A basket of burger and fries is a classic American meal; yet, for those who are health conscience, vegetarian or vegan :: vegano it doesn’t mean you have to miss out. These mini lentil and chickpea burgers are so good that even meat eaters will love them.
Hamburgers aren’t about tasting the meat; if you wanted to do that, you would eat a steak :: bistecca or just the patty. The star of hamburgers are the toppings and sauces: crisp iceberg lettuce, juicy red tomatoes and mustard, ketchup or mayo slathered on top—and this is just the most basic. Nowadays consumers want more complex flavor options on their hamburgers and veggie burgers like caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, spicy jalapeños, buttery avocado or foreign cheeses like Gorgonzola, Parmigiano Reggiano or Gruyere.
Lentils and chickpeas :: ceci are the perfect substitution for a meat patty. Not only do they have a subtle flavor that won’t overwhelm the other toppings, but they also have a perfect texture that is soft when bitten into, yet doesn’t fall apart on the bun.
In addition to the toppings listed above, other great healthy options are:
These vegetarian and vegan mini lentil and chickpea burgers are so good that even meat eaters will love them!
Serves: Makes 18 mini patties; serves 4-6 people
Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stick, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2-3 tablespoons water
One 410g (240g) can of lentils (1½ cups), drained and rinsed
Two 300g (220g) cans chickpeas (2½ cups), drained and rinsed
½ cup (50g) rolled oats
½ cup (60g) bread crumbs
18 mini hamburger buns
Instructions
Heat oil in a skillet over medium eat then ad the garlic and onion, cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the carrot, celery, salt, pepper and water. Cook until the vegetables are soft and the water has absorbed, about 5-6 minutes.
Pour the mixture into a blender or food processor and add the lentils and chickpeas. Blend until combined. Add the oats and blend for another minute.
Pour the mixture into a bowl and stir in the bread crumbs. Form into 18 mini patties. You can either heat the patties in the skillet until the patties are warm or add ½ tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and then cook the patties so they brown on either side; about 3-4 minutes per side.
Cut the mini hamburger buns in half and heat them in the oven. Serve the mini lentil and chickpea burgers with toppings and sauces of choice.
Every since I have been making homemade bread :: pane fatto in casa I have been on a dip, spread, pesto and hummus craze. Recently I’ve made a delicious thick kale pesto, roastedbeet sauce, olive hummus and last but not least, this white bean hummus—all such good options to slather on my hot freshly toasted bread.
I don’t know how I’ve been living in Italy without a toaster :: tostapane for these past six years. I usually stick the slices on a skillet or lay them on a cookie sheet and toast them in the oven, but that is a lot of extra work in the morning especially if I am in a rush and need to head out the door. And let’s be honest, I’d rather sleep those extra 10 minutes than make toast; even if it is so good with a big spoonful of all-natural peanut butter spread on top…..*Sigh.*
You can imagine how excited I was then when Smeg sent me a toaster from their new line of 1950’s style appliances. Why get so giddy over a toaster? 1) Because I already have a Smeg fridge and oven that I absolutely love. 2) Now I can easily and quickly eat toast in the morning and for snacks! 3) I love.love.love. the design. Who says that about a toaster? However, look at it. It’s just too cute, how could you not?
I was in the mood for ease and simplicity when I made this hummus but you can also roast your garlic :: aglio in the oven to give it a special twist. I honestly couldn’t be bothered, as you might have guessed I was a bit too excited to try out my toaster and wanted this white bean hummus pronto! 🙂
This white bean hummus can be whipped up in 5 minutes and is the perfect healthy mid-day snack or appetizer.
Serves: 2-4
Ingredients
One 14 ounce (400g) can canned cannellini, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon tahini
1 clove garlic
3-4 dashes paprika
2 squeezes of lemon
Instructions
Blend the cannellini beans and extra virgin olive oil in a food processor. Add the tahini, garlic, paprika and lemon. To serve, add more extra virgin olive oil and paprika on top for garnish and chopped basil or parsley if desired. Serve with crackers, pita chips or homemade toasted bread. Store the hummus in the refrigerator.
