Burgers and Fries!

I've been on kind of a comfort food kick recently, and today was no exception! When I went to search the fridge tonight, I was feeling burgers and fries (and beer!) for dinner. I love meals like this, because even with making everything from scratch, it's definitely a 30-minute meal, and it's super yummy and very customizable (use the veggies you've got for toppings, change your condiments, etc.

We started with a Boca burger, added some A1 Cracked Peppercorn sauce with onions, garlic, green peppers and baby bella mushrooms sautéed on top, and finished it off with some rice cheese, nayonaise, tomatoes, and fresh spinach. This definitely fit my craving for a burger! YUM! I made some quick (and very yummy!) oven fries, and VOILA, the perfect, delicious, awesome meal. :)

Easy Oven Fries
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients:
1 small sweet potato, sliced into "french fry" shape (I like to cut them in half, then cut the halves in half, so you have 4 large slices, then lay the slices out on the cutting board and slice them into 1/2" fries)
2 medium russet potatoes, sliced into fries
           *You can use whatever kind of potatoes you want, of course! I used what I had-- just make sur you have at least 1 medium potato per person. Potatoes can be deceptively small too- be careful! So often I've taken a medium potato, cut it up, and had WAY too much! :)
2 tsp Grapeseed Oil (or olive oil, or vegetable oil- I use Grapeseed for the healthy polyunsaturated fats!)
1 Tbsp Kirkland brand "No-Salt Seasoning" (added halfway through cooking time so it didn't burn! Add whatever spices you like here- I wanted to avoid salt, so I went with this. You could definitely use salt & pepper, or chili powder and cumin, or garlic- the possibilities are endless!!)


Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Slice all potatoes; move to a large cookie sheet. Add oil; drizzle over potatoes. Mix well with your hands, making sure to coat all pieces on all sides. Spread potatoes -- in a single layer. Place in oven, bake for 10 minutes, then flip fries over with a large spatula (turner/flipper). Bake for 10 more minutes. Fries should be crispy and slightly browned. If they look droopy, give them 2-3 more minutes!


Courtney's Quick & Easy Boca Burgers
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients:
2 Boca Burgers - frozen (vegan style! check the box to make sure...)
1/2 onion, sliced into thin strips
1/4 green pepper, sliced into largish (1/4" to 1/2" wide) strips
4-5 baby bella mushrooms, sliced rather thin
1 clove of fresh garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Oil (for sautéing; feel free to just use water if you'd like to cut down on the fat)
2 Tbsp A1 Cracked Peppercorn sauce (Makes the finished product taste like a steak! LOL. And yep, it's vegan! You could also use barbecue sauce, or omit this altogether)
2 hamburger buns, toasted - I used Arnold brand Sandwich Thins.. very tasty and very vegan!
Galaxy brand Rice Vegan cheese- any flavor
Tomato, sliced
Spinach or other lettuce-y topping
Nayonaise, spread on the top bun
Any other toppings you like!

Directions:
Slice and dice your veggies, add to a LARGE heated skillet containing the oil. Swish around for a bit, until completely coated in the oil, simmer (i.e. medium heat) until your onions are browning a bit. I added garlic at this point (adding it too early in a sauté will cause fresh garlic to burn, baby, burn. Be careful!). To keep the veggies from sticking (and to help the veggies soften a bit), I added some water to the pan from my teakettle.. this is a trick I use quite often when things act like they want to burn on me!!

Make space in the middle of your skillet for your Boca burgers, and add these when your fries have about 10 minutes left on cook time. You'll want a bit of water in your pan so they don't stick... also, Boca burgers have little to no fat, so they won't "fry" like a ground beef burger would. Keep it moisturized by adding water every now and then (don't soak your pan, a little will do!). Don't forget to keep your veggies moving!! Flip your burgers after about 5 minutes, and add the A1 sauce to the top of the burgers. Flip after 5 minutes, add the cheese to the top of your burgers, cover with a lid (or a cookie sheet... whatever fits!) to get your cheese to melt. Assemble your burger, grab a napkin, and go to town!! Enjoy!

Happy eating, everyone!!

<3
Courtney