Sunshine Burgers

sunshine burger on rice bread

These are delicious, they just are….whether you keep them almost raw (the only cooked ingredient is organic brown rice) and stuff it into lettuce leaves or it is perfect inside a bun, pita or bread of your choosing baked, pan fried or toasted. Today I made this lightly pan fried, just to get a crust on the patty and to warm it through, and ate it on gluten free rice bread. I topped it with all of my favorite fixings; organic green leaf lettuce, avocado, vegan mayo, ketchup and mustard…..RIDICULOUSLY MESSY AND DELICIOUS……I ate it accompanied by one of my very own fermented sour dill pickles and a Steel Rail Beer….I did not want for anything.

Sunshine Burgers

Almost raw, wheat-free, gluten free

2c cooked brown rice (cooled or even cold)

2c sunflower seeds (raw, soaked and sprouted, can also use 1c of another sprouted seed like pumpkin)

1 small onion, rough chopped

1 large carrot rough chopped

1-2 stalks celery rough chopped

1/4 bunch parsley rough chopped

2 leaves kale or handful baby spinach

2T raw tahini

1T mello miso

1t chipolte powder

1t cumin

1/2t himalayan sea salt

*I have also used left over pulp from my savory green juices in place of new veggies  VEGGIE JUICE PULP (KALE, CELERY, CARROT, GINGER, CUCUMBER, PARSLEY, LEMON, RED PEPPER!) Comes out delicious…

Process the seeds with the brown rice in a food processor until a meal forms. Add the other ingredients and process until a thick mixture is formed- if it is too wet, add more seeds or rice. Taste this and adjust your spices and seasonings- keep in mind that if you dehydrate, flavors will intensify somewhat so easy on the salt.

Form into patties- I dehydrate mine for 2 hours or so but you can coat them in a dusting of rice flour and then pan fry them or you can bake them until they dry out a bit.

Can be baked, pan fried, or eaten AS IS. I make a large batch and freeze them- then pull out as needed and decide how I would like it prepared!

LOVE these. You can play with the flavors, spices etc…southwestern, mexican, spicy, mellow etc…

*sunshine-burgers

Fresh Thai Basil Peanut Rolls with Sweet Hot Chili Lime Dipping Sauce

Thai Basil Peanut Fresh RollsThese really are not difficult to make, they are definitely more time consuming than throwing pasta in a pot of boiling water, but they are so worth it. They are more of an “occasion” meal or made per a craving request. I was definitely craving them, so I made them for myself after yoga this morning. After already having made the Thai Basil Pesto with the Thai basil out of my garden, half the work was already done and in the fridge! I made a Peanut Sauce earlier today, which takes no more than 5 minutes so the rest of the prep is all about getting the components gathered and ready for you to roll (hehehe). What you put inside the rolls is really personal preference; my standard go to’s are:

  • grilled or smoked tofu, sliced into thin strips
  • red peppers, sliced into thin strips
  • rice vermicelli or glass noodles, cooked and drained
  • hoisin sauce or pesto and or peanut sauce- I use both!
  • fresh cilantro, fresh basil, fresh mint
  • fresh lettuce
  • crushed roasted peanuts

I use the water that I boil the noodles in to soften the rice wrappers. You can purchase the wrappers in almost every main stream market now a days, or in asian specialty stores, they are also easily found online at specialty markets.

On a clean surface or cutting board, lay your dampened rice wrapper, making sure there are no hard edges, if there are, try to moisten them with the heated water. Now you are ready to fill- my rhythm is as such:

  • lay down about one 2 teaspoons of pesto
  • then plenty of fresh herbs next to the sauce, above or below  (they look pretty showing through the transparent skin when fully rolled)
  • then lettuce
  • then tofu stacked on the lettuce
  • then peppers stacked
  • then peanut sauce gets spooned over
  • then crushed peanuts

Roll from the bottom edge up towards the top to encase the tower of yum. Fold in the sides, the rice wrapper will help you by sticking in place. Once both sides are folded in, roll up to the top to close the package. They don’t keep well, the wrapper tends to stiffen overnight, thus lending  to their name, fresh rolls. Dip into both the peanut sauce and the sweet chili lime sauce. FRICKEN YUM.

*sweet chili dipping sauce

Sweet Chili Lime Dipping Sauce

3T raw agave, or local raw honey

2T apple cider vinegar

1T lime juice

1/2t pink salt

1t red chili flakes

Vegan Fresh Rolls

Peanut Butter Maca Chocolate Chip Power Smoothie

*Peanut Butter Maca Chocolate Chip Power Smoothie

Fricken CRAZY delicious.

I use Sun Warrior Raw Vegan Vanilla Protein in my shakes.

1c nut milk
2T cacao nibs
1T raw agave or raw local honey
2T peanut butter
1t vanilla
1scoop protein powder
2t Maca powder
1T chia seeds
1T hemp seeds
pinch Himalayan sea salt

——

1c ice
blend all ingredients together except the ice and process until smooth- taste and adjust if needed
add the ice and blend just until smooth.