Basic Recipes

A post with no dessert! No, that doesn't mean I didn't have dessert today. I'm just posting some recipes I've made recently that are pretty basic, but delicious and excellent for a quick meal.

I made this the other night while my family was having leftovers from Xmas dinner. I love how quick this is, while still being super nutritious! I kinda made this up one night when I didn't have anything else to pack for my school lunch. I usually only have carrots and bell pepper on hand, but you can add any veggies that would work with this that you have on hand (I'm sure water chestnuts, snap peas, broccoli, and shiitake mushrooms would taste awesome).

Edamame Fried Rice:

1 c. uncooked brown rice
2 c. shelled frozen edamame (no need to thaw)
1/2 bell pepper, diced
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1 carrot, chopped fine
3 T. soy sauce
1 t. sesame oil
1/2 t. ginger

Cook rice according to package and fluff with a fork. Set aside. In a skillet, saute bell pepper, carrot, and garlic until soft. Add edamame and cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until the edamame begins to brown slightly. Add cooked rice and cook another 2 minutes. Whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, and ginger in a small bowl. Pour over rice and edamame in skillet and stir to coat evenly. Serve hot and makes about 4 (large) servings.


I love love love black bean burgers! One day I really wanted to make some, but didn't have many ingredients on hand and didn't want to bother making rice or breadcrumbs to add to them, hence the birth of this recipe. I kinda just threw stuff together and it ended up being rally good. I love to add some sweet frozen (or fresh of course) corn to these after adding all the spices. If you wanna freeze these, I suggest making them thinner and crispier; I find those freeze the best. Just cook 'em in a saucepan or bake 'em, place on a lined cookie sheet, freeze overnight, and wrap in plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn.

Black Bean Burgers:

1 15 oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed well
1/2 small onion, diced
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 T. ketchup/tomato paste
1 t. dried cilantro
1 1/2 t. dried cumin
1 T. flax seeds

Saute onion and garlic until soft and slightly brown. Cool and set aside. In a large bowl, mash black beans but leave some whole beans for texture. Add remaining ingredients and mix. Form into 3 large burgers and 4 thinner ones. Cook in a slightly oil pan until crispy on outside, but soft inside. For a firmer burger, form very thin patties and bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees (F), flipping halfway through.