Hummus

·  2 cups of canned garbanzo beans/chick peas OR 1 cup of dried beans/peas.

·  1 1/2 T Olive Oil

·  1 1/2 T Tahini (sesame seed paste) If you don't want/have/use tahini, just use oil or water in stead.

·  1 jumbo garlic clove (or small if you're a hater of garlic. I used a jumbo one in the batch I brought)

·  1/4 t salt

·  1/4 cumin

·  3 T fresh lemon juice (or bottle...whatever you have)

I soak my dried beans over night and then cook them on the stove top on medium low heat for an hour or until you can mash them easily between your fingers.

In a blender or food processor, combine all the ingredients. Then taste it. If it's bland, add a dash more salt. If it's too thick, add water or oil until it reaches the texture/smoothness you like. I like mine SMOOTH! OR add more  lemon juice if you like it to have a kick. I always double this recipe becausehummus freezes well and well, I love this stuff!

If you're feeling crazy and want variation try adding some cilantro or roasted red peppers, etc. We use hummus on our sandwiches/wraps/as a dip for veggies and pita chips.

Black Bean Burgers

Prep Time:
25 Min

Cook Time:
16 Min

Ready In:
41 Min

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
• 1 cup water
• 2 (16 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 green bell pepper, halved and seeded
• 1 onion, quartered
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs, or as needed

They can be very messy so you need to use foil to cook them and spray it first!

Directions

1. Bring the brown rice and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender, and the liquid has been absorbed, 45 to 50 minutes.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. Lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil. Mash black beans in a large bowl with a fork until thick and pasty; set aside.
3. Place the bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor, and chop finely. Stir the bell pepper mixture into the mashed black beans. Place the brown rice and mozzarella cheese in the food processor, and process until combined. Stir the mixture into the black beans.
4. Whisk together the eggs, chili powder, cumin, garlic salt, and hot sauce. Stir the egg mixture into the black bean mixture. Stir in the bread crumbs, adding additional bread crumbs as needed until the mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide into 6 large patties.
5. Place patties onto the prepared foil, and grill until browned and heated through, about 8 minutes per side.

Cook's Note

• To bake the patties: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and lightly oil a baking sheet. Place patties on baking sheet, and bake about 10 minutes on each side.
  
  

Vegetarian Egg Rolls (Spring Rolls)? and Sweet and Sour Sauce

I got this from a friend who found it on someone's blog:) I just leave out the chicken and add mushrooms and broccoli and whatever else I have.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

1 cup pineapple juice (it was just about a can's worth of pineapple for me)

1/3 cup water (or more pineapple juice)

3 TB vinegar

1 TB soy sauce

1/2 c brown sugar

3 TB cornstarch (I didn't measure this out... but I definitely didn't use this much)

Just mix all the ingredients together and bring to a good boil. And that's it!

Chicken Egg Rolls

1 package cooked chicken (cut into bite size pieces)

Coleslaw

1 medium onion (finely diced)

salt and pepper to taste

garlic powder

soy sauce

egg roll wrappers

In a frying pan add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat slightly. Add the coleslaw, onion and garlic . Cook until crisp tender, add the chicken and the soy sauce to taste.... and the salt and pepper.

Spray a cookie sheet with non stick spray....

On an egg roll wrapper, place about a tablespoon or a little more of the filling in the middle

Fold the bottom corner over and then each side, moisten the edges of the last flap with some water and then fold over.

Place seam side down on the baking sheet, spray lightly with some more non stick spray

and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Vegetable Fried Rice

We just make rice in the rice cooker (jasmine or brown rice) and let it cool.

Then stir fry all veggies separate with just a little olive or canola oil or if they have the same cook time together.

red pepper, carrots, peas, mushrooms, 2-3 eggs,

Then you put the rice in too and mix it all up with some soy sauce and stir fry it for a minute.

White Chili

Ingredients:

8 oz. monterrey jack cheese with jalapenos, aka pepperjack OR 1/2 pepperjack and 1/2 regular monterrey jack so it's not too spicy)
3 cans Navy beans
1 jar salsa
1/2 t. cumin
chicken, shredded or chunks, optional
vegetables like corn, optional

Directions:
Combine ingredients and heat until cheese is melted. Can serve with tortilla chips as a dip.

Spinach Pesto Sauce

Ingredients:

2 c. firmly packed spinach leaves
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
1/2 c. walnuts
3 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t. salt to taste
1/4 t. pepper
1/3 c. pasta cooking water

Directions:

Blend all ingredients in blender. Serve with rotini or bowtie pasta.

Italian Skillet

Ingredients:
14 oz. veg. broth
8 oz. orzo pasta
15 oz. black beans

14.5 oz. diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, oregano
2 c. broccoli, cauliflower, carrots
2 T. fresh parsley (optional and I leave out)

OR

14.5 oz. diced tomatoes
2 c. zucchini and squash or corn
cumin to taste
1/4 c. taco seasoning
garlic powder

Directions:

Cook orzo pasta in vegetable broth until al dente. Add tomatoes and heat 5-10 minutes longer. Add remaining ingredients. There are two variations here. The first three ingredients go with both and then there is an Italian version or a Mexican version.

submitted by Erin Gilbert