Sweet Potato- Cannellini (Veggie) Burgers

Yay for people not minding me experimenting on them. I've seen lots of fun bean-and-sweet potato burgers online recently and I wanted to try making them myself. I decided I wanted a simpler recipe, one that can be baked as opposed to pan-fried, and one that would hold together well. I compiled them all into this burger and gave it a shot. I have to say I'm rather happy with it!

Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato, baked and peeled
1 can of cannellini beans (15 oz, I believe)
1 heaping tablespoon tahini
1-2 teaspoons maple syrup
1 ounce whole wheat flour
Breadcrumbs (add to create the consistency of your liking. I did not measure what I added...sorry!)
Chili powder, salt, pepper to taste
1/2 egg white and yolk 

Directions: 

In a mixing bowl mash sweet potato and beans. Mix in tahini, syrup, flour, and breadcrumbs to desired consistency. Add chili powder, salt, and pepper to taste. And taste away! I ate so much of the mix I was barely hungry for dinner...so good! Lastly, add the egg. I only used a half of an egg, but I'm sure a full egg wouldn't have hurt. I did add bit more breadcrumbs after adding the egg. 

Grease a baking sheet and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Form patties and, if desired, lightly coat in additional breadcrumbs. Bake for 25 minutes. 

Serve on wheat buns with lettuce, avocado, grilled onion, mayo, dijon mustard and anything else you would prefer.

Blog Post of Cuteness

Lu. Calla Lillies. Ranunculus.

The Morton Arboretum

J and I have been chatting about visiting The Morton Arboretum since the first time we heard about it. This past week we decided to take advantage of the spring time weather, resulting blooms, and discount Wednesday admissions. ;) These are just a few shots from our wandering of the grounds...

A quick bite at the cafe...fantastic boca burger and veggie wrap with fresh fruit and creamy potato salad. Not to mention the view. :)

Jeremy and a Redbud.

Walking through Spruce Hill. This was a gorgeous woodland area.

Another view, just because we loved it so much.

Daffodil Glade.

Daffodil Glade.

Flowering trees - Dusky Pear tree. This was the most brilliant tree in that area by far.

The Dusky Pear tree again.

Magnolias.

Magnolias and J.

Magnolia detail.

The Morton Arboretum is home to the Millennium tree for the state of Illinois. You can visit the America the Beautiful Fund's website for more info. 

The Millennium Tree: White Oak.

One more shot...I love how twisted and gnarly it looks!

On the East side of the Arboretum: Japanese flora.

J taking a break under a Callery Pear tree.

Me taking a break on a Ussurian Pear tree. One of the most fascinating aspects of the Arboretum is how well known it is. I Googled "Ussurian Pear" and many of the websites talked about this specific tree I am sitting in! (Same goes for the Dusky Pear tree J was climbing above).

Elm. I love elms in the spring. Another fantastic fact about the Arboretum: they have developed several cultivars of elm that are resistant to Dutch Elm Disease.

J and I back at the start after a long day of hiking the grounds.

:)

Quick Balsamic Reduction

It was another absolutely gorgeous day here and we took advantage by grilling out with the steaks and salmon. For sides there were sweet potato fries and green beans. The green beans were served with a balsamic reduction that was tasty goodness. Recipe follows! 

Balsamic Reduction:
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 cloves garlic
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Rosemary
Thyme
Pepper
Salt
1 teaspoon butter

In a small saucepan combine all ingredients except butter. Bring to a simmer and reduce by 1/3. Remove from heat and add butter, stirring until dissolved.

This was served on green beans with some Parmesan on top.

Commander J. ;)

Apple Cheddar Grilled Cheese

I absolutely love grilled cheese...when there are lots of other things in it! (See Grown Up Grilled Cheese.) Grilled cheese is easy to make, it's a comfort food, and there is so much one can do with it! 

When J said that he was hungry for lunch I threw this together. This can be made in a panini maker if thicker bread is being used. I made this in a pan on the oven, old school.

Ingredients:

2 slices of whole wheat bread

Dijon mustard

Cheddar cheese (I used shredded to control the amount)

Apples, sliced thinly

Baby spinach

Butter

Directions:

Assemble sandwich: Spread a thin layer of dijon mustard on both slices of bread. Layer a thin amount of cheddar, apples, a little more cheddar, apples, cheddar, spinach, cheddar, and finish with bread.

In the pan heat the butter (I think I used medium to medium high heat on the gas stove). Place sandwich in pan and cook a few minutes, allowing the sandwich to begin to heat through.  I then buttered the top of the sandwich. Flip and cook a few more minutes until heated thoroughly and cheese is melted.

I didn't have a chance to try any but J assured me it was great. I can only imagine the salty cheese, buttery bread, sweet-tart apple, and spicy dijon anchored nicely with the spinach.

Curried Chickpea and Spinach Tagine

All I can say is...mmmmm yummy!

Ingredients:
Oil
1 yellow onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 dash of red pepper flakes
15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
1 bag of baby spinach ( I think it is 6 oz)
14-ounce can coconut milk
Salt, to taste
2 tablespoons curry powder
Quinoa

Directions:
In the tagine, heat the oil at medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until the onion becomes translucent. Add the garlic, ginger, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon juice and pepper flakes. Cook for three minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the chickpeas and cook for a few minutes until they are warmed through and coated in mixture.
Toss in the spinach. In our tagine we have enough room for the whole bag to fit. Stir and toss until it all wilts down. Add the salt and curry powder. Stir. Pour in the coconut milk. Bring to a simmer then turn down the heat and cook for 10 minutes.
Serve over quinoa.
:)

Oak Park Conservatory

J and I just returned from our "mini-vacation" of dog sitting and house sitting in Oak Park. One of my favorite plans we made was to visit the conservatory. Here are some of the beautiful and amazing plants (and animals) we saw...

Fragrant Inch Plant

Gigantic lemons!

Snowbush

Gigantic peace lilies!

Orchids. :)

A personal favorite: plumeria.

Patty, one of several tropical bird species at the Conservatory (and the most easy-going, personality wise).

An awesome old door with a planter full of pea plants.

In the tropical room.

In celebration of St. Pat's - faceful of shamrocks...and luck!

Caprese Appetizer and Prosciutto Perline Pasta in a Basil-Garlic Butter Sauce

In the words of my brother, "Oh shit...this is amazing."
Amazing for something that can be thrown together in 5-10 minutes. :P J and I tried Trader Joe's Perline Pasta & Prosciutto today and I whipped up a simple sauce and appetizer to match. J made gigantic salads.

Caprese Appetizer: So simple, so wonderful!

Ingredients:
Fresh mozzarella, cubed
Fresh basil (individual leaves)
Cherry tomatoes
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Salt
Pepper


Directions:
Skewer tomato, basil leaf, and mozzarella cube on a toothpick. Repeat. Drizzle with balsamic and olive oil. Season with a little salt and pepper. Serve.




Prosciutto Perline Pasta in a Basil-Garlic Butter Sauce

Ingredients:
2 packages of Trader Joes Perline Pasta & Prosciutto, prepared (takes 2-3 minutes to cook!)
1/4 cup of butter (half of a stick)
2-3 cloves garlic
1/3 cup fresh basil, ribboned
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Boil a large pot of water and cook pasta according to directions. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add garlic, basil, olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Drain pasta when cooked, return to pot. Add sauce and coat well. Serve topped with shredded Parmesan and basil garnish.

Yum!