Tonight, I made a dish I often prepare, but have never posted. One reason I haven't posted it is because I don't really know what to call it. Which reminds me of a time when I was visiting with my friend Lucy's aunts while they were making dinner. I asked one of them what they called the dish they were preparing. She looked at me like might be a little off my rocker, before replying, "What do I call it? I don't know. I don't talk to my food ~ I eat it!" So. There you have it. It doesn't need a name, because I don't talk to it.
For my title for this entry, I decided to borrow a phrase from my Uncle Jim, who used to like to go out into the kitchen and "cook up a mess of something." I hope he doesn't mind.
Anyway...
Whatever it is, it just happens to be one of my very favourite things in the whole wide world to eat...or...maybe it's, like, 9 or 10 of my favourite things to eat. Because, see, that's the thing about this particular dish. It isn't exactly a dish at all. It's more like...hmmm...well, it's a loose construct...a method...it's really just a mess o' something, cooked up in a pan. And it's really, really, really good. Will you like it? Well, that depends. If, like me, you operate under the assumption that almost anything is delicious when you throw onions, garlic, peppers, olive oil and herbs at it then: yes. Yes, you will.
Here's (roughly) how it goes.
Sometimes.
Sorta.
*ahem*
Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat.
(You can probably use any skillet, but I always use cast iron)
Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan, but not so much that your food's gonna swim around in it.
Add:
1 onion, roughly chopped
at least 2 (but more is good) cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
about 1 cup of diced peppers (I like to mix colours)
some oregano, thyme and rosemary (yeah, "some." If you're worried, start small. You can add more later.)
a good sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper
salt (just a sprinkle)
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions just start to get translucent, but not until stuff is mushy. If you like your onions and peppers browned, stir less frequently during this step.
Pour a little red wine** over the veggies, stir, and bring to a simmer.
Now, you can add...
Pretty much anything you like. Tonight, I added sliced zucchini and yellow squash. Yummy!
Other ideas include:
Leftover cooked sausage (I use the vegetarian kind), cut in bite-sized chunks
Mushrooms
Eggplant
Cooked beans (garbanzos are especially nice, IMO)
Olives
In fact, you could add zucchini, yellow squash, sausage, mushrooms, eggplant, AND olives. I've done that. It's goooooooooooooooood. You can really put in whatever you like, as long as you think will taste good with onions, peppers, garlic, tomatoes (they come later) and herbs. Like I said, this isn't really a recipe.
Okay, once you have thrown in everything but the kitchen sink (or a select few ingredients ~ whichever way you choose to go), let it cook, stirring occasionally, until your vegetables (the ones you just added, that is) start to soften, but not until they are done.
Add one 150z (or thereabouts) can of diced Italian stewed tomatoes* and a pinch or two of sugar (my mom always told me this takes away the "tinny' taste tomatoes get from being stuffed in a can, and it seems to work, so I do it. It is optional, but I think it makes the dish taste better).
Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally (are you tired of hearing me say that yet?), until the veggies are done to your liking. I'm gonna be honest ~ sometimes, I like my veggies VERY done. Other times, crisp-tender is good. If you prefer it less brothy, either drain your tomatoes before you add them, or turn up the heat and cook off the liquid.
There.
You're done.
Almost.
Taste, and adjust seasonings.
NOW, you're done.
Serve with crusty bread, rice, pasta, quinoa, couscous...Honestly, I don't really care how you serve it. Just eat this. Trust me, you will not regret it.
BTW, you can top this with parmesan (or nutritional yeast, if you avoid dairy) and/or crushed red pepper flakes, if you like. It is extra yummy that way.
That's it.
Go make some.
I'm off to have another helping of mine :)
*If you want to avoid canned tomatoes, you can add fresh diced tomatoes, basil, oregano and a touch of salt. You may or may not need the sugar, depending on how sweet and ripe your tomatoes are.
**If you avoid wine, you can skip it, but I recommend adding a little (really, just a tiny bit) of balsamic vinegar at this stage, instead.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Bread Machine Wheat Bread
As some of you know, I recently acquired a brand new, still the box Oster bread machine for $30 (purchased via craigslist from a seller who said it had been sitting in her garage for years). It was a little dusty, but, after a thorough cleaning, I set about learning to use it.
My family generally prefers wheat/whole grain breads. The exceptions here would be French, Italian and Hawaiian breads. In those varieties, we prefer white. However, for our daily toast and sandwich needs, a good whole wheat or multigrain bread usually wins. So, my major goal when I purchased the machine was to settle upon a recipe that could serve as a replacement for our packaged wheat breads. I am not sure how much money this saves us, but I know that the list of ingredients in my homemade bread is much shorter than what I see on most packaged bread wrappers, and I know what all of them are. I like knowing what I'm eating.
