These burgers are spicy. be warned.

Cilantro Jalapeno Chickpea Burgers
Inspired by Kathy aka The Healthy Happy Life’s Vegan White Bean Burgers with “Cheese and Bacon”
Makes 4 patties

Ingredients

• 1 can chickpeas/garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 bunch cilantro, washed and chopped (what is a “bunch”? damned if I know. I just took a handful and chopped; about 1/2 of the fresh package from Trader Joe’s)
• 1-1.5 tbsp chopped jalapenos (these are not for the faint-hearted!)
• salt and pepper to taste
• cajun seasoning to taste (I used a lot a) because I’m dating a ragin’ cajun and it only seemed appropriate and b) because I like things spicy!)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Mash up all ingredients. wow, that was tough!
• Form into four patties with your hands. Gettin down ‘n dirty…
• Place onto a cookie sheet covered with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes minutes; flip half way
• Nutritional info. for one patty: 210 calories, 4.7g fat, 375 mg sodium, 33g carbs, 7g fiber, 0.6g sugars, 11g protein

I ate the burger atop sprouted bread with a bit of vegan mayo, tomato, lettuce and onion. You can be fancy like Kathy and top with Daiya cheese and tempeh bacon. MmmmMMmmmm.

Enjoy!

One more pic for good measure…

<3,

The Cranky One

p.s.! Winner of the “What Caesar Did for my Salad” book giveaway was #5, per Random.org, so that’s Diane! I’ll email ya.

Ready for some food porn?

Ingredients

• 1 tsp canola oil
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 medium red onion, diced
• 1 package 14-oz organic firm tofu, drained and patted dry (the more moisture you can remove from the tofu, the better. I wrap the block in paper towels then place a pan atop it for a few minutes), cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/3 cup bbq sauce
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3-2/3 cup pizza sauce (I used Trader Joe’s refrigerated pizza sauce; use more or less depending on how…saucy(?) you want your pizza lol)
• 1-2 bell peppers (I used 3/4 red and 3/4 yellow), sliced
• One package refrigerated wheat pizza dough (I used Trader Joe’s, 16oz package)
• 1 bunch cilantro washed and chopped

Directions

• Preheat oven to 450.
  
• Heat the tsp of canola oil and a spritz of cooking spray in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat for a couple seconds, then add onion and garlic. Saute until onion gets a little translucent.
• Add in tofu and saute until lightly browned and crispy on all sides, like this…
  
• When tofu is crispy, onions should also be carmelized. Turn off heat, add in bbq sauce and water. Stir together softly so as not to break up the tofu. Let sit while you take care of the crust…
• To make the pizza dough, you’ll simply be rolling out the refrigerated dough. I use a large wood cutting board, sprinkle it with white whole wheat flour, and sprinkle the rolling pin with flour, too; I then roll out the dough pretty thin, but not perfectly.
• Place foil over a cookie sheet and spray with non-stick cooking spray, then place dough on it and press/spread to all edges (yes, I make the pizza dough thin).
• Spread bbq sauce over pizza dough, then spoon bbq sauce and tofu mixture atop, gently not to break tofu.
• Place bell pepper slices throughout.
• Sprinkle with cilantro, like this
  
• Bake for 12-16 minutes, until dough is cooked (there will be no wetness on top)
• Nutritional information per slice (1/8): 213.75 calories, 5g fat, 552.5 mg sodium, 32g carbs, 3.75g fiber, 5.5g sugars, 8.56g protein

<3,

The Cranky One

My family and I used to frequent the same local Chinese restaurant in Long Beach, called Chen’s, for all of our special occasions (I use “special occasions” loosely; Fridays would qualify lol) and for as long as I can remember. There are many things to love about this restaurant – the giant family-style portions, the fact that there was a dish for everyone, the prices were reasonable, and we were always ensured a table. But…being health conscious…AND vegan…changes things. Chinese food is notorious for being calorie-laden. And heavy on the animal products.

So what’s a cranky girl to do?

Get her ass in the kitchen, that’s what.

Holla’!

Sweet & Sour Tempeh
Four servings

Ingredients

• 1 medium-sized green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 medium-sized white onion, sliced
• 1 c vegetable broth (I use low-sodium)
• 1 package tempeh (8 oz/227g), chopped into bite sized pieces
• 1/2 c ketchup (I recommend an organic brand, plus a lower sugar version. Heinz’s organic version actually has less sugar than Muir Glen’s organic version…)
• 1 tbsp agave (maple syrup will work, too)
• 1 tbsp hoison
• 1 tbsp sesame seed oil
• 1/3 c brown rice vinegar
• salt & pepper to taste

Directions

• Saute sliced bell pepper and onion in vegetable broth over medium heat until soft and the onion is translucent.
• Remove veggies from the broth and add in tempeh and the rest of the ingredients. Saute until tempeh has absorbed a lot of the juices and is warmed throughout. Add back in veggies and serve over cooked brown rice!
• Easy peasy!

