Black Bean Burgers

Before Lent started, I wanted to be prepared for going pescatarian so I went to Epicurious and searched for easy vegetarian dinners. The funny thing is that I've hardly made any of the ones I tagged because I've had so many options! I went back this week for some ideas and found these burgers, involving Mexican flavors, always a hit in our house.

When I was at boarding school, we had very limited appealing options in the cafeteria, but oddly enough, there are some things that I still find myself craving. One of those things being black bean burgers. So not only were these a quick weeknight dinner, but for me, they were also nostalgic.

This quick dinner was made even faster because I had made the patties before going to work. When I walked in the door at 7:30, Joe was cooking the patties, had the coleslaw made, and the steak fries in the oven. He hadn't even seen the recipe, but I think he's watched me cook enough that he knew exactly what to do!

I served these on Arnold's Sandwich Thins, which are 100 calories a bun and were recommended by my mom, with a little sharp cheddar cheese and salsa. With coleslaw and steak fries on the side, I don't think Joe even minded that they were vegetarian. And, for my taste, they were a lot more flavorful than a regular meat burger.

I had a little trouble getting these to stay together and might add an egg to the mixture. I also pureed more of the beans because the whole beans were not incorporating well into the patties.

Black-Bean Burgers
source: Epicurious

Ingredients

3 cups cooked black beans, rinsed and drained, divided
3 tablespoons light mayonnaise
1/3 cup plain dry bread crumbs
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 soft hamburger buns
Accompaniments: sour cream; salsa; lettuce

Pulse 2 cups beans in a food processor with mayonnaise, bread crumbs, cumin, oregano, and cayenne until a coarse purée forms. Transfer to a bowl and stir in cilantro and remaining cup of beans. Form mixture into 4 patties.

Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Cook burgers until outsides are crisp and lightly browned, turning once, about 5 minutes total. Serve on buns.

Heath Bar Crunch Ice Cream

Take a look at my newest kitchen toy, bought in brand-new condition off of Craigslist for significantly lower than retail price from a woman who had received it for a wedding present and never used it. Score!
I'm so excited and would highly recommend looking at CraigsList for kitchen appliances that other people might be trying to get rid of.

In order to convince Joe that it would be a worthy investment, I promised to make him something that he would love: Heath Bar Crunch ice cream. I had seen recipes on several blogs, and both Joe and I have a major weakness for anything involving toffee. Embarassingly enough, when we weren't as health-conscious, we would finish off a pint of Ben & Jerry's between the two of us on an all-too-frequent basis.Anyway, I knew this would be a hit, and it certainly was. Nothing beats homemade ice cream and knowing exactly what is going into your mouth. As the weather warms up, I'm sure I'll be using the ice cream maker more frequently!

Heath Bar Crunch Ice Cream
source: Annie's Eats

Ingredients

4 original Heath bars (1 1/8 oz. each)
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Using a sharp knife, coarsely chop the Heath bars into large chunks. You should have about 1 cup (next time I’ll use 1 1/2 cups). Place the chunks in a bowl, cover, and freeze for about 1 hour.

Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more. Pour in the cream, milk, vanilla extract, and whisk to blend.

Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. After the ice cream has stiffened, transfer half of it to an air-tight storage container. Top with half of the Heath Bar pieces. Transfer the remaining ice cream to the container and top with the remaining Heath Bar pieces. Mix well until the candy pieces are evenly mixed throughout the ice cream. Store in the freezer until the ice cream is ready.

Note: This does contain raw eggs, so there is some risk involved if you are pregnant or otherwise immuno-compromised.

Spicy Thai Coconut Tofu Noodle Soup

I had scheduled myself to make this meal on Friday night, but I should know by now that I inevitably end up doing something else on Fridays because I get too tired to cook. So then, I figured I could make it for dinner Saturday, but we ended up going out to dinner with my parents. Sunday, still being considered a feast day during Lent, is the one day a week where I am technically "allowed" to eat meat, so I wanted to save this for a vegetarian day. Finally, I made it for dinner Monday night!

I added extra noodles, which ended up making it a little too noodle-y, though I still enjoyed it. I love the variety of vegetables and the textural contrast between the tofu and the snap peas. I added a little extra curry paste and still wished it had been slightly spicier.

