Tag Archives: vegetable

Salmon Burgers

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If you’re looking for an alternative burger for your 4th of July celebrations, this may be just the one. Using fresh cilantro, jalapeño and lime juice, these ingredients provide flavor to this Omega-3 rich burger and will be sure to please.

Salmon Burgers

Makes 4-5 burgers

Ingredients:

3/4 cup pinto beans, mashed

1 can wild-caught salmon

3 green onions, diced

1 small carrot, peeled and diced

1 celery stalk, diced

1/2 fresh jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed to your taste, diced

1-2 sprigs fresh cilantro, diced

Salt and pepper to taste

1 egg, beaten

Drizzle of fresh lime juice

1 avocado (optional)

Directions:

Combine and stir all ingredients together in large bowl. Refrigerate mixture for 10 minutes. Use a 1/3 cup measuring cup to form patties. Use cast iron grill pan at medium heat for stove top cooking or place directly on outdoor grill. Grill 8-9 minutes, flip, grill another 5 minutes until golden brown. (Cook times will vary depending on grill used.) Serve on a toasted bun or on top of a leafy green salad. Top with sliced avocado.

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Easy Slow Cooker Green Lentil Soup

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Lentil soup has been on my mind for the past couple months. For some reason, the thought of cooking lentils was intimidating, since my family didn’t eat them growing up and I was never taught how to cook them. To my delight, an article showed up in my email inbox entitled, “Lentil Soup Without a Recipe”. This was just the motivation I needed to start thinking about actually making this soup. While cooking soup on the stove-top is my usual go-to cooking method, I wanted to use my slow cooker to be able to leave it alone and bring that heavenly homemade soup aroma into my apartment while I worked. After browsing a few recipes, I was confident I’d be able to conjure up the exact soup I was longing for. I must admit, this was one of the easiest recipes and requires minimal prep. Feel free to experiment with adding your favorite vegetables and spices!

Easy Slow Cooker Green Lentil Soup

Inspired by Food 52 and these two recipes

Ingredients:

4 cups water

4 cups vegetable broth

2 cups green lentils, rinsed

1 sweet potato peeled and chopped

3 carrots peeled and chopped

3 ribs of celery, chopped

1/2 large yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled, finely grated

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

1-2 bunches kale, washed and chopped

3 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley

Directions:

Add all ingredients to slow cooker except for kale and Italian parsley. Wait to add these until the last 10 minutes before serving. Set heat at low if heating for 7-8 hours, or set at high if heating for 4-5 hours. Serve warm with your favorite crusty bread or a dollop of plain Greek yogurt and fresh cilantro!

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Food for thought: Which is your favorite color lentil to cook with?

Roasted Jerusalem Artichokes

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On one of the coldest Saturdays of the year in North Carolina, I was determined to drive to a farmers market to stock up on needed essentials, such as sauerkraut, kimchi and carrots with ginger from Two Chicks Farm. Much to my surprise and delight, I stumbled upon a booth whose farmer grew Jerusalem artichokes. These little sunchokes resembled ginger and a root vegetable all in one. The farmer explained to me they were from the sunflower family and I could prepare them like a potato. Roasting sounded quite tempting, as I had never laid eyes on these little tubers before.

I was excited with my find and started researching what exactly a Jerusalem artichoke was. I quickly learned that they are not from Jerusalem, rather a native to North America. They grow in the winter months in the central and eastern part of the US. They are rich in nutrients such as Vitamin C, Iron, Thiamin and Potassium. Even though it is considered a starchy vegetable, it has a low glycemic index due to the amount of inulin it contains. Inulin is a carbohydrate that doesn’t breakdown in the human body and may cause GI upset, namely gas, if eaten in excess. As I researched more, I came across that particular tidbit of information in almost every website I visited. I felt as though I had my fair share of warnings, with the ‘Buyer Beware’ theme floating across Google searches that included the words ‘Jerusalem artichokes’.

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Despite the mixed reviews these vegetables received, I was eager to try them. I wanted to know more about their nutty flavor, and creamy texture, apparently similar to that of a globe artichoke. When I decided to roast them with thyme, garlic powder, sea salt and pepper, I couldn’t have been more pleased. These delicate vegetables were light and creamy, had a taste of both artichoke and sunflower. I did abide with the warnings and limited my consumption to a small helping with each meal. I would purchase them again and highly recommend them to anyone who loves to be fascinated with new foods. Since I am a soup lover, these little tubers will be turned into soup the next chance I get. Bon appétit!

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Roasted Jerusalem Artichokes

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

1 pound Jerusalem artichokes

¼ cup melted coconut oil

½ tablespoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon garlic powder

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Rinse and scrub artichokes clean with water (no need to peel), pat dry with paper towel. Slice in half or in thirds, depending on size. Place in bowl.
  2. Add melted coconut oil, thyme, garlic powder. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir to combine flavors.
  3. Place on baking sheet and roast in preheated oven for about 45 minutes, turning halfway through with spatula.
  4. Enjoy as a side dish or a delicious fiber packed snack!