Black Bean Burgers with Avocado Sauce

I found this recipe in one of my cookbooks and it is awesome.  My only issue was that the burgers never really firmed up in the middle, so I'm not sure if I need to tweak the recipe a little or just keep cooking them longer.  The flavor is great though!

The sauce that does with them is basically like a thinner guacamole, with a little green bell pepper thrown in.  Serve them with these fries, and you will have yourself quite a tasty dinner! 

(adapted from The Healthy Hedonist by Myra Kornfeld)

Burgers:

1/2 cup unsalted pumpkin seeds

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup diced onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 15 oz can black beans, drained

2/3 cup water

3/4 cup bread crumbs

Toast the pumpkin seeds in a frying pan until they begin to pop.  Grind in a food processor and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low.  Add the onions and 1/2 tsp salt, and saute until soft, about 8 minutes.

Add the garlic, chipotle, cumin, and oregano, and cook, stirring, for one minute.

Add about a third of the beans and 1/3 cup water, and mast the beans with a potato masher or fork.  When the liquid is absorbed, continue with another third of the beans and the remaining 1/3 cup water.

Mash the beans well, then add the remaining beans and continue mashing until the mixture is mostly smooth.

Cook, stirring, until the liquid is all absorbed.

Remove from heat and let cool 15 minutes.  Stir in the pumpkin seeds and 1/4 cup bread crumbs.

Spread the rest of the crumbs on a plate.  Shape the bean mixture into 4" patties, coating on both sides with the crumbs. 

Place on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and chill 30 minutes.

To cook, heat a little olive oil in a skillet over medium heat until hot.  Add the patties and cook 2-3 minutes on each side.  

Sauce

1 tbsp olive oil

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

salt

1/4 cup water

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

1 ripe avocado

1 cup fresh chopped cilantro

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium, until hot.  Add the bell peppers and saute until soft, 5-7 minutes.  Add the green onions and cook an additional minute.  Transfer to a blender, add a generous pinch of salt, and add the remaining ingredients.  Blend until smooth.

Chipotle Rice and Beans

This is a perfect simple and hearty meal.  The combination of rice and beans offers a complete protein, and who doesn't love chipotle peppers?

(adapted from Veganomicon)

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

2 yellow onions, peeled

1 tbsp olive oil

2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, plus about 2 tbsp of sauce

salt

2 cups cooked rice (any variety)

Put the beans in a large saucepan with 3 cups of water and one of the onions, halved.

Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop the other onion, and heat the oil over medium in a large skillet.

Saute the onion until very soft, about 10 minutes.  

Chop the chopotle peppers, and add them to the onions with the sauce.

Cook for an additional minute or two, then turn off the heat.

Just before the beans are done, taste and season with about 1/2 - 1 tsp salt.

Stir in the onion mixture, and heat through.

Serve ladled over rice.

Mushroom-Miso Soba Bowls

For me, comfort food takes many forms.  I will happily dig into a huge bowl of macaroni and cheese, or I could just as easily be delighted with a bowl of miso soup.  This dinner is a nice compromise, with the hearty soba noodles, earthy flavor of miso and shiitake mushrooms, and freshness of green onions and bok choy.  It's simple, vegetarian, and perfect for a crisp Fall evening.

(adapted from The Healthy Headonist by Myra Kornfeld)

a handful of dried shiitake mushrooms (use more if you want a stronger mushroom flavor)

3 cups boiling water

2 tbsp dark miso

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp minced fresh ginger

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 pound brown button mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 tbsp soy sauce

6 ounces soba noodles

3 bunches baby bok choy, thinly sliced

1/2 cup cooked, shelled edamame

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

1 sheet nori, toasted and cut into thin strips

Pour boiling water over mushrooms and let sit for at least half an hour.

Drain mushrooms and reserve all the soaking liquid.  Chop the mushrooms.

Mix 1/2 cup mushroom liquid with the miso in a small bowl and set aside.

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil, and cook the soba noodles.  Drain and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or wok and add the ginger and garlic.

