Bean Burgers

Bean Burgers made with black beans

This recipe was originally given to me by my mother over the phone one day; she had made these burgers for me a couple of times and I just had to try to make them on my own, so I had called her for it.  I wrote the ingredients down on a note pad shaped like Jack Skellington's head and I still have that note years later.  Sometimes it's hanging out on the fridge and sometimes I have to hunt it down, but both the recipe and that peice of paper feel like they have become a part of me and this recipe is always something I refer back to.  When I finally made them on my own, my burgers came out a bit different then my mothers.  We compared notes and eventually decided that the difference was in the processing of the vegetables.  Even though the instructions that my mother had given me were to process the vegetables in a food processor, it turns out that she had always hand chopped them.  When put in the food processor, the vegetables create extra liquid and I found that due to this I had to add more dry ingredients in order to be able to better form the patties.  Due to this, I'm not sure that I ever completely followed that recipe even once before tweaking it and retweaking it over time.  In a way I'm thankful for this as it helped me to be open to the possibilities that this recipe can hold.

Serving suggestion!

Over time, I have added the green bell pepper (which was jalapeño before the IC diagnosis) and the flour and i have increased the amount of breadcrumbs and I love the results.  Another thing that I love about his recipe is its versatility.  While the original recipe called for black beans, over the years I have also used kidney beans, white beans, red beans, and of course pinto beans (since they are bladder friendly) as you see below.  Besides working well with any bean that you may have on hand, you can change up the veggies and seasonings, the shape, and cooking method to make it into other things.  In the past, I have adapted this recipe to make bean balls (both Italian style and sweedish) and my boyfriend and I once turned this recipe into a really tasty loaf.  We had written that recipe down, but I think it got lost in a move as I haven't seen it, which is really a shame.  I have to talk to him about it because I'm hoping that our combined memories can recreate what we once made.

As always, if you have IC and are making this, please keep your personal triggers in mind.  If something is bothersome to you, leave it out or replace it.  If you need to leave out the onion and would like to keep the flavor, scallions and chives are more bladder friendly options.  Red orange and yellow bell peppers seem to be more tolerable then green and the seasoning can be changed.  The original recipe called for Cajun seasoning, but I don't think I've ever had that.  I've always replaced it with Mexican favors, as you can see below that I've replaced it with my IC Friendly Taco Seasoning.  Also, before using any breadcrumbs, read the label first to make sure that they don't contain any trigger ingredients. 

Happily, after about a month and a half of flaring up, my IC has finally calmed down.  The migraine in my bladder is gone and my frequency has decreased.  I believe that this is due in large part to sticking to the IC diet and using Preleif those few times that I've had to stray.  I have posted some of the recipes that I had made during this time period and I have a few more to come.  I look forward to continue sharing my efforts on this journey of mine.  Until next time, happy eats!

Ingredients: 

*Green = Bladder Friendly foods; *Orange = Foods to try wih Caution; *Red = Foods to Avoid

*1 can Pinto Beans, rinsed and drained well 

*2 cloves Garlic

*1 medium Onion

*1/2 Green Bell Pepper 

*1 Egg

*1 cup Flour

*1 cup Breadcrumbs (either seasoned or plain)

*2 tsp IC Friendly Taco Seasoning 

*2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Method:

Place rinsed beans in a bowl and mash with a potato masher.  Some beans can be left whole for aesthetic value, but you are looking to turn the beans into a paste.  Process the garlic, onion, and bell pepper in a food processor until very finely chopped (it will look like mush) and stir into the beans.  Add the egg, flour, breadcrumbs, and seasoning and stir together well.  Pour oil onto a skillet and heat on medium heat.  Using your hands, scoop out balls of mixture and flatten them slightly (this will get a little bit messy).  Place the flattened ball on the heated skillet and finish flattening with either your hands or the back of a spatula.  If you use your hands, be very careful not to touch the surface of he skillet so as not to get burnt!  Cook until both sides are browned.  Serve as you would any other burger and top with your favorite burger toppings.

