Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Beet Burgers

BEET BURGERS


The ingredients you will need.

1 medium yellow onion diced

The onion has been sautéed and now ready to add to the mixture


All ingredients except the eggs are added to the food processor. Process until mixture has a course texture.

Stir in the eggs and salt, and pepper

Shape into patties

Fry in some vegetable oil about 5 minutes per side, until nicely browned

Burgers are flipped and continue to brown on the other side

Looks and smells delicious and now ready for the bun and toppings

 Beet Burgers, simple but oh so filling and delicious.

BEET BURGER RECIPE

4 Tablespoons vegetable oil (or oil of choice)
1 medium yellow onion, diced
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups cook brown rice, cooled
1 cup beets, peeled and diced (about 1 large)
1 cup pecans (or nuts of choice)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
2 large eggs

Heat a pan over medium heat and add 2 Tablespoons of the oil. Add the onions with salt and pepper and sauté until slightly golden. Set aside to cool. In a food processor, add the brown rice, beets, nuts, raisins and granulated garlic. Pulse about 10 times until a nice course texture. Transfer to a bowl and stir in cooled onions and the eggs. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Shape into 4-6 patties.
Heat a skillet over medium high heat and add 2 teaspoons of oil. Gently add the patties to the pan and sear on each side until crisp and browned - approximately 10 minutes per side.
Serve on your favourite bun with your choice of toppings and some tzatziki or a garlic aioli.
These would make very nice appetizers when shaped into bite size mini burgers and served with a selection of sauces or dips.
Enjoy.

'The goal is not to change who you are but to become more of who you are at your best.'





Saturday, November 3, 2018

Vegetarian Jack Fruit Tacos

I first discovered jack fruit in it's dried form at one of the Asian Markets that I visited. Loved the flavor and texture. Recently my friend Tina told me about the canned version and picked me up a few cans so that I can 'experiment' with it. Today I created this Jack Fruit Taco for my family. Simple, delicious and quick to prepare.  Jack Fruit does not have any protein so I added some black beans to this version, adding some rice such as my favorite brown basmati will make this meal a complete protein. Enjoy


VEGETARIAN JACK FRUIT TACOS





Ingredients you will need, plus beans of your choice.
Onions and garlic ready to be added.
  
everything is simmering nicely and very fragrant too.
  
Black beans have been added to add protein to this dish.

Tortilla shells are filled and your choice of toppings can be added.
 I added my homemade simple coleslaw to our meal.

VEGETARIAN JACK FRUIT TACOS RECIPE
Ingredients
  • 1 20 oz. can green (young) jackfruit in brine or water (about 2 cups)
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 white onion , chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic , minced
  • 1/2 cup bbq sauce , your favorite flavor
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 - 1 cup beans (your choice)
  • Instructions
    1. Drain and throughly rinse jackfruit.
    2. In a medium stock pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes until onions turn translucent. 
    3. Add rinsed jackfruit, bbq sauce and water to pot and cook for 5-10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. 
    4. Using a potato masher or large fork, mash the jackfruit to create the "pulled meat" consistency. Add more water if necessary, cover and let simmer for 15-20 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. 
    5. Add more bbq sauce if desired, and serve! Can be eaten by itself, made into sandwiches, or tacos.
    Recipe Notes
    *Flavor will depend on the bbq sauce you use. Since my bbq sauce was already spicy, I didn't add any more spices. But if you use a plainer bbq sauce and find it's missing some flavor, I like to add some smoked paprika (1/2 teaspoon or so), a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and/or a dash of liquid smoke

LOVE yourself
 Accept yourself
 Forgive yourself                                                                                   
 And be good to yourself, because without YOU  the rest of us are without a source of many wonderful things❤️
       Dr Leonardo Buscaglia

Friday, April 13, 2018

Bean "Meat" Balls

It is raining here today and a perfect time to be in my kitchen. I came across this  for Bean 'Meat' Balls in my readings and knew my family would love it.
A simple dish with so much flavour and potential for many different meal ideas.
Today we will enjoy it for our supper in a 'Meat' Ball Sub. (see photo at the bottom)
You can serve these over your favorite rice dish or pasta, or just some lightly dressed cabbage. Whatever way you serve this it will be 'just the right thing' for you and your family or friends. 


