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Black Bean Farro Burger

Simply delicious and full of flavor, you have to give this Black Bean Farro Burger a try, and serve it with this super tasty Spicy Slaw.

Let's talk veggie burgers!

Since becoming a vegetarian let me tell you, I've had a few. I remember the first time I ordered one at a restaurant how surprised I was when it was placed in front of me, it was a pre-packaged frozen burger I could have purchased from my grocery. Those burgers are ok and they are tasty, but I wanted a hand-made veggie burger.

So my quest was on for an awesome veggie burger. I've tried many a recipe and I don't expect for the burger to taste like meat, I just want a tasty burger that doesn't require a super long list of ingredients. Let's be real, when searching for recipes if the recipe has a boat load of ingredients I'm probably going to move on to the next one. My criteria was a recipe that didn't have a super long ingredient list, ingredients were easy to find or sub if needed and the instructions easy to follow.

The idea for this burger came to me while eating my Strawberry Basil Farro Salad. Because farro has a textured bite I thought would be perfect in a veggie burger. Turns out I was right. You just have to be careful not to over-mix or it will turn to mush.

These burgers are easily prepared by heating them in a skillet, grill pan or counter top grill. After allowing them to cool slightly, serve on buns with desired toppings. One you might want to add is the Homemade Vegan Barbecue Sauce, I shared last week, you can find the recipe here.

To take this burger up a notch I made this spicy slaw to be served alongside or on top. To make it even easier I started with a pre-sliced bag of slaw and added some carrots, jalapeño, cilantro and chia seeds.

Very simple, satisfying, super filling and need I say seriously delicious. This recipe is a winner!

If you make this recipe or a version of it, take a picture and share with me on Instagram, tag it #thewholeserving or leave a comment below. I’d love to see or hear about your version of this Black Bean Farro Burger and Slaw.

Homemade Vegan Barbeque Sauce

Celeste 34 Comments

Thick, tangy and sweet with a little bit of smoky is the best way to describe this Homemade Vegan Barbeque Sauce, and just in time for the upcoming grilling season.

Today is April 1st, but I can assure you this is no April Fool's. With grilling season fast approaching I thought I would share this amazing Homemade Vegan Barbeque Sauce.

As a vegetarian it never occurred to me that barbeque sauce could have animal products in them. After trying a recipe with instructions to use vegan barbeque sauce I started to look a little closer at the ingredients in barbeque sauce. I found that in most cases it was the worcestershire sauce in the recipe that used anchovies. So now for me it's homemade barbeque sauce.

Homemade couldn't be easier, just mix, heat and store. By the way you can make batches of the sauce and freeze.

Some of you may say that it's too early to break out the grill, but I live in Texas, any day can be a grilling day. For those of you who are not ready to break out the grill, use your oven or your indoor grill. What's great about barbeque sauce is that it can be customized to your liking.

Want it hotter add more spice, or make the way they do in Tennessee or Kentucky, add a little Bourbon for a more smoky caramel flavor. Start cooking now so when grilling season is officially here you'll be ready.

I'm sure there are many ways you can use this rich, thick beautiful Homemade Vegan Barbeque Sauce. I love it with meat-less meatballs, burgers and as a dipping sauce for fries. Like I said before it couldn't be easier, everything goes in one pot and 15 to 20 minutes later it's ready. You probably have all of the ingredients in your pantry.

Blood Orange Turmeric Loaf

Celeste 32 Comments

Moist and delicious Blood Orange Turmeric Loaf, made with anti-inflammatory turmeric powder and fresh squeezed blood orange juice. Delicious new brunch favorite.

In our home citrus is King!

Lemons, limes, tangerines, tangelos, pomelos, grapefruits, oranges, you name it, if it's citrus we love it and eat it. I purchased a big bag of blood oranges the other day, but I didn't want to just juice them or use them in a smoothie. What could I make?