Nutrition facts are based on a 2,000 calorie a day diet and are computed using the MyFitnessPal app.  As I have entered the ingredients by hand and picked he best matches from a list, some human error may exist in their calculations.

Mexican Quinoa Salad

Mexican Quinoa Salad in a Luau-themed bowl from DollarTree.  The bowl was cheap an comes in handy!

This recipe came together last weekend almost accidentally.  I had an avacodo that I needed to use so I started building upon that.  I was originally planning on just doing a bean salad with it, but then I remembered that I had quinoa in the closet and thought why not make it a quinoa salad for some extra protein.  One cup of cooked quinoa contains 8 grams of protein, so it's good to have on hand.  A fun fact - we use quinoa as if it were a grain, but it isn't actually a grain at all.  "We cook and eat quinoa like many other grains, but, botanically speaking, it's a relative of spinach, beets and chard. The part we eat is actually the seed, cooked like rice, which is why quinoa is gluten-free. You can even eat the leaves!" (Huffington Post).  The end result was awesome, and I even had enough left for lunch at work for the next three days.  

Avacodos spoil quickly, so I was worried that the salad wouldn't make it through till that last day, but they were only just starting to change color, so they were still ok.  Since they usually brown so quickly, avacodos are often mixed with citrus juices to prolong their life (the citric acid in the juice acts as a preservative).  Of course with Interstial Cystitis, the citric acid can wreak havoc on the bladder, so this practice doesn't work and I'm not sure of a good way to duplicate it to be IC friendly.  When only using part of an avocado, you can retain the pit with the remainder and that helps to preserve the leftover parts, but I stored the rest of the salad in small containers that were easy to grab for work and one pit clearly wouldn't work for 3 different tupperwares.  Perhaps next time I'll put the pit in one of them and save that one for last....

Since I discussed how citric acid is bad for Interstial Cystitis, you may be wondering why I included the lemon extract.  Citric extracts (ie lemon, lime, and orange) are made from the rind of the fruit so it avoids all the acid in the juice.  Like most extracts, the rind is steeped in alcohol for a certain amount of time and then the rind is removed.  Typically in cooking, the alcohol in the extract evaporates and only the infused flavor is left behind.  No citric acid = no problems.  Of course, IC loves to be a bully, so like with most food, that doesn't necessarily mean it is safe for all.

After making this recipe, I do wish I had a lime flavor instead of lemon.  I think it would have given a more authentic Mexican taste.  Since I don't have lime extract though, I obviously couldn't use it.  I'm not sure if I've ever actually seen lime extract at the store and an online search turns up things more on the gourmet end.  I have found a few recipes for a home made extract, so besides keeping an eye out for it in stores, I'm going to try making my own.  I'll report back on my results and with any changes to the recipe.  Until then, if you have lime extract and decide to make this recipe on your own, please let me know what you think! 

Oh, one last note!  I use yellow cherry tomatoes in this recipe (if you remember, tomatoes are one of my favorite foods and I just can't give them up).  Yellow tomatoes are much less acidic then red tomatoes and are therefore better tolerated by the IC bladder.  I seem to do better with them, but if you're worried that they may be a trigger for you, then please feel free to leave them out.

Ingredients:
*Green = Bladder Friendly foods; *Orange = Foods to try wih Caution; *Red = Foods to Avoid
*1 cup Dry Quinoa
*2 cups Water
*1 can Black Beans, drained and rinsed well
*1 Avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
*1 cup Yellow Cherry Tomatoes, quartered and sliced
*1 cup Spinach, chopped
*2 Radishes, quartered and sliced
*1/2 of a Green Bell Pepper, diced
*2 Scallions, sliced
*2 tsp IC Friendly Taco Seasoning
*1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
*1 1/2 tsp Lemon (or Lime) Extract
*2 tsp Dried Cilantro
*1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Method:

Cook your quinoa according to the package instructions.  (I used Village Harvest; the directions were to bring 1 cup of rinsed Quinoa and 2 cups of water to a boil, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until all water is absorbed.)  While the quinoa cooks, prepare the other ingredients and add all to a large bowl.  Place the bowl and the cooked quinoa in the fridge to chill.  Once chilled to your liking, add the quinoa to the other ingredients in the bowl, still well, and serve.  Yields 4 servings.

