snow day, part 3 of 3

I made this recipe so long ago that I don't remember much of the specifics. I happened to be channel surfing one afternoon and stumbled quite accidentally upon the annoyingly cheerful Rachael Ray with her husky voice and irritating abbreviations. My visceral hatred for her 30-Minute Meals took longer than usual to kick in, and somehow I found myself watching her prepare a recipe that--gasp--I actually wanted to make!

Well, that's almost true. I saw that there was pork sausage in it and immediately wrote that out of the equation. But in the time it took me to watch her show, and for her to make a balanced meal from (cue signature sweeping hand motion) start to finish, I had effectively rewritten the recipe to suit my own tastes.

Chili sweet-potato hash
Adapted from Rachael Ray
Serves 4
Time: I forget how long it took me, but definitely more than 30 minutes (oh, how I loathe cooking gimmicks!)

{for hash}
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 15-oz. can kidney or black beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium sweet potato, halved lengthwise and sliced into thin half-moons
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. ground coriander
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese

{for eggs}
1 Tbsp. butter or olive oil
4 large eggs

{optional garnishes}
Guacamole and salsa

1. Heat a large skillet with 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat. Add sweet potatoes, onion, chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 10-12 minutes, until vegetables are soft. Midway through the cooking (this is not scientific at all), add the beans so they can warm through and pick up flavors.

2. Transfer to serving platter, top with grated cheese and cover with foil to keep warm while you cook the eggs. *Note: If you have a cooking buddy who'll cook the eggs while you make the hash, this step is unnecessary.

3. Fry (or scramble) eggs to your liking in a preheated pan slicked with butter or olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then top hash with eggs and garnish with guac, salsa, both or neither!

snow day, part 1 of 3

It seems I'm still playing catch-up here, since I still have to add recipes I made before the computer meltdown I mentioned in my last post. And while, lately, I have been busy in the kitchen--baking up my Christmas gifts (and keeping them temporarily off the blog, so as not to spoil the surprise for those receiving them)--during the past couple of months I have been cooking not much, and when I have cooked, I just haven't been tinkering with new recipes. I'm fuzzy on the reasons why this is the case; perhaps the darkening days, exhaustion during the peak of my marathon training (and after the race, too--I'm still sleeping more than ever), and approach of the holidays have taken my attention elsewhere.

Nevertheless, here I am today, snowbound and restless, with the perfect opportunity to make some progress on the blog. And to be perfectly illogical, I'm going to start with what I made last night and work my way backwards in time.

Stewed chickpeas with chicken
Adapted from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman
Yield: 4+ servings
Time: About 45 minutes with precooked chickpeas

With the snow piling up outside all day yesterday, my dad and I wanted to make something warm and comforting. This recipe seemed to fit the bill, while also helping us satisfy our clashing meat-eating agendas (side note: At some point in the last few months, I started noticing that my tolerance for meat went waaaay down. I'm not sure whether it was mental, physical, or something about ramping up my mileage for the marathon that had this effect, but whatever the reason, I still find that it's rare that I want to, or can comfortably, consume any significant quantity of animal protein.), since the chicken is more like a garnish, or just one ingredient, than the main event.

4 c. drained canned chickpeas
2 c. chicken stock, bean cooking liquid, vegetable stock or water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. peeled and minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 c. canned tomatoes, with liquid
1-2 c. shredded cooked chicken (we were lazy and bought a precooked bird that Wegmans roasted for us)

1. Combine chickpeas and stock in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Season to taste with salt (if necessary; I didn't find it to be) and black pepper. Let simmer gently, to warm chickpeas, while you work on everything else.

2. In a large saucepan or deep skillet, heat oil over medium heat, then add onion, celery and carrot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin and tomatoes, and cook 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally.

3. Add chickpeas and stock to vegetable-tomato mixture, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, to let flavors combine and to let liquid reduce. *Note: How long you simmer is up to you. If you want it very soupy, you can serve it immediately. If you want it more stew-like, with less liquid, continue to simmer for 5-10 minutes or more.

