Tag Archives: Cilantro

Black Bean Burgers with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

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We spent alot of time at the swings this summer.  They just happened to be on our daily walk route or were a good excuse to go for a walk or sometimes we just stumbled upon a park and hit the swings.  Calla had fun on the swings, she loved to get going faster and higher, I know we have a little daredevil on our hands, I just know it.  Love it though!

Um I think you’ll agree with me here.. this is Hands down the best swing reaction ever!

We also got into a bit of a burger kick this summer, but not the typical beef burgers with bacon, cheese and condiments.  More chickpea burgers, tilapia burgers, even zucchini burgers (coming soon). These black bean burgers were a total hit.

I love the taste of black beans sauteed with cumin, cayenne, and curry powder.  I would be happy eating that alone, but instead we stepped it up a notch and added jalapeno, garlic, onion, corn, oats, bread crumbs and cilantro.

Blended together it really doesn’t look like much. But let it chill for a little while, about 2 hours or so, and man the flavors really start to come together. After the ingredients have had some time to get to know each other, add the breadcrumbs and divide into 4 equal parts. Form each part into patties, packing them together nicely so the patties stay intact.

While the patties are heating up, sizzling away, you’ll have some time to gather dressings. There’s always a million ways to dress a burger.  Some go plain, some just a little sauce, some exxtra sauce.

It’s a good idea to throw some veggies on top, and a fresh warm (maybe) toasted bun is a great call too.  Once assembled, you may need some help diving in, so I say cut it in half for a little extra leverage.

Black Bean & Corn Burgers (adapted from Spoon Fork Bacon)

Serves 4

1/2 Red Onion, chopped
1 Jalapeno, seeded
3 Garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can Black beans, rinsed
1/2 cup plus 2 tbs Rolled oats
1/2 cup Corn
1 Green onion, thinly sliced
2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Curry powder
1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp Paprika
1/4 cup Whole wheat breadcrumbs
1/4 cup Cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp Vegetable oil
4 Whole wheat buns
Topping: cucumber, tomato, lettuce, parmesan cheese & roasted red pepper hummus (or whatever you desire)

Place red onion, jalapeno & garlic in a food processor and pulse a few times, until blended and diced.

Add beans, oats, corn, green onion, cumin, curry powder, and cayenne.

Pulse until combined.

Season for salt and pepper and pulse again until desired consistency is achieved (I would try to keep it a little chunky for extra texture).

Transfer to mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Remove chilled mixture and stir in breadcrumbs. Taste for any additional seasoning.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Divide mixture into 4 equal parts.  Using your hands, pack each part into patties about an inch thick.Add patties to skillet and and cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side, until crusty and heated through.

Remove patties from heat, transfer to bun and dress as you wish.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

This dip is a nice addition to the Black Bean Burger, it’s also a great dip with crackers, pita chip, veggies or you could even mix with pasta.  Quick and easy to whip up you just need some roasted garlic, roasted red peppers, chickpeas, a few walnuts and olive oil.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

1 Garlic clove, roasted
3 Red Pepper, roasted
1 Can Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 Cup Olive Oil, or to taste
1/2 Cup Walnuts
Salt & Pepper

Pulse the garlic in a food processor until finely chopped.

Add the walnuts and pulse a few more times to break up any large pieces.

Add the roasted red pepper and pulse a few times until combined.

Stream in olive oil through feed tube, and pulse until desired consistency.

Taste for salt and pepper, and add more olive oil if needed.  Serve with pita chips, veggies or as spread.

Sesame Seared Albacore Tuna

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Speckled with white sesame seeds and black poppy seeds. Seared to perfection. A knife slices through like warm butter. The taste is silky smooth and wickedly fresh. A small amount of sesame oil, mirin, honey, soy and rice vinegar enhances the flavor of the tuna. The pieces disappear too quickly. The memory of this tuna will last with me until next sunday when I can visit that fish lady and pick up another dangerously good piece of fish.

Approaching Tanya from the Fisherman’s Catch, I inquired about Ahi Tuna.  This shows how much I knew about Tuna since Ahi isn’t exactly local and I was shopping at the local Farmer’s Market.  She sold me on some Albacore Tuna and it has won my heart over a million times.

Not only does this tuna taste absolutely incredible, it’s insanely good for you too. High in protein, low in carbohydrates and very high in Omega 3, the ‘good’ fatty acid. Caught in their younger years, the tuna is low in mercury and other contaminants.

Poppy seeds may seem like an odd ingredient to use, and to tell you the truth, it was suppose to be Black Sesame Seeds.  I searched high and low for those black ones, and sadly came up unlucky.  In order to keep our fish looking great with 2 colors of seeds we went with poppy and you know what, they worked!