As it turns out, the bread machine has been a great little tool. I have learned to make a great homemade version of the kids' beloved Hawaiian rolls, using this recipe:
http://www.food.com/recipe/hawaiian-sweet-rolls-bread-machine-436332
I also love that I could just put in all of the ingredients, turn on the machine, go to bed and wake up to freshly baked bread. Perfect. Now, for the first few weeks, I just used the 100% Whole Wheat Recipe I found in the book that came with my bread machine. Honestly, I was a little afraid to experiment, but, after successfully making a number of loaves of well-received bread I decided that the worst thing that could possibly happen would be a bad loaf of bread and a trip back to the ol' drawing board. So, using the recipe in the book as a framework, I came up with the following recipe, which I think is perfect. This will be my new wheat bread recipe. so far, everyone who has tried it likes it. I find it lighter and more flavourful than the original recipe.
Oh! BTW, I have no idea how other bread machines work, so I will give this recipe using the instructions for mine, and hopefully, you will know how to adapt them to your own machine.
Everyday Special Honey Wheat Bread:
(makes a 2 pound loaf)
1 2/3 cups water
2 TBS margarine or butter
1/3 cup honey
2 tsp salt
4 cups whole wheat flour
2/3 cup almond meal
3 tsp active dry yeast
Place first 6 ingredients in your bread machine pan, in the order listed. Make a small well in the center of the flour/almond meal. Place the yeast in that little well. Snap the pan into your bread machine and close the lid.
Choose the "Whole Wheat" setting on your machine. Choose your crust colour (I find "light" works best for most of our breads). Press "Start."
Now, go do something else fun while your bread bakes itself.
Cool, huh?
My family generally prefers wheat/whole grain breads. The exceptions here would be French, Italian and Hawaiian breads. In those varieties, we prefer white. However, for our daily toast and sandwich needs, a good whole wheat or multigrain bread usually wins. So, my major goal when I purchased the machine was to settle upon a recipe that could serve as a replacement for our packaged wheat breads. I am not sure how much money this saves us, but I know that the list of ingredients in my homemade bread is much shorter than what I see on most packaged bread wrappers, and I know what all of them are. I like knowing what I'm eating.
As it turns out, the bread machine has been a great little tool. I have learned to make a great homemade version of the kids' beloved Hawaiian rolls, using this recipe:
http://www.food.com/recipe/hawaiian-sweet-rolls-bread-machine-436332
I also love that I could just put in all of the ingredients, turn on the machine, go to bed and wake up to freshly baked bread. Perfect. Now, for the first few weeks, I just used the 100% Whole Wheat Recipe I found in the book that came with my bread machine. Honestly, I was a little afraid to experiment, but, after successfully making a number of loaves of well-received bread I decided that the worst thing that could possibly happen would be a bad loaf of bread and a trip back to the ol' drawing board. So, using the recipe in the book as a framework, I came up with the following recipe, which I think is perfect. This will be my new wheat bread recipe. so far, everyone who has tried it likes it. I find it lighter and more flavourful than the original recipe.
Oh! BTW, I have no idea how other bread machines work, so I will give this recipe using the instructions for mine, and hopefully, you will know how to adapt them to your own machine.
Everyday Special Honey Wheat Bread:
(makes a 2 pound loaf)
1 2/3 cups water
2 TBS margarine or butter
1/3 cup honey
2 tsp salt
4 cups whole wheat flour
2/3 cup almond meal
3 tsp active dry yeast
Place first 6 ingredients in your bread machine pan, in the order listed. Make a small well in the center of the flour/almond meal. Place the yeast in that little well. Snap the pan into your bread machine and close the lid.
Choose the "Whole Wheat" setting on your machine. Choose your crust colour (I find "light" works best for most of our breads). Press "Start."
Now, go do something else fun while your bread bakes itself.
Cool, huh?
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Homemade snacks and treats
Well, i haven't been keeping up with my blogs, now, have I? Sorry. End of session for my after school program ~ which also means enrollment for next session ~ coupled with out of town travel and sick kiddos have meant a busier than usual schedule. Nevertheless, we continue to pinch pennies. And to eat. So, yes, I have some recipes to post.
The truth is, I have been experimenting with a few recipes, and I wanted to test them and make some adjustments before I shared the results. One thing I have been working on is homemade granola bars. Kaia loves granola bars. I have been able to find some great deals on them, so it's not the cost that's the problem. However, I have long thought it would be nice to save all of that packaging and learn to make them at home. In addition to the environmental impact of all of those individually wrapped bars and boxes, I have been concerned about the ingredients in commercially available granola bars. My general feeling is that if my eyes start to glaze over halfway through the list of ingredients, there's probably too much crap in whatever's inside the package. Especially if I don;t even recognize some of the ingredients.
So, I stumbled upon this: (okay...I STILL cannot post a link here!! Ugh! here is the address ~ check it out! http://www.acupofflour.com/2011/08/05/easy-homemade-granola-bars/) and decided to give it a shot. Now, the first time I made them, I made a batch with a combination of chopped almonds, dried cherries and semisweet morsels as the add-ins. I liked those ones a lot. Kaia made a batch that day, too. Hers included just semisweet morsels as the add-ins. A whole cup of them. They were like candy bars. Naturally, the kids thought they were terrific. I, on the other hand thought they were a little more candy-like than I was hoping they'd be. I decided to play around with the recipe. Now, several batches later, I feel like I can say, "By Jove, I think I've got it!" Here is my revised recipe:
Homemade Granola Bars
3/4 c. peanut butter
1/3 c. honey
1/4 c. coconut oil
1 1/2 c. oats
2 1/2 TBS ground flaxseeds
1/2 cup semisweet morsels
Add peanut butter, honey, and coconut oil to a sauce pan over medium heat. Stir mixture until it melts and is evenly mixed.
