i have to admit that prior to discovering several food intolerances that included the beloved tomato, our idea of pasta was [and only was] spaghetti or penne with a spicy tomato sauce with peppers and onions. and we loved it. every tomatoey-peppery-oniony morsel of it.

all of that changed about 5 months ago when i was told to stay the h-e-double-hockey-sticks away from them. and my entire understanding of pasta sort of fell flat on it’s proverbial face.

of course i was bummed at first. but then, it was like this whole world of possibilities opened itself up to me: you mean you can put beans and spinach on pasta and it will actually taste good?!

might not sound so earth shattering to you, but i can honestly say that it was a lightbulb moment for me. and the more we tried different variations in pasta, the more we got excited about it.

so why am i telling you all of this? because it was a huge success to actually throw caution to the wind and just put random ingredients into our pasta. and not one single one revolved around a tomato or pepper.

consider this more of a suggestion than a recipe. because, we really didn’t follow one. and just threw it all in hoping it would taste good. and, of course, it did.

Spaghetti and Beans

ingredients:

• 1 15-oz can navy beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cloves garlic
• large handful of baby spinach (the more the merrier)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• olive oil
• pasta of your choice, cooked [we used whole wheat spaghetti]

directions:

1. heat olive oil in large skillet. add onions and garlic and cook until translucent; about 5 minutes.
2. add navy beans and spinach and cook until spinach wilts and turns bright green; about 3-5 minutes.
3. add to cooked pasta and toss to coat with olive oil.
4. eat and enjoy!

this recipe is vegetarian, vegan, nightshade free, dairy free, cinnamon free, soy free, egg free, treenut and peanut free, and contains no msg. it could also be gluten and wheat free depending on your pasta choices.

it occured to me that one of my all time favorite recipes, and perhaps the one that made the decision to officially become a vegetarian [reluctant or otherwise] hinged upon the discovery of this recipe for lentil burgers.

and there it sits, way back in the beginning of the blog. burried under other amazing recipes, posts about food intolerances, and other witty ramblings.

and that just ain’t right.

we’ve also tweaked the recipe slightly. added some good things like flax meal. and of course, taken a gazillion pictures. we do make it on a regular basis.

i hope you enjoy this oldie but goodie. and love them, like we do, served with a side of sweet potato fries and green beans. yum.

Lentil Burgers

ingredients:

• 1 cup green lentils, well rinsed
• 2½ cup water
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1 tbs organic soy sauce
• ¾ cup rolled oats, finely ground
• ¾ cup flax meal

directions:

1. place the lentils, water, and salt in saucepan, bring to a boil. lower heat, cover, and simmer for about 45 minutes, until water is nearly gone and lentils are very soft, with splitting skins.
2. sauté the onion and carrot in oil until soft, about 5 minutes.
3. mix the lentils, onions, carrots, pepper, and soy sauce in the large bowl, then mix in the ground oats and flax meal.
4. while still warm, form the lentil mixture into patties, which can now be frozen, refrigerated (for up to 5 days), or cooked immediately.
5. if cooking immediately, place in refrigerator or freezer for 5 minutes. this will help the patties stay together while cooking.
6. in a frying pan, heat a bit of oil, place a burger on top, and fry until brown, 1-2 minutes. repeat on other side and serve.

note: this recipe is vegetarian, vegan, nightshade free, dairy free, casein free, cinnamon free, egg free, and contains no msg.

the crafting side of my life has begun to take over as i get ready for a massive craft show in july. and by massive, i mean a 3 day show. that’s close to 30 hours of selling my stuff…oof.

and with the focus on crafting, the food has sort of, well…slipped off the radar. much to the hubsters chagrin, might i add. we have been eating easy meals that don’t involved much of anything. time has been spent on books, not cooking. and most certainly not on anything resembling a trip to the grocery store.

here’s what we i ate this weekend:

• penne with garlic and earth balance
• white rice with organic tamari soy sauce [what? it's an easy lunch...]
• black bean burgers with corn on the cob and baked sweet potatoes
• leftover blue cornbread
• fruit galore
• cascadian farms raisin bran cereal with rice milk
• leftover penne with garlic and earth balance
• marinated tempeh sammiches with leftover mexican bean salad and corn chips
• banana oatmeal bread

in my constant hunt for new things to make for dinner, i came across this recipe for a mexican bean salad. and i knew that i had to try it [and tweak it, of course].

