First Meatless Monday Recipe: "Burgers"

For my first Meatless Monday recipe, I would like to share with you the first meatless recipe I tried. My mother-in-law sent me the recipe and when I shared it with the hubby he was a bit sceptical about it. Being the carnivore he is the thought of a meal without meat wasn't a thought he liked. So, when my mother-in-law (a fellow vegan) came to visit we thought we would give it a go. That dinner forever changed Burger Night in the McDonald household. They were AMAZING! So here's the recipe, I hope you give it a chance and love it as much as we do.

BEAN BURGERS

15-oz can black beans (or any style bean you have on hand), drained and rinsed
1 small onion finely diced
1/4 black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/3 c instant oats*
1/2 c rice (cooked, prepare according to packaging)
1 tbls ketchup, or diced tomatoes (fresh or canned), or bbq sauce, or mustard...whatever you would like in your burger go for it.

In a mixing bowl, mash black beans with a fork until mostly pureed but still some half beans and bean parts are left. Then mix in oats and onions all remaining ingredients until well combined. Divide into 4 equal portions and shape into thin patties with your hands. Cook *(see notes)*. Place burger on bun, top with whatever veggies, cheese, condiments you want. Enjoy

****How you cook them is up to you. I have fried them in a small amount of olive oil, grilled them, and baked them and they are all equally delicious.

****If you only have rolled oats, chop them up in a food processor or blender so they are smaller and more like instant oats. Rolled oats left whole tend to make the burgers fall apart.

****If the patties feel like they might fall apart after shaping them toss them in the freezer for about 15 minutes and they will be fine.

You can change this recipe up to make tons of style of burgers. A little cumin and chili powder for taco burgers. Or maybe, garbanzo beans for a falafal style burger. Have fun with it!

Where to begin...

I've been doing a lot of thinking about where to begin with this blog. There is so much to share and finding the right place to start isn't as easy as I thought it would be. After much deliberation I have to decided to break my posts up into 2-3 weekly. My posts will consist of MEATLESS MONDAY, a weekly posts on Green cleaning tips (haven't thought of a name for this one yet), and an occasional post on products I am trying out or have found that I love enough to share. I know it's a lot to ask anyone to go vegetarian/vegan, it's a big commitment and we are a society accustomed to eating meat with every meal. Instead, I'm going to ask everyone to try an commit one day a week to having a meatless dinner. So, before Monday of each week I will post an easy to follow, delicious recipe to try. They will all usually consist of ingredients you have in the cupboards already. This is probably the post I am most excited about. I LOVE COOKING! I have a collection of a lot of great recipes and am constantly inspired to come up with new creative dishes. I can't wait to share some of these ideas with you all. My green cleaning tips will consist of ways of replacing the household chemicals you buy with things you can make easily, and much more affordably, with things you can find around your house. A tip for getting started...if you use all of a cleaning product, save the spray bottle, you will be reusing them. Also, any glass jars you may have for peanut butter of spaghetti sauce, these will come in handy for lots of things. Be looking out tomorrow or Saturday for my first MEATLESS MONDAY post. I promise it will be delicious and you and your family will not miss the meat as much as you think you will. :)

Going Green

After the loss of both of my grandmothers in less than 2 years, deciding to cloth diaper, and my husband taking an environmental science class, my eyes have been opened to things I need to do to change the way my family lives. I have embarked on the journey to make our lives a little "greener". The first step...reduce the amount of chemicals we use. I have begun making all of the cleaners we use to clean our home and our clothes. Step two...clean up how we eat. About 6 months ago I became vegetarian and my husband decided to stop buying meat and only eat what he can catch or kill. We are forced to get creative and try new things. We LOVE it! Just a few weeks ago I decided to try being vegan, and things have gotten a little more interesting. You never realize how much of what you consume has animal products in it until you decide not to consume them. So, I have decided to start a blog to share my experiences with the world. I will write about housedhold cleaner recipes, food recipes, and products I have tried and love. I hope you will all enjoy reading about our journey, and maybe even find some new ideas to make your life a little "greener" as well.