Tasty travels in Phoenix, AZ

So last week I was in Phoenix, AZ, to visit a hospital where I applied for a job. I decided to spend a couple of days there to get familiar with the city if I get so lucky to move there. Well of course, in those four days I needed to eat. Phoenix just developed a light rail system. Its nothing compared to DC's and NYC's, but its new and still the baby phase. Well, it was good enough to take me to Mill Ave in Tempe, AZ, where there is quite a bit of shopping and some delicious places to eat. And of course, having a weakness for the Middle Eastern meal, I stopped at Med Fresh for a falafel dinner.

For barely nothing, I got a huge plate with five delicious and crispy falafel, salad, two whole pitas, tahini, hummous, and this red chili sauce. I promise I cleared my entire plate (well, of course I only had a bowl of cereal that day so I was famished). Anyway, the food is great there. I definitely recommend it if you're looking for something delicious, yet inexpensive while out shopping at the cute boutiques (and Urban Outfitters). They also have various kebabs and stuffed grape leaves that are worth taking a bite into. 

Med Fresh Turkish Grill

414 S Mill Avenue, Suite 117

Tempe, AZ

(480) 642-9709

The next day I decided to have dinner @ the hotel. I was staying at the Radisson Phoenix City Center. Well, the menu was definitely for meat lovers so I asked if it was possible if they could make me something vegetarian. So this is what they brought out of the kitchen for me:

No its not a veggie burger. Its a beautiful mound of grilled pineapples, red bell peppers, red onions, eggplants, salad greens and avocado on a toasted hamburger bun. Oh, with a side of greens and raspberry dressing. MMMM! So, no I'm not telling you to stop at the Radisson for dinner, but I'm just saying, when you think there's nothing on the menu you can eat, just ask. Lots of kitchens are willing to make some changes to make you happy (because getting your money makes them happy). 

Black Bean Veggie Burger

So I'm finding that veggie burgers are just the easiest, most healthy form of dinner for me due to my schedule. I'm up at 630 am everyday and by the time my day is done its 530pm and I'm really not in the mood to go all gourmet and make a sexy plate of food. So I grabbed a few things from the kitchen, dumped them into a bowl et voila, bean burgers. So what did I put my quick and easy dinner this time? Well, I dumped a can of black beans with half a chopped onion, minced garlic, salt and pepper, cayenne powder and grilling seasoning, 1 package of spinach (defrosted and liquid squeezed out) and one chopped zucchini. For my binders I used 1/4 firm tofu and 1/2 cup TVP (already soaked in 1/2 cup water). Using my hands I mixed the ingredients well and them formed them into five thick burger patties.

Once the patties were formed, I heated some oil in a skillet and placed the burgers in the skillet. it took somewhere like 5-7 minutes for the burgers to cook well on one side, and once they were browned and looked like they wouldn't fall apart, I flipped them over and cooked the other side.

I served up the bean burger with a cup of brown rice topped with a 1/4 cup of tropical dried fruit and a cup of steamed broccoli seasoned with a lil' salt and pepper. Really, its so easy to be creative with veggie burgers that I think I can def be eating them for a long while.

Homemade Bean Burgers

So my friend J came over last weekend and we decided to have dinner @ Ruby Tuesday's as I had one of those "Buy One Get One Free" coupons. Well, its not much of a restaurant if you're vegetarian. The ONLY vegetarian meal- besides the lame salad bar- is the Veggie Mini Combo, which is two veggie sliders with fries and a salad bar. The burgers, not that bad, made of rice and beans, but nothing special. There really wasn't much going on in terms of flavour, and the burgers didn't hold well. So that's when I decided that I was going to try my hand at the bean burger. I looked up some recipes and I found this pretty awesome one on Whole Foods' website. I decided to make a few changes to the recipe because I really didn't feel like going to the store and planned on using what I had @ home.

Homemade Bean Burger

Ingredients:

• 1 can of mixed beans
• 1 cup of rolled oats
• 1/2 cup of apple sauce
• 1/2 a chopped onion
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• sea salt, black pepper, thyme, oregano
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• lettuce and tomato
• Joseph's whole wheat flax pita

So I took all the ingredients, except for the tomato, lettuce and bread, and mixed them well with my hands. Add as much seasoning to your taste I prefer to use fresh herbs, but dry is just as good. Remember though, dry herbs are more pungent. Mix the ingredients well and form 5-6 patties (just depends on how big you make them). Heat olive oil on a pan at med-high heat. Once heated lay the patties on the pan and cook until browned then flip and cook the other side.

Warm the pita then cut in half. Spread a little Nayonaise or Veganaise on the pita with whatever else you like. I like grainy, spicy mustard. Then place lettuce and tomato on one pita, then a bean burger, then top with the pita.

I roasted some broccoli and asparagus and served it as a side (because I'm not into french fries much).

Bone appetit!