Garden Veggie Pita Burgers

Oh. My. Goodness.   This one is always a winner.  I've had it up my sleeve for years and use the sauce in numerous applications.  As a dip to tortilla or raw veggies, on top of Indian (i know it's sooo not traditional but it tastes soooo good!), on top of tacos or burritos...pretty much anything that would require a delicious creamy kick.  The veggies can be substituted out for anything that you have in your fridge.  This one is a piece of cake for families that are in crunch time. 

Oh!  One more thing...this can easily be made vegan by using Vegannaise and Tofutti Sour cream in the sauce.  

Ingredients:

1 med onion - sliced
1 red bell pepper - sliced
1 8 oz package mushrooms - sliced
Lawry's season salt (or which ever you choose)

Veggie Burgers (I like morning star farms)
Pita pockets
Lettuce
Grape tomatoes

Sauce:
1/2 c. finely chopped English Cucumber
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. sour cream
Dash of garlic powder and onion salt
3 tbsp dill
Few cracks of pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400.  Mix up sauce ingredients. Cover and put in fridge to chill.
Prepare baking sheet with aluminum foil and nonstick spray.  Arrange bell peppers and onions in rows.  Don't worry if they're touching but do try to keep them somewhat apart as some folks don't like onions and vice versa.  Lather with nonstick spray (or drizzle of lightly flavored oil *not olive*) Sprinkle generously with season salt and a few cracks of pepper.  Bake in oven for about 10 mins.  Add mushrooms.  Toss and sprinkle again with season salt. Bake an additional ten minutes.  Toss and see that most of the liquid has evaporated.  If it hasn't continue baking in increments of 5 minutes till done.

  At this point you'll want to start assembly.  I am a fan of microwaved veggie burgers.  I find the oven dries them out a little too much.  *yes, meat lovers, you can use a regular patty in here...or chicken even* 
  Microwave veggie burgers according to manufacturers directions.  Slice into strips.  Microwave pita pocket till pliable and snip into strips.  Arrange along the bottom of a salad bowl.  Lay down lettuce.  Place a dollop of roasted veggies on top of lettuce.  Smear a few tablespoons of sauce on veggies and top with sliced veggie burger.  Arrange tomatoes along outer part of pita for a beautiful presentation.  Enjoy!

It's Apple Season!!

Upon the arrival of my new Vegetarian Times, I immediately begin to flip through the pages.  The front cover shows a delicious pasta with only 5 ingredients *i made this and it didn't turn out as delicious as the cover made it look*  I continue flipping to find this amazing bread pudding recipe.  To me, however, it sounds a bit more like a french toast bake than a bread pudding but I thought I'd venture out and try this.  While I have posted pictures of a recipe, it is not of this exact one.  Continue on below and find out my adaptation...

 

Apple Cinnamon-Bread Pudding

 

Ingredient list

Serves 12

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2    tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 Tbs. butter or margarine, melted
• 1/2 baguette, cut into 1-inch-thick slices (5 cups)
• 4 apples, peeled and quartered, each quarter cut into 4 slices (4 cups)
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 2 1/2 cups low-fat milk
•  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to broil. Coat 10-inch round casserole dish or 4 1/2-qt. Dutch oven with cooking spray. Combine sugar and cinnamon on small plate. Put melted butter in shallow bowl. Set aside.

2. Halve each baguette slice. Dip each halved slice first in butter, then in cinnamon sugar, and set cinnamon-side up on baking sheet. Set remaining cinnamon sugar aside. Broil bread slices 1 to 2 minutes, or until cinnamon sugar gets dark and bubbly on top.

3. Spread 2 cups apple slices on bottom of prepared casserole dish. Top with 2 1/2 cups bread slices, cinnamon-side down. Repeat layering with remaining apples and bread slices. 

4. Whisk together eggs, egg whites, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt in medium bowl. Whisk in milk until smooth. Pour over bread and apples. Weigh down pudding with salad plate to keep bread submerged, and let stand 1 hour in refrigerator, or overnight.

5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Sprinkle bread pudding with remaining cinnamon sugar, and bake 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until set in center and puffy and golden brown on top. Serve warm.

 

Cammie's Version:

Cinnamon Raisin French Toast and Apple Bake

Use the above recipe as your model...but...

6 cinnamon raisin bagels - cut down to about 1" chunks - brush with butter, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and broil till carmelized

Add to your liquid mixture:
3/4 c unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp cinnamon
1 extra egg
1/2 c. chai (i used the protein version from bolthouse farms)

Cover and let soak overnight.  Bake covered till bubbly. Uncover and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top and continue baking extra 10 mins.

It's been a long time...

I'm afraid life simply doesn't allow the time to blog every recipe.  I've taken pictures up until the point of my camera breaking and I will be posting those recipes soon!  But for today...a crowd pleaser.  Kids and adults will enjoy these delicious pancakes!!

Banana Nut Pancakes
*check for allergies before continuing.  The nuts can easily be left out to please those who are not a fan of the nuttiness*
1 c. pancake mix (yes you can make your own)
1 ripe banana - mashed
1 egg
3/4 c. milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg and cloves
pinch of salt
1/4 c. slivered almonds
1/4 c. raisins
1 tbsp flax seed

Mash banana thoroughly and add spices.  Measure milk and add egg. Lightly beat and add to banana.  Sprinkle in pancake mix, nuts, flax seed and raisins.  Mix till just moist.  Cook up like regular ole pancakes...bubbly in the middle and a little dry around the edges and flip for an additional 45 seconds of cooking time. 

Yummers! Top with your favorites...maple syrup and strawberries?  blend of cream cheese and whip cream for a sweet treat?  Just plain??