Nutritional info. for 1/4 entire dish

Nutrition Facts   User Entered Recipe   4 Servings Amount Per Serving   Calories 227.3   Total Fat 9.9 g   Saturated Fat 1.6 g   Polyunsaturated Fat 3.3 g   Monounsaturated Fat 3.8 g   Cholesterol 0.0 mg   Sodium 686.7 mg   Potassium 359.8 mg   Total Carbohydrate 24.7 g   Dietary Fiber 1.1 g   Sugars 13.8 g   Protein 11.2 g   Vitamin A 6.3 %   Vitamin B-12 0.8 %   Vitamin B-6 11.4 %   Vitamin C 47.2 %   Vitamin D 0.0 %   Vitamin E 4.8 %   Calcium 7.8 %   Copper 18.3 %   Folate 6.3 %   Iron 11.4 %   Magnesium 14.2 %   Manganese 51.1 %   Niacin 8.5 %   Pantothenic Acid     2.1 %   Phosphorus     16.8 %   Riboflavin 12.8 %   Selenium 0.4 %   Thiamin 5.1 %   Zinc 6.3 % *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Mmmmm get in my belly! This dish totally satisfied my hankering for Chinese food. Compare to a serving of Panda Express’ Sweet & Sour Chicken: 390 calories, 17g fat, 350mg sodium, 45g carbs, 1g fiber, 15g protein.

<3,

The Cranky One

Yesterday morning, after driving an hour to band practice – and then finding out band practice was canceled (d’oh!) – I knew I wanted to spend my free time devising a recipe that would be like a siren (not causing people to die or anything, but that would taunt them and cause them to salivate. You know how I do.). Anyway, I decided – hey, it’s fair season over here (fair as a noun, not adjective) and I’ve seen way too many adds for chocolate covered bacon, fried koolaid, turkey legs, etc., so let’s go that route, only healthy! I know many of you would like to indulge in fair food, but why pay the caloric price when you can make these babies?
Wholesome ingredients. Less than 50 calories each. Vegan. Delicious. Kid- and omnivore-boyfriend friendly.

Ingredients

• Almond Breeze Almond Milk, Unsweetened Vanilla, 1 cup
• Maple Syrup, 2 tbsp
• Cider Vinegar, 1 tbsp
• EnerG Egg Replacer, 2 “eggs”
• Hot pepper sauce, 1 tsp
• Garlic (minced. I buy the already peeled and minced garlic in the big jar from Costco), 1 tsp
• Cornmeal (I used medium grind), 1 cup
• Whole Wheat Flour (I used Trader Joe’s White Whole Wheat), 1 cup
• Baking Powder, 1 tbsp
• Salt, .5 tsp
• Pepper to taste
• Lightlife Smart Dogs, 5

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 24-count mini-muffin tray with nonstick cooking spray.
• Mix together top 6 liquid ingredients in a small bowl. Mix together remaining dry ingredients (not inc. hot dogs) in a separate bowl. Add liquid mix to dry mix.
• Chop up Smart Dogs into bite-sized pieces and set aside. (I usually ended up with 6-7 pieces per Smart Dog – and had some left over)
• Spoon batter into muffin tray. I did it two ways – one way: fill each cup half way, add a Smart Dog piece and then cover with more batter. This way the muffin comes out like an actual corn dog. The other way: spoon the cup full to the rim and then place a Smart Dog piece atop (push in just a tiny bit so it sticks). This creates a cute look that’s better if you’re serving as an appetizer.
• Cook for 13-15 minutes. Cool. Serve with mustard and ketchup if you’re traditional. Go nuts with hoison, soy sauce, Frank’s Red Hot etc. if you’re a lil wild thang.
• Enjoy world domination with these little bad boys.