4. When there's just about (or slightly more than) the amount of liquid you want, add chicken and stir thoroughly. Lower heat and cover for just a minute or two, to warm chicken through. Serve over cooked grains or with a hunk of warm, crusty bread.

post-virus recuperation

The recent dearth of activity here at I Don't Eat Bacon is the fault of a virus that completely knocked the crap out of my computer (and a little bit of pre-marathon taper madness, when I found myself completely useless at any task involving sustained attention). We are now back in commission, but not without the loss of the program I use to upload photos to the computer. Annoying as this may be, I'm not letting it hold me back. There are overdue recipes to be posted!

I lost track of when I prepared these, but I can do my best to recreate my thoughts about the results (which I'd drafted in a Word document that, of course, was lost when the computer guys "fixed" the computer).

Catch-up recipe #1:
Vegetarian cassoulet
Adapted from Gourmet, March 2008
Serves 4 to 6
Total time: 1 hr 15 minutes

This falls squarely into the "Sounds too simple to be good, but is really, really good" category. After eating it at a friend's house, I was excited to try it out myself, but I worried that my eating buddies (a k a parents) wouldn't be satisfied by it. Whether it's in their heads or their stomachs, my parents tend to think that if there's not an animal protein on the plate, it ain't a meal. But with steamed broccolini and a mound of cooked grain pilaf, this left them extremely satisfied, both hunger- and taste-wise.

Another note: The original recipe outlines making the cassoulet on the stovetop, starting by sauteeing the vegetables in olive oil, then adding beans and herbs. When my friend's mother made it for us, she bypassed all that and simply threw everything in the oven, sans the oil, and baked it. This approach appealed to me because: it tasted amazing without the extra fat; it involved far less attention during the cooking; and, best of all, there'd be fewer vessels and utensils to clean in the end. Baking it meant less surface area to cover with garlic crumbs (see below), so I meant to halve the quantities for the crumbs. However, my notes suggest that I halved the bread crumbs and oil, but not the garlic, parsley, salt or pepper. I can't figure out what happened, so the amounts below match exactly my suspect notes from the night I made this. Good luck!

{for cassoulet}
1 large red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch-wide pieces
3 celery ribs, cut into 1-inch-wide pieces
4 garlic cloves, chopped
4 thyme sprigs
2 parsley sprigs
1 Turkish bay leaf (I used two; what we have in our spice cabinet is certainly older than I)
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
3 1/2 cans (15 oz. each) cannellini or Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 qt. water

{for garlic crumbs}
2 c. coarse fresh bread crumbs
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
1/4 c. chopped parsley
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper


{make cassoulet}
Preheat oven to 350* F. Combine all ingredients in a large, deep casserole dish. Bake 45-60 minutes, or until liquid is mostly absorbed and vegetables are tender.

{make garlic crumbs}
While cassoulet bakes, toss bread crumbs with oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl until well coated. Spread on a baking pan and toast in the same 350* oven. After 6-7 minutes, stir crumbs. Continue cooking until crisp and golden, another 6-8 minutes.

Remove pan from oven and allow crumbs to cool. Return to bowl and combine with parsley.

{seal the deal}
When there's still a bit too much water left, remove cassoulet from oven and pluck out herb springs and bay leaf. Mash some of the beans with a fork or spoon; this will help thicken the surrounding liquid, which is very nice. Top cassoulet with garlic crumbs, then return to oven to continue cooking and to crisp the top.


Catch-up recipe #2:
Pumpkin molasses cookies
Adapted from The Healthy Everythingtarian
Yield: I forget, but it was more than the 2 dozen promised in the original. Like, I think it was twice as many.
Time: 15 minutes prep, 10-12 minutes baking time

I made these the same day as the cassoulet. My only real logic behind that was, Hey, the oven's already set to 350* . . . why not bake some cookies? The fact that I think anytime is cookie time may have been a factor.

