The Cookbook that Changed Your Life...

I've heard of life-changing books. And world-altering experiences. Even movies that change someone's fundamental perspective on life.

What about life-changing cookbooks, friends?

Come on: I know you've got one on your shelf, too. For me, it's that veggie burger bible I can't stop bragging on. I'm like a proud cookbook mama, with no children of course.

I've been urging you to get creative with your meatless patties for the past few months...Trying to pull you out of that veggie burger rut you were in. From Cauliflower-Dijon Patties to Edamame + Apple Sammies, the Veggie Burgers Every Which Way cookbook has changed my life.

What can I say? Some people read life-changing books. I read life-changing recipes.

Today, let's talk about how goat cheese rocks my socks off. That tangy, soft cheese has something going on that I simply can't resist.

And sun-dried tomatoes? Surprisingly sweet and equally tangy.

Together, these ingredients are the star guests at my rockin' veggie burger party. This is another one for the books, friends. Get out your recipe box and invite over your vege-head and meat-eating friends. This meatless patty will please the whole table.

We topped our patties with an Apple Pico de Gallo and (more) goat cheese (heavens, yes!). And, while Adam enjoyed his atop a homemade bun, I opted for a bun-less burger...times 2 (double the goat cheese, double the pico de gallo, right?).

Enjoy your weekend, friends. And please tell me: What's your life-changing cookbook?

Sun-Dried Tomato + Goat Cheese Burgers

(recipe from Lukas Volger's Veggie Burgers Every Which Way)

Ingredients:

• 1 - 1/2 cups frozen corn
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp. cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. ground flaxseed
• 10 scallions, thinly sliced about 1 inch into the dark green parts
• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
• 2 oz. goat cheese
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• olive oil
• Pico de Gallo

Directions:

1) Do ahead: Place the sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl of water and allow them to rest and re-hydrate for about 2 hours.

2) Combine corn and eggs in a food processor until chunky and partially processed.

3) In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, cornstarch, flaxseed, and baking powder. Stir in the corn-egg mixture, scallions, tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Crumble in the goat cheese and season to taste.

4) Heat a little olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Drop the mixture by 1/4 cup-fuls onto the skillet and press lightly to flatten into burger-shaped patties. Cook until golden brown on the bottom (about 4 - 5 minutes). Flip and cook until the other side is nicely browned.

Yes...ANOTHER Meatless Burger

For those of you who are tired of my maniac meatless burger posts, I'm truly sorry.

It can all be blamed on the Veggie Burger Every Which Way cookbook.

Yes, this fabulous little cookbook has turned me into a veggie burger-obsessed mad woman. I crumble them on salads. I sandwich them between homemade buns. Occasionally I dream about them.

Friends, I almost ate a veggie burger for breakfast last week (there are worse morning meals, no?)

Miraculously, tonight's recipe didn't even come from the aforementioned veggie burger cookbook. Instead, it came right from the pages of Bryant Terry's Vegan Soul Kitchen. Adam pulled these suckers together in under 30 minutes, and we sandwiched them between a batch of homemade cornbread buns.

The not-so-secret-secret ingredient? Peanuts, of course. Did you think I could post a veggie burger recipe that didn't contain a nut and/or nut butter? (on that note, I also apologize to my loyal readers with nut allergies.).

Tonight's lesson: If you are what you eat, I've definitely turned into a mashed bean patty covered in guacamole and pickles. I'm not ashamed.

Black Bean + Peanut Patties

(adapted from Vegan Soul Kitchen Bryant Terry)

Don't be fooled by the short ingredient list for this recipe--it has a unique blend of flavors, highlighted by cider vinegar and sea salt. We topped ours with fresh guac, but a spicy chipotle mayo (or nayo) would also work nicely.

Ingredients:

• 1 can (15 oz.) black beans
• 1/2 onion, finely diced
• 1/2 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup + 2 TBSP water
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well-combined. Shape mixture into 4 - 6 patties. Place patties on the baking sheet and bake for 10 - 12 minutes, or until bottom has turned golden brown. Flip patties and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until bottom has turned golden brown (full disclosure: I did not use a timer when they were in the oven! I was roasting veggies at the same time, and thus never kept track of time, so these are merely time estimates).

This Dinner was THAT Good

You know a dinner is good when you repeat the entire meal within 7 days.

Last weekend we ran across one such rare recipe--it was so darn delicious, we decided to make it again this week.

So what's the famous dish with that Hungry Spoon one-week-repeat power?

Thai Curry Carrot Burgers. These little gems are loaded with carrot, fresh ginger, curry powder, and even some peanut butter and cinnamon. While I can claim craftsmanship of the burgers, Adam deserves all the credit for the guacamole we topped them with and, even better, the homemade corn bread buns we sandwiched them between.

This is another one of those vegetarian recipes that is perfect try on your carnivorous friends. It so full of hearty, stick-to-your-ribs goodness, your meat-eating buddies won't even know their dinner never had eyes or internal organs (Okay, I took it too far with that one. Sometimes I just get carried away, don't I?).

Bottom line: Make these burgers. They've got carrots. They've got peanut butter. And, as always, they've got plenty of love baked right in.

Thai Curry Carrot Burgers

(recipe from Veggie Burgers Every Which Way)

The condiment of choice for these curried burgers is definitely a garlic-heavy guacamole. Sweet pickles make a great addition, too.

Ingredients:

• a dash of olive oil
• 1 bunch of green onions finely sliced
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 - 1/2 TBSP freshly grated ginger
• 4 cups grated carrot
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. curry powder
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 egg whites
• 2 TBSP natural peanut butter
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup Panko (bread crumbs)
• Guacamole (for serving)

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat a dash of olive oil (about 1 TBSP) in large pan. Add the scallions and cook for a couple minutes until softened. Add the garlic, ginger, carrots, salt, coriander, curry powder, and cinnamon. Cook for 6 - 8 minutes until the carrots are just softened.

