Peanut Butter + Jelly Smoothie

My constant desire to turn beloved desserts into smoothies is now taking on classic sandwich pairings, and I couldn't be more pleased. Peanut butter and jelly has been my favorite sandwich since well forever, so I'm kind of shocked I didn't fall into this remix a little earlier. And although I could eat this childhood standard on the regular, something tells me my vegetable intake would drastically suffer. In an effort to squeeze in as many greens as possible, I'm left with not much room for daily sandwich eating. Enter the breakfast smoothie. I can turn almost any craving of mine into a frozen drink, within reason. The endless smoothie combinations makes eating drinking the rainbow pretty enjoyable. Treating myself to a healthy milkshake everyday is another great perk. 

For this spin on your average pb + j, I used frozen grapes as my jelly substitute. This goes against basically everything I stand for when making the real thing, because if you're not using strawberry jam in the middle of your bread, you're doing it wrong. You'd have to be near insane to open up a jar of grape jelly and think I won't be judging you (not really, but sort of). Throwing caution to the wind, I popped some red grapes into the freezer, and never looked back. I loved the risky results so much, that I have yet to even try it with some frozen strawberries. This sweet and nutty duo combines everything great about peanut butter and jelly with everything just as great about peanut butter and banana. The bee pollen took the place of the honey I typically drizzle in with the pb + b combo. And there you have it - a sippable sandwich. 

Peanut Butter + Jelly Smoothie

I've jumped ship on store-bought almond milk, so if I don't have any homemade on 

hand I'll reach for coconut water. Definitely go with almond milk though if you're 

looking for something more creamy and decadent

1 cup coconut water (or almond milk)

1 banana, frozen

1 cup red grapes, frozen

1 tablespoon peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon bee pollen

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth. Sprinkle with bee pollen. Enjoy!

Curried Chickpea Burgers

Did You Know? In Britain the term "curry" has come to mean almost any Indian dish, whilst most people from the [Indian] sub-continent would say it is not a word they use. In India curry simply means "sauce." Therefore, Indian foods made with sauces are all "curries."

The last time I made veggie burgers, I promised to share my favorite variation on the original in the future. Having a soft spot for Thai and Indian flavors, I wanted to incorporate some of the ingredients those cultures tend to turn to. I had also just made a batch of Curried Cauliflower Soup, and the curry craving inside me was not completely satisfied.

I also needed to create a lunch alternative that could be made ahead of time, and was easy to throw together. Which is why I immediately thought to change up my favorite sandwich. Having classes scattered throughout the day, this burger freezes wonderfully, and is sauteed to a golden brown in no time, making it perfect for a busy school day.

Spiked with red curry powder, ginger, and cilantro, the hint of sweet apple really does a wonderful job of rounding out the flavors. And like the previously mentioned, the crisp outside breaks open to a creamy chickpea center, studded with colors and flavors. Feel free to experiment with the ingredients. I can imagine lots of things would work here. Perhaps an Asian patty, with edamame, soy sauce, and ginger? Switching up the chickpeas and tossing in black beans instead. I'll be sure to post more combinations in the future. And if you have any favorites, let me know in the comments.

Curried Chickpea BurgersOriginally adapted from 101 Cookbooks

2 (15-oz) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 large eggs
1 medium apple, diced (I used golden delicious)
10-12 baby carrots (about 1/2 cup, grated)
1/2 tablespoon red curry powder
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1 cup alfalfa sprouts
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1/2 cup whole-grain bread crumbs
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or cooking spray

Pulse the carrots in a food processor until finely grated. Add in the chickpeas, eggs, salt, and curry powder. Puree until the mixture is the consistency of a slightly chunky hummus. You don't want a smooth batter. Add the alfalfa sprouts, apple, and cilantro, and pulse a few more times just to combine. Pour into a mixing bowl and stir in the onion and ginger. Stir in the breadcrumbs and flax, and let sit for a couple of minutes so the crumbs can absorb some of the moisture.