Stir-fry one minute, then add the bok choy and both fresh and soaked mushrooms.  Pour in the soy sauce and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes.

Add the bok choy, edamame, and mushroom liquid to the skillet.  Cook for about 4 minutes.

Add the soba and miso mixture and cook for another 3 minutes.

Put noodles into bowls, ladle some broth over them, and garnish with green onions and nori.

Simple Marinara

With a half marathon in the morning, I needed my usual pre-race dinner: spaghetti. I've been eating spaghetti the night before a race (from 5K to Half-Ironman) for over 10 years, and I see no reason to change it up now. I know it won't upset my stomach, I know it will give me some carbs to fuel my muscles during the race, and just having that routine gets me into race mode easily. I'm not a front-of the pack runner or anything, but I always try and get a PR, so the more I can do to set myself up for that, the better.

My usual protocol for making pasta sauce includes dumping a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes and random odds and ends into a sauce pan, heating it for about 10 minutes, then pouring it over pasta. It always turned out good enough - why bother with a recipe? However, when I saw That Girl's recipe I decided to give it a go. I just made a few changes - using fresh basil because I happened to have some on hand, adding about 1/2 tsp of sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes, and tripling the garlic because we can't get enough around here. It was really good, and definitely got me in the mood to go out and run 13.1 miles!

(adapted from Paved With Good Intentions)
1 small onion, chopped
3 clove garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
1/4 cup white wine
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp salt

Heat oil in saucepan over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion and cook until onion is lightly browned.
Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 30-45 minutes.
Remove cover and cook 15 more minutes.
Serve over spaghetti with a dusting of Parmesan cheese

Indian-Spiced Roasted Potatoes

I bought some mustard oil a few months ago when I started doing lots of Indian cooking, but somehow I never got around to using it.  My husband found this recipe and we both LOVED it.

This is a great side dish to serve with Indian food, when you want a change from rice.  I made them really spicy with lots of cayenne but you could definitely leave it out entirely if you wish.

(adapted from Vegetarian Resource Center)

1 lb small red potatoes, quartered
2 tbsp mustard oil (or vegetable oil)
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoons ground asafoetida
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons amchur (ground dried mango)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Lime wedges and fresh mint to garnish

Preheat oven to 400 F
Heat mustard oil in a skillet over high heat then add cumin seeds and ground asafoetida (there will be splatters!)
Add potatoes and cook stirring for about 2 minutes, or until they change color and begin to look opaque but not translucent.
Lower heat and add the rest of the spices stirring well until blended together.
Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are brown and tender.
Great served with cucumber-mint raita!

Garbanzo-Kale Stir Fry with Tofu and Lemon

Kale is one of those foods I know I should be eating a lot of, but just can't figure out how to cook with most of the time.  When I saw this recipe on my all-time favorite blog, I knew I had to try it.  This is an incredibly quick dinner to put together, and was divine with za'atar sprinkled on top.

If you click the link to see the original recipe, you will notice that Heidi browned her ingredients a lot more than I did.  My only excuse is that it was late and I was hungry - and it was still perfectly delicious without the browning!

(from 101cookbooks.com)

2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
fine grain sea salt
1 small onion or a couple shallots, sliced
1 cup cooked chickpeas (canned is fine, if you don't want to cook up a pot of dried chickpeas)
8 ounces extra-firm tofu
1 cup of chopped kale
2 small zucchini, chopped
zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil In a large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in a big pinch of salt, the onion, and chickpeas. 

Saute until the chickpeas are deeply golden and crusty. 

Stir in the tofu and cook just until the tofu is heated through, just a minute or so. 

Stir in the kale and cook for one minute more. 

Remove everything from the skillet onto a large plate and set aside. 

In the same skillet heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, add the zucchini and saute until it starts to take on a bit of color, two or three minutes. 

Add the chickpea mixture back to the skillet, and remove from heat. 

Stir in the lemon juice and zest, taste, and season with a bit more salt if needed. 

