Thursday, December 8, 2016

Black bean-Quinoa Kale Corn Burgers recipe

You Eating Healthy's recipe for bean burgers went through many modifications, the main difficulty is getting them to hold together.  The black beans, the corn, the kale ... all makes for a disjointed bunch of ingredients.   But we have a "binding" formula.

I glued a mason jar lid, with super glue to the mason jar ring (white side is out and the thing is a bit concave then), then I put on a protective cover (a plastic Glad sandwich bag) and scoop about 1/2 cup of mixture and press the amount with the lid.   Makes a nicely shaped burger, and I do it on a 4" x 4" square of parchment paper, then flip it carefully onto the parchment lined cookie sheet.   Make sure to press and hold, and you have enough that it is squeezing a bit out on the sides to form a nice patty.

It also helps to refrigerate the mixture, prior to pattying it up for an hour.  You can halve the batch to make about 10 burgers, or make a full batch ... they freeze well after baking.


Black Bean  & Quinoa Burgers
Makes 20 burgers

Ingredients
4 cup black beans
4 cup quinoa (cooked)
3 cup yellow onion, finely diced
6 cup kale, stemmed and ripped (or cut) into 1" shreds
3 cup frozen corn, thawed (don't cook it, leave it at room temp)
1 cup ground flax seed, if you buy whole flax, put it into a Vitamix to 'grind' it
4 tbsp chic pea (garbanzo) flour, or I use Bob's Red Mill Fava/Garbanzo flour
1/4 c water
3 tbsp Olive Oil

1 1/2 tbsp smoked paprika
1 1/2 tbsp ancho chili powder
2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cumin

Prep
Cook black beans (unless using canned black beans)
Cook quino  2-to-1  1.5 cup quinoa to 3 cup water should make almost 4 cups cooked

Cooking
Saute onion in olive oil until softened and brown (aprox 5-6 min)
Saute kale in olive oil (or even toast in a dry pan) until nicely fragrant and slightly brown edges

Binding Formula
In food-processor, combine 1 cup black beans, 1/4 c. water, flax and chic pea flour, blend until smooth, but don't overblend (not creamy, grainy is ok)

In a large bowl, add the remaining black beans, binding formula and mash with a potato masher until combined.  Add the onions, kale, corn and stir with wooden spoon.
Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400-deg

Divide mixture into 4 oz. portions (about 1/2 cup, or a bit less) and using your mason jar lid contraption, patty up the burgers.

Bake at 400-deg for 18-20 minutes.   When handling, you want to take care, they will fall apart, so spatula carefully.   One technique, too, is to cut individual 4" squares of parchment for the patties, make them on the 4" squares, and leave them on the 4" squares until ready to grill or pan fry.

I've never tried grilling them, but it may work.  I alway pan fry them (after baking) like I was making a burger, over med-high heat with a bit of olive oil in the pan for 3-4 minutes per side (until lightly browned).

To Serve:

I toast a good bun.
Put simple avacado-lime guacomole (you can make it anyway you like) on the top of bun,
On the bottom of the bun, I like mustard ... but on the cart we used chipotle mayo.
Layer red leaf lettuce, red onion and a thick slice of tomato.
And open wide !

We serve with wedge fries, but you can have any sides you like.

Nutritionally these burgers, with bun check out at about 700 calories, the same as a Quarter Pounder with cheese.   The difference is it had 30 grams fewer fat grams (44 or something for the Quarter Pounder) and with the beasn, flax and kale ... a TON of fiber.

These are very filling burgers!  Enjoy.

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Authentic self

Authenticity is what we seek in our life, our relationships, and inside our true self.
The opposite of which conjures up, fake, fraud, deceit, forgery, blasphemy, improper, counterfeit and the list goes on.

The problem (and the solution) to dealing with authenticity is that it is nowhere, and everywhere.   Let's look at some examples:

You go to the grocery store, you check out and hand your $100 bill to the cashier who either stands awkwardly holding your bill up to get a better look, "Does it have the strip in it?"  Is it a fake?  Or they simply rub this marker against it and get a 'brown line' confirmation of its authenticity.

Another example, a girl goes into a bar with a fake id.   Bartender looks at it, looks at the girl, makes a split-second decision on whether to accept the id, accept the girl into the establishment, or call it out as fake.  His authenticity vs. hers.

If only we had that brown marker, to rub on our foreheads, or on others foreheads once in a while.
Seems life could be a lot simpler, if people would open up to being authentic and we ourselves would follow our internal calling and cues to authenticity.



This world is full of less than authentic drivel and posturing, masks and subterfuge.   There is the rare few, true, authentic people that we marvel at and the rest, bouncing around with masks and missives,
fears and anxieties, good days and not so good days, always trying to figure out what is wrong always putting on the 'happy face', always making sure the true self stays submerged.

Back to the brown marker on the forehead.

For years, I struggled with being the best husband, best entrepreneur, best partier, best son and completely lived a web of fake, fraud, deceit, blasphemy, forgery, improperly carrying myself and my body around the planet to make more, be more, show more, fake more and be more than anyone could deny.   But it was a farce, a lie, an assault on my own intelligence.

Once put to the test, my forehead showed no brown lines.    My authenticity was lost, somewhere between establishing myself ... and establishing myself 'grandly'  (because grandiose is too ostentatious).

You see in trying to be something I wasn't, I became something I'm not.

In putting back the pieces of who I am, and who I belong to and who I walk with down this path called life ... it comes back to me, my lord, and my spouse.  These people I walk with and am authentic with and myself with and there are no airs about it.  It just is.  Usually.

