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Veggie Burgers with Avocado Crème

1 cup canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup coarsely chopped carrot
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
1 teaspoon amchoor powder
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 jalapeño, seeded and quartered
2 pounds peeled red potatoes, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/4 cup coarsely chopped red onion
1 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 (6-inch) whole-grain buns
8 red onion slices
1 whole avocado, sliced

Combine first 9 ingredients in the bowl of a food processor, process until finely chopped. Place potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; cook 13 minutes. Add onion, and cook for 2 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain, then cool 10 minutes.

Place potato mixture in a large bowl, mash with a potato masher or fork. Stir in chickpea mixture and breadcrumbs; cover and chill 8 hours or overnight.

Divide potato mixture into 8 equal portions, shaping each portion into a 1/2-inch-thick patty (about 2/3 cup mixture). Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 4 patties to pan. Cook 5 minutes on each side or until browned and heated through. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and 4 patties. Top each serving with 1 slice of avocado.

Avocado Crème:

1 avocado
1 cup sour cream
2-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
Salt to taste

Place avocado pulp in a small bowl. Using a fork, mash the avocado pulp until smooth and there are no visible lumps.

Add sour cream, lime juice, sugar and salt; fold together. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour, or until thick.

Tuna Burgers with Mango Pineapple Salsa

1 6 ounce can white albacore tuna, drained
1 egg
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/3 cup minced onion
1/4 cup minced celery
1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chili sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 dash hot pepper sauce
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
4 hamburger buns


Combine tuna, egg, breadcrumbs, onion, celery, red bell pepper, mayonnaise, hot chili sauce, dill, salt, pepper, hot pepper sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well.

Shape into 4 patties (mixture will be very soft and delicate). Refrigerate for 30 minutes to make the patties easier to handle, if desired.

Coat a non-stick skillet with cooking spray; fry tuna patties for about 3-4 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Serve on buns with mango pineapple salsa.

Mango Pineapple Salsa

1/2 pineapple, cubed into 1/3 pieces
1 mango, cubed into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 red bell pepper, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and minced
4 tablespoons cilantro, roughly chopped
1 lime, juiced
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, taste and season if necessary.

Lavender Scented Tea

1/2 cup simple syrup
1 1/2 cups water
1/2-1 cup sugar (depending on desired sweetness)
1 tablespoon fresh or dried lavender
2 family-sized tea bags (6-8 regular tea bags) English Breakfast or Earl Grey
6 cups water

Boil 6 cups of water. Remove from heat, add tea bags, cover, and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags.

Ginger Scented Lemonade

3 cups white sugar
4 quarts water
14 slices fresh ginger root
4 cups fresh lemon juice
2 lemons, sliced

In an 8-quart saucepan combine sugar, water and ginger root, Heat to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

Stir in lemon juice. Cool for 15 minutes. Remove ginger. Refrigerate lemonade for at least 1 hour, or until chilled. Serve over ice and garnish with lemon slices.