Blueberry muffins & a black bean burger
I’m currently in the middle of a perfectly lazy Sunday. It’s early enough in the afternoon where the Sunday scaries are still at bay. The sunshine is filtering through the windows, which are all open because it’s warm out today. This morning, Evan and I ate toasted sesame bagels, then walked to Alamo Square. We got coffees from the Lady Falcon coffee truck and sat on a bench, talking and watching dogs play.
Alamo Square on a weekend morning is easily one of my favorite places in the city. It’s the best weekend morning park in San Francisco; this is objective truth. [Also objective truth: Buena Vista park is the best park for a hammock on a hot day. The Fuchsia Dell in Golden Gate Park is the best place to read a good book. Fort Funston is the best place if you love watching dogs live their best lives. And Cragmont Park is the best place to eat a burrito during golden hour in the East Bay. These are facts.]
Post-coffee, Evan went out on a 3-hour run. My original plan had been to bike or walk while he was out, but I was deeply craving black bean burgers. I’ve been thinking about them all week. Dripping with ketchup, mustard, and mayo. Topped with crunchy red onion and pickles. Sandwiched between a soft wheat bun. How can someone possibly exercise with visions of black bean burgers floating around in their head?
So, I ditched the bike ride plans. I simmered dried black beans. I mixed them with vital wheat gluten (very underappreciated ingredient, IMO), chili powder, cumin, breadcrumbs, garlic and onions. And I made myself a black bean burger that I ate in the sunniest chair in my apartment.
I also took advantage of the downtime while the beans were cooking to make muffins from a cookbook I really like - Whole Food Cooking Every Day by Amy Chaplin. I was knee deep in the recipe before realizing I was missing one third of the ingredients required. (This happens to me all the time.) But somehow, my substitutions resulted in some sort of perfect alchemy! (This does not happen to me all the time.) The result was a lemony, walnutty, crunchy blueberry muffin - dense but light! Substantial but moist!
I even had to write down all of my substitutions to sleeve into the book for future Lauren. The only issue I’m facing is how many of them I can bear to give up to our amazing neighbors, who brought us homemade sourdough walnut bread this afternoon.
[I swear I don’t always feel like I live in a magical paradise but reading this post back, maybe I do?]
