Crispy Sweet Potato Burgers

There came a time in my college career when I realized that buying meat for my meals every week was getting pretty expensive, and I also noticed that I wasn't feeling good physically from eating so much animal protein. I am not knocking meat eating by any means because I love a good burger just as much as the next person, but I know that personally I feel much healthier and happier when I eat more vegetables and vegetarian options. Plus, most vegetarian meals are much more inexpensive and can be stretched further, such as these scrumptious sweet potato burgers. 

I am crazy about these burgers, despite the fact that they are obviously meat-free. They are deliciously crispy on the outside, and creamy and savory-sweet on the inside. I did not have any burger buns or toppings that typically go on a burger, but I did have a ripe avocado that I sliced and drizzled with olive oil and lime juice, and then sprinkled with sea salt and chili powder, for a simple avocado salad. The combination of avocado with these burgers is rich, but they compliment each other so well. I will be making these all the time now because all I have to do is buy a sweet potato and a can of beans, and the rest of the ingredients are already in my pantry and fridge. 

Try a vegetarian meal a few times a week and see how you feel. It's definitely a nice change. Happy eating!

Crispy Sweet Potato Burgers

1 large sweet potato

1 can white cannelini beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/4 teaspoons Cajun seasoning 

2 teaspoons honey

1 egg

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

Panko breadcrumbs

Olive oil, for frying

Wash and pat dry the sweet potato, then poke the skin several times with a fork so that steam can escape when cooking. Microwave the potato for 5 to 6 minutes on high, or until tender. Meanwhile, mash the cannelini beans in a bowl with the back of a spoon until fairly smooth. Scrape all of the sweet potato out of the skin and mix it with the mashed beans. Combine the potato-bean mixture with 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, honey, egg, and whole wheat flour. Don't worry if the mixture is wet, it will still form patties just fine. 

Pour about 2 cups of the Panko breadcrumbs onto a plate and season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon Cajun seasoning. With wet hands, form the sweet potato mixture into patties and coat with a thick layer of Panko, being careful not to break up the patties (they are very soft). Heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a skillet over medium-high heat. Place 3 to 4 patties in the oil and fry on both sides until golden brown, then drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat until all of the patties are fried, adding more oil to the pan as needed. Serve the burgers alone with a salad or some fresh avocado, or on a bun with the usual burger fixin's. 

Avocado Chicken Salad

I truly don't have much more to say about this recipe other than that it is the best dang chicken salad I have ever eaten. Avocados + lime + cilantro + green onion + chicken + salt = heaven. 

I found the recipe some time ago on Pinterest, and it seemed so simple and inexpensive that I had to try it. I don't know what it is about the flavors, but they are kind of perfect together, and I have a really hard time cutting myself off and saving the rest for later. I have made this twice in one week, and I can tell that this is going to be a recipe staple for me. This recipe is not spicy at all, but it would be really great with some chopped jalapeño or a bit of cayenne pepper for a kick. 

Serve the chicken salad with tons of tortilla chips and you are set. Happy eating!

Avocado Chicken Salad

Makes about 4-6 servings

2 (10-ounce) cans chicken breast meat (such as Bumblebee brand), drained

3 tablespoons light mayonnaise

1/4 cup chopped green onion

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Juice of 1/2 lime

Heavy pinch coarse salt

Diced avocado, for serving

In a bowl, combine the drained chicken breast meat with the mayonnaise, green onion, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Right before serving, mix in as much diced avocado as you like. I use about 1/4 avocado per serving. If you don't plan on eating all of the chicken salad at once, store the rest of the avocado in the fridge, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap (otherwise it will turn brown). Serve with tons of tortilla chips and dig in. 

Turkey Chili: Round 2

It's definitely that time of year again. Time for crisp mornings, huge sweaters, crunchy leaves, mugs of tea, pumpkin-flavored everything, and bowls upon bowls of bold soups and stews that fill you up and keep your warm. I can't stand it when some people think that fall and winter replaces the gorgeous fresh foods of spring and summer with dull, bland, and heavy meals that leave you craving exciting flavors. Obviously, you have to make due with what's in season, but I think fall and winter bring some of the best foods on the planet, such as pomegranates, pumpkins, and citrus fruits. And as the case may be when cooking huge pots of soup or stew on chilly days, raiding the spice rack can make any meals more flavorful and a lot less boring. 

