Marvelous In My Monday #5

It’s that time again… It’s Marvelous in My Monday! Thanks to Katie at Healthy Diva Eats for hosting!

 

Today was an absolutely GORGEOUS autumn day! It was sunny, the leaves are really starting to change, and it was a little crisp – but definitely not cold. I would take this kind of day anytime! I just wish I could have spent more of the day outside. I did take the opportunity to walk to one of my favorite places down the street from my office to pick up lunch – just to get outside! I’m really lucky to have a marvelous place like Bruckner’s Good to Go so close to work! Today’s choice was a veggie burger (20 g of protein!!) with a side of grilled veggies. Enough veggies for you?? I didn’t take a picture, but it was definitely yummy!

The best part of today was finishing up a project at work that has been all-consuming for the past few days. I had to write a major report that is going to be presented to our local board of education (in public!!) next week. It was full of data and analysis, and really took a lot of time, energy, and concentration, but now that it’s done I’m really proud of my work. This was really the second big project for my new job, so the fact that I was able to get it done, done well, and on time is a definite win for me!

Not so marvelous is the migraine I’m thinking is headed in my direction… This is becoming far too frequent of an occurrence for me. I used to get them all the time, but I went a long time without getting them. Now I think the stress and crazy schedule from this new job are starting to get to me. I’m thinking that I might try to add some yoga into my routine to help with that. I’m definitely not a hot yoga person, but I think the stretching and such will be really good for me. I’m hoping to find a class that fits into my hectic schedule – and soon!

That’s it for me – going to go unwind with my hubby. Hope you had a marvelous Monday!

Do you do yoga?

Do you have a favorite go-to place for healthy eats?

Black Bean Mushroom Veggie Burgers

First things first… I have to apologize for the fact that this post has no pictures, but I promise I will come back and add them as soon as I have time to make this recipe again! I’m hoping that will be tomorrow, but I didn’t want to wait that long to post this. These veggie burgers ROCK! They are super simple to make, taste amazing, and don’t have a bunch of junk (read: genetically modified soy) in them. You can modify this recipe in lots of ways – but the base of the mushrooms and black beans is really what helps to make these satisfying and yummy!  Please make sure to comment if you try them!

Mushroom-Black Bean Veggie Burgers
Yield: 5-6 burgers

12 oz. cremini mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1-2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (or your choice of oil)

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 egg
4 tbsp. chopped green chiles
1 tbsp. chili powder
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
1 carrot, finely grated
4 tbsp. finely chopped red onion
4 tbsp. finely chopped bell pepper (I used yellow)
2 oz. finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Whole wheat bread crumbs (about ½ – ¾ cup)Place the mushrooms in food processor and pulse until texture resembles ground beef. Melt butter in large skillet. Add mushrooms and garlic. Cook about 10 minutes, or until mushrooms release all liquid, then dry out (should resemble cooked ground beef). Allow to cool. Rinse out food processor bowl. Place black beans in food processor, and pulse until they are almost a paste. In a large bowl, combine black beans and all other ingredients except bread crumbs. Add bread crumbs until mixture begins to hold together. Form “burgers” using a ½ cup measuring cup for each portion. You should get 5-6 good sized burgers from a batch.

To cook:
Spray a large skillet and place over medium-high heat. Add burgers and cook 4-5 minutes on each side, or until heated through and browned on the outside. Serve with your favorite condiments!