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.
Hey friends! Thank you so much for your comments, emails and messages to my and Mr. Italicano’s baby announcement last week! We are over the moon about becoming parents and starting this new beautiful, challenging and rewarding adventure. First let’s talk about this amazing beet hummus recipe that has been rocking my world lately, and for those of you who aren’t interested in all the intimate pregnancy details you can then skip to the written recipe below {I definitely don’t want to bore you!} For all of you who want the in’s and out’s about my growing belly and Baby Italicano/a’s first sailing adventure last weekend, you’ll find that in the second part of the post. ❤
Video Recipe
This video was made in collaboration with Smeg. I created the recipe, photos and video—which you can also find on their website along with many other delicious homemade recipes. The writing and opinions are my own.
2. I’m able to benefit from all the health benefits of beets like cancer fighting antioxidants, anti-aging properties and boosting my stamina (which is great because I find with the summer heat and being pregnant even climbing stairs make me tired!)
3. I can whip up a vegetarian, gluten-free,vegan-friendly,dairy-free appetizer in a matter of minutes to serve at dinner parties and please a large group of friends who have different eating restrictions. Plus, appetizer boards are one of the prettiest things ever! Just be sure if you have gluten free friends, divide the hummus into two bowls and keep one for the veggies and on another board put the bread/crackers to avoid someone dipping their cracker inside and contaminating the spread. Little chalkboard signs are also a good idea as a little reminder.
Ready to try this delicious beet hummus? Scroll down to the recipe.
Now onto baby news….❤
17 Week Pregnancy Update
How Big is Baby Italicano/a?
Baby Italicano/a is the size of a pomegranate!
It seems so surreal to have a baby this size in my belly. I still can’t feel this little pomegranate, but I had a doctor’s visit and my obstetrician said I would start to feel baby’s first movements in about three weeks. I can’t wait! Although, if he/she is anything like me when I was little, my tummy is going to get some wild kicks. When I was a kid none of my friends wanted to sleep in the same bed as me, I was an active sleeper and usually kicked them before the night was through. Luckily for Mr. Italicano, I’ve become a calmer sleeper and he doesn’t get any rude awakenings (unless constantly stealing the covers and hogging the entire bed count? Oh, how he supports me. ❤ )
How Big is Mamma?
So, I was really quite lazy the first 4 months about taking photos. I only took one about a month after I found out I was pregnant. Here it is:
Now that I’m seeing differences weekly, I want to document my expanding belly! Here’s me at 16 weeks.
And, yesterday, at the start of 17 weeks.
This is the last week of 4 months and next week I’m be officially starting five months! Nine months is a long time, but man is it flying by!!
Baby Italicano/a’s First Sailing Adventure
Every since Mr. Italicano got his sailing license two years ago, we’ve been taking every chance we can get to explore the Mediterranean Sea. We’ve been to Greek Islands and various coastal ports, towns and islands in Italy. This past weekend we went sailing around Elba Islandwhere we recently unplugged for a truly relaxing weekend.
So, you would think that I would be ecstatic about this weekend sailing getaway! I mean, if there is some kind of outdoor activity and new location involved, I am in heaven. I consider myself an adventure-seeking soul and love exploring new places and countries. In 2008, I even took a 10 month around-the-world trip, backpacking to over 13 countries while sharing my journey and experiences on a travel blog. From riding elephants in the jungles in Asia to hiking the Himalayas in India, I pushed myself to live life at full momentum and without fear.
Yet, as I stood on the dock looking at the passerella, or gangplank, that separated myself from the boat and solid land, a million fears popped in my head as I watched a friend cross the wobbly wooden board in front of me. What if I lose my balance and fall in the water? Or worse, what if I slip and fall on the slippery boat floor when we start to sail and…*gulp*… I lose my baby?
Fear.
Lot’s of it.
Rushed through every cell in my body.
I’ve already taken on the responsibilities of becoming a mom in the past 4 months as I’ve made many sacrifices for my sweet pea on what I eat and drink. I’m extremely, and at times excessively, strict. Yet, this is the first time I’ve ever felt the panic-mode that I’m sure most parents experience when they realize how many dangers there are in the world and all they want to do is keep their child safe.
