Veggie Burger

Ingredients:

2 cans black beans (I used S&W Organic Black beans, which did not need to be drained and rinsed, but another brand’s beans might need to be drained and rinsed), mashed with a potato masher
1/2 onion, minced
1/2 beet, finely shredded
1/2 stick carrot, finely shredded
2 inches red pepper, finely diced
2 inches green pepper, finely diced
1 tsp garlic (I use the bottled diced kind from Costco)
1/2 can Old El Paso green chilies, mild
1/4 bunch finely chopped parsley
1 tsp cumin (to taste)
1 tsp cholula (to taste)
1/4 tsp white pepper (to taste)
1 tsp salt (to taste)
1 egg
3/4 c breadcrumbs (or as needed to get desired consistency)

Directions:

1. Place beans in large bowl. Mash until half mashed (or desired consistency).
2. Add all ingredients except egg and breadcrumbs. Mix well.
3. Add egg. Mix well.
4. Add breadcrumbs. Mix until the consistency is such that you can form patties.
5. Put in refrigerator for 1 hour to let the flavors blend.
6. Grill on grill, or cook on stove like a pancake – which take around 8 min on each side, or bake, which takes around 10 min on each side at 375F. Makes 4 (ish?) patties.
7. Enjoy with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onion, mustard, mayo, ketchup, ranch dressing, whatever you happen to like. 🙂
8. Leftover uncooked patties can be frozen. I’d separate with wax paper and then cook as per directions in #6 above. No need to defrost before cooking. This makes a quick, easy and filling weeknight meal, particularly if you’ve done the prep work beforehand and frozen a bunch of patties.

Easy Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients:

1 stick butter
3 cloves minced garlic
1 package Philadelphia cream cheese (NOT LOW FAT!! OR ANY OTHER BRAND!!)
2 c whole milk (can replace with 2%, half and half, or cream, but not skim)
6 oz finely shredded Parmesan cheese (NOT KRAFT!!)
salt to taste
pepper to taste
nutmeg to taste

Directions:

1. NOTE: have pasta ready before making sauce
2. Heat butter on stove over medium heat.
3. Add garlic.
4. Add room temperature cream cheese. Whisk. Get it as smooth as you can.
5. Add warm milk. Whisk till smooth. DO NOT boil.
6. Add parmesan. DO NOT bring to boil or it WILL separate. Whisk till smooth.
7. Take off heat.
8. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.
9. Sauce will get thicker as it cools.
10. Add sauce to pasta and enjoy!

TFL’s Pav Recipe

This is a version of pav from one of the commenters on The Fresh Loaf.

Makes 12 Pull Apart Buns

Recipe Source: Bakingyummies

Ingredients
400 grams / 14 ounces all purpose or plain flour
2 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 + 1/2 teaspoons regular salt
1+1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
210 grams / 7.4fl ounces water at room temperature
2 tablespoons melted butter to brush on top of the baked buns

Method
Mix the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the yeast and mix.

Make a well in the center of the flour and pour the water. Please click here and follow the steps till the initial proofing stage. You can either use a stand mixer with the dough hook or your hands to knead the dough.

Knock back the dough. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Divide the dough into twelve equal size pieces. Shape each piece into a round and smooth it by pressing the ball to expel any air bubbles. Now form your palm into a cup shape and roll the ball against the counter with the help of the palm until it forms a smooth and round ball.

Place all the shaped balls on the baking sheet with about an inch gap between each. Cover the pan loosely with a cling film or a tea towel. At this stage if you want, you can place the pan in the refrigerator to be baked early in the morning or a day later.

Once the buns are almost double in size, preheat the oven to 200 degrees C / 390 degrees F. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 mins or until the rolls are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped at the bottom. Alternatively, you can check if the buns are done with a food thermometer as well. It should register at least 80 degrees C / 180 degrees F.

