Food Blog Friday: Veggie Burgers from Oh She Glows

Frozen veggie burger patties taken out of the freezer for dinner.

This was the very recipe that led me to Oh She Glows.  One day, after picking up what must have been my millionth package of Amy's brand veggie burgers, I searched Google for a veggie burger recipe.  To be honest, I wasn't very hopeful that I would turn something up that would be worth trying.  I have tried countless veggie burger recipes over the years, but they have all been disappointing.  They invariably yielded moist and soggy burgers that broke apart while cooking and that didn't have quite the right texture to eat with a bun.  None of them were ever made a second time.

However, this recipe is different.  The burgers are chewy because they are crisp on the outside, just a little moist on the inside, and they hold together beautifully.  They also have a nice nutty taste that goes excellently with mustard.  I really can't say enough nice things about these burgers; they have become my go-to recipe.  If you are looking for the perfect veggie burger recipe, this is it.  It also freezes well.  Just ask the bag of patties in my freezer.

Food Blog Friday: Thai Basil Chicken from Gimme Some Oven

One of the things that I love about Pinterest is that it directs me to blogs with great recipes that I would have probably never come across on my own.  Gimme Some Oven is just one example.  I found this blog because someone pinned this Thai Basil Chicken recipe.  The second I saw the pin I knew I had to make it at some point in the near future.  I have been dying for good Thai food for months.  Well, I finally got around to making it last night and it was absolutely delicious.  I did make one small change to the recipe--I used only 3 thai chilis and it had the perfect amount of heat for us.

Click here for the recipe.  Also, be sure to look through the blog.  There are so many beautiful pictures and interesting recipes.  Here is one I know I will be trying in the future.

Food Blog Friday: Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies from Sugarhero.com

So, I read a lot of food blogs--more than I care to admit.  Every morning, I drool over delicious-looking pictures and swear that, one day, I will make that pizza dough, those cookies, or that salad.  However, in reality, I forget most of those recipes within moments of stepping away from my computer.   Sad, but true.

So, I have decided that it is high time I try more of those recipes and, to make sure I stick to it, I will post the link to a recipe on another blog that I have tried and loved every Friday.

This week's recipe is for peanut butter banana chocolate chip cookies.  It comes from Sugarhero.com.  I came across Sugarhero while participating in Tuesdays With Dorie and it has become one of my favorite dessert blogs.  Its author is a trained pastry chef and her blog features a lot of creative and imaginitive takes on old standbys.

These cookies caught my eye because I love the combination of peanut butter and banana.  I also love chocolate chip cookies.  So, my thinking was that combining them would be nothing less than spectacular. 

As it turns out, I was right. This recipe takes no time at all and it gave me 27 soft cookies that were loaded with chocolate.  For the most part, I was able to simply follow the recipe to the letter.  The only thing I had to do differently was that I had to press my cookies down before baking; when I didn't, they didn't spread properly. 

Next time, I will have to try using them for ice cream sandwiches.  I'm sure they would be particularly delicious with chocolate ice cream.  If only I had had some on hand....