2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. ground ginger, plus more for dusting cookies
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 c. wheat germ
1/2 c. pureed cooked pumpkin
1/4 c. molasses
1/4 c. canola oil
3/4 c. evaporated cane juice (or sugar or other sweetener), divided
2 Tbsp. water

1. Preheat oven to 350* F (unless it's already set there!). Line a baking pan with parchment paper, or lightly grease it with canola oil.

2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and wheat germ. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin, molasses and oil. Then whisk in all but 2 Tbsp. of the evaporated cane juice.

4. Fold pumpkin mixture into dry ingredients, adding water toward the end to help bring dough together. It will be sticky!

5. In a small bowl, combine remaining 2 Tbsp. evaporated cane juice and a couple dashes of ground ginger.

6. Spoon out dough 1 Tbsp. at a time, roll into a ball, then toss in sugar/ginger mixture until lightly coated. Place on prepared pan, then continue with remaining dough. Before putting into oven, press down each cookie with the tines of a fork vertically, then horizontally, to create crisscross lines and to slightly flatten cookies to about 1/4-1/2 inches in thickness.

7. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until slightly firm.

a different kind of potato salad

I've reached what I consider a sort of culinary milestone: This week, I cooked beans myself for the first time in my life. Of all possible kitchen achievements, this one is low on the skill-level spectrum, but it's one about which I'm nevertheless sort of proud.

At the time, though, the hungry part of me (which was very hungry) thought, This is a huge pain in the ass. And compared to opening up a can and, presto, having your beans ready to rock, cooking them yourself really is less convenient. But dried-then-cooked beans are cheaper than canned, not swimming in salty liquid, and you can control their relative firmness or mushiness by how long you cook them. In no way am I suggesting that my relationship with canned beans is over; it's not. But when I have the time and the forethought to soak and cook my own, I think I will.

Everything that Mark says about this salad is true. Except for the addition of some leftover brown rice, I followed his recipe to the letter, so I'm not going to bother posting it. Lazy, but true.

cold peanut noodles

Friday is an interesting day for me, foodwise, because it is the day when I do not exercise and, therefore, have more time on my hands. It is also typically the day before my longest run of the week, which means that it's an important day to eat well so I can power through my Saturday morning miles. While contemplating the scheduled 15-mile training run I had on tap for the next morning, I knew for sure that pasta would be the main event. I didn't have any meat, tofu or fish in the house (other than canned tuna, which was decidedly not singing to me), but I wanted a good source of protein in my meal. And that's when it hit me: cold peanut noodles! Using a healthy dose of peanut butter in the sauce, I'd get my protein and a nice hit of fat, too. I grabbed my Bittman cooking bible, which was still out on the counter after another cooking adventure earlier in the week, and excitedly flipped through to the pasta section. Not only was it ridiculously easy to pull together, I also didn't have to leave the house to buy a single ingredient.

That is, I made the recipe work using the slightly-different-than-called-for ingredients that I already had. Namely, dried thin whole-wheat spaghetti for the noodles, regular sesame oil rather than dark, sriracha as my hot sauce, and an unmeasured amount of scallions equal to the only good parts remaining from a bunch that had seen better days. I added frozen edamame to the mix and steamed a mix of bok choy and spinach to make it a meal.

One note about the hot sauce: I added it bit by bit as the noodles were cooking, then left the sauce to hang out while the noodles chilled. When I returned to the sauce, it was much spicier than I remembered it--probably to be expected, since all the different parts had had time to get to know each other better--which for me was a good thing, because I like spicy food. If you do not, consider seasoning with caution.

Cold noodles with peanut sauce
Adapted from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman
Time: About 40 minutes

12 oz. fresh egg noodles or any dried noodles, such as spaghetti
1/2 to 1 cup frozen shelled soybeans
2 Tbsp. dark sesame oil, divided
1/2 c. natural peanut butter
1 Tbsp. honey
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
Hot sesame oil, chili-garlic sauce, Tabasco or other hot sauce to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
At last 1/2 c. minced scallions for garnish

1. Cook noodles in boiling salted water according to package instructions until tender but not mushy. A minute or two before they're done, add soybeans to the pot. Drain, then rinse in cold water for a minute or two. Toss with half the sesame oil and refrigerate up to two hours, or proceed with recipe.