2) In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg whites, peanut butter, and lemon juice. Stir in the carrot mixture, cilantro, and Panko (bread crumbs). Allow to sit for about 5 - 10 minutes so the bread crumbs can absorb some of the liquid. Shape into 4 - 5 patties.

3) In a large skillet, heat another dash of olive oil. Cook patties until browned on one side (about 4 - 6 minutes). Flip and cook until the other side is nicely browned. Place the patties on a baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes, until the burgers are cooked through. Serve with guacamole

The Big Easy...and Big Fears

Friends, I'm heading down to New Orleans for a few days. My job has been gracious enough to send me to a sweet training that will be immensely useful in my work with my students.

While I'm super excited about this training, my joy has been eclipsed by a bigger issue: I'm flat-out terrified of flying. I'm panicky about even being in an airport, let alone taking off.

And as anxious as I am about flying, I'm perhaps equally as scared of the whole transferring-to-a-connecting-flight situation. What if the first plane is running late and I miss my connecting flight? What if I get pulled over by a security guard for a pat-down? WHAT IF MY TOOTHPASTE TUBE IS TOO BIG?!

If you haven't noticed, your happy-go-lucky, food-lovin' Hungry Spoon disappeared momentarily. She's been replaced with a beady-eyed ball of nerves.

And speaking of food, my co-workers told me it's probably not a good idea to pack a jar of almond butter in my carry-on.

Someone. Send. Help.

But enough about me and my irrational flight-fear ramblings. You came for food, and I'm here to deliver.

Remember that carrot dip I raved about earlier this week? Today I'd like to share its dinner partner: Falafel Patties. These guys pack a punch of powerful flavor--they're heavy on lemon and garlic, which made me a happy lady. We topped our Falafel patties with caramelized onions, carrot dip, and a little spinach. Adam went sandwich style with his, and I took the bun-less option.

So friends, I'll leave you with this Falafel Fun until I return from The Big Easy. I'll be back in town by Wednesday evening...assuming I don't collapse in the airport and catatonically rock back and forth in the fetal position until security has me committed.

This should be interesting :)

Baked Falafel Patties

(adapted from a recipe in Veggie Burgers Every Which Way)

The lemon and garlic really shine in this awesome baked take on Falafel. As noted above, we served ours with caramelized onions and curried carrot dip. Make it as a sandwich, or crumble on top of a lunch salad!

Ingredients:

• 1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 large onion, diced
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Juice of 1/2 of a lemon
• 1 TBSP ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees and coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

2) Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined. If the mixture is too dry to form patties, you can add a little water until they come together (not too much though! They'll fall apart in the oven if they are too liquidy)

3) Shape into 6 patties and bake for 15 - 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Serve with curried carrot dip and caramelized onions (as a sandwich or in a salad).

(Almost) Bean-Less Vegan Burgers

What's a veggie burger without beans?

Delicious. That's what.

Let's get something straight first: You know I love my bean burgers. I like 'em with Great Northern beans, chickpeas, and kidney beans. I devour them with homemade buns, and sometimes just crumbled over a salad. And don't even get me started on homemade condiments. Fresh guacamole can bring bliss-filled tears to my eyes.

Basically, if it's bean-y, I'm loving it.

But tonight we went with a novel concept for our veggie sandwich filler: bean-less burgers. Check out the star ingredients of these palatable patties:

• Edamame (As soybeans, I suppose they technically count as beans. But I'm not splitting hairs here.)
• Chopped apple
• Toasted sunflower seeds
• Brown rice
• Soy sauce
• Superstar condiment: Peanut Sauce

The peanut sauce put these over the top...in the best possible way. It's pretty much the condiment of my dreams. We enjoyed our burgers perched atop a slice of homemade bread, and buried under a mountain of sauteed onions and peppers, with a drizzle of peanut sauce.

Burger it up, friends! And for a side dish? I definitely recommend a bowl of beans.

Edamame & Apple Burgers with Peanut Sauce

(adapted from a recipe in Veggie Burgers Every Which Way by Lukas Volger)

As with most veggie burgers, you may have to work with your ingredients to reach the right consistency (e.g., adding more liquid or dry ingredients as needed). Just do me one favor: Don't forget the peanut sauce!

Burger Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen edamame
• 2 TBSP ground flaxseed
• 3 TBSP water
• 1 - 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
• 1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds
• 2 TBSP toasted sesame seeds
• 1 apple, diced
• 2 TBSP bread crumbs
• 1 TBSP molasses
• 1 TBSP soy sauce
• Plenty o' salt and pepper
• Sauteed onions and bell pepper for topping

Peanut Sauce Ingredients:

(from Cooks Recipes)

• 1/3 cup all-natural peanut butter
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 TBSP lime juice
• 2 TBSP reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1/3 cup water

Directions:

1) Bring a small saucepan of water to boil; add edamame and cook for 5 minutes, or until tender.

2) Whisk together the ground flaxseed and water. Pour into a food processor with the edamame, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds. Pulse until the mixture is chunky.

3) In a large mixing bowl, combine the edamame mixture with the apple, rice, bread crumbs, molasses, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Season to taste. Shape into 6 patties.

4) Heat a dash of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Ad the patties and cook for about 4 - 5 minutes until nicely browned on the bottom. Flip burgers and cook for an additional 4 - 5 minutes on the other side.

5) To prepare the peanut sauce: Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well-combined. Serve burgers with peanut sauce and sauteed onions and bell peppers.