As I watched others climb aboard, I took a deep breath and let logic take over. Nothing in this world is ever “safe”, the worst can always happen. On the contrary, the “best” can happen too, like enjoying a relaxing weekend with friends, cuddling with Mr. Italicano under the stars, feeling the wind on my face, letting Baby Italicano/a be kissed by the sun and cooled by the salty sea.
I don’t want to miss out on life’s beautiful moments because I’m afraid something bad will happen, yet, I can’t be reckless either. There is a little human growing in my body that I need to take care of and protect. So I gave my self some rules.
How to Sail Safely in Your Second Trimester
1. Let people help. Instead of being the independent-do-it-all that I normally am. Before I walked across that wobbly wooden plank, I passed my heavy bags to my friend Sara, and then took her hand as she helped me across. I felt like a little old lady, but that’s fine. 🙂
2. Minimize movements around the boat. I would find myself a comfy spot and stay there, especially when the boat was in movement. If I absolutely had to move around I made sure that I always had a tight grip on something in case the boat jerked unexpectedly.
3. Act like a pregnant lady. Use your get-out-of-work pregnancy card. At first, I felt guilty not being the proactive helper on the boat when there was something to do. It’s not that I didn’t do anything, but I limited activities when the boat was anchored or when we were in port, like cooking or washing dishes. As for helping with setting sail and mooring I simply let others do it so I wouldn’t risk rushing up and down the boat and potentially falling.
In the end, pushing the fear aside and taking extra precautions allowed mamma and Baby Italicano/a to have a good time.❤Oh, and my favorite part? The hammock on the sail boat! What a genius idea.❤
Where is Baby Italicano/a off to next? Today we’ll leave again for Tuscany, but this time for the hillsides where we’ll meet our client Poggio del Farroto have him taste some products I’m developing for his company that will appear soon on supermarket shelves (umm, how exciting!!) and to see the farro harvest firsthand. I’ll be posting videos and photos on Facebook andInstagramor you can check back next Thursday here for the highlights on the blog.
Hope you all are enjoying your summer. Hugs from Mrs. Italicana, Mr. Italicano and Baby Italicano/a! ❤
This beet hummus is the perfect vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan-friendly, dairy-free appetizer that you can whip up in a matter of minutes to serve at dinner parties and please a large group of friends who have different eating restrictions. Put a spin on the classic hummus dish by adding color, flavor and healthy beet nutrients.
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
For the hummus:
½ cup water
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon tahini
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic
1 small cooked beet (100g)
1½ cups (260g) cooked chickpeas
For the toppings:
Extra virgin olive oil
Poppy seeds
Chia seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Thyme
Bread and/or Crackers
Raw vegetables
Instructions
Put all ingredients for the hummus in the blender in the order given. Blend until smooth, adding more water or lemon juice if needed to arrive at your desired consistency.
Scrape the hummus into a bowl, use a spoon to make a swirl on top and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with poppy seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds and thyme. Serve with toasted bread, crackers and/or raw vegetables. Enjoy!
Notes
If you have gluten free friends, divide the hummus into two bowls and keep one for the veggies and on another board put the bread/crackers to avoid someone dipping their cracker inside and contaminating the spread. Little chalkboard signs are a good idea as a little reminder.
Oh, how I’ve missed you! While Mr. Italicano and I were on my west coast food tour we spent most of a month eating out. On one hand I was excited and delighted to try new restaurants :: ristoranti in San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver; on the other hand, I was itching to get back in my kitchen in Italy to create new healthy recipes made from fresh seasonal vegetables from my local farmer’s market.
And, that’s exactly what we did.
The day after we got back to Italy, we headed out to the farmer’s market and loaded up on fresh fish, vegetables and fruit. For our first lunch I made a simple green salad loaded with succulent Sicilian blood oranges, chia seeds, feta and walnuts; this roasted broccoli and cauliflower dish with grated ginger and zested lemon and a big bowl of paccheri pasta with calamaretti :: baby squid, that I seasoned with Parmigiano Reggiano, extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest and some salt and pepper. These vegetarian and pescatarian recipes were so quick and simple to make and were packed with wholesome goodness.
