French toast, gravy bowl, and island black bean burgers

In week 21, I've finished the "handheld" chapter and my list of "to make" recipes is dwindling but still represents many hours in the kitchen. Not a bad thing, in my opinion.

Here’s what I made this week: 

• Coconut french toast

• Good gravy bowl with broccoli and seitan

• Island black bean burgers with nectarine salsa

Coconut french toast

• I would make this again

• I made 0 substitutions 

• This would probably freeze fine! 

I am a huge fan of french toast, and my stepmom makes it better than I think I ever will, but this was a delightful twist on the tradition. You definitely need a good nonstick pan, otherwise you will just have soggy break on top of your coconut-crusted pan. You want the coconut to stick to the bread! 

I had nectaries leftover from another recipe this week and since Isa recommends enjoying it topped with fruit, that’s exactly what I did. I had some extras and heated them up in the toaster oven which turned out great also.

I forgot to take a picture but I would describe this as, “cute and textured toast.” 

Good gravy bowl with broccoli and seitan

Looks somewhat questionable, taste delicious

• I would make this again

• I made a lot of substitutions…but the recipe offers them up!  

• This would probably freeze fine! 

So the main part of this recipe is really the gravy, Isa provides a bunch of customizations for the protein options (like tofu instead of seitan), and the carb (like serve it over potatoes instead of quinoa). I’ve been a little tired of seitan and feeling like getting back to tofu so that’s what I used and I subbed rice for the quinoa. 

Let me tell you, this gravy might look weird and gray in the photo, but it is absolutely delicious. This is one of those quintessential Isa recipes where I read the ingredients list and I’m like…I’m not sure how this is going to come together, but it does! Lentils give you creaminess and the miso gives a nice tang. I will definitely be bringing out this recipe again when the weather cools. 

Island black bean burgers with nectarine salsa

Extremely tall burger buns from Whole Foods

• I probably won’t make this again 

• I made 2 omissions (forgot green onions and left out black eyed peas) 

• This would probably freeze fine!

This was my last recipe in the “handheld” chapter! As I’ve said before, I am not a fan of at-home veggie burgers. I find that they never stay together and just aren’t worth the effort it takes to make them. In this case, you bake the burgers so they did manage to stay together but once I bit into the bun the patty was quite smushed. 

The flavors here are really good though, so this is one that I’d be interested in trying as a bowl instead of a burger. Nectarines just stared to come in season and this salsa I think would be really good on other things as well. If you want the flavors to be more mixed before topping the burger, just make it the day before. I halved this recipe so I’d have less salsa (and because I was worried I may not like the burgers). Isa provides guidance for halving which is to just use black beans instead of black beans and black eyed peas. 

Weekly reflection

I have just 18 recipes to go! That means that I have cooked over 70 new recipes so far this year. It feels like a big number when I look at it written down, but doing this project hasn’t felt like an obligation or a chase for production which is a trap I sometimes fall into. It’s just been fun (and tasty)! 

That said, a handful of the recipes I have left are just not for summer, like “Acorn squash risotto with cranberries” or “Belgian beer and seitan stew” so I will likely switch things up for a bit. I haven’t decided if that means going on summer hiatus or choosing a new thing that I will “do” for the next few months. 

As someone who has written professionally for companies over the past ten years, it has felt really nice to just do some writing for fun. I’m not worried about SEO or AI optimization when it comes to this project, and that doesn’t mean it is less valuable. 

When I moved to Asheville I started a clothing swap fundraiser for Planned Parenthood after the overturn of Roe vs. Wade and I’m wondering if I want to give that project some more attention soon. My podcast partner, Stacey, and I are also taking a break from the weekly grind of the podcast to try some new creative ideas. 

If you read this far and have an idea for a new thing you’d like to see me “do” send me an email!