Category: Food

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Black Bean Burger Recipes for my Gluten Free & Vegan Friends

I was recently at a barbecue party this past weekend with friends.  The typical choices were there – hamburgers, hot dogs, and veggie burgers.  But, some of my friends who were vegetarian (no meat) and gluten free were out of luck.

The veggie burgers had gluten added.  I suggested one of my black bean “burger” recipes and many asked that I post it here.  The first recipe is not a vegan dish as egg, sour cream, and cheese are added.  A vegan friendly recipe is posted as a second recipe below.

Ingredients

  • 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup cooked brown rice
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 6 tablespoons salsa, divided
  • 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
  • 4 lettuce leaves
  • 4 slices reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
  • 4 gluten -free hamburger buns, split

Directions

In a large bowl, mash beans with a fork. Add the rice, onion, egg and 2 tablespoons salsa; mix well. Drop by 1/2 cupfuls into a large nonstick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray. Flatten to 1/2-in. thickness. Cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until firm and browned.If grilling, spray some oil on to tin foil so that the burgers don’t stick to the grill and fall apart.

In a small bowl, combine sour cream and remaining salsa. Place a lettuce leaf, burger, sour cream mixture and slice of cheese on bun.

NOTE: When I make this for myself, I leave out the salsa and sour cream and eat with the lettuce leaves.

For my Vegan fans
This makes 6 medium-sized burgers:1 can black beans (about 16 ounces), drained and rinsed
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/4 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder of choice
2 tbsp ground flax seed
(1 tbsp. corn starch, optional)Start by sauteing the onion in a tablespoon of water, just until they start to soften. Mash the black beans and add the peppers and onions and the other ingredients; mix well.Spray or brush a non-stick skillet with oil, and heat. Spoon the bean mixture into the hot skillet, forming patties. It’s best to do this by dropping spoonfuls into the skillet and using the back of the spoon to shape; they don’t do well if you try to form them into patties beforehand. Cook until well-browned on each side, turning once.  If you use a barbecue grill, place tin foil on the grill and spray some oil on the foil.  Cook the burgers on top of that.  It keeps them vegan safe and helps prevent them from falling apart.A note about the cornstarch: The cornstarch helps the burgers stick together, but if you use it, be sure you cook them thoroughly or you may taste the corn starch.

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Chinese Spicy Chicken Recipe

I must apologize to my fans.  I’ve been remiss in entering stories and recipes on my blog.  I’ve been busily preparing for new season, planning shows, doing further research, writing articles, etc. I hope you all will be able to forgive me.

I plan on not disappointing.  Going off of the beaten track, I thought I would offer readers something different this time.  Below is an Asian dish that has been 4291_90601597470_86152807470_2339105_7366297_nmodernized for today’s kitchen.  A fairly easy recipe that busy people can cook eat or save in bulk for future meals.

In the near future I hope to offer more of my traditional faire of cuisines.

Feeds 4:

Chilli chicken

  • 10 small skinless chicken drumsticks
  • 3/4 cup of dark soy sauce
  • 1 large onion
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 4 green finger chillies
  • 2 tbsp sunflower oil

Soak the chicken in the soy sauce. Chop the onion into large pieces, the chillies into little ones and slice the garlic.

In a wok or kadai, bring the oil to heat on high. When it’s hot, fry the garlic until golden then add all the other ingredients and stir every few minutes until the chicken is cooked. You’ll know because the chicken will separate from the bone. While it’s cooking make the noodles.

Hakka noodles

  • 1/2 package of medium egg noodles
  • 1 large tea mug shredded cabbage
  • 1 large tea mug shredded carrot
  • 1 green pepper
  • 5 spring onions
  • 1.5 tbsp chilli garlic sauce (any Chinese one will do nicely)
  • 1.5 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp white vinegar
  • 1 garlic clove
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 tbsp flavourless white oil

Cook the noodles and set aside. Chop the garlic clove and mix it together with the sauces. Slice the green pepper finely and chop the spring onions.

Next, bring the oil to heat on high in a wok or kadai. When the oil starts sizzling, pour in the sauce mixture and in a few seconds the vegetables, bar one chopped spring onion. Cook for about two minutes until they soften, then mix in the cooked noodles, add salt and pepper to taste.

Sprinkle the noodles with the remaining chopped spring onion and eat straightaway.

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Cold and Flu Season Food-Related Remedies

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Photo courtesy of Deadbishop.org/gallery

As we progress into winter, more of us are encountering the cold and flu season.   There are several home remedies that don’t necessarily cure the cold, but they do help with the symptoms.  Below are a pair of recipes that are my favorites.

Alice’s Tea

1 part dried ginger root, shredded
1 part dried licorice root, shredded
1 part dried peppermint leaves

Blend well and add hot water.  It should create a spicy tea that helps the throat and calms an anxious stomach.  This tea is also good for performers (actors and singers) as it is a better treatment for the throat than cough lozenges and calms stage fright.  No lemon or honey will be needed for this tea.

Asian Chicken Soup

One of my family’s favorite recipes for the sick is my Asian influenced Chicken Noodle/Vegetable Soup.  The secret to this recipe is baby/young ginger root that can be acquired at various Asian markets.  It is sweeter than standard ginger and contains vitamins C, B6, B12, A, antioxidants, and beta carotene.  It’s tasty too.

