Grecian Kalamata Pasta

TGIF, yes? Gahhh, I am officially "poo-pooing" this entire week, Madeline style. Unfortunately, there won't be any playing outside this weekend. We have absolutely zero snow, 80 mph winds, and an air-quality advisory. Poo poo! Looks like it will be a weekend filled with homemade bagel baking, yogilates, Game of Thrones reading, and Modern Family watching. That actually doesn't sound too bad. You know what else doesn't sound bad? This Grecian Kalamata Pasta. It's a filling pasta dish with Greek flair, including Kalamata olives, Roma tomatoes, and spinach. Lentils give it a hefty protein boost. 

Also, I really like this Greek proverb so I thought I would share with you. 

Isn't that nice?

Grecian Kalamata Pasta    

Serves 8

Notes: Be sure to save 1/4 cup of the pasta water for the sauce. Avoid red lentils for this dish, as they wouldn't hold up as well as brown or green.

• Sustenance: 
• 1/2 cup brown or green lentils, dry
• 1 cup water
• 16 oz. pasta (penne or similar), dry
• Sauce:
• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• Goodies:
• 3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped (save innards and seeds)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 6 oz. fresh spinach (3 large handfuls), rough chopped
• 1/2 small red onion, diced
• 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

In a small saucepan, bring the lentils and water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and allow to cook for about 25 minutes, or until the tender. Drain and set aside.

Bring a large saucepan full of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Add pasta and cook according to package for al dente pasta. You will want it slightly undercooked for this recipe. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the water and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a food processor add the sauce ingredients and blend until smooth.

Cut the tomatoes in half and scoop out the innards with a spoon. Add only the innards to the processor and blend until well incorporated. 

In a large frying pan, heat 1 Tbsp. of olive oil. Add in the goodie ingredients except for the olives and walnuts. Saute until the onions are browned. Cover with a lid for a minute or two during, to wilt the spinach. 

Add the lentils, sauce, goodies, olives, walnuts, and reserved pasta water to the cooked and drained pasta. Stir well to coat. 

Serve hot!

I like this calming song: 

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Thai Quinoa Burgers

I'm not really big on vegan burgers. Of any kind. Homemade, store-bought, restaurant. I have nothing against the vegan burger. I'm pretty sure it just has something to do with my disdain for sandwiches. I'll just say it...I don't like sandwiches. I know. Am I even human? I don't know anymore.  Well, these Thai Quinoa Burgers, if only for a moment in time, make me forget how much I don't prefer an entree squished between two wads of bread. These are the freakin' bomb, people. They're just as a vegan burger should be. Delicious, hearty, full of flavor, and they stay together beautifully. There's nothing worse than a crumbling vegan burger patty, truly.  

What I especially love about these burgers is that they are very healthy, super easy to make, hold together well, protein-packed, crispy on the outside, and not at all dry.

What's not to love? You have to try these!

My new favorite vegan burger.

Thai Quinoa Burgers

Makes 6 patties

Notes: You'll have a bit of leftover quinoa. That's a good thing! I put mine in the freezer and then when we need it, you're already good to go!

• Flax egg:
• 1 Tbsp. ground flax seed
• 2 Tbsp. water
• Quinoa:
• 1 cup quinoa, dry (I used red)
• 2 cups water
• Patty:
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats, dry
• 1 15 oz. can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 cup fancy snow peas, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. red curry paste
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. agave nectar
• 1/2-1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, chopped
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. fresh chili paste
• Assemble:
• 6 burger buns
• BBQ sauce
• spinach or lettuce
• mung bean sprouts

In a small bowl, whisk together the ground flax and water. Set aside to rest for at least 10 minutes.

In a medium saucepan, bring the rinsed quinoa and water to boil over high heat. Turn down to a simmer, cover and allow to cook for about 15-20 minutes or until tender. Fluff with a fork and set aside.

In a food processor, pulse the oats until they are coarsely ground. Add the remaining patty ingredients, including the flax egg. Process well, until smooth and thick. Once the quinoa is done cooking, measure out 1 cup and process that in as well, until well combined. Freezer or refrigerate the leftover quinoa.

Preheat oven to 350 F and coat a baking sheet with a non-stick cooking spray.

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat with a splash of olive oil. Using a 1/3 measuring cup, form the burger mixture into patties and fry for 1-2 minutes on each side, until browned. Repeat until all the mixture is gone. This should make about six patties. 

Once they are browned on both sides, place on the baking sheet and bake at 350 F for about 10 minutes, until golden and crispy. 

Assemble with a bun, and topped with BBQ sauce, spinach or lettuce, and sprouts if you wish.

Or, it's just as fabulous without the bun! They'd be great in a wrap too, I should think!

Bonus points for sprouting your own mung beans, like I did. I'll try not to be too excited or smug about that. In all honesty, I had no choice. Our stores up here in Alaska don't sell them anymore!

Birdseed Cookies

There's a cute little coffee shop in my hometown and they make some amaze-tastic seed cookies. This recipe is based off their crazy good cookies. If you're all like, "Ugh, why would I want a bunch of seeds and millet in my cookies?" I will tell you that you know nothing, Jon Snow Dear Reader. People are straight up obsessed with these little guys. No joke.

These cookies kind of remind me of no-bakes. Chock-full of seeds, millet, oats, peanut butter, coconut, and chocolate chips, you won't want to toss these to the birds. Trust me. Every time I make them, I'm hounded on when I'm going to post the recipe on Produce On Parade. Well...here you go! 

Birdseed Cookies

Makes 50 cookies

--Notes-- This recipe makes a lot of cookies, so feel free to halve it if you're so inclined. Also, I know these measurements are obnoxious...just go with me.

• Wet:
• 1 Tbsp. ground flax seed
• 2 Tbsp. water
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. agave nectar (or maple syrup if you're super rich)
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. olive oil (or coconut oil if you have a trust fund)
• 1/2 heaping cup creamy peanut butter (no palm oil please!)
• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• Dry:
• 3 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats, dry
• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut flakes
• 1 cup hulled sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup millet, dry
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon (optional)
• 1 cup vegan chocolate chips
• End:
• 3 Tbsp. fresh water

Start by mixing together the ground flax seed and water in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a large mixer bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Add in the combined flax and water. 

In a separate large bowl, combine the dry ingredients

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients while mixing on low, until just combined. 

Add in the fresh water and mix until well combined. The dough should hold together well and not be wet. It might even be a tad crumbly, and that's okay. 

Preheat oven to 350 F. Form into half balls and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I use a tablespoon to do this but a little ice cream scoop with a release arm would be perfect, alas, I do not have one. The dough can be a bit sticky. The cookies will not spread at all when baked. 

Bake for about 10 minutes, or until they start to turn golden brown around the edges. Remove from oven and allow to rest on the pan for a minute or two before transferring to a cooling rack.

Try not to let any animals, birds or otherwise snatch them up! Store in an airtight container. 

I'm so great, I even calculated the nutritional information for you! Normally, I do not do this, but I was so curious I just couldn't help myself. Don't worry, the only not-s-good calories come from the brown sugar, agave nectar, and chocolate chips. Just, don't go eating five at once. 

I love this song. The musician, Zach Sobiech, recorded it as a way to express his battle with cancer (osteosarcoma), in which he only had one more year to live. He died at age 18 in May 2013. 

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