Ratatouille Burgers...FINALLY!

I posted a while back, well actually I posted it here, a ratatouille burger I had topped with a heaping serving of kale.

I have finally gotten around to making them so that photographs could be taken (nothing like a little step by step pictorial).

So without further ado my Ratatouille Burger:

1 small eggplant
1 small zucchini
1 small yellow squash
1 medium sized tomato (I took the pic with cherry tomatoes and then changed my mind as to what I used)
1/2 C bread crumbs (seasoned or not is your call)
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp parsley
3-4 fresh leaves of basil
1 tsp Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste (since all veggies no worries about food poisoning)

Slice your eggplant, zucchini, and squash then place in food processor.

Pulse the processor so that you are left with small chunks (you do not want a puree).

Dump these mixture out into a bowl.  Into the food processor next goes your tomato in chunks and your basil leaves. 

This you will process a little more fine as this is the wet that will hold the ingredients together.

Put this in the bowl with your eggplant, zucchini, and squash mixture. 

Add to that your remaining ingredients.

The way I've concocted my recipe the burger turns out soft like a crab cake.  If you want a firmer burger you could add more bread crumbs or include corn or smashed black beans to firm up the consistency.

I patted out my burger and fried it in a little bit of vegetable oil.

Be careful to allow it to brown on each side at least 5 minutes on medium heat.  You don't want to do too much flipping as you could break apart your burger.

In the end I put my burger on a toasted bun and a bed of....what else?  KALE!

I know both pictures are pretty similar but I just couldn't decide on which one to post...so I give you two shots of my delicious burger.

This is truly a versatile item and can be seasoned a hundred different ways.  For some added spice you could include some roasted chile peppers (which I had in the fridge but just wasn't feeling very caliente last night), you could add water chesnuts for some crunch, or some green beans...really just a great way to get in some healthy veggies.

I hope you enjoy this and if you try it let me know how it works out.

Also remember to enter my Rudi's Organic Bakery giveaway that ends tomorrow (Friday October 14th). :)

Happy Thursday to you all!

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Wet WIAW

My goodness it is wet in North Carolina.

I am not complaining, because I know we need the rain, but my it is making my hair frizz.

Happy What I Ate Wednesday to you all.  As always thank you Jenn at Peas and Crayons for hosting this weekly shindig.

I will fess up ahead of time that I photographed what I ate yesterday, but failed (you heard me FAILED) to photograph dinner.

Let me throw out my explanation so you can have a little bit of pity on my soul.  I went to the Y and worked out (lifted so that I can get big guns..HA that is so far from the truth).  Anyway going to the Y always puts up eating dinner late and consequently means we have to rush getting dinner put out and the kids always need something (more milk, chicken cut etc).

I did want to share that while my kids had honest to goodness farm raised chicken I was dining on Gardein crispy tenders.  Now my kids were pushing their chicken aside so that they could have mine...I feel like I might be making headway into making then vegetarians after all...who knows.

Anyway on to the food.

For breakfast I had a cup of popcorn and a bottle of water.  There was a pear consumed for snack but I forgot to photograph it.

For lunch I had leftover stir fry (packed full of kale, red peppers, squash, zucchini, mushrooms, green beans, yellow beans, green onions, onions, and Gardein beefless tips).  Served over rice with some braggs on top for extra flavoring.

II already mentioned that I had crispy tenders for dinner and for dessert I had two energy bites, one with hemp hearts and one without (which I featured in yesterdays post here).

I can't wait to browse and see what the rest of you have had to eat.  Enjoy your Wednesday and if you live anywhere near me...stay dry :)

Also if you haven/t done so already enter my giveaway for Rudi/s bread and sandwich holder here.

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Hempy Tuesday

Today started off as a rainy Tuesday and one in which I thought my mood might be dampened (you know sometimes the rain and overcast weather just pulls you down because you don't get enough of that sunshine and vitamin D).

When the weather is cool and rainy like today you realize that fall is just around the corn.

Making it even more evident is the changing colors of the leaves.  Such a beautiful time of year and it really gets you in the spirit for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and food like apple pie (or just about anything with warm apples) and sweet potatoes.

At least those are the things I think about. 

I do lament the loss of strawberries, blueberries, and peaches.  But I know they will come around again just as soon as the weather warms back up.

I try to not waste my time wishing the weather was warmer when it is cold out and not wishing for colder weather when it is warm out.  So I have to live in the moment and in the produce that is available.

One thing that is readily available, and LOVED by my children, is sweet potatoes.  This is probably because I have called them candy in the past to get them to try them...I am a little ashamed of my lie, but it was all in the name of good health.

Speaking of good health and candy allow me to share with you this recipe brought to you by my husband's aunt Cindy (I feel a bit like Sesame Street saying it this way like I also need to include a number and a letter for the day).

Energy Bites

1 C oatmeal (not quick cooking)
1/2 C nut nutter (I chose almond)
1/3 C agave (could use honey if you don't want them vegan)
1 C coconut flakes
1/2 C ground flaxseed
1/2 C chocolate chips (I chopped up Enjoy Life Mega Chunks)
1 tsp vanilla

*An option if you need to make this nut free would be to use sunflower butter or soy butter

Put all ingredients in one bowl, mix, and then chill for 30 minutes in the fridge.

After your chill period get them out and roll them. 

Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to a week (but I doubt they will last that long in your house).

For a little added health I rolled a couple in Hemp Hearts by Manitoba Harvest.

A quick bite about Manitoba Harvest.  They are a company out of, you guessed it, Winnipeg Manitoba (Canada) that started in 1998.  They take great steps in making sure that they products they sell are of the utmost quality and non-GMO.

The goodness is in the numbers as 1 serving of their hemp hearts provides 10 grams of plant based protein (who says you have to get all of your protein from animals).  They also contain calcium, fiber, and folic acid (which is super wonderful for expectant moms).

So eat some energy bites, head outside, and enjoy this weather.

I taste tested my product before I headed out for play time and I have to say I don't know if I have a favorite between the two.  The hemp hearts do give the bite a "nuttier" flavor...but both are delicious.

Thanks again Cindy for the recipe!

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