Nutritional information:

Nutrition Facts   User Entered Recipe
27 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories		46.7
Total Fat		0.4 g
	Saturated Fat	0.0 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	0.1 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	0.1 g
Cholesterol		0.0 mg
Sodium		168.0 mg
Potassium		74.4 mg
Total Carbohydrate		8.7 g
	Dietary Fiber	1.1 g
	Sugars	1.1 g
Protein		2.5 g

Vitamin A	0.6 %
Vitamin B-12	0.0 %
Vitamin B-6	0.8 %
Vitamin C	0.3 %
Vitamin D	0.9 %
Vitamin E	2.0 %
Calcium	4.6 %
Copper	0.5 %
Folate	0.3 %
Iron	2.5 %
Magnesium	1.7 %
Manganese	3.7 %
Niacin	0.8 %
Pantothenic Acid	0.2 %
Phosphorus	2.4 %
Riboflavin	0.6 %
Selenium	1.0 %
Thiamin	1.2 %
Zinc	1.0 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

If you could “healthify” or veganize any fair food, which one would it be?

<3,

The Cranky One

When I make something delicious, either from an original recipe or someone else’s, I feel it’s my duty to share it with you! So, consider this sharing…

Slice of vegan tamale pie, anyone?

While the pictured blob above looks like…uh…a blob, it’s really rather delicious and nutritious. This recipe comes from Peas & Thank You – one of my favorite blogs. You can find the original recipe here. You can’t go wrong with an easy-to-make & healthy casserole topped with corn bread, now can you? Nope!

I did one thing differently from Mama Pea, however – I subbed in one 14oz packet of firm tofu for the kidney beans since I was making this dish for my bean-hating boyfriend. How we’ve lasted thus far is a mystery. I mean you know how much I love beans, right?!

Anyway. The recipe came out great with the tofu and I can only imagine how delicious it would be if it had my beloved beans in it.

Nutritional Stats

Stats for the way I made it are (per 1/8 slice): 208 calories, 8.5g fat, 493mg sodium, 30g carbs, 4g fiber, 6g sugars, 16g protein, 20% d.v. iron!

For Mama Pea’s recipe as she originally devised, I’ve calculated as follows (per 1/8 slice): 241.40 calories, 4.5g fat, 612mg sodium, 41g carbs, 8g fiber, 6g sugars, 13g protein, 20% d.v. iron!
Stats calculated using SparkPeople Recipe Calculator

Since we’re talking recipes and Mama Pea, I have to plug her forthcoming cookbook and just put the overt wish vibe out there that if anyone is dying to repay me for some old favor, or buy me an early birthday present, or simply bribe me for vegan baked goods, well…you know…here’s your way out

And, if you’re looking for a vegan sour cream to put atop your mountain of tamale pie, I suggest Wayfare Foods’ version. Everything they make tastes phenom.

<3,

The Cranky One

Since the 4th of July is nearly a day away, I thought I would share appealing recipes I’ve found that would bode over well at a BBQ event (cuz, let’s face it – there’s nothing more American than roasting animal flesh over a grill lol (and oy!)). So, here are some vegan goodies you can bring along with you to convert the masses (*laughs maniacally*) & some great resources:

• VegWeb’s Fourth of July recipe compilation here.
• Oh She Glow’s long-weekend recipe compilation here. The asparagus potato salad and chocolate chip cookie dough balls sound particularly great!
• Chocolate Covered Katie’s Red, White & Blueberries recipe compilation here.
• Diet, Dessert ‘N Dogs’ Patriotic Eats compilation (sugar-free, gluten-free, vegan) here.
• Cilantro Lime Chickpea Salad via Oh She Glows here.
• Yukon Gold White Bean Burgers via Peas & Thank You here. These look amazing!
• Southern Macaroni Salad via VegWeb here. Sounds delicious and it’s vegan, but it will sure break your calorie-bank if you haven’t pre-planned (so plan…?).
• Macaroni Salad (more healthy than above) via 101 Cookbooks here. Ditch the cheese.
• Tempeh & Potato Salad via Vegetarian Times here.
• Ginger Lime Edamame Sweet Potato Burgers via Choosing Raw here.
• OMG Oven Baked Onion Rings via PPK here.
• Perfect Grilled Portobellos via PPK here.
• Falafel Patties via Green Food, Green Thumb, High Heels here
• Tempeh BBQ Baked Beans via VegNews here.
• Frankie’s Vegan Spare Ribs via VegNews here.
• Homemade vegan sausages via VegWeb here.
• My “Chicken” Chickpea Salad here.
• My Pasta Bake here.
• My Cheddar and Rosemary Cornbread here.
• For dessert, try: VegWeb’s Strawberry Shortcakes here; VegNews‘ Fresh Strawberry Pie here; Dreena’s Vegan Recipe’s Pecan Pie here; PPK’s Magical Coconut Cookie Bars here or my lemon poppy seed cake here.
• Check out my list of store-bought vegan burgers here.