Corn Mush

Ingredients:

1 c frozen corn, cooked in the bag according to instructions
1/4 onion, chopped finely
1 clove garlic, sliced
a few chives, chopped finely
2 tbsp butter
1.5 tbsp flour
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 c almond milk (cold) [I use Silk Almond Milk, Original]
1/2 c water (cold)
cayenne pepper to taste
paprika to taste
black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In saucepan, heat butter. Add flour. Mix well.
2. Add onion and green onion. Let cook 5 min until roux is golden. Add garlic, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and paprika.
3. Add almond milk slowly. Mix well. Add water. Mix well.
4. Add corn. Add salt.
5. Spoon out 1/3 of mixture (solid and liquid) and blend. Put back in pot.
6. Let come to boil. Serve.
7. Enjoy!

 

Syrian Falafel

Falafel

NOTE: Do NOT NOT NOT use canned chick peas or your recipe will break apart when frying. Ask me how I know..

TO SOAK THE NIGHT BEFORE:

450g/1lb dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in cold water, with 1 tsp baking soda
handful fresh coriander leaves
handful fresh parsley leaves
1 garlic clove
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp coriander seeds
25g/1oz sesame seeds

GARNISH

1 litre/1¾ pints vegetable oil
good pinch sumac, to garnish

1. Drain the chickpeas and tip two-thirds of them into a saucepan, reserving the last third for the falafels. Cover with water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 45–50 minutes, or until tender. Alternatively, cook in a pressure cooker for 20 minutes. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid.
2. Meanwhile, to make the falafels, put the reserved uncooked chickpeas in a food processor and blend with the fresh coriander, parsley, garlic, spices and sesame seeds. Add a little warm water if the mixture is too thick. Season to taste. Shape into 20 falafels.
3. Deep fry. Drain on paper towel lined plate.

Tahini Sauce

3 tbsp tahini
3 tbsp plain yoghurt
good squeeze lemon juice

1. Blend all ingredients until smooth.

To Make the Falafel Sandwich

2 large Arabic flatbreads (or pita bread)
1 beef tomato, sliced
2 pickles, sliced
handful fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
½ lemon
salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Andhra Spinach

From Saveur and Madhur Jaffrey

SERVES 2-4

Ingredients

1⁄4 cup oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1⁄4 tsp. fenugreek seeds (methi)
12 fresh or frozen curry leaves (limdo)
9 cloves garlic, 3 halved lengthwise, 6 minced
1 yellow onion, minced
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. red chile powder, such as cayenne
1⁄2 tsp. ground turmeric
1 (2″) piece ginger, peeled and grated
Kosher salt, to taste
3 lb. baby spinach

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a 12″ nonstick skillet over medium-high.
2. Cook cumin seeds until they pop, 1–2 minutes.
3. Add fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, and halved garlic; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Add onion; cook until golden, 10–12 minutes.
5. Add minced garlic, the coriander, chile powder, turmeric, ginger, and salt; cook until garlic is golden, 2–3 minutes.
6. Stir in spinach; cook until wilted and slightly dry, 6–8 minutes.

NOTE: This was terrific. Even the spinach haters in my family loved it. Five stars!!

Raw Tomatillo Salsa

By Rick Bayless

Makes 1.5 cups

Ingredients:

4 medium (about 8 ounces total) tomatillos, husked, rinsed and quartered
1large garlic clove, peeled and quartered
Hot green chiles to taste (I like 2 serranos or 1 jalapeno), stemmed and roughly chopped
1/2 to 2/3cup (loosely packed) roughly chopped cilantro
Salt

Directions:

1. Combine tomatillos, garlic, chile and cilantro in a blender jar or food processor.
2. Add 1/4 cup water and a generous 1/2 teaspoon salt.
3. Process to a coarse puree.
4. If using a blender, begin blending on low, at first pulsing to get the mixture moving evenly through the blender blades.
5. Pour into a salsa dish and thin with a little more water if necessary to give the salsa an easily spoonable consistency.
6. Taste and season with additional salt, if you think necessary.
7. Serve right away.

Baked Potato Soup

I had this at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and it’s SOOOO GOOOOD!! (Score one for hospital food!)

This is my approximation of that recipe.

