This salad was filling and very delicious! The dressing also has no oil which is an added plus. This makes a perfect lunch and I’ve made this twice already. It was a little labor intensive with all the chopping and baking the tofu, but I expected that going in. The dressing is so tasty the kids had 3 helping of salad when I made this for dinner too!
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Last year about this time I did a vegan week on the blog. We really enjoyed the experience of expanding our food options and incorporating different ingredients into our regular food rotation. Since then, we’ve also been eating a lot less meat and have noticed a substantial improvement in how we feel. And now that we are stuck in the winter abyss of sub zero temperatures and daily snow storms, we wanted to shake things up again and revisit vegan week. But this time we wanted to extend it to a month or two. To kick things off I made beet burgers.
I just dropped spinach from my top three favorite vegetables. It’s not that I don’t like spinach anymore, it’s just not top three material. With that spot open, I’ve been auditioning other vegetables as a replacement and beets have been the front runner. I like beets. I like them a lot. But this recipe was going to determine if I love them.
There is no replacing or comparing a juicy beef burger with a vegetable based burger. They are just too different. But different can be good. My biggest beef (heh heh, get it?) with a vegetable based burger is the texture. They taste great, but about halfway through, I’m sick of the mushy texture. However, since this burger is based with lentils and brown rice, it had a little more to hold on to texture wise. After cooking they also had a slightly crispy outside really enhancing the texture.
I topped these with romaine lettuce, tomato, avocado slices, and a homemade honey mustard dressing. Served with baked sweet potato fries and a salad, and this was one tasty meal!
I also want to give a much deserved congratulations and warm welcome to beets. You made it! You’re in the top three!
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This is from Isa Chandra Moskowitz cookbook, Isa Does It.
Everything I’ve made from this book so far has been really great!
This recipe is also posted on her website here: Bistro Beet Burgers
We had originally planned on having a get together with our dear friends Mark and Ksenija (who is an extremely talented photographer. You can check out her work here!) around Thanksgiving (hence the name “Friendsgiving”), but our schedules didn’t line up until now. It worked out because it gave me ample time to plan the epic menu. After we enjoyed an incredible vegetarian meal together at a vegetarian restaurant called Inn Season in Royal Oak, I was inspired to do a complete vegetarian spread. I thought it would be a great contrast to your typical heavy holiday dinners and a great way to start the new year. Continue reading “FRIENDSGIVING 2014”
Well, here we are. The beginning of a new year and hopefully a fresh start. I have to say, I’m not sad to see 2013 leave. While nothing bad happened last year, it has been one long struggle. It’s hard to acknowledge the things I’ve accomplished because they haven’t come easily. From house projects, parenting, managing the household, nursing myself and my family back from a million colds, to trying to maintain inner peace, this year has left me thoroughly drained.
I really am looking forward to 2014. To have a new outlook and to set some realistic tangible goals. But before I set myself up for failure, I have to reflect back and ask why I struggled so much last year. What was this never ending obstacle I felt I was always trying to overcome?
The last time we visited our friends in Lousiville, they took us to the English Grill for brunch to have a Hot Brown. Now when they first mentioned it, I was a little worried. The last thing I think of when I hear the term ‘hot brown’ is food. But luckily this dish gets it’s name from the hotel it originated at (The Brown Hotel), not because of something that happens to you after you eat it.
After reminiscing about our trip to Kentucky, I decided to make hot browns for dinner. I knew this was rich and heavy, but man, after seeing the ingredients it’s no surprise why. Tons of butter, tons of heavy whipping cream, and tons melted cheese topping a half pound of sliced turkey breast finished with crispy bacon. Woah… Not something I want to eat everyday, but so delicious!
The recipe I used is from The Brown Hotel website. The story of how the Hot Brown originated is shared their too.
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