Loaded BBQ Burger (hold the meat)

Calling all Meat Eaters, Veganistas, Flexitarians, and Whatever's in the Fridge-Grabbers - I've got a thick, juicy burger that you're all going to like. It's slathered in BBQ sauce, topped with melted cheddar, and loaded with crispy romaine, a fresh tomato slice, and chunks of ripe avocado. Oh yeah, and instead of meat, it's made with black beans.

I'm sure black bean burgers are easy to make from scratch, but they were also easy to buy at Whole Foods. I took the road more often travelled. You can find vegetarian burgers in the freezer section of most supermarkets - Morningstar Farms, Amy's Organics and Boca make a ton of them. Whole Foods was carrying a local variety called GARYBURGERS made by the brilliant folks up on Swan's Island, Maine. You're not going to find a single ingredient you can't pronounce in these juicy, moist burger patties. They're made with only rice, whole grain rolled oats, black beans, onions, ketchup, bread crumbs and spices.

Ingredients
Black bean or your favorite vegetarian burger
2 pieces of whole wheat bread
BBQ Sauce (Dinosaur is my favorite brand) 
Romaine lettuce, washed and dried (1 leaf)
Tomato (1 slice)
Avocado (1/2)
Reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese

Recipe/Assembly

Make your own burger buns out of a low-cal, minimal-ingredient whole wheat bread like I did. Just take a wide-mouth wine glass and press it into the center of two stacked bread slices. Push them through like a cookie cutter to create 2 low-carb, whole-wheat buns. Toast before assembling.

Spray some oil in a skillet and on one side of the patty. Place dry-side down on the skillet and cook on low heat until both sides are golden brown and soft to the touch. Right before you're ready to serve, sprinkle the cheese on top and cover until melted - about 1 minute. 

While the patty is cooking, prepare the lettuce, tomato, and avocado. Cut the avocado in half and scoop out the meat with a spoon in one big swoop. Turn it over, flat side down on a cutting board and slice into medium-sized pieces. 

Pour a small amount of your favorite BBQ sauce into a microwave-safe dish and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir.

Slather a "bun" with BBQ sauce and top with the lettuce. Add the cooked patty and layer with the tomato, avocado, and other "bun" covered in BBQ sauce. 

Why Swapping Beans for Meat Is a Good Idea:
I don't think anyone should cut out their favorite foods, but I think it's a good idea to make healthy swaps most nights, so that when you want a burger for dinner, you can have it guilt-free. Find out how a typical McDonalds burger stacks up against Gary's Black Bean Burger for instance:

Calories:
McDonalds Hamburger: 250
Black Bean Burger: 150

Fat (g):
McDonalds: 9 (3.5g sat fat, .5g trans fat)
Garys: 1 (no sat fat)

Sodium (mg)
McDonalds: 520
Garys: 180

Protein (g)*
McDonalds: 12
Garys: 5

*If you're looking for more protein, beans are a great way to get low-fat, low-sodium protein in your diet. Different bean burgers will contain different amounts of protein. While Gary's isn't very high, Morningstar Farm's black bean burger contains a whopping 17g! If you cook with canned beans, always rinse them to wash off the salt before cooking.

Sources:
(1) McDonalds Nutrition Website
(2) GaryBurgers: Nutrition Facts Label
(3) Morningstar Farms Black Bean Burger

Saucy Spaghetti

You know when you order pasta at a restaurant and the sauce is thick and sticks to the pasta? You know when you make pasta at home and the sauce is thin and everywhere but on the pasta? We're going to fix that. Right now.

There are a three tips that will take you from noodle novice to pasta pro in in 8-10 minutes (that's the average amount of time it takes to cook spaghetti).

1. Give the pasta a pool party, not a jacuzzi:  Look at the amount of pasta you're cooking and imagine how much room it'll take up in the pot. Now fill the pot with enough hot water to cover the pasta plus about 3-4 inches. Crank it to high and wait for the rolling boil (lots of big bubbles).

2. Create an Ocean: Grab your salt and start shaking it! You want the water to taste like the sea - it enhances the flavor of your spaghetti while it's cooking and reduces the need to add excess salt at the table.

3. Sauce in a Skillet: While your spaghetti's cooking, pour some sauce into a skillet and heat on low. When the noodles are done, drain them in a collander and then lift them from the collander to the skillet with tongs. Using tongs will reduce the chance that water left in the collander will wind up in your sauce. On medium-low heat, cook the noodles and sauce together, tossing frequently with the tongs or by shaking the skillet. At this time, add any extras to the sauce - broccoli, black olives, capers, etc.

When the sauce is hot, you'll see it's thicker and sticks to the noodles. Slip it into a serving bowl, grate some Parmigiano Reggiano on top, and finish with a sprig of basil.

My recipe: In the picture, I used fresh whole wheat linguini, which cooks in about 2 minutes. I combined that with pasta sauce from a jar, and a handful of sliced black olives in a saute pan. I shaved some Parmigiano Reggiano on top and topped with basil for both style points and taste.

Store-Bought Sauces: I tasted 184 jars of pasta sauce with the Real Simple food department this summer, and we narrowed it down to winners in a number of palate pleasing categories. While you may always like what you grew up on the best (Prego), you can try navigating the aisle with these taste-tested superstars. Want to mix it up with Pesto? The hands-down best store-bought pesto comes from Sauces 'N Love - it tastes just like homemade and is locally produced in Somerville, MA.