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Grilled Veggie Shawarma Burgers

Happy Friday friends!!!  I hope you all are having a great week.  My week has been chock full of wedding fun.  Slowly but surely things are getting checked off my list.  Today as I was driving home from running errands I had this overwhelming feeling come over me that I am ready to be married.  Our engagement was almost 13 months long, so up to this point it felt like I was planning this giant party, one where I would eventually get married, but it just seemed so far away.  Now that we are just about a week away, and most of the big things are taken care of, I am ready.  I am so excited to walk down the aisle towards the man of my dreams, say my vows in front of my family and friends, and have the best party of my life.  I am ready for my wedding day, and I'm also ready for what comes after that as well.

Okay, enough lovey dovey stuff for one day.  I just get really excited about it.

You know what else I'm really excited for?  This recipe!  (nice transition, I know) After writing about my favorite things yesterday, I had a huge craving for chickpea shawarma.  I also really wanted to grill out on this beautiful day.  So I did both.

I turned my favorite recipe into veggie burgers and grilled them!  While I love the messiness of the normal dish, this take on it makes this meal easy to eat and portable.  I can totally see myself making these for friends who come over for summer bbqs.  They were so easy to throw together and totally delicious.

so.much.flava.

I baked my burgers first, so they weren't mushy in the centers.  Then I threw them on the grill to finish them off.  You could easily pan fry these, or bake them longer if you don't have access to a grill.  Or if the birds have taken over the inside of your grill (speaking from experience here).  

these people had the same problem, we didn't let it get this bad though

Back to the recipe, make these.  Baked, fried, grilled, whatever you fancy.  They are awesome!  I also made homemade hummus and cucumber sauce to serve on them.  You could easily sub store bought hummus if you want.  We had them on Arnold's Multi-grain Sandwich Thins and served them with Alexia sweet potato tots.  Yummmmmm.

Grilled Veggie Shawarma Burgers

Ingredients -

(for the burgers)

• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 t yellow curry powder
• 2 t evoo
• 3/4 t salt
• 2 T lemon juice
• 1/2 t garlic powder
• 2 t minced garlic
• 1/2 c rolled oats

(for the cucumber sauce)

• 1 container plain greek yogurt
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/3 cucumber
• 1/4 t salt

(other ingredients)

• fresh spinach
• cherry tomatoes
• cucumber
• feta cheese
• buns
• fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions-

-Pour shawarma ingredients into a medium sized bowl

-Let sit 20 minutes-1 hour marinading

-Put ingredients for cucumber sauce into a blender or food processor

-Blend on high until everything is combined

-Put oats into the food processor, pulse until roughly chopped

-Add shawarma ingredients, pulse until combined, but still a little chunky.  You want this to be doughy enough that it sticks together, but still has a little texture to it.

-Wet your hands and form into 4 patties.  

-Place onto greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 6 minutes on each side (maybe a little longer if you are just baking them)

-If you are grilling them, at this point put them onto your grill (I sprayed mine with oil first so they wouldn't stick) and cook 3 minutes per side

-To plate, spread some hummus on the bottom of your bun (no dirty reference intended)

-Add a layer of spinach, followed by tomato, burger, feta, cucumber sauce, and cilantro

-Put on your top bun and eat it!!!  

Craving satisfied!  Until tomorrow that is... good thing there's leftovers ;)

A few of my favorite things... May edition

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens...

Alright enough of that.  I've been trying to think of fun post series to share with you guys.  I love seeing what other people's favorite kitchen, home, fashion and beauty favorite products are.  It's so fun finding products that I "must have" - things I didn't even know I was missing out on.  I also would love to hear from all of you (don't be shy).  What are your current favorite things?

Favorite face product: Clean and Clear Persa-gel

This stuff is incredible.  Between finals, insurance claims, and last minute wedding planning, things are getting a little stressful up in here.  And my face is taking the brunt of this stress.  Fortunately, this stuff works like magic.  Just put a little on a trouble area twice a day and poof, trouble spot gone!  

Favorite Season Finale: Bones

Talk about a cliffhanger!  OMG!!!!  Please tell me I'm not the only one obsessed with this show.  I don't think I can wait all summer long to see what's going to happen.  I'm normally not one to look up spoilers ahead of time, but I honestly don't know if I'll be able to help it on this one.  Yikes!

Favorite coffee: Verena Street Mississippi Grogg Blend

We discovered this coffee right before Christmas at Sam's Club.  It is roasted in Dubuque, IA and the blend of butterscotch, caramel and hazelnut is to die for.  The flavor is not overwhelming at all, just a nice subtle hint of specialness.  Also, it doesn't make my stomach hurt at all, which is rare for me (sorry for the oversharing).  It's best with just some milk stirred in, and a few drops of stevia if I'm feeling a little sweet.

Favorite summer "brew": Leinenkugels "Pink lemonade"

aka Summer Shandy mixed with Berry Weiss

image from here

I normally don't like berry weiss by itself, too fruity tutty for me.  But this combo is killer.  It honestly tastes just like pink lemonade.  And it's from good old Wisconsin, so of course I love it even more.

Favorite can't stop thinking about it recipe: Chickpea shawarma

This is seriously one of those meals that I crave all.the.time.  It's so flavorful and tasty, but it doesn't leave me feeling weighed down at all.  I ran out of curry powder making this, need to get my hands on some more asap!!!

Favorite kitchen gadget: my garlic press

I don't think I've introduced you guys to my lovely little garlic press.  I got this Pampered Chef press as a Christmas gift 5 years ago or so.  It's incredible.  I love garlic SOOOOO much but it sucks having to mince it; I can never get it fine enough.  Plus, I'm sure I already have garlic smell (mixed with cake batter) coming out of my pores.  Better to leave it off my hands.  This one also comes with a nifty little tool to get all of the garlic out of the holes too.  Nice!

Favorite fiance: Mr. What's Annie Making

Hands off ladies.  He's mine. We're in the single digits now!!!  That's like less than 10!!!!!!  That means that in less than 10 days I will marry the man of my dreams and be the happiest girl in the world (even when he tries to squash me like a bug).

And there you have it.  Some of my current faves.  Now it's your turn - tell me what you just can't get enough of right now.  There's still some time, maybe I can add it to our registry ;)