2. While pasta cooks, make the sauce: Beat together peanut butter, honey, soy sauce and vinegar. Add a little hot sauce and salt and pepper; taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Thin sauce with hot water (I took it straight from the pasta pot), so that it is about the consistency of heavy cream.

3. Toss together noodles and sauce, and add more of any seasoning if necessary. Drizzle with remaining sesame oil, garnish and serve.

black bean tacos and the world's most refreshing salad

Last night, Julia and I had what I think may have been our tastiest cooking adventure yet. After our Monday morning swim, we rooted through my recipe box and found two awesome-sounding recipes that I'd never made before. The first, for black bean tacos, was an adaptation from a Bon Appetit recipe published in one of the local papers, and though it sounded a little crazy to both of us (I was suspicious of the feta, and Julia seemed a little uncertain at first about the cabbage), we ran with it. I can't articulate how I feel about it any other way except to say that it was really flippin' good. We paired the tacos with a salad of watermelon, cucumber and jicama, using a recipe I found in an issue of Gourmet a few years ago. I had never bought or cooked with jicama before (a little tough to peel, but otherwise fine!), and it was Julia's first time eating it (she liked it!).

Everything was refreshing, full of flavor, well balanced, and very healthy. Plus, it was a snap to prepare the two dishes at once, since neither was very complex and they shared some ingredients. I was tempted to sip something tequila-y with all of it, especially after seeing Mark Bittman's agua fresca recipe earlier in the day, but I knew that doing so would make this morning's run extra challenging so I stayed booze-free.

Bonus: I had the good sense while I was in Philly to swing by Sue's, the amazing produce market on South 18th Street to see if they had any of the ingredients I needed. I bought the scallions and all the herbs for only $3.50! A steal! And I got smallish quantities of basil and mint, rather than the big bunches I find the supermarket that go bad before I can use them up.

Black bean tacos with feta and cabbage slaw
Adapted from Bon Appetit (February 2009)
Serves 5

15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 tsp. olive oil
2 c. coleslaw mix
2 scallions, chopped
1/3 c. chopped fresh cilantro
Freshly ground black pepper
Hot sauce
5 white corn, yellow corn, or flour tortillas (we used whole wheat flour tortillas)
1/3 c. crumbled feta

1. In a small saucepan or microwaveable bowl, combine beans, cumin and salt. Use a fork to partially mash beans. Set aside.

2. In medium bowl, combine lime juice and oil. Add cabbage, scallions and cilantro. Toss, season to taste with black pepper and hot sauce, and toss again. Set aside.

3. On stovetop over low heat (or in microwave) gently warm bean mixture. Warm tortillas in a dry pan, oven or microwave, just enough so that they are pliable. Divide bean mixture among the tortillas and spread in an even layer over each tortilla.

NOTE: The original recipe outlines how to make crispy tacos, and though we didn't go that route, it does sound quite good: Divide bean mixture evenly among tortillas, and spread beans evenly over top of each tortilla. Heat 3 tsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tortillas (working in batches if necessary) bean-side up, and cook for 1 minute. Fold in half, then continue to heat about 1 minute per side, or until golden brown.

4. Fill each taco with some of the cabbage mixture and a sprinkling of feta.

great green goodies

Watermelon, cucumber and jicama salad
From Gourmet (July 2004)
Serves 6

4 c. cubed seeded watermelon (from a 3-lb. piece, rind discarded)
2 c. cubed peeled jicama (1 lb.)
2 c. cubed English cucumber (1 1/2 lb.)
1/2 c. fresh lime juice
1/4 c. chopped fresh mint
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
1 tsp. salt

Toss together all ingredients in a large bowl and serve immediately.

