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Thursday, August 25, 2011

eat; black bean and chia seed burger



Lately I've been looking into superfoods as my bro is not well back home and I've decided I'm going to heal him through food once I get back. Last week, I made this burger based on a recipe from Navitas Natural website, If you haven't heard of them, click on the link and check them out. What an amazing company! LOVE!!

I changed up their recipe because I wanted to create a Mexican inspired flavour, but using fresh herbs in a burger seems to be a waste of time, so I'm re-adjusting it below to incorporate dried herbs and spices. It is served with a fresh salsa and avocado slices. They are easy to make and freeze well once cooked. Always great to have a burger or three in the freezer for the days or nights when you can't be bothered cooking! This is an open burger, meaning no bun. I just find buns to be a waste of space in my belly, but do as you wish.

Makes about 6 burgers
What you need;
1 can black beans
1/2 cup of chia seeds
1 1/2 cups brown rice
4 oz firm tofu
1/4 cup nutrional yeast
1 carrot, grated
1/2 red onion, chopped finely
1 tsp dried of each; oregano, parika, cummin,corriander
Salsa 
2 tomatoes
1 red capsicum (bell pepper)
1/4 red onion
2 spring (green) onions
Bunch of fresh coriander (cilantro)
Dressing
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
To serve
Roma lettuce leaves
1 avocado, sliced


Chop  rinsing the beans under running water. Mash the beans with the back of a fork until half the beans are squashed. Add each ingredient one at a time, mixing between additions.



Once mixed, place the bowl in the refrigerator for at least an hour. This will allow the chia seeds to swell and hold all the ingredients together. You can do this the night before if time is of essence.

While the burger mixture is in the refrigerator 'resting', start making the salsa. Simply chop all the ingredients into small pieces and add to an awaiting bowl. Mix the dressing in a cup and set aside.


Once the burgers are ready to cook, grab a big handful of the mixture and form a ball into the palm of your hand. Flatten into a patty and set aside. Once all the patty's are made, heat up a little oil on a medium heat and cook until golden brown.

To serve, add the dressing to the salsa and mix through. Make a bed of roughly chopped roma lettuce leaves onto each individual serving plate and gently place the patty on top. Place sliced avocado and top with a generous scoop of the salsa.


Buon Appetito!

pink; dots obsession

designsonfragility.wordpress.com

Yayoi Kusama has been dot obsessed since the beginning of her career which began in the sixties and has painted dots on everything including naked bodies. The one thing everyone asks when telling another about Kusama is "Did you know she voluntarily admitted herself into a mental hospital where she now lives in Japan?!?!" Yes it is true. And yes, it is an interesting fact to pull out that makes people go 'WOW!' Her studio is near by the hospital, allowing for a short walk every morning.

I found a quote from her describing how her obsession with dots began;

"One day I was looking at the red flower patterns of the tablecloth on a table, and when I looked up I saw the same pattern covering the ceiling, the windows and the walls, and finally all over the room, my body and the universe. I felt as if I had begun to self-obliterate, to revolve in the infinity of endless time and the absoluteness of space, and be reduced to nothingness. As I realized it was actually happening and not just in my imagination, I was frightened. I knew I had to run away lest I should be deprived of my life by the spell of the red flowers. I ran desperately up the stairs. The steps below me began to fall apart and I fell down the stairs straining my ankle."


english.peopledaily.com.cn

Kusama creates a space where dimension is distorted and space is endless within large scale installations using lanterns, mirrors and dots. Dots Obsessed was a work created for a show in Munich in 2008 but is very much like many installations she has created around the world. These 'spaces' allow for your psychedelic dreams to come true, allowing you to 'trip out' in what seems to be a step back in time, into the sixties when people were experimenting with acid. These rooms are mesmerizing, creating a infinite space, and allows us to play amongst a landscape that feels like it's straight out of our childhood dreams.

english.peopledaily.com.cn

You can check out more of her works here or go to this site to meander through what is a work-in-progress documentary about the artist, who is now in her 80's. Typing in Yayoi Kusama into youtube will allow you to get a sense of what it is like to venture into one of her installations. If in Los Angeles, The Gagosian has a work of hers on show in a group exhibition until September 2nd.

love; ten things i love this week

1. Having another application approved!!!!! I'm off next year to spend three months as artist-in-residence at NARS in New York!!! YAY! LOVE!!

bytesdaily.blogspot.com
2. Watching Pee-wee's Big Adventure at LACMA out door film series. Check out this article on Pee-wee's bike whereabouts today. I'm predicting that replicas of his bike are going to be on the market very, very soon...and I'll be the first to line up for one! LOVE!!!!






3. This lamp my friend Natalie bought for her new apartment!!! Looks amazing sitting atop vintage books! She was sooooo in love with one we had seen at a bar in San Diego that the second she was home, she had found one on-line! It made me want one too!!! LOVE!!!








4. Seeing sunsets/rises on the aeroplane. One of my favourite experiences whilst up in the air! LOVE!











themixbartendingservices.wordpress.com
4. Having a Martini date with a friend of mine AT 2.30AM!!!! She was soooo excited about me arriving to New York that there was no better time than the NOW! LOVE!!!!










dipity.com
5. Walking in the rain! Well, specifically, walking in New York! I think I've been living in L.A for a bit too long! I was like a gitty little girl at the rain this morning that all I wanted to do was stand in it NAKED!!!! LOVE!!!!










jalopnik.com
6. The sound of ice-cream trucks in the distance. Last night, as I was walking home in Brooklyn on a hot New York evening, the sounds of ice-cream truck music filled the air and made my long walk home all the more pleasant. I did enjoy this unexpected sound track. LOVE!!!!








allposters.com
7. New York. Yep, I am now officially in love with this city! It's my third visit in the last year, and yes, it was not really love at first sight. Maybe because L.A had stolen it and now the romance has subsided allowing room in my heart for New York. LOVE!!!







8. Working in cafe's with WIFI that have great coffee. That's exactly what I'm doing right now! I could sooooo get used to this way of life! LOVE!!!!











vegancrunk.blogspot.com
9. Girly night tonight with one of my besties. Yep, nails, facials, champagne, the works! LOVE a girly night in...WITH VEGAN PIZZA DELIVERED! LOVE!





10. Last week I mentioned being excited about something happening in New York, well, I'm pleased to say that I can now officially announce it...ONE OF MY BESTIE'S FROM MELBOURNE IN GETTING MARRIED HERE IN NEW YORK!!!!! She hadn't made the 'official' announcement via social media, so that's why I had to keep it from you all. Tomorrow's the big day and I am their witness! City Hall for the wedding then off to spend the afternoon row boating in Central Park and I'm going to coax everyone into a bike ride through the park as well! LOVE! BTW I'm the photographer, so I'll be posting some pics next week!