And, because I love to be bossy, here are some general etiquette and mind-your-health rules to keep in mind:

• 4th of July is a celebration of America’s independence and while that means you are free to eat like a sumo wrestler wading in a pool of potato salad with his mouth open, you can also exercise your independence not to. p.s. If you’re watching calories, stay away from potato salad, macaroni salad, etc. unless you made it. Even if it’s vegan, it’s usually calorific.
• As much as I love big hunks of meat dangled in front of my face – don’t. It was funny the first few times when you did it while saying slyly “mmm meat,” but I was mostly laughing at you. Do it again and I’ll throw your ass on the BBQ and chant “meat! meat!” while beating my chest.
• If you’re hosting a vegan to your BBQ and insist on providing her with vegan options, make sure they are indeed vegan options. I can’t tell you how many times (okay, only 3x) that someone has been so kind as to insist on providing me with non-meat bbq alternatives only to put me in a really awkward sitch when I read the label and find eggs in the hot dog buns and egg whites in the veggie patties, or when I see that you’re grilling my vegan sausage alongside real meat. Don’t let the meats co-mingle with the meat alternatives, people! Treat veganism like an allergy if you have to – yes, I am allergic to meat. I will die if you let my non-meat co-mingle with the meat meat.
• Remember that even one hot dog can set you back 300+ calories, so try to fill up on clean, whole foods like raw veggies, fresh fruit, salads, etc. Or, skip the hot dog bun and use a slice of sprouted bread, a piece of whole-wheat lavash bread or a nice big romaine leaf.

If you’re like most people I know, you’re going to eat meat (maybe I need to join meetup.com to find some local vegan friends, eh?). Here are some things you can do to mind your health:

• Choose organic. Just say no to second-hand drugs.
• Choose humane. (I hear the Vegan Police scoffing and saying “humane meat is an oxymoron!” but I am ignoring them). I am actually not sure there are hot dogs out there with the 3rd-party-verified “humane” certification. A simple Google search did not yield much…
• Choose “Uncured” or “No added nitrates.” Unfortunately, even “no added nitrates” hot dogs have nitrates in them – they’re just naturally occurring. The New York Times has an excellent article on nitrates in hot dogs here. Basically, “natural” hot dogs tend to be better, but they still have nitrates in them even when they say “uncured” or “no added nitrates.” Why are nitrates bad? Most scientists believe that consumption of nitrates is linked to an increased incidence of colon cancer and diabetes. Good rule of thumb – the less processed the better. If it’s some weird amalgamation of animal fleshes and loads of unpronounceable ingredients occur in the label, just say no. Applegate & Boar’s Head are the brands I see many of my healthy-blogger peers use.
• Choose low-sodium options.
  
• Try a SmartDog. I get that hot dogs can tie into nostalgia, but if you’re open to trying a healthy, delicious, non-meat alternative, I suggest SmartDogs. You’ll need two per bun to get the fulfilling bite-full, but you’ll still only rake in 90 calories, 0g fat & 12% of your daily iron. Only sucky thing is that two of ‘em will = 26% of your daily sodium cap, but eat clean the rest of the day and you’re golden!
• Watch your buns. Heh, “buns” But, really – it’s very hard to find 100% whole-wheat hot dog buns. Nature’s Own offers 100% whole-wheat hot dog buns, but they, unfortunately, also have dough conditioners in them. That aside, they’re one of the best options aside from using Ezekiel sandwich bread, or whole-wheat pitas as buns. You’ll be surprised that seemingly healthy options, like Oroweat’s 100% whole wheat hot dog buns, have high fructose corn syrup!

and, I leave you with this

FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDOM!

<3,
The Cranky One

I hope you’re having an amazing, fun-filled weekend! My lovely friend and I ran the Wrigley River Run 10k yesterday and it was so much fun! It was my first time running with someone (the last two 10ks I ran alone). It can be a bit of an awkward dynamic when you run with someone else –remember my feelings on running with a talker? Alternately, it can be a great way to push yourself and to feel camaraderie. I did, after all, first start my running career alongside my best friend Tamara! But, for those of you who run races with friends – do you make it an up front deal that you’ll each run at your own pace? Or do you just wing it? Do you stick with each other til the end? I’m curious!