OR: You can combine watermelon and vegetables 6 hours ahead and store, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Likewise, you can chop and combine the herbs 6 hours ahead and store, covered, in the fridge until serving time.

a second glimpse of veggie heaven

As promised in yesterday's post, we made good use of the offerings of my dad's co-worker's garden for last night's dinner. Though it wasn't a meatless meal, there were a lot of vegetables invited to the party. The main event was sausage and pepper sandwiches, which we made with sweet Italian turkey sausage (grilled) and a bevy of onions and Italian frying peppers (sliced and sauteed, and pictured). I was especially excited about the peppers, because I've had a years-long half-assed interest in trying them since I worked at a farm stand during high school and college. I love their fierce green color, and their scent gives me the impression that they'd be spicy to eat, but I've never cared enough to actually purchase and cook some. They weren't spicy at all, which was a bit of a disappointment. But they were good!


As a side to our sandwiches, I threw together this salad with the gorgeous red and yellow cherry tomatoes as the centerpiece. We didn't have enough tomatoes to make a salad large enough for everyone, so to stretch it out I added: quartered cucumber slices, torn fresh basil, some itty bitty balls of fresh mozzarella, a drizzle of olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper. Mmm! A big bowl of freshness.

And finally, here is a recipe I made over a week ago with my partner in culinary crime, Julia, that I failed to post (and photograph, as it happens). It is super simple, especially because we used canned beans, and lightly filling. In other words, exactly what you feel like making and eating on a hot and humid summer evening.

Four bean salad with vegetables
Adapted from Simply Recipes
Yield and time: A lot and a little. (Whoops, I didn't keep track of either!)

1 15-oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz. can butter beans, rinsed and drained
2 celery stalks, chopped fine
1/2 red onion, chopped fine
1 c. cooked corn kernels
1 c. chopped flat leaf parsley
1/3 c. apple cider vinegar
1/3 c. granulated sugar, or to taste (I really liked that the dressing was sweet, but next time I'd prefer it a little less so)
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Combine beans, celery, onion, corn and parsley in a large bowl.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, sugar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add to salad, and toss to coat.

3. Serve immediately or, if you have time, let salad chill in the refrigerator for several hours so beans and veggies can absorb the flavors of the dressing. Serve cold or at room-temperature.

Julia and I cooked up a batch of wheat berries and ate them alongside the salad. But when I ate some of the leftovers later in the week, I threw the wheatberries right into the salad and much preferred it that way. I like the presence of their chewiness with the beans and crunchy veggies, and the grain gave the salad more visual interest by adding another color to the mix.

We also brainstormed some further variations on this: the addition and/or substitution of black beans; making a dressing of orange or lime juice, honey, olive oil and a little cumin, and possibly also replacing the parsley with cilantro; more and/or different vegetables, such as green or wax beans, grape tomatoes, chopped cucumber . . .

chickpea stew

Thanks to my newest friend, Julia (no, not Child), I had company in the kitchen on Wednesday! At her genius suggestion, we decided to make dinner together. I was thrilled to have a buddy with whom to cook, and I realized that although it's rare that I make myself a real dinner in the middle of the week, it never takes as much time as I expect and the payoff is more inspired and satisfying than many of the usual low- maintenance suspects. It was easy to choose a recipe that we both liked, since she's a vegetarian and I often eat like one; many of the ingredients were already in one of our kitchens, so the meal was easy on our wallets, too. Bonus: she let me keep the leftovers of everything, because her mom wanted to clear out their kitchen in anticipation of Passover!

Although the recipe is extremely simple, the results were ultra tasty and quite filling. We left the stew to simmer while we nibbled on our salads (beets, zucchini, romaine, gorgonzola--all thanks to Julia!), and there wasn't much liquid left when we checked on it. Not a problem, but it made it a little less stew-y. Also, the original recipe includes russet potatoes, but we nixed them and cooked up some barley instead.

Middle Eastern chickpea stew
Adapted from The Big Book of Vegetarian (Chronicle Books, 2004)
Serves 6
Time: Who knows? We talked and talked and talked, so it took us forever!

