Portobello Pesto Mushroom Burgers

This is by far the best meal I have ever made. I've never been more excited to take a bite out of something.



2 Portobello caps
4 Tables spoons pesto sauce
1 Clove garlic
2 Slices of cheese
Buns
Lettuce
Tomato
Pepper



I started by cleaning off the mushroom and poking holes in the top with my knife. Then I inserted slices of the garlic clove into the top of the mushroom.

I tossed them in a pan with some olive oil and let them cook, covered, for a few minutes.

Then I flipped them over and spooned in the pesto after poking the mushroom with a fork a few times.

While that was cooking I prepped the buns and veggies.

Then I placed a slice of cheese on the mushroom to melt and seal in the pesto, and placed it on the bun.

A few sweet potato chips on the side and you mushroom lovers are in for the best experience of your life.

Stella's Lounge: bringing bar food on another level

"We pour stiff drinks and the same beer you stole from your Dad's garage fridge back in the day."
Welcome to Stella's, providing downtown Grand Rapids with a strong dose of kitsch, whiskey, and a menu that puts all other bar food to shame.




In a day where most bars try to pawn themselves off to the public as the coolest and hippest place to be seen, Stella's does just the opposite. Boasting "strong drinks, cheap beer, loud music, no bullshit," Stella's is a quirky and unpretentious change of scenery. Plus, they offer 200 different kinds of whiskey. Who can resist that?




Marketed as a mix of 80s punk rock bar and the basement you hung out in when you were in high school, Stella's is blasting loud music constantly; the walls are covered with graffiti and murals that seem straight from someone's acid trip; the bar plastered with concert ticket stubs; and the tables scratched up more than a high school bathroom stall. Most impressive, the entire back wall is a giant chalk board covered with the high scores of fellow bar goers, straight from Stella's own vintage arcade game collection.

But let's focus on what's most important here: food and drinks, of course. Like previously said, Stella's offers over 200 different kinds of whiskeys, from Black Velvet and Jim Beam to Pappy Van Winkle, a 23 year aged, 96 proof American Bourbon. House beers are Rolling Rock and PBR, costing $2.50 and served in mason jars. For those with a sense of nostalgia and humor, go for a 24 can of Mickey's or Colt 45 served in nothing less than a paper bag.



Image courtesy of Michelle Sellers

The food menu is full of hearty bar favorites like burgers and nachos, but like everything else in Stella's, there's a definite twist: almost all meat items on the menu are available in vegetarian or vegan form. This ranges from lentil burgers stuffed with tempeh bacon and pesto; Philly style "steak and cheese" made with seasoned tempeh, sauteed onions, peppers and mushrooms; to the "Blessed Black Wings," housemade vegan wings served hot or mild. Everything is well seasoned, and for those who like to load their food up with extra hot sauce and lots of pepper, you'll be more than pleased.

On this particular evening, I strayed from my usual path and branched out to try one of their 100% black angus beef burgers. Our waiter endured a bit of an interrogation from me (sorry!) as I couldn't decide on their house cut chips, chronic fries (they live up to their name), or onion rings. He steered me towards the chips (which of the three, don't have a $2 up charge) saying that he himself was a tightwad with money and that I wouldn't be disappointed. But that's what's great about Stella's. Like their "no bullshit" motto, the servers are friendly and honest.



They offer three beef burgers on the menu, all stuffed. I decided on the "Hot Stuff Stuffed Burger," stuffed with jalapenos and pepper-jack, with "super" hot mustard, cooked medium rare. When it came out, both the chips and the burger were piping hot, the burger cooked exactly like ordered. What I liked was that the burger itself was pretty plainly seasoned so that the stuffing could do the talking, and holy crap, that jalapeno and pepper-jack center did not shut up. First bite in, the spicy stuffing was oozing everywhere. One other thing you need to know, the "spicy" mustard on the side is not to be taken lightly. I literally was in tears three dips of chips into the meal.

You can't really beat the price. For a Rolling Rock and a burger, I only spent $12.95. Can't beat something that's good on the stomach and the wallet. For those of you under 21, don't fear! You can check out this sweet spot to until 8 PM everyday. All in all, if you're in Grand Rapids, and you've never experienced Stella's before, you need to jump on the bandwagon and get a drink and a burger, be you vegan, vegetarian, or absolutely carnivorous.



