Grilled Summer Squash Salad

      We are nearing the end of a rather wonderful summer here in the northeast of the United States. My husband and I have enjoyed our new eating habits, and I especially am enjoying dropping TWO skirt sizes as many months! Unfortunately, the wonderful fresh summer veg wont be available for much longer, so we are making good use of it while we can. This week we picked up a beautiful assortment of winter squashes, two of which I have never tried before. I made a delightful (and delicious!) Roasted veg and kale soup, I will be making it again and will post about it when I do! Today's recipe though, is a good way to enjoy the last of the summer squash,

     Grilled summer squash salad, YUM! I had a couple of squashes that needed using up, and I was bored with the usual sauteing of them. So I had Hubby get the Foreman grill out (one of his most favorite Christmas gifts of all time!) and heat it up. I Brushed slices of squash and green pepper with a little EVOO, then sprinkled with garlic powder and s&p. Grilled until seared and served up on a bed of fresh greens and cherry tomatoes, healthy eating can be soooo good!       Today is a very "fall" day though,,, cloudy, cool, with a thunderstorm moving in. I think I will take a nice hot bath then roast a chicken for dinner, and work on some granny squares,,,, I am almost done enough granny squares for the bedspread I am making of Irish roses, I can't wait to see how it turns out and show you! Have a good night, and God bless~

Leftovers: Bean "Burgers"

     On Monday, I decided that to go with our salad (we have been having large salads on Sundays or Mondays, as we only shop at farm stands once a week, and the greens are best within the first 48hrs) I would use the leftover refried beans to make bean "burger". They came out WONDERFUL! Veggie burgers are a favorite around here, but I do not buy them pre made, we avoid soy as much as possible and its hard to find that type of "meat substitute" without it. Try making your own sometime, there are plenty of great recipies to be found online! Or be like me and just experiment:)
     Here's what I did:  I Peeled three small carrots and tossed them into my food processor, added 1/4 of an onion and 1/2 of a green pepper and zipped them through until they were minced pretty fine.

To them I added an egg, a few handfuls of rolled oats and what was left of the refried beans, and some salt, then zipped again. It was a little wet, so I added a little more oats and a homemade bread roll, that made the mixture less of a batter and more of a "dough", which is what I wanted.

I then let the mixture sit for a few minutes while I washed the greens, to give the oats a time to absorb any excess moisture from the veg.

I divided the mixture into four patties on a foil lined baking sheet that was generously oiled with EVOO. I then gently basted the top with some more oil, to encourage browning. I popped them in the oven at 375' for about 20 min, until they had firmed up, I flipped them over and baked for about 10 min more.

       You can serve these on a bun with the sauce of your choice and some nice sharp cheddar, or, "meatloaf" style like I did. My Husband loved these, and made me promise to make them again! The oats gave them a nice texture while the green pepper added a nice aromatice flavor.
      Sorry I didn't give exact amounts, but this is how I cook most of the time, I just make things up as I go along. I have come up with some of our best meals that way! So don't be afraid to put your own spin on things and be creative!