Remove from heat and add oats and flaxseeds and stir well to combine. Stir in semisweet morsels. They will melt. (If you don't want them to melt, I think you could press the mixture into the square pan as below before adding the morsels, then sprinkle them on top and lightly press into the surface. I have not tested this theory, as my kids like the chocolate melted and mixed in to the bars.)
Pour mixture into a square pan lined with parchment paper, and spread evenly. Refrigerate for 1 – 2 hours.
Cut into bars. Store in an airtight container.
Now, I have to say this: these still strike me as being a bit more like a no-bake cookie than a granola bar. I feel like the oats should a bit crispier for it to qualify as a granola bar. I still want to try a more traditional baked granola bar recipe, but the kids love these, and I am happy with the result. even if it isn't exactly what I was going for, it is delicious.
So, the recipe testing continues. Right this very moment, my very first batch of homemade "fruit by the foot" is drying in a slow oven, and the new (to me) bread machine (purchased from craigslist for $30 ~ brand new, still in the box) is doing its thing, so we will have a freshly baked batch of homemade wheat bread in the morning. I'll let you know how those fruit treats work out. The instructions can be found here: http://outoftheboxfood.com/2011/09/04/foot-long-fruit-roll-up-recipe-update-frozen-berries/ If Kaia will eat them, I will feel I have staged a coup, since the kid doesn't usually eat fruit (except for bananas).
I feel good about feeding my kids healthy, whole, homemade foods, and they seem to enjoy trying all of my recipes. Just this afternoon, I got a request from Hallie for peanut butter banana "ice cream" sandwiches. We first made these many years ago, and all of the kids love them. It's easy to say, "yes" to treats when they are a perfectly healthy choice. In this case, the "ice cream" is actually a mixture of mashed bananas and peanut butter, sandwiched between graham crackers. This is very simple to do, and you will be surprised how much it tastes (and feels) like ice cream.
Begin by mashing a banana or two. Stir in a couple of tablespoons of creamy peanut butter. Place a graham cracker (if using the big ones, I break each one in half, but lately I have been using Trader Joe's Cinnamon Grahams, which are a great size for a little treat) on a sheet of plastic wrap. Top with a glob of the banana mixture, Don't spread it to the edges, as it will spread when you add the top of your "sandwich." Gently place another graham cracker on top of the filling. Wrap tightly with the plastic wrap and place on a plate or a tray for freezing. When you have assembled all of your sandwiches, freeze for a few hours, until the filling has frozen. Unwrap and enjoy.
I guess that's it for today. Sorry about the lack of pictures. Maybe I will try to add some later. In the meantime, you can just make yourself some treats, and then you'll know just how they look :)
The truth is, I have been experimenting with a few recipes, and I wanted to test them and make some adjustments before I shared the results. One thing I have been working on is homemade granola bars. Kaia loves granola bars. I have been able to find some great deals on them, so it's not the cost that's the problem. However, I have long thought it would be nice to save all of that packaging and learn to make them at home. In addition to the environmental impact of all of those individually wrapped bars and boxes, I have been concerned about the ingredients in commercially available granola bars. My general feeling is that if my eyes start to glaze over halfway through the list of ingredients, there's probably too much crap in whatever's inside the package. Especially if I don;t even recognize some of the ingredients.
So, I stumbled upon this: (okay...I STILL cannot post a link here!! Ugh! here is the address ~ check it out! http://www.acupofflour.com/2011/08/05/easy-homemade-granola-bars/) and decided to give it a shot. Now, the first time I made them, I made a batch with a combination of chopped almonds, dried cherries and semisweet morsels as the add-ins. I liked those ones a lot. Kaia made a batch that day, too. Hers included just semisweet morsels as the add-ins. A whole cup of them. They were like candy bars. Naturally, the kids thought they were terrific. I, on the other hand thought they were a little more candy-like than I was hoping they'd be. I decided to play around with the recipe. Now, several batches later, I feel like I can say, "By Jove, I think I've got it!" Here is my revised recipe:
Homemade Granola Bars
3/4 c. peanut butter
1/3 c. honey
1/4 c. coconut oil
1 1/2 c. oats
2 1/2 TBS ground flaxseeds
1/2 cup semisweet morsels
Add peanut butter, honey, and coconut oil to a sauce pan over medium heat. Stir mixture until it melts and is evenly mixed.
Remove from heat and add oats and flaxseeds and stir well to combine. Stir in semisweet morsels. They will melt. (If you don't want them to melt, I think you could press the mixture into the square pan as below before adding the morsels, then sprinkle them on top and lightly press into the surface. I have not tested this theory, as my kids like the chocolate melted and mixed in to the bars.)
