Oh, hello vegan burgers that actually taste delicious! There is just so much goodness in these little patties, that even meat lovers will appreciate them too.
What I love about them:
1. They are high in fiber and protein.
2. They have a great texture (no falling apart or squeezing out of your bun when you take a bite)
3. They are easy to make. Just watch this short video recipe that I made for Poggio del Farro, a Tuscan farro producer.
Let’s chat about what’s inside:
Organic Whole Grain Spouted Einkorn Grains
Einkorn is one of the three types of farro grains:
Einkorn
Farro (also called Emmer)
Spelt
If you can’t find einkorn grains the other two can easily be substituted.
I used sprouted whole grain farro because they have more nutrients than regular whole grain farro. Here is an interesting article by Harvard Medical School for more on the sprouting process and health benefits.
Cannellini:
I love cannellini beans. You’ll find these white kidney beans in a lot of Italian recipes like minestrone or “pasta e fagioli” (pasta & bean dish). They are hearty with a mild taste and even help you to lose weight!On my way to dropping those last few baby pounds, hooray!
Beets:
Bring on the antioxidants, the bright color and the wonderful taste of beets! Mr. Italicano used to hate beets because he had only ever eaten them boiled—how boring! Then I introduced him to: beet soup, beetsalad, beet crepes, beet pasta and beet hummus. He’s now a super fan of this superfood. I can’t wait to make beet baby food for Baby Italicana in a few months. Oh man, it’s going to be fun to experiment. ❤
Speaking of little Pepper, for Easter we took her on a road trip to Tuscany where we rented a lovely airbnb in the hillsides overlooking Florence with our friends Mario, Monica and their 2 year old daughter, Agata. If the weather had been nice, we would have spent the entire trip hanging out by the pool and BBQ outside. It was only sunny the morning we were leaving. Ahh, that view!!! ❤❤❤
As luck would have it, it was windy and rainy so during the day we ventured out for a road trip to nearby Chianti (not bad for Plan B!) We drove along the Strada del Chianti which is a scenic road lined with cypress trees, vineyards and olive groves for as far as the eye can see. We stopped for lunch and went wine tasting at Badia Coltibuono , an organic wine producer located in an abbey built in 1051. Oh Italy, you and your amazing historic sites.
I love the idea that Mr. Italicano and I are sharing with Pepper our passions for traveling, adventure and new experiences. Not only are these moments great for us, but for an infant they are a huge opportunity to learn and grow. Monica told me that whenever they went away on a trip, Agataachieved some kind of new milestone when they got back. This proved to be true also for Baby Italicana. The following day, she laughed for the very first time!
And, so, I’ll leave you with this video that hopefully brings a smile to your face as it did ours.
Thank you for following me into the kitchen and with me in life. ❤ If you try these vegan sprouted einkorn burgers, snap a photo and tag Italicana Kitchen on social media or leave a comment below. I love hearing from you! Happy Cooking!
Vegan Sprouted Einkorn Burgers - Vegan or not, you will love these vegan sprouted einkorn burgers! They are packed with protein and made with delicious sprouted einkorn, beets and cannellini beans. Serve them on an artisan bun and top them with mashed avocado, lettuce and a soy yogurt and herb sauce!
Serves: 6 patties
Ingredients
For the Vegan Burgers:
1 cup (150g) sprouted einkorn grains (or farro or spelt grains)
3 cups water
2 tablespoons (32g) ground flax seeds
5 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 white onion, finely diced
1 cup (100g) raw walnuts
½ tablespoon (4g) chili powder
1 tablespoon (8g) paprika
1½ teaspoon salt and a few cracks of black pepper, plus more for coating burgers
1½ cups (150g) rolled oats
2 cooked beets (250g)
1¼ cups (230g) cooked cannellini beans (weight of the drained beans if using canned)
2 tablespoons chopped chives
Bun and toppings:
6 bakery hamburger buns
2-3 avocados, pit and skin removed and mashed
Mixed salad
For the Vegan Yogurt Sauce:
1 cup soy yogurt
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped chives
Pinch of salt and a few good cracks of freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Add the sprouted einkorn to a pot. Cook according to package directions.