Turn out onto a platter and serve family style.

Serves 2 - 4.

Israeli Couscous with Pistachios and Apricots

I would like to take a moment to tell you about one of the best cookbooks I have ever picked up.  Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero is PHENOMENAL.  Seriously.  I'm not vegan...I'm not even vegetarian, but the amazing recipes keep me coming back for more, even with nary an animal product in sight.  If you have any interest at all in eating a healthy diet, you should seriously consider taking a look at this book!  The recipes are creative and flavorful, and use lots of great ingredients you might otherwise not cook with.

Okay, I've put away my soapbox.

This recipe was my first introduction to Middle Eastern Couscous, which is a big version of the couscous you are probably used to.  I like it so much I don't know if I'll go back to the small stuff!

2 tbsp vegetable oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups Israeli (or Middle Eastern - the package might say either one) couscous

2 1/2 cups water

1 cinnamon stick

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

zest from 1 lime

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

1/2 cup pistachios

juice from 1/2 lime

Preheat a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-low heat. 

Place the garlic and oil in the pan and saute for 1 minute

Add the couscous, raise the heat to medium, and stir pretty constantly for 4-5 minutes; the couscous should start to toast.

Add the water, cinnamon stick, cumin, cardamom, pepper, salt, and lime zest.

Raise the heat and bring to a boil.

Once the mixture is boiling, lower the heat again to as low as possible and cover.

In 10 minutes, most of the water should have been absorbed.

Add 2 tbsp of the mint, and the apricots, pistachios, and lime juice.  

Stir, cover again, and cook for 5 more minutes.

At this point, the water should be thoroughly absorbed.

Remove the cinnamon stick, fluff the couscous with a fork, garnish with the remaining mint, and serve.

Otsu

This is one of those recipes that the cookbook falls open to, that I've made so many times I've stopped measuring everything and just go by feel, and that I probably don't go a week with out making.  

The flavor is spicy, salty, sweet, and sour all at the same time thanks to the cayenne pepper, soy sauce, honey, and vinegar in the dressing.  I added julienned carrots to the original recipe because I love the color and crunch they add.

(adapted from Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson)

Dressing:

grated zest of 1 lemon

1-inch cube fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoons cayenne

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/3 cup soy sauce

3 tbsp sesame oil

Noodles:

12 oz dried soba noodles

12 oz extra firm nigari tofu

1/4 cup choped fresh cilantro

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 English cucumber, seeded and diced

1 medium carrot, julienned

1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

To make dressing: 

Combine all ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth.

To make the noodles:

Cook the soba in rapidly boiling salted water according to package directions.

Drain and rinse with cold water

While pasta is cooking, cut the tofu into 1/2" by 1" rectangles that are about 1/2" thick.

Cook in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown on all sides, tossing gently once or twice.

In a large bowl, combine the noodles, cilantro, green onions, cucumber, carrot, and about 2/3 cup dressing and toss until well combined.  

Add the tofu and toss again gently.  

Sprinkle sesame seeds over the top.

A twist on Tom Ka Gai

I wanted to make a version of tom ka gai (Thai chicken and coconut soup with lime) that was vegetarian and included noodles.  I used some things I found in my pantry and put together this soup.  The lime juice stirred in at the last minute is what makes this soup so amazing.  If you prefer hotter foods, feel free to add more chiles!

3 or 4 pieces dried galangal (or 3 or 4 slices of fresh galangal, if available)

1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 1" lengths

4 chiles de arbol, stems and seeds removed

1/2 tsp sugar

3 cups vegetable broth (chicken broth is fine too, if you aren't making this vegetarian)

8 oz nigari tofu, cut into 1" strips

1 16 oz can lite coconut milk

salt

juice of 2 large limes

6-8 oz dried rice sticks

Fresh cilantro for garnish

In a large saucepan, boil the galangal in 1 1/2 cups water for about 10 minutes. (Skip this step if you are using fresh)

Stir in the broth, chiles, lemongrass and sugar and simmer while you prepare the tofu.

