Black Bean and Quinoa Burgers

If you come to visit my house, you may get turned into a burger model!  Thanks Ali Darger!

We eat primarily meatless here in the nest, mostly to save money.  But it isn't saving a dime to buy faux-meat flavored to taste like meat, and it sure isn't good for our health (most of those products are loaded with sodium)!  Although we do still buy Gardein and Morningstar Farms products occasionally, my husband is pushing hard for us to make more of our meatless entrees from scratch, and not trying to make them taste like meat.  (Don't worry, he's a meat man, too- he's just big on real food.  If it's made from a bean, it ought to taste like a bean!)  So here is our first burger attempt.  It was great!

To market, to market:

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa (I used the tricolor variety)

water

1 cup dried black beans

1 cube Knorr vegetable bouillon

1/3 cup diced onion

1/3 cup chopped bell pepper (I used orange)

1/2 of a small jalapeno pepper, chopped

3 T olive oil

1 egg

1 cup bread crumbs

After cooking 

Cook your black beans per directions on the package.  This involves soaking them overnight or doing a "quick soak", then cooking them.  To save time, you can use one can of black beans, but be sure to drain them well.  Cool the beans while preparing the rest of the ingredients.

Cooked quinoa

In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine quinoa with 1 cup of water and the vegetable bouillon cube.  Cover and microwave 5 minutes, then stir and microwave another 3 minutes.  Fluff the quinoa with a fork and let cool to room temp.

Saute the onion and peppers in the olive oil until fragrant and soft, then transfer to a food processor.  Pulse until smooth, then add black beans and bread crumbs.  Pulse until combined.  Scrape mixture into the bowl with the quinoa and stir to incorporate.  Taste this mixture and salt/pepper as necessary.  Stir in the egg.

Shape the mixture into 6-7 burger patties and place each on wax paper and into the fridge to "firm up".  I placed mine in the fridge for one hour prior to cooking.

I'm all for mess-free oven cooking, so I lined a baking sheet with foil, sprayed lightly with cooking spray, and placed the patties on it.  These went into a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.  About 20 minutes into cooking, I flipped them over so both sides got nice and crispy, but the inside was moist and chewy.  I also saved a few to cook the next day, and they turned out very well also.

Quick Fruit Sorbet

So I made these for my sweetheart last night, and he thought they were tasty and cute...  I think you'll agree!
Great for:  Hot summer afternoons, especially when fresh fruits are in season

To market, to market:
1 large banana, broken into chunks
2 cups other fresh fruit (I used strawberries and blueberries)
2 T lemon juice
1 T sugar or honey

Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth.  Pour into a freezer bag, and freeze for 2-3 hours, until very thick.  Break the sorbet into chunks (you can do this in the bag just by bending it some), and return to blender.  Blend until smooth.  Pour the icy mixture into ice cube trays or silicon muffin pans and return to freezer for another hour or so.  Serve!

Didn't I tell you it was tasty and cute?

Fruit and Nut Granola

This is a deliciously nutty topping for yogurt, but you can use it as a cereal too!  Feel free to experiment with different nuts or dried fruits.  Note, this is not a chunky/clumpy granola, but you can achieve that by using honey instead of maple syrup (honey just has an overwhelming taste, in my opinion, and maple syrup is THE BOMB in this granola) and add a tablespoon or two of melted butter.

Combine in a large bowl:

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup chopped almonds

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

3/4 cup dried fruit

1 T cinnamon

1/2 cup maple syrup

dash of salt

3-4 cups oats

Stir till everything is combined and let rest 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray, spread the granola evenly over it, and pop in oven for 30-40 minutes.  You'll want to check up on it, and stir it every 10 minutes until it is nice and fragrant, and golden brown.  Remove from oven, cool completely, and store in an airtight container.  Stores well in fridge for several weeks.

40-Minute Yeast Rolls

I told you we make them huge!