i also knew that it would be the perfect pair for the blue cornbread i was dreaming of making. and it was, by all counts, perfect.

so, instead of spending a lot of time talking about why it was so good, i’m going to let you figure it out yourself. make it, and you’ll see what i mean. and please, try to refrain from singing any songs about beans…

Mexican Bean Salad

ingredients:

• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can northern beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/4 cup frozen corn kernels, rinsed in cold water
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 clove crushed garlic
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper

directions:

1. saute onion in small skillet until translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. transfer to a large bowl and combine with beans and corn.
3. in a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice, lemon juice, sugar, salt, garlic, cumin, and black pepper.
   
4. pour dressing over vegetables; mix well.
5. chill thoroughly, and serve cold.

note: this recipe is vegetarian, vegan, nightshade free, dairy free, casein free, cinnamon free, wheat free, soy free, gluten free, egg free, and contains no msg.

i don’t know that i have fully disclosed my love affair with veggie eggrolls on the blog. mentioned it, maybe. full disclosure, never.

the twitterverse knows because i tweet about it regularly. and in case you’re wondering, that’s a not so subtle hint to get your veggie-friendly be-hind over to twitter and follow me. just saying.

and before you go running to tell the hubster, he knows. and has a similar love affair. though they would be battling it out with the sweet potato and black bean wraps, i’m sure.

but, i digress.

while i was eating my feast of eggrolls this afternoon, i realized something very important: i haven’t posted the recipe yet.

so, here you go.

and because i already know what’s coming: you’re welcome.

Vanishing Veggie Eggrolls

ingredients:

• 2 cup baby spinach leaves
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 1 cup chopped cabbage
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 can chopped water chestnuts
• 1 can chopped bamboo shoots
• 1/2 cup sliced pea pods
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. grated gingerroot
• 1 beaten egg
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. dry sherry
• Dash salt
• Egg Roll Skins

*feel free to change the ingredients based on preference. we have used regular peas, snap peas, bean sprouts, red onions, yellow onions…you get the idea, right?

directions:

1. preheat a large skillet or wok over high heat.
2. stir fry spinach, carrot, cabbage, onion, water chestnuts, pea pods, bamboo shoots, garlic and ginger for 2-3 minutes.
3. in a bowl combine egg, soy sauce, sherry and salt; stir in the vegetable mixture.
4. place an egg roll skin with 1 point toward you. spoon 1/4 cup vegetable filling diagonally across and just below center of skin. fold bottom point of the skin over the filling; tuck point under filling. fold side corners over, forming an envelope shape. roll up toward remaining corner, moisten point; press firmly to seal.
5. place on cooling rack or baking sheet with wax paper to prevent sticking and breaking. [trust me on this one]
6. repeat with remaining egg roll skins and filling.
7. fry egg rolls, a few at a time, in deep hot cooking oil for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.
8. drain on paper toweling.
9. serve warm with sweet and sour sauce or duck sauce [or both!].
10. makes about 12 egg rolls.

Sweet and Sour Sauce:

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1tbs cornstarch
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup vegetable broth
• 1 tbs soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger

in a small saucepan stir together brown sugar and cornstarch. stir in red wine vinegar, vegetable broth, soy sauce, garlic powder and ground ginger. cook and stir until bubbly and sauce thickens.

original inspiration for recipe and technique can be found here.

last night was a bit of a disaster when it came to dinner. and not because the food was bad. but because we didn’t eat until around 9pm. yeesh.

i tried a new recipe for one of our favorite middle eastern dishes: mujadarah. what was only supposed to take around 30-40 minutes to cook took close to 2 hours. and the rice was still crunchy. the taste was pretty authentic though, even if it didn’t have the right rice to lentil ration for us [we prefer a lot more rice].

the hubster paired his mujadarah with a barley burger that was only so-so in my estimation. but. he doesn’t like to waste food, so took one for the team and ate it.

i was a little spoiled, because i got to eat a black bean burger (based on this recipe). and it was delish. kind of made up for the crunchy rice.

this recipe is vegetarian, nightshade free, dairy free, cinnamon free, soy free, and free of msg. it can also be made vegan by using an egg replacer instead of (or simply omitting) the egg.

