So, Black Bean Bulgur Burgers.  Yep, that’s some nice alliteration.

I’ve been trying to figure out ways to make bean burgers without filling them with breadcrumbs and bulgur did the trick! I also think one key to these is letting them bake long enough. Baking time will depend on thickness, but these were in the oven for about 20 minutes on each side, which is much longer than I usually cook bean burgers (and then I wonder why they’re still mushy inside).

My favorite way to eat these is over a bunch of vegetables (like red butter lettuce!) with an ample serving of guacamole on top.

I’ve been on summer break since June 10th.  Almost 2 months.  I had a few things on my summer to-do list, one of which happened to be visiting the Thursday morning farmers market which cannot be more than 2 miles from my house.  And yet it took me almost two months to actually go.  And now I’m pretty irritated with myself that it took me that long because it was AMAZING.   Huge, reasonably priced, lots of organic stuff, lots of variety…

Even though it was cold and drizzly, the place was pretty packed (and I didn’t get there until the last hour).  I had a list, but ended up buying about 3 times more than I planned on because everything looked so good.

That’s just a little glance at the awesomeness that came home with me: 2 kinds of kale, nectarines, strawberries, apricots, heirloom tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, Persian cucumbers,  an eggplant, a HUGE bunch of basil… I also got some grapes that looked highly appealing but ended up being gross and sour.  BUMMED.

Multiple caprese salads have been consumed since this little market outing.  Best lunch ever.

I also happened to drive by my school on the way to the market and saw cars in the parking lot.  I figured people would be back sometime in August, but wasn’t sure which date.  I was SO excited to get back into my classroom (the floors are SO CLEAN!), see my principal, and pick up a few things to work on for my sub.

Ohhh California Physical Science Teacher’s Edition, I’ve missed you.

I’ve tried to get myself back on track with meal planning after winging it for the past few weeks, but this was one of those winging it meals that worked out really well.  It feels kind of ridiculous writing a recipe for it, because it’s incredibly flexible and you can really adapt it however you choose based on what you have on hand.  But I was so in love with the combination I put together that I’m going to list what I did. It’s PERFECT for summer because it includes both zucchini and cherry tomatoes, both of which are insanely fresh and delicious right now. Summer, please don’t go anywhere.

Recipe:
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water or vegetable broth
a pinch of salt
2-3 cups black beans, drained
1/2 tsp chili powder
a big pinch onion powder <– (I hardly ever use this…but we happen to have some around for some reason)
1 tbsp olive oil
4 small zucchini, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
a big pinch or two red pepper flakes
1-2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
a few tbsp of your favorite salsa
1 avocado, diced

Start with quinoa: Combine the quinoa and broth or water (with a pinch of salt) in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cover and turn heat to low. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat but keep covered.

Heat the beans in another pan with the chili powder and onion powder (add more to taste if needed).

In a medium skillet, saute the zucchini in the olive oil with the garlic and pepper flakes until tender and golden-brown.

Assemble the bowls: Start with a big scoop of quinoa (fluff with a fork first), then top with beans, cherry tomatoes, avocado, zucchini, and salsa. Sour cream would be nice here too, if you’re so inclined.

I was initially doubtful when I looked at the recipe because I’m completely lame when it comes to combining new flavors. Since I’d never seen this combination before, I just didn’t know what to think. I’m so glad I tried it though. It was amazing on its own last night for dinner, and just as good today for lunch, tossed with fresh spinach.

The best thing about this salad is the roasted tomatoes. I love that it’s tomato season and I wish it could last forever. As tempting as they are plain…

tossing them with oil, a little sugar, and a pinch of salt and baking them for about 40 minutes elevates them to a whole new level of buttery sweetness.

I am slowly starting to love having time to do domestic things like roast tomatoes in the middle of the afternoon and make breakfast for Mike in the morning.

Fried eggs + avocado + hot sauce on toasted wheat bread.

I even packed his lunch.

We were joking last night about how I’m turning into a housewife. I don’t think I could ever actually be a full-time housewife but it’s kind of fun for right now. I’m hoping that the online course I’m taking for professional development helps prevent my brain from atrophying.

Recipe:
(adapted from Super Natural Every Day)

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
2-4 tbsp olive oil (eyeball it – a good drizzle is fine!)
pinch salt
2 tsp sugar
3-4 cups black beans (2 cans, rinsed and drained)
crumbled feta (about a handful)
toasted sliced almonds (about a handful)
juice and zest of one lemon
fresh spinach (optional)

First roast the tomatoes: Toss the tomatoes, salt, sugar, and oil together and bake on a rimmed baking sheet at 350 F for about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

In a medium bowl, toss beans, feta, toasted almonds, lemon juice and zest, and cooled tomatoes together and adjust ingredients to taste. Toss with spinach if desired.