The answer came to me while flipping through a very old Bon Appetite magazine in which I came across a picture of a lemon pound cake. I decided to make a Blood Orange Turmeric Loaf, another way to get more turmeric in my diet, while using these sweet juicy blood oranges in something other than a juice or smoothie. No I don't recommend eating this everyday, but for those special times with friends and family, moderation not deprivation.

The loaf itself is not super sweet, it's the topping that's sweet with a slightly tart flavor. Blood oranges are less acidic than other oranges and their flavor is more like raspberries or strawberries. So I used quite a bit of the zest in the glaze to give it more tartness. I made this recipe three times before getting it right and on the third time round I decided to add a streusel topping and it gives this loaf a tender crunch.

This is dense, moist and oh so delicious loaf and the pretty all natural pink color of the glaze screams spring. The next time you're in the grocery or better yet make a special trip and get yourself some blood oranges and make this one so you can invite some friends over for a potluck brunch. Tell them you've got the sweet loaf covered.

If you make this recipe or a version of it, take a picture and share with me on Instagram, tag it #thewholeserving or leave a comment below. I’d love to see your version of this Blood Orange Turmeric Loaf.

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Raw Gluten-Free Tacos

Celeste 29 Comments

Easy and delicious, Raw Gluten-Free Tacos, made with walnuts and almonds, a great way to lighten things up for Spring.

Living foods, raw food, life food, whatever you call it, it's a diet of primarily unheated or foods cooked to a temperature less then 104 or 115 degrees fahrenheit. There is some controversy as to what temperature foods can be heated and still remain raw.

When I eat raw I typically eat foods that do not require any heating and if it does require heating I use the lesser number and heat the foods in my dehydrator.

Why raw? Well. raw uncooked and unprocessed foods are filled with enzymes and those enzymes help to digest foods and aids in the metabolic reactions in our bodies.Without enzymes, there would be no cell division, energy production or brain activity. Raw foods are filled with vitamins, minerals, oxygen, fiber and other nutrients required by our bodies for optimal health.

For me eating raw is so much easier during the warmer months of the year. However, I generally start each day with a raw fruit and veggie smoothie after sipping my warm lemon and cayenne water. I love salads and I love eating them even more in warmer weather. In the next few weeks I'll be sharing some of my favorite raw dishes with you and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. But I'm going to share more than just salads.

One of my favorites and first share is Raw Gluten-Free Tacos, made with raw almonds and walnuts, simply amazing and incredibly easy. Just process the nuts with the seasoning and add the veggies.

Several years ago I attempted to go fully raw during a time when I was training for a half-marathon. The fact is if you are an active person you have to eat to fuel your normal body function in addition to your extra activity. I watched a few You Tube videos of fully raw vegans and the amount of foods they were eating were so massive. I would be so full after only ⅓ of what they were eating and this resulted in me losing more weight than I wanted and hitting the wall when I was out on my long training runs because I wasn't getting enough calories for my activity level. So to get in more calories I ate lots of mini meals throughout the day and I switched to having one cooked meal.

Some of the benefits of eating raw are losing weight, if that's what you want, having more energy, better digestion and for me clearer skin.

If you make this recipe or a version of it, take a picture and share with me on Instagram, tag it #thewholeserving or leave a comment below. I’d love to see your version of Raw Gluten-Free Tacos.

Strawberry Basil Farro Salad

Celeste 43 Comments

The tender bite of Farro, sweetness of Strawberries and the earthiness of fresh basil makes this Strawberry Basil Farro Salad the perfect combination of sweet and savory.

This salad is fast becoming my favorite go to lunch on my super busy days. However, my first experience with farro was several years ago when I prepared it for my sick child as a hot breakfast cereal. I used half almond milk and half water to boil the farro, to serve it I mixed in a bit more almond milk, agave nectar, berries and finished it off with a topping of granola and walnuts. My daughter feel in love with it and would ask for it often, and this is from a person who is not very fond of breakfast and this was a hot breakfast cereal.

This time I'm making it the main ingredient in a tasty salad.

What is farro you ask?

Farro is a very filling whole grain complex carbohydrate that's high in fiber, good source of iron, protein and provides sustained energy. For this recipe I used Bob's Red Mill Organic Farro which I soaked overnight to cut the cooking time to about 10 minutes, instead of 30 minutes.

