Friday, October 21, 2016

Cheesy Corn and Pepper Squares

When friends send you peppers from their very own garden....travelling from Ontario to British Columbia, via Canada Post......it can be done.......you smile and get those creative ideas flowing...and create a beautiful dish. Thank you Steve for sharing your delicious green and hot peppers with me. When something is grown from seed, with love and care the taste is unbelievable. I opened my fridge and see these beautiful peppers and knew that I had to make these Cheesy Corn and Pepper Squares for my family. Easy to prepare, not many ingredients and so very tasty! Add a side salad or steamed vegetables and you have a filling meal.

Cheesy Corn and Pepper Squares

The ingredients you will need.

All ingredients mixed together and into a baking dish, ready for the oven

Baked and ready to slice and sample

Hearty, full of flavour and so simple to make.

CHEESY CORN AND PEPPER SQUARES RECIPE
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
3 cups frozen corn
1 medium tomato - chopped (or enough cherry tomatoes)
1 medium green pepper - chopped
2 jalapeno pepper - seeds removed, finely diced
1.5 cup milk
5 tablespoons butter - melted
5 eggs - whisked
6 tablespoons flour
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon salt
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a 8x12 casserole baking dish add all the ingredients.
3. Stir with a spoon to mix everything up.
4. Bake for 50 minutes.
5. Let sit on counter for 5 minutes to set.
"The ideas that have lighted my way have been kindness, beauty and truth."
- Albert Einstein 


Tuesday, October 18, 2016

MUSHROOM BULGAR BURGER........ delicious and nutritious

Mushrooms - roasted, fried with onions and potatoes, sliced raw into salads, added to soups......
....there are many ways to include mushrooms in your meals.
The benefits of mushrooms are huge. They have a great deal of nutritional value, are full of micronutrients, and are considered to be a Super Food.
 Mushrooms are low in carbohydrates and high in fiber.
They are a good source of B-vitamins (riboflavin, pantothenic acid, and niacin), iron, and selenium.

Our family loves mushrooms, as a child my parents took my sisters and brother along with them into the mountains in the West Kootenay to search for wild mushrooms in the Spring late Summer and in the Fall. These spots were always kept 'in the family' to return to year after year. My Mother then processed them into pickled mushrooms and many, many containers of frozen or canned mushrooms to be eaten throughout the year. Today's recipe includes shitake and brown mushrooms, a hearty burger that will satisfy even a 'meat eater'. Serve with our favorite sauce, in a bun or just on the side along with a crispy, tangy coleslaw. Our favorite is homemade horseradish sauce.
This recipe I have adapted from one that Chef Michael Smith prepared.

 MUSHROOM BULGAR BURGER
  
The ingredients you will need

Onions and garlic ready to be cooked

Shitake and Brown mushrooms sliced and ready for the pan

The rest of the ingredients for the Mushroom Bulgar Burgers

The brown rice and bulgar are cooked with the mushrooms, onion and garlic

Mushroom mixture cooling to room temperature before the rest of the ingredients are added

All the ingredients have been blended in a food processor
and have been shaped into patties.

A delicious, nutrition burger, serve in a bun or on the side with sauce.

MUSHROOM BULGAR BURGER RECIPE

YIELD: 6 LARGE OR 8 SMALL BURGERS
Ingredients
2 tablespoons any vegetable oil
1/2 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
1/2 pound small brown mushrooms, sliced
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 cup bulgur wheat
1 cup brown rice
4 ounces (1/2 block) firm tofu
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 eggs
2 tablespoons miso paste
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 19 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Method:
Splash the oil into a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, onions and garlic. Sauté until the mushrooms lose their moisture and the onions caramelize, about 20 minutes. This step is one of the keys to the mixture; it is important to cook out as much moisture as possible so the burger will hold together.
Add the water, bulgur, brown rice and soy sauce. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook over low heat until the bulgur is tender and has absorbed all the liquid, about 20 minutes.
Pour the mixture onto a plate or tray and let it cool to room temperature.
When cool, transfer the bulgur-mushroom mixture into the bowl of your food processor. Add the eggs, miso paste, breadcrumbs, black beans, tofu, thyme and salt and pepper. Purée until smooth.
Form the mixture into evenly shaped patties about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
Preheat your barbecue on its highest setting.
Lightly brush the burgers with oil and grill until they are cooked through and caramelized a bit. Alternatively, you may pan sear them in a lightly oiled preheated pan or simply bake them at 400 °F (200 °C). Enjoy with your favourite burger toppings.
~One day my face will show that I have loved and lost
That I have frowned and fought
That I have yearned and cried

That I have celebrated and smiled
My face will show that I have lived and it mattered to me~
Now I understand what true beauty really is. You feel it, you touch it, you see it, and you live it. You see it in your face, your feel it within your heart and it burns within your soul.