Sweet Potato Burgers with Lentils and Kale

I've been pretty lucky with discovering new favorites lately, most recently with the discovery my new favorite veggie burger. Although I'm willing to deal with less than ideal structural integrity for great flavor, this burger leaves me wanting for neither and is probably the sturdiest veggie burger I've ever made. I've adored the combination of sweet potatoes and garam masala since I made these fries, those flavors beautifully uniting with savory lentils and hearty kale in this delicious veggie burger. Every co-worker of mine who has walked past my desk during lunch has commenting on the amazing aroma, so I  know it's not just me inticed with this perfect melange of veggies and spices. It's easy to get a little bored with veggie burgers when eating one for lunch everyday, but this burger remains a delightful treat for the senses each time I pluck one from my lunch bag. If you've been watching the steady stream of veggie burger recipes on this website lately, but haven't yet jumped in, try this recipe. It may require quite a bit of time in the kitchen, but your effort will be rewarded many times over and make vegetarian eating a real pleasure.

Sweet Potato Burgers with Lentils and Kale
from Veggie Burgers Every Which Way
makes six 4-inch burgers

3/4 cup French (green) lentils
1 bunch kale, tough stems removed
1 medium sweet potato (about 8 ounces), peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper
3 garlic cloves
2 eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt
Squeeze of fresh lime juice
3/4 cup toasted bread crumbs
1/4 cup almond meal

1. Pick through the lentils and rinse thoroughly. Bring the lentils and at least 3 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender. Drain and then transfer lentils to a large mixing bowl. Coarsely mash them with a potato masher.

2. Meanwhile, steam the kale: Place the kale in a steaming basket set in a saucepan with 1 inch of simmering water, cover, and steam for 5 to 8 minutes, until completely tender. Remove the kale. When cool enough to handle, wrap in a clean kitchen cloth and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Finely chop and set aside.

3. Place the sweet potato in the steaming basket, adding more water if necessary. Cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the potato is completely tender. Add the potato to the lentil, mashing thoroughly with a fork or potato masher.

4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

5. In a saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garam masala, curry powder, and cayenne and cook until the onion is translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the chopped kale and garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes, tossing to combine. If a crust has formed on the base of the pan, add 2 tablespoons water and scrape up the browned bits with a wooden spoon.

6. Mix the kale-onion mixture into the lentil mixture. Stir in the eggs, cilantro, salt, and lime juice. Fold in the bread crumbs and almond meal. Adjust seasonings. Shape into 6 patties.

7. In an oven-safe skillet or nonstick saute pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the patties and cook until browned on each side, 6 to 10 minutes total. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the burgers are firm and cooked through.

Shiitake, Spinach, and Goat Cheese Pizza

Who doesn't love pizza? While occasionally it's a cheap sausage pizza from the grocery store that will best satisfy my craving, I more often than not like to class it up a bit with some special ingredients when I'm making pizza from scratch. When made at home, pizza can be a healthy and well-balanced meal without sacrificing soul-satisfying flavor. Shiitake mushrooms are the height of savoriness, playing beautifully with fresh spinach and goat cheese until a blanket of ooey-gooey mozzarella on a nutty whole wheat pizza crust. A born-and-bred Wisconsin girl, cheese finds it way into more of my foods than it probably should, and I particularly appreciate the contrast between the tangy pops of creamy goat cheese and browned bits of smooth mozzarella. The wilted spinach keeps the dish feeling fresh and the mushrooms pack a big punch of umami without making the pizza heavy. It's easy to get carried away with pizza toppings, but restraint is what allows each ingredient to really shine in this recipe.

An equally fine option for Meatless Monday or a cozy date night at home, this simple combination of ingredients will not leave you wanting or digging out the number for Papa John's (or preferably Glass Nickel or Roman Candle in the Madison area). Rounded out with a nice side salad (and perhaps a glass of wine?), this meal makes you feel like you're getting away with pigging out on junk food when you're really treating yourself body right, from your taste buds to your soul, a particularly apt choice on Valentine's Day.

Shiitake, Spinach, and Goat Cheese Pizza
serves 3 to 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 ounces shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
4 ounces spinach, washed and chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
One 12-inch whole grain pizza crust
4 ounces pizza sauce, homemade or purchased
2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
2 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Heat olive oil a large skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, add mushrooms and saute, stirring frequently, until slightly golden and softened, about 5 minutes. Add spinach and cook, stirring, until spinach is wilted down, 2 to 3 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside to cool slightly.

2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees or according to pizza crust directions. Spread pizza sauce evenly over crust, top with mushroom and spinach mixture, sprinkle goat cheese evenly over pizza, topping everything with the shredded mozzarella. Place pizza in oven and bake until cheese is melted and just starting to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let rest for a couple minutes, then slice into 8 wedges and serve hot.