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Note: This post is not paid by Smeg. They were kind to send me the toaster, but I only support the companies I believe in and the products I love and would use myself.
Mr. Italicano and I eat a lot of whole grains like Kamut®, couscous, farro, quinoa, miglio etc. Although quite boring and bland :: insipido on their own, like pasta, one of the best ways to serve these dishes is with varied and flavorful homemade sauces. Last week I made a delicious kale pesto, this week I wanted to experiment with another seasonal produce, and thusly chose beets.
Unfortunately, there is one vegetable that Mr. Italicano doesn’t like. Yup, you guessed it: beets! I, however, love them. I have fond memories in the vegetable garden :: orto with my mother as a child carefully using the small hand shovel to loosen the dirt before pulling the bright green stems with both hands to reveal the giant red treasure. Even if I had already pulled 10 in a row, unearthing a beet was like opening a gift—each time there was an element of surprise of what Mother Nature has given you.
I bought two beets and gave myself a challenge; I wanted to see if I could prepare them in a way that Mr. Italicano could appreciate them as well. I took on the clever tactic that many parents do with their children :: bambini: blend the vegetable up, mix it in a dish and whatever you do, don’t reveal it’s contents. It worked! I served the beet sauce mixed into farro and topped with roasted carrots. Mr. Italicano raved about how good it was. Later on that week, I used it on top of rice cakes. Yum.
Since this roasted beet sauce is so versatile you can easily add it to many recipes or eat it plain as a dip with raw vegetables ::verdure crude or pita chips. Enjoy!
This beet sauce is perfect as a quick and healthy appetizer served with raw vegetables and crackers or as a tasty sauce added to grains like farro, Kamut®, millet, quinoa or couscous.
Serves: Around 2 cups
Ingredients
7oz (200g) feta
1 pound beets (1 large beet or two small ones)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 squeeze of a lemon
1 pinch of salt
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°).
Wash the beets well and wrap each one in a piece of aluminum foil. Place on a cookie sheet with raised lips or in a baking dish in case the liquid drizzles out.
Cook for 50-60 minutes, opening the foil and checking half way through. The cooking time will depend on the size of the beets.
The beets are ready when you can easily poke a fork in the center. Let them cool slightly then use a paper towel to rub the skin off. If the skin is not easily coming off, put the beets back in the oven for a few minutes.
After the skin has been removed, blend all of the ingredients together and serve as a spread with raw vegetables and crackers or as a sauce mixed into grains like farro, Kamut®, couscous, millet, quinoa etc. For alternative flavor options you could also add to the recipe above: ½ tablespoon apple vinegar or ¼ teaspoon grated ginger or 1 clove garlic. Store in the refrigerator and consume within 3-4 days.
Happy Halloween! To celebrate I made an eerie olive hummus that is perfect for your Halloween parties. Using just ten ingredients that you probably already have in the pantry :: dispensa, you can whip up this appetizer in just 10 minutes. I served this hummus with a homemade whole grain bread that actually looked like a mummy after I sliced it, so I added the eyes. What a coincidence! This olive hummus is also great with pita chips, crackers or raw vegetables.
Unfortunately here in Italy, Halloween is not celebrated like it is back in the states. In recent years there have been some costume parties in some bars or trick or treating for kids at stores (they usually don’t go house to house), but nothing like the grand Halloween theme parks, haunted houses ::lecase stregate, apple bobbing, decorations, pumpkin carving and costume parties that I grew up with.
Fear not; if you live in Italy, you are not deprived of a costume festivity for Italians celebrate Carnevale :: Carnival, a multiple day festivity that takes place in February. All around Italy, and especially Venice, there are street parades, masquerade balls, and large street parties. If you are planning a trip to Italy in February, it is definitely a tourist highlight. If you’ve already been to carneval in Italy, what did you think of this festivity? Did you like it more than Halloween?
