Black Bean and Quinoa Burgers

When I was about 13 I decided I no longer wanted to eat red meat. This was after years of being far too pickey about the meat I would eat, and it just felt easier to avoid this whole category of protein. This decision was followed by an introduction to veggie burgers, a food group I have been studying closely ever since that time. As I've become a better cook I have experimented with different veggie burger recipes, but too often the mushy product was flavorful but hard to eat.

These Bulgur Burgers were the first breakthrough we've had with homemade veggie burgers, and Joe and I have made them a couple times in the last year. But I was still searching for the perfect recipe, one that I could double and freeze. I've been wanting to end our relationship with grocery store frozen veggie burgers, which are filled with too many questionable things to be considered good for you. The recipe below is one I discovered at a grilling class at The Chopping Block, and I think it has won the coveted spot of best homemade veggie burger. The recipe made 8 burgers, and after grilling them all we froze the leftovers. They were perfect to pull out on a busy night, as a more natural alternative to the boxes of frozen patties that we'd gotten so used to. I loved serving it on a bed of lemony arugula, and we also enjoyed these on a traditional bun. Even our meat-loving guest we served these to said she loved them!

Take a minute to check out The Chopping Blog, where I also shared my experiences with this recipe and other creative grilling ideas!

Quinoa and Black Bean Burgers with Chipotle Mayonnaise

From The Chopping Block Vegetarian Grill class

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, medium dice

1/2 cup quinoa

1 cup water

1 cup cooked or canned black beans, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

3/4 cup walnuts

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup packed cilantro sprigs

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup flour

1/2 to 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Chipotle Mayonnaise (recipe below)

2 cups arugula

Lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat a sauté pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Sauté the onion until caramelized, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the quinoa and toast for 1 minute.

2. Add the water, bring to a boil, and then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook, covered, until the water is absorbed, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and rest, covered, for 10 minutes.

3. Place the cooked quinoa in a food processor and add the black beans, soy sauce, walnuts, garlic, cilantro, cumin and cayenne in a food processor until finely chopped. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a mixing bowl and fold in the flour, 1/2 cup panko and eggs. If the mixture is very loose, stir in the rest of the panko.

4. Form rounded 1/2 cups of mixture into four (3 1/2-inch-diameter) patties. Chill until firm, at least 20 minutes. (Patties may be frozen at this point.)

5. Preheat a grill to medium-high heat. Set up a grill grate with narrow slats to support the burgers.

6. Place the burgers on the grill and cook until browned and crisp on the outside and warm all the way through, about 5 minutes per side.

7. Place the burgers on a platter and top each with a dollop of Chipotle Mayonnaise.

8. Toss the arugula with the lemon juice and olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Top each burger with the dressed greens and serve.

Chipotle Mayonnaise

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 chipotle pepper, minced

Juice of 1/2 lime

2 tablespoons cilantro, rough chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Mix together the mayonnaise, chipotle pepper, lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper.

Bran Muffins Two Ways

A month or two ago I had a sudden urge to find a recipe for healthy bran muffins. I am not sure what gave me this idea, but I am so glad I took the time to test out these two recipes. They are the PERFECT portable breakfast! I am amazed at how moist and flavorful these two muffins are, and they are seriously low in fat and calories without compromising flavor at all. Between the blueberry and banana muffins, I have probably made at least 6 dozen of these in the last month or two. I keep a few fresh ones, and put the rest in the freezer. They hold up really well, and can be pulled out and microwaved one or two at a time. Muffins are such a great portable breakfast, and these ones give you that convenience without giving in to a sugary, fatty alternative.

Banana Bran Muffins
from allrecipes.com

1/4 cup unsweetend applesauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 bananas, mashed
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup wheat flour
3/4 cup wheat bran
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a muffin pan or line with paper muffin liners.

2.In a large mixing bowl, mix applesauce and brown sugar together until fluffy. Add bananas, milk, vanilla and egg; mix well. Stir in both flours, bran, baking powder, soda and salt; blend just until moistened. Stir in walnuts. Pour batter into prepared muffin cups.

3.Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, until the top of the muffin springs back when lightly tapped. Cool in the cups for 5 minutes, then remove muffins and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Blueberry Bran Muffins
from allrecipes.com

1 1/2 cups wheat bran
1 cup nonfat milk
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup blueberries

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or use paper muffin liners. Mix together wheat bran and milk, and let stand for 10 minutes.

2.In a large bowl, mix together applesauce, egg, brown sugar, and vanilla. Beat in bran mixture. Sift together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir into bran mixture until just blended. Fold in blueberries. Scoop into muffin cups.

3.Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tops spring back when lightly tapped.