Pour mixture into a square pan lined with parchment paper, and spread evenly. Refrigerate for 1 – 2 hours.
Cut into bars. Store in an airtight container.
Now, I have to say this: these still strike me as being a bit more like a no-bake cookie than a granola bar. I feel like the oats should a bit crispier for it to qualify as a granola bar. I still want to try a more traditional baked granola bar recipe, but the kids love these, and I am happy with the result. even if it isn't exactly what I was going for, it is delicious.
So, the recipe testing continues. Right this very moment, my very first batch of homemade "fruit by the foot" is drying in a slow oven, and the new (to me) bread machine (purchased from craigslist for $30 ~ brand new, still in the box) is doing its thing, so we will have a freshly baked batch of homemade wheat bread in the morning. I'll let you know how those fruit treats work out. The instructions can be found here: http://outoftheboxfood.com/2011/09/04/foot-long-fruit-roll-up-recipe-update-frozen-berries/ If Kaia will eat them, I will feel I have staged a coup, since the kid doesn't usually eat fruit (except for bananas).
I feel good about feeding my kids healthy, whole, homemade foods, and they seem to enjoy trying all of my recipes. Just this afternoon, I got a request from Hallie for peanut butter banana "ice cream" sandwiches. We first made these many years ago, and all of the kids love them. It's easy to say, "yes" to treats when they are a perfectly healthy choice. In this case, the "ice cream" is actually a mixture of mashed bananas and peanut butter, sandwiched between graham crackers. This is very simple to do, and you will be surprised how much it tastes (and feels) like ice cream.
Begin by mashing a banana or two. Stir in a couple of tablespoons of creamy peanut butter. Place a graham cracker (if using the big ones, I break each one in half, but lately I have been using Trader Joe's Cinnamon Grahams, which are a great size for a little treat) on a sheet of plastic wrap. Top with a glob of the banana mixture, Don't spread it to the edges, as it will spread when you add the top of your "sandwich." Gently place another graham cracker on top of the filling. Wrap tightly with the plastic wrap and place on a plate or a tray for freezing. When you have assembled all of your sandwiches, freeze for a few hours, until the filling has frozen. Unwrap and enjoy.
I guess that's it for today. Sorry about the lack of pictures. Maybe I will try to add some later. In the meantime, you can just make yourself some treats, and then you'll know just how they look :)
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Vegan "Corned Beef" and Cabbage
It's that time of year ~ Hallie Kay Erin Day is nearly upon us! What? St. Patrick's Day? Ah, yes...that's right. I got sort of distracted on St. Patrick's Day, 2000, and life has never been the same. Hallie Kay Erin go bragh! (did I spell that correctly?) Anyway...the kiddo's birthday is on St. Patrick's Day, so I usually try to do a St. Patrick's Day themed meal a few days early, so she can have whatever she likes on her birthday. Most often, I make colcannon, which we all love (bear in mind, when I say "all," I mean, those of us who eat most foods. I set aside plain mashed potatoes for Kaia before adding the cabbage and onions). However, I have been thinking for some time about trying to see if I can come up with a vegan "corned beef" and cabbage recipe that passes muster. After reading a few recipes online, I decided to just wing it. I am so glad I did.
Okay. So, I am still experimenting with seitan. I don't feel like I have this recipe completely refined yet (I think I need to work on my method a bit), but the family LOVED it. I felt it was so, so close to perfect, but maybe not quite there, but it got rave reviews from Shane and the kids, who asked me to please, please make it again. So, I guess it is good enough to post :) If you know of a better seitan prep method, you should probably try it that way. I am going to keep working with this and update it as needed. In the meantime, this was very, very tasty.
VEGAN "CORNED BEEF" AND CABBAGE
Seiten:
1 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. each: ground ginger, allspice and coriander
3/4 c. water or vegetable broth (cold)
1 TBS soy sauce
1/8 tsp. Liquid Smoke
In a medium bowl, mix all dry ingredients. In a measuring cup or small bowl, combine all liquid ingredients. Add liquid to dry ingredient and stir until thoroughly moistened. Knead dough for about 5 minutes, until it is very elastic. Shape into a log. Let rest in bowl while you prepare the veggies.
Veggies:
1 TBS oil
about 28 oz small, whole potatoes, scrubbed
2 cups baby carrots (or roughly chopped regular carrots)
1/2 - 1 whole head of cabbage, very roughly chopped
3 cups vegetable broth
1/2 tsp. dill
1-2 TBS prepared brown mustard
1/8 tsp Liquid Smoke
generous sprinkling of salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat oil in a large souppot over medium-low heat. Add veggies, dill, salt and pepper and stir to coat. Combine vegetable broth, mustard and liquid smoke and add to the pot. Bring to a boil.
Get your raw seitan log and just lay it on top of your veggies. (The idea is to let it steam as the veggies cook.) Right about now, it should look sorta like this:
Weird, huh? If you do a better job of kneading and shaping you seitan, it will be prettier than mine.