In a small bowl, add the ground flax seeds and water. Stir and set aside.
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a pan, add the onions. Cook for 5-6 minutes until translucent but not brown.
Add the walnuts, chili powder, paprika, salt and rolled oats to the food processor. Blend for 1 minute until all the ingredients are well chopped. Pour this mixture into a large bowl.
When the einkorn is ready, drain, then add it to the food processor along with the cooked beets and cannellini beans. Mix for 1 minute until combined.
Add the einkorn/beet mixture to the bowl with the rolled oats. Add the flaxseed mixture and stir all of the ingredients together with a wooden spoon. If the mixture seems too sticky, blend ½ cup more oats and add it to the mixture (you could also use bread crumbs).
Divide the mixture into patties the size of your buns. (It will make 6 large patties). Sprinkle on top salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to a large skillet, wait until the oil is hot, then add 3-5 patties to the skillet. Let the patties cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. If they are starting to brown too quickly, lower the heat. Carefully flip the vegan burgers and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
In the meantime, make the vegan yogurt sauce: add the soy yogurt, parsley, chives, salt and pepper to a small bowl. Stir well and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
To plate: toast the buns, spread some of the mashed avocado on the bottom of the bun. Top with the vegan burger, a dollop of vegan yogurt, some salad and the top part of the bun. Enjoy!
This is a great make-ahead recipe. Prepare the patties and yogurt sauce ahead and store in the refrigerator, then cook the patties and serve with the rest of the condiments when ready to eat.
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I made this recipe for Poggio del Farro . Although we often collaborate with this company, this specific recipe is not sponsored by them.
It’s a sunny :: soleggiante February Monday morning in Rome, but I am in an over air-conditioned Italian TV studio. I find my hands shaking and my stomach fluttering with butterflies as my lips tremble in an awkward, unnatural smile towards the various cameras pointing at my caked on make-up face. Why am I so nervous to return on the La Prova del Cuoco? I was on this live Italian TV show for an entire week in September. Get it together, Cindy. I tell myself.
I woke up at 4:30a.m. with a startling nightmare: I was watching myself on stage, my mouth was opening but no words in Italian would flow out. I’m still tired even after having drunk three espressos; that wasn’t the best idea, I feel jittery :: agitata. Stay calm, Cindy. Stay calm and breath. The show is about to start. I squint my eyes at the bright lights and try to hold my lips wide so they don’t noticeably shake. My eyes are becoming irritated—too much eyeliner and mascara. I hate TV make-up. All of Italy is about to watch me, criticize my thick American accent and grammatical mistakes and judge my every move as well as my recipe choice. Oh, God. Why did I choose to make Salmon Wraps with Kale Chips? They’re absolutely delicious…but no match for my competitor’s dish…mouthwatering Phad Thai. I would vote for her dish….I love Phad Thai. I mean really really love Phad Thai. It’s the first thing I eat when I go back to America to visit family and friends. Oh man, I’m going to get schooled. I place my hands on the counter, trying to appear relaxed as I wait for Antonella Clerici, one of Italy’s most famous presenters, to introduce me to the home audience.
My knees begin to shake :: tremare. I already know I’ve lost. Don’t be melodramatic, Cindy. It doesn’t matter who wins or loses, you’re on the most popular Italian television cooking show! That in itself is quite an accomplishment that most new bloggers don’t get. My inner positive voice says trying to cheer me up, but it’s a little too late; I’ve lost my focus. All the questions and key phrases I rehearsed the days before disappear. All of my reminders of talking slow, giving short responses and communicating interesting information get disregarded like streamers after a party—stuffed in bag and thrown in the trash, never to be seen again.
So I do what I do best when I’m nervous: talk too much and extremely fast. Actually, I do that normally; I am quite the chatterbox :: chiacchierona. Yet, this time on TV, it wasn’t just chatterbox Cindy, but turbo speed Cindy….in Italian. Oh dear. Poor poor home audience, I feel sorry for you.
