I often enjoy making a meal out of an assortment of small bite-sized or finger foods, as though my kitchen had a miniature tapas menu. Depending on the theme of the meal, a homemade olive tapenade is almost an essential component, and it's perfect for spreading over crackers, crusty bread or flatbreads, and so simple to make that it leaves me time to put together any of the more complex features of the meal.

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With their distinctive sweet and earthy flavor, mung beans are for me especially comforting and wholesome. They're easy to digest in both the whole or split form, but whole mung beans don't take much longer to cook than split ones, and so long as they haven't been sadly neglected in the back of your pantry, require very little soaking time either. They may be combined with other dals though I often like to feature them as the shining legume in a dish, especially when they are gently enhanced with basic spices and flavors that serve to bring out the essential characteristics of the colorful mung bean.

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The idea of "bowls" has gained in popularity over the years, and the guiding principle is a balanced meal where all of your nutritional and taste requirements are met. The main components are a protein, grain, a healthy dose of vegetable goodness, whether they be raw or cooked, additional sources of protein such as nuts or seeds, and a dressing or spread to go along with the other parts. It's really no different than planning a dinner and plating up all of the different elements of the meal, only it's a bit more fun when they work together as well as everything does in this case.

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For years I've attempted to come up with the perfect vegetarian "burger", and though I've made numerous nourishing and delectable vegetarian patties over the years, I do think that these beet and black bean burgers are especially distinctive. I expect there might be some skepticism when it comes to the idea of a burger without the "meat", but I can assure you these have as much substance, and substantially more flavor and nourishment, than traditional beef burgers. Earthy black beans, grated fresh beetroot, nourishing quinoa, mushrooms and ground walnuts seasoned with good quality spices come together for an unforgettable vegetarian and vegan friendly burger alternative. In addition to the beans, quinoa and walnuts, I added hemp seeds for an additional boost of protein. In fact, these burgers are very substantial, and have ample balanced protein to serve as a meal by themselves.

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