Reduce to a simmer and cover. Let cook without lifting the lid for about 30 minutes.
Carefully remove seitan to a plate or cutting board. Stir the veggies in the pot, taste, and adjust seasonings. Use a knife to cut your seitan into roughly 1/2" thick pieces. If you want the pieces to be a rougher, more organic shape (I did), use a fork to just gently pull off pieces. Place the pieces back in the pot, on top of the veggies again. Replace lid and simmer until all veggies and seitan are done. I cooked mine for another 30 minutes, and some of the veggies were slightly overdone, IMO. Next time, I will probably reduce the time by a few minutes. I would suggest checking it after about 20.
That's it. Yum!
I thought the seiten was a bit too soft, so I was thinking, next time, I might steam it and then fry the pieces in a bit of oil before returning them to the pot. However, Shane said the texture was reminiscent of "stew meat" that has been cooked in broth for a long time, and he liked it. One of the first things Hallie commented on was how much she liked the texture of the seitan. So, maybe it is just me. Apparently, everyone else thinks this recipe is great just as it is. You can try it, and see what you think. The flavour is GREAT. I suspect it is more like ham than corned beef (I don't quite remember corned beef well enough to say for sure). Whatever it tastes like, it sure is yummy.
Enjoy!
Okay. So, I am still experimenting with seitan. I don't feel like I have this recipe completely refined yet (I think I need to work on my method a bit), but the family LOVED it. I felt it was so, so close to perfect, but maybe not quite there, but it got rave reviews from Shane and the kids, who asked me to please, please make it again. So, I guess it is good enough to post :) If you know of a better seitan prep method, you should probably try it that way. I am going to keep working with this and update it as needed. In the meantime, this was very, very tasty.
VEGAN "CORNED BEEF" AND CABBAGE
Seiten:
1 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. each: ground ginger, allspice and coriander
3/4 c. water or vegetable broth (cold)
1 TBS soy sauce
1/8 tsp. Liquid Smoke
In a medium bowl, mix all dry ingredients. In a measuring cup or small bowl, combine all liquid ingredients. Add liquid to dry ingredient and stir until thoroughly moistened. Knead dough for about 5 minutes, until it is very elastic. Shape into a log. Let rest in bowl while you prepare the veggies.
Veggies:
1 TBS oil
about 28 oz small, whole potatoes, scrubbed
2 cups baby carrots (or roughly chopped regular carrots)
1/2 - 1 whole head of cabbage, very roughly chopped
3 cups vegetable broth
1/2 tsp. dill
1-2 TBS prepared brown mustard
1/8 tsp Liquid Smoke
generous sprinkling of salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat oil in a large souppot over medium-low heat. Add veggies, dill, salt and pepper and stir to coat. Combine vegetable broth, mustard and liquid smoke and add to the pot. Bring to a boil.
Get your raw seitan log and just lay it on top of your veggies. (The idea is to let it steam as the veggies cook.) Right about now, it should look sorta like this:
Weird, huh? If you do a better job of kneading and shaping you seitan, it will be prettier than mine.
Reduce to a simmer and cover. Let cook without lifting the lid for about 30 minutes.
Carefully remove seitan to a plate or cutting board. Stir the veggies in the pot, taste, and adjust seasonings. Use a knife to cut your seitan into roughly 1/2" thick pieces. If you want the pieces to be a rougher, more organic shape (I did), use a fork to just gently pull off pieces. Place the pieces back in the pot, on top of the veggies again. Replace lid and simmer until all veggies and seitan are done. I cooked mine for another 30 minutes, and some of the veggies were slightly overdone, IMO. Next time, I will probably reduce the time by a few minutes. I would suggest checking it after about 20.
That's it. Yum!
I thought the seiten was a bit too soft, so I was thinking, next time, I might steam it and then fry the pieces in a bit of oil before returning them to the pot. However, Shane said the texture was reminiscent of "stew meat" that has been cooked in broth for a long time, and he liked it. One of the first things Hallie commented on was how much she liked the texture of the seitan. So, maybe it is just me. Apparently, everyone else thinks this recipe is great just as it is. You can try it, and see what you think. The flavour is GREAT. I suspect it is more like ham than corned beef (I don't quite remember corned beef well enough to say for sure). Whatever it tastes like, it sure is yummy.
Enjoy!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
What's for Dinner
Tofu, garlic, celery, peppers, mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, stir-fry sauce, a touch of oil, a touch of soy sauce, black pepper and brown rice.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Black Bean Burgers & Oven Fries
I wish I had taken a picture of tonight's dinner, but I was in too much of a hurry, so you will have to use your imagination.
This post goes back several years. When Justice first started middle school, we were invited to dinner at the home of a new friend of hers. They served the best black bean burgers we had ever had. I never got that recipe, but I did some experimenting with other recipes, hoping I would stumble on the right one. I could always tell which ones were not right: anything with a bunch of chunky stuf ~ diced peppers and onions, corn, etc. The black bean burgers we craved were very simple, very flavourful and, well, simply delicious.