This is my no-frills, very basic yeast roll recipe, and it is fabulous.  I use white whole-wheat flour in my house for just about everything, but have used enriched all-purpose flour too.  These rolls, when made small, are great for family dinners and potlucks (recipe yields 20-24 small pull-apart rolls), but we make 6-9 huge rolls with each batch of dough for burgers, sandwiches, etc.
Another note.... they rise for 40 minutes.  Total time, start to finish, is less than an hour, but a bit more than 40 minutes.  Sorry for any confusion.

To market, to market:
7 tsp active-dry yeast (if you're using the packets, just use 3 of them)
1 cup plus 1 T very warm water (not hot, or you'll kill the yeast- think baby's bathwater temp)
1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar (depends on how sweet you want them, I go with 1/3 cup)
1/4 tsp salt
2-3 cups white whole wheat flour (if you use AP flour, that is FINE- just realize it may take another half cup of flour to get the right consistency, as white/processed flour is "wetter" than whole wheat)

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine yeast and warm water.  Let sit for 5 minutes, until yeast dissolves and is quite frothy.  Add oil, sugar and salt, and stir to combine.  Add 2 cups of the flour, and mix on low speed until smooth.  Change to a dough hook, and set the mixer to low, adding flour a tablespoon at a time, until a smooth, elastic dough is achieved (the dough will still be tacky/slightly sticky).  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (the ultimate in quick-cleanup baking! love!) or spray baking sheet with a bit of canola oil spray.  Roll dough into balls (about the size of golf balls for small dinner rolls, or about the size of baseballs for sandwich buns) and place on baking sheet spaced 1/2 to 1 inch apart.  As the dough rises, the rolls will start to touch.  This is fine! It yields a higher rise.  Lay a clean tea towel (dish towel?) over the rolls, and let rise in a warm spot for 40 minutes.  Remove towel and bake at 425 degrees for 7-9 minutes.  Done!

Dough prior to rising

Dough after rising

More notes:  Letting the dough rise for longer is fine, but don't exceed 70 minutes.  It tends to go downhill from there, in taste and appearance, rather quickly.
I coat my hands in cooking spray to roll out the dough.  Less sticky that way.
If you don't have a warm place to let your dough rise, try this:  When you start making the dough, turn your oven on to 350, for just one minute.  Then turn off the oven, and open the door a bit.  When you're ready to let the rolls rise, feel one of the racks in the oven to make sure it is not hot, just warm, and place your rolls on the rack to rise, shutting the oven door.  Using this method, you don't have to cover them with a towel, and I don't even preheat the oven when it's time to bake.  I just make sure they've risen enough, turn the oven on, and pull them out 9 minutes later.  How easy is that?!?!

Butternut Squash Dinner Rolls

Alright, ladies and gentlemen- this is epic, so bookmark this page.  Here, I give you my best yeast roll recipe, perfect for wowwing basically everyone.
Tastes: Sweet and yeasty (in a good way), with a hint of squash flavor
Reminds me of: Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners- decadent!
Make it a meal:  These are great for sandwiches or burgers, or as a side to accompany soup and salad

A NOTE BEFOREHAND:
This recipe makes 40-50 bun-sized rolls.  It halves or quarters very well, and if you are using a stand mixer to make your dough, I suggest at least halving the recipe.  Otherwise, proceed with caution, because it will take your Kitchenaid to its limits.  It sure does for mine!
ALSO
You can use pureed (cooked) sweet potatoes or pumpkin in place of the butternut squash.  All are wonderful, but we tend to always have at least one butternut squash on hand at all times (such a long shelf life) so that is how I make them.  To make the puree, I roast a squash on foil in the oven for 1-2 hours at 350 degrees.  Let it cool completely, then halve, scoop out the pulp, and mash by hand, puree in a blender, or use an immersion blender.  Freeze what you don't use now, and thaw it later to make more tasty treats.  The same works for sweet potatoes or pumpkin.

