I definitely watched this film too young in my life. My father, who does not like cartoons but likes John Travolta, rented this film not knowing much about it. Travolta had been in films we watched as a family like Grease and Saturday Night Fever so my father figured it would have the same kind of tone. My step brothers and sister all sat down to watch it one Sunday night, popcorn bowls ready, and we were all taken a little by surprise. My father eventually stopped the movie but not right away. Watching Uma Thurman snort heroine was fairly terrifying but I was spared any details about the film’s later plot line until I was older. Pulp Fiction stayed with me for a long while after that, mostly because when I told my friends I watched it, I became instantly cooler.  I was always curious about the infamous Big Kahuna burger. It looked pretty basic: thin beef patty, melted cheese, and ketchup but Samuel L Jackson seemed to really enjoy it, you know, before killing that guy who will remain nameless for the sake of spoilers. While Tarantino’s movies aren’t appropriate for 9 year old, I do appreciate the story lines as an adult.  This burger is unlike the Big Kahuna burger since it is not from a Hawaiian burger join, is vegan, and is fully loaded with veggies but you can do the Samuel L Jackson impression when you take your first bite.

Who’s a bad motherf**ker? 

Huge thanks to Laura Wright from The First Mess who allowed me to adapted her recipe, “the veggie burger of my dreams,” for this post. It is now the veggie burger of my dreams too. 

7 recipes down, 23 more to go! See you tomorrow for Day 8: Reach out! Make a new vegan friend & tell us about it. Missed Day 6? Check it out here.

Stay connected on the daily by following me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.  Made this recipe? I would love to see it! Use the hashtag #screcipe on your social media. 

P.S. I know this recipe is more than 12 ingredients but the ingredients are not only important for the flavour but also the structure and texture of the burger. I do not recommending skipping ingredients. 

Food Favs of Week 1 of Vegan MoFo:

Marinated Eggpland Sandwich {Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day} by Seitan is my Motor

Quick and Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge by Spabettie

Salted Caramel Ginger Kombucha Floats by Ichiban Vegan

Kimchi ‘Bella Burgers’ by Plant Crush

The Big Kahuna Burger: Vegan

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

8 mins

Total time

28 mins

 

This recipe is inspired by Pulp Fiction's The Big Kahuna Burger. It is vegan, loaded with veggies, and protein-packed. Serve with your favourite burger fixings! This burger do not do well on the grill so it is best to cook them in a sauté pan. This recipe is adapted from The First Mess "veggie burger of my dreams"

Author: Jessica DeMarra

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: vegan

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked brown basmati rice
• ¼ cup raw cashews
• ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds
• ¾ cup roughly chopped red onion
• ½ cup grated sweet potato (peel first then grate)
• ¾ cup roughly chopped tempeh
• 1½ tbsp tamari soy sauce or low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tbsp GF flour blend* or all purpose flour
• 2 tsp organic arrowroot powder
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• ½ tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
• 1 teaspoon sumac
• ¼ - ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1-2 tbsp water
• Pepper, to taste
• Oil, to cook
• 
  Burger Fixings:
• Lettuce
• Pea shoots
• Avocado
• Thick slices of tomato
• Thin slices of red onion
• Sriracha
• Eggless Mayo
• Spicy Burger Sauce: 1 tablespoon eggless mayo + ½ tablespoon ketchup + fat pinch of ancho chili powder, all mixed together

Instructions

1. Combine brown rice with 2½ cups of water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add a pinch of salt. Bring this mix to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes. The rice will still be chewy. Transfer the chewy rice into a large bowl and set aside to cool.
2. In a food processor, combine the cashews, sunflower seeds, chopped onion, sweet potato, and tempeh. Pulse the mixture until it is cohesive and well combined. Transfer the tempeh/veg mixture into the large bowl with the rice.
3. Add all of the remaining ingredients to the bowl except for the water. Stir the ingredients together until thoroughly combined. The mixture should hold together when you pinch it with your fingers. If it is not binding properly, add 1-2 tablespoons of water, mix again, and pinch the mixture again.
4. Form 6 large or 8 smaller patties with your hands and place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and set them in the fridge for one hour. If you wanted to freeze them, line them up on a baking sheet and freeze for about an hour. Wrap the frozen burgers individually and place them in a Ziploc bag for later use.
5. To Cook:
6. Heat 3 teaspoons of coconut oil over medium heat in a large sauté pan. Gently transfer 2-3 patties to the pan and cook until golden on the bottom, about 3-4 minutes. Flip the patties over and cook until golden on the other side, another 3 minutes.
7. Repeat with remaining patties, adding a little more oil with every batch.
8. Keep the cooked ones warm on a baking sheet in your oven set at 200 degrees.
9. Serve the hot veggie patties with whichever burger fixings you like. Enjoy!

Notes

* I used Bob Mill's 1:1 GF Flour Blend

3.3.3077

The post Day 7 Vegan MoFo: The Big Kahuna Burger appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.

Recently, I read this article called Dear Polly: “Why is everyone succeeding but me?” in NY Magazine and it hit the nail right on the head.

I have always felt that someone I know is always one step ahead of me or if I started something after me, they instantly became a pro at it while I struggled in the background. I know this all sounds so whiny but bear with me here. The person that wrote in to Dear Polly could have been me. It wasn’t but the things they wrote about easily apply to my life, especially about setting goals. I think it is great to have goals, something to aspire to. However, setting mini-goals like “I am going to go for a run everyday” or “I am going to start eating super healthy….tomorrow,” are the kind of goals I seem to make to distract myself from pursuing real life changing goals. Mini goals should be tools to pursuing your main goal, not crutches or distractions. 