Recently, I stumbled on this recipe: http://recipes.bushbeans.com/recipe/71666/backyard-black-bean-burgers.aspx
Yes, it is on the Bush's Beans site. In fact, I have to explore that site more. Looks like some good stuff.
Well, this looked like a pretty great recipe, but we wanted to have some tonight and save some for later, so I knew I wanted to increase it a bit. I started by purchasing larger cans of beans. I changed a couple of other details, too, but stuck very close to the original. My recipe made 9 burgers (instead of 6), which was perfect for us. I think I might tweak it just a bit, but it got rave reviews from the family as it is. (Except Kaia. She ate a Boca Burger. But that's okay. I mean, that's why I keep them on hand.)
BLACK BEAN BURGERS
2-19 ounce can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup + 3 TBS of your favourite salsa (I use Trader Joe's Salsa Autentica)
a few drops of Liquid Smoke (or skip this, and use chipotle salsa)
2/3 cup whole wheat or all-purpose flour
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons chili seasoning (I make my own blend. Use what you like)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
In a food processor, process beans and salsa until fairly smooth and blended. (You could probably mash them by hand. Just mash very well.) Transfer to a mixing bowl, and stir in the remaining ingredients with a fork, mixing very well. Form the mixture into 9 balls and place them on a plate. Form the balls gently with your hands. They should be bigger than a golfball, but smaller than a baseball. That seems to be the right size. You should get about 9 of them. 8 might be okay, too. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. When you are ready to prepare your burgers, heat oven to 375°F. Flatten each ball into a burger (about 1/2" thick). Place the burgers on oiled cookie sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes, then flip and bake for 8-10 minutes more.
Serve on buns with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, guacamole and salsa. I served corn salsa and oven fries on the side (because I forgot to make the coleslaw. Otherwise, I would have served coleslaw with it, too).
OVEN FRIES
6 potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and cut into sticks
about 1 TBS oil (we like olive oil)
salt or Old Bay Seasoning to taste
Okay. If I had my druthers, I would always make these with Old Bay, but sometimes other people want plain fries. This is really simple. Preheat oven to 450°F. In a large mixing bowl, toss cut potatoes with oil and salt or seasoning to coat. Arrange in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with a bit more seasoning or salt, if necessary. Bake for 10 minutes. Flip, and bake until done (depends how thick you cut them, and how well-browned you like them. Just keep and eye on them). Serve with your favourite dipping sauce.
Now, the truth is, you can make more (or less) fries, if you wish. My mom taught me to prepare one potato for each diner, plus one for the pot. So, for the five of us, that's six potatoes. Just remember, you have to be able to fit them in a single layer on your cookie sheet, so, if you make more, you might need more than one sheet.
In order to get this all done at the same time, I heated the oven to 450°, put in the fries and set the timer for 15 minutes. While they were baking, I formed the burgers. When the timer rang, I turned the heat down to 375°, moved the fries to the lower rack inside my oven and put the burgers on the top rack. I baked them for 8 minutes on one side, then flipped them. Just a few minutes later, the fries were done, so I pulled them out, set them on the stove and covered with a tea towel. The burgers were done just a few minutes after that, and everything was hot.
So, that's it. Super simple. Tonight, I just mixed corn and salsa, but I usually add cilantro and scallions to my corn salsa. It's better that way, but, in a pinch, simple works :)
This post goes back several years. When Justice first started middle school, we were invited to dinner at the home of a new friend of hers. They served the best black bean burgers we had ever had. I never got that recipe, but I did some experimenting with other recipes, hoping I would stumble on the right one. I could always tell which ones were not right: anything with a bunch of chunky stuf ~ diced peppers and onions, corn, etc. The black bean burgers we craved were very simple, very flavourful and, well, simply delicious.
Recently, I stumbled on this recipe: http://recipes.bushbeans.com/recipe/71666/backyard-black-bean-burgers.aspx
Yes, it is on the Bush's Beans site. In fact, I have to explore that site more. Looks like some good stuff.
Well, this looked like a pretty great recipe, but we wanted to have some tonight and save some for later, so I knew I wanted to increase it a bit. I started by purchasing larger cans of beans. I changed a couple of other details, too, but stuck very close to the original. My recipe made 9 burgers (instead of 6), which was perfect for us. I think I might tweak it just a bit, but it got rave reviews from the family as it is. (Except Kaia. She ate a Boca Burger. But that's okay. I mean, that's why I keep them on hand.)
BLACK BEAN BURGERS
2-19 ounce can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup + 3 TBS of your favourite salsa (I use Trader Joe's Salsa Autentica)
a few drops of Liquid Smoke (or skip this, and use chipotle salsa)
2/3 cup whole wheat or all-purpose flour
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons chili seasoning (I make my own blend. Use what you like)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
In a food processor, process beans and salsa until fairly smooth and blended. (You could probably mash them by hand. Just mash very well.) Transfer to a mixing bowl, and stir in the remaining ingredients with a fork, mixing very well. Form the mixture into 9 balls and place them on a plate. Form the balls gently with your hands. They should be bigger than a golfball, but smaller than a baseball. That seems to be the right size. You should get about 9 of them. 8 might be okay, too. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. When you are ready to prepare your burgers, heat oven to 375°F. Flatten each ball into a burger (about 1/2" thick). Place the burgers on oiled cookie sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes, then flip and bake for 8-10 minutes more.
