Broccoli and Kale Burger for One

This burger is quite delicate and nearly falls apart when you touch it with the fork. But don’t let that dissuade you—a soft burger is a delight to the palate as well as to the tummy.

½ TBLSP olive oil

2 TBLSP chopped yellow onion

2 chopped green onions

1 clove garlic, chopped finely

4 teaspoons coarsely chopped button mushroom (about 2 large-ish ones)

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 cup broccoli (florets and stems)

¾ cup kale

½ slice bread

1 teaspoon peanut butter

2 TBLSP walnut pieces

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil for frying

1. In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and sauté the onion and green onions. This should take 3-5 minutes, just until the onion begins to soften. Toss in the mushrooms and cook until most (but not all) of the water has released and evaporated, about 3 more minutes.
2. Add the garlic and let it cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until fragrant.
3. Remove the onions and mushrooms from the heat and stir in the cumin. It will smell fabulous.
4. In a food processor or blender, whirl the broccoli, until it’s broken down into little pellets but isn’t mush. Place this in a bowl. Repeat the blender-to-bowl activity with the kale and the bread. They don’t need to end up in separate bowls because you’re about to mix them.
5. Add in the peanut butter and walnuts and mix it all together. Taste it and add salt and pepper, if needed.
6. Form the mixture into a patty (or two, depending on your mood) on top of a piece of plastic wrap. Cover with wrap (wrap with wrap) and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. (Otherwise, it will be too soft to fry.)
7. In a small skillet, heat the olive oil and fry the patty for about 5 minutes on each side.

Serve with carrot salad, on a bun, with a side of rice and corn (as shown), or break it up to put on top of a nice crispy salad.

Variations:

• You could make the same kind of patty using equal amounts of spinach, chard, or whatever your favorite green is.
• Stuff a pita bread with the broken-up patty and some veggies. Tahini sauce is pretty good with this.

Broccoli Soup for One

The wind howled all night, and although it’s calm and still now, the temperature must be nearly 20 degrees below what it usually is for this time of day. You'd best make soup to warm up your bones!

¼ cup raw cashews

1 ½ cups water or vegetable broth

¼ onion, chopped fine

1 cup broccoli, chopped coarsely

Pinch dried basil

½ cup cooked white or brown rice

Salt to taste

Pinch ground pepper

1. In a blender, whirl the cashews and ½ cup of the water or broth until it’s smooth, about a minute. (You could replace this with ¾ cup of non-dairy milk of your choice.)
2. In a saucepan, add the rest of the water or broth (a cup), and add the onion, broccoli, and basil. Bring the whole thing to a boil, turn the heat down a bit, and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the broccoli is tender but not mushy.
3. Add in the rice and the cashew milk and some salt and pepper. Bring the soup back to a simmer.
4. Either use an immersion blender or let it cool a bit and send it through the blender or food processor, whirling away until it’s smooth and creamy. Reheat, if necessary. Add salt and pepper, if necessary.

Shown here with chopped pistachios and a little mushroom. 

Broccoli and Apple Soup for One

Now that the days are short and cold, I want soup to heat my bones. This one will stick to your ribs too!

¼ head of broccoli, with stems

1 apple (of the sweeter variety, like golden delicious or Macintosh), chopped coarsely

1 TBLSP vegan butter

¼ cup thinly sliced or finely chopped yellow onion

¼ cup water, plus 1 cup water or vegetable stock

1 sprig of lemon thyme or thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme

¼ of a lemon’s zest

Sprinkle of fresh chives for garnish

1. Cut apart the florets from the stems of the broccoli. If the outer skin of the stems is tough, peel it off with a vegetable peeler. Slice the stems into rounds and chop finely.
2. Cut the apple in half. Chop and put half in a blender or food processor with a ¼ cup of water and blend until it’s got only a few flecks of skin in the creamy smoothness. This should give you about ½ cup of fluids.
3. Heat a thick-bottomed small pot on medium heat. Melt the butter and add the onion and the rest of the chopped apple (not the puree you made). Lower the heat, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent and the apples are softened.
4. Add the broccoli (all of it) to the apples and onions, which smells surprisingly good. Add the water and the apple puree. Toss in the thyme and the lemon peel. Increase the heat, bringing the pot to a boil, then reduce it again to maintain a low simmer when the pot is covered. Cook for 15-20 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat and using an immersion blender, or letting it cool a bit and using a food processor or blender, puree the soup until it’s as smooth as you want it.
6. Return the soup to the pot, if necessary, reheat, and add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Pour the lovely greenness into a serving bowl and garnish with chives.

Serve with a chunk of bread or some crackers. Yum!