Bean "Meat" Balls

The ingredients you will need.

Mushrooms, onions and garlic are sautéed and cooling.

Kidney Beans and parsley are processed and mushroom mixture added and blended.

Bread crumbs and parmesan are mixed in.

The mixture is shaped into 'meat' balls.

Baked and smelling amazing.

 
Serve in a bun with some melted cheese and some caramelized onion and tomato mixture.
This makes a great lunch or supper.

Bean “Meat” Balls Recipe

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 tsp. ground pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
15 oz. can Kidney beans, drained
1/2 cup chopped parsley
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts (or your favorite nuts)
1/2 cup Whole Wheat bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2-4 drops of liquid smoke (optional)

Directions

Preheat broiler. Warm 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large sauce pan and cook the onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the grated garlic,  mushrooms, pepper and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are browned and most moisture has evaporated.

Take pan off the heat and let mushrooms cool a bit. Meanwhile empty the beans into the bowl of a food processor and puree until quite smooth add liquid smoke (if using). Add the parsley, the walnuts and the cooled mushroom mixture and process a little more, but leave them just a little chunky. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, work in the bread crumbs and parmesan and refrigerate for 30 to 1 hour to firm up.

With a small ice cream scoop or damp hands form small (about 1 to 1-1/2 inch) balls. Place bean balls on a rimmed baking sheet and broil on all sides until browned and heated through – about 10 minutes total.
Recipe created especially for The Dr. Oz Show by food stylist, Ulli Stachl.
Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment! Cleverness is opinion; bewilderment is vision.
-RUMI


"

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

Potato Roll

I love trying new recipes so when my sister Wendy sent me a recipe for ‘Potato Roll’ I could not resist testing it out. It has all the ingredients that my family loves and it is quite simple to put together. Very versatile, add in your family’s favorite vegetables and cheeses. In this ‘test’ I used  ‘Gardein ground round’(found in the freezer section) a great vegetarian substitute for ground beef. You can use any of your favorite beans such as black or kidney beans, or use your favorite vegetarian protein.
This makes a beautiful meal for special occasions or for any weeknight meal.
Serve with a green salad and your choice of dressing. So here you are Wendy, family and friends, another successful recipe tried and tested by this  kootenaigirl.


Potato Roll

The ingredients you will need.

Spinach is being wilted down and garlic added.

 
Onions are sautéed and ready for the ground round.

The  ground round is sautéed until browned.

Add in the tomatoes and seasonings.

Add in the parsley and set aside.

Parmesan cheese is sprinkled on the parchment paper and topped with slices of potatoes.
  
More Parmesan cheese is sprinkled over top of the potato slices.
The potatoes are then baked and ready for the toppings.

The spinach and cheese mixture is layered over the baked potatoes then topped with the ground round/tomato mixture.

Everything is rolled up and ready for the oven.


I rolled the whole thing with the parchment paper it was sitting on then sliced the parchment open before placing into the oven to be baked another 15 minutes.


Potato Roll after the final bake. Smells so good and it tasted amazing!


