Black Bean Burgers

We made up gigantic pot of black beans earlier in the week, so we wanted to make something to use them up. Black bean burgers it was!

I pulled out the food processor and mixed up the ingredients. Had to add some more almond meal after I saw that the first ones I fried up were too mushy... fry them up one or two at a time, so you can play with the consistency and do what works for you. If you are making them to be served on buns - you might need to add more almond meal to thicken them up.

Ingredients
2 cups cooked black beans

1 Tbsp dijon mustard,

1 Tbsp minced garlic

2 Tbsp minced onions

2 Tbsp minced cilantro

1 cup (ish) almond meal

1 egg

serve with:

butter lettuce leaves

tomatoes, sliced

red and yellow peppers, roasted

onions, super thinly sliced

hot sauce

dijon mustard

Instructions

1. Roast off the peppers first. Put peppers directly over open flame on stove (if you don't have a gas stove.. put on burner?? I don't know what to do in that case..) Once the peppers are good and charred, place them in a bowl and put plastic wrap on top, OR put in a brown paper bag. Basically you are just trying to trap the steam as the peppers cool, which helps the charred skin be peeled off of the pepper flesh. mmmm...

here are the peppers roasting.

2. Place all ingredients to make burgers (black beans, mustard, garlic, onions, cilantro, almond meal, egg) in food processor. Pulse until well mixed.

3. Form patties and place in oil in a medium fry pan that is over medium-high heat. Fry on both sides for a few minutes. You'll have to play around here with the right amount of heat, oil, time, etc...

4. Serve burgers with lettuce (topped or topless) and all the fixin's.

Stuffed Red Peppers

Our take on stuffed red peppers: tofu and almond meal in the filling and plenty of chives - that we grew (!!) on top.

These were super quick and easy to make, yet something I like to jokingly call "dinner party worthy". Some of our quick weeknight dinners leave something to be desired in the looks category, but this one I would gladly serve to guests!

Ingredients

1 pack Tofu (1 lb)

1/2 cup Almond Meal (blanched, not blanched, whatever)

2 Tbsp Tomato Paste

2 Tbps Pesto

1 small-medium onion

italian spices (oregano, thyme, red pepper, etc..)

2 - 4 Red Peppers (one per person)

1 bunch Chives

Instructions

note: we made this a few weeks ago, I hope these instructions are accurate enough!

-preheat oven to 375 deg-

1. Mince up the onion and sauté until translucent.

2. Take the tofu, cut it up into small pieces (about 1/4"). Toss in a big bowl.

3. Add the onions, the tomato paste, pesto and almond meal to the tofu in the bowl. Stir it up. Add a little salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, red pepper, etc.. to your taste preferences.

4. Take the tops off the peppers by cutting around the stem with a paring knife. Pull out the center with the white part and seeds. Use your hands to remove any that stayed behind.

5. Fill the peppers with the stuffing mixture. Put stuffed peppers in a pyrex dish or whatnot

6. Bake until tops are uber golden (if I recall it took about 45 min?!) Top with chives and serve!

note: this filling made way more than enough for two peppers... we filled reusable silicon muffin cups with the filling, and baked it for about 20 min - until golden. Those were super good reheated later in the week, almost like vegetarian meatballs!

No really, you came to New York to cook?!?

We cook a lot in SF. In the Bay Area, I think it's expected that you both know how to cook, and enjoy cooking. So it's no surprise many people cook together, as you know, a 'fun' thing to do.

Well, I flew to NY to visit people, and visiting friends includes cooking with friends. Revolutionary I know. I have been told that New York is known for food, and I am sure that the city knows what it's doing... but so do Joyce and I! Why go out to eat, when you can spend the evening catching up, and hearing amazing stories, all while trying to figure out how to make quinoa burgers? Don't get me wrong, I enjoy going out to eat as a treat, but I adore cooking and dining with friends. Life can't get much better than that.