This scary olive hummus with a spider and web is perfect for your Halloween parties, especially since you can whip it up in just 10 minutes!
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
3 tablespoons (40g) tahini
1 small lemon, juiced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
One 15-ounce can (425g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
½ cup (90g) black olives
4 tbsp water
Greek yogurt, as needed (optional)
3 olives (optional, for the spider)
Instructions
In a food processor, add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, salt and cumin. Blend for 1 minute.
Add half of the chickpeas and blend for 30 seconds, then add the other half along with the olives.
While the food processor is continuing to blend on low, add one tablespoon of water at a time until the mixture is homogeneous and creamy. I used 4 tablespoons, you may want more or less.
To create the spider web, fill a pastry sack with some Greek yogurt and draw the web like the photo.
For the spider, cut an olive in half lengthwise. Cut the other half of the olive in four legs. Cut the second olive in half lengthwise and cut four legs. For the head, cut an olive in half widthwise.
This kale pesto is packed with flavor, loaded with nutritional benefits and tastes a.m.a.z.i.n.g. Mr. Italicano devoured this rich thick pesto as quickly as he did with the kale chipsthat I made last week.
There are many ways you can serve this kale pesto:
with toasted whole wheat pita chips or crackers
as a spread in a sandwich with mozzarella and smashed white beans
alongside fish :: pesce
mixed into whole grains and cereals like farro, millet, bulgur or couscous
mix into whole wheat pasta or used as a layer in vegetable lasagna
I used it the other night with a simple wild caught sesame salmon recipe. For the millet:: miglio I just cooked 1/2 cup millet with 1 cup water, covered on low heat for about 15 minutes. When the water was absorbed I added 1/4 teaspoon dried cilantro, salt and pepper to taste, a few dashes of paprika and a splash of extra virgin olive oil. I used a round pastry cutter to give it its shape and topped it with the kale pesto. Simple yet elegant.
As you can see this is a very dense :: denso pesto. If you prefer a more runnier texture, simple add more extra virgin olive oil until arriving at the consistency desired.
This kale pesto is packed with flavor, loaded with nutritional benefits and can be used in a number of healthy recipes.
Serves: 1 jar
Ingredients
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 clove garlic, finely sliced
14 oz (300g) kale, cleaned well, stems removed and finely chopped
¼ teaspoon ginger
1 squeeze of 1 slice of lemon
¼ teaspoon finely chopped red hot pepper
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
In a medium skillet, add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and sautè the garlic over low heat until it just barely begins to turn color; 1-2 minutes. Don’t let it brown completely.
Add the kale, ginger, lemon juice, red hot pepper, salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Stir until combined then cover for 1-2 minutes until the kale has wilted.
Put the mixture into a blender or use a hand held mixer, add 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and blend until smooth. Adjust the quantity of olive oil to the consistency you want, more oil will be a runny pesto, less oil will be more dense like the photo above.
A basket of burger and fries is a classic American meal; yet, for those who are health conscience, vegetarian or vegan :: vegano it doesn’t mean you have to miss out. These mini lentil and chickpea burgers are so good that even meat eaters will love them.
Hamburgers aren’t about tasting the meat; if you wanted to do that, you would eat a steak :: bistecca or just the patty. The star of hamburgers are the toppings and sauces: crisp iceberg lettuce, juicy red tomatoes and mustard, ketchup or mayo slathered on top—and this is just the most basic. Nowadays consumers want more complex flavor options on their hamburgers and veggie burgers like caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, spicy jalapeños, buttery avocado or foreign cheeses like Gorgonzola, Parmigiano Reggiano or Gruyere.
Lentils and chickpeas :: ceci are the perfect substitution for a meat patty. Not only do they have a subtle flavor that won’t overwhelm the other toppings, but they also have a perfect texture that is soft when bitten into, yet doesn’t fall apart on the bun.
In addition to the toppings listed above, other great healthy options are:
