Vegetarian burgers – better than the ‘real’ thing

I don’t want to blow my own trumpet….but I’m going to – haha!

These burgers were delicious, really filling and super easy to make. At the minute, my diet is kind of vegetarian, I say kind of because I’m still eating fish. I’ll probably explain it more in a further, more detailed post about why I’m doing it, but at the minute, I’m just finding out what works for me.

Anyway – back to the burgers!

veggie-burgers

Here’s what went in them..

You will need:
2 tins of beans – I used borlotti beans but kidney beans would also work well I imagine
100g breadcrumbs
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 small red onion or half of a large one, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1tbsp coriander, finely chopped
Small sprinkling or chilli flakes or 1.2 red chilli deseeded and finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 egg
Burger buns (should you want them) and salad and sweet potato fries to serve!

To make:
-Drain the bins and empty in to a large bowl. Take a fork or a potato masher and mash the beans until they’ve all been squished.
– Add everything else but only half of the breadcrumbs before mixing well to combine.
– Sprinkle the remaining breadcrumbs on to a plate and then grab a handful of the mixture and shape into a burger before rolling in breadcrumbs. Once you’ve formed all of the burgers, pop some clingfilm over the plate and place in the fridge until you’re ready to cook. I’ve found that chilling them for an hour or so really helps them to keep their shape.
– To cook, heat a small amount of oil (I use coconut) in a non-stick frying pan (or any good frying pan you have!) and essentially just fry them on each side for between 4-5 mins so they’re thoroughly warmed through.
– Serve in a bun topped with lettuce and relish or whatever sides your heart desires!

Enjoy 🙂 If you do make these, please let me know by commenting below or tag me on Instagram @hbryan91

Food diary: my week in lunches

I thought I’d do a slightly different post this week and give you an insight in to what I eat on a daily basis. Hopefully this will inspire some of you to get creative with your lunches and will prove to you that salads – and lunches in general for that matter – never have to be boring!

My diet is usually pretty good, bar the odd chocolate/peanut butter binge, and I’m usually consistent with my lunches. As boring as it may sound (although if you think salads are boring you’re doing it wrong!), my lunch normally consists of a salad – you’ll see why they’re anything but boring throughout the post though!

I also adapt my lunch around my training. If I know I’m going to be training after work for example, I’ll add in a sweet potato, whereas if I’ve trained in the morning, I’ll have eaten my main carbs after breakfast and will probably fancy a lighter lunch.

Either way, I look forward to my lunch every day as I know that even if it’s slightly similar to the day before, it’s packed full of flavour and nutrients.

So…without further a do, here’s what my week in lunches looked like this week!

Monday:
Super salad (check out Dane’s blog for a more detailed post on the super salad)
These salads are legendary and Dane provided me with much amusement when he was making this one for me.salad 1
So Monday’s lunch was made up of:
* Leaves
* Left over fajita spiced chicken
* Pumpkin seeds
* Sundried tomatoes
* Cherry tomatoes
* Cucumber
* Raw asparagus
* Raw broccoli
* One Brazil nut (because Dane thinks he’s funny!)

 

 

 

Tuesday:
Left over fish and chips
Ok, so this doesn’t look the prettiest of lunches or even remotely Instagram worthy, but it was incredibly tasty! The night before I made my version of fish and chips and made enough for lunch the next day too. Salmon 1
It was made up of:
*1 sweet chilli salmon fillet
*Roasted parnsip chips
*Roasted kale
*Stir fried leaks and tenderstem broccoli

 

 

 

 

Wednesday:
Chicken salad
Wednesday’s lunch was another classic chicken salad. This might sound boring but as I mentioned earlier, it’s what in it that counts!salad 2
It contained:
* One chicken breast, cooked in coconut oil to add some extra taste
* Leaves, of course!
* Raw babycorn
* Raw tenderstem broccoli
* Raw asparagus
*Sundried tomatoes

 

 

 

Thursday:
Burgers and chips
Again, today’s lunch was my version of a traditional British dish, made with a healthy twist of course. It was the previous nights dinner, too! turkey burgers 1
It contained:
* Two turkey burgers (check back in my recipe section for the exact recipe)
* Roasted parsnip chips
*Kale, mushrooms, onion, asparagus and sweetcorn sauteed in coconut oil

 

 

 

Friday:
Chorizo and prawn skewers
I definitely got over excited when I pulled out this tupperware box on Friday and forgot to take a picture! Luckily I had one from the night before when I made them! skewers 1
Each skewer was made up of:
* Chorizo
*Prawns
* Courgette
*Red onion
*Pepper
*Kale on the side

 

 

 

Saturday:
Giraffe’s Huevos Rancheros Mexican Breakfast giraffe 1
Saturday’s lunch was a late one at about 3pm after a morning of dashing around the supermarket for Saturday nights Come Dine With Me dinner party (more on that in another blog post soon!)
This is similar to the recipe I’ve blogged previously but also has chorizo, cheese, avocado and sweetcorn on it and is made up on a crisp tortilla wrap.

 

 

 

 

Sunday:
Chorizo and vegetable egg scramble.
Woah, I’ve just realised I’ve eaten a lot of chorizo over the past few days!! This scrumptious meal was more of a post run brunch. I’d just done a tough interval session so this was well and truly needed!brunch 1
It was made up of:
* Two eggs
* Chorizo
* Tenderstem broccoli
* Green beans
* Two small slices of olive bread

 

 

 

 

There you have it – my week in lunches! Follow me on Instagram @HBryan91 to see more of my meal time creations or search #Hannahshappypace