Greek Spinach Veggie Burgers

One of my favorite meals as a vegetarian are veggie burgers. I'm a huge fan of finding new recipes for them or finding them out at restaurants. One of my new favorite burgers is a Greek Spinach Veggie Burger. It's an amazing recipe because it has very few ingredients and it's pretty healthy. 

After gathering all my ingredients I measured out the necessary amounts of each. For the spinach I first opened the package and pressed it between paper towels. The last time I made this recipe I forgot that step and the burgers were really watery and didn't make easy patties. If you take the time to pat dry the thawed spinach it mixes much better. 

Start out by mixing together Olive Oil, Dillweed, Garlic, and Oregano in a medium bowl. 

Next stir in the stuffing mix to coat thoroughly. As I was stirring I also used my spoon to mash up the stuffing even more. This again is another step that helps to make it much easier to create patties. 

Now add 2 eggs and stir to combine. The eggs are an essential part because they help to make the recipe more sticky. In recipes like veggie burgers or desserts eggs are pretty essential. 

Now add in the thawed spinach and mix together. As you can see since I took the time to pat dry and drain the spinach of some of it's water this mixture doesn't look soaking wet. 

Finally, add in the crumbled Feta Cheese and combine everything together. I love the smell of Feta Cheese. I'm contemplating next time trying out Blue Cheese to see how those flavors meld rather than the Feta Cheese. 

Once everything was combined I molded them into round patties on a pan that had been sprayed with Pam. I cooked them at 375 degree for 10 minutes per side. This helped my patties to be nice and slightly crunchy to make the perfect veggie burger.

What's your favorite non-meat recipe? Do you have a creative veggie burger recipe that others always ask you to make?

Resolutions, Meal Planning, & Free Printables

This year I didn't exactly make a New Years Resolution since my Resolution started in October when I started P90X3 and a healthier lifestyle. One thing I am working to get better about this year compared to last year however is meal planning. I tend to be a little lazy about my meal planning, which leads to my husband and I going out for Subway or Chipotle runs for dinner. But one great way to keep me on track with my healthy choices is to meal plan for the week and get my groceries early. This week I'm ahead of schedule and have already started the process of meal planning for the upcoming week. As soon as I finished my meal planning I got all the groceries I needed as well. 

I like to use handy meal planning documents on my computer because they allow me to add links to the recipes I'm making along with the ingredients I'll input on the Shopping List side before I print it. This week I'll be making Chipotle Burrito Bowls (Vegetarian and Chicken versions), Balsamic Tofu & Avocado Tacos, Zucchini Pizzas, Sweet & Sour Spicy Tofu Stir Fry, Spinach Burgers, Avocado Quesadillas, and Crockpot Minestrone Soup. The great thing about the Soup I make on Sunday is that I'll have enough leftovers after that to last 1-2 extra days of the next week. As the week goes on I'll post my recipes for any I don't already have on the blog.

I'm pretty happy with the ingredients I bought. For the recipes I've picked I have the majority of the ingredients around my house normally. For the ingredients that I had to pick up it was mostly fresh ingredients or reduced sodium/organic ingredients. Plus for what I had to buy for recipes this week I spent less than $40 total. That makes my Shakeology breakfast shake I budget of $4.00 per day even more reasonable this week. 

Here's the free printable I've made to use. Feel free to download or print for your use as well. 

What are your favorite go to meals while meal planning? Do you use a printable document or an app on your phone to meal plan?

Garlic Parmesan Zucchini and Tomato Bake

Source

This year for Christmas I'm determined to go the "healthier" route for whatever I bring to the parties. Normally I would just make some cookies or drinks or casseroles. This year I'm doing my part in making the meal not just full of heavy foods that make you feel crappy afterwards. For my Christmas Celebration #1 with my family I am making a Garlic Parmesan Zucchini and Tomato Bake. I thought this would be a good addition because it's super easy to make and doesn't require a lot of ingredients. I know I personally don't have time to make super complicated dishes that take awhile to make while I'm wrapping presents, working out, getting ready, and visiting multiple families. 

All you need for this recipe is some fresh vegetables, garlic, parmesan, and a few spices most everyone has in their kitchen. The only thing I actually had to buy for this recipe was the zucchinis, squash, and tomatoes. Everything else I already had in my kitchen. After I gathered all my ingredients I got to work chopping everything. I used my favorite Joseph Knives. Today I needed the purple serrated knife for the tomatoes, and the green knife for chopping the zucchini and squash. 

Once everything was chopped I placed it all in a bowl and mixed in all the dry ingredients. I love all the beautiful colors in this recipe. Lately I've been obsessed with Eating in Color. This book truly motivates me to eat healthy and it's a great way to find recipes where I can get my servings of vegetables in. 

The original recipe I followed called for 1/3 cup of parsley or basil. I had basil on hand so I used that. All I have to say is HOLY BASIL BATMAN! The dish tasted like straight up basil with a few vegetables thrown in. I will be remaking this recipe in the near future for a side dish for dinner and I will be using only 1-2 tablespoons of basil. I'm 99% sure it would taste best with 1 tablespoon of basil and a little olive oil. Or even try making it stove top with a little olive oil to saute the vegetables. Try it out and let me know what you think!!

Garlic Parmesan Zucchini and Tomato Bake

Serves: 5

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25-35 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 large or 2.5 lbs Zucchini, cut into quarters
• 10 oz grape tomatoes, cut in halves or 2 large tomatoes, diced
• 7 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 cup Reduced Fat Parmesan Cheese
• 1 tsp basil/thyme/oregano, dried
• 1/2 tsp ground black peper
• 1 tbsp parley/basil, finely chopped
• Cooking Spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8X8 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients, except parsley/basil, and stir to combine.
3. Transfer to a prepared baking dish and bake uncovered for 25 minutes, then check for doneness. Add 10 minutes if you like well cooked vegetables. Remove from the oven, garnish with basil or parsley and serve hot/warm. 

One Pot Vegetarian Chili

There are some nights where all you want to do is cozy up to whoever is near you in front of a fireplace and watch TV. This was one of those nights. It's very chilly outside and it's been raining all day. Therefore, I thought why not make some Chili for the hubby and myself while we relax in our warm house. I found this great recipe for Vegetarian Habanero Chili on Beachbody's site. My hubby and I aren't huge fans of super spicy food so I decided to alter it just a little bit. It still came out great! This chili is wonderful for vegetarians and even the most avid meat eaters around. And it has 31 grams of protein in it!!!! That's amazing for a vegetarian meal. Plus it's healthy too.

Total Time: 35 min.
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: 20 min.
Yield: 10 servings, about 1 cup each

Ingredients:

• 12 oz Meatless Crumbles
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 4 oz Green Chiles
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• ½ tsp. paprika
• 1 dash ground black pepper
• 1 14.5 oz can black beans, do not drain
• 1 14.5 oz can kidney beans, do not drain
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped

I used a giant pot to avoid splashing while the food was bubbling. I probably could've used a skillet.

Preparation:

1. Heat large skillet, lightly coated with spray over medium-high heat.
2. Add onion; cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until translucent.
3. Add garlic, green chiles , and meatless crumbles; cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until meatless crumbles are fully brown.
4. Add chili powder, paprika, and pepper; cook, stirring frequently, for 2 more minutes.
5. Add black beans, kidney beans, and tomatoes; cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until mixture is heated through.

Tip: Any remaining chili can be frozen to be reheated at a later time.

Tip: If you like your Chili more spicy substitute with jalapeños or habaneros.