Heat a medium nonstick frying pan over medium high heat and add half the tofu.  Stir fry for several minutes, until golden brown. 

Set aside and repeat with the other half of the tofu.

Stir the tofu, rice sticks, and coconut milk and cover, simmering until the noodles are soft.

Taste and season as needed with salt.

Using tongs (to help with the noodles) and a ladle, distribute the soup (avoiding the galangal) into 4 bowls.  Stir in about a tablespoon of lime juice, garnish with cilantro and serve immediately.

You too can cook Indian Food!

I fell in love with Indian food a long time ago, but it took a few years for me to actually attempt to make it myself. I was intimidated by recipes, with all the ingredients in another language, and I didn't even know how to get my hands on most of the ingredients.

Browsing through my aunt's fantastic cook book collection, I came across Bombay Cafe, which had simple recipes that were accessible and sounded great. Although it is now out of print, my sister found a copy and gave it to me for my birthday. I scanned through the recipes I wanted to make (virtually all of them, it turned out), and made a list of ingredients that I would need. If you are lucky enough to be in a major metropolitan area, you probably are not too far from an Indian grocery store, to which I highly suggest a visit!

I have now built a decent pantry of Indian staples, and I'm happy to say that I already had everything I needed to make this recipe...except sambar powder.  In fact, I didn't even know what that was.  Thanks to google, I found about 15 different variations and came up with the one I made for this recipe.  Since I've never had it before, I have no idea how it compares to authentic sambar powder.  All I can say is that these are some pretty tasty lentils!

(Any ingredients you are not familiar with are easy to find in an Indian grocery store, or online!)

South Indian Toor Dal

(adapted from Bombay Cafe by Neela Paniz)

1 1/2 cups dry toor dal

1 medium onion, chopped

1 1/4 tsp salt

4 tbsp vegetable oil

pinch asafoetida

1 tsp mustard seeds

8 to 10 fresh curry leaves

1 tsp cumin seeds

3 to 4 chiles de arbol, stems and seeds removed and broken in half

3 tbsp sambar powder (below)

3 roma tomatoes, diced

1/3 cup dried unsweetened coconut

2 tbsp lemon juice

chopped cilantro for garnish

Soak lentils in warm water to cover for 20 to 30 minutes.  

Drain and place in a saucepan with 5 cups of water.

Bring to a full boil and skim off any foam that rises.

Reduce heat to medium.

Add onions and cook for about 30 minutes, or until lentils are completely disintigrated

Skim off foam, being careful to avoid onions or remove too much liquid.

Add salt and reduce heat to low.

Heat 3 tbsp oil over medium heat in a small skillet with a lid.

Add the asafoetida, mustard seeds, and curry leaves, covering immediately to avoid splatters.

After about 30 seconds, add the cumin seeds and chiles.

30 seconds later, add the sambar powder, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes until lightly browned.

Add the tomatoes and cook for about a minute.

Stir this mixture into the lentils.

Wipe out the small skillet and heat the remaining oil.

Stir fry the coconut for 1-2 minutes, until golden brown.

Stir the coconut into the lentils.

Remove from the heat, and stir in the lemon juice.

Garnish with the cilantro.

Great served over basmati rice or scooped up with chapati or naan.

Sambar Powder 

makes about 2/3 cup

2 tbsp red lentils

1 tsp cumin seeds

6 chiles de arbol, torn into pieces and stems and seeds removed

1 tsp mustard seeds

2 tsp dried unsweetened coconut

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp asoefetida powder

6 dry curry leaves

In a dry skillet over medium, toast the lentils until they are fragrant and just browning, and set aside.

Repeat with cumin seeds, chiles, and mustard seeds.  If the pan gets smoky or the seeds turn black, discard and start again because they will throw off the flavor.

Combine the toasted lentils, chiles and seeds with the rest of the ingredients in a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder, and process to a fine powder.