In order to ward off the cold-weather woes, I fix a big batch of turkey chili pretty often, almost always tweaking the recipe with a different kind of bean or a little more spiciness from hot green chiles or cayenne pepper. I think that making homemade chili is an art, where the cook can inject their favorite flavors into the recipe and still come up with something new every time. I have never made a batch of chili that tastes exactly like the last one. It's a nice balance of familiarity and new flavors. 

Some of the variations I have made on this chili include adding a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder to the spice mix, throwing in a teaspoon of lime zest, using black beans or red kidney beans instead of cannelini beans, and using chicken broth instead of water to reach a thinner consistency. I love the richness that the tomato paste and crushed tomatoes give, and the cinnamon is always a must in all of my chili recipes - it just works. 

So embrace the autumnal season by curling up with a bowl of this chili and a good book (or a few episodes of New Girl on Hulu), and be at peace. Happy eating! 

Turkey Chili 

1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 lb. lean ground turkey
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 heaping tablespoons tomato paste
1 (24 oz.) can crushed tomatoes 
2 cans white cannelini beans, drained & rinsed
1/4 to 1/3 cup water, depending on how thick the mixture is

In a soup pot or dutch oven, cook the onion, bell pepper, and garlic, and salt in 1 tablespoon olive oil until the the onions are translucent. Move mixture to a bowl and set aside. Add a bit more oil and the ground turkey, cooking the turkey until no longer pink. Return the veggies to the pot, add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Stir in the tomato paste and crushed tomatoes (the mixture will be very thick). Fold in the white cannelini beans. Thin the chili out with a few tablespoons of water at a time until the mixture is thick, but has a more liquidy consistency. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with more salt if needed, and serve hot with lots of crusty bread for dipping.  

Oven Fried Zucchini

I have always been under the impression that you can fry just about any food and instantly make it a million times more delicious than it was before. I say just about any food because, honestly, some folks have started frying things like entire sticks of butter, and I truly don't know if that is a stroke of genius or the worst idea ever (perhaps both...). However, I will gladly put down money for anything from fried cheesecake to macaroni and cheese, Milky Way bars to fish and chips, even fried vegetables, including what I think is one of the best foods in the world, fried zucchini. Give me a plate full of fried zucchini served with a giant wedge of lemon, and I am utterly happy and content. 

Indeed, the only thing keeping me from eating a "Supersize Me"-style diet of fried foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day is the fact that fried food just ain't too healthy. Enter my new best cooking friend - PAM spray. I'm not saying that PAM replaces the taste of a shallow or deep frying method, but it came pretty close when I made a baked version of fried zucchini. It was especially nice to not have to use a whole bunch of oil for frying or stand over the stove waiting for the zucchini to get golden brown. Just dredge the zucchini in flour, egg, and crispy Panko breadcrumbs like usual, then spray the pan and the tops with regular PAM spray and bake until crispy and delicious. I dipped mine in tomato sauce, but the zucchini would be amazing dipped in a mixture of mayonnaise, crushed garlic, and lemon juice. Eat this healthier version now, and show the deep-fried version some love on special occasions. 

I guess you really can have your zucchini and eat it too. 

Oven Fried Zucchini
Serves 1 very hungry person, but can easily be doubled or tripled for sharing

1 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup flour
1 to 1 1/2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
salt & pepper, to taste
PAM cooking spray
grated Parmesan cheese, to taste
1 giant wedge lemon, for serving

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. After slicing the zucchini, place the beaten egg, flour, and Panko breadcrumbs into 3 separate bowls and season each with salt and pepper. Coat each slice of zucchini lightly with flour, then egg, and then Panko breadcrumbs, making sure each coating sticks well. Spray a baking sheet well with the PAM cooking spray, then lay out the breadcrumb coated zucchini in an even layer. Evenly spray the tops of the zucchini with more cooking spray. Bake for about 25 minutes, flipping the zucchini halfway through to ensure even browning. When the zucchini is crispy and brown, remove from oven and sprinkle with the grated Parmesan cheese and the juice from the lemon wedge. Serve piping hot with tomato sauce or a mixture of mayonnaise, crushed garlic, and lemon juice for dipping.