Serve on buns with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, guacamole and salsa. I served corn salsa and oven fries on the side (because I forgot to make the coleslaw. Otherwise, I would have served coleslaw with it, too).
OVEN FRIES
6 potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and cut into sticks
about 1 TBS oil (we like olive oil)
salt or Old Bay Seasoning to taste
Okay. If I had my druthers, I would always make these with Old Bay, but sometimes other people want plain fries. This is really simple. Preheat oven to 450°F. In a large mixing bowl, toss cut potatoes with oil and salt or seasoning to coat. Arrange in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with a bit more seasoning or salt, if necessary. Bake for 10 minutes. Flip, and bake until done (depends how thick you cut them, and how well-browned you like them. Just keep and eye on them). Serve with your favourite dipping sauce.
Now, the truth is, you can make more (or less) fries, if you wish. My mom taught me to prepare one potato for each diner, plus one for the pot. So, for the five of us, that's six potatoes. Just remember, you have to be able to fit them in a single layer on your cookie sheet, so, if you make more, you might need more than one sheet.
In order to get this all done at the same time, I heated the oven to 450°, put in the fries and set the timer for 15 minutes. While they were baking, I formed the burgers. When the timer rang, I turned the heat down to 375°, moved the fries to the lower rack inside my oven and put the burgers on the top rack. I baked them for 8 minutes on one side, then flipped them. Just a few minutes later, the fries were done, so I pulled them out, set them on the stove and covered with a tea towel. The burgers were done just a few minutes after that, and everything was hot.
So, that's it. Super simple. Tonight, I just mixed corn and salsa, but I usually add cilantro and scallions to my corn salsa. It's better that way, but, in a pinch, simple works :)
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Seitan Roast
I have been meaning to post this for ages.
Decided to try making seitan (which I believe is pronounced something like "SAY-tan" ~ which, of course lead my husband to ask repeatedly, "What's for dinner? Could it be..."SAY-tan? hmmm??" in his best Church Lady voice). To be honest, I thinkI have avoided making it so I wouldn't have to talk about it. You know, since I don't really know how to pronounce it.
I have thought about trying this before. In fact, I had gone so far as to buy not one, but two, packages of vital wheat gluten in anticipation of trying this recipe. (I forgot I had bought the first one, and so I bought the second. I am frighteningly well-organized.)
ANYWAY...
Having zipped around the internet for quite some time, I had settled on this recipe:
http://veganplanet.blogspot.com/2008/03/slow-cooker-seitan-pot-roast.html
You'll have to copy and paste the link in to your browser. I am so sorry, but I just cannot seem to successfully post a link here. Can somebody help me figure that out, please?
You know what? Screw it. I am copying and pasting the recipe here:
Slow-Cooker Seitan Pot Roast
This is an easier version of the pot roast recipe in Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker.
Important: You may need to adjust your cooking time according to the quirks of your own crockpot. The one I used for this recipe cooks fast — if I had used one of my other slow cookers, it would have taken nearly twice as long.
1 sweet yellow onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 pound baby carrots
1 pound small red-skinned potatoes, halved or quartered
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup vegetable stock
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
2 cups wheat gluten flour
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 cup water or vegetable stock, or more as needed
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup or tomato sauce
1. Arrange the onion, carrots, and potatoes in the bottom of a lightly oiled slow cooker. Season the vegetables to taste with salt and pepper and add the stock, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon each of the thyme and marjoram.
2. In a large bowl, combine the wheat gluten flour, onion powder, garlic powder, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon each of thyme and marjoram, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Add the water or stock, soy sauce, and ketchup. Mix well, adding a little more water if the mixture is too dry, then knead for 2 minutes until smooth. Shape the gluten to fit inside your cooker and place on top of the vegetables. (You can place it on top of a piece of aluminum foil or wrap it in cheesecloth, if desired, to keep its shape). Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours (or longer, depending on your slow cooker), or until the seitan and vegetables are cooked.
3. To serve, remove the vegetables and seitan from the slow cooker. Cut the seitan into slices and arrange them on a serving platter. Surround with the vegetables and spoon the cooking liquid over all or transfer the cooking liquid to a saucepan and thicken into a gravy.
Serves 4
For the record, I didn't have any marjoram, so I skipped it ~ which is okay, because I have never liked the flavour of marjoram, anyway.
Several hours in, I realized the top of my seitan was just not cooking, while the bottom looked done already. I decided to turn it over, hoping it would finish cooking in time for dinner. Upon further investigation, I found that the broth was rather flavourless. I found a packet of Hain Vegetarian Brown Gravy MIx, stirred that in to about 1/2 cup water, added it to the crockpot and turned the whole thing to high.
In the end, it did finish cooking, and we decided it was not bad.
