foil, on a baking sheet. Smash them down with the palm of your hand. Broil until roasted and skins are slightly black, 10-15 minutes. Remove from foil with tongs and place in a large ziploc bag for 10-15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, carefully remove the peel and place in a bowl.

2. Switch the oven control to 450 degrees. Spray another baking sheet with cooking spray. Layer your thinly sliced veggies on the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil or spray with cooking spray, and season with salt and pepper. Roast until almost tender, 5-7 minutes. Place in a bowl and cover with a plate, leaving a small opening to vent.

3. Heat 1 Tbls olive oil in an electric skillet. Add chicken breast and season liberally with Italian seasoning. Cook for a few minutes, and turn over to other side. Season with more Italian seasoning and cover. Cook for a few more minutes, until cooked through. When cooked through, remove from pan.

4. Warm marinara in the microwave or in a small saucepan while preparing sandwich.

5. To prepare sandwich, slice bread in half. Layer arugula (this has a bit of a bite, kinda peppery) or spinach on the bottom. Top with roasted zucchini, summer squash, eggplant, and mushrooms. Layer chicken on top of veggies. Top chicken with roasted red peppers and provolone. Place under broiler to melt cheese. Put other half of bread on top and serve with marinara. You could also spread the marinara on the bread, if you are not one who likes to dip!

Whole Wheat Rotini with Kale, Yellow Squash, Eggplant, and Ground Turkey

This is the result of a look in the fridge and making something out of nothing, It turned out very tasty, as the kids gobbled it down. Success!

Whole Wheat Rotini with Kale, Yellow Squash, Eggplant, and Ground Turkey

14.5 oz boz whole wheat rotini

2 Tbls olive oil, divided

1 medium onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 can chicken broth

1 large eggplant, peeled and chopped

3 medium yellow squash, sliced lengthwise twice, then chopped

2 bunches kale, washed, stems removed and chopped

16 oz lean ground turkey

2-3 Tbls Italian seasoning

1 Tbls dried onion flakes

chopped fresh parsley

feta or parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta according to box directions.

2. Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbls olive oil in a dutch oven. Add onion and saute for a few minutes, until almost tender. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add 1/4 cup chicken broth to pan and stir. Add eggplant and yellow squash. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth and 1 Tbls Italian seasoning; stir. Cover and cook over medium heat.

3. If the pasta is close to being done, add kale to pasta pot and stir. Cover and cook for at least 5 minutes or until kale is tender. Turn off heat.

4. Heat remaining Tbls olive oil to a skillet and add ground turkey. Sprinkle with onion flakes and italian seasoning. Break up with a wooden spoon, and continue to cook, occasionally adding chicken broth to keep the meat moist. When meat is cooked, add squash-eggplant mixture to meat mixture.

5. Drain pasta-kale mixture and transfer to large bowl. With a slotted spoon add meat-eggplant/squash mixture to pasta. Mix well and serve. Garnish with chopped parsley and feta or parmesan cheese.