Wild Rice Burger

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice, with 1 tsp white truffle oil

1 can great northern beans, drained & rinsed

1 can black olives, drained & rinsed

1/2 cup corn

1 cup frozen spinach

1 tsp safflower oil

2 garlic cloves, pressed

2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp freshly cracked pepper

Garlic Mustard Mayo

4 Tbs veganaise

2 tsp garlic aioli mustard

Multi-grain bread, lightly toasted

Romaine lettuce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Saute spinach and garlic in oil, for 2 minutes on medium low heat

3. Mash beans with a potato masher

4. Mix in all remaining ingredients and form into patties

5. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake for 30 minutes, turning halfway

6. Mix mustard and mayo together, spread on bread, and layer in the pattie and lettuce.

This is how I used up my extra wild rice from the acorn squash recipe. I have found that cooking burgers in the oven rather than a frying pan is much easier and healthier because you don't need all the added oil to keep the pattie from sticking. I didn't have to add an egg or bread crumbs to make the burgers stick together because when you mash the beans they get sticky and act as a glue. These burgers were also great reheated for lunch the following day.

Pierogies

Ingredients

2 cups frozen pierogies

2 cups kale, chopped & stems removed

1/2 cup corn

1 Tbs olive oil

1 tsp red pepper flakes

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp freshly cracked pepper

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a soft boil, add pierogies, and cook 5-8 minutes, until they start to float to the top of the water, & drain.

2. Meanwhile, saute kale, garlic, and red pepper flakes in the olive oil on medium low heat for 3 minutes, until kale starts to wilt.

3. Add corn, cooked pierogies, salt, and pepper; cook 2 minutes.

This is a super easy lazy supper! Eric and I were feeling a little lazy last night, so we thought we would just cook some pierogies, but then I felt we needed to add some vegetables, so this is what came about. It was actually delicious! I absolutely love pierogies! Who wouldn't love pasta stuffed with cheesy mashed potatoes!

Spiced Indian Cauliflower Soup

Adapted from Christine Ingram: Vegetarian & Vegetable Cooking

Ingredients

2 red potatoes, diced

1 small head of cauliflower, diced

1/2 onion, sliced

1 tsp safflower oil

2 garlic cloves, pressed

2 Tbs fresh ginger, minced

2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp mustard seeds

2 tsp coriander seeds

4 cups water

2 vegetable bouillon cubes, no salt added

2 6oz containers of plain yogurt

2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp freshly cracked pepper

cilantro, for garnish

Directions

1. Put potatoes, onions, cauliflower, oil, and 1/2 cup water in a large pot, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and let it simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, put coriander seeds and mustard seeds in a mortar and grind to a fine powder with the pestle.

3. Add garlic, ginger, and remaining spices to the pot; cook 2 minutes.

4. Add 4 cups of water, bring to a boil, then add bouillon cubes, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.

5. Take pot off the stove, puree with immersion blender, and stir in yogurt.

This was the first recipe that I made out of the new cookbook Eric got me for my birthday. It made the house smell so good with all the Indian spices cooking. The smells reminded me of one of my favorite restaurants in St. Paul, Everest On Grand. Now I want to explore more Indian recipes.

Mexican Lasagna

Ingredients

1/2 onion, sliced

1 tsp safflower oil

2 poblano peppers, sliced

1 pkg vegetarian ground beef (Whole Foods)

1 cup frozen diced sweet potatoes

1 cup RW Knudsen tomato veggie juice

3 garlic cloves, pressed

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp freshly cracked pepper

1 tsp agave nectar

1 cup vegan cream cheese (Follow Your Heart)

1 can pinto beans, drained & rinsed

1 can corn, drained & rinsed

1 can black olives, drained & rinsed

1/2 cup cilantro, save 2 Tbs for garnish on top

1 pkg small corn tortillas

1 cup Daiya mozzarella vegan cheese

1/2 cup salsa

Guacamole

1 avocado

1 garlic clove, pressed

1 tsp cumin

2 tsp cilantro

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Preheat oven 425 degrees

Directions

1. Saute onion in oil for 3 minutes on medium low.
2. Add peppers, sweet potatoes, veggie beef, tomato juice; saute for 3 more minutes.
3. Add garlic, all the spices, cream cheese, and agave nectar; cook 2 minutes.
4. Add beans, corn, olives, and cilantro; cook 1 minute.
5. In a 9x13 pan, spread 1/4 cup salsa on bottom of pan, then layer: corn tortillas, veggie mixture, cheese, corn tortillas, veggie mixture, cheese, corn tortillas, 1/4 cup salsa, cheese, and garnish with cilantro
6. Bake 20 minutes, until cheese is melted
7. Meanwhile, mash avocado and add remaining seasonings.
8. Serve lasagna slice with a dollop of guacamole on top.

I was really pleased with how this recipe turned out. I had a bunch of corn tortillas in my freezer that I had been wanting to use up, so I thought the best way to use up a package would be a big dish like lasagna. I like trying to reinvent traditional dishes using another culture's cuisine. This was also a great way to clean out the refrigerator. The dish was even better because I used Eric's Dad's homemade salsa=yum! I think this would be a great dish for a dinner party because you could make everything ahead of time and then just throw the pan in the oven once the guests arrive.

