Review Of The Beyond BurgerCheck Your Local Markets

No soy or gluten and it's GMO free. And delicious!

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Race to Replace the Meat Burger
There seems to be a lot of upcoming competition in the field of vegan burgers that really look, feel, and taste like burgers. I had been patiently waiting to try the much anticipated Impossible Burger from Impossible Foods. But they are only served in restaurants and I discovered that they contain wheat and soy, two ingredients many people try to avoid. The Beyond Burger, on the other hand, is available in stores and is soy and gluten free.

High in Plant-Based Protein
If you love burgers but are trying to reduce or eliminate your beef intake, you'll be happy to discover the Beyond Burger from Beyond Meat.

Beyond Meat has a mission. They want to create better way to feed the planet by replacing animal protein with plant protein. This tasty, meat-like burger is loaded with 20 grams of protein. The source is pea protein. 

It's actually found in the meat section

Now I'm sure there are a lot of vegans who don't want their food to resemble meat so this product may not be for you. But for those who gave up red meat and miss it, you may want give this product a try.

Guilty Pleasure
I'm not saying that this is the healthiest meal in the world. It's pretty high in calories (290 calories per burger) and fat (22 grams of total fat and 5 grams of saturated fat). The fat is probably what makes it taste so good but it's from canola oil, coconut oil, and some sunflower oil. I think you can reduce the fat by blotting it with a paper towel before serving. But it's free of cholesterol and the saturated fat is from coconut oil. 

No Soy, No Gluten, GMO Free
The ingredients are:
Pea Protein Isolate, Expeller Pressed Canola Oil,Refined Coconut Oil, Water, Yeast Extract, Maltodextrin, Natural Flavors, Gum Arabic, Sunflower Oil, Salt, Succinic Acid, Acetic Acid, Non-GMO Modified Food Starch, Cellulose From Bamboo, Methylcellulose, Potato Starch, Beet Juice (for color), Ascorbic Acid (to maintain color), Annatto Extract (for color), Citrus Fruit Extract (to maintain quality), Vegetable Glycerin.

How To Prepare
You can cook these on a grill or in a pan. We cooked it in a pan.
Pre-heat the grill or pan to medium-high heat and cook for 3 minutes per side. Because of the high fat content, you don't need to put any oil in the pan.

You can see the fat being released in the pan during cooking.

After 3 minutes, flip to the other side.

The center will remain pink due to the beet juice and annatto.

Prepare your bun. Cook the other side for 3 minutes and serve. 

And take a big bite!

Enjoy!

To find a store near you go to The Beyond Meat Store Locator and enter your zip code. 

2-Minute Instant Pot Lemony Potato Salad

Enjoy this Italian-style potato salad in minutes.
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Working my way through our Potato Harvest
In my quest to use the 50+ pounds of potatoes that we harvested, I whipped up this potato salad yesterday using my Instant Pot.

This is an Italian-style potato salad that my dad used to make for me using lemon and oil instead of mayonnaise. It also uses parsley from my garden and fresh garlic that I harvested a while back.

New potatoes only take a few minutes to cook in the Instant Pot and don't need peeling, just a good scrub.

I only use 1 1/4 pounds of potatoes in this recipe because it's best when served warm and fresh.


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Lemony Instant Pot Potato Salad
Vegan, gluten and dairy free
[makes 4 cups]

Ingredients
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/4 pounds of new potatoes, 
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup small diced celery, center stalks
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions
Make the dressing. Mix the garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, black pepper, oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl or cup. Set aside.

Scrub the potatoes and dice in 1" cubes. You should get about 4 cups.

Place the potatoes in the Instant Pot with 1/2 cup of water. Sprinkle 3/4 teaspoons of salt over the potatoes. 

Secure the lid, press the “Manual” button, and set for 2 minutes at high pressure. When done, press the “Off” button and quickly release the pressure. Then, remove the lid carefully with the steam vented towards the back. If the potatoes are not done, just place the lid over the pot and let sit. Check each minute until the potatoes are just fork tender.

There will be a little water in the bottom of the pot. Do not remove as the potatoes will eventually absorb it.   

Pour the dressing over the potatoes along with the celery and parsley.

Toss gently and thoroughly to coat the potatoes. Serve immediately while warm.

Enjoy warm

Barbecued Zucchini Rollups With Miyoko's Vegan Cheese

Zucchini rollups for your next tapas party!

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Great Appetizer or Tapas
In our quest to use all of our garden zucchini, Doug and I created this delicious rollup. This combination uses Miyoko's Winter Truffle vegan "cheese" but you can use any of your favorites or, if you eat dairy, it would work well with a goat feta.

Since Doug loves roasted red pepper, we included that in the rollup but I can envision a schmear of pesto or hummus or olive tapenade. Use your imagination and your favorite ingredients - the combinations are endless. But they all begin with this BBQ'd zucchini. Here's how to do it.

First, make some basting sauce by mixing together the following:

Basting sauce Ingredients:
1/4 cup veggie broth
1/4 extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions
Use medium size zucchini (not giant ones) and slice vertically into 1/2-inch slices. If they are extremely long, first cut them in half vertically. 

Sliced zucchini and basting sauce

Heat the grill on medium and scrape off any residue from previous use. Reduce the heat to low. Place the zucchini on the grill.

Generously baste with the sauce.

Cook very slowly, turning and basting occasionally until nice and brown.

Cook until nice a brown

Even though they are brown and a little crispy, they will be pliable. Remove from the grill.

Get your fillings ready. For our "cheese", we selected Miyoko's Winter Truffle.

Lay the zucchini on a plate, put a dollop of "cheese" on the bottom and place a strip of roasted red pepper along the zucchini, or whatever other filling suits your fancy.

Roll it up and up a toothpick to hold it together. I placed a halved cherry tomato on top but you can also use an olive or a marinated artichoke heart.

Enjoy!

Easy, No-Mess Beets In Your Instant Pot

Simple Beets Salad with Balsamic and Scallions.

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Beets - Delicious but Messy
I love beets. When dining out, I almost always order a beet salad if it's on the menu. But I don't often make them at home because they are a mess to handle. But this morning with a single rubber glove, my Instant Pot and a butter knife I made this easy beet salad wearing a white blouse! I don't suggest the white blouse, but here's what I did.

Instant Pot Beets
I started with small to medium sized beets - about 2 inches in diameter.

I rinsed them in a colander.

Holding them by the tails, I cut the tops to remove what was left of the stem.

I tossed them into my Instant Pot with an inch of water. I pressed the Manual button and set for 20 minutes. They take a surprisingly long time to cook. (You may want to start with 10 to 15 minutes and test them and if they aren't cooked, set them for another 5 or 10 minutes.) Do a quick release and test them with a fork. Once you can pierce them (not easily, but firmly), they are done. Drain the beets in the colander. 

Put a rubber glove on your left hand, if you are right handed. This is the only time you will have to barely touch the cooked beet. Place the beets on a cutting board. Holding the beet with your gloved hand, take a butter knife with your right hand and carefully scrape off the skin.

Slice the beets and place into a bowl. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil to taste. Mix to coat and top with thinly sliced scallions and serve or refrigerate.

Enjoy!