Week 51: Black Bean Burgers

I've made "veggie burgers" before, but I enjoyed these way more than any others that I've made. I think that cooking them on the grill gave them a really great flavor. When I put it on the bun with all the fixings, I didn't even miss the meat.

One of my favorite things about this recipe was that you could use some of the reserved black bean mixture to make enchiladas later in the week. I would like to find more recipes that are two stages like that.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 1/2 STARS

INGREDIENTS
1/2 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained, divided
2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro leaves
2 teaspoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup bread crumbs (we used seasoned)
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
4 hamburger rolls
*We also added 1/2 a jalapeno for more flavor

DIRECTIONS
Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-low heat.

In a food processor, pulse onion, jalapeno, and garlic until finely chopped. Add 1 can black beans, cilantro, parsley, egg, and red pepper flakes and pulse to combine.

Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl, add the remaining can of black beans and the bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and mix until well combined.

Reserve 1/3 of the black bean mixture for Round 2 Recipe. Divide remaining mixture into 4 portions and form into patties. Place on hot oiled grill over medium-low heat and cook about 6 minutes a side or until heated through. Toast hamburger buns on a grill. Place a burger on the bottom of each bun. Top with lettuce, tomato and ketchup. Cover the burgers with the top of the bun and serve.

Use the leftovers from this recipe in Black Bean Enchiladas.

Week 50: Cool Asian Noodles With Tofu, Cashews, and Sesame Vinaigrette

Abby commented that she was looking for a cool-me-down recipe since her classroom has been really hot in the afternoons. This cold pasta dish...almost an Asian pasta salad...fit the bill. We DID make a few minor adjustments.

We used tempeh instead of tofu. This was kind of by mistake, but it was yummy anyway. We just steamed the tempeh according the the package directions, crumbled it in a bowl, and threw it in the bowl with the oils, lime juice, and salt so it could soak up all the yumminess. Through a little research I learned that tempeh is actually healthier than tofu. Since it's less processed, it has more protein and fiber than tofu.

We used roasted peanuts instead of roasted cashews, just out of personal preference.

We cut our carrots a little bigger than "shredded" which turned out to be just dandy.

We also decided that we might use whole wheat pasta if we made this again, and were actually buying spaghetti from the store rather than using what was already around the house.

Year of Yum Rating: 3 1/2 STARS

INGREDIENTS
5 ounces spaghetti (about a 1/3 of a box)
1 carrot, shredded
1 Kirby cucumber, cut into ¼-inch pieces
4 ounces firm tofu, cut into cubes
¼ cup chopped roasted cashews
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
kosher salt

DIRECTIONS
1.Cook the pasta according to the package directions; drain and run under cold water to cool.
2.In a large bowl, toss the pasta, carrot, cucumber, tofu, cashews, oils, lime juice, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
3.Divide the salad between 2 containers and refrigerate for up to 1 day.

Week 49: Grilled Cheese with Apples and Broccoli Soup

I already love grilled cheese, but adding the tartness of Granny Smith apples to the sandwich made it that much yummier! I originally had wanted to make parsnip soup to go with our sandwiches, but I had a little parsnip drama, so I found a broccoli soup recipe instead. I wanted a soup recipe that was a little lighter, and less creamy. It got its creaminess from a potato.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 1/2 STARS for the Sandwich, and 3 1/2 STARS for the soup

INGREDIENTS

Sandwich:
bread of your choice
cheddar cheese
Granny Smith apple
butter

Soup:
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 medium Yukon Gold potato, peeled and cubed
4 cups fresh broccoli, including stems, chopped
2 cups low-sodium, fat-free chicken or vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups nonfat milk

DIRECTIONS
Heat oil on medium heat in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Gently sauté onion and celery for 3-4 minutes, until onion is softened. Add potato and chopped broccoli, followed by the broth and milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

Allow soup to cool slightly, then transfer to a blender in 2-3 batches, and blend until smooth. Return soup to pot and heat gently until ready to serve. In the meantime, make your delicious sandwiches.

Week 48: Ground Beef Pitas

Abby got this recipe from "Real Simple" magazine. I was thrilled at this choice, because I have been craving red meat (hamburger specifically) like nobody's business. Mixed with the Mediterranean flavors, it was delish.

My only complaint is that it was a little dry. We thought maybe we should have heated the pitas up before we assembled them. Also, the meat might have been a little on the dry side, but we wanted to make sure it was cooked all the way through.

YOUR complaint, on the other hand, will be this: I have no pictures. I forgot my camera when I went to Abby's house yesterday. The new plan was to take pictures of leftovers, but I forgot to bring my camera to school today also! Something that you also might find offensive is the fact that I don't have the EXACT recipe to share with you, so I'm just going to tell you what I remember.

Whoa, I'm a mess.