Focusing on our food

Lately I haven't been posting very often, for a variety of reasons. First, I'm working as a nanny for two families, plus working at the Chopping Block. I don't get to cook dinner more than a few nights a week, and dinners tend to be what I blog about most often. But there is another reason, too. I have been cooking much more based on the season, as I am inspired by the ingredients I find at farmer's markets and in our bi-weekly CSA box. I admire the people who are able to create their own accurate recipes, to instruct you on how they make up their own dishes. I, however, am not one of those people. I start with a basic recipe in mind, and then add a little of this and a splash of that until it's right. Sometimes I model my cooking off a published recipe; other times I get a vision and just go with it! Here are a couple examples of what I've cooked lately:

Grilled polenta squares with chard and onions, topped with zucchini, cannellini bean, and tomato sauce.

Clean the fridge pesto-- the usual basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan, etc... plus some random cheese, fresh baby spinach, and whatever else I could find! I just kept adding and tasting until it was perfect.

I found 8-ball (or round) zucchini at the farmers market, and knew they would be great if I stuffed them. I grilled them, then hollowed them out. I filled them with an herbed ricotta mixture, then sauteed mushrooms, and topped them with a yellow pepper and tomato mix. They were a little more soggy than I would have liked, but the flavor was great!

Paying attention to what is local and in season has been so much fun! I am challenging myself to be a creative cook, and Joe and I have been eating some delicious meals. Additionally, we've been paying more attention to limiting our processed food intake, and I think we both feel better overall about the food we're eating. It does take some commitment to eat this way, but I feel so much better about the food that is going into my body. Eating this way is better for me, the planet, and the local economy!

**stepping off my soapbox**

Sorry if that got preachy! I just wanted to let you all know that I'm still cooking and eating quite well here in the windy city... just in a way that doesn't involve much sharing of recipes :) I hope you are enjoying fresh summer produce where you live! And if you have some time and grocery money to spare, I will encourage you to look into local, organic meat, eggs, and milk. It takes more legwork, but in my opinion is worth it!

(when did I become such a hippie?!)

Tuna Potato Salad with Green Beans

When I'm pressed to choose a favorite food, potatoes are always towards the top of my list. I love them as a part of every meal, from crispy hash browns to creamy mashed potatoes. Potatoes are great on their own, and also work very well as part of a dish. I love potato salad, and I think this recipe finally gives me an excuse to purely eat potato salad for dinner!

I must also point out that the dressing for this salad is amazing. It is a classic French dressing with shallots, white wine vinegar, and grainy mustard. We had a little extra left over, and I used it to dress a salad we made later in the week. It was a perfect complement for this salad, comprised of butter leaf lettuce, colorful tomatoes, wax beans, and feta cheese.

But, back to the point, this potato and tuna salad is amazing. It's a complete meal on it's own, and would also be beautiful as part of a larger spread. It is fresh and bursting with flavor, especially when you use the farm-fresh produce that is so abundant this time of year! My salad included farmer's market potatoes and tomatoes, and basil from my own back porch. Make sure to buy chunk light tuna, especially if you can find it packed in olive oil instead of water. It gives it the European flair that this salad deserves. Sit on your porch with a little chilled french wine, and you'll almost be able to taste the French countryside!

Warm Tuna and Potato Salad

from My French Kitchen by Joanne Harris and Fran Warde

For the Dressing:

2 shallots, finely diced

3 Tbsp white wine vinegar

2 Tbsp grainy mustard

sea salt, to taste

freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For the Salad:

1 lb small red or white skinned potatoes

6 oz hericots verts (or thin green beans)

olive oil, for the pan

8 oz cherry tomatoes

6 oz tuna, in olive oil, drained

4 salt packed anchovies, filleted and cut lengthwise into thin strips

1 large bunch of basil

For the dressing, put the shallots, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper into a jar and shake, or combine with a whisk in a medium bowl. Then, add oil and shake again, or slowly whisk the oil into the bowl.

Gently cook the potatoes in their skins, in a saucepan of lightly salted, simmering water for 20 minutes. Drain potatoes, cut them in half, and place in a salad bowl. Pour the dressing over, and toss to coat the warm potatoes.

Plunge the green beans lightly into salted boiling water and cook for two minutes. Drain well and add the warm beans to the potatoes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly brush a baking sheet with olive oil, toss the cherry tomatoes in oil, and roast for 10 minutes. Add the hot tomatoes to the potatoes and green beans.

Flake and add the tuna, along with the anchovy strips, and gently mix. Tear up the basil, scatter over the salad, and serve at once.

Barley 'Risotto'

The weather in Chicago has been kind of crazy this summer. This week it's been oppressively hot (at least in my opinion), but a couple weeks ago it was raining daily and not feeling very summery at all. I made this dish during that time, and I will be the first to admit I would only serve it in this heat if it were a chilled version. But if you're having cooler weather in your part of the country, give this a try soon. And if you're in an area with crazy humidity and too many hot days in a row, then file this away for later. Trust me, you want to try this recipe.



Barley risotto is not something I made up, and if you look at food blogs very often then you've probably seen it numerous times already. But it sometimes takes me a while to catch on to these things, which is why I'm posting a 'risotto' in July! This recipe came from my desire to use some ingredients I already had in my kitchen-- specifically, spinach, artichokes, and barley. I guess the artichokes were in a can, so I could have left them for a while, but I can't resist the combination of spinach and artichokes.



