Quick and Easy Brussels Sprout Salad

It is hard to believe that I didn't start eating Brussels sprouts until about a year ago, and now I am obsessed with them. I love them steamed, oven roasted with sweet potatoes and shredded into salads.

While doing my weekly fridge clean up today I was supper excited to find a bag of very large Brussels hiding in the crisper. Then I was faced with the decision of what to do with them. Since I had just finished cleaning the kitchen, I decided to do the quickest and easiest way!

 

Pecans, Dried Cranberries and Brussels Sprouts

 

 

I pulled out my handy Saladmaster Machine and Bowl and shredded the Brussels on cone 2.

 

 

 

I chopped and toasted the pecans, mixed some Dijon mustard, agave nectar and apple cider vinegar together and added to shredded Brussels sprouts, tossed in the  cranberries and topped with the pecans. This took less than 15 minutes and it is so good. You could serve this to people who think they don't like Brussels sprouts and they will LOVE it!

 

 

 

Looks and tastes amazing!

 

 

 

Brussels Sprout Salad Recipe

 

20 Brussels sprouts washed and the bottoms cut off

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

2-3 teaspoons of Dijon mustard depending on your taste preference

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon agave nectar

Salt and pepper to taste

 

 

1. Toast nuts in a skillet on med to low for about 5 minutes. Place in refrigerator to cool after toasted.
2. Place sprouts in the basket of the saladmaster machine and use cone 2. You can also use a mandolin or pulse a few times in a food processor.
3. Add mustard, vinegar, agave nectar, salt and pepper to a bowl and mix together.
4. Combine shredded Brussels sprouts, cranberries, toasted pecans and dressing and mix together and serve.

This would make a great side dish to any Summer Cook out! Or you could just eat half the bowl while you are working, which is what I did! 



Chipotle Beet Burgers

One of the things I love about having an organic garden is trying new things! We added so many new veggies to the garden this spring, one of them was beets. I have never eaten fresh beets, but knew I would find something to do with them. If not I could always make vegan red velvet cake or give them to clients.



I came across this recipe for Beet Burgers from Post Punk Kitchen and used it as a starting point. Anyone that knows me knows that I use recipes as an idea and then make changes to make it my own.  I knew I would want to make this gluten free, so I used ground up oats instead of breadcrumbs. I changed the seasonings completely and I baked them instead of frying them in oil as suggested and finished off on the grill. So basically I used the brown rice, lentils and beets and then changed everything else. This recipe is very versatile, you can change the spices to your tastes.

This is a little messy and takes some time, but it is so worth it. Don't skip the grilling step if possible, that charred flavor really makes a difference in taste. The recipe makes about 10 patties, you can either freeze the rest or cut the recipe in half. You can reheat in a skillet, just be careful not to overheat and dry them out.

 

Fresh beets peeled and grated on the Saladmaster Machine

 

 

 

They freakishly look like ground beef

 

 

They are great served on Romaine Lettuce as wraps

 

 

See that lovely charring, makes it taste like a "real" burger

 

 

Now time for the recipe, bear with me, I don't measure seasonings so you will have to rely on your taste buds! One Chipotle doesn't make it spicy, it gives it a smoky flavor and helps to mellow out the earthy flavor from the beets. If you want them spicy, you can add more!

 

Chipotle Beet Burger Recipe

 

2 1/2 cups cooked *brown rice (just a little over 1 cup uncooked)

2 cups cooked brown or green lentils (1 cup dry, you will have some leftover)

2 cups peeled and shredded beets ( I had four small to medium sized from my garden)

1 chipotle pepper

1 roasted poblano pepper ( you could sub for a bell pepper)

1cup ground oats

1/2 onion diced

2 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons tahini

Chili powder, cumin and salt to taste

 

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Add chipotle, poblano and garlic to the food processer and pulse on high until chopped.

3. Depending on the size of your food processor, you might need to do it in two batches.

4. Add shredded beets (very messy job shredding beets, wear gloves or you will have red hands), cooked and cooled brown rice and lentils and pulse on high until well blended.

5. Pour mixture in large bowl, add the seasonings, diced onions, tahini and ground oats and stir until combined. I used my gloved hands to mix it together. Taste to see if it is seasoned to your liking. It will have a strong earthy beet flavor at this time, but mellows out after cooking!

6. I used a cookie scoop, but it is basically 1/4 cup. Shape into patties and put on a cookie sheet sprayed lightly with non stick spray.

7. Cook for 15 minutes, then flip the patties and cook for another 15 minutes.

8. Place on a hot grill for just a few minutes to get a little charring.

 

*When cooking the lentils and brown rice, I add 1/2 of a vegan beef flavored bullion cube for added flavor.

 

This recipe makes about 10 of the most amazing Beet Burgers! I hope that you enjoy them. One of my clients had them and wanted to know how I made them taste like REAL burgers!

 



 





Cinco de Mayo recipes and Free Food for Life Classes

http://www.icontact-archive.com/FDxHPf1WO_W1TTJmBDO36UrFueGMHvLf?w=2

Hearty Vegan Lentil Stew

I am a soup and stew kinda girl! For me, it's not just for those cold dreary days. I enjoy it for breakfast, lunch and dinner even during the heat of our wonderful Texas Summer! Soup is my comfort food, and it is a great way to pack lots of nutrients in one bowl!

Lately I have been on a lentil kick. I love how versatile they are and they are so good for you! I use them as a meat replacer all the time! All things lentil blog post coming soon!

For this Hearty Lentil Stew I used green lentils. You can find the green ones at your local grocery store. If you have a different color, you can use them. Red lentils have a much shorter cook time and can become mushy in soup and will change the texture of this stew.

 

 

1 large yellow onion, chopped

4 medium carrots, chopped

4 celery stalks, chopped

4-6 potatoes, peeled and diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

16 ounces lentils, rinsed

1 large can of diced tomatoes, drained

8 cups water

4 vegan beef flavored bouillon cubes 

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp each sea salt and black pepper

garlic powder, onion powder

 

 

 

Add the garlic, onion, celery and carrots to large soup pot, add about 1/4 cup of water to sauté the veggies. You do not need any oil to, just keep adding small amounts of water to continue to sauté. Cook for about 10 minutes.

Add the potatoes, lentils, tomatoes, water and bouillon cubes and seasonings.

Bring to a boil, then turn on low and simmer for at least 45 minutes, stirring often. At this point the veggies and lentils should be soft, the longer you let it simmer the more flavor it will have.

Taste the stew and add more seasonings to taste. I like to add a splash of worcestershire sauce(Kroger brand is vegan)

This stew reminds me of "Beef" stew with its hearty flavors! When you reheat it, you might need to add water since the lentils and potatoes will absorb the liquid.

 

I hope you enjoy this yummy vegan stew!