Stella's Lounge
53 Commerce Ave.
Grand Rapids, MI
Webite

Black bean salad

As much as we all love barbecuing on the regular in the summer, sometimes you just want a fresh veggie fixing, outside of your standard salad. Here’s a great tasty solution.


Ingredients:
- 2 cups of black beans
- 2 cups of brown rice
- 1 red bell pepper
- green onions
- 1/2 head of cilantro
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 avacado
- 1 fresh corn on the cob
- 1 lime
- a crap ton of garlic

Preparation:
1. Cook 2 cups of rice and boil your corn on the cob, and then you’re ready for the fun part.


SIDENOTE: I've personally never been good at cooking beans. In my experience, they've always turned out way undercooked. Learn the secret to the art of beans here. Super helpful.

2. Chop 1 red bell pepper (keep the seeds if you like it spicy), 1/2 a head of cilantro, a few green onions, a lot of garlic, and 1 tomato. Make it chunky or fine, however you like.




3. Cut the corn kernels off the cob once fully cooked.
4. Mix in veggies with your 2 cups of cooled brown rice and black beans.
5. Add some garlic salt, chili powder, and black pepper to taste.
6. Don’t forget about a little or a lot of hot sauce as well. I used Arrogant Bastard Ale’s (yes, as in the beer) Jalapeno Heat hot sauce.
7. Squeeze one entire lime into the mix, and let it cool off in the fridge!
8. Garnish with some sliced avocado and more hot sauce if you like, and you're good to go!


For a little extra something, take a few of your favorite tortilla chips and sprinkle a little olive oil, chili powder, red pepper, and garlic salt over them. Bake at 300° for 5 minutes, and some cheese to the top after about 2.


Pair it with a nice light beer, like New Holland’s Golden Cap Saison Ale, which goes great with citrus and garlic, which is perfect for this dish.



All in all, this meal cost me less that $20 to make and I ate off of it for 3 days. You could feed 3 or 4 people no problem, what so ever. Cheap. Tasty. What more could a broke college student with a crazy appetite hope for? Enjoy.

Spicy lentil & falafel burger

It's summer and about the time where I start living off veggie burgers. But let's be real here- the old standard patty, day to day, can just get plain boring. Here's a way to spice it up. Literally.



Ingredients:
- 1 cup of Ziyad Falafel Mix
- 1 cup of red lentils
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/4 head of parsley (split between both burger and tzahiki)
- 1/2 a lemon
- chili powder, garlic salt, curry powder, black pepper, parmesan, dried mint & dill (to taste)


Preparation & Cooking:
1. 30 minutes prior to cooking soak one cup of falafel mix with 3/4 cups of water
2. Finely chop 1/4 head of parsley and 2 cloves of garlic. Mix into soaking falafel mix.
3. Squeeze half a lemon into mix, and add 2 tablespoons of parmesan, with garlic salt and black pepper to taste.
4. Boil 1/2 cup of water. Once you attain a rolling boil, add cup of red lentils with a clove of crushed garlic.
5. Add curry and chili powder, along with dill and mint to taste.
6. After the falafel mix sits thirty minutes, add lentils to the mix. Mold patties to wanted size, and you’re ready to go.
7. Heat burner to a medium high temperature
8. Add olive oil as need and cook burgers for about 8 minutes, till crispy on the outside. When the inside reaches a comfortably warm temperature (test with fork) the burgers are good to go.


As finishing touches, sautee some green bell peppers and onions.
Toast a bun, spread on some tzatziki, along with some hummus, and spicy mustard.
Slap the burger in there, and voila! You’ve got one mighty fine veggie burger to enjoy.

Marie Catrib's--eat anything.

O.K. So this restaurant is awesome. The food is incredible. The service is incredible. Marie Catrib's is on the corner of Lake and Diamond, in Grand Rapids, MI. Everything is so good that you can eat anything and have your mouth watering for days. I mean, at least after I left I couldn't wait to come back again. Also, they have loads of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free
options.

The Chicken Cranberry.

The Sergio Leone, The Chicken Cranberry, and Seasoned Potatoes

The Parfait with homemade cinnamon raison toast.

Cane sodas of different varieties.

The Adult Grilled Cheese.

Turkish coffee--sharable with friends.

The Chocolate Pudding--thick and rich as fudge.