1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. ground cumin (the addition of which made Julia murmur, "Mmm! Smells like fajitas!")
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes and their juice
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 c. vegetable broth
2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

1. In a large, nonstick skilled over medium-high heat, warm olive oil. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, cumin and oregano. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables soften, 5 to 6 minutes.

2. Add tomatoes, cilantro and parsley. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid has evaporated and mixture has thickened, about 5 minutes.

3. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add chickpeas, lower heat and simmer until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve hot, preferably with cooked barley or other grain and with pleasant company. ;)

dinner for one, on the fly

Last night, I cooked dinner just for myself. Because I live with my parents, my weekend meals are generally a larger affair because we cook for three. And while I feed myself every day of the week, I don't typically put much effort into my weeknight meals: cereal, leftovers, salad, the ubiquitous peanut butter sandwich. But I like to make weekend meals special, and since my parents were not eating with me last night, I thought it would be a good opportunity to try out something more daring than they're used to. (I was also going to say "something vegetarian" when I realized that we do cook a lot of vegetarian meals together . . . although sometimes, about an hour later, I find my dad rummaging in the kitchen for something to nibble.)

Looking in the refrigerator, I saw the leftover barley pilaf still hanging out, and I wanted to try to use it all before it got funky. There was most of a can of white beans I'd opened for my lunchtime salad also in the fridge, and knowing my tendency to open a can of beans, use about half a cup and forget the rest until a strange odor emanates from the tupperware, I pounced. Burgers, I thought. I'm going to make a bean burger. Remembering that beans and grains, two sources of incomplete proteins, make a complete protein when combined, I thought I'd build a bean-based burger that also contained barley. (If the previous sentence didn't make sense, you can read more about complete proteins here.) I was disappointed that white beans and barley are both pretty sad looking, and I wanted a little more color in the burger, so I threw in some shelled soybeans (which, I found out later, contain a complete protein themselves, so never mind all that nutritional mumbo jumbo from before) and some minced parsley. I didn't season the burgers much more than that, since the pilaf had onions and thyme and would, I hoped, flavor the patty enough. But I did throw in a few pinches of whole wheat flour, because I had a feeling that might prevent the burger from falling apart when I cooked it.

I didn't take notes or measure anything, but these are my guesses:

• 1/3 c. white beans, mashed
• 2 Tbsp. barley pilaf
• 1-2 Tbsp. thawed frozen shelled soybeans
• 2-3 tsp. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
• a few grinds black pepper
• 2 tsp. whole wheat flour

I rolled all these things together into a ball, flattened into a patty and refrigerated for 20-30 minutes. I had a feeling that refrigeration might help the patty set, to further prevent it from falling apart, but I don't know if it actually did anything. The burger didn't fall apart, though, so that's encouraging.

An almost-too-old sweet potato lurking in a cabinet also called to me, and I knew exactly how I wanted to prepare it. I cut it into rounds, halved the rounds to make little moons and seasoned on both sides: extra-virgin olive oil, smoked paprika and kosher salt. If you're not familiar with smoked paprika, it is a bangin' spice unlike any other--smoky, sorta spicy, definitely awesome--that I bought a couple of years ago for an eggplant and garbanzo stew recipe. I really like it paired with the sweetness of the sweet potatoes. I baked the slices at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for ~45 minutes (I wasn't really timing), flipping and rearranging the slices every 15 minutes.

When the sweet potatoes were close to done-ness, I heated a little extra virgin olive oil in a sautee pan over high heat and seared the burger on both sides, to brown but not burn it. Then I lowered the heat and cooked it a little longer on both sides to heat it through.

The only thing I had to buy for the meal was a green veggie. I went with sugar snap peas, and kept some water simmering in a small saucepan until the burger and sweet potatoes were nearly done. Then I cranked up the heat, dropped in the snap peas and let them play for a minute, then drained.

Overall, everything was awesome. I'm most excited that I experimented with the burger and didn't follow any specific recipe. It was so much more flavorful and interesting (and less fake-tasting) than a manufactured veggie burger, and the success of the experience encourages me to branch out and try different combinations of ingredients.