Form the burger mixture into patties, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. I use an ice cream scoop for this to get around 15-18 small burgers. You can either freeze the patties (which is what I do, so I can have them whenever the mood strikes), or heat up that last tablespoon of oil in a skillet, and cook for a few minutes on each side, until nicely browned and heated through.

Slather with your favorite hummus, and sandwich between you grain of choice. Or try what a lot of others have recommended, and use the burgers as the bun, filling the inside with salad bar ingredients.

Bloggers Blogging Bloggers

I wanted to ask all of you if you could hop on over to Dianasaur Dishes, and leave a comment on her latest post. Her brother Jason shares his love for ham and mustard sandwiches, and he is just too cute. I know leaving a comment would surely make his day, and pump him up for a future post!

Roasted Pepper Veggie Burgers

Did You Know? The white ribs inside a pepper that we all trim away actually contain heart healthful bioflavonoids, so use them in your soups!

This was one of the first things I made for my family when I started this blog, but unfortunately I don't have the pictures from our very first experience. Because if I did, you would see them on big, homemade kaiser rolls. I was so excited at how well those rolls turned out, but for some reason, I have yet to make them again. I'll save that for Spring Break, which will be here before I know it.

Besides the rolls, which definitely don't make or break this sandwich, the burgers have quickly become my go-to meal. Pre-Roasted Pepper Veggie Burgers, my diet consisted of a lot of store-bought, frozen patties (Gardenburger mostly). They were convenient, healthy, and pretty tasty, but I knew all of that sodium and TVP couldn't be the best thing in the world. When I came across Heidi's Ultimate Veggie Burger, I knew it had to be good, I mean is there anything on 101 Cookbooks that isn't?

Serving her burger as the bun, it lent itself to a lot of different fillings, which she detailed wonderfully. Being a bread person, I knew I wanted to take some of her filling ideas, and experiment with adding them to the burger mixture itself. That way I would incorporate some extra veggies, add some more flavor, and plate the burger more traditionally, sandwiched between bread.

The burgers are a breeze to throw together, and the taste is like nothing you will find in their manufactured counterpart. I love the depth that the roasted peppers bring, set-off by the brightness of the cilantro. The sauteed exterior develops a wonderful, golden crunch, split open to reveal a creamy, hummus-like filling.

Keeping the base mixture consistent with Heidi's recommendations, the flavor combinations for mix-ins are endless - all resulting in an entirely new burger. I've already come up with a new favorite version of this ultimate veggie burger that I can't wait to reveal to all of you in the future. Until then, here's my first take on Heidi's classic...

Roasted Pepper Veggie Burger
2 (15-oz) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 large eggs
1 red bell pepper
2 jalapeno peppers
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 onion, chopped
Zest of one lemon
1 cup alfalfa sprouts
1/2 cup whole-grain bread crumbs
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place red and jalapeno peppers on a baking sheet, cut side down. Right before placing them in the oven, switch your oven over to broil. Broil for about 8-10 minutes, until charred on the outside.

Remove from the oven and place the peppers in a zip-lock bag. Seal the bag, and let steam for about 20-30 minutes. At this point, the skins can easily be peeled away, to leave you with the roasted peppers.

Combine the chickpeas, eggs, roasted peppers, and salt in a food processor. Puree until the mixture is the consistency of a slightly chunky hummus. You don't want a smooth batter. Add the alfalfa sprouts, and pulse a few more times just to combine. Pour into a mixing bowl and stir in the cilantro, onion, and zest. Stir in the breadcrumbs or flax, and let sit for a couple of minutes so the crumbs can absorb some of the moisture.

Form the burger mixture into patties, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. I use an ice cream scoop for this to get around 12-15 small burgers. You can either freeze the patties (which is what I do, so I can have them whenever the mood strikes), or heat up that last tablespoon of oil in a skillet, and cook for a few minutes on each side, until nicely browned and heated through.

I enjoy mine on a toasted Ezekial 4:9 Sprouted English Muffin, smeared with some red pepper hummus and topped with baby spinach leaves.