Tuna Patties (Tuna Burgers)

To watch this Video-Recipe please click HERE!

Hi everyone, today's recipe is another easy and very budget friend recipe for Lent! Tuna Patties, they make great Burger, but they are also great with a simple salad or some rice! I hope you like them!

Serves 4
Ingredients:

• 15 oz of tuna (I'm using 3 cans of tuna in water, drain them and place them in a bowl)
• 3 tablespoons of chopped green onions
• ¼ cup chopped bell peppers (I used red and Green bell peppers)
• 3/4 cups of Panko breadcrumbs (or any other dry Breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise
• a dash of Tabasco
• salt and black pepper to taste

Combine tuna,with bell peppers, green onions and bread crumbs; (don't forget to drain the tuna!), Season with the Tabasco sauce, 1 tablespoon of Dijon Mustard, 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise, salt and black pepper to taste, mix together until everything is well combined. Taste the flavor and add any more, salt, pepper or Tabasco sauce if needed.

Divide the tuna mixture into equal section and make the Patties any way you want.
 
You can bake this at 400ºF for about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
Or you can Pan-fry them for about 4 minutes on each side.

Serve with your favorite salad, or rice or simply turn into a burger with fries and everything else. Enjoy!

Shrimp Yakisoba

To watch this Video-Recipe please click HERE!!

Hi everyone! Today's recipe is a super easy and delicious Japanese inspired dish, Yakisoba or Fried Noodles with Shrimp! I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did. Enjoy!

Serves 4
Ingredients:

• 10oz Chinese Noodles or Ramen Noodles
• 1½ lbs Shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 7 oz fresh Bean Sprouts
• 1 red bell pepper cut into thin strips
• 1 green bell pepper cut into this strip
• 1 onion cut into thin slices
• 2 chopped green onions for garnish
• 2 tablespoons of Asian seasoning, (½ tspn each: garlic powder, ground ginger, sesame seeds, + salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper to taste)
• 1 tablespoon Sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon Chili oil
• 2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 1 tablespoon Mirin (Sweet rice Wine)
• 1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce

Season the shrimp with 1 tablespoon of Asian seasoning, mix well and set aside until ready to use.

Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the package. Drain them and rinse them under cold water. Set them aside until ready to use them.

On high heat, preheat a wok or a large skillet, add in  1 tablespoon of sesame oil, plus 1 tablespoon of chili oil,  stir fry the onions for 1 minute.  Add in the bell peppers and stir fry for 1 more minute.  (If you want your peppers to be super soft, cook them for longer)

Add in the shrimp and stir fry for 2 more minutes. (Do not cook the shrimp all the way through.) Add in the Bean Sprouts and the noodles, season with 2 tablespoons of Soy Sauce, 1 tablespoon of Mirin, 1 tablespoon of Oyster sauce, and 1 tablespoon of Asian seasoning, mix well, taste the flavor and add more soy sauce or more Asian seasoning if needed, (you can also add 1 more teaspoon of sesame oil or chili oil.)

Continue to stir-fry the noodles for 4 more minutes or until the shrimp is well cooked and the noodles are well heated through.  Garnish with the chopped green onions and serve.
Enjoy!

Banana Bars with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

I made this cake because I needed to use overripe bananas and this was something new to try.  It was amazing!  It makes a ton so I delivered some to neighbors and friends, and every single one of those people came to me later and demanded the recipe.  Its such a light, fluffy, delicious "cake".  It was easy to make and the flavors are perfect together.

courtesy

• Banana Bars with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
• Mel's Kitchen Cafe
• 
  
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 ½ cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (I used three ripe bananas)
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting:
• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup white sugar (you can use either granulated sugar or confectioners’ sugar – the confectioners’ sugar tends to dissolve better and not be as grainy but either one works fine)
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream

Directions

1. For the banana bars, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10 x 15 inch jellyroll pan or one 9X13 pan and an additional 8X8 pan. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the sour cream and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; stir into the batter. Finally, mix in the mashed banana. Spread evenly into the prepared pan(s). Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow bars to cool completely before frosting.
2. For the frosting, in a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Set aside. In another medium bowl, beat whipped cream until stiff peaks form (it helps to use a chilled bowl and chilled beaters). Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture. Frost to your heart’s delight!

Portobello Zucchini Tacos

I'm on a roll here. Another vegan recipe that may be a little to wild for some of your families but if you don't tell them there are mushrooms in it they will never know. I made these last night for dinner and they were so good I had like 5...In fact I ate almost everything by myself because I was once again husbandless at dinner time. But I'm trying not to use that as an excuse not to cook! We'll see how long it lasts.

I had mine with salsa, avocado and some cilantro with a little salt and pepper and it was divine!

Portobello and Zucchini Tacos

Four servings • 45 minutes to prepare

I like to serve these tacos alongside a green salad with tomatoes and avocado.

