Veggie Burger: FAIL

I am always looking for new recipes to make the perfect homemade veggie burger, so I was so excited to see the cover of my latest Vegetarian Times magazine promise "the best homemade veggie burger". Inside, they revealed the secret glue that holds the burgers together for even grilling!

I have tried many recipes, and have yet to find the perfect consistency that holds together even just for pan frying. So- their secret ingredient? Overcooked pasta! Ok, never tried that, but did have some leftover pasta that was to be pureed. I added leftover rice, a can of white beans, and the veggies that I had: sauteed mushrooms and onion, red peppers, kalamata olives, cayenne pepper. Salt and pepper, balsamic, and some grill seasoning. I chilled them for a while, but they still didn't seem like they'd stick together, so I floured them a bit before adding them to a pan with hot oil. I wish I could say success, but they were a FAIL. The flavor was great, but did not hold together. Anyway, we used the leftovers in wraps the next day.

Husband took a few days in the kitchen this week, and I have to say there were some weird dishes...sorry husband! First night was mac and cheese with an assortment of leftover cheeses and mushroom gravy in the bottom, served with toast points and tomatoes. Next night was pineapple meatballs served with hard boiled eggs and marinated beets. Everything really was great, but I never would have thought of the flavor combos! I had to work late, but he very sweetly texted me a photo of his menu board!

We went a little over budget for the week ($112, so we were $7 over) and this is what we had:

Thursday: Pork tacos

Friday: Salmon, rice and veggies

Saturday: Meatball pizza

Sunday: Big Salad

Monday: BLT's on rye

Tuesday: Mushroom mac and cheese

Wednesday: Meatballs, beets, and eggs

One last photo for those who have never seen a fresh-caught octopus!

Hope everyone has a great week!

Lamb Stew...or Goat Water?

We started off our menu week on Sunday having leftover lamb stew that I made on Saturday. I really liked it the first day, but by the following day it had become much more...flavorful. Normally when I eat lamb, it's just a little chop, a little bit of flavor, but this stew was slow cooked with a bunch of vegetables, and infused with lambiness. Husband T mentioned that it was probably because I bought goat meat in disguise.

Now, goat is a very popular dish here in the Virgin Islands. A lot of people raise them and if you eat at a cafeteria or from the hot line at the grocery, you will find Goat Water. Not a great name, but basically goat stew. Curiously, I have never found anyone making fresh goat cheese here. Anyway, the thought of goat stew kind of turned my taste buds off. But what is the difference between a goat and a lamb? Husband insists that they are the same, but I can tell you after a little internet research, they are different, and many say goat meat tastes a little more beefy. Well, I may be waiting a while before making another lamb dish.

We had quiche twice this week, what a great way to use up the random stuff in the fridge! We don't always keep eggs because they take up so much room in the tiny fridge that we have on the boat, but it's a really affordable main dish. Eggs here are about $2.99/dozen. For one of the meals I made "quichelettes" (is that a word?) in these little dishes that are single serving size, great if you are having a big salad to go with!


I baked more bread this week...am loving my new loaf pans! Almost embarassed to say, but I just discovered bread flour (it was on sale!). What a difference! The bread was amazing. We had it one night with salad, and the next to make pizza breads.


T tried his hand at pizza dough one night, turned out great with the bread flour. We made a deep dish Chicago style pizza, which we love with a layer of italian sausage. We had our veggie neighbors for dinner, so T made "sausage tofu" instead. He drained it forever, shredded it, mixed with spices like sage and fennel, then pan fried it. Really good. I am thinking about trying to make tofu meatballs this week.

Another highlight of the menu this week was Fire and Ice Pasta from AR...will definitely be making this one again! We spent $101.71 this week, just slightly under budget. We didn't spend too much on food, but did buy a couple of nice wines this week.

Hope everyone has a great week! (And is staying warm!!)

Squash Pasta Sauce

Wow! High Season has hit the Virgin Islands...I have been so busy the last few weeks that I haven't had time to write my blog! I have been keeping track of my meals, though, and I think we have come in under budget every week. (Our goal is to spend $15/day on food and drink).

I wanted to take a quick moment to share a GREAT pasta sauce that husband made last night (yes we are still sharing the cooking!). We found this funny little squash at the market, I don't remember the name, but it was smaller than an acorn squash and orange and white striped. He cooked it in the microwave, scooped the seeds, and pureed it with a quarter cup of cream cheese, salt, pepper, and a splash of milk. (Enough to make it the consistency of pasta sauce). He heated it gently and served over cheese ravioli, with a side of grilled vegetables. Really good! I've never had a pasta sauce like this, and couldn't find a recipe here either, so I hope some of you will give it a try. I think it would have been good with a little sage or cinnamon, but we had neither. I forgot to take a photo, so here are some from our latest Sunset Happy Hour dinghy ride, and I apologize to those in the cold climates!




Have a great week everyone!