I remember when I had my first homemade bean burger; I was shocked at the amazing flavor and texture. Those frozen patties are, I’m sorry to say, a poor imitation. Perhaps the mistake is trying to mimic meat as closely as possible when, in actuality, you can get much more creative with bean burgers. This version, while a little more time consuming than most (which often only involve blending together a variety of ingredients), uses caramelized onions and mushrooms to add extra depth of flavor, alongside cumin, paprika, and chipotle pepper. This versatile mix can be used not only to make burgers, but also for “meat”balls or even to replicate ground beef (cook loose in a pan, letting sit until browned and then stirring).
Tag: cheese
Summer Fajita Bowls
When I was a kid, I remember feeling annoyed when my parents would proclaim some fresh vegetable to be “as sweet as candy!” It seemed like such a blatant falsehood that I couldn’t believe these people who had so impressed on me the importance of being honest could dare to utter it. But maybe my taste buds have changed because I could’ve sworn this sweet corn I roasted tasted just like candy. Alongside other fresh summer produce – squash, bell peppers, onion, and jalapenos – also roasted until caramelized, it added a wonderfully savory sweet touch to these fajita bowls, rounded out by black beans and chorizo.
Cauliflower Blue Cheese Soup
I’m going to let you in on a secret – most places where people use potatoes, I use cauliflower, and it tastes even better. Cauliflower has lots of edges to get nice and browned when roasting or frying, and it also tastes much sweeter and more flavorful than potatoes to me. Of course, cauliflower is also significantly healthier than potatoes. By contrast to potatoes (the food with the highest correlation to weight gain in a recent longitudinal study), cauliflower is high in vitamin C and fiber and a wonderfully filling and nutritious ingredient. And, really, it tastes delicious. Like in this cauliflower blue cheese soup where it’s pureed with caramelized onions and then mixed with blue cheese and creme fraiche.
Shaved Squash Salad
Yet another simple summer recipe – only a few ingredients, but it still feels exciting. This was my first time eating raw squash, and I was pleasantly surprised by the taste, crisp and nutty. Combined with a tart lemon dressing, salty cheese, and the crunch of pistachios, the resulting salad is amazingly flavorful. But it’s still light enough to leave you feeling good afterwards. Great for a quick lunch or to bring along on a picnic.
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… Read the restRaw Kale Salad
In the recent summer heat that has quickly descended over DC, I’ve been finding it increasingly difficult to convince myself to turn on the stove or oven. The prospect of leaving the house to scrounge up a meal is equally unpleasant. So I’ve been eating a lot of simple food – fresh fruit and vegetables, mostly, that require little to no cooking. This raw kale salad has been a great standby, and after having heard so many others rave about raw kale, I finally understand why. The kale has a pleasantly chewy texture here and is packed with nutrients. Add chickpeas, mixed nuts, and avocados, and you have a salad that not only is amazingly flavorful, but also will make you feel truly good after eating it.
Blood Orange and Candied Walnut Salad
I was lucky enough to recently receive a nice bottle of grape must as a gift. Having never even heard of this ingredient, I set about doing some research on it (and, of course, taste testing). Grape must, as it turns out, is essentially freshly pressed grape juice before it’s made into wine. Thick and sweet with just a little tartness, the taste is more reminiscent of raisins than your grocery store grape juice. In some countries, grape must is cooked down to form a thick syrup (called saba, pekmez, dibs, or grape molasses), and in fact, I even recall having eaten this before when in Lebanon (as a dessert with a soft mild cheese and whole wheat bread).
Pig in the Garden Salad
I recently visited Nashville and happened to stop in at a chain called Jim ‘n Nick’s BBQ. I had been told that their “Pig in the Garden” salad was outstanding, and although I usually like my pulled pork in sandwich form, I went with the recommendation. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the crisp lettuce and crunchy almonds were the perfect complement to the pulled pork, and the use of both salad dressing and barbecue sauce bordered on ingenious. Of course, it didn’t hurt that there was also bacon involved. Shortly after returning home, I set about attempting to recreate this salad, and I’m pleased to report that this homemade version is not only delicious but also simple to make.
Mushroom, Cannellini, and Tomato Stew
Does this stew today look a little extra appealing? That’s because I was lucky enough to be the recipient of a digital SLR camera as a holiday present from my boyfriend and parents (aw, they collaborated!). Hopefully this means I’ll be better able to represent my food from here on out, starting with this hearty stew.
Filling, delicious, and simple to make, this stew is filled with satisfying chunks of mushroom and white beans. I changed up the spicing from the original recipe, opting to go for a hefty dose of smoked paprika (one of my favorite spices) as I find the smoky flavor is a great complement to the fresh parsley.
Pumpkin Risotto
We’re approaching the end of pumpkin season, so I’ve been posting my very best pumpkin recipes last week and this week. Luckily, pumpkins keep well for a couple months (and my pumpkin puree will keep good for 6 months or more when frozen) which means after you buy up those last pumpkins, you’ll have ample time to cook these delicious recipes!
I can see why pumpkin (and butternut squash) risotto shows up on a lot of menus around this time of year. This restaurant darling is fairly simple to make and packed with flavor, and the risotto easily takes on a beautiful orange color from the pumpkin puree.
Stuffed Pumpkin
We’re approaching the end of pumpkin season, so I’ll be posting my very best pumpkin recipes this week and next week. Luckily, pumpkins keep well for a couple months (and my pumpkin puree will keep good for 6 months or more when frozen) which means after you buy up those last pumpkins, you’ll have ample time to cook these delicious recipes!
This recipe manages to be both simple and impressive. Placing a whole cooked pumpkin in the center of the table is sure to elicit compliments from your dinner companions, and the combination of cooked pumpkin flesh with bread, cheese, bacon, spinach, and apple is perfect for fall.