YIELD: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 small onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 stalk celery, diced
1 clove garlic, diced (optional)
4 small gold potatoes, baked

1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 c milk (optional – if can’t tolerate milk, use water)
1/2 c water

Garnish:

salt and pepper to taste (pepper is optional, don’t use if you can’t tolerate it)
1 tsp fresh parsley, minced (optional)
1/4 c cheddar or pepper jack cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. In skillet or omelette pan or wok, cook onion, celery, carrot and garlic over medium heat until tender. Set aside.
2. In soup pot, add butter, let melt. Add flour, let brown. Add veggies, let sizzle. Add milk and water, let mix and thicken. Scoop out insides of three potatoes, add into soup pot. Let cook well and then let cool a little.
3. Blend to desired consistency (optional step).
4. Put blended soup back in soup pot. Add scooped out insides of last potato. Let cook for five minutes.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add parsley and cheese for garnish.
6. Enjoy!

Note: The optional stuff is what I added in that the hospital did not. If you’re on a healthy eating plan of some sort, keep the optionals optional 🙂 If you can’t tolerate solid food, make sure you blend very well, and skip the part in step five where you add in the unblended scooped out insides of the last potato.

KAF Hard Rolls

Yield: 12 small rolls.

STARTER

1/2 cup cool water
1 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/8 teaspoon instant yeast

DOUGH

all of the starter
3 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 cup lukewarm water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast

EGG WASH

1 large egg white mixed with 1-2 tablespoon cool water

Instructions

DAY 1: Making the starter: (15 minutes)

Mix the starter ingredients together until smooth, cover, and let rest at room temperature overnight.

DAY 2: Making the rolls: (4 hours rise time, 3 hours fridge time, 30 min bake time) — these rolls are an ALL DAY affair.

1. Combine all of the dough ingredients and mix and knead them together — by hand, mixer or bread machine — until you’ve made a soft, somewhat smooth dough; it should be cohesive, but the surface may still be a bit rough. It may also stick to the bowl just the tiniest bit.
2. LET RISE 1 HOUR, then deflate and turn over.
3. LET RISE 2 HOURS, then deflate and turn over.
4. Shape dough into 12 balls.
5. LET RISE 1-2 HOURS, UNTIL PUFFY.
6. REFRIGERATE the rolls, covered, for 2-3 hours.
7. Preheat oven to 425 F.
8. MAKE EGG WASH. Brush onto rolls.
9. Slash a 1/4″ deep cut across the top of each roll. Immediately put the rolls into the oven.
10. Bake the rolls for 20 to 25 minutes, until they’re a deep golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.
11. OR, for best crunch, open the oven door, and allow the rolls to cool in the turned-off, open-door oven.

Hard Rolls (Half Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 packages (1 tbsp) active dry yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
1 c warm water
1/2 tbsp kosher salt
1/2 c gluten flour OR bread flour
2-2.5 c soft wheat flour OR cake flour OR pastry flour

cornmeal
egg wash (1 egg white + 2 tbsp water)

Directions:

1. Combine yeast, sugar and warm water in large bowl. Let stand until frothy.
2. Mix salt and gluten flour and add to yeast mixture.
3. Add soft wheat flour, 1 c at a time, until you have a firm dough.
4. Remove to a lightly floured board and knead until no longer sticky, around 10 min, adding flour as necessary.
5. Place in oiled bowl, and turn to coat the surface of the dough.
6. Cover and let rise 2 h or until doubled in bulk.
7. Punch down the dough.
8. Turn out onto a floured board and knead for 2 min.
9. Cut dough into 24 pieces and form into balls.
10. Place on baking sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal.
11. Slash the tops of the rolls.
12. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 min.
13. Place 4 custard cups of boiling water on the corners of your oven rack.
14. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
15. Brush rolls with egg wash.
16. Place the baking sheet on the rack and bake for 25 to 30 min
17. Bake until the rolls are nicely browned and sound hollow when tapped.
18. Remove to a rack to cool.

NOTE: Original recipe has a salt water wash, and requires the oven be opened every 5 minutes to reglaze with salt water. Opening and closing the oven so many times increases the cooking time. Glazing with salt water makes the buns ridiculously salty. KAF has the same recipe, seems like they borrowed heavily from James Beard, and just changed his salt wash to an egg wash. Having made the original James Beard recipe, I can totally see why.