cheeseburger in paradise

[thecomfychair]

So I have the house to myself for the next few weeks which means...I CAN TAKE OVER THE KITCHEN, YES. And I am slipping back into that funk where I'm only eating pasta and packaged dinners, which I know I has to stop, so

Comments

[snglesrvngfrend]

How do you feel about tofu/tempeh/other soy products? I have lots of good vegetarian recipes that use meat substitutes. Also some great gazpacho type soups that are delicious cold if it's summer where you are, like it is here :]

[thecomfychair]

YES, I am all over tofu and I have never tried tempeh but I am up for it. And any other product like that, actually! I need to expand my protein sources, tbh.

And it's 90+ in Michigan, so yeah, summer, I would LOVE some gazpacho recipes.

THANK YOU \o/

[snglesrvngfrend]

OK WHEW. Where do I start!

Well it's a little warm for it but I have an awesome chili recipe that is high fiber/low fat and is equally delicious with ground sirloin or soy crumbles (like Smart Ground or Morningstar or whatnot). You can find it here. I like my chili SPICY so I substitute one tablespoon of chili powder for a tablespoon of chipotle.

Risotto is something that I used to love to make for myself when I was single, because it's a one-pot dish, very filling, can be stretched into multiple meals, and you can pack it with vegetables. There's a great basic risotto recipe here; I've played around with it a lot.

Nice, cool soups are super easy if you have a good blender. One of my favorites is leek and potato. I don't have the link anymore so I'll just Cut and paste the recipe:

6 medium leeks (about 2 1/4 lbs), whites only, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise, cleaned
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth (I've made this with vegetable stock; it's still good)1 baking potato (8 ounces), peeled and

[thecomfychair]

OMG I LOVE YOU FOR THIS. I am so excited for these soups and the chili. And curry is my #1 favorite spice, so I am super excited about the carrot soup. Do you eat a lot of fake meat, out of curiosity? Because I was looking at making the chili for tomorrow, but have yet to find a "burger" crumble that isn't spongy when I cook it.

And I have to say thank you for the tempeh idea, I was getting so tired of black bean burgers and tofu. I made a tempeh burger yesterday and curry tempeh tonight and it was SO yummy (I like the slightly nutty flavor).

[snglesrvngfrend]

We eat a fair amount, especially in recipes that are big on flavor (like the chili and curry) so it's not necessary to have real meat for more flavor. For the chili I usually use Morningstar Grillers crumbles and yeah, they are a bit spongy but the chili is so beany that it works.

I'm glad you like the tempeh! Here's another idea for it, since you like curry: make the tempeh like before, and then add your favorite curry sauce, some pineapple chunks, onion, and mushroom. It makes a really really awesome "burger" where the sweetness of the pineapple mixes great with the spiciness of the curry, and the mushrooms and onion add extra flavor and texture. YUMMO!