Black Bean Burgers

ingredients:

• 1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 onion, cut into wedges
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 egg or egg replacer equivalent
• 1/2 cup ground oats
• 1/4 cup flax meal

directions:

1. in a medium bowl, mash black beans with a fork until thick and pasty.
2. in a food processor, finely chop onion and garlic. stir onions and garlic into mashed beans.
3. in a small bowl, lightly beat egg (or mix egg replacer). stir in with beans.
   
4. mix in ground oats and flax meal until the mixture is sticky and holds together.
   
5. form into patties and place in refrigerator to chill for 5-10 minutes.
   
6. cook and serve.
   

notes:

1. the refridgeration step is fairly important, otherwise, the burgers have a harder time staying together. this goes for most veggie burgers, actually. including the lentil burgers!
2. we cooked ours on the stove top. it is fast and easy.
3. the burgers can also be placed in the oven [375 for 8-10 minutes each side] or on the grill [put foil down, cook 8 minutes on each side].
4. i think i pureed the onions longer than i was supposed to, because it made the mixture very watery and had to add extra oats/flax to compensate. it was not a pretty site.

this week has been all about hummus. i absolutely love it. i love it so much, i want to marry it [shhh. dont' tell the hubster]. to think, i only started liking it about a year ago.

huh.

when i first started eating hummus, my favorite kind was supremely spicy hummus from sabra. it was incredible. i could eat the entire tub in one sitting, though don’t recommend it [belly = unhappy].

with the diagnosis of my food intolerances, i found i wasn’t able to eat store-bought hummus any more. they all had some kind of nightshade [paprika, red pepper]. such a bummer to not be able to have my precious and coveted hummus. until i realized that i could make it myself.

so i gave it the old college try. and was hooked.

i was making a batch of hummus the other night for our marinated tempeh sandwiches. we happened to have some left over caramelized onions from the effort.  being the eco-chic foodie that i am, i tossed them in with the hummus. waste not, want not…right?

turned out pretty darn well*.

here’s the recipe, in case you want to try for yourself:

caramelized onion hummus

ingredients:

• 1 large vidalia onion [or what you have on hand], sliced into rings
• 4 cups chickpeas (2 cans)
• 1/3 cup olive oil + 2 TB
• 2 TB tahini
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 TB lemon juice
• kosher or sea salt
• pepper
• 1 TB parsley

directions:

1. caramelize onion [in oven or on stove] until soft and brown. set aside.
2. combine ingredients [chickpeas through parsley] in cuisinart and blend until smooth.
3. add onions and blend until desired smoothness.
4. put into serving bowl, drizzle with a little olive oil, sprinkle with parsley.
5. serve with pita bread, pita chips, fresh veggies or use as a condiment on black bean burgers and marinated tempeh sandwiches. or just eat it with your fingers. [you get the idea, right?]

next batch, i’m going to add some balsamic vinegar to the mix. thanks to @BangTheMonkey for the suggestion!

*be warned, this recipe is ridiculously addictive and amazingly flavorful. it’s worth making the full batch because it will be devoured pretty quickly.

here are some of my favorite entries to the food haiku contest that ran last week:

Joe:
Long days grow shorter
Green fields burst with yellow ears
Sweet, ripe, juicy corn

dairyfreecook
Cold weather’s sweet tooth
Autumnal orange ornament
Bold, sweet: Persimmon.

Scott
French Onion Soup – Your
heavenly flavor tempts me
Damn, I can’t eat you!

andy
Sweet and yet subtle,
icy fluid tempts the tongue:
coconut water.

there are so many more good ones, which you can see here.

and since this is a contest, we have to have a winner. and it’s none other than @soulsurferpdx, the creative mind behind this awesome entry:

I will admit it’s avocados I adore
I love them from the ground or the store
With their rough textured skin,
And soft deliciousness within
They leave me wanting and craving them more!

this was so much fun, we might do it again soon. though will probably have to find another item to give away.