Long story short: I didn’t do my best, I lost the competition, and I self pitied myself for half a day lounging around the house in pajamas eating Nutella on toast and watching funny American sitcoms; then I got over it. Don’t get me wrong, losing sucks; but, that wasn’t the cause for my downer mood. Losing is part of the game, any former athlete knows this. The thing that stings my pride is that I know that I didn’t domy best.Regardless if the judges :: giudici liked my recipe, I know I could have expressed myself better in Italian on live TV. On a positive note, I now know what to work on, and this experience will only make me a better on-camera presenter.
Plus, I can’t complain, there were many other exceptional things that came out of the day: I met two amazing and talented bloggers, Vatinee Suvimol, my competitor and blogger at A Thai Pianistand Natalia Cattelani, one of the judges and blogger at Tempo di Cottura; I got to cook again with the sensational Antonella Clerici; I worked with the wonderful staff on the show (thank you Valeria and Nicoletta) and I got to hang out with my two girlfriends photographer Michelle Aschbacher and life style blogger Sara Whitewho are expats like me and live in Rome. Talking of amazing gals, Vatinee also introduced me to an incredible group of new girlfriends, Le Bloggalline, a group of over 400 women food bloggers who got each others backs. I am still overwhelmed with gratitude on all of the sweet and kind messages many of them left me. Women are the salt of the earth. A big thanks to everyone who voted and supported me.
Although, these salmon wraps didn’t win on La Prova del Cuoco, they are still winners in my mind. This recipe showcases a lighter version of some of my favorite Pacific Northwest flavors: salmon and tartar sauce. I despise mayonnaise so I’ve lightened it up by using greek yogurt. Sitting on a bed of spinach and cuddled by some avocado slices is a delicious herb-rubbed salmon topped with crunchy almond slivers for a delicious and satisfying good ol’ American wrap.
These salmon wraps are light, flavorful and simple to prepare. Eat them on the go for lunch with some crispy kale chips or serve them with a side salad for a healthy dinner.
Serves: 2
Ingredients
For the salmon:
2 fillets of salmon (about 6 ounces (175g) each)
Extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
½ tablespoon of lemon zest
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
½ clove garlic, finely chopped
For the greek yogurt sauce:
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
6 tablespoons greek yogurt
½ tablespoon capers, desalinated
¼ lemon, juiced
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Other ingredients:
2 tortillas
½ ripe avocado
2 handfuls of fresh baby spinach
Extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Put the salmon fillet on top and drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil. Put all the rest of the ingredients together in a bowl, mix and spread on top of the salmon fillet. Bake for around 8-12 minutes.
In the meantime, put all the ingredients for the greek yogurt together in a bowl. Mix and set aside.
Toss the spinach with a little extra virgin olive oil.
Heat the tortilla in a medium sized pan for a few seconds then remove and set on two plates. Divide the spinach mixture between the two tortillas and divide the salmon and sauce. Wrap the tortilla like a burrito. Enjoy.
There is probably nothing more comforting than the first bite of a hot grilled cheese sandwich; melted cheese enclosed in buttery toasted bread is enough to make me go weak in the knees :: ginocchia.
Perfect for when you want to liven up the classic grilled cheese sandwich.
To appease my tastebuds and health conscience, I’ve added a few more flavor combinations and nutrients to create a veggie-packed balanced meal. Even if your not a big onion :: cipolla fan, these ones caramelized in balsamic vinegar, or as the say in Italian, aceto balsamico, are robust in flavor and are surely able to convert even the most timid. The rest of the veggie filling, including chard, tomato and basil, complete the fresh food experience. Then of course there is the cheese :: formaggio. Cheeessseeee. Such a dreamy word that just by saying it, my mouth is already watering. I’ve used two types of cheese, but feel free to substitute with whatever you have in the fridge :: frigo.
This adult grilled cheese sandwich is packed with savoury veggies and melted cheese.
Living in Italy for almost five years, I have become fascinated by the entomology of words, especially foreign words and how they become commonly used in other languages :: lingue. I find it quite amusing that in the the Italian language some words are translated while others retain the English words or even become modified in significance. “Computer” and “mouse” are two commonly used English words that have entered into the vocabulary of Italians; however, the word “keyboard” has been translated to “tastiera”. The reason behind this, I do not know. Why not keep all the words in English or simply translate them all to Italian? Surely, some gnome lexicographer with a big bushy beard gets a kick out of making life hell for foreign language learners like myself. I can just imagine his kiddish laugh :: risata as he jumps up and down in a giddy state while he picks which words remain in English and which are translated. Little punk.
