02.26.15 RECIPE TESTING: VEGGIE BURGERS

Veggie burgers. Last weekend I explored the territory of making my own. I googled a recipe and found this simple one from the blog She Likes Food: Smokey sweet potato, black bean & brown rice veggie burger.

Here is the recipe for your quick reference:

Ingredients for the patty:

1 15 oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup cooked brown rice

3 cups roasted sweet potatoes, see recipe below

2 tablespoons chopped red onion

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

¼ teaspoon paprika

Ingredients for Roasted Sweet Potatoes:

3 cups diced sweet potatoes

1 teaspoon olive oil

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

Directions:

"Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F. On a large sheet pan, place the diced sweet potatoes, olive oil, and all the spices. Toss until sweet potatoes are coated and place into the pre-heated oven. Roast for about 25 minutes, flipping once, or until sweet potatoes are fork tender. Let cool for a few minutes.

Place all of the veggie burger ingredients into a food processor and process for about 10 - 20 seconds until everything is mixed together but still has some texture to it. Form patties (you should get about 6 of them depending on the size you make) and place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Chill in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.

Heat a large pan over medium heat and coat the bottom with a thin layer of olive oil. Place burgers in the hot pan and cook for about 10 minutes, flipping once, until burgers are heated through.

If grilling the burgers, grill over medium heat and rub a little bit of olive oil on the grill to ensure that the burgers don't stick. "

- She Likes Food blog

I made a few of my own modifications. I didn't add onions, reduced amount of beans, omitted smoked paprika and cilantro, and didn't use a food processor. But they still turned out fab! I found that they broke apart a little bit, but I think that was maybe because a) didn't use a food processor, and b) didn't let them sit in the fridge like I should have...

But the flavour? Totally bang-on. I definitely recommend this recipe. Now I shall return to the She Likes Food blog and continue to go through their mouthwatering food recipes.

Do you like veggie burgers? Or are you a beef-burger-lover through and through?

02.22.15 WEEKEND INSPIRATION

Yesterday, Mike and I went to a brewery tour at Ottawa's own Broadhead Breweing Co. What a cool experience.

We walked in and the place was much smaller than expected. You could tell that the entire operation was as DIY as it gets. What better way to exemplify the craft beer style? Between their inspiring story, their super tasty beer, and the slight buzz I had from the samples (thankfully Mike was DD), I left the place a little more excited than when I arrived.

The four founders started their operations making beer in their garage. They expanded to their basement. When they decided to go commercial, they found themselves strapped for cash, needing new facilities. They moved, repurposed old equipment and created their own machines, making Broadhead one of Ottawa's full-blown microbrewery - DIY style.

How awesome is it that such a cool company found this niche? Before craft breweries started popping up all over Ottawa, Broadhead carved out its place in the market. They saw a demand, and moved right in. They did it with minimal money, some very smart and talented individuals, and a little bit of risk.

It's an inspiring story.

When I left, I couldn't stop thinking about how interesting it would be to be a part of something like this. Entrepreneurship is fascinating to me. I'm not one to go into business for myself because I'm very risk averse. I also don't have any good ideas.... But it doesn't stop me from thinking about how cool it would be to be a partner in something. To build something from the ground up. To give it my everything.

And that thought left me smiling :)

02.21.15 THE MOTIONS

Today's musing: I've been thinking about the motions of life.

Elementary, secondary school? Check.
High school? Check
Get a high-school-kid job? Check.
Get stuck in a bad relationship? Check. Check Check.
Go to university, get a degree? Check
Get a grown up job, that turns into a career? Check.
Find a boy who loves you and treats you right? C-h-e-c-k.

And then what comes next? Most would say the moving in with this boy, an engagement, the wedding, and the babies.

It's crazy how hard-wired we are to follow this path that is set for us. Some people break from the mold, but in general this is the skeleton of our lives. The average person goes through these motions in life.

I would be lying if I said I didn't want it. I want to be a wife, a mother, own a house... the whole nine yards. But a part of me hates how predictable it is.

Maybe part of growing up is coming to terms with it? Maybe I've got a bit of a mid-20's-life-crisis thing going on? Am I the only one that thinks about things like this? Am I just over-analyzing life?

Have you followed the motions? Have you broken away from the pack? I'd love to hear someone else's thoughts on this.

02.17.15 UNINSPIRED

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Lately I've felt uninspired.