*Nutrition Facts are obtained using the MyFitnessPal app and are based on a 2,000 calorie a day diet.  Due to manually entering ingredients, please allow some room for human error.*

Berry Orchard Protein Smoothie

Back in November, my boyfriend and I were wandering through Walmart when we came upon a clearance aisle.  It was the first time we had ever seen a clearance aisle at this particular store, so naturally we were inclined to check it out.  In it we found what we considered a treasure - a clearanced Ninja Master Prep.  It clearly wasn't a full fledged Ninja blender, but we were surprised nonetheless to not only find a Ninja product at Walmart (especially at this Walmart) but at a clearance price to boot.  Money was tight and although it was around $30 and we probably could afford it, it might have meant cutting back somewhere else later in the week.  So, I decided on a plan B that may or may not get me the Ninja at a later date.

The box looked slightly worn, so after my boyfriend and I took a peek inside (to make sure everything looked unopened), I took a picture of the blender and hid it behind a stack of clearanced Super Mario stuffies.  I then took a picture of where it was hidden and sent both images to my mother in a text trying to explain what I had found and where I had hidden it so that maybe, just maybe, she could come back to the store and purchase it for me for Christmas.  She wasn't sure if she could get to the store within the next couple of days, so prospects did not look too well, but at least I had tried; now I just had to hope for the best a try to forget about it so that I could avoid regret at not buying it when I found it.

Time passed by and I did indeed forget about it, but mostly because I re-injured my freshly operated upon shoulder and then my IC decided to flare up so I had other things to occupy my mind.  Besides, I really thought that the chances of the Ninja still being hidden once my mother was finally able to get to the store were slim to none.  To me, I think it had just become a silly pipe dream and I figured I could just as easily get by without the Ninja Master Prep.  Well, imagine my surprise when I opened that blender on Christmas Day!  It must have been destined to be mine, for against all odds my mom had found a way to get the blender! (Although I guess I shouldn't have been surprised; my mom is just awesome like that - she always finds a way to make things work!)

One of the first things we did the day after Christmas was to open this bad boy up and make sure it all worked.  I mentioned earlier that the box looked a little worn and we were afraid that it could have been a return due to a defect.  Luckily everything worked, and I couldn't wait to try it!  I took a trip to the farmer's market for some fresh fruit and came up with this recipe.  Andrew doesn't like it, but really only because he doesn't like my protein powder!  I originally used more ginger, but lessened the amount at his suggestion.

Ginger is another one of those food items that I like to use due to its anti-inflammatory properties.  Ginger is actually part of the Zingiberaceae family, alongside turmeric, and has been used for centuries not only to flavor food, but for its medicinal properties as well (some old traditions refer to it as Billings Root).  Here is a sample list of things that ginger has been used for over the centuries:

• Soothe digestive disturbances
• Alleviate nausea (great in early pregnancy)
• Reduce fever
• Calm coughing and respiratory troubles
• Stimulate the circulatory system
• Relieve muscle aches and pain
• Get rid of dandruff
• Emerging evidence shows it helps lower cholesterol
• Japanese research has found Ginger is effective in lowering blood pressure and cancer risk.

And of course the aforementioned anti-inflammatory properties.  Such a powerful little root!  Some of this isn't just folk remedies either, if you notice here is also some science behind it.  Again, I'm not sure that I use enough ginger to be of much effect nor do I take it regularly, but I still like to think that any little bit counts!  

Also included in this shake are Flax seeds.  Flax seeds are an excellent non-fish source of omega 3s and one of many effects that omega 3s have on the body is as anti-inflammatory as well.  I also use honey in this recipe.  Not only is honey a good natural sweetener, it has also been shown to have many positive effects on the body.  One holistic use of honey is to fight allergies.  As one component of Interstitial Cystitis is an over-activation of mast cells, I feel that honey is most likely good for IC as well.  

