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People Don't Eat Veggies? and Black Bean Tofu Burgers

Perfect Running Weather. No Run
Today I packed my bag strictly to run. I had my new running shoes and new running shirt (that I've been dying to wear). The sun was out, the wind was down, the temps were in the upper 50's.

But, I didn't run. I ended up taking today as a rest day. Though it wasn't easy given this forecast.
While I was just itching to get out there and run, physically I was just feeling worn down today. My quads are of course sore from yesterday's workout. And I'm just flat out tired. My brain was telling me two conflicting things: "Get out there and enjoy that sunshine" and "Just go home and go to bed."

Sometimes it's best you listen to the "get out and run" side, but other times, you have to really pay attention and go with the more rational "rest" side. That being said, I didn't go home and go to sleep. But that sure sounded like a good enough plan.

Lucky for me, the weather is supposed to be just as nice tomorrow. So I didn't feel "tooooo" bad about forgoing the run for rest. Plus, I know it'll make tomorrow's run much better in the end (almost typed, "in the long run" LOL).

People Really Don't Eat Veggies?
So what's a girl to do on her rest day with suddenly found free time? Hit the grocery store finally of course. Bet you thought I was going to say something like hit up Sephora, DSW, or The Limited. ;-)

I ended up having the oddest, well not really oddest, but an odd encounter. I was trying to get through the veggie section, minding my own business when this frantic looking lady came up to me. She had two boxes of a spring salad mix in her buggy (the little buggies, not full sized). She said she was having a dinner party with some sort of meat-based spaghetti something or other stew thing (that's what I took away from it) and wanted to have a salad to serve. She said she never eats "this stuff" and didn't have a clue what to put on a salad. The look on her face as she scanned the area and called veggies "stuff" would be akin to me walking into the meat section I'm sure.

Oh, she assured me she could tell me everything there was to know about the meats though. Oh, lucky for me being the vegetarian and all ;-) I told her to pick up some grape tomatoes and just a simple balsamic vinaigrette. Keep it simple right? She spotted all the packages of premade salad toppings hanging and decided she needed something like that. I suggested almonds at the most. Forget the croutons. Grab some feta and just be simple with it.

She seemed to be set, but then she found me again as I was picking up dried beans. She didn't know where to find salad dressing. Really? I guess the point to all of this is that I absolutely can't believe that someone really really and truly cannot navigate either a veggie section or even how to make a salad. Does this surprise any of you because it just blows me away. I guess it shouldn't.

My Dinner Includes Veggies
I finally got home and unpacked my mess of groceries, cleaned up a mess of pee, then threw a little temper tantrum before getting to the business of dinner.

I really was on the verge of boycotting the kitchen. It was a 9+ hour day at work, my contact felt like it was scratching a hole through my eye, and I had just navigated the grocery store after work. I was out of homemade veggie burgers, but I did have some frozen black beans, half a package of silken tofu that was opened, and carrots. So, I threw together a super quick Black Bean Tofu Burger. Makes perfect sense right?

Black Bean Tofu Burger
Ingredients:
1 cup black beans (this is approximate)
1/2 package extra firm or firm silken tofu
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 cup oat flour
Minced onion (to desired amount, I actually used dried and ground them with the oats)
Spice mix - I had a McCormick's mix on hand
To taste: black pepper, parsley, garlic powder, liquid smoke

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Either puree all ingredients up to the flour in a food processor or use an immersion blender with ingredients in large bowl. Add flour and seasonings and mix well.

Form into patties and place on prepared baking sheet.

Bake for approximately 40 minutes flipping once halfway through the cooking.

 

Of course I served these with baked sweet potato fries. Fries and burgers are a must kind of combo. I topped the burgers with the usual suspects (for us): roasted red bell peppers, baby spinach, Daiya Cheese. I think they turned out really well. I will say that if you do make these, go with the over-seasoning concept.

Daily To-Enjoy List:
  • Rest day 
  • Time to get to the grocery store (thought not necessarily fun)
  • Sunshine

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