Life, Love and my passion for cooking

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Carson City, NV, United States
I grew up in Illinois in a small town. I moved to California in May of 2000.In that time I have experienced life, love and my passion for cooking. We now live in Nevada. I hope to take my passion for cooking to a new level.

gourmetpompey

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Veggie Burgers

Veggie Burgers
Makes 4-5 patties

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons diced red onion
2 tablespoons diced red bell peppers
1 teaspoon diced jalapeno- if you like spicy put the whole Jalapeno in!
1 1/2 tablespoons diced garlic
1/2 minced carrot or just grate the carrot with a cheese grater.
4 ounces black beans, drained
4 ounces chickpeas, drained
4 ounces white beans, drained
6 ounces rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2-teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground sage
2 tablespoons bread crumbs
1 egg

In a medium saute pan over medium high heat add 1-ounce olive oil and all raw vegetables except beans. Remove and cool.
Add veggies to beans and mix thoroughly. I suggest mashing the beans a little with your hands in a bowl so the burgers come together better.  Add all dry ingredients along with the egg. Thoroughly mix all ingredients and form into 4 patties, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. This helps them come together better when you form them.

In saute pan add some non-stick cooking spray, and cook patties 2 to 3 minutes per side. 

Suggestion: I like to buy nice soft sandwich buns and top the burger with a slice of pepper jack cheese and a few slices of avocado and lettuce.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Orzo Pasta




Orzo Pasta
1 box Orzo pasta
3-4 bell peppers chopped small- yellow, red, orange and green.
one bunch fresh parsley chopped.
one bunch fresh basil chopped.
one medium red onion chopped small.
4-6oz of Feta cheese crumbled.
1/2 cup red wine vinegar.
1/2 cup Vegetable oil.

Boil orzo pasta according to directions on the box. I make sure I salt my water and add a little olive oil before boiling the pasta.

While I wait for the water to boil I chop all my veggies and herbs. Then I mix the dressing. I like to mix up the dressing really well. I have a "salad dressing emulsifier" works great! a photo of one is below. If you don't have one a whisk and bowl work just fine to mix the dressing.

After mixing the dressing set it aside. The pasta should be done. Most boxes of orzo take 9-11 minutes to boil. Don't over cook it! When the pasta is done put it in a strainer in the sink and rinse it will cold water until the pasta is no longer hot. Place the pasta in a large bowl and drizzle with a little oil for easy mixing. Then add the bell peppers, onions, parsley, basil and crumbled feta. Stir gently so you don't break up the pasta. When that is done put some in a bowl and add some salt and pepper to taste and drizzle the dressing over the top. Refrigerate the rest for 4-5 days. Keep the remaining dressing on hand for each serving.

Enjoy!- Photos of my recipes will be posted soon.

Eating healthy on a budget

Creating new dishes is sometimes a challenge. We like to eat healthy and eating healthy on a budget requires some thought. Many people feel it is too expensive to eat healthy. So, why not just avoid it and drive through the local fast food joint for dinner? Well, I say it is less expensive to eat healthy at home. I am able to shop for fruits, veggies, fish, poultry and occasional red meat for around $65 dollars every two weeks, this also includes lunches for Adam to take to work the next day.
 I have found a great place to shop for all our needs. I buy all of my fruits and veggies at Sprouts farmers market. Everything is cheaper than the local grocery store. I can buy bell peppers for .$88 cents a piece verses bell peppers that are 2 or 3 dollars each at your local store. When I buy meat I like to go to our local butcher, "Orchards". They carry handmade chicken sausages, chicken breasts, whole chickens, pork roasts and any red meat, also fresh wild caught salmon. If I plan it right I can go on Wednesdays which is 20% off each item if you pay in cash. I then freeze items in ziplocks and take it out as we eat them. This is something simple I can do to save money. Here are the websites for each place.
http://www.orchardsfresh.com/

http://sprouts.com/home.php