Black Bean Smash Burgers With Adobo Mayo

Black Bean Burgers

Black Bean Burger with Adobo Mayo

While stuck in my kitchen this summer nursing two different muscle injuries I started to cook more meals at home. I concentrated on cooking vegetarian meals, filled with fresh whole foods. 

I found this recipe in the Bon Appetit August 2024 edition on their list of top 56 recipes to try this year. They chose 56 because their first issue was published in 1956. 

It's one of my favourites and one I'd recommend you all try it.

This burger recipe is fast, easy, tasty and I especially like the adobo mayo sauce. 

I’ve included the original recipe here, but I did modify mine a bit by substituting  cilantro instead of coriander. I also used plain Monterey Jack cheese because I couldn’t find Pepper Jack cheese. 

Blueberry Sour Cream Muffins

Blueberry Muffins

There were an abundance of blueberries available where I live this summer, which inspired me to bake some delicious blueberry muffins. 

I usually use buttermilk in my baking recipes, and then a reader on Pinterest wrote to say she’d modified one of my recipes with sour cream. I decided to give it a try and it worked like a charm. Hence, these muffins are made with sour cream. 

Blueberry Lemon Pound Cake

Blueberry Pound Cake with Lemon

I’m a collector (some would say hoarder) of cookbooks and cooking magazines. So, while stranded at home with pulled muscles, I piled them up and spent time perusing new and interesting recipes to make. It’s a fun way to get back into the swing of cooking on a regular basis especially if you’re stuck in a cooking rut.

I love to bake, and since it was blueberry season, I decided to made a few recipes with blueberries. I made this lemon blueberry pound cake recipe a few times and loved it every time. 

Overnight Oats with Chia Seeds, Coconut and Almonds

Overnight Oats

This recipe is very versatile it has chia seeds, coconut, almonds and cinnamon.  I suggest you use it as a template to try different ways of making it to suit your taste. Try adding lemon zest, pear, fresh berries or berry compote. You could also add vanilla, honey, or walnuts.  The possibilities are endless! I’ll let you choose.

Overnight oats with chia seeds, almonds, raisins, coconut and cinnamon

Oat Bran Rhubarb Orange Muffins

Oat Bran Rhubarb Orange Muffins

 This is a nice recipe for a delightful breakfast muffin. It’s not too sweet and  has a nice blend of bran, wheat germ, oats and orange.

Rhubarb Apple Compote

Rhubarb and Apple Compote

Compotes are very easy to make and lovely to serve on ice cream, oatmeal or yogurt. This one has orange juice and is not too much sugar. Of course, you’re welcome to add more sugar if you like it a little sweeter. 

Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies

Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies

These treats look like cookies but have the texture of a carrot muffin. They are filled with oats, carrots, cinnamon, and raisins. Best of all, they come together quickly in one bowl!

Pistachio Basil Pesto

Pistachio Basil Pesto

Fresh pesto typically uses pine nuts however this recipe has a nice twist with roasted, salted pistachios. I bought ones that were already roasted, but you can easily buy them raw and roast them in the oven or stovetop. Serve the pesto on pasta, on pizza, over cooked veggies, or in a veggie sandwich with mayo.

Cabbage Carrot Slaw With Sesame

Cabbage Slaw with Carrots

This is a colourful slaw recipe with purple cabbage and carrots. It has green grapes and sesame seeds as well. The dressing is not too heavy, which is what I like. 

Easy Dairy-Free Chocolate Cake with Yummy Chocolate Glaze

Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Glaze

This cake is light and airy, and easy to make. The cake is dairy-free, but not the glaze (which can easily be skipped if you have friends or family members who are lactose intolerant.) The cake has cocoa and orange juice, and the glaze has chocolate, butter and sugar…it’s a recipe for success!