One of the biggest problems about eating out in America is that is EXPENSIVE TO EAT WELL! For a fast food meal made with refined flour, sugars and GMO ingredients, you can spend under $15 for two. If you go to a mid-range chain restaurant with even nice decor and great service, commonly you’ll still pretty much get the same quality but spend over $60 for two dishes and drinks (taxes and tip included). Both options left us unsatisfied with the quality of our food, but more importantly put the quality of our health at risk :: rischio! We went to these places a few times out of convenience, and after having eaten both Mr. Italicano and I felt sluggish, not mentally alert, bloated and scandalized on how much we spent. I’m convinced that if we’d had continue to eat this way for a month, we would have even gained a substantial amount of weight. #notcool. So our solution to getting around eating bad while traveling was this: BREAKFAST: we snacked on fruit :: frutta, nuts, protein bars (being sure to find ones with clean labels), dark chocolate, tea and coffee. We did our shopping at a supermarket (I recommend Trader Joe’s) and we ate in our hotel or on the road when we were traveling. We spent $7-8 for two instead of $23-25 and we knew exactly what we were eating. LUNCH: more snacks or leftovers :: avanzi from my cooking shows. DINNER: we almost always went to a nice restaurant with high quality food (ATTENTION: we didn’t just choose a place based on how cute the decor it was but used online reviews specifically for the quality :: qualità). These places were usually quite expensive. A dinner for two with drinks ran from $110-140 (with taxes and tip). It seems like a lot, but if you do the math, we ended up spending the same amount per day as we would have for three mediocre meals eating out, but we ate better quality food and we felt better too.
Now back in my kitchen :: cucina, I’m excited to be developing more recipes to give you more ideas on how to cook healthy and simple recipes that you can feel good about eating, like this roasted broccoli and cauliflower dish. If you have any leftovers just toss them into a salad, add some beans, lentils or tuna for a main coarse or chop them up finely and add them to scrambled eggs.
Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower with Lemon & Ginger
This recipe for roasted broccoli and cauliflower with lemon and ginger is great to eat as a side dish, tossed into a green salad, mixed with grains, lentils or tuna or cut up finely and mixed into a scrambled egg. It's a healthy dish that is quick to make and loaded with nutrients.
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon grated ginger
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). On a rimmed baking sheet, toss together the broccoli, cauliflower, extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, grated ginger, salt and black pepper until well coated. Evenly distribute the vegetables on the sheet and roast until tender and slightly browned; 20-30 minutes.
Living abroad in Italy is exciting and exhilarating. I met Mr. Italicano here. I have made extraordinary friends here. I started my business while living here. I love the challenges and adventure that each new day brings while living in il bel paese. I am grateful and I am thankful each day, yet…I miss Thanksgiving!
I miss the smells from the kitchen mingling with the sweet candles burning. I miss the chaotic sounds that fill the house: the clinking and clanking in the kitchen, kids laughter in the play room and lively shouts coming from the living room after a touchdown.
One of my favorite Thanksgiving Day foods of all time is thisCONTINUE READING
I absolutely adore hummus. It’s one of my favorite go-to recipes when I entertain guests as it’s the perfect appetizer for everyone: vegans, vegetarians, non vegetarians, lactose intolerant, gluten-free.
I also love having it in my fridge for a healthy snack or to garnish my dishes to instantly add a good source of vegetable protein :: proteina vegetale and fiber. In short, hummus rocks.
The word hummus is an Arabic word meaning “chickpea.”Do you know how to pronounce “chickpea” in Italian?Test your knowlege or learn a new word by watching this short video: CONTINUATE A LEGGERE
The market was alive with commotion as the fruttivendoli :: fruit & vegetable vendors yelled out prices of their fresh produce. I took a paper ticket from the little red machine that orderly tamed the mobs of people that crowded around the plump artichokes, sun kissed oranges and leafy vegetables. As I waited for my number to be called out, my eyes roamed across the multitude of plastic containers piled high with bright colored fruits and vegetables stopping at last on a bunch of green grass.