Autumn in an Acorn Squash

Ingredients

1 medium sized acorn squash

1 tsp garlic powder

3 Tbs white truffle oil

1 tsp olive oil

2 cup wild rice mix (brown rice), rinsed

5 cups water

1 vegetable bouillon cube

1 Tbs Earth Balance butter

1 leek, sliced, soaked in water, and drained

4 cups crimini mushrooms, sliced in half

1 apple, diced

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup pine nuts

2 Tbs fresh sage, minced

1 tsp poultry seasoning

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp freshly cracked pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Cut squash in half, scoop out seeds, place on baking sheet flesh side up, rub with olive and 1 tsp white truffle oil, sprinkle with garlic powder, and bake for 50-60 minutes until tender
3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan bring wild rice mix and water to a boil, add vegetable bouillon cube, reduce heat to low, and cook for 45-50 minutes until tender.
4. While the rice and squash are cooking, on low heat saute leeks, apples, sage, garlic, and mushrooms in butter and 2 Tbs white truffle oil until tender, about 10 minutes.
5. Add cranberries, pine nuts, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper, and saute for 5-10 minutes on low.
6. Once the rice is cooked add remaining truffle oil, mix, and set aside 1 1/2 cups to use for another recipe (I like to make extra since it takes so long to cook).
7. Mix the rice into the mushroom mixture evenly.
8. When the squash is cooked take a fork and scrape the flesh out of the squash and mix into the rice mixture, the spoon the mixture back into the shell for serving.

This was a recipe that I created after being inspired by my dear bearded friend:) and his wife after they stuffed a pumpkin with wild rice, which was amazing! I added all my favorite autumn ingredients, which made the house smell amazing! This was a perfect Sunday supper:)

Oat Waffles with Spiced Apple Topping

Ingredients

Waffles (adapted from waffle-recipes.com)

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup oats

1 Tbs baking powder

2 eggs

1 1/2 cup skim milk

2 Tbs brown sugar

6 Tbs melted butter

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 tsp sea salt

Spiced Apple Topping

2 granny smith apples, diced

2 Tbs butter

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup maple syrup

Directions

1. Mix the apple sauce ingredients together in a large pot, cover, and bring to a simmering boil for 10 minutes, until apples are softened.

2. Meanwhile, mix waffle ingredients together, pour 1/2 cup of batter into preheated waffle iron, cook 2-3 minutes depending on waffle iron, and place cooked waffles in a 200 degree oven to keep warm while finishing the rest of the waffles.

3. Serve waffles with spiced apple topping.

I made this recipe on Sunday when I was visiting my parents. I was in the mood for waffles, so I started googling recipes and I found this one. I thought the oats would add an interesting element to the waffles and I liked that it bumped up the nutrition factor. I was worried that they might be too heavy or not taste like regular waffles, but once they were cooked you couldn't even tell that there were oats in them. I came up with the idea for the apple topping because I wanted to make the waffles extra special and more unique than the typical maple syrup topping. I also thought that it was a good way to sneak some fruit in as well. The apple topping turned out great and it worked perfectly with the oat waffles. I have to warn you though because they are very filling! So start out small. We had a few extra waffles, so we just threw them in the freezer, so then all you have to do is throw them in the toaster the next time you want a waffle.

Protein-Packed Spicy Orzo

Ingredients

2 cups orzo

2 cups snow peas

1 pkg firm tofu, drained, rinsed, & cubed

1 can corn, drained & rinsed

1 can aduki beans, drained & rinsed

1 can black olives, drained & rinsed

1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds

Marinade

2 Tbs Braggs liquid amino (soy sauce)

1 tsp garlic aioli mustard (Trader Joes)

2 tsp maple syrup

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cumin

Sauce

1 cup vegan cream cheese (Follow Your Heart)

3 cloves garlic, pressed

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp freshly cracked pepper

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Mix marinade ingredients together, coat tofu, place tofu on parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.

3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add orzo, cook 8-10 minutes, add snow peas the last minute, and drain.

4. While the orzo is cooking, mix the sauce ingredients together, once the orzo is done, add the sauce to the warm pasta and mix well.

5. Add remaining ingredients to the cooked orzo and mix well.

This was a random creation that I came up with for supper tonight and luckily it turned out great! Eric and I definitely overate because it was so tasty that it was hard to stop eating. This recipe makes a lot of pasta, which is great because then you will have lots of leftovers for lunch the next day. I love cooking with orzo because it is so comforting and it tastes great warm or cold. It felt good to get back to cooking tonight because I have been really busy and sick for the last week so I didn't have the time or energy to cook much. This recipe was super easy to whip up and it is also very healthy. I thought I would call this recipe "protein-packed" because there are 3 different protein sources: the tofu, pumpkin seeds, and the aduki beans. I highly recommend trying aduki beans, which is an easy to digest mild bean. I always like to try something different and it makes the dish more special. This was my first time using the vegan cream cheese and I don't think it will be my last. I don't think I would eat it plain, but when you doctor it up with spices it tastes great and you can feel better because you don't have all the fat and cholesterol like you would have in regular cream cheese.