This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.
#GrillWithATwist #CollectiveBias
With the Fourth of July around the corner, many of us are planning a backyard barbecue to celebrate this favorite summer holiday with family and friends. These days, planning a party can mean taking into account many different types of diets from vegetarian to Paleo to gluten-free. As a host, the most important thing I can do is to make sure that all of my guests, no matter how they choose to eat, feel at home. As a cook, I want everything I serve to be, above all, delicious.
One thing I have learned is that grilling does not automatically translate to “big hunks of meat.” To the contrary, my family thinks that grilling improves all kinds of foods especially fruits and vegetables. Although we are not vegetarians, we strive to eat a diet focused on vegetables, grains and pulses, both for our health and for that of the planet. We find that we are able to get much of the protein we need from eggs, dairy and vegetable sources, such as beans and lentils.
If you are looking for delicious and convenient ways to incorporate “veggie cuisine” into your family’s diet, MorningStar Farms offers a huge array of products that are as close as your freezer. And when it comes to your backyard barbecue, MorningStar Farms veggie burgers and dogs enable you to combine your love of grilling with your love for eating healthy, vegetable-based foods.
I love the way that MorningStar Farms incorporates different global cuisines into their burgers, such as the Spicy Indian Veggie Burger, the Mexican-inspired Chipotle Black Bean Burger and the Mediterranean Chickpea Burger. With all these great flavors, it is easy to commit to eating more vegetable-based meals.
In fact, MorningStar Farms is encouraging everyone to eat more meatless meals, something that is good for us and for the planet, by creating the Veg of Allegiance pledge. Pledge to eat a certain number of meatless meals every week — the number is up to you — on social media. Tell MorningStar Farms your favorite part of eating less meat and you can win terrific prizes like a hybrid car, a cruiser bicycle or a year’s worth of MorningStar Farms products.
Right now it is easier than even to enjoy MorningStar Farms veggie cuisine because now through July 4th, all Morningstar Farms products are 20% off at Target with the Cartwheel app. When I was at Target, I took advantage of this great sale to stock up on my favorite MorningStar Farms burger, the Mediterranean Chickpea Burger.
The great thing about MorningStar Farms veggie burgers is how versatile they are. You don’t just have to eat them like a burger. Here, I used the Mediterranean Chickpea Burger to create a Middle Eastern street food-inspired pita sandwich stuffed with crunchy cucumber and drizzled with a spicy, creamy harissa sauce.
You can find all the ingredients you need for this recipe at Target, but your guests will still find it to be an exciting change from the typical veggie burger. On the side, I serve one of my favorite Middle Eastern salads, tabbouleh, made with fresh, seasonal ingredients like parsley, mint and tomatoes.
So be sure to take advantage of this great sale on MorningStar Farms products at Target and stock your freezer with veggie cuisine options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And try my Grilled Mediterranean Chickpea Burgers with Creamy Harissa at your next cookout. (Don’t have a grill? No worries. You can use a grill pan on your stove to get the same effect.)
- 1 pint sour cream
- 1 jar harissa
- 1 lemon
- 1 package MorningStar Farms Mediterranean Chickpea Burgers
- 1 package of four pitas
- 1 English cucumber, sliced
- To make creamy harissa sauce, combine ½ cup sour cream with 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice and 2 tablespoons harissa. Whisk until combined and refrigerate until needed. (Can be done ahead.)
- Preheat grill or grill pan.
- Grill burgers according to package directions until warmed through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
- Meanwhile, cut pitas in half and toast lightly.
- To create sandwiches, cut each chickpea burger in half.
- Layer several tablespoons of sauce, 3-4 slices of cucumber and half a patty in each pita half. Repeat with remaining patties.
- Serve warm.
kristi@ishouldbemoppingthefloor says
These sounds absolutely AMAZING!! #client