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| Tropical Salsa with Cucumber, Fresh Mint, Peach and Mango |
Summer here is all about quick and easy – especially since last week I was really sick. My doctor said I caught it before it turned into full blown pneumonia. Goodness knows that one thing I can’t seem to do is slow down, so I had simply worn myself down. For someone in-tune with their body, I have a hard time listening when I’m sick and that is something I need to work on.
On a positive note, I found Netflix on line and watched every episode of Survivors from the BBC where a flu pandemic wipes out most of the world and the few survivors left have to live life and find a cure. I loved all the story lines and watching the writer’s ideas of what would happen when government is gone – which is also kind of a fun fact about me. I LOVE reading and watching survivalist books and movies. Not necessarily zombie movies, though I did like I Am Legend. (It doesn’t have”zombies”, but there are definitely some un-realistic vampire/undead people.) It’s the whole virus part I find so interesting. Biology and sociology were some of my favorite subjects in college - in fact, I started out majoring in biology and ended up with a sociology degree! Studying people is SO interesting so wondering what would happen and what we would do if a major virus outbreak or climate change.
After that, at the suggestion of some co-workers I started watching Breaking Bad. It’s about a high school chemistry teacher that finds out he has terminal lung cancer and starts to cook meth with a local drug dealer. So far I haven’t really been able to get into that one but they keep telling me to get through the first two episodes so I’ll have another go at it later.
And finally, I got my hands on the Secret. If you haven’t watched it, you have to rent it. It’s all about the power of positive thinking and changing our thoughts from constantly thinking about what we DON’T want to what we DO want. So instead of me saying, I hate sitting in a cubicle, I hate being stuck till 9 pm away from my husband and baby girl at end of month, I have changed my thoughts to I can’t WAIT for my career in food and nutrition. I can’t WAIT to change people’s lives for the better. I can’t WAIT to make a real and positive impact on this world. In fact, I have TWO “vision boards” and a gratitude board.
On the vision boards we paste pictures of what we want – I have the logo for Institute of Integrative Nutrition up there, teacher training at Yoga Den, a photo of the big tent that attaches to my camper and my beach house in St Augustine – down to the comforter on the bed and the layout of the kitchen. What this does is keep our wants in the forefront of our brains so we are constantly reminded of it and thinking about it.
Has it worked so far? Absolutely. I got my Dyson vacuum, after LOTS of problems I finally got my healthy baby girl, I lost the weight I wanted, brought my daughter to Cape Cod, took my trip to wine country, got my daughter to sleep through the night when she was a baby – and on and on. You can put ANYTHING on there. It’s actually lots of fun!
Next up, the gratitude board, where each day I write something I’m grateful for and really try to think about it. A roof over my head, healthy husband and daughter, running water, hot shower, food at the grocery, my parents and in-laws live five minutes away – and so many more things.
What are your favorite subjects to read about and watch? Do you have a “vision board” – if so what is on there?
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| 10 minute -5 Ingredient Vegan Black Bean Burgers |
Back to the burgers!
These 10 minute – 5 ingredient bean burgers are a main staple in the house so I hope you’ll forgive me for posting these again with a fresh twist. Since these burgers are mainly beans and oats, I love that my 3 year old daughter can help me make them and she even loves to lick the bowl!
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| Tropical Vegan Black Bean Burger |
This combo of hearty black beans, cool cucumbers, fresh mint, ripe peach and sweet mango blended together in a perfect melody. I just had to share it!
Throw a little hot sauce on for a kick and you’ve got yourself a meal.
Vegan Tropical Black Bean Burgers
with Cucumber, Mint, Mango and Peach Salsa
Vegan
Serves 4
Salsa Ingredients (Makes about 4 cups – 8 servings)
1/4 red onion, chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 peach, seeded and chopped
1 mango, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 lime, zest and juice
1/4 tsp coarse sea salt
2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
Burger
2 cups cooked and drained black beans (or use a 14.5 oz can)
1/3 cup instant oats (or 1/2 cup rolled oats pulsed in the food processor)
1 Tbsp steak seasoning
1 Tbsp coarse ground prepared mustard (or whatever mustard you have)
2 Tbsp Gluten Free Ketchup
Optional
4 Ezekiel Whole Grain Burger Buns
Hot Sauce of choice
Directions
1. Mix salsa ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Preheat the broiler on high and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.** Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl; divide into four burgers or eight sliders. Broil first side for 6 minutes; flip and cook an additional 4 to 5 minutes or until browned.
3. Toast buns; top each with 1 burger, 1/4 cup salsa and a few dashes of hot sauce.
** Reserve extra salsa for later use.