Roasted Vegetable Canape (Canape de Escalivada)

I almost never make real hors d'oeuvres.  Instead, I usually just throw together a plate of crackers and cheese or a bowl of hummus with some vegetable sticks. I think canapes look so glamorous, that last night when our neighbor invited us for dinner, I jumped at the chance to contribute the appetizer.  These are simple and won't fill you up.  You could use bread instead of zucchini, but I like the freshness it adds. 

This is my submission for the Sangria/Tapas blogging event at Joelen's Culinary Adventures

(adapted from Delicioso! The Regional Cooking of Spain by Penelope Casas)

1 small eggplant

1 red bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1 onion, skin removed

1 zucchini

2 tbsp olive oil

juice of one lemon

salt

pepper

1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

Flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

In a hot oven (450-500 F), roast the eggplant, bell peppers and onion (in a roasting pan) for about 10 minutes on each side, or until skin is blackened in places.

Let cool, then remove the skin and seeds from the eggplant and peppers.

Slice the onion, peppers, and eggplant into thin 1"-long strips.

Transfer to a bowl, and toss with olive oil, lemon juice, and thyme.  

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Slice the zucchini into thin slices.

To assemble, stack some of the roasted vegetable mixture onto a slice of zucchini, and garnish with parsley.  

Best served at room temperature.

(yes, the above photo was taken on a saucer - I don't have any small white plates!)

Yellow Squash Saute with Lemon and Thyme

Summer squash and zucchini are ubiquitous at the farmers market right now.  I bought a bunch last week, intending to grill them over the weekend.  However, between meals out with friends and quite a bit of baking, I just never got around to it.  

Last night I was going through the refrigerator and found some fresh thyme.  I decided that would be nice in a yellow squash saute and put this recipe together.  You could easily double it and use one zucchini and one yellow squash, to add contrast.  If you don't have shallots, you can use onion, but I love their more delicate and subtle flavor.

Yellow Squash Saute with Lemon and Thyme

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp chopped shallots

1 large yellow squash, sliced lengthwise in half, then cut into 1/4" slices

2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

sea salt

pepper

juice of one lemon

Heat the oil in a frying pan over high heat

Add the garlic and shallots and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes, or until just beginning to brown

Stir in the squash slices and season with sea salt and pepper

Saute 2 minutes, then add the thyme and cook until squash is crisp tender

Taste and add more salt if necessary

Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice

Curry Couscous with Garbanzo Beans

I have been a huge fan of one-pot meals lately.  Not only do they minimize time spent in the kitchen, they also create fewer dishes which is a great because I do not have a dishwasher.

My cupboards are currently overflowing with leftover odds and ends of beans and grains, so I decided that before I buy anything new to cook with, I need to use those up.  I was rummaging around and came across some couscous and a can of garbanzo beans, so I decided to cook them with some vegetables I bought at the farmers market last night. I've been using a lot of turmeric, cinnamon, cayenne, cumin, and coriander lately in the Indian cooking I've been doing, so I decided to put those together in this dish, along with some fresh garlic and ginger. 

I wanted to practice my knife skills, so I made pretty small pieces, but it is definitely not essential.

Spice mix:

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

1/4 cayenne (or more, if you prefer your food spicier)

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Mix together in a small bowl and set aside

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 tbsp minced fresh ginger

3 cloves garlic, minced

a handful of green beans, thinly sliced (you should have about 1/2 cup of the little slices)

1 small zucchini, diced

1 small yellow summer squash, diced

1 medium carrot, diced

1 15-oz can garbanzo beans, drained

1 tsp salt

1 cup couscous

3 cups vegetable broth

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Bring the broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the onions and cook, stirring until translucent and slightly browned.

Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for one minute.

Stir in the green beans, zucchini, squash, and carrots, salt, and spice mix, and cook for 5 minutes, or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Stir in the garbanzo beans.

Add the couscous and mix until evenly distributed.  

Stir in the broth gradually.  

Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and wait 10 minutes.

Fluff with a fork, sprinkle cilantro over the top, and serve.