This chard and caramelized balsamic onion grilled cheese sandwich is an instant crowd pleaser.
And, then there are words that are retained in English but whose contextual meaning has been modified. Take the word “toast,” for example. Only this morning did I have a lovely debate with my Italian husband :: marito over the word. I asked him if he wanted a piece of toast in Italian and he asked me why I as offering him a piece of toasted bread. “Toast,” he said, “is two pieces of toasted bread with cheese and ham inside.” What the what? Italians use our English word and then change the meaning entirely? I need to be on the look out for these words; otherwise, who knows in the future when an English word like “grateful” could be modified by the Italians to mean “pig’s head.” Yah, that might just make for quite an embarrassing moment…So back to the important task at hand, food…and specifically these Swiss Chard and Caramelized Balsamic Onion Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. These make the best lunch when you need something simple to make but want to impress your guests. Pare them with potato chips or a roasted tomato soup.
This gourmet grilled cheese sandwich pares perfectly with potato chips or a roasted tomato soup.
A grilled cheese sandwich is such a simple, yet truly satisfying food. It brings me back to childhood memories. Ah, the good carefree days when my biggest worries in the world was what games to play :: giocare. Now, at 30, I still yearn to be reminded of these moments, it’s truly the simple things in life that are the most important, after all. What are the memories that this classic sandwich bring back for you?
Turn your ordinary lunch into a mouthwatering meal with this Gourmet Grilled Cheese Sandwich; made with sautéed chard, caramelized balsamic onions and melted cheese, this an irresistible version on the classic sandwich we all love.
Serves: 2
Ingredients
For the caramelized balsamic onions:
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
2 pinches of salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
For the grilled cheese:
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 swiss chard leaves, coarsely chopped
Salt and pepper, as needed
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
4 slices bread (I used a type of crusty Ciabatta bread)
4 thin slices aged pecorino cheese (or any hard white cheese)
4 thin slices cheddar cheese
5 Datterini tomatoes or 1 tomato, sliced
¼ cup fresh basil
Instructions
For the caramelized balsamic onions:
1. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions, salt and pepper and saute’, stirring occasionally for 5-10 minutes until the onions are soft.
2. Add the sugar and continue cooking for 5 more minutes.
3. Add the balsamic vinegar and turn the heat to low. Continue cooking the onions and stirring occasionally, about 15-20 minutes until the balsamic vinegar is reduced and not runny.
For the grilled cheese:
1. Sauté the chard leaves in two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the chard leaves are very soft. Salt and pepper to taste.
2. Butter all four slices of bread on one side.
3. Take one piece of bread and place butter side down into the a large sauté pan. Stack with two slices of pecorino cheese, half the tomato slices, half the caramelized onion, half the sautéed chard, two slices of cheddar cheese and half the basil. Place the other half of bread on top, butter side up. Repeat the process for the second grilled cheese sandwich.
4. Turn the heat on to medium and toast until the bread is golden and the cheese is melted. Flip the sandwich to the opposite side until the bread is toasted as well. Cut in half and serve immediately.
Oh, hello vegan burgers that actually taste delicious! There is just so much goodness in these little patties, that even meat lovers will appreciate them too.
Speaking of little Pepper, for Easter we took her on a road trip to Tuscany where we rented a lovely airbnb in the hillsides overlooking Florence with our friends Mario, Monica and their 2 year old daughter, Agata. If the weather had been nice, we would have spent the entire trip hanging out by the pool and BBQ outside. It was only sunny the morning we were leaving. Ahh, that view!!! ❤ ❤ ❤ 
As luck would have it, it was windy and rainy so during the day we ventured out for a road trip to nearby Chianti (not bad for Plan B!) We drove along the Strada del Chianti which is a scenic road lined with cypress trees, vineyards and olive groves for as far as the eye can see. We stopped for lunch and went wine tasting at Badia Coltibuono , an organic wine producer located in an abbey built in 1051. Oh Italy, you and your amazing historic sites. 
