Dr. Praeger Would Be Proud

Once in awhile when I’m browsing the frozen aisle at Trader Joe’s I’ll pick-up a box of Dr. Praeger’s Veggie Burgers. They’re yummy and pretty healthy to boot. If you’re curious the list of ingredients are: Carrot, Onion, Stringbeans, Soybeans, Zucchini, Oat Bran, Peas, Spinach, Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Broccoli, Textured Soy Flour, Corn, Oat Fiber, Red Pepper, Arrowroot, Corn Meal, Corn Starch, Garlic, Salt, Parsley, Black Pepper, All Natural Vegetable Gum. As you see, the only real unknown ingredient is ‘vegetable gum.’

With the veggie burger patty, I made a Mexican style sandwich with just a few key ingredients.

Ingredients
Toasted Sour dough bread (or whichever kind you prefer)
Dr. Praeger’s California Veggie Burger
Guacamole
Cilantro
Mexican Cheese or Soy Cheese (there’s a mixed kind you can get at TJ’s)

See instructions on how to cook the burger from the box. I used the guacomole as a spread and loaded it with cilantro. Use it like you would lettuce :) It’s really that easy.

Penne Arrabiatta Fusion

Here’s an example of what you can do when you have very little ingredients. I found myself trying to create something out of nothing the other night. Since I had just moved into a new apartment, I hadn’t quite had the time to go grocery shopping for the week. What I found in my fridge gave me this idea.

Ingredients:
Penne pasta
Arrabiatta sauce from Trader Joe’s
Cilantro
Baby carrots
Cayenne pepper (as needed)
Olive Oil

Cook desired amount of pasta. In the meantime, chop cilantro and julienne the carrots. Oil a pan over high heat with 2 Tbsp of olive oil. Throw the carrots into the pan. Cook until desired crunchiness. Carrots take awhile to cook and depending on how crunchy you like them, could take a bit of time. Once the carrots are cooked to your taste, throw in a handful of cilantro. Stir. Toss in desired amount of pasta. Stir. Pour in about a quarter amount of sauce to pasta. You want to put enough to give the dish a good amount of moisture, but you don’t want to drown the pasta in the sauce. This dish is a variation of a penne arrabiatta that is light on sauce.

For some hotness, add cayenne pepper. Enjoy!