Ingredients

• 5 medium portobello mushrooms, stems and gills removed, sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 4 medium zucchini, cut into 2-by-1/2-inch sticks
• 1 medium red onion, halved and sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 12 (4 1/2-inch) corn tortillas
• 1/2 cup fresh salsa
• 1 ripe avocado, halved and sliced

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425° F. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss mushrooms with 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1/4 cup water; season with salt and pepper. On another rimmed baking sheet, toss zucchini and onion with remaining teaspoon oregano and tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper.
2. Place both sheets in oven. Roast, tossing occasionally, until vegetables are browned and fork-tender, 25 to 30 minutes (zucchini may cook faster than mushrooms).
3. Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium-high heat, warm tortillas according to package instructions (they should be lightly browned but still soft). Wrap loosely in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.
4. To serve, fill each tortilla with mushrooms, vegetable mixture, avocado and salsa.

Mediterranean Chickpea Wrap

This is really easy to make, vegan, healthy and filling and really yummy. It's easy to thrown in a tortilla, add a handful of spinach or mixed greens, sprinkle on some vinaigrette and you're good to go. Also, I didn't add the banana pepper just cause I didn't want to buy one, but added a little siracha sauce to make it spicy. Also, don't be afraid to drain the extra water once the potatoes are done cooking.

Mediterranian Chickpea Wrap

Four servings • 30 minutes to prepare

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 banana pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans, with liquid
• 1 white potato, peeled and diced
• 4 whole wheat tortillas, warmed

Instructions

1. In a large sauté pan, over medium heat warm the oil for about a minute. Add the carrot, onion, banana pepper, and garlic. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. When the vegetable have started to soften, add the cumin, red pepper, cayenne and sauté for 1 minute.
2. Add the garbanzo beans with their liquid and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil. Add the potato and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
3. Wrap in warm tortillas with fresh spinach and serve.

Chickpea and Rice soup with Kale

Another Vegan recipe. This soup is awesome! We had it for sunday dinner because it's still pretty cold out here in Boston and this was the perfect remedy. I made it with the artisan bread Jess posted a little while ago and it made for a great meal. The only thing you have to prep before hand is soaking the cashews for a few hours and it's better the next day as leftovers as the flavors blend.

Chickpea & Rice Soup with Kale

Six servings • 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup cashews, soaked in water for 2 hours or overnight
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. dried rosemary
• 3/4 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. salt
• Fresh black pepper
• 3/4 cup brown rice, rinsed
• 3 ribs celery, thinly sliced
• 1 cup carrots, diced chunky
• 5 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cans (15 oz. each) Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed- I only used 1 can and it was fine
• 4 cups chopped kale
• (green onions as garnish optional)

Instructions

1. After soaking, drain the cashews and place them in a blender with one cup of fresh water. Blend until completely smooth. You don't want any gritty bits if you can help it. And if you're not firing up a Vitamix, this could take some time. Like maybe 5 whole minutes.
2. Preheat a stock pot over medium heat. Sauté onion in olive oil with a pinch of salt for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and sauté a minute more.
3. Add rice, celery and carrots and then pour in the broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer, add the chickpeas, and let cook for about 30 minutes, until rice is cooked and carrots are tender.
4. Add the cashew cream and kale, and simmer until kale is wilted, 3 to 5 more minutes. You may need to add water to thin the soup if it seems too thick. Taste for salt and seasonings and let sit for 10 minutes so the flavors will mingle.

Tofu Broccoli Stir Fry

After watching the "Hungry for Change" documentary on Netflix, I decided I would take their advice and not view foods with an attitude of "I can't have that" or cutting things out but adding more and more healthy things into my diet. This leaves me guilt free when I do eat sweets and has inspired me to add maybe one or two vegan meals to my day. This was a great one to start out with- easy and simple and I don't mind the taste of tofu. It is just as filling as meat for me.

This is from the website wellvegan.com they have a great list of recipes for breakfast lunch and dinner and also snacks if you're not sure where to start.

p.s. I highly recommend the documentary. Some things are kind of cooky about it but it is a good reminder to think about what you're putting in your body.

Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry

Serves four • 40 minutes

Serve this stir-fry over brown rice or Asian noodles. To toast the cashews, spread them on a baking sheet and cook in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes. If you’re serving this with rice, get it started before you do anything else. And if you’re gluten-free make sure you’re soy sauce is of the gluten-free variety.

Ingredients

• 1 package (14 1/2 ounces) firm tofu, drained, cut crosswise into 6 slabs (about 3/4 inch wide), each slab halved horizontally and cut into triangles
• 1 1/2 lbs. broccoli, stalks trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1/4-inch rounds, florets separated into bite-size pieces
• Coarse salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 cup cashews, toasted (optional)

Instructions

1. Arrange tofu in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with several layers of paper towels. Top with more paper towels and let tofu drain, about 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook broccoli (stalks and florets) in a large pot of boiling salted water until bright green, 1 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add tofu; cook until golden brown, turning gently halfway through, about 5-7 minutes on each side. Transfer to paper towels.
4. Meanwhile, make sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, vinegar, red-pepper flakes, garlic, cornstarch, and 3/4 cup water; set aside.
5. Add broccoli to skillet; cook over high heat, stirring often, until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk reserved sauce to combine; pour into pan. Return tofu to pan; stir to coat, about 1 minute more. Serve over rice or noodles and topped with cashews, if desired.