Sesame Seared Albacore Tuna (adapted from Dining Alone)

2 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 1/2 tsp Mirin, sweetened Sake
1 1/2 tsp Liquid Honey
3 tsp Sesame Oil
1 1/2 tsp Rice Wine Vinegar
1 Albacore Tuna Loin
2 tbsp Sesame Seeds
2 tbsp Black Sesame Seeds (or Poppy seeds)
3 tbsp Olive Oil

In a small bowl, mix together all sauces except Rice vinegar.  Divide mixture into 2 equal bowls.  Add Rice vinegar to the 2nd bowl and set aside for dipping.  Take the first bowl and pour into a pan.

Place tuna in pan with sauce and turn over a few times.  Sprinkle seeds over tuna and gently press in.

Heat a saucepan on high heat.  Add olive oil and let heat.  Place tuna in saucepan, seeds side down and sprinkle top side with remaining seeds.  Sear tuna for 30 seconds to a minute depending on thickness (it was about 45 seconds for ours).  Turn over and sear for another 30-60 seconds.

Remove from saucepan, slice into pieces about 3/4″ thick.  Serve immediately with dipping sauce.

Ginger-Cilantro Sushi Rice (adapted from Bon Appetit)

1 Cup Sushi Rice
2 1-inch pieces of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into 4 rounds
1 tsp minced ginger
1 1/2 cups Water
1 Cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped
1 Green Onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp rice vinegar

Combine rice and water in a small pot. Cover and bring to a boil, stirring often.  Reduce heat and let simmer about 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to sit covered for another 15 minutes.

In a mortal and pestle, combine cilantro, green onion, minced ginger, oils, and vinegar.  Mix well.

Remove ginger rounds from rice, add cilantro oil and season with salt and pepper.

Chickpea Burgers, Kale & Cilantro-Cucumber Yogurt

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Over the last two weeks, our Wednesday night meals have been falling short.

Crab cakes falling apart, pork tenderloin with little flavor, needless to say I was disappointed.

I tend to take it quite personally when recipes and meals don’t turn out, and when they do turn out, well, I feel like I need to share them with everyone I know.

With our past failures, I was particularly keen on making this Wednesday night meal a success and was beaming with happiness when this proved to be one.

The 3 components of these pitas work together beautifully.

Combining the sauce (without the mango) from these spring rolls and chickpeas, creates a flavor similar to this hummus, but more intense with the garlic and onion.

Softening the Kale in a jalapeno-lime marinade adapted from this site, takes the bitterness out of the kale, and has become my favorite way of eating kale and a firm believer that this chewy green vegetable can actually taste incredible.

Topping the burgers with a creamy cilantro-cucumber yogurt is the simplest and most fitting sauce.

Stuff those ingredients in a fresh, warm, homemade pita is absolute perfection.

Cilantro-Cucumber Yogurt
1/2 Large Cucumber, juliened
Salt
1 Cup Plain Yogurt
1/4 Cup Cilantro, chopped

Line juliened cucumber on paper towel and sprinkle with salt.  Allow to sit for 15-20 minutes to remove moisture.  In a small bowl, mix together yogurt, cucumber and cilantro. Set aside.

Jalapeno-Lime Kale (adapted from Not Without Salt)
1 Bunch Kale, thick steams removed and chopped
1/4 cup Fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 Jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped (unless you like spice, keep the seeds)
1/4 cup Cilantro, chopped
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin

In a medium bowl, add chopped kale, lime juice, olive oil, jalapeno, cilantro, salt and cumin.  Mix together, with you hands if you like, and set aside for 30 minutes.

Chickpea Burgers

1 19oz Can Chickpeas, drained & rinsed

2 tbsp Sesame Oil
1 Lime, Zested & Juiced
1 tbsp Fish Sauce
1 tbsp Soy sauce
1/2 tsp Sambal Oelek Hot Chili Paste
1/2 Large Yellow Onion, diced
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Cup Panko Breadcrumbs
Olive oil

In a small saucepan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium high heat.  Add diced onion and minced garlic, and cook for a few minutes until they brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a blender or food processor, add chickpeas, sesame oil, lime juice and zest, fish sauce, soy sauce, Chili paste and breadcrumbs. Pulse until combined, but not smooth. Add garlic and onion and pulse a few more times.

Form into patties, should make about 7 small ones.  In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil on medium high heat. Add chickpea patties and cook about 4-5 minutes per side, or until browned.  You may need to cook in 2 batches.