POTATO ROLL RECIPE

Serves 8

  • 6 potatoes, peeled
  • 2 cups grated parmesan cheese, divided
  • 3 teaspoons salt, divided
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 sweet onion, diced
  • 1 lb ground round 
  • 14 ½ oz diced tomato, 1 can, drained
  • 4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped, divided
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 6 cups spinach
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

  1. Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C).
  2. Using a knife or mandolin cut the potatoes into slices ⅛-inch (3 mm) thick.
  3. On a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, sprinkle half of the Parmesan cheese and spread until it is evenly covering the parchment paper.
  4. Place the potatoes over the parmesan so each potato is overlapping the previous potato both vertically and horizontally. Continue until the entire pan is filled with potatoes.
  5. Sprinkle to rest of the Parmesan evenly over the potatoes. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt. Bake for 30 minutes, until golden and the potatoes are flexible and slightly crispy.
  6. In a skillet heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the onions, and cook until caramelized, about 15 minutes.
  7. Add the ground round break up and mix with the onion until cooked. Mix in the tomatoes, 3 tablespoons of parsley, paprika, 1 teaspoon of salt, and pepper. Stir, cooking until the ground round is browned. Remove from heat.
  8. In a skillet heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the spinach, cook until wilted. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and the garlic. Stir to combine. Remove from heat.
  9. In a bowl combine the spinach mixture and the ricotta. Set aside.
  10. Evenly spread the spinach mixture over the cooked potato sheet.
  11. Evenly spread the ground round mixture over the spinach. Sprinkle mozzarella over the mixture.
  12. Take one end of the potato sheet holding the parchment paper begin rolling upward,
  13. making sure the ingredients are not coming out the ends.
  14. Once the it is completely rolled place the potato roll on the parchment paper and bake for 15 minutes.
  15. Sprinkle with parsley for garnish. Slice and serve immediately
'Happiness is the new rich
Inner Peace is the new success
Health is the new wealth
Kindness is the new cool’




Monday, October 2, 2017

Vegetarian 'Steak'

Growing up a Vegetarian with parents who raised chickens for their eggs, cows for their milk, cream, butter and buttermilk. A garden was a must for all the beautiful vegetables and fruits, even nuts to add to some very tasty dishes. My Mother was an amazing cook, creating delicious meals for our family. Growing up we were surrounded by so much Love, which was given freely along with hugs, kisses and also through the meals that my Mother prepared. This I carry on for my family and friends. Creating healthy vegetarian meals is always an adventure, but also a way to express my Love to all that 'sample' my cooking. Create, share and enjoy this recipe for Vegetarian 'steak', use your imagination to add this to many recipes, soups, stews, sandwiches - and share your Love.

VEGETARIAN 'STEAK'
  
VEGETARIAN STEAK SANDWICH



The ingredients you will need.

Chickpeas are mashed.

Vital Wheat Gluten is mixed with the dry ingredients.

The mashed chickpeas are added to the dry ingredients.

Everything is mixed together except the broth.

The broth is added and the dough is kneaded ready to be cut into 'steaks'.

The simmering liquid is ready for the 'steaks'.

The dough is cut into 'steaks'.

'Steaks' are pressed and ready for to be simmered.

'Steaks' are in the simmering liquid for 30 minutes

Cover pan and set timer

'Steaks' after the 30 minutes cooking time.

Vegetarian 'Steaks' fragrant and full of flavour, ready for your creations.

VEGETARIAN STEAK RECIPE

1 cup vital wheat gluten
2-4 Tbsp. tomato paste (I used my own ground tomato powder)
1/2 tsp paprika
1 Tbsp. soy sauce (I used Mushroom Soy Sauce)
1 tsp garlic powder
Pinch salt
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed - mashed (or kidney beans)
1 medium onion, diced fine
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 cups water

Mix together dry ingredients. 
Mash chickpeas and mix into dry ingredients using spoon or your hands until it is crumbly and incorporated well.
In a separate bowl, mix together the 1/2 cup vegetable broth, soy sauce
Add the wet ingredients and knead 3-5 minutes.

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, mix together the rest of the vegetable broth, water, diced onions, garlic, soy sauce. Bring to a boil and turn heat to a simmer.
Place the patties into the simmering mixture and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes.
Drain and set aside.

In a sauté pan, add coconut butter or oil of your choice and heat on medium heat. Add the patties and sauté until patties are nicely browned on both sides.

'We are shaped and fashioned by what we love.'
Goethe