Brooklyn Quinoa Burgers on the Fly
(take this recipe as a really rough guide, this is beyond approximate)

2 c cooked quinoa (leftovers!)
1 small onion
4 cloves garlic
1 carrot
1/4 c chopped parsley
1 cup dried mushrooms, rehydrated and drained
a melange of french and italian herbs (herbs de provence, oregano and tarragon)
leftover prune apple duck gravy (true story)
2 eggs
some matzo meal

brioche buns
mustard
watercress
tomatoes
fontina, sliced

1. Mince onion and garlic, sautee
2. Fine chop in food processor the drained rehydrated dried mushrooms, carrot, and parsley.
3. Add onion garlic, pulse a little to mix.
4. Add maybe 1/2 cup of gravy and pulse into mixture
5. Dump into bowl, add in quinoa and 2 eggs and some matzo
6. In a pan, heat up some canola (or whatever) oil, make a patty and fry one to check consistency. Add more egg/matzo as needed
7. Fry up patties, remember to be gentle. If you don't manhandle it, it will stay together. Low heat, slowly getting brown will help.
note: when burgers are done, throw the cheese on top of the patties with a lid on for a few minutes, that'll melt it.
8. Eat on toasted brioche bun with watercress, tomato and mustard and melted fontina.

I've always loved burgers

Roasted Dinner (When we're lazy but still cook)

We probably have a roasted dinner once a week. This colorful dish comes together quickly, and just somehow made enough for a little leftovers.

Roasted Confetti Veggies with Tofu and Tempeh
Bunch Broccoli
Head Cauliflower, white
Head Cauliflower, purple
Half, large jalapeno, finely sliced
Half an onion, finely sliced
Super firm, vacuum packed tofu
Tempeh
paprika, to taste
cayenne, to taste

Heat oven to 425 deg.

Chop up veggies, but use that stalk! After cutting off florets, peel the base with the knife if really thick, then chop up into small pieces.


Put a good glug of olive oil on the bottom of two sheet pans.

On the sheet pans, mix cubed tofu, tempeh, chopped veggies and some salt, pepper, cayenne and paprika.

Bake in the oven 'til done' (you'll get used to me saying that). I'd give it 20-30 minutes. Make sure it's brown on the edges though, that's the best part.

Tips:
1) Try to have vegetables be a size so they cook in the same amount of time. That is, all the florets the same size, but the stalk pieces smaller so they cook in the same amount of time as the florets!

2) Don't crowd the sheet pan. You want your veggies roasting, not steaming!

3) HOT oven! 425 works for my oven, experiment with yours.

*****
Do you think we made enough??

When Jason is in charge of dinner...

it is very creative.

Open faced sandwich with jalepeno-almond crusted seared tofu, topped with a broccoli slaw omelette. Fire roasted jalepenos on the side.

Eat your heart out ladies

Meatless Mondays!

So, have y'all heard of this website? I had of course heard of the concept of cutting meat out of the diet without going completely veg, and I had even heard of "Meatless Mondays", but didn't know there was a big website and movement!

http://www.meatlessmonday.com/

I took the pledge to not eat meat on Mondays. I figured it would be a good commitment, although I think I'm already down to one serving of meat once every other week.

You in? Spread the word too :)

-Markell

Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Cauliflower

Yeah, yeah, we all love roasted veggies, especially brussels sprouts and cauliflower. Here's a slightly different way to spice things up.


Roasted Brussels Sprouts















Brussels Sprouts - cut in half
Chopped dried rosemary (let's say 1 tbsp for 1# of b.sprouts)
Lavender Salt (approx) 1-2 tsp for 1 # of b.sprouts
Olive Oil

Mix. Spread in a single layer (important so they are crispy!) and bake for around 20 min at 400 deg. (time varies depending on size of sprouts)


Roasted Cauliflower















One head of cauliflower - cut into florets (and dice the stalk)
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

Mix. Spread in a single layer and bake for about 30 min at 400 deg (Just watch for crispy edges, then you're done)