BBB

T.J.'s Magnificent Black Bean Burgers! 

1 can of black beans rinsed and drained, then mashed
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup of spinach
1 handful of various chopped vegetables (broccoli, tomato, zucchini, carrot, etc.)
1 small handful oats
1/8 cup flour
1 Tbl Olive oil
1 spoonful Veganiase
Salt, pepper, a dash of cayenne, and whatever else is on hand! Get creative with it.

Ninja together (or food process) the veggies until they are well chopped but not pureed, then add the mashed beans. Pulse and avoid over blending once the beans are in. Form into patties and fry them up on the stove with a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Use more flour if the mix is too thin.
Top with veggie "cheese" slices and guacamole for extra points.

What do you throw in your black bean burger mix? Where did you have the best black bean burger of your life? Mine was right here in my kitchen. My husband sure does make a mean black bean burger!

Native Foods Cafe Review

I first ate at Native Foods Cafe back in June and could not wait to get back there. I honestly can't believe it took me 3 months!

This time I ordered almost the exact same thing as the first time I went because the Chicken Run Ranch burger has seriously been on my mind ever since. It was really delicious again but not quite as earth-shattering as I had remembered.

I also ordered sweet potato fries and apple pie. Both really good but again, not life changing. The apple pie comes with a sweet and creamy topping. I think it must be some sort of cinnamon whipped cream that is even better than the pie itself!

Native Foods Cafe definitely doesn't disappoint and has an easy, almost-fast food but better atmosphere. Vegan chain restaurants are an interesting concept but they just can't beat the really good local finds (not that I'd complain if Native Foods came to Indiana!)

The Loving Cafe in Ft. Wayne

My birthday week has officially begun... which means more vegan food and treats than usual! Fuel for the blog I guess. This holiday weekend we spent time at my sister's house which is 4.5 hours away. Conveniently in the middle of the drive is a strange little vegan restaurant called The Loving Cafe (which seems to be somehow related to the Loving Hut, but not directly related). Half the menu is Asian food and the other half is American but it is all vegan and pretty darn good.

Panini sandwich at the Loving Cafe

This time I had the panini sandwich which had tofurkey, vegan cheese, coleslaw, and vegan mayo on it. The bread was really really good too. I think I detected a hint of mustard on it as well. You sort of roll the dice at the Loving Cafe because the menu is constantly changing depending on what they happen to have on hand. They have a board at the restaurant that they can switch out the menu items so they change it often but always have a big selection. They also have really good soup. I have tried the Kale & Potato soup (2nd time this trip) and my husband got the Almond Broccoli soup. I prefer the kale potato - the almond soup was weirdly sweet to me.

Overall I give this place a good rating because it is a good find, especially in non-vegan friendly Indiana. That being said, you have to be a little flexible and open minded to enjoy it. They also have quite a few dessert options, some of them even raw. Last time I was there I ordered chocolate ice cream and they gave me a TON of it for just a couple bucks. It was really rich and delicious.

I wouldn't rate this place as necessarily healthy, but they advertise that it is healthy just because it's vegan. Many of the sandwiches are covered in vegan butter and mayo. The soup is made with vegan cream cheese. All of which is fine if you are looking for some vegan comfort food (which I was!) and not overly concerned with calories, etc.

On our way home we stopped by my father in-law's house and he gave us a TON of veggies from his garden. The picture below is just a fraction! We will be having a tomato-fest this week for dinner so get ready for some tomato recipe posts.

What is your take on the vegan = automatically healthy issue? How do you balance the (sometimes rare) access to vegan food at a restaurant and wanting to eat healthfully at the same time?