Pre-run smiles

I didn’t break my personal record, unfortunately, though I did beat last year’s time for this particular race. Last year, I completed the 10k in 1 hour, 8 seconds — 9:41 pace; yesterday, I completed the 10k in 59:42, which is a pace of 9:36. My best time is for the Long Beach Turkey Trot, which I completed in 56:58 — a 9:14min/mile pace. Time for more 10ks! They are so much fun! (though if you ask me while I’m running them, I’m sure I’ll shoot you my death stare).

I love making race play lists! The three songs I would repeatedly switch to were Nicole S. & 50 Cent’s “Right There” (*writes ashamedly*), Motorcycle’s “As the Rush Comes (Gabriel & Dresden Chillout Mix)” and “Pop, Drop and Roll” by Chonique Sneed — a song I heard when I was flipping through and stopped at the girls’ performance on “So You Think You Can Dance” (see below)…

Now tell me that song doesn’t make you want to run your little heart out! (or dance like a crazy Geisha…)

Time for some cool super-easy vegan recipes!

Brown Rice & Vegetable Medley (w/ Smart Dogs for Good Measure )

Kahlua would like a taste…

What You’ll Need

• 3 cups frozen vegetables (I used Bybee Foods mixed vegetables with shelled edamame from Costco – it’s organic and non-GMO!), steamed and cooked without added oils or any of that nonsense [note: huge bag with 22 1-cup servings is $5.59 @ Costco]
• Cooked brown rice (however much 1 cup dry yields when cooked per package instructions) [note: Costco sells a huge bag of cooked frozen brown rice. It's very convenient. Trader Joe's also sells cooked brown rice in both the pantry (pasta/rice section) and frozen sections of the store]
• Smart Dog Veggie Hot Dogs (I added four dogs, chopped into bite-sized pieces)
• Low sodium soy sauce, hoison, brown rice vinegar (prob about 1-2tbsp each)

What to Do

• Add all the cooked ingredients together into a sauce pan and saute over low heat. Add in the sauces, stir and you’re done! So simple, cheap, healthy and delicious! I like to add the rice mixture to some lavash bread, add hummus and lettuce, and maybe even some of the papas below and it’s like a super-hearty, healthy, vegan breakfast burrito! MMMM!

Curry Potatoes

What You’ll Need

• Some potatoes. I used about 5-6 large red potatoes. Scrub ‘em, wash ‘em and cut ‘em into bite-sized pieces. Curry and paprika spices [note: Trader Joe's sells curry]

What to Do

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix in chopped potatoes with 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp curry and 1 tbsp paprika. Place into a shallow baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and cook until tender and crisp (about 25 minutes). These are amazing with ketchup!

Alright, gotta get back to band practice! (yes, I blog while the guys are figuring out guitar chords hehe!).

<3,

The Cranky One

I love Subway. I really do. When Chris and I first started our weight-loss/health-gain journey, we were both working at the same company which had a Subway franchise below. Since we would plan our meals together from breakfast to dinner and snacks in between, we made it easy on ourselves and made Subway a lunch staple for a very long time. And, I really believe it helped us feel that lunch was enjoyable and yet something that wouldn’t detract from our goals.

Seven-ish years later, I’m still eating Subway! Sure, I no longer get the turkey or chicken sub (I opt instead for the veggie sub), but I still love it!

When I became vegan, however, I had to make sure that there was a bread option for me, which compelled me to review all of the ingredients in each bread option. I should have done it earlier because I must say — it was a very disappointing endeavor! While Subway does offer fresh and healthy ingredients to go inside of the bread (at least in terms of the veggies), the bread itself is a disgrace!

The Truth About Subway

None of the bread options at Subway are good enough! Their vegan option is the Italian version, which is just regular refined-flour white bread. Also, just so you know, all of the breads have unfortunate ingredients like dough conditioners and preservatives. Worse, ALL the breads have enriched flour (including 9-Grain Wheat, which sounds healthy but not only has enriched flour as the first ingredient, it also has high fructose corn syrup!). The worst offender is the wrap which has BLEACHED wheat flour and HYDROGENATED OILS! Do my caps scream as they should?! Not one bread on the Subway menu, vegan or not, can be considered fully nutritious and as a franchise boasting the slogan Eat Fresh, that’s just wrong.

I guess I might as well mention, though I’m sure you figured, that the meat isn’t great either. It’s got nasty preservatives and questionable chemicals like polysorbate 80. But, since meat isn’t my thing, I resign to only being pissed about the bread.