You'll need:
2 cups pureed butternut squash
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup hot water
2 cups warm milk (I use skim- it's just fine either way)
4 Tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
2.5 Tbsp yeast (yes, it is a lot, I know)
2 cups whole wheat
9-10 cups all purpose flour

Combine first 6 ingredients in the bowl of your blender and mix well.  Add yeast, whole wheat flour, and 6 cups of the all purpose flour.  Mix, then switch to a dough hook, or turn dough out onto a heavily floured surface and incorporate the remaining AP flour, until the dough is elastic and slightly tacky, but not sticky.  Transfer the dough to a very large oiled bowl, turn to coat with oil, then cover with a towel and let rise in a warm spot  for 90 minutes.  Punch the dough down, divide in quarters, then divide each quarter into 12 balls and place balls on a greased baking sheet about an in apart.  Spray tops lightly with cooking spray, then cover each tray with a clean towel and let rise for another 45 minutes.  Bake for 15-18 minutes at 350 degrees.  Remove from oven, brush tops with orange juice glaze (instructions below) if desired,  and return to oven for another 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and let rolls cool, then remove from baking sheets.  Delicious on their own, or for a dessert-like treat, serve with orange butter (instructions below).

Orange Juice Glaze and Orange Butter:
The glaze seals moisture into the rolls, and makes them better for slicing or reheating. Combine 1/2 cup orange juice and 1/3 cup sugar in a small saucepan.  Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat and brush over the tops of the rolls, reserving the rest of the glaze to make orange butter.  For this, combine the remaining glaze with 6 tablespoons butter, and stir until butter has melted.  Refrigerate until solid (or mostly solid) then beat with an electric mixer until whipped and smooth.  Serve on rolls.

Fresh Cranberry Pecan Bread

Tastes: Tart, moist, and sweet
Reminds me of:  The muffins from Alpine Bagel in college.  Hallelujah, what muffins!

To market, to market:
2 cups AP flour
2 Tbsp ground flaxseed
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts if you prefer, but pecans lend a sweeter taste to the bread)
1 cup chopped cranberries (you can use up to 1/2 cup more if you like, and the recipe still works great)
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 egg
1/4 cup melted butter
zest of one lemon (or orange)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease one 9x5 loaf pan or 3 mini loaf pans.  Combine all ingredients until blended, but do not overmix.  Pour into pan(s) and bake 50-55 minutes for a large loaf or 35-40 minutes for small loaves.  Remove from oven when top is golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.  Cool in pans, slice just before serving for moister bread.

Lemon-Raspberry-Ginger Cupcakes

Tastes: Tart, sweet, with just a hint of ginger
Serve it up!:  This is an awesome light dessert for spring or summer gatherings, it does not require refrigeration and it isn't overly sweet.  Plus, it is quick to make!

To market, to market:
1 box lemon flavored cake mix (I used Betty Crocker this time.  Gasp!)
3/4 cup Just Whites egg substitute (you can use 3 whole eggs if you wish)
1 cup water
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup applesauce (or use oil as directed on cake mix box)
Frozen raspberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line muffin pan with cupcake liners (this will make 20-24 regular cupcakes or around 45 mini cupcakes).  Mix all ingredients, except raspberries, thoroughly to combine.  Fill each baking cup 1/2 way full of cake batter, then press a raspberry into the center of each cupcake (it is okay if the raspberry is not completely covered with batter).  Bake for 20 minutes for regular cupcakes or 12-15 minutes for mini cupcakes, or until tops are barely beginning to brown.  Remove from oven and cool slightly before glazing (recipe below). Reserve the remaining raspberries for garnish.
*This dessert can also be made in a 9x13 pan, but I prefer to mix the frozen raspberries in with the batter before pouring into the pan if baking a single sheet cake.  The result is a beautiful, marbled yellow and pink cake.

For the glaze, you'll need:
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
Fresh juice of 2 lemons (zest the lemons first and save zest for sprinkling over the tops of the cupcakes)
1/4 tsp ground ginger

Combine all glaze ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.  Whisk constantly until the mixture just begins to boil, then remove from heat.  Cool 5 minutes, then swirl over the tops of the cupcakes with the back of a spoon.  This glaze is very thin until it cools, so be sure not to dump it over the tops of the cupcakes (or you'll have a big mess, believe me!).  Use excess to recoat the cupcakes once the first layer of glaze has set, then garnish each one with a raspberry, a pinch of lemon zest, and a dusting of ginger (if desired).  Stored tightly covered, these will stay moist 2-3 days.