burgers & fries

So it's been pointed out to me that starting a blog with a recipe that relies on intuition and experiencing happy scents in the kitchen isn't too wise. In John's quasi-intelligent review, "I'm not a cooker. How am I supposed to know what to do?" Well. Maybe play with your food? :)

Really, I do get it. Taking on a new attitude with vegetarian cooking takes time and courage and experimentation. Yet, even I began this process 15 years ago with some easy-to-follow recipes. It's just that intuitive soup is what we ate for dinner. And since I'm all about easy peas here, I'm simply going to offer what I am cooking and we are eating and hope that this is of some benefit to you. Maybe my little blog can be a catalyst for you to bring veggie cooking into your daily life. Now, for me it's second nature. Truly effortless.

So, with that in mind, plus a craving to guide me, last night I created the veggie version of burgers & fries . . . veggie burgers and roasted potatoes. Here's the scoop:

Ravishing Roasted Potatoes

Small potatoes - any assortment, any amount, washed and dried

Last night we had some funky purple, red, and yellow little potatoes that I picked up at Costco. When I chopped the purple ones, they squirted bright purpley juice all over the cutting board! Bonus! We love roasted new potatoes and sweet potatoes, too.


Preheat the oven to 450 degrees while you have fun choppin' your potatoes into 1 inch chunks. Dump the chopped potatoes into a large bowl and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Stir to coat and then pour in a single layer onto a foil-lined baking sheet.

Sprinkle the taters with coarse sea salt and the spice of your choice. We are very fond of rosemary, so when I can't pick it from my garden, I buy a little herb packet of fresh organic rosemary at the grocery store.



Pop in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. It's fun to hear all the sizzling and popping going on in there while you start your veggie burgers!

Choosing your veggie burger is a matter of trial and error. We despise the blahness of Boca and love the spiciness of Morningstar Farms Black Bean Burgers. We've tried all kinds, and you may need to as well to find one that makes your belly happy. Slap some cheese on there if you wish and top with whatever you like -- BBQ, mustard, pickles, you name it. Make it your dream burger and you won't miss the meat one single bit. (Okay, I'm an optimist).



Last night we tried a new contender, the Don Lee veggie patties from Costco. Yum! Great texture with crunchy sunflower seeds and oniony good. Even John liked them! Now that's an endorsement.

Enjoy your roasted potatoes piping hot from the oven with your groovy burger. It's junk food - veggie style!