The farro was paired with these beautiful strawberries and fresh basil to make a hearty, wholesome salad that is hard to resist.

Tender, sweet, earthy, crunchy are all words I use to describe this beautiful salad. To bring it all together a balsamic glaze is drizzled over the top, which acts as a dressing. You can purchase or make your own glaze, you an find my recipe here.

If you make this recipe or a version of it, take a picture and share with me on Instagram, tag it #thewholeserving or leave a comment below. I’d love to see your version of this Strawberry Basil Farro Salad.

Strawberry Basil Salad

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4.8 from 5 reviews

Author: Celeste @TheWholeServing
Yield: 5 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 cup uncooked farro
2 cups strawberries, quartered
½ cup chopped red onion
juice of 1 medium lemon, about 3 tablespoons
3 tablespoons torn or chopped fresh basil leaves
½ cup pine nuts or chopped walnuts
balsamic glaze

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Instructions

Prepare the farro using the direct or pre-soak method. I used the pre-soak method.
While farro is cooking wash and prepare the other ingredients.
When farro is ready, drain and transfer to a large bowl. Add in the strawberries, onions, lemon juice, basil, and nuts, toss together.
Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Spoon onto serving dish, drizzle with balsamic glaze and serve,

Notes

This salad can be served at room temperature or cold from the fridge.

Other salad add-in options:
celery, cranberries, apples, cucumbers, grapes, olives, green onions.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 Cup
Calories: 234
Sugar: 6.4
Sodium: 4.3
Fat: 10.3
Saturated Fat: 0.8
Carbohydrates: 32.5
Fiber: 5.8
Protein: 7.6
Cholesterol: 0

Vegan Carrot Cake Bars

Celeste 51 Comments

Carrots for breakfast, why not when they're in these moist delicious Vegan Carrot Cake Bars topped with brown sugar, oat, and a sweet citrus glaze.

I love a good carrot cake but I don't make it often. The other day while at the grocery I picked up a 4-pack of carrot cake muffins, but after reading the price and calorie count I decided to go home a try making them myself and skip the fluffy frosting.

As the recipe came together it became more of a bread and not the standard cake or muffins, but calling it carrot bread bars just didn't sound right so I'm calling it Vegan Carrot Cake Bars because it's egg and dairy free.

The batter is sweetened with only a ½ cup of maple syrup which makes it more of a breakfast or snack bread. I did however, sprinkle the top with a mixture of oats and brown sugar and drizzled it with a citrus sugar glaze for a little sweetness.

For those who are concerned about the sugar, you can simply omit or reduce the amount of sugar used. Some other add-in options are raisins, nuts, coconut flakes or simply sprinkle the top with the nuts and coconut.

If you make this recipe or a version of it, please take a picture and share with me on Instagram, tag it #thewholeserving. I’d love to see your version of this Vegan Carrot Cake Bars.

Vegan Stuffed Avocado

Celeste 60 Comments

Make things easy, skip the shell and just use the Avocado to hold all of the taco goodness in these Vegan Stuffed Avocados, and let me tell you, they are so stinking delicious!

First lets talk about TVP, what is it and how do you use it? TVP is short for Textured Vegetable Protein and it's what I used as a meat alternative in these Vegan Stuffed Avocados. TVP is made from defatted soy flour that has been cooked under pressure and then dried. It's high in protein, gluten-free and fairly inexpensive, however, it is a processed food.

I don't use it very often, which is why when I do use it I purchase it from the bulk section so I only get what I need. It's not very flavorful but it takes on the flavor of whatever it's paired with. In this recipe it is seasoned with taco seasoning, you can find my DIY recipe here.

When preparing TVP it has to be reconstituted with a hot liquid in a 1:1 ratio or you can simply add it to soups or sauces that contain plenty of liquid.

Here I used ½ cup TVP to ½ cup hot water and it yielded me 1 ½ cups after absorption. If you want you can replace the TVC with quinoa. Unfortunately for me, I'm sensitive to the protein in quinoa. You could also try using farro or sorghum.