1 quart chicken broth
1 quarter chicken, skinned and de-boned
2 medium sized carrots
2 cloves of garlic
2 pieces of baby ginger, minced or sliced
1/2 cup of pea pods
1/4 cup of green onions, diced
1/4 cup of shelled edemade/soybeans
Rice noodles or rice
Salt or pepper to taste
optional ingredients: red peppers, bean sprouts, water chestnuts, baby corn, mushrooms, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, cabbage, and cilantro

Begin my putting the broth on low heat and cut up the chicken.  Saute the chicken in a separate pan to slightly brown it before adding it to the broth.  While browning, slice up the carrots, baby ginger, green onions, and garlic.  Add these vegetables with the chicken and then add to the broth.  Keep the soup on a low simmer.  Add the noodles or rice and continue cooking until almost done.  Add the pea pods and the soybeans and any other green vegetables.  The rice or noodles should be done, but the green vegetables should be served el dente – cooked, yet crisp.  Season with salt and black pepper.

This dish can become more colorful with the use of the optional vegetables and ingredients as well.  If it doesn’t cure you, it will certainly taste good and make you feel better.

I wish you all happiness in this season and hope for a great new year!

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Turkey with Pear Cider Gravy

Turkey is the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving table, but it can be tricky to get the bird both moist and fully cooked. Garnishing the breast with bacon bastes the white meat with fat while infusing it with porky flavor. Pears adds a note of autumn and partners up with the pear cider for sweet, full-flavored gravy.

What to buy: A fresh turkey will end up crispier and tastier. If you go with a frozen turkey, make sure it’s completely thawed before roasting (this will take several days in the refrigerator).

Game plan: To get an accurate reading, measure the temperature of the turkey on the inside of the thigh, and make sure the thermometer is not touching the bone.

INGREDIENTS

For the turkey:

1 (18- to 20-pound) fresh turkey

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 medium Bermuda or purple onions, peeled and halved

3 medium celery stalks, halved crosswise

10 medium garlic gloves, minced

6 medium ripe pears, such as Anjou or Asian

1 pound thinly sliced smoked bacon

For the gravy:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 stick)

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups chicken broth, at room temperature

8 medium sage leaves

5 sprigs fresh thyme

1 medium dried bay leaf

1 1/2 cups hard pear cider, like Ace Pear Cider

INSTRUCTIONS

For the turkey:

Heat the oven to 400°F. Remove the turkey from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature for 30 minutes.

Remove giblets and neck; reserve neck. Rinse out the turkey’s cavity and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. Trim most of the excess fat and skin from the neck and cavity, and make 3-inch slits through the skin where the legs meet the breast.

Rub turkey all over with 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil, then season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Season the cavity with salt and pepper, and place 1 onion half, 1 celery, and 1/5 of the minced garlic inside.

Place turkey in a large roasting pan. Arrange neck and remaining onions, celery pieces, and garlic cloves in the pan, and place in the oven. Roast turkey for 30 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350°F. Every 45 minutes, baste bird with pan drippings.

About 45 minutes before turkey is finished or when the internal temperature of the inner thigh reaches 145°F, cut pears in half and remove cores and stems. Brush each half with remaining 1 TB vegetable oil and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove turkey from the oven and overlap bacon strips across breast and around legs. If desired, secure bacon strips about 1 inch from edges with toothpicks. Arrange pear halves in the roasting pan and return turkey to the oven.

Roast turkey until the internal temperature of the inner thigh reaches 155°F. Remove from the oven and let rest uncovered while you prepare the gravy, or at least 30 minutes before carving. Remove pears to a serving platter, reserve onions, and discard any remaining solids in the roasting pan.

For the gravy:

Place 4 reserved pear halves and 1 reserved onion half in a food processor and purée until smooth, about 2 minutes. Reserve.

Make a roux by melting butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. When butter foams, add flour and whisk continuously until well combined. Cook until flour loses its raw flavor and starts to emit a toasty aroma, about 2 minutes. Whisk in chicken broth until smooth, add herbs and pear purée, and bring to a simmer.

Pour off as much grease as you can from the roasting pan without removing any of the pan juices and set the pan over two burners over medium heat. When the pan juices begin to sizzle, slowly pour in pear cider and cook, scraping up any browned bits with a flat spatula. Add cider mixture to gravy and stir to combine. Simmer until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper; strain gravy through a fine mesh strainer. Carve the turkey and serve with gravy.

Enjoy the feast.  I really like this dish with grilled sweet potato slices.

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Food Taboos

An interesting article on cultural food taboos.  I thought I would share. Read it here

It’s an interesting article.  Over the years, I’ve tried various foods in my travels.  Early on, I tried somethings I enjoyed like rattlesnake, venison, and elk, but more over I found things I didn’t like: squirrel, raccoon, and bear.  I benefited that my former father-in-law, was, at one time, the head of DNR for Northern Wisconsin.  Through him, I was able to try some of the more exotic meats.

Later, I’ve had the experience of trying other dishes: locusts, ants, dog, horse, etc.  All the while, learning about other cultures.  What did the dishes mean, why were certain spices used with dishes and not others.

Recently, I learned about my family’s internal cultures and associations.  Despite my interests in a lot of Middle Eastern flavors and dishes, my husband, who is a paramedic, associates some of the smells with various injuries and infections he has encountered while being on the job.  Despite being married nearly 8 years, I never knew this about him.  Being sympathetic, I now understand his aversion to certain foods and dishes.  I also have my own food taboos such as not eating internal organs, which includes casings for hot dogs and other sausages.  It’s rather humorous watching me eat a bratwurst when I have to skin it before eating.

In the future, I work very hard at making items that won’t cause him to associate dishes with his own work experiences.