Crunchy Peanut Butter Granola Bars

About a month ago, I found my new favorite snack. And just last weekend, I found my new second favorite snack. Although I'm not at all surprised that the gods of precision cooking at America's Test Kitchen have created this fantastic recipe, I just can't get enough of these delicious granola bars. The best way I can describe them is like Nature Valley peanut butter crunchy granola bars, but much better. When I'm short on time, I won't hesitate to reach for one of the Nature Valley variety, but if I can spare an hour or so, I'll be going straight for this recipe. Just one batch of these granola bars will provide me with enough mid-morning work snacks for a couple of weeks (if I don't have to share), which is well worth the couple of minutes invested for each. These granola bars are just the right combination of saltiness and sweetness, with each carefully chosen ingredient contributing something to these perfect little squares of happiness. Once I finish making my way through this initial batch, I already have plans to swap out the almonds for the peanuts and almond butter for the peanut butter for what I think will be a different, but equally tasty, riff on these granola bars. That is, if I can resist the urge to try out their chewy granola bars first...

Crunchy Peanut Butter Granola Bars
from the America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook
makes 16 bars

3/4 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts, chopped coarse
3 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup honey
1/2 packed (3 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons peanut butter

1. Adjust an oven rack tot he middle position and heat the oven to 300 degrees. Line a 13 by 9-inch baking pan with an aluminum foil sling and coat lightly with vegetable oil spray.

2. Toast the peanuts in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until fragrant and golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the oats and oil to the skillet and cook, stirring often, until golden and fragrant, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer the toasted oats to the bowl with the peanuts and stir in the salt.

3. Add the honey and brown sugar to the skillet and simmer gently over medium-low heat, stirring often, until sugar is fully dissolved, about 5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the vanilla, cinnamon, and peanut butter.

4. Working quickly, stir the hot honey mixture into the peanut-oat mixture until thoroughly combined. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan and pack very firmly into an oven layer. Bake the granola until golden, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.

5. Let the granola cool for 10 minutes, then remove it from the dish using the foil and cut into 16 bars. Let the bars cool completely before serving.

Miso Soup with Shrimp

Like so many of the less-than-standard ingredients I have at home, the red miso and shiratiki noodles in my refrigerator were bought on a lark. Inspired by the many bowls of miso soup I've enjoyed while out for sushi, I make simple miso soup at home on a regular basis, but a healthy supply of miso paste still remains in the fridge without any particular destiny. I typically think of miso soup as a light side, but a recipe from Whole Foods Market inspired me to make this much more substantial dish.

Even though I used what is considered a relatively intense miso (red), but I still found this soup to be full of flavor without being overly assertive. A welcome change from my usual weekly fish/seafood dinner, this combination of delicious shrimp and fresh broccoli, accented by a touch of spice, is far more satisfying than something so surprisingly low calorie seems like it could be. Shirataki noodles, although becoming much more common in grocery stores, may be impossible to find for those not in larger cities, so feel free to use 4 ounces of udon or soba noodles (or even whole wheat spaghetti) instead (as in the original Whole Foods recipe).

In addition to relishing in the beautiful flavor profile, I was particularly delighted by how quickly this entire meal came together and that none of the ingredients need much in the way of prep. A great way for fans of Asian food to enjoy classic flavors, but also a gentle introduction to the uninitiated, this soup (or some variation thereof) is sure to make it back onto my dinner table, hopefully getting a chance to grace yours as well.

Miso Soup with Shrimp
adapted from Whole Foods Market
serves 4 as a first course or 2 to 3 as a main

6 cups vegetable or low-sodium chicken broth
8 ounce package tofu shirataki noodles (I used spaghetti-style)
1/2 pound frozen peeled and deveined shrimp, uncooked
1/2 pound (about 2 1/2 cups) fresh or frozen broccoli florets
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons miso (darker miso will have a more intense flavor; I used red)
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

1. Cook shirataki noodles according to package directions and set aside.

2. In a large pot, bring broth to a boil. Add shrimp and broccoli, cover and simmer until shrimp are just cooked through and broccoli is bright green, 4 to 5 minutes.  During the last few minutes of cooking time, add the shirataki noodles and cook until warmed through. Meanwhile, whisk together water, miso and ginger in a medium bowl until smooth; set aside.

3. Turn off heat and uncover pot. Stir in miso mixture and green onions then transfer soup to bowls. Garnish with pepper flakes and serve.

Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Black Olives, Garlic, and Feta Cheese

Monday night is the definitely the night when I have the least ambition to make dinner. No matter how relaxing Sunday might have been and how much sleep I might have gotten, I am always dragging when I get home from work on Monday. I've also probably eaten too much less-than-healthy food over the weekend, so Monday demands a quick, healthy, preferably vegetarian meal. I adapted this recipe, originally intended to feature the fresh tomatoes of the summer, to use canned tomatoes, the best option in winter when only long-travelled anemic tomatoes can be found in supermarkets. Despite a lack of meat, this is a really satisying meal where salty olives and cheese mingle beautifully with roasted tomatoes and fresh parsley, accented perfectly by unexpected vinegar-y pops of capers. With a nice side salad and glass of wine, this meal is the perfect remedy for the frustration and exhaustion that all-too-often comes with a return to work on Monday.

Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Black Olives, Garlic, and Feta Cheese
adapted from Food and Wine
serves 4

3/4 pound whole wheat spaghetti
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, fire-roasted if possible
1/2 cup Kalamata or other black olives, pitted
3 tablespoons drained capers
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled

1. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the spaghetti until just done, about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain.

2 .Meanwhile, in a medium frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, and cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors are blended and sauce is warm, about 10 minutes (or really as long as you like-reduce the heat if you'd like to simmer the sauce for a long time).

3.  A few minutes before serving, add olives and capers and cook until warmed through. Season to taste with salt and pepper, add parsley and cooked pasta and toss well to coat. Divide pasta between 4 bowls or plates and crumble one-fourth of the feta cheese over each. Serve warm.

Blueberry Spelt Muffins

There's nothing that makes my Sunday morning ritual of reading the newspaper and watching CBS Sunday  morning with a hot cup of coffee more special than muffins or scones fresh from the oven for breakfast. When the farmer's market isn't on the Square and I can't get a scone from my favorite healthy scone purveyor each Saturday, I like to bake something special, freezing extras to be had for weekday breakfasts. Recently I was gripped by a craving for blueberry muffins, which were more than satisfied by this healthy and flavorful recipe. For those looking to explore "alternative" flours, spelt, which pairs beautifully with berries, is a great place to start, but even if you don't have an eclectic collection of flours as I do, these are still delicious when made with whole wheat pastry flour or a combination of whole wheat and all-purpose flour. Subtly sweet, tender, and moist, these muffins are a great way to start any day, whether a relaxing weekend morning or hectic weekday, and healthy enough that you can indulge in the jumbo size without any guilt (as I did). On that note, because I made jumbo muffins instead of standard size (and my oven often seems to run a bit hotter than it should) I've left the baking instructions as written by Whole Foods, but I would encourage you to start checking the muffins early so they don't dry out. A solid version of an old standard, these muffins are sure to please almost any palate and a great way to get your family to enjoy whole grains.

Blueberry Spelt Muffins
makes 1 dozen regular-size muffins, or 6 jumbo muffins
from Whole Foods Market

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) softened butter or canola oil, plus more for greasing the pan
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 eggs
1/2 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups spelt flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 12-cup muffin tin or line with paper muffin liners. In a large bowl, cream together butter or oil and sugar. Stir in applesauce, eggs, orange juice and vanilla.

2. In a second large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, zest and salt. Stir flour mixture into butter-egg mixture until just combined. Gently stir in blueberries. Spoon batter into muffin cups and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Thai Carrot Burgers

This has been one of those weeks at work where the demands on my time never seem to cease. During those weeks when work is particularly chaotic, having a delicious and nutritious lunch is more important than ever, particularly if it doesn't take me very long to throw together at night. One of my favorite solutions to this problem is whipping up a batch of veggie burgers on the weekend for lunches during the week. My recently rekindled obsession with veggie burgers (thanks Moosewood!) has led to me start tackling the long list of bookmarked recipes I haven't yet made from Veggie Burgers Every Which Way, starting with Sesame Sweet Potato and Cabbage Burgers and most recently leading me to these vibrantly flavored Thai Carrot Burgers. Fans of the cuisine of Southeast Asia will be delighted by this melange of sweet, spicy, fresh, and earthy flavors, reveling in the cloud of spices that fills the kitchen while these burgers are cooking. Sweet carrots play beautifully with the spicy serrano,  rich and creamy peanut butter, and fresh cilantro in this powerfully aromatic burger that has more flavor than anything that healthy has a right to. Although best fresh out of the oven, these will still delight even if (unideally) frozen and reheated in the work microwave. As corny as it sounds, even when life is crazy, try not to lose yourself in the shuffle-staying healthy and energized with meals like this is the best way to make it through.


Thai Carrot Burgers
from Veggie Burgers Every Which Way by Lukas Volger
makes four 6-inch burgers

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch scallions, including one inch into the dark green parts, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
1 Serrano pepper, finely chopped (seeded or not, depending on your personal heat threshold)
4 cups grated carrots (about 8 medium size carrots)

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander

3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons natural peanut butter

Juice of 1/2 lime 

1/4 cups roughly chopped cilantro
1/2 cup toasted bread crumbs

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Heat a large lidded saute pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil. When hot, add the scallions and cook just until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and chile pepper and stir for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Stir in the carrots, salt, coriander, tumeric, and cinnamon. Cover and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the carrots are soft but not mushy.

3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg whites, peanut butter, and lime juice. Stir in the carrot mixture and the cilantro. Fold in the bread crumbs. Let sit for about 10 minutes, allowing the crumbs to absorb some of the liquid. Adjust seasonings. Shape into 4 patties.

4. In an oven-safe skillet or nonstick saute pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the patties and cook until browned each side, 4 to 6 minutes total. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the burgers are firm and cooked through.