This dish comes together in 20 minutes or less. While waiting on the TVP make the salsa. I removed the seeds from the jalapeños so it wouldn't be too hot if you like it hot leave in the seeds. The avocado cream sauce is just as easy, everything goes into the blender and blend until smooth.

See how easy it is, just fill the avocado and serve. The skin of the avocado serve as a bowl, scoop and eat. They're so delicious and a great food to serve at get-togethers.

If you make this recipe or a version of it, take a picture and share with me on Instagram, tag it #thewholeserving. You can also leave me a comment below to let me know how these Vegan Stuffed Avocados works for you.

Crispy Baked Cauliflower Steaks

Celeste 35 Comments

Crispy Baked Cauliflower Steaks - These panko crusted, oven baked cauliflower steaks will blow your taste buds away. You have to give them a try!

Who knew cauliflower could be so good, frankly in my opinion cauliflower is not loaded with flavor. When I was a child my mother would serve it in a medley with broccoli and carrots or alone smothered in cheese sauce. However, its lack of flavor makes it very versatile, great to use when making a vegan white sauce or mock rice in raw recipes. Now there are steaks, yeah cauliflower steaks. I know it's nothing like the real thing for you meat eaters, but let me tell you these babies are loaded with flavor. Actually this is my veggie version of chicken-fried chicken. While in the oven the aroma filled my kitchen, my daughter thought I was cooking chicken for her.

Seasoning is key to making cauliflower more flavorful. Lately I have been making my own seasoning blends and this one is what used when seasoning these cauliflower steaks. Simply mix and store in an airtight container.

I picked up two heads one of them green just for the fun of it. When picking the cauliflower, pick one with the florets pretty tight together, the florets stay together more when slicing. You will have some fall off but that's ok, they can be smaller steaks or little poppers.

So now all that needs to be done is dip in the batter, dip in the crumbs and bake in the oven.

At first glance it looks like it could be a piece of fried chicken, don't you think.

Served up as the main ingredient in a salad makes this a filling lunch or light dinner.

Chickpea Jalapeno Salad

Celeste 34 Comments

Incredibly delicious, this Chickpea Jalapeño Salad is bold with flavor and sure to satisfy. Serve it in a sandwich or as a topping on a bed of greens.

When I was a little girl I thought chickpeas were peas from little baby chicks. Amazing the mind of a young child. Chickpeas were not a staple in my childhood home so I had no idea what they were until I became an adult. Chickpeas were what everybody used to make hummus. But what about garbanzo beans, well chickpeas and garbanzo beans are one in the same. Chickpeas is Latin origin and garbanzo is Spanish in origin, chickpeas, however, is more commonly used here in the US.

There are two types of chickpeas, Kabuli and Desi. Kabuli is light in color, with large seeds, smooth coat and have a uniform round shape. Desi is small, dark with a rough coat and has a higher concentration of antioxidants, fiber, and a lower glycemic index. Overall chickpeas or garbanzo beans, whichever you choose to use, are a great source of zinc, folate and protein. If you want to know more about these versatile beans visit DifferenceBetween.net.

Since becoming a vegetarian the chickpea as I like to call it, has become a stable in my pantry. Making smashed salads like the one I'm sharing today has fast become one of my favorite go to quick-lunch meals.

What could be easier than simply smashing the beans, adding some delicious ingredients and mixing.

There are so many smashed chickpea salad recipes out in the blogosphere, but this is just one of my versions. Check out my Cranberry Chickpea version.

This is my version of smashed chickpeas with avocado. I chose not to add any other dressing because the creaminess of the avocado with the juice of the lime gives the salad a smooth creamy texture.

You can serve it on lightly toasted bread of your choice, my choice was whole wheat. It's also great served with tortilla as a wrap. For those of you who don't want the added carbs, just serve it on a bed of mixed greens.