(Going to stop taking pics in my kitchen. The florescent lighting makes everything look a little greeinsh)
Shane found it reminiscent of pepper steak (a green pepper in the pot would probably have helped sell that angle). I suggested using a vegetarian beef flavour bouillon as the liquid that is mixed in to the gluten instead of water next time. I think that will give it a richer, beefier flavour. Hallie suggested seasoning it more like chicken some time. I thought it tasted like pork. Shane disagreed, but he did like it. We decided, at the very least, it will serve as a good jumping off point, and definitely warrants more experimentation.
The next day, I tried slicing some of the leftover roast into very thin strips, mixing it a little bar-b-que sauce and heating it. Sooooooooooo good! I only wish I'd had some coleslaw and hot biscuits to go with it. When we had the leftovers for dinner, I prepared half of it that way (very thinly sliced and simmered in barbeque sauce). The other half I placed in a baking dish with stuffing in between the slices, drizzled with a little gravy, covered with foil and baked. Both variations were well received. (I will try to find pictures of these and add them later.)
Decided to try making seitan (which I believe is pronounced something like "SAY-tan" ~ which, of course lead my husband to ask repeatedly, "What's for dinner? Could it be..."SAY-tan? hmmm??" in his best Church Lady voice). To be honest, I thinkI have avoided making it so I wouldn't have to talk about it. You know, since I don't really know how to pronounce it.
I have thought about trying this before. In fact, I had gone so far as to buy not one, but two, packages of vital wheat gluten in anticipation of trying this recipe. (I forgot I had bought the first one, and so I bought the second. I am frighteningly well-organized.)
ANYWAY...
Having zipped around the internet for quite some time, I had settled on this recipe:
http://veganplanet.blogspot.com/2008/03/slow-cooker-seitan-pot-roast.html
You'll have to copy and paste the link in to your browser. I am so sorry, but I just cannot seem to successfully post a link here. Can somebody help me figure that out, please?
You know what? Screw it. I am copying and pasting the recipe here:
Slow-Cooker Seitan Pot Roast
This is an easier version of the pot roast recipe in Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker.
Important: You may need to adjust your cooking time according to the quirks of your own crockpot. The one I used for this recipe cooks fast — if I had used one of my other slow cookers, it would have taken nearly twice as long.
1 sweet yellow onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 pound baby carrots
1 pound small red-skinned potatoes, halved or quartered
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup vegetable stock
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
2 cups wheat gluten flour
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 cup water or vegetable stock, or more as needed
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup or tomato sauce
1. Arrange the onion, carrots, and potatoes in the bottom of a lightly oiled slow cooker. Season the vegetables to taste with salt and pepper and add the stock, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon each of the thyme and marjoram.
2. In a large bowl, combine the wheat gluten flour, onion powder, garlic powder, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon each of thyme and marjoram, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Add the water or stock, soy sauce, and ketchup. Mix well, adding a little more water if the mixture is too dry, then knead for 2 minutes until smooth. Shape the gluten to fit inside your cooker and place on top of the vegetables. (You can place it on top of a piece of aluminum foil or wrap it in cheesecloth, if desired, to keep its shape). Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours (or longer, depending on your slow cooker), or until the seitan and vegetables are cooked.
3. To serve, remove the vegetables and seitan from the slow cooker. Cut the seitan into slices and arrange them on a serving platter. Surround with the vegetables and spoon the cooking liquid over all or transfer the cooking liquid to a saucepan and thicken into a gravy.
Serves 4
For the record, I didn't have any marjoram, so I skipped it ~ which is okay, because I have never liked the flavour of marjoram, anyway.
Several hours in, I realized the top of my seitan was just not cooking, while the bottom looked done already. I decided to turn it over, hoping it would finish cooking in time for dinner. Upon further investigation, I found that the broth was rather flavourless. I found a packet of Hain Vegetarian Brown Gravy MIx, stirred that in to about 1/2 cup water, added it to the crockpot and turned the whole thing to high.
In the end, it did finish cooking, and we decided it was not bad.
(Going to stop taking pics in my kitchen. The florescent lighting makes everything look a little greeinsh)
Shane found it reminiscent of pepper steak (a green pepper in the pot would probably have helped sell that angle). I suggested using a vegetarian beef flavour bouillon as the liquid that is mixed in to the gluten instead of water next time. I think that will give it a richer, beefier flavour. Hallie suggested seasoning it more like chicken some time. I thought it tasted like pork. Shane disagreed, but he did like it. We decided, at the very least, it will serve as a good jumping off point, and definitely warrants more experimentation.
The next day, I tried slicing some of the leftover roast into very thin strips, mixing it a little bar-b-que sauce and heating it. Sooooooooooo good! I only wish I'd had some coleslaw and hot biscuits to go with it. When we had the leftovers for dinner, I prepared half of it that way (very thinly sliced and simmered in barbeque sauce). The other half I placed in a baking dish with stuffing in between the slices, drizzled with a little gravy, covered with foil and baked. Both variations were well received. (I will try to find pictures of these and add them later.)
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