So, dear friends, should we boycott Subway? No. But I do intend on writing them a letter seeking better bread options for a start and posting it here. ‘Til then, Subway, meet my way…

Tofurkey Italian “Sausage” inside a whole wheat lavash bread with fresh vegetables (green bell pepper, red onion, tomato, cucumber), eggplant hummus, balsamic vinegar and pepper. You can also add avocado, olives, jalapenos, pepperoncinis, etc. to make it just like Subway (minus the crappy bread!))!

Same but without sausage.

Trader Joe’s’ Clay Oven Baked Whole Wheat Lavash Bread is amazing — it’s so versatile! Oh, and a 6-pack is only $1.99! Here are the stats:

Nutritional stats for 1/2 piece: 120 calories, 0.5g fat, 180mg sodium, 24g carbs, 2g fiber, 0g sugars, 4g protein
Ingredients: stone ground fine whole wheat flour, water, yeast, salt

You only need 1/2 a piece if you want a small sandwich, but I usually opt for the whole 240-calorie slice. Adding the vegetables I do, along with a tbsp or so of hummus and a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar, I still clock the sandwich in at less than 350 calories and it’s super huge (the entire lavash slice is longer than a foot -  I measured )

Have fun filling the lavash bread with all sorts of goodies!

<3,

The Cranky One

I wanted to create a mock tuna or chicken salad to eat in romaine leaves, so I devised the following recipe for a Vegan Chickpea Salad. It turned out amazingly delicious — the consistency and flavor is very similar to chicken salad. I have to admit this is my new favorite recipe because it’s delicious, healthy and can be eaten in a number of ways (atop a salad, with crackers, in a sandwich, in a pita, etc.!). Try it!

Vegan “Chicken” Salad/Chickpea Salad
Makes 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients

• 1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup chopped white onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 tbsp light mayo (I used Trader Joe’s light mayo which isn’t marketed as “vegan,” but happens to be)
• 1/2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp paprika
• pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup raisins, chopped

Directions

• Mix chickpeas, celery and onion, using a fork to lightly mash chickpeas, leaving some chickpeas more or less intact (to maintain a chunky texture); mix in all remaining ingredients.
• Refrigerate or serve immediately.

Nutritional Info.

• Per 1/2 cup (5 total): 119.7 calories, 1.3g fat, 344.4mg sodium, 21.86g carbs, 4.98g fiber, 7.46g sugars, 4.6g protein

<3,

The Cranky One

First, I’d like to thank Kahlua for her very nice “guest” post. She’ll be thrilled to know she’s now the Blogging for a Change mascot!

So, I heard Taco Bell was testing out tacos with shells made from Doritos. Crazy! Though, not gonna lie, if you served me up a taco made with a shell of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos it would take a lot of force to calm down the “old Bella” who still resides inside of me. Yep, she’s pretty quiet until you bring around her old favorites: Hot Cheetos, See’s candy & Reeses. Annnnyway….

I started thinking about aaaallll the Taco Bell I used to consume alongside my twin. Countless Mexican pizzas, hard shell tacos, pinto & cheese cups, Gorditas. Then I started craving a massive bean, rice and cheese burrito. Funny how that works. I wanted a burrito and it had to be massive!

There was only one thing to do: make a burrito the size of my head.

I did.

Massive Bean, Rice & Cheese Burrito

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup cooked pinto beans (rinsed if from can) – I use Trader Joe’s organic, warm it if from a can (20 seconds in microwave works)
• 1/2 cup cooked brown rice
• 1 large tortilla (I used my favorite Ezekiel 4:9 sprouted tortillas), heated
• Cheese sauce, inspired by Angela’s at Oh She Glows: 4 tbsp. eggplant hummus, 1 tsp. nutritional yeast, 1 tbsp + 1tsp unsweetened almond milk
• Toppings: fresh salsa!

Directions

• Assemble. Wow, that was easy!

• Nutritional information for a burrito the size of your head: 448 calories, 8.4g fat, 525mg sodium, 75g carbs, 19g fiber, 0g sugars, 21g protein <— pretty damn amazing stats; you couldn’t ask for a healthier meals PLUS it has over 25% of your %DV of iron.

I would tell you how amazeballs this burrito is, but I’d rather you just test it out and tell me. I’m tired of hearing myself say amazeballs. Though it is fun to say. Amazeballs. Amazeballs. Amazeballs.

Get some!

<3,

The Cranky One

p.s. I know I’ve been rather annoying with all of my Blogging for a Change “plugs,” but this is charity, yo! Last day to enter to win awesome prizes for FREE and to donate is today by midnight EST. You still have an amazing chance to win these prizes…Kahlua says, “do it! *woof*!”