Spicy Thai Coconut Tofu Noodle Soup
adapted from Ashlee's Cooking Blog

Ingredients
1 tbsp. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 yellow onion, minced
4 tsp. ginger paste
Crushed red pepper
4 cups vegetable stock
1 15 oz. can light coconut milk
3 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups sliced snap peas
1 6 oz package thin rice noodles
1 tbsp. cornstarch
2 1/2 tsp. hot red curry paste
2 tsp. honey
1 block extra firm tofu, diced

In a large pot, heat olive oil, sautee onion, garlic, ginger and crushed red pepper (to taste, about ¼ tsp.) till fragrant, about one minute.
Add chicken broth, coconut milk and carrots.
Bring to a gentle boil and cook for about 10 minutes or until carrots are tender.
Add the noodles and snap peas.
In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and warm water.
Add slurry, curry paste, honey and tofu.
Cook for about 5-10 more minutes. Garnish with lime wedges or scallions and serve.

Brownies Cockaigne

When Joe finished taking Step 3, the last test for his state medical license, on Thursday, I wanted to make a little Congratulations dessert for him. His tradition for all of the different Step exams has been to go out for Mexican and margaritas afterward, so we did that with my parents as well. I love making brownies because I usually have the ingredients on hand, and brownie recipes can vary so much. I decided to try the Joy of Cooking recipe since that's always a good place to start.

The brownies came out wonderfully, perfectly fudgey in the middle but with a crisp top. My mom said these were the best brownies she'd ever had! I added in about a cup of chopped walnuts much to the delight of Joe and my dad. Sometimes I have trouble remembering who likes add-ins and who doesn't, so I was glad they went over so well!

Brownies Cockaigne
source: Joy of Cooking, 75th anniversary edition

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate
4 eggs, room temperature
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler and then cool mixture *If you don't cool the mixture, your brownies will be heavy and dry.

Beat eggs and salt until light in color and foamy in texture and gradually add sugar and vanilla. Contine beating until well-creamed.

With a few swift strokes, combine the cooled chocolate mixture into the eggs and sugar. *Even if you normally use an electric mixer, do this manually. Before the mixture becomes uniformly colored, fold in the flour, again by hand. Before the flour is uniformly colored, stir the nuts in gently. Bake in a greased 9x13 pan for about 25 minutes. Cut when cool.

Lemon Frittata with Leeks and Goat Cheese

As I thought about it, I realized that I couldn't remember ever having leeks, let alone preparing them, but a string of posts on The Kitchn had me craving something that I'd never even had! I also have neglected my favorite source of meatless protein: eggs. It was definitely time for a quiche or savory omelette or something. I jokingly called this my French bistro dinner: a salad of mixed greens with black cherry vinaigrette, a slice of the frittata, and a glass of wine. All that was missing was a hunk of bread with some butter. (Side note: why is the butter in France so much better? I thought I had died and gone to heaven the first time I tasted real butter in France.) It also makes a very quick meal, which is always advantageous.

I've been on a bit of a lemon + dairy kick lately (see: lemon gnocchi). It seems like an odd combination, but it adds so much lightness and flavor. The leeks were delicious, and the goat cheese contributed creaminess and tang. I was originally going to only eat a quarter of the frittata but ended up going back for another quarter. It was also good for breakfast this morning.

Lemon Frittata with Leeks and Goat Cheese
source: The Kitchn

makes 1 10-inch frittata, about 4 main servings

Ingredients

7 eggs
1 Meyer lemon, zested (I used a normal lemon.)
3 ounces goat cheese
Olive oil
2 large leeks, cut lengthwise and rinsed
1/3 cup Italian parsley, chopped
Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Pre-heat the broiler. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until slightly bubbly and well-mixed, then stir in the lemon zest. Crumble in the goat cheese.

Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. It can be cast iron or another metal; just make sure it can go in the oven. Trim the leeks of any dry or browned edges on the green tops, then slice the remaining stalk into half moons. Toss everything into the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, for about ten minutes or until the leeks are softened.

Stir in the parsley and cook just until wilted. Remove from the heat and add salt and pepper to taste. Let cool for just a minute or two, then pour the cooked leeks into the bowl with the eggs and stir.

Put the skillet back on the heat and film lightly with just a bit more olive oil. Pour the egg and leek mixture in and cook over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes, or until the frittata has mostly set. Use a spatula to lift up the edges and make sure it's cooking evenly, letting the uncooked eggs run down into the bottom of the pan.

When the frittata has set, put under the broiler for 3-5 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and slightly puffy. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Flip out onto a platter and serve immediately.

Nutritional Information
4 servings, each serving contains:
266.5 calories, 18.7 g fat, 8.2 g carbohydrates, 16.3 g protein