I admit, I am terrified of pursuing these things out of fear of rejection and feeling unqualified or inadequate. It is easy get sucked into the trap of feeling comfortable, and that is where I am at. The restlessness I feel about not pursuing what I want is now too much to handle. Setting these mini-goals is great but what is it going to do for you long term? Is it distracting you from pursuing other things?

“It takes a lot of stops and starts to figure out what you’re really committed to and what you really love enough to work hard on without much reward in sight,” -Quoted from Dear Polly. 

I have had a lot of stops and starts in my life to figure out what I want to do and I still haven’t figured out all of them but that is ok. It means I started at all but I haven’t started those life changing ones- not yet anyways. I am giving myself this month to make the arrangements I need to make before starting my life changing goals. I need to write some emails, make some phone calls, polish up some documents, and then start. This is not another distraction but required steps I need to make in order to pursue what I want. I am tired of waiting for things to happen, I need to make them happen for myself. I have to stop comparing my journey to other people’s successes.

Comparative anxiety is so real to me and it makes me feel like trying new things isn’t always worth it since there are so many people who are so much better at the things I want to pursue. This is just that little voice telling me I am not good at anything, like somehow experts weren’t once beginners.

I hope you find the NY Magazine article inspiring or at least, comforting to know that others do not always feel successful. Ask yourself what you want to do. What is your main goal? What thoughtful steps can you take to pursue them?

5 recipes down, 25 more to go! See you tomorrow for Day 6: Recreation of a Restaurant Meal. Missed Day 4? Check it out here.

Stay connected on the daily by following me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.  Made this recipe? I would love to see it! Use the hashtag #screcipe on your social media. 

Sweet Potato Sandwich w/ Sumac Miso Mayo

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Vegan MoFo Day 4: Sweet Potato Sandwich with Sumac Miso Mayo. A vegan sandwich does not have to suck. Sweet potatoes dressed with salty and earthy mayo.

Author: Jessica DeMarra

Recipe type: Sandwich

Cuisine: Vegan

Serves: 3

Ingredients

• For the Sweet Potatoes:
• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon sumac
• For the Sumac-Miso Mayo:
• 3 tablespoons vegan mayo
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon white miso
• ½ teaspoon toasted sesame seed oil
• ¼ teaspoon sumac
• Sandwich Toppings:
• 6 slices of your choice of bread
• Tomatoes, sliced
• Avocado
• Pea shoots
• Lettuce
• Sriracha

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Slice the sweet potatoes into about ½ inch coins with the skins left in tact. In a bowl, toss the sweet potato coins with oil, salt, and sumac. Bake for 20 minutes, turning halfway through cooking time. The potatoes should be soft but have some brown spots.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the mayo. In a small dish, add all the ingredients for the mayo and mix well until fully incorporated.
4. Spread the mayo onto the top slice of your bread of choice, I used grape spelt bread but sourdough would be good. Add sweet potatoes to the bottom slice and pile on your additional toppings. I used pea shoots and tomatoes.

3.3.3077

The post Vegan MoFo Day 5: Sweet Potato Sandwich w/ Sumac Miso Mayo appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.

Does anyone actually follow the serving suggestion on a tub of hummus? Two tablespoons is the serving size on most purchased hummus. Like on one pita chip right? If you follow this serving suggestion then you have a greater will power than I do but I am just a mere mortal who loves her hummus. If I feel I have been indulging a little bit more than usual or eating a lot of takeout, hummus is one of those things that help me get back into the groove of healthful eating. I know I have food in the fridge if there is hummus and I have been known to really bunker down and eat my fill of it. Can you overdose on hummus? To me, the limit does not exist. (Still love Mean Girls)

Since starting school again I have noticed my hunger levels have gone up but my brain needs to be alert, focused and fuelled with good unrefined foods. Nothing is worse than a caffeine/sugar crash mid-test or exam so it is better to get your brainpower from whole food rather than stimulates like caffeine. Traditional store bought hummus is pretty good but uses a lot of canola oil (generally the second or third ingredient on the list) so it isn’t the best kind of fat you can eat. Store bought works in a pinch if time is not on your side and you need a snack ASAP!! I call these moments Snack-Attacks when I come home from work or school and literally tear apart the fridge on a mission to find the fastest snack I can shove in face. The hunger is animal-like and nothing can stand in my way.

Cooked dried beans make the best hummus. I don’t say this lightly but it is well worth the effort to soak and cook the beans for hummus. Cooked beans take the hummus to a freshness level that canned beans simply cannot and are way less expensive, even organic beans. I buy mine in bulk to make them even less costly and store them in large mason jars on my pantry.

Za’atar is a new spice in my pantry and I find myself eating more hummus because of it. This Middle Eastern blend consists of dried thyme, sumac, toasted sesame seeds and sea salt, making it a perfect pairing for hummus. Mark and I sprinkle it onto warm naan or pita bread drizzled with olive oil. A friend of mine who was raised in the Middle East says that at the Starbucks there they serve za’atar on warm buttered croissants. Sprinkle this spice on any Mediterranean or Middle Eastern dish that you fancy but also on roasted vegetables, hot rice with a squirt of lemon juice and with this hummus.

The post Lemony Za’atar Hummus appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.