Let me introduce you to a few of my new favorite instant meal time freezer staples: MorningStar Farms Mushroom Lover's Burger and Italian Herb Chik Patties. Now, I know what you're thinking: "This gal's done lost her marbles! She's gone to the green side!" No sir, I ain't no tree huggin' grass eater. Just a mama with three unreasonably picky, growing kids and an (equally picky) handsome husband who needs has deemed healthy eating codependent with good eating.
As afore mentioned, I'm a serial grocery shopper. Some women are drawn to department stores and shoe boutiques, but my retail weaknesses are Save Mart and Grocery Outlet. If you've got food, I'm coming to buy it and I want it C-H-E-A-P. So it goes without saying that when I find stuff like veggie burgers on clearance at more than 50 off the sticker price, I'm filling my cart, and subsequently my freezer/fridge/pantry, like it's nobody's business.
So, starving after the latest big box raid, I pile into the house with a screaming baby and a yappy 3 year old (the usual...) and a car full of stuff. Unload, put baby in swing to sing her happy little nappy off, and think "What can I quickly prepare to eat that will fill me up but won't make me feel like a mega-mama??" A quick perusal of the back of a box of MorningStar Burger patties allows that I can have warm fare in 2.5 minutes. Toasting a frozen burger bun (always got at least an eight-pack in the ice chest) will take that up to 6 minutes. Slapping on some A1, Grey Poupon, spinach and tomatoes brings the microwave-to-table total to 10 minutes for what might be a fantastic meal. So I say, HECK YES I'm going give this a shot. here's what I did...
Ingredients for The Best Veggie Burger I've Ever Had
~~Microwave-to-table in 10 minutes or less~~
1 sesame seed bun
2 MorningStar Mushroom Lover's Burger patties
1 - 2 slices pepper Jack or favorite cheese
1 tbsp A1 (approximately, or enough for a thin smear across the bottom bun)
1 tsp Grey Poupon or your favorite mustard)
a bunch of baby spinach or your favorite leafy green
2 slices of tomato (garden fresh is best, Feng shui says!)
S & P (go light on or nix the S as the burgers are plenty well seasoned)
A plate (duh!)
Directions:
Toast bun to desired doneness (or just leave it alone, au naturale). Place MorningStars on microwaveable plate and nuke 1 minute, flip and nuke for another minute. Place cheese en center mass and heat until melted, about 30 seconds*
Prepare the bun, mustard on one side, A1 on the other. Pile the greens onto the bottom bun, then the sliced tomato, season with S & P and double up those beautiful steaming hot mushroom patties. Top, press down slightly, put your butt back and your head over your plate and mow that burger down!
*This all depends on your microwave. You know what yours is like, so work accordingly.
Of course all of this burger talk begs the presence of a rich, creamy, ice-cold shake. The kind that can only be produced from a pint of ice cream, a few chunks of ice and a gallon of milk... until now! This is what I call the Emerald Shake and even though it tastes like you're drinking a jug of straight whipping cream, your hips will have only gained the happiness of staying in those skinny jeans you love so much.
<3 Emerald Smoothie <3
1 ripe Hass avocado
5 chunks of ice
1/4 c 2% milk
2 packets of Splenda or 1 tsp regular white sugar
splash of lime juice if you've got it (keeps the avocado from browning)
Split the avocado open and spoon the flesh into your blender. top with rest of ingredients, lid up and buzz until velvety smooth. Serve with a straw in your favorite smoothie glass along side your new favorite veggie burger. Ah, can you find a meal like this at In n Out?? I think not! Enjoy!
If you're not full convinced that swapping a veggie burger for an all beef patty, check this out:
1 MorningStar Mushroom Lover's patty =
Fat: 6 g
Calories: 110
1 Emerald Smoothie =
1 medium Hass avocado: 50 calories and 4.5 grams of fat
1/4 c 2% milk: 30 calories and 1.2 grams of fat
2 packets of Splenda: 20 calories total
Total: 100 calories and 5.7 grams of fat
I added all the bells and whistles to my burger because that's how I'm used to preparing them, but really the MorningStars would be GREAT as the main protein portion of a meat-and-two-veg kind of meal. And who can say no to a creamy smoothie? I know I get weak in the knees just thinking of them. Get FULL (not fat) and happy! :-)