For more (read: better) information, visit the original recipe on the Real Simple website.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 STARS

INGREDIENTS
1 lb. ground beef
hummus
pitas
red onion
flat leaf parsley
olive oil
salt
pepper
dried oregano

DIRECTIONS
1) Make 16-ish little, baby patties with the ground beef. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano.
2) Cook those little guys in a pan over medium/medium-high heat, a couple of minutes each side, probably.
3) Spread hummus on your pita. As much as your little heart desires.
4) Fill with red onion, parsley, and your cute little beef patties.
5) Eat it.

Brilliant, I know. I should write cookbook.

Week 47: Quinoa Cakes with Spinach and Goat Cheese

I found this recipe on the "Barefoot Kitchen" blog as a good way to use leftover quinoa. I didn't have any leftover, but still really wanted to try this recipe. Quinoa, spinach, and goat cheese are all things I really enjoy anyway, but the idea of frying them all three together just about blew my mind.

We ate them on a bed of fresh spinach, and we concocted a yogurt dipping sauce to go with them. Abby and I pretty much just threw random spices into plain Greek yogurt until we were satisfied with the flavor.

Overall, these were good, but it was hard for me to justify making already-delicious quinoa, and making it greasy and unhealthy. I would probably try it again, but as a special treat only!

Year of Yum Rating: 3 STARS

INGREDIENTS

2 cups spinach, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked quinoa
4 ounces goat cheese
1 egg, beaten
salt and pepper
olive oil for frying

DIRECTIONS
1. Wash and chop the spinach, pat dry. Mince the garlic. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet. Cook the garlic until lightly browned, about a minute, then add the spinach. Cover, and cook until wilted. Set aside and let cool.

2. In a small saucepan, mix the quinoa and the goat cheese over low heat (to help melt the cheese). Remove from heat when well combined.




3. Chop the cooked spinach finely, mix with the quinoa and goat cheese. Beat the egg and mix in until everything is combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Heat a layer of olive oil in a non-stick skillet. Form the quinoa into 2″ patties about 1/2 inch thick. Drop into the oil and cook until well browned on one side, 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side, then set on paper towels to drain.







Abby's leftovers, in a neatly-crafted duck container...

Week 46: Caramelized Onion and Prosciutto Pizza

Another one of Pioneer Woman's great recipes.

We made a few adjustments. We substituted some Provel cheese for a little of the Mozzarella, and we used a premade pizza crust from the refrigerated section.

The flavors of this pizza were really yummy. The sweet caramelized onions with the salty cheese and prosciutto. My only complaint was that the toppings kept falling off of the pizza when I took a bite.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 STARS

INGREDIENTS
1 whole pizza crust
Olive oil, for drizzling
1 whole large red onion, halved and thinly sliced
¼ cups brown sugar
Kosher salt to taste
Parmesan cheese, grated
10 ounces, weight fresh Mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
8 slices Prosciutto (more to taste)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet. Add onions and brown sugar and toss/stir for several minutes, or until onions are brown and cooked. Set aside.

Roll out pizza dough to a rectangular shape. Drizzle on olive oil, sprinkle on a little salt, followed by a little Parmesan.

Lay slices of mozzarella evenly over the top of the crust. Arrange caramelized onions over the top of the mozzarella. Randomly lay slices of prosciutto over the onions.

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the lower half of the oven, or until crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and cut into squares. Serve immediately.

Week 45: Macaroni Grill Copycats

This week we made two recipes that are "copycats" of those found at Romano's Macaroni Grill. My mom had made the Rosemary Bread before, and I love it, but I was nervous about it because of the pickiness of yeast. I was afraid I would end up with Rosemary Hockey Pucks. It was also the first time using my mixer with the dough hooks.

Romano's Macaroni Grill Rosemary Bread

Year of Yum Rating: 4 STARS

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons rosemary
2 tablespoons butter

DIRECTIONS

1. Place yeast, sugar and water in large bowl or food processor and allow mixture to become bubbly.

2. Mix in 1 T butter, salt, and 2 cups of flour.

3. Add one tablespoon of the fresh chopped rosemary.

4. Knead for about 10 minutes by hand or in food processor about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.

5. Add more flour if necessary.

6. Oil a bowl, put dough in it and cover with a towel.

7. Let dough rise in a warm place for one hour until doubled.

8. Punch down dough and divide in half.

9. Let dough rest about 5 minutes.

10. Spray baking pan or cookie sheet with cooking spray.

11. Shape the dough into 2 small rounded oval loaves.

12. Sprinkle remaining 1 Tablespoon of rosemary over the loaves and press lightly into the surface.

13. Let loaves rise again until doubled, about 45 minutes.

14. Preheat oven to 375°F.

15. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned.

16. Carefully remove from oven, brush with remaining butter (and salt if desired.)


Romano's Macaroni Grill Roasted Garlic Lemon Vinaigrette

Year of Yum Rating: 3 STARS

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 ounce roasted garlic
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon, juice of

DIRECTIONS

Place vinegar, honey, salt and roasted garlic in a food processor. Puree until the garlic is chopped very fine. With the food processor still running, add olive oil and lemon juice. Refrigerate until ready to use.