I wrote this recipe using Hemp Protein Powder.  I used Hemp Pro 50 by Manitoba Harvest, but feel free to use your favorite protein powder.  The Manitoba Harvest is unflavored, but it may be fun to playwith  some other tastes.  If you have IC, just make sure that you use an IC-friendly protein powder that works for you.   The IC Diet lists safe protein powders as whey or egg whites and I obviously do well with the hemp.  Just be sure to read labels to avoid any potentially problematic ingredients (100%of the protein ingredient would be ideal)

-List of uses of ginger was found at  Wellness Mama (http://wellnessmama.com/7958/ginger-root-herb-profile/)

Ingredients:

*Green = Bladder Friendly foods; *Orange = Foods to try wih Caution; *Red = Foods 

*1 - 1 1/2 cups of Ice

*1/2 cup Blueberries  

*1 Pear, sliced into small chunks with the core removed

*1 tsp Flax Seeds

*2 tsp Ginger

*1 tbsp Honey

*4 tbsp Hemp Protein Powder 

*1/2 cup Blueberry Juice

Method:
Place ice in blender and blend, using short pulses, until the ice is just beginning to become snow.   Add the blueberries, pear chunks, flax seeds, ginger, honey, hemp protein powder, and blueberry juice into the blender.  Blend, using short pulses, until all ingredients are broken down and you are left with a smooth, creamy drink.

Note: you may end up with larger bits of flax seed.  This doesn't bother me but if you want to avoid those bits you can use pre-ground flax seeds or grind the seeds yourself in a coffee grinder before adding them to the blender.

**Nutrition information is brought to you by the MyFitness Pal app.  Nutrition information based on a 2,000 calorie a day diet.  Due to the fact that I hand input the ingredients, some human error may have occurred.**

IC Friendly Taco Seasoning

Just a quick tip for today - A recipe I found on Pinterest a while back!  The link on Pinterest didn't go anywhere but to an image, so I'm not really sure who to give credit to, but I love this mix and use it often and in many things!  It does contain a few items from the try it side of the IC diet, so be careful with this one. Note that this mix calls for Paprika - I remember reading somewhere that Hungarian Paprika goes through a slightly different process then others and this makes it safer for IC patients to use.  I can't remember where I read that though, so I can't back it up nor can I even prove to myself that I'm not mixing my facts up, so please take that bit of info with a grain of salt.  I do know for sure that Paprika comes in varying degrees of heat, as it is made from peppers, but most commercially available brands are on the sweet end.  Just double check before using so that you can be sure not to use a spicy paprika!

Ingredients:

*Green = Bladder Friendly foods; *Orange = Foods to try wih Caution; *Red = Foods to Avoid

*1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

*1/2 tsp Onion Powder

*1/2 tsp Dried Oregano 

*1 tsp Paprika

*3 tsp Cumin

*2 tsp Cracked Black Pepper

*2 tsp Sea Salt

Method: 

Combine all spices in a bowl and mix well.  Store in an air-tight container in a dry environment.  I store my spice mix in a glass spice shaker that I found at Bed Bath and Beyond and it was only $2.00 or $3.00; a very worthwhile investment!!

Eggplant, Spinach, and Chickpea Hash

Eggplant, Spinach and Chickpea Hash in my Farbareware New Traditions frying pan

The day that I developed this recipe, I think that I was very lucky to have the day off from work.  I woke up at about 7, feeling exhausted and just weak overall.  I needed more rest but couldn't fall back to sleep; I thought to lay on the couch, but the livingroom was a mess.  I knew that if I sat in the livingroom the mess would drive me crazy and I would feel the need to clean it, but I also knew that I just didn't have the energy to do it.  I choose to lay in bed, effectively ignoring the mess for the time being, to watch my morning TV instead (if I'm home, I religiously watch Charmed on TNT in the morning).  I don't think it was until about 10:45, when I was watching the second episode of Supernatural (because it comes on after Charmed and I was just too lazy to change the channel), that I was enticed from my bed by hunger. 