Until I would make it more than it is.   Until I would veer from my authentic self, into the best brother, son, brother-in-law, uncle area of existence where there was no validation, no acceptance and no reason to be there.   It was a forgery, a misfire, a goof, an attempt to please.

Your authentic self does not really need to please others.

There are only a few people who witness the 'emporer having no clothes' moments with me.  The true person.

The authentic self needs to have proper discourse with others, not made up excuses.  
When necessary, speaking the truth in love is required.    Others will recoil, spit, and curse your name.   So be it.  It is none of your business what others think of you.

But to be in communion with others, to enjoy their company and to spend time with them, to be exchanging love vibes that is the essence of authentic self.

Your authentic self doesn't need to desire or avoid things, unnecessarily nor with attachment.

In Buddhism it is said the strong non-attachment is as non-authentic, as the strong attachment to desires (outcomes).

You can want for things, and let it go.   You can wish things were different, and don't wax nostalgic about how they could've been.

To live within one's authentic self, is to just be.  Content with the way things are, and not attached to the outcomes, many of which are out of your control.

If you desire, and need the outcome so badly, are so attached ... check yourself, use the brown marker on your forehead. It's likely not going to show a line, you've lost your way and need to regroup.

Your authenticity, your integrity, your words, your deeds and your spirit are all wrapped up in one concept:   love.

Love is the essence of your true nature, your authentic self knows it manifests itself in many ways, both in action and inaction.   The key is to be loving, and not desirous of things, places, events to the point of attachment.

It's been said in making a deal, the person who can walk away from the deal is the powerful negotiator, and usually will get the deal to lean their way.  They will win!  

Make a deal with yourself, to be less attached to outcomes.  Walk away.
and into happiness and more loving in your everyday life; to show up as your authentic self.

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Good Enough

"It's not enough" is the message railed against
self-love and self-worth, self-esteem.

You're not enough. Do more, get more,
spend more, fuck more, drink more, save more,
go to church more, lose more, eat less, drink less,
spend less, less eggs, butter, cheese and meat

Sleep more, exercise more, work less, work more

More, less.   It's enough!   Enough!

In the quiet than ensues, when you shut off the tapes in your head,
whisper 'You are enough.', and again.

Shut it down.   Wad it up.  Throw it out.
These messages are 'noise'.

Don't listen.  Stay above the noise.  Squelch it out,
and start listening to yourself.

Then go and deliver value to the world, from
your heart.  In whatever little or big way it manifests
itself.   Do something good.

In the spate of all this illusion of wealth, success,
fame, happiness and fun ... go,
and be .. good.

And in that moment of goodness and oneness with your true nature,

 ... breathe, smile and exhale

It's good enough.  You're good enough. It's enough.
(Enough!)

Be kind to yourself.  Love yourself, in little ways, daily.











Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Ann @ 50

It's hard to describe the feeling of being married, loving a person
while simultaneously being annoyed

It's like an itch you can't scratch

In the best moments, the light shines clearly on her beauty
so enthralling,
her words like dew dripping from leaves

Other times, her sound like the grating of fingernails on a chalkboard,
every idea coming forth, like babble from the mouths of babes

Keeping my brain in check, my throughts and heart pure is the real battle
of love yes,
I said battle

Love doesn't come in puppy love doggie bags,
or honeymoon period butterflies,
not in romance
flowers, gestures or dinners

no, love is a constant battle
a tactical reminder of your own inadequacies,
and misconceptions,
bad strategies and your own insecurities

A constant reminder, of humility.

My wife, turning 50 years today.
She has spent 25 years,
reminding me

on what love is ...

its daily awakenings

to more challenges,
more dilemas,
more wonderment
more courage

more off-beat shit

and more effort needed

I once (out of laziness) said she didn't in fact make me want to be a better man,
what a lazy thought, cop out and lie

The ego plays strange tricks on one's mind,

when in fact the holy spirit wakes me (almost) every day
to the fact:

I am the luckiest guy in the world to have her as my wife
and life partner,

and to be able
to give love
to her

Happy Birthday Ann!

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Unsettled

I set about to build a life,
once contrived
but lived unfulfilled

Apart from me the visions spewed
great yarns and lore

Inside the melt, decay
and rust did take its toll
daily

Until the clock struck 9
and midnight loomed

For it slipped by so quickly
ignored
for the most part

the life, you wished and had
like sand through your fingers


Tuesday, February 2, 2016

2016 a year of change

Entering into 2016, many things have changed in my life.

The most interesting change is how after 1 year and a half the ache I have for my oldest son, who is growing into a fine man, off in Arizona at college.

It marks time indelibly ... to have your children grow up, and out.   As Ray turns 15 on Friday, and goes to take his driving test you really realize, that from the vaginal delivery through growing up, and out ... "that train has left the station"   and it won't be returning

I had turned to the food industry to discover my inner self drive and demons aren't nearly as fierce as the capitalistic drive of others clawing like crabs in a crab pot over top of each other to grab with both hands for the stash.   Sickening, in a depraved industry full of good people, I had to retreat and rethink just what is this drive about?   What glory is there in fooling the masses into helping eat healthy food themselves, when I myself am the one who needs the outcome of a nutritious regimen.

Exercised my way through 31 days of January, to rest on Feb 1st and 2nd.   Didn't really feel the "high" from it, but the body let me know in several ways and areas that it was sorely out of shape, and in need of rest.  It is true that good habits can be learned in 21 days, I felt a need to go out and do something, so to the garage for some rowing and elliptical machine.

2016 will bring changes, I'm figuring out my place in the world ... it was a long time to get to the place where you know, and you stop worrying about dashing your own dreams, because you already are living them.

Dream bigger?   We'll see ... being happy where I am: priceless.