I never really found black bean soup appealing. It didn’t look good, it never really tasted good (unless it was topped with so much cheese and sour cream you couldn’t really tell what it was), and I never felt any kind of urge to make it until this recipe.

My throat has been sore pretty much since we got back from Portland and yesterday it was so bad I took the day off work. I felt really guilty leaving the kids with a sub, but since I feel a lot better today, I guess it was worth it. Instead of supervising labs and timing the mile run, my day can pretty much be summed up by this picture:

It’s awesome to be reading a book I actually want to read again, instead of forcing myself to keep reading something I have absolutely no interest in (no, I never finished Everything is Illuminated…I gave up).

So after a highly thrilling day of downing Chloraseptic drops, drinking tea, and falling asleep every 20 pages, I knew I needed a healthy dinner that wasn’t very demanding to cook. This was perfect, and it’s really healthy, too. Cumin, paprika, and oregano are the only spices, but with the vegetables sauteed in the first step, there’s an amazing warmth and depth of flavor. I’m a convert – I LOVE black bean soup now.

And today, I might even try to run again since my weekly total currently stands at an impressive 4.2 miles!

Recipe:
(adapted from Veggie Belly)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped finely
2 small carrots, peeled and chopped finely
1 green bell pepper, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons cumin powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning
2 cups cooked black beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups water
Salt to taste
chopped tomato, red onion, and green onion for garnish

Heat the oil in a dutch oven or large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and bell pepper and cook for about 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes more.

Stir in the spices, beans, and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the soup has thickened.

Serve topped with chopped tomato, red onion, and green onion.

The first time I ate chorizo, I was staying with a host family in a tiny town in Spain. Every night after work (and before they ate dinner at about 10:30 PM), they put out bread, manchego (and other similar cheeses) and chorizo. I instantly fell in love with the salty, spicy cured sausage and was really bummed to discover how hard it was to find at home. I wanted to make paella for my family the way I learned how to in Spain, but all I could find was Mexican chorizo, which isn’t the same at all. Although I was not a fan of it at first, I came to love it even more than the Spanish variety.

When I gave up meat a few months ago, I wanted to steer clear of imitation meat products (like soy nuggets and fake lunch meat), but when I saw Soy Chorizo at Trader Joe’s, I had to give it a try. I don’t plan on eating it often, but I LOVE the stuff, and it really does look and taste a lot like the real thing (but without a bunch of random pig parts). I recently bought a package to put in breakfast scrambles, but I wanted to use some in a real recipe. Black bean soup isn’t normally my favorite, but with chorizo, it takes on a whole new flavor that’s totally irresistible. I love how easy this is to put together, and with a salad it’s a nice, light meal.

Recipe:
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lg onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
6 ounces Soy Chorizo (or regular…your call)
3 cups black beans, rinsed and drained (about 2 cans)
2-3 cups vegetable broth
lime wedges and fresh chopped cilantro, for serving

Heat the oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper and saute until soft (about 4 minutes). Add the chorizo, salt, and cumin and cook, stirring, another 5-6 minutes.
Stir in the beans and 2 cups of broth and simmer for about 15 minutes. Using an immersion blender, pulse a few times (so it’s partly but not completely pureed). Salt to taste, and add more broth if you’d like your soup a little thinner.
Serve with lime wedges and fresh cilantro.

It’s funny how my idea of a good weekend has changed so drastically in the last 5 years. At this point in 2005, I was counting down the days to my 21st birthday, and a good Saturday meant going to the beach for the day and out to a party at night, possibly with some studying sneaking into the picture at some point. I still like going to the beach and to parties (but not the themed, fraternity variety), but this Saturday was a good one: I mopped the kitchen floor, planned our meals for next week, and went for a nice, relaxing 5 mile run with Mike. And then I made these burgers.

For some reason, burgers just seem like a weekend food to me. These are really easy to throw together in the food processor, so they’re great for the end of a long, productive Saturday. Topped with either guacamole or hummus, a bun is optional (I liked the shredded spinach with mine). I think the best part of these is all the vegetables hidden inside: broccoli, spinach, carrot, and onion…and I’m sure some day I’ll try variations with kale or other greens.

Recipe:

makes 8 burgers

1 1/2 cups black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 carrot, roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped broccoli florets
1 small onion, diced
2 tsp chile powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 tbsp flax seeds
2/3 cup whole wheat flour

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Line 2 baking sheets with Silpats or parchment.

Combine all ingredients except flour in a food processor, and pulse until dough forms. Stir in the flour, then shape into 8 flat, round patties.

Bake for about 20 minutes, then serve with guacamole or hummus

(adapted from The Healthy Hedonist by Myra Kornfeld)