spicy black bean burgers

Ingredients

1 can Bush Black Beans (divided in half)

1 c cooked brown rice

¼ c diced red onion

¼ c diced (heirloom peppers)

1 t minced garlic

Salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, onion powder

3 T Gluten Free bread crumbs

1-2 T ground flax

1 T olive oil or coconut oil

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Blend ½ the can of beans. Mix with remaining beans and the other ingredients. Form into burgers to your desired shape and size. Place portions onto a lightly oiled cooking or baking sheet. Bake until brown on both sides.

lunch with a blt two ways...

BLT Deviled Eggs

Ingredients
hard boiled eggs
dried parsley
diced tomato seeded (cherry or Roma)
1-2 slices of diced cooked Morningstar Farms bacon
1/4 c mayo
pinch of sugar
dash of garlic powder
dash of onion powder
dash of cracked black pepper
chili powder
1 T ranch dressing
plastic baggie for piping


Preparation
Slice eggs length-wise in half. Remove egg yolks. Finely break up egg yolks with a fork or press through a sifter/strainer. The sifter/strainer makes a very light dusting that mixes well. Try it! Next, mix all ingredients except chili powder and set aside one slice of bacon crumbles for garnishing. Note; when adding mayo/ranch, mix a little at a time. You want the texture of the mix to be stiff but not dry. Keep mixing until smooth and add more as needed. Fill a small baggie with mixture, clip a corner. Note: place egg whites on a bed of lettuce if you do not have a deviled egg tray. Fill egg whites. Sprinkle with remaining bacon crumbles. Garnish with parsley and chili powder. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours. Serve with a Romaine Salad.


Vegetarian BLT on 
Whole Grain Gluten Free Bread

Ingredients
2 slices of bread grilled 
2 slices of cooked Morningstar Farms Veggie Bacon

romaine lettuce
tomato slices
red onion slices
guacamole
mayo
black pepper

Preparation
Grill one side of each bread slice.
Assemble sandwich as you like or as follows: mayo, bacon, guacamole, lettuce, onion, and tomato.

it's my anniversary...

Five years ago, this month I made a dramatic change in my life. Many changes have subsequently come, i.e. transitioning to a lacto-ovo vegetarian, 50% raw vegan, and of course reduced gluten.

I say reduced gluten because I still use wheat grains in baking. As a result of increasing my fruits and vegetables through raw smoothies, the desire for bread has dropped considerably.

Five years ago exercise became 'my employment'. This career change has made the greatest impact on my lifestyle change. Helping others reach their fitness goals has been very rewarding.

My personal exercise goals have evolved. I no longer run in competitive races, but I enjoy running so much more. I realized that the preparation for races were hampering my progress, effecting my nutrition, and more specifically altering my sleep patterns. I do not discourage others, especially new fitness folks or new runners hoping to capture a medal. For me, it's not a priority. I have plenty of medals. I may someday run that 1/2 marathon, but for now, I am in a great place.

To update, for the summer I run two days a week on incline with intervals on the treadmill. Two days a week a full body workout, one with higher intensity with both machines and free weights. And four days a week I do yoga.

Two meals (breakfast and dinner) are raw vegan smoothies. Lunch is a cooked vegetarian meal that does offer raw food items. And finally my snack varies: powerful protein and fiber cookies, raw salad, popcorn, or mozzarella cheese sticks. I fuel up every four hours. This begins at 8 a.m. and concludes with a snack at 8 p.m. I am usually asleep by midnight. This is to force at least 8 hours of sleep. Most nights I get between 5-7 hours. I drink about 100 oz. of water daily with a spritz of lemon.

This spring I joined Pinterest as another way to reach others who are seeking to change their lifestyle. I continue to share my recipes on Facebook. And course, thanks to those who follow and remain encouraged. It takes planning and preparation. However, the more you invest, the more you are rewarded. Everyone who knows me know that I did not step into this change without research and practice. I am still a work in progress.

Without a doubt this journey has been rewarding. I have learned a lot about my body and I continue to reach for a greater health. My nutrition is stellar compared to previous years. I believe in staying the course I have inspired others to adopt a whole food-plant based lifestyle. I hope to continue to grow and inspire others. It is the best choice that I have ever made in my life. The results speak for themselves.

lentil sage deli panini

After watching Ayesha Curry's youtube channel this morning, I was inspired to make grilled panini's, vegetarian style of course! This delicious and nutritious sandwich was pressed on my George Foreman grill and served with Arby's Curly Fries! Yummy!

Ingredients

2 slices of whole grain Udi's gluten-free bread
1 slice of smoked provolone cheese
2 slices of Lentil Sage Field Roast
Grain Meal Deli Slices
shredded lettuce
sliced plum tomato
bread and butter pickle slices
thinly sliced onion
t ranch dressing
t mayo
olive oil
dried rosemary
salt, cracked pepper

Preparation

Preheat grill. Brush one side of each bread slice with olive oil. Sprinkle with dried rosemary and assemble sandwich as you like, but make sure the cheese is touching bread. Press to your desired temperature. I usually go with when the cheese melts!