If you make this Chickpea Jalapeño Salad or a version of it, take a picture and share with me on Instagram, tag it #thewholeserving. I’d love to see your version. Which do you prefer? Sandwich or Salad!

Classic Breakfast Muffins and Cookbook Giveaway

Celeste 32 Comments

Sweet, tender, filled with fresh fruit, Classic Breakfast Muffins, one of the many recipes you will find in "Dining At The Ravens" cookbook, no one will guess they're egg free!

Imaging you are atop an ocean buff, the bay on one side, the ocean on the other, taking long leisurely walks along the trails, browsing shops and galleries, tasting the salty air and feasting on beautiful food.

You can experience all of this at the Stanford Inn by the Sea, a Mendocino Resort which overlooks Mendocino Bay and the Pacific ocean. You can enjoy meals prepared with passion and love at The Ravens Restaurant which is located in the Inn. The restaurant uses produce from the Inn's on-site USDA Certified Organic garden and serves it up in plant-based dishes.

Now the founders, Jeff and Joan Stanford have written a cookbook, "Dining At The Ravens", which brings over 150 of the Ravens Restaurant vegan recipes into our homes.

Jeff and Joan Stanford came west to Carmel, California to find careers in education, agreeing to help manage a small inn while looking for work. Jobs were scarce, the United States was in recession, and they found themselves enjoying their guests and rehabilitating the property they managed. Looking to the future, they chose to continue inn-keeping, and by 1980 they were in Mendocino starting a family. Joan ran the front, while Jeff remodeled the inn and created their certified organic farm on the site of what had been known as the China Gardens during Mendocino’s logging era.

The Inn allowed both of them to return to their former interests. Passionate about early education, Joan trained as a Montessori teacher which led her to discover the power of art to transform human experience. She enrolled in psychology at Sonoma State University and received an MA, specializing in Art Therapy. Today she is a registered art therapist, collagist, and educator.

Jeff recognized that the “state of realization” that so many sought in the movement of the 1970s and 80s must come from a new relationship with life, beginning in the kitchen, where decisions affect the practitioner and the planet. He became vegetarian as a first step to honor all life, not only the lives of his family, friends, and pets. He and Joan sought to create an inn that sat softly upon the earth. They created one of the first “green” bed and breakfast inns without realizing they were doing so.

Understanding that their Inn was a destination, Jeff and Joan wanted to provide the highest quality food to their guests, which Jeff began cooking in the early 1990s. The restaurant followed their philosophy serving a whole food, plant-based dishes designed to rival the cuisine found at the highest rated restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area. They discovered that many cooks can create great food, and they created a co-creative kitchen where all are invited to comment and tweak dishes. The final arbiter is Jeff, but the process is dynamic and assures that each person in the kitchen can express their creativity. Learn more at ravensrestaurant.com and stanfordinn.com.

I was gifted a copy from BenBella Books and I have thoroughly enjoyed trying several of the recipes. One of my favorites is "Classic Breakfast Muffins".

This is a very quick and easy recipe, it uses ground flax mixed with water as a binder, however, I got ahead of myself and mixed the ground flax in with the dry ingredients, instead of mixing it with the wet, it didn't change the outcome -- delicious!

To experience more of Dining at The Ravens and some of their delicious recipes, check out the #RAVENSBLOGTOUR, see the list below. If you would like to have a copy of "Dining at the Ravens", you can purchase it at BenBellaBooks or you can enter my giveaway below.

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Lemon Thyme Blueberry Buns

Celeste 59 Comments

Easy and delicious, Lemon Thyme Blueberry Buns, perfect for a brunch gathering or an afternoon snack with a spot of tea.

Blueberries, a superfood that's low in calories and high in nutrients like vitamin C, K, manganese and fiber. One cup of blueberries contains about 84 calories and 15 grams of carbohydrates. Blueberries are also filled with antioxidant which protect our bodies from free radicals that can contribute to aging and diseases like cancer.

They are best when eaten fresh, but I have to admit I like them better when they are added to pancakes, muffins and recipes like these Lemon Thyme Blueberry Buns.

