Rustic Chipotle Cilantro Burgers

These are delicious, but not very sexy.....not flamboyant in any way, not pompous, just simple, delicious and nutritious.  They're kind of unassuming and shy, actually...but they hit the spot.  They can be eaten as is, out the door in a napkin, or between some home made bread, avocado, and lots of delicious sweet onion. 

If you like veggie burgers but you don't like the price, these are great for that reason also.  Filled with heart-healthy fiber, and packed with a kick, they are a snap to make...and to boot, they freeze well (which is why they are on my regular rotation).  

I regularly use my pressure cooker (1) because it's fun, (2) I feel like I'm using heavy machinery, (3) it's a gadget, and I love gadgets, and (4) it's so super cheap to make beans! And they always come out perfect.  Just make sure you soak your beans overnight and cook them with kombu in the pressure cooker, based on the manufacturer's instructions.  Otherwise, you can use canned beans (but please buy BPA free like Eden brand, and give them a good rinse).  

1 zucchini, shredded

1 onion, chopped fine

1 teaspoon coconut oil

1 teaspoon chipotle powder

3.5 cups cooked chickpeas

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped

salt and pepper, to taste

First, saute the zucchini and onion in the coconut oil until they start to sweat, about 5 minutes.  Place these in the food processor with the chickpeas, chipotle, & oats. Add the cilantro, and blend (not too much - you should still be able to see some of the cilantro vs. creating a green batter). 

By 1/3 cup full, create patties and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  These will be pretty sticky and will not want to leave your hands, but just pass them between your hands until they resemble a semi-flat shape (about 3/4 inch thick).  If this is too sticky for you, let the batter sit for 10 minutes and the oats will draw in some of the moisture and solidify the batter a bit more.  

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Enjoy!

I like to salt/pepper these right out of the oven.  The reason being that I want the salt taste to hit my tongue, rather than it being dispersed in the whole batter.  I end up using less salt that way. But you can salt as you'd like. 

Tangerine Cacao Chia Pudding

One of my favorite recent splurges was a tangerine essential oil from Young Living.  Worth every penny (and it cost a pretty penny!) At the beginning, I cherished it and dabbed a drop on the inside of my wrist and breathed in the amazing vapors.  More recently, I've adventure to include it in foods and let me tell you, it's out of this world.

Everyone has a good recipe for chia pudding, but this one, if I may say so myself, is out of this world. There's something about the combo of orange/tangerine and cacao.  Not sure what it is.  Perhaps I grew up with it in Romania, but I can't remember....for some reason, it hits a deep spot in me from my childhood.  I still have yet to place it but whenever I taste it, I love revisiting.  (Upon writing this story, I asked my husband if he could place it and he said..."I know what it is...Milano Cookies".  I can't believe he beat me to it! Hence the name...Thank you, Nate...)

Chia balances blood sugar, fills you up with fiber, anti-inflammatory omega 3's, and it's so fun to eat! Kind of crunchy, keeps you hydrated (since it absorbs at least 10 times its weight in liquids), and keeps you satisfied for a long time.  I love it - it's in my essential pantry items list (although I keep it in the fridge). 

This chia pudding pretty much makes itself.  The work is super minimal, but I highly recommend giving it a good stir so the seeds don't all get lazy on the bottom of the jar.

4 cups almond milk

3 heaping tablespoons cacao

4 heaping tablespoons chia seeds

2 tablespoons maple syrup

5 drops Young Living tangerine oil (link HERE)

Easy version (but might be more clumpy):  Mix all the ingredients in a mason jar and give it a good shake.  Please make sure you do this next step - once you've given it a good shake, stir it up a bit with a long spoon just to dislodge any chia that may have stuck to the bottom.  Keep it in the fridge for at least 4 hours, and give it a good shake (or stir) every so often. Some people weep when they eat this.  It's that good. 

Harder version, but worth it:  In a strong blender, combine the milk, cacao, syrup and tangerine oil until smooth.  Pour this out into a bowl and whisk to make sure it's all combined well (and just to look at it - it's so pretty :) 

 Add in the chia....

And mix well for about 5 minutes (yes, I said 5 minutes).  Then refrigerate from 4 hours to overnight and enjoy.  Mix well again before serving. 

Maple Amaranth Porridge

I love oatmeal as much as the next guy, but sometimes I like to mix up my grains a bit and get a little crazy.  Like this Maple amaranth porridge.  I was transfixed by how crazy little this grain is, and how packed with nutrition it is. I would highly recommend you try different grains, and start with this one for complete beginners.  Amaranth cooks down into this gelatinous beautiful goop. 

A native of Peru, Amaranth is packed with calcium and protein and it also contains "lysine", an amino acid which is not as common in other grains. It's known to lower cholesterol, is good for the heart, and it's gluten free.  It's an all-around winner, I say.

1 cup amaranth

3 cups water

Cook the amaranth in the water until most of the water is absorbed.  Cover and let cool.  You can make a big batch of this (as I do) and scoop out a portion to make for your porridge.

3/4 cups almond milk

maple syrup

cinnamon

Scoop out 1/2 cup amaranth into a pot and add about 3/4 cups almond milk, preferably home-made.  Let it simmer and thicken, just a few minutes.  You may use a whisk to break down the lumps of amaranth.  Pour out into a bowl, season with a little sea salt, maple syrup and cinnamon and enjoy.