I modeled my recipe off of one I found on Smitten Kitchen, but it's a pretty flexible recipe. The absorption cooking method is the same as with a rice-based version, and there is no end to the add-ins you could use. Add whatever veggies look good at the store, or brown some sausage and mix it in towards the end. Play around with the type of wine, or try a different type of stock. This recipe is a keeper either way!

Barley Risotto with Spinach and Artichoke Hearts
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, who adapted generously from Food and Wine

5 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/2 cup white wine (optional)
1 cup pearled barley (7 ounces)
3 cups chopped baby spinach
1 can quartered artichoke hearts, drained

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a medium saucepan, bring the vegetable stock to a simmer over moderately high heat. Reduce the heat to low and keep warm.

In a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and thyme and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 6 minutes. Add the barley and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the wine if using and cook, stirring until absorbed, about one minute. Add 1 cup of the warm stock and cook, stirring, until nearly absorbed. Continue adding the stock 1/2 cup at a time in six additions — you’ll have a cup of stock left in the pot — stirring until it is nearly absorbed between additions. Most barley risottos are done when the barley is al dente and suspended in a thick, creamy sauce, about 35 minutes. Stir it in until the risotto is on the loose side, then add the spinach and let it wilt and then cook for an additional minute. Add the artichokes and cook until they are warmed through, adding more stock if the risotto becomes too thick. Stir in the 1/2 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano and the butter and season with salt and pepper. Serve at once, passing more cheese at the table.

Mediterrenean Grilled Vegetable Wraps

These wraps were inspired by a recent lunch we hosted at The Chopping Block. I love eating wraps at restaurants, but haven't messed around much with making them at home. When we made a bunch of these sandwiches at work, I realized how easy it was, and how one night of grilling could result in 3 nights of lunch or dinner. The pieces of this wrap stayed separate until it was time to make dinner, so everything was fresh tasting and ready to go. I did all the grilling at once, then peeled and sliced the red peppers, and sliced up all the other veggies. I mixed the cooked vegetables with salt, pepper, and just a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar. This mix of grilled vegetables went into the fridge, where it sat waiting to become a fresh Mediterranean wrap.

Grill the peppers until they are completely charred, then put them into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let them steam in the bowl for 15 minutes or so, and then take the plastic wrap off to let them cool. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, the skins should easily peel off. Then, cut out the seeds and core inside the pepper, and slice the peppers into bite sized pieces.

Grill each vegetable until it is done. The mushrooms are easy on skewers, or also great in a grill basket. The eggplant, mushrooms, and zucchini will cook at different rates, so take each vegetable off the heat when it is grilled to your taste.

Now, to assemble the wraps, start with a large tortilla. Mine were spinach flavor, and made specifically for wrapping. Smear on some hummus, and top with fresh spinach leaves. Pile on some grilled vegetables, then top with crumbled feta cheese and freshly ground pepper. Wrap like a burrito, cut into two halves, and enjoy!

I made a total of six wraps out of the following ingredients:

Wrap-size tortillas (pack of 6)

One tub of hummus

1 pack of organic baby spinach (some spinach was leftover)

2 red peppers

1 large eggplant

2 medium zucchini

1 package baby bella mushrooms

4 ounces Greek feta cheese

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

We are in the midst of summer party season, with holidays and weekend cookouts abounding. I decided to mark the beginning of my 27th year of life by having a party this year, and of course even a late-night, beer drinking party can't be done without tasty party snacks! I promised myself I would keep it simple, with bags of tortilla and pita chips. I made a regular hummus and a lemon basil version, using fresh herbs from my little "garden" out back. These two dips were a hit, served with the pita chips and fresh veggies. I knew I wanted salsa, and this vegetable filled version is quick and so much more flavorful than a jar of processed salsa from the grocery store.

I have been making this salsa since I set out on my own, and my mom made it for years before that. It's from the Colorado Collage cookbook, a great collection put out by the Junior League of Denver. I took it up a notch this time by grilling fresh corn, but it's also great with a simple bag of the frozen variety. You just toss together the fresh ingredients, let the flavors marry, then toss in fresh tomatoes right before serving. It's especially good later in the summer, when you can get local, in season corn and tomatoes. The salsa is amazing as a part of a Mexican spread, but is also great as part of any American cookout menu. It is rare to see a warm weather party at my house where this salsa doesn't make an appearance. Enjoy!



Black Bean and Corn Salsa
from Colorado Collage Cookbook

15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

16 oz corn, fresh or frozen and defrosted

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/3 cup fresh lime juice

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 Tbsp cumin

salt and pepper, to taste

1/3 cup seeded and chopped tomatoes

Combine all ingredients except the tomatoes. Cover and chill at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Just before serving, chop the tomatoes and fold into the corn and bean mixture. Adjust seasoning as needed, and serve with tortilla chips.