“Che cos’è?” :: “What is it?” I asked an elderly woman standing next to me while pointing to the grassy vegetable.
“Agretti,” the woman replied. Also known in English as Salsola Soda or Opposite-Leaved Saltwort. (Agretti is pronounced as “Ah, gret, tee”)
The elderly woman continued to recount :: raccontare a simple recipe.
“First you chop of the roots, wash them well then boil them for about five to ten minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to keep the Agretti green then mix with lemon juice and olive oil.”
“Sounds delicious,” I thought to myself. “I have to try it.”
When I returned home, my curiosity :: curiosità got the best of me and at 10:00a.m. I was already in the kitchen cooking up this new and intriguing vegetable.
While some women :: donne get their high off of buying the latest pair of Jimmy Choo shoes, for me, I indulge in exotic produce. Is that lame or cool? I’m really not sure…
Agretti is also known as barba di frate, which can be translated to monks beard in English. What a weird name :: nome. Although when picked, they do resemble a bushy beard and monks typically did have vegetable gardens so I can presume where the name derived from.
In less then 15 minutes the bright green dish was ready. Talk about a great side for entertaining guests. As you may have already noticed :: notato, I speak often about recipes for large groups. One of my favorite things to do is host fuss-free dinner parties with high quality food.
Agretti is great served on a small dish or under a bed of fish like in my Striped Red Mullet recipe to give a dash of elegance :: eleganza.
What does agretti taste like? Certainty not like grass :: erba. I would say it greatly resembles the sharpness of spinach and when mixed with lemon and extra virgin olive oil it is quite refreshing.
If you need help getting your kids :: bambini to eat their vegetables, just add a face to a fork and let them create different hairstyles.
You don’t have to tell them that agretti is a super healthy vegetable that is full of vitamin A, iron and calcium. Who would have thought that eating your vegetables could be so much fun :: divertente!
*If your kids are young, attach the face to the stem of the fork so there is no risk that they eat the paper.
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Bring a large pot of water to boil, add the course salt then the agretti. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until tender. Drain then combine with lemon juice and olive oil. Serve warm or cold.
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. 
Hey friends! Thank you so much for your comments, emails and messages to my and Mr. Italicano’s 
Every since Mr. Italicano got his sailing license two years ago, we’ve been taking every chance we can get to explore the Mediterranean Sea. We’ve been to Greek Islands and various 
Yet, as I stood on the dock looking at the passerella, or gangplank, that separated myself from the boat and solid land, a million fears popped in my head as I watched a friend cross the wobbly wooden board in front of me. What if I lose my balance and fall in the water? Or worse, what if I slip and fall on the slippery boat floor when we start to sail and…*gulp*… I lose my baby? 
Where is Baby Italicano/a off to next? Today we’ll leave again for Tuscany, but this time for the hillsides where we’ll meet our client 
One of the biggest problems about eating out in America is that is EXPENSIVE TO EAT WELL! For a fast food meal made with refined flour, sugars and GMO ingredients, you can spend under $15 for two. If you go to a mid-range chain restaurant with even nice decor and great service, commonly you’ll still pretty much get the same quality but spend over $60 for two dishes and drinks (taxes and tip included). Both options left us unsatisfied with the quality of our food, but more importantly put the quality of our health at risk :: rischio! We went to these places a few times out of convenience, and after having eaten both Mr. Italicano and I felt sluggish, not mentally alert, bloated and scandalized on how much we spent. I’m convinced that if we’d had continue to eat this way for a month, we would have even gained a substantial amount of weight. #notcool. So our solution to getting around eating bad while traveling was this:
Now back in my kitchen :: cucina, I’m excited to be developing more recipes to give you more ideas on how to cook healthy and simple recipes that you can feel good about eating, like this roasted broccoli and cauliflower dish. If you have any leftovers just toss them into a salad, add some beans, lentils or tuna for a main coarse or chop them up finely and add them to scrambled eggs.
