Chili Chickpea Burger!

I day dreamed about this recipe a few weeks ago and knew I had to make it. But the combination of flavors just seemed so weird to me. Why on earth would I be daydreaming about chili on top of a chickpea patty, served on, not a bun...but a bagel?...And yet, I couldn't stop myself from drooling over the idea. So, I decided to head to the store and pick up some vegetarian chili to create this concoction. The chickpea patties were ready to go, since I usually make a batch of them and freeze them for the week. I would say the patties are probably the hardest part of this recipe (and they're not even hard to make). Okay, so here we go!

Chili Chickpea Burger

1 to 2 Chickpea Patties (depending on size)
1 can of Vegetarian/Vegan Chili
1 to 2 slices of tomatoes
1 Bagel or Bun
A few slices of Avocado
A few sprinkles of Daiya Cheese

Slice your tomatoes and avocado and set aside. For the chickpea patties I take two cans of chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drain and rinse them, then mash them up like potatoes. I add shredded carrots (sometimes other veggies), ground flax seed, and seasoning. You can use whatever seasoning you like. For this batch, I used cumin, smoked paprika, black pepper, turmeric, and garlic powder. Use your hands and really massage the chickpeas, veggies, and seasonings together and start forming your patties. Take one of your patties, place in a heated pan, and cook until your patty until it gets a little brown. While your patty is heating up, remove chili from can, and heat that in a small pot. When everything is all set to go, you can start layering your goodies. Take your chickpea patty and lay it on top of the bottom half of your toasted or non-toasted bagel. Then add your chili on top. Next, add a few sprinkles of daiya cheese...now you can leave the cheese as is, but I wanted a more melted chili cheese flavor, so I popped my bottom bagel, patty, chili, and cheese into the microwave for a few seconds to let the cheese melt a little. On the half of your bagel you can layer your tomato and avocado slices. Now take both halves and smoosh them together and take a gigantic bite. Yum! 

Caution: If you heated your bottom half to melt the cheese, it will be hot, so be careful...I learned the hard way.lol 

Hope you enjoy! :-) 

Taking a food trip with Happy Herbivore Abroad!

I recently had the pleasure of receiving a copy of the new Happy Herbivore Abroad book to review. I love Lindsay's deliciously healthy recipes, so I was more than excited to see what she had up her sleeve for this book. If you follow Lindsay's blog, you know that she's a bit of a world traveler. In Happy Herbivore Abroad, Lindsay shares pictures of the exact places she's been to and the International cuisine she's had the pleasure of enjoying. So, not only do you feel as if you are experiencing the journey of each new place with Lindsay as you flip through every page, but you also come away with a healthy new recipe to share with friends and family.

If you have Lindsay's other books then you'll maneuver through these recipes rather easily. She uses a lot of staple ingredients in her cookbooks that you've probably already purchased for her previous recipes. You'll definitely have to add a few things here and there for the International dishes. All of the recipes are low-fat vegan versions of each dish. So, now you can make a delicious plate of food from almost any country and impress your friends with your vegan twist on the dish.

I made the Colcannon for my first recipe. This dish originates from Ireland. I never thought to add Kale to potatoes before but I think I'll start doing it more often now. I'll be making her  pineapple and black bean salsa next. I've been dreaming about adding it on top of some brown rice. Yum!

Okay, so I think that's it...oh no, wait! I have a surprise for you guys! I'm giving away a copy of the Happy Herbivore Abroad! Yay! All you have to do is let me know what is your favorite Happy Herbivore recipe. You can post it here or on my facebook (facebook.com/veganwhat). I'll be announcing the winner this Friday. In the meantime, check out Happy Herbivore's website: http://happyherbivore.com/ and facebook: facebook.com/happyherbivoreblog. Dive into some of her recipes and get inspired! :-)

P.S. The contest is open to the US/Canada only. 

If you just can't wait, you can purchase the book here:

-Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Happy-Herbivore-Abroad-Travelogue-Fat-Free/dp/1937856046/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348498228&sr=8-1&keywords=happy+herbivore+abroad
 -Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/happy-herbivore-abroad-lindsay-s-nixon/1111766636?ean=9781937856045
 -Books-A-Million: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Happy-Herbivore-Abroad/Lindsay-S-Nixon/9781937856045?id=5451525294437
-IndieBound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781937856045
 !ndigo: http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Happy-Herbivore-Abroad-Travelogue-Over-Lindsay-S-Nixon/9781937856045-item.html?ikwid=happy+herbivore+abroad&ikwsec=Home

Outrageously Cheesy and Creamy Mushroom and Spinach Alfredo Lasagna (Healthy and Naturally Vegan and Gluten Free)

I found this AMAZING recipe from this website: http://www.floridacoastalcooking.com. The recipe is for a mushroom and spinach vegan alfredo lasagna. Yum! I'm trying not drool just thinking about it. This lasagna was so delicious and creative. I never would have thought to use a alfredo sauce for a lasagna topping. But, I'm definitely glad I decided to try it out. So, without further adieu...here's is the recipe!

Ingredients

5oz Brown Rice Pasta Lasagna Noodles, Tinkyada

1 Tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
1 ½ pkgs (15oz) frozen organic mushrooms
½ pkg (5oz) frozen organic spinach
1 Tbsp wheat free Tamari
½ cup non-dairy cheese, Daiya
1 jar Victoria Vegan Roasted Pepper Alfredo Sauce** ( I could not find this awesome stuff anywhere!!! So, here's the recipe I used for the sauce) : http://ohsheglows.com/2011/01/03/quick-and-easy-vegan-alfredo/ and I just added some pepper in adobo sauce to the alfredo for the roasted red pepper color and flavor. It turned out really yummy.

Directions 

1. Preheat oven 350F. Cook noodles to package directions and set aside.

2. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in pot pasta was cooked in; add onion, cook 5 minutes; add mushrooms, spinach and tamari; cook until softened and well combined; about 5 to 7 minutes.

3. Layer in a 9×9 baking dish, ¼ cup sauce, row of lasagna noodles, ½ mushroom mixture; repeat. Top with a third row of noodles, the last of the Alfredo sauce and ½ cup cheese. Cover and bake 45 minutes or until warm and bubbly.

Make sure you check out Florida Coastal Cooking's page for more yummy recipes!!!!!