Tempeh Barley Burgers

These patties are similar to my original Grilled Tempeh Burgers, but the added barley makes them a little more hearty and healthy.

Enjoy them like regular burgers- with cheese, ketchup, mustard, etc.
Ingredients:
  • 1 cup dried barley flakes
  • 1 red onion
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 package tempeh
  • 2 TB German mustard
  • 2 TB Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 TB tomato paste
  • 2 TB spicy BBQ sauce
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • pinch of thyme
Barley flakes cook like oatmeal, but take 20 minutes. Add one cup of barley flakes to 3 cups boiling water. Turn down to simmer and cook until all water is absorbed. Let this mixture cool a little.
In a food processor, chop the onion, garlic, and tempeh. In a large bowl, mix the cooked barley flakes with the chopped onion, garlic, and tempeh. Add the rest of the ingredients, one by one in the order listed above, and mix well. Add a little more flour if the patties look like they will fall apart on the griddle.
Cook these like pancakes until they are browned on the outside. Enjoy.

Lemon Lime Basil Spritzer

This drink is different, but delicious, and perfect in the summer when fresh basil is growing in your garden. This recipe will make 2 drinks.

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 lemon
  • 1/2 lime
  • 1 or more shots of vodka
  • 4-5 basil leaves
  • club soda
Rinse the basil leaves and break them apart. If you have the right tools to make a mojito, mash the basil leaves in the bottom of the cup to release their flavor. Otherwise, use a long spoon to try and mash the leaves a bit. Add the lemon and lime juice, vodka, club soda, and ice. Mix and enjoy.

Creamy Orzo Salad

This orzo salad, served cold, is a nice change from the typical pasta salad eaten in the summer.

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup Orzo
  • 2-3 cups fresh, raw spinach
  • 1 yellow pepper, chopped or sliced
  • 1 red pepper, chopped or sliced
  • 1 can rinsed and drained kidney beans
  • 1 yellow or sweet onion
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup feta cheese
  • 1 TB honey
  • 1 TB cider vinegar
  • fresh ground black pepper
Slice the onion. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan and start to cook the onion on medium low heat until it turns a nice golden brown and caramelizes. This could take 40 minutes or more, so plan for this time lag in advance. When the onion is done, remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon to keep most of the olive oil in the pan. Place the onion in a dish to cool.
Start to boil water and cook the orzo just like you prepare pasta. Drain and rinse in cold water.
While the onion caramelizes and the orzo boils, chop the spinach and the peppers. As soon as the caramelized onion is removed from the pan, add the peppers and cook them for a few minutes. Remove them with a slotted spoon to reserve the rest of the olive oil for the spinach. Saute the spinach for one minute or so, just until it wilts.
In a large bowl, combine the orzo, spinach, peppers, and kidney beans. Then, turn to the food processor. Combine the caramelized onion, feta, honey, vinegar, and fresh ground pepper. Puree this into a creamy sauce and mix into the orzo salad.

Sweet Feta Salad Dressing

This salad dressing works well with salad toppings such as tuna, salmon, or another fish and avocado.

Ingredients:
  • 1/4-1/3 cup feta cheese
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 TB honey mustard
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • fresh ground black pepper
  • red pepper flakes, or, better yet- Aleppo pepper (from Savory Spice Shop for a little kick)
Throw it all in a food processor and you have a delicious and creamy salad dressing.

Spinach, Rainbow Chard, and Peppers in Coconut Sauce

This was a great side dish to the Grilled Yellow Tail Snapper and Coconut Basmati Rice. All of these ingredients are best when in season.

Ingredients:
  • lots of raw spinach (a colander full)
  • 10 or so whole leaves of rainbow chard
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 yellow pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 5.46 oz. can of coconut milk (undisturbed and minus the cream skimmed off for the fish and rice dishes during this might’s dinner)
  • 1 TB soy sauce
Chop the greens and put them in a dry pan. Start to cook them in the small amount of water left from washing them. When they start to wilt, add the peppers, sliced however you like. Next add the rest of the thick coconut cream and the garlic. Mix this all and let it cook down a little more. Add the soy sauce and the rest of the can of coconut milk. Stir until well combined, remove from heat, and enjoy.
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