Life after cleansing and the new recipes that make it great!

I finished up Purva Karma almost two weeks ago, and I'm still reflecting on all I learned from the experience.  One of the coolest things that happened to me was not physical -- it was the great expansion in my creativity.  For the last few months, I've felt stuck creatively, which rarely used to happen, but is understandable since I'm in such a rigorous school program.  After Purva Karma, I was able to quickly identify projects I wanted to work on, and further, I had the motivation and stamina to see them through to their finish.  It was fantastic!  I got right to work on my sewing machine, picking up fabric I'd bought a year  ago, and quickly had a new skirt and shirt hanging in my closet.  My creativity also returned in the kitchen, which is what I'll share with you.  First, some details about how I'm eating at home and why.

My husband and I made some big changes for Purva Karma, and for him, out of complete necessity.  He's been dealing with severe allergic reactions for several years, with no known cause.  He had been to see every type of doctor and specialist who could possible help him, but to no avail.  I truly believed that Ayurveda could help him with a few diet and lifestyle changes and a regimen of herbs to help his bodily systems heal.  Just before Purva Karma started, he was ready for me to help him and to make the simple, yet not easy, changes necessary to heal.  This included cutting out caffeine, alcohol, and all major food allergens, among other things.  Since our cleanse, he's been off all allergy medications and has had no allergic reactions in over two weeks!  To keep the ball rolling, we're keeping our diet clean and simple and gradually adding back new ingredients, so the recipes that follow are simple but yummy!

The second or third day after our cleanse, we were definitely ready for something besides rice and beans.  But we really couldn't branch out more than rice and beans, so we had to get creative in our presentation of them.  Luckily, the most amazing veggie burger recipe had passed my way not too long ago, and this was the perfect time to try it.  This recipe for Black Bean Almond Burgers has become a fast favorite in our house; we've already eaten it for four meals in the last week and a half!  I can't take credit for this amazing creation, however; my dearest friend, Kathryn*, sent me this recipe as one of her favorites, and I finally pulled it out.  I've already talked these up so much that I've requests for the recipe; without further ado, here it is, along with Anna's Special Additions:

Black Bean Almond Burgers
2, 14 oz cans black beans (or the equivalent dried, soaked, and cooked)
1 cup sweet potato, shredded
1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1/4 cup black olives, chopped (can also use kalamata)
1/4 cup flour (we used gluten free)
3 Tbsp Braggs or tamari
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp ginger, grated

Drain the beans. In a bowl, mash 1/2 of the beans (so some are left whole).  Add the rest of the ingredients and stir together.  Cover the bottom of a skillet with olive oil or ghee and turn to medium heat.  Once hot, form patties with the mixture and add to pan.  Cover and cook for 7 - 10 minutes on each side.  They should get a nice, crispy crust on the outside and be warm in the center.

Anna's Special Additions:
Since we're currently gluten-free, we ate these burgers between leaves of butter leaf lettuce, which was amazing and perfect since the burgers are so filling.  I topped them with:

Honey Mustard Sauce:
For two burgers, mix together 2 tsp honey, 2 tsp mustard, and 2 Tbsp mayo or yogurt.  Drizzle on top of burgers. You can adjust the amounts to get the taste you want.

And just to add some more fun to the meal, we finished it off with Organic Salted Kettle Chips.  Y.U.M.
Try these burgers next time you need something quick and tasty for dinner -- you won't be disappointed!  Join me next time as I explain how to make healthy coconut almond treats**!

*Kathryn - an awe-inspiring, spit-fire of a woman who's currently at Georgia State University, where she's been granted the authority to make undergraduates talk about tough issues like sexual equality and human rights -- she rocks.
**Maybe this should have been a food blog :)