Half Whole-Wheat Pitas (adapted from The New Moosewood Cookbook)

1 Cup Water, at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp Active Dry Yeast
1 Tbsp Honey
1 tsp Salt
1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
About 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
Extra Flour for rolling
Olive oil for bowl and baking sheet

In a medium-sized bowl, add water and sprinkle in yeast.  Let stand for 5-10 minutes, until it starts to foam.

Add honey and salt and stir until everything dissolves.

One cup at a time, whisk in flour.  Once it thickens, use a wooden spoon to mix.  Once you cannot mix with the spoon, mix together with your hands.  Turn onto a floured surface and knead dough until smooth.  Place dough in an oiled bowl, and oil the top surface of the dough ball.  Cover with a tea towel and let sit for about an hour or until doubled in bulk.

Punch down dough and turn onto floured surface. Knead for about 5 minutes, then divide into 6 pieces. 12 if you prefer smaller pitas. Using your hands, form each piece into a smooth ball. Then flatten with a rolling pin into a very thin circle, no thicker than 1/8 inch.  (the circle does not need to be perfectly round). Let circles rest about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 500F.  Place baking sheets in oven for a minutes or two to warm.  Brush sheets with olive oil. Place pitas on sheets, making sure circles don’t touch. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until puffed up and lightly browned. Remove from oven and wrap in a damp tea towel.

Creamy Avocado Coleslaw

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Wow, 1 Cabbage produces copious amounts of shredded cabbage!!  Having bought 1 green and 1 purple cabbage, I had no idea what I was in and needed to get a little innovative so we wouldn’t be eating the same salad for days and days.

With two salads in mind, I started out with a Creamy Avocado dressing.

No oil or mayo needed, this green salad dressing was made entirely of veggies, some herbs, lemon and buttermilk.  Cream-y!!

You could use this dressings for many salads, or even add a few more avocados and use it as a dip for veggies.

Biggest mistake I made with this salad, was not shredding the cabbage thin enough, I made sure to do that for the second salad though, which should be coming up tomorrow, so please stay tuned

(Adapted from The New Moosewood Cookbook)

Creamy Avocado Veggie Salad

Small Handful of Parsley
Handful of Spinach
1/2 a zucchini, chopped
A few fresh basil leaves
1 clove Garlic
1 cup Buttermilk
Salt
1 tsp Lemon Juice
2 Ripe Avocados
Small Handful of cilantro

1/2 Small Purple Cabbage, finely shredded
1/2 Small Green Cabbage, finely shredded
1 Carrot, peeled in strips
1 Cucumber, sliced

In a blender or food processor, add all dressing ingredients and pulse until smooth.  Taste for seasoning, then pulse once again.

Finely shred both cabbages and arrange in a bowl.  Add sliced cucumber and peel carrot pieces.  Pour dressing over salad and mix together.

Mango Salsa

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Ah Mangoes! So bright, exotic, fruity and sweet.  So full of Vitamin A, and beta-carotene that is higher than most fruits. So deliciously high in fiber, vitamin C and b, iron, potassium and protein.  So great for moms and baby’s alike….unless you’re Calla and would rather spit it out and eat broccoli instead.  Ah what a girl, can’t complain though, at least she’s eating broccoli :)

With Calla not being interested in these beautifully ripe mangoes, and me being super stoked on the Watermelon Salsa last week, I decided to try my hand at Mango Salsa, and it was delish!

In lieu of eating with tortillas, I toasted a whole wheat bun, mashed avocado on it, and slathered with salsa.  It was so good, I ate it for breakfast, lunch and would have had for supper, but ran out of avocado. Darn!

Mangoes are the most difficult fruit to cut.  I know there is a technique to it, I’ve just never got around to learning it.  I usually peel first, then gradually cut pieces away from the pit.  It’s not a pretty technique, especially if the mango is perfectly soft and ripe.

Mango Salsa

My general rule, is start with less, than add more.  It’s easier to add to a dish, then try to take away too much flavor.

2 Mangoes
2 Firm Medium Tomatoes
1/2 Jalapeno, finely chopped (seeds removed if you want less spice)
1/4 Red Onion, finely chopped
1/8 cup Cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 Lime, juiced

In a small bowl, mix together all ingredients and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning.
Serve with tortillas or with yummy Avocado Toast.

If serving Mango to a little one;

Peel mango and cut around the pit, then chop into small cubes.
(1) Either puree until desired consistency, adding liquid if needed
(2) Mash with a fork
Or,
(3) Chop into very small pieces for finger food.  It’s pretty amazing the littlest pieces she can pick up with her thumb and pointed index finger (the pincher grasp)