Fresh Raspberry Rhubarb Sauce (over Rainbow of Sorbets)

Posted: June 13, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Desserts, Fruit Dishes, Gluten Free, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Becky’s Fresh Raspberry Rhubarb Sauce Over a Rainbow of Sorbets

(Becky, the Butter-Lovin’ Mama)

Greg and I have so enjoyed having our five-year-old grandson Georgie visit us for two weeks.  He is all any grandparent could wish a grandson to be: kind, funny, empathetic, polite, snuggly, curious, and of course, full of puppy dog energy.  (Or, as Georgie calls it, “en-gerny.”)

Our grandson Georgie came for a two week visit! He is all smiles, giggles and noise on two legs. Just a boy should be.

The first week we had lots of fun of course, but I was a walking zombie from the combination of “Becky Brain” and “Temporary Mom Brain.”  I had forgotten what it was like to live a life of constant interruptions.  Having a preschooler in the house is like having someone turn on a blender in your head about every ten seconds.  You immediately lose the luxury of having two consecutive thoughts anymore.  Life in a mother’s head is just a series of random bits and pieces of Thoughts Begun, Interrupted and Lost Forever.

Needless to say, while I was getting in my Nonny Groove, trying to acclimate my thinking and sleeping schedule to that of a little boy’s,  my Cooking Groove took a backseat for most of the two weeks.  I am too embarrassed to confess how many Happy Meals we had this week, thanks to the lure of the playground and the cheap but highly coveted toy-in-a-box.

However,  when we had company over, I did find a few minutes to create this lucious tart-sweet summer dessert sauce made from raspberries and rhubarb.   It is a cinch make, even for Scrambled Mom-Brains,  and looked beautiful served over a variety of sorbets.  I just put the sorbets on a tray with scoops, let company serve themselves, and then passed the ruby red fruit sauce to allow for individual dolloping.   Easy, refreshing, pretty and divinely delicious.

Fresh Raspberry Rhubarb Sauce Over a Rainbow of Sorbets

Makes 1 1/2 cups sauce

Ingredients:

6 oz. raspberries (fresh or frozen)

6 oz. rhubarb (fresh or frozen)

1/2 c. water

1/2 c. organic sugar (you may want to add more or less sugar, according to your taste)

Dash sea salt

Variety of Sorbets

Variety of Sorbets: I chose pints of pomegranate, mango and lemon

Directions

Put raspberries and rhubarb in medium sauce pan with water, sugar and sea salt.  Heat until it bubbles and simmer for one full minute.

Simmer fruit with sugar, water and dash salt for one full minute

Carefully pour cooked fruit and juice into a blender or food processor.  (You will want to let it cool down a bit before blending.)  Blend until smooth.

Strain into a bowl using a fine mesh strainer.   I used a large tea strainer and did this in small batches.  Occasionally scrape the strainer with a spatula to help facilitate draining,  and also tap it on the side of the bowl to keep the juice pouring out of the strainer.

Straining juice, occasionally scrape bottom of strainer with spatula, and tap it on the side of the bowl to help juices escape more quickly.

This will catch most of the raspberry seeds and create a silky smooth sauce.

Serve warm, room temp or cold over sorbet, ice cream, angel food or pound cake, or fresh fruit.

Fresh raspberry Rhubarb Sauce Over Rainbow of Sorbets

Variations:

You can skip the rhubarb and just double the  raspberries for a pure raspberry sauce.   You can replace the raspberries with strawberries.  Try other fruit and berry combinations.  If the fruit is seedless, you may not even have to strain it.

I like to double this recipe so there are plenty of leftovers. Freezes well and makes a great gift-in-a-jar.

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We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook

The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com

The Title: Rasberry Rhubarb Sauce

The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-pr

© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved

Grilled Stuffed Avocados

Posted: June 12, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Main Dishes, Mexican Dishes, Sides, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies | Tags: , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Grilled Stuffed Avocados

(Rachel – The Vegan-Eatin’ Daughter)

I hit the motherload. Yes, I have a load of amazing mothers in my life.

There is my mother-in-law, Rhonda, who, as we speak, is at the pool with Jackson. Jared is very busy this summer, and she has generously offered to give me writing breaks any time I need them. She walked in this afternoon cheerfully greeting us with her usual “Helloooo, Helloooo.” Her red curly hair tied in a lose ponytail and dressed in a bright colored sundress and flip-flops, she came bearing bubbles and summer toys for Jackson and my favorite french fries. Despite me telling her I wasn’t hungry, I ate them all. She knows me well enough to know I’ll eat the fries if she brings the fries. I love that. Jackson didn’t waste any time crawling over to his Mimi, standing up at the hem of her dress and pointing outside. He knows Mimi takes him outside to play. Mimi is fun and lets him get dirty and play in the mud.

And then there is my step-mom, Pat. She’s a lot like me