Last weekend, we hosted our first get together of the season. I usually have my sister and mother over for a Mother’s Day brunch. It’s always a pleasure to cook for my mom and sister! Also, I really enjoy decorating and making everything look fancy (maybe too much). The weather was less than ideal, so Greg built a fire in our makeshift stove and I turned on the hanging lights! The pergola, that we built a few years ago, has removable canvas sides and that helps keep the heat in and wind out.

I tested out my soon to be blogged about “Kenny Cocktail.” We named it after the newest addition to our fur family. I decided to make some tweaks to the recipe before I share it because I thought it was too sweet. Stay tuned, I will have the recipe up towards the end of the week.

Unfortunately, Kenny still hasn’t gotten use to new people (or dogs) in our house and we had to keep him locked away from our guests for most of the afternoon. We are working with a trainer to help us with his fear based aggression. He is only 12 pounds, so controlling him is not the issue. I have never had a dog that gets scared and tries to bite people (and dogs). Has anyone else had this problem? Do you have any pointers to help make Kenny feel more secure around new people? We have only had him for a little over two weeks and I don’t want his behavior to get worse.

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Memorial day is coming up and I thought nothing says the “unofficial beginning to summer” more than burgers. So, I have created a recipe for Black Bean Sliders. These could be made ahead of time and reheated on the grill. They have tons of flavor from the spices blend and roasted garlic. Let me know what you think?

Two heads of roasted garlic on a brown piece of parchment paper. On a rustic blue wooded background.

Turmeric, chili powder, onion powder, salt and Mrs. Dash in small vintage tins on a rusty sheet pan.

Uncooked brown rice and quinoa, mushrooms, roasted garlic, black beans and spices on a rustic white wooden background.

Aldi’s quinoa and brown rice, 90 seconds to prepare.

To save time, I purchased this 90 second microwave rice from Aldi. It is made from simple organic ingredients such as long grain brown rice, red quinoa, garlic, olive oil and sea salt. It is $2.19 from my local store which is a bit pricey for rice, but it has become a go-to pantry item in our house.

Three black bean burgers on a cooling wire rack. Arugula leaf, dried black beans on a white background.

Kalamata olive aioli and olives in a bowl. two slices of lemon and roasted garlic on a blue background.

I made a version of Nordstom’s amazing Kalamata Aioli. I found the recipe on pintrest and do not know the source. It is so yummy! If you don’t like olives (why would you not like olives!?), you could use plain mayo. Also, you could lighten this aioli up by using fat free greek yogurt or even a good quality light mayo or sour cream?

Black Bean Vegetarian Sliders with Kalamata Olive Aioli

Author: Jodi Boatman Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook time: 1 hour 20 Minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 50 Minutes Yields: 8 Servings

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

2 bulbs of garlic, roasted
1 TSP olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped small
1 portabella mushroom, chopped small
non-stick olive oil spray
1 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup of quinoa and brown rice, prepared as directed on package
1 TBSP Mrs Dash Table Blend
1/2 TSP onion powder
1/4 TSP turmeric
1/2 TSP chilli powder
1 egg
2 TBSP salsa
1/4 C vegetable broth
1/4 C bread crumbs

8 slider buns
1 C arugula
pickles

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°
Cut top off of 2 bulbs of garlic, place on a sheet of aluminum foil and drizzle with oil. Seal garlic in a foil pouch. Bake for 45 minutes until soft and brown. Set aside to cool.
Once garlic cools, squeeze the meat of the garlic into a small bowl. Discard the skins. Save 1 TBSP for the Black Bean Sliders and 1 1/2 TBSP for the Aioli.
Cook onions and mushrooms over medium heat in a pan sprayed with nonstick spray. cook until soft and golden, about 10 minutes.
In a medium mixing bowl add black beans and mash with a potato masher. You want the beans to be chunky and not totally smooth. Add in the roasted garlic, quinoa/ brown rice, Mrs. Dash, onion powder, turmeric, chili powder, egg, salsa and vegetable broth. Stir until mixed. Add in bread crumbs. You want the mixture to be thick enough to form into balls but not dry.
Form into 8 sliders using a 1/4 C measuring cup. Place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Place in oven a 400° for 22-25 minutes, flipping half way.

Serve on slider buns with arugula, pickle chips and 1 TBSP on aioli.

Kalamata Aioli (makes 20 servings)

Ingredients:

1/4 C pitted and drained kalamata olives
1 C mayonaise
1 1/2 TBSP roasted garlic puree
1 TBSP lemon juice
1/8 TSP salt

Instructions:

Puree kalamata olives in a food processor. Scrape down sides and puree again.
Transfer to a mixing bowl and add mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.