Not sure what it is, but between the S.A.D. and trying to figure out some key parts in my life, I feel like I'm missing something to be passionate about.

What do I want to do for the rest of my life? What sorts of projects do I want to devote my time to? What can I jump head-first into?

These are the kinds of questions that run through my mind over and over and over again. I'm not sure where to go or where to look. The only person with the answers is me, but I haven't found them yet.

Over the past couple of years I have discovered my love for new things, like cooking, yoga and learning about physical and mental health. I find that I don't give myself enough time to do these things I love, and when I get to do it, I feel rushed.

Life is busy. Working all day means getting home at 6, only to be in bed 4 hours later. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for a job, but life lately seems off balance. The hours fly by and I don't even know how. The weekends come and go, and I don't even remember what I did with myself.

All I know is that I won't stop searching until I find it. That balance - that "it". Whatever it may be.

On a somewhat related note, I'm glad to be blogging again. Even if no one else reads my nonsense, at least I have an outlet where I can explore my thoughts, put them into writing, and make sense of them. I now realize how much I missed this...

02.15.15 FIGHTING THE WINTER BLUES

This winter has been COLD. Every time I go outside I feel like my face is going to freeze off. Usually January is pretty bad, but I feel like this year February has been worse.

I've only been on the canal once this year. I love going skating, but not when your eyeballs freeze over. Not cool. The winter blues are out in full-force. I am waiting for the moment I can go outside without mitts. That would be nice. But until then, what do I do to fight the winter blues? 

1) NETFLIX. Admittedly I spent too much time in front of my TV. Currently I have the following on the go:

- Prison break, with the boyfriend

- The Office, finishing the series (I never saw seasons 8 and 9)

- Friends, for when I feel like having noise in the background

- New Girl, another being watched with the boyfriend

But what is better than cuddling up on the couch with a thick fuzzy blanket and a cup of tea staring at a screen forgetting about everything else in the world? Nothing, that's what.

2) SHOPPING. You're staying out of the cold and that's all that matters. I haven't done too much of this lately on account of "trying" to be a responsible adult. But I love online shopping... you can window shop and you don't even have to leave your house. Bonus.

3) YOGA. The city hosts a bunch of recreational classes, yoga included. For a sort-of-beginner, this is the perfect (affordable) way to see how much I really like it. Since I've started, I've become addicted to my weekly classes. A great way to get out of the house, but not spend time in the frozen tundra.

What do you do to fight the winter blues?

02.06.15 Coconut Curry Sweet Potato Soup

The winter months are long and cold. Laziness sets into your bones. You go to work, it's dark. You come home from work, it's dark. Dinner? What to make? Who knows. Who cares. You just want to get under the blankets and curl up for a night in front of the TV or a good book. You know you need to eat something, but what?

As I've said before, my soup obsession is real. When you're too lazy to grocery shop, soup is the best (and easiest) thing to reheat from frozen.

The other day, I was looking for a coconut curry soup recipe, but couldn't find exactly what I wanted. I decided to wing it and this wonderful concoction came to be!

I wasn't planning to post this, so my measurements are approximations. 
Modify as you wish.

INGREDIENTS:
1 tbsp of grated ginger
1 tbsp of coconut oil
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1.5 - 2 tbsp of curry powder
1-2 large carrots
2 sweet potatoes
4 tomatoes, small-medium sized* (I do this instead of diced tomatoes in a can, feel free to use diced)
2 cups of cooked chickpeas
1L of vegetable broth
1 can of coconut milk (I used full-fat)
2 cups cooked quinoa

DIRECTIONS:
*If you have decided to make your own diced tomatoes, prepare them now according to these steps: cut X's in the bottom of each, submerge into boiling water, and wait until the skin starts lifting at the "X". Remove the tomatoes from the pot and peel back the skin - discard the skin. Caution: I burn myself on this step EVERY time. Chop up the rest of the tomatoes, keeping the juices.

Peel and chop the carrots and the sweet potatoes.  Add to large soup pot and set to medium heat: coconut oil, ginger and garlic. Fry for a minute.

Add coconut milk, vegetable broth and curry powder. Bring to a boil.

Add carrots, potatoes, tomatoes and chickpeas. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until potatoes and carrots are tender.

Blend soup, and add quinoa to the blended mixture, stir and serve.


Voila! One of my favourite soup combinations so far. Bon appetit!