In this recipe I added lemon and thyme to the blueberries when making the sauce, it may sound like a strange combination to some, but these three flavors together add a bit of subtle earthiness that's so delicious.

For this recipe you can use fresh or frozen blueberries when making this sauce, as it cools it will thicken and become more of a jam. Dried wild blueberries were added before rolling the dough for an extra blueberry touch.

This blueberry sauce is lightly sweetened with maple syrup so that it doesn't over-sweeten when the sugar glaze is added.

Serve these and everyone will be licking their fingers and begging for more. I serve mine with a bit of the blueberry sauce on top. The tartness of the blueberries is absolutely amazing with the sweetness of the glaze.

If you make these Lemon Thyme Blueberry Buns let me know what you think. Take a picture and post it on Instagram and tag it #thewholeserving.

Vegan Teriyaki Tofu Stir Fry

Celeste 29 Comments

Vegan Teriyaki Tofu Stir Fry, better than any delivery or take-out. The spicy, sweet and bold with flavor teriyaki sauce will have you tossing out all your store bought sauce.

There's something about the spice-sweet combo that I love and could taste the goodness of this recipe while it was only a thought in my head. But Oh My Gosh, the deliciousness of this recipe far exceeded my expectations.

This teriyaki sauce is a perfect balance of sweet to heat and because I used coconut aminos I reduced the amount of sodium in the sauce.

I made it three times before I got it right and once it comes to a boil it's ready in five minutes.

Pressing the tofu gets out more of the water. I simply place a clean kitchen towel or paper towel on a shallow baking pan, slice tofu in half, place on towels and place another towel on top of the tofu, then place another pan on top and put a few heavy cookbooks on the top pan. After about 15 minutes it should be ready.

After pressing and cubing tofu, toss with the five spice seasoning, set aside while you prep the other vegetables.

Vegan Teriyaki Tofu Stir Fry, better than any delivery or take-out. The spicy, sweet and bold with flavor teriyaki sauce will have you tossing out all your store bought sauce.

This recipe is very versatile and comes together fairly quickly, you can serve it as a bowl or wrap. I paired it with brown rice and napa cabbage, but feel free to add in your favorites. Who needs take-out when you have this quick, easy and delicious recipe.

If you make this recipe or a version of it, take a picture and share with me on Instagram, tag it #thewholeserving. I'd love to see your version of Vegan Teriyaki Tofu Stir Fry!

Cinnamon Amaranth with Berries

Celeste 43 Comments

Cinnamon Amaranth with Berries, a delicious gluten-free, protein, nutrient packed breakfast filled with nutty, toasty flavor.

Quinoa is the "it grain", but I can't enjoy it because I'm allergic. Yes, there are some of us that are allergic to Quinoa, well actually it's a sensitivity to saponin, which is a substance that acts as a protectant from insects and fungus. It can have a toxic effect so it's very important to wash quinoa very well under running water until the water runs clear before cooking. However there are still some of us who are still sensitive to it even after a through washing. In my case I used to eat quinoa with no problem until one day I think I has some that wasn't washed throughly, soon after eating it I was doubled over in pain. Now whenever I eat quinoa my body recognizes the protein and I get sick all over again.

So I have embraced Amaranth, a grain that many have never tried or just plain don’t know about.

Amaranth is a gluten-free grain with a nutty, toasty flavor high in protein, vitamins and minerals, it's popular in Mexico and was a major crop of the Aztecs.

It’s a super versatile grain that can be used in place of rice or pasta, in soups or stews, in puddings, baked goods, smoothies, cereals and it can even be popped and served as a tasty snack.

Today I'm sharing one of my favorite ways to have it, as a warm breakfast cereal with fruit.

I use a two to one ratio when preparing Amaranth, 1 cup Amaranth to 2 cups of liquid. In this recipe you can use water, milk, or both, I like to do half water, half milk. Just put liquid, spices and Amaranth in a pot bring to a boil and 15 to 20 minutes later it will be ready. Garnish with fruit of your choice, nuts or seeds and you'll have a delicious bowl full of energy packed cereal.