I had a craving for potatoes, which was very strange since I have had a strong dislike of potatoes since childhood.  They were one of those things that I didn't quite like but my parents forced me to eat all of the time.  My father loved potatoes and my mom insisted on having a startch with every meal, so on top of not liking potatoes, I got potatoed out!  As a result, I didn't eat a single potato (save for the candied yams at holidays) for years.  I am only recently, at the age of 32, able to eat some potatoes again.  I decided I wanted to make a hash, and after looking at a few recipes online I was inspired to come up with this IC-friendly recipe. I was very pleased with the result and enjoyed a very nice brunch!

A week later, I half-drunkenly promised my mother, on Christmas Eve, to make this recipe for Christmas brunch.  I hated that promise the next morning, but was very happy that I made this as everyone really enjoyed it.  The only complaint I had was the beans; I didn't have any canned so I tried to use dried for the first time ever.  I guess I didn't cook them long enough and they still had a slight crunch to them.  So, I suppose that I have to place a warning here - if you use dried chickpeas (and doing so is a great way to cut down on sodium!) make sure you cook them well!  Other then that, this recipe is delicious and I hope that you find it just as enjoyable!

A quick note: 

You will see that I add turmeric to this recipe; I like to sneak turmeric into my recipes as it is proven to act as an anti-inflammatory.  I'm not sure if I add enough of it to be of much effect, but I like to have the sense that I've done something extra to help all the same.  I suppose that it gives me an added sense of control over this awfully unpredictable thing that is Interstitial Cystitis, however misplaced that sense may or may not be.

Eggplant, Spinach, and Chickpea Hash

Ingredients: 

*Green = Bladder Friendly foods; *Orange = Foods to try wih Caution; *Red = Foods to Avoid

*2 Red Potatoes

*1/2 a small onion

*1/2 cup eggplant

*1/2 cup chopped spinach

*One 7.5 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed well

*1/4 tsp turmeric

*1/4 tsp Italian seasoning 

*1/4 tsp thyme

*1/2 tsp Rosemary

*3/4 tsp garlic powder

*2 Tbsp olive oil

*Salt

*Pepper

 

Method:

Heat oil in a large sautee or fry pan on medium heat.  Add the potatoes and the onions (leave the onions out if you are sensitive) and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste (leave the pepper out if you are sensitive as well).  Cook for 5 minutes or until the onions are just starting to turn translucent, stirring occasionally.  Next, add the eggplant; cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the eggplant becomes golden brown.  Once the eggplant begins to change color, add the chickpeas, turmeric, italian seasoning, thyme, rosemary, and garlic powder.  Stir all seasoning in very well.  Cook for another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, and then add the spinach.  Cook until the spinach is wilted; about 1-2 minutes more. Remove from heat and serve. Serves 2.

 If you are sensitive to onions, you can try using scallions, or green onions, in their place.  If so, you may add them at the end with the spinach.  One trick that I love to do with scallions is use only the green part.  If you save the white end, you can regrow them! Just put the white ends in water in a sunny location and it will begin to regrow almost immediately! In the past, I have seen some grow from the middle a fourth inch to a half inch just overnight!  Be sure to change the water that they are in every day or they may begin to rot.  You can leave them in the water or, once they begin to grow new roots you can plant them in soil.  Once the green part has grown long enough, you can cut it off and use it and the plant will once again grow back.  If you do it right, you can always have fresh scallions on hand!

                             

*Nutrition information has been provided through the MyFitnessPal App and is based on a 2,000 calorie a day diet.  As I input the ingredients by hand to come up with this information, some human error is possible.  To keep sodium content down, be sure to rinse the chickpeas well or use dried instead of canned*

**If doubling this recipe, you will need to double cooking times as well!**