Homemade Grillable Veggie Burger {vegan, gluten free}

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Grilling season is here! Save money and eat lighter with homemade black bean burgers. Ground flax and bread crumbs are used to bind the burgers. Shredded carrots sneak in more veggies! Serve over a bed of shredded lettuce and top with avocado slices (my favorite burger topping) or add classic mustard and ketchup.

If you prefer to make your own black beans instead of using the prepared canned recipe, I have included my simple crockpot method. This makes a lot of beans for a huge cost savings! These burgers are good for your wallet and your belly Smile

This recipe is featured on Vitacost.com, click the link to check it out:

http://blog.vitacost.com/food-and-drink/grillable-gluten-free-black-bean-burgers.html

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Homemade Grillable Veggie Burger {vegan, gluten free}

Yield: 4 Burgers

Calories per serving: 200

Fat per serving: 1

Ingredients

    Ingredients for homemade crockpot black beans:
  • 2 cups dried black beans if soaking and cooking (see crockpot method below)
  • 1 tsp each cumin and turmeric
  • stir in 1 tsp. sea salt after black beans are done cooking
    • Ingredients for black bean burgers:
  • 3 cups prepared black beans (divided)
  • 1 T. ground flaxseed + 3 T. water (mix together and set aside until it gels)
  • 1 carrot, grated (about ½ cup)
  • 1/2 cup brown rice bread crumbs
  • 1/4 t. each cumin, turmeric, oregano, garlic powder (or favorite spices)
  • 1/2 t. sea salt
  • Burger fixings:
  • Shredded lettuce
  • 1 Avocado sliced
  • Ketchup + Mustard

Instructions

    Method to make crockpot black beans:
  1. Using your crockpot ceramic container, add 2 cups dried black beans and fill with water so beans are covered, plus an extra inch or 2.
  2. Allow to soak overnight or at least 8 hours.
  3. Drain and rinse beans really well, remove any damaged beans or excess skin floating in the water.
  4. Pour beans into crockpot ceramic. Add enough water to cover beans, then add another inch of water over the beans.
  5. Add 1 teaspoon dried cumin and turmeric powder.
  6. Cover and set crockpot to cook on Low setting for 6-8 hours, until beans are fully cooked and softened to your liking.
  7. Drain excess water, then stir in 1 tsp. sea salt.
  8. Proceed with recipe below to make fabulous black bean burgers! You will have leftover beans to make extra burgers or for another recipe.
    9. Method to make burgers:
  9. Drain and rinse black beans, set aside in a bowl.
  10. Add to a food processor, 2 cups black beans along with brown rice bread crumbs, shredded carrots. Pulse until mostly smooth with some chunks.
  11. Add flaxmeal and spices, pulse to combine.
  12. Remove bean mixture from food processor and combine with remaining 1 cup of whole black beans. Mix with your hands in a large bowl or on a large cutting board.
  13. Divide into 4 portions and form 4 burgers of equal size so they cook at the same rate.
  14. Grill (place a sheet of foil underneath burgers) on medium-low heat about 8-10 minutes, these cook at a gentle heat, unlike meat burgers.
  15. Black bean burgers with become crisp on the outside and stay soft on the inside.
  16. Serve over a bed of shredded lettuce and top with sliced avocado and your favorite burger toppings.
  17. Enjoy!

Notes

Nutritionals: (1 burger) 200 calories, 1g Fat, 35 carbs, 11g Fiber, 1g Sugar, 12g Protein

https://www.totalhealthcounseling.com/2014/homemade-grillable-veggie-burger-vegan-gluten-free/

 

Chocolate Buckwheat Granola {gluten free}

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Berries are in season right now so what better way to enjoy the season’s best than with some crunchy homemade granola!

Granola can be a crunchy and satisfying breakfast with fruit or afternoon snack. Most packages granolas a full of sugar and additives your body would prefer to skip. Buckwheat is used as a crunchier alternative to oats. Toasted with pumpkin seeds and flax in this recipe then coated in a simple chocolate glaze, divine!

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Chocolate Buckwheat Granola {gluten free}

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole hulled buckwheat
  • 2 T. ground flaxseed
  • ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds
  • Chocolate glaze:
  • 1 T. cacao powder
  • 1 T. grapeseed oil
  • 1 T. raw honey
  • Pinch of pink salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
  2. Grease an 8x8 glass baking pan, set aside.
  3. In a bowl, combine buckwheat, ground flaxseed, and raw pumpkin seeds.
  4. In a separate smaller bowl, combine cacao powder, raw honey, oil, and pinch of salt. Mix together until thoroughly blended.
  5. Pour chocolate mixture over buckwheat and seeds in medium bowl. Stir to coat evenly.
  6. Pour granola into baking pan, spread evenly then back 25 minutes, stir halfway through baking time.
  7. Remove from oven when pumpkin seeds are toasted.
  8. Allow to cool then store in glassware in fridge.
https://www.totalhealthcounseling.com/2014/chocolate-buckwheat-granola-gluten-free/

See my recipe featured on Vitacost:

http://blog.vitacost.com/recipes-2/non-gmo-recipe-chocolate-glazed-buckwheat-granola.html

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Serve up in a fancy parfait glass and enjoy!

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Pot Pie {Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free}

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Winter is here and we all want delicious and filling foods to warm our bellies. I am obsessed with sweet potatoes, more specifically garnett yams when I can get my hands on them.

Black beans are great paired with sweet potatoes and a cornmeal crust had to go on top. My first version had a regular pie crust on top, it was good, but I craved a cornmeal crust and there you have this version below.

I made this dish for Vitacost.com, they feature my recipes and wellness articles on their blog spot called Vitablog at http://blog.vitacost.com/.

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For the full recipe head to the Vitablog posting:

http://blog.vitacost.com/recipes-2/sweet-potato-black-bean-vegan-pot-pie.html

What is your favorite winter dish? Please share in the comments section below.

XO,

Pam

Healthy Tips From Vitacost: Organic Shopping 101

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We hear about Organic foods a lot these days and it can be confusing when to spend a little extra and what you are really getting for your hard earned cash. Vitacost.com sent me an excellent guest post to share with you the 411 on how to decipher organics when you’re filling your cart to feed yourself and family. Thank you Vitacost!!

By: +Elizabeth Lotts writer for Vitacost.com

The organic versus non-organic decision is still a cart-stopper in the grocery store. Which fruits are healthier when grown organically? Which vegetables? What about that box of crackers? Trying to pick the cream of the crop becomes a chore within a chore when you don’t know the ”why” and “what” factors. All you need is a quick, Organic Shopping 101 course to narrow the selection and get you to the check-out line in record time.

First, determine why you are shopping organic so your selection doesn’t feel so fruitless. If you need to justify (to yourself or your budget-conscious significant other) why you’re spending a little more on certain items, then consider these reasons:

  • Organic means farmers use no antibiotics and no growth hormones, grow produce within sanitary and spacious facilities and use the fewest conventional pesticides
  • No GMOs– organic foods are not genetically modified in any way
  • A smaller carbon footprint–organic farms use the most sustainable methods to promote biodiversity and a healthy eco-system
  • Cleaner water, soil and air–pesticides from conventional farming can intoxicate the water supply, wildlife and the atmosphere

If these reasons don’t inspire you to go organic for every single purchase, consider that it doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing situation. Just keep in mind that certain conventional fruits and veggies are produced with a high number of pesticides– these, you should buy organic.

Fruit:

– Apples

– Any berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc.)

– Nectarines

– Peaches

– Pears

– Cherries

– Grapes (imported variety)

Veggies:

– Leafy greens (spinach, kale, lettuce)

– Bell peppers

– Carrots

– Celery

Meat, eggs and dairy: The organic options ensure animals are provided healthy living conditions, organic feed and adequate treatment for injuries or illness. When buying organic in the refrigerated aisles, select “all of the above.”

Crackers, cookies, cereals, coffee and anything else in a box or bag: This is an open-ended question, which means you can pick and choose which of these are better organic based on your preferences of taste, brand, price and/or variety. The same rules apply, though: organic cereals must contain all organic ingredients. If your mixed berry granola claims it’s organic, then it was made with organic berries. (Hint: buy only as much as you need. Packaged goods usually find a place in the pantry for many months, but organic versions have a shorter shelf-life due to their lack of artificial preservatives.)

Your final exam: Make your shopping list and match the items on it with the groceries above. If you study the organic foods and brands you prefer, then you won’t second-guess yourself!

This article has been provided by the folks at Vitacost.com who has been selling discount vitamins since 1994. They have grown into one of the biggest online marketplaces for healthy living essentials-with vitamins and supplements being just one of their many helpful categories! They sell everything from Coq10 to Raspberry Ketones. Vitacost.com’s customers mean the world to them, and it’s their goal to provide you with the best nutritional supplements, health foods and sports nutrition toarticles on the benefits of probiotics. Be sure to check out Vitacost Coupons for discounts. Vitacost.com is not affiliated with this blog, and isn’t responsible for content outside of this article.

Review: Feel Beautiful With Products From Vitacost.com

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Vitacost.com sent me a few of their new products to review for you. I posted about Earnest Eats and now I’ve got some amazing body care products to share with you!

Healthy eating makes us beautiful on the inside and outside. Allergen friendly lotions and soaps make us feel pretty on the outside too! Winking smile

Disclosure of material connection: Vitacost provided me with free samples of these products to review. All opinions expressed here are completely my own.

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Andalou Naturals Clementine Ginger Shower Gel is a glorious shower gel to add to your cleansing routine. It smells just like clementine with a hint of ginger and it lathers easily while rinsing off just as nicely without leaving a soapy film. This is an allergen friendly cleanser, a must for those with sensitive skin, like me. Many commercial cleaners are off limits for me, I typically use Kiss My Face Olive Oil bar soap because it’s ultra gentle and leaves my skin moisturized without irritating it. Andalou Naturals does the same, but it lathers up easier since it’s a gel and smells wonderful, fragranced by natural oils instead of chemicals. It’s also Gluten Free, Cruelty Free, non-GMO, Free of Parabens and Sulfates. It’s important to know that if you need to follow a gluten free diet, your self care products also need to be gluten free. I didn’t know until a few years ago that self care products could contain gluten. Check labels of all products to ensure they are safe for you to use.

As always, please read the ingredients list to ensure you are not allergic to the natural ingredients used to make this product.

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After a refreshing shower, a good lotion can help seal in the moisture – lotion up 2 minutes post bathing on slightly damp skin to lock in moisture. Many lotions on the market are full of chemicals and can cause skin irritation and allergic reactions. BWC: Beauty Without Cruelty, is a line of products that is great for sensitive skin, it’s vegan as well as free of parabens and fragrance. It’s also not tested on animals, so it’s ethically produced – a product you can feel good about using!

BWC lotion blends into skin well and is not greasy. Your skin feels moisturized without that greasy, wait to get dressed feeling. I like to use it at night as well to lock in moisture and replenish my skin on especially dry days. On the bottle, there is a recommendation to add 12 drops of your favorite essential oil to 2 ounces of the lotion. I think this is a great idea if you have a favorite essential oil; suggested oils are lavender, sandalwood, rose, or geranium.

As always, please read the ingredients list to ensure you are not allergic to the natural ingredients used to make this product.

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Feeling beautiful on the outside sometimes means freshening up breath when it feels a little stale. If you’ve got fresh parsley or mint leaves to chew those are great options. They are both antibacterial and antimicrobial to freshen breath. I don’t often carry those herbs in my purse so Vitacare is the perfect option!

I stopped using gum regularly since most of them are made with artificial sweeteners and I’ve made a commitment to avoid those. Vitacare uses Xylitol, a more natural sugar alcohol, which has also been proven to prevent cavities. Too much xylitol can cause digestive upset, a few pieces of gum in moderation should not cause an upset. Vitacare gum also has the added benefit of a few vitamins per 2 piece serving: 20%DV of Vitamins A, C, D, E.

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What are your favorite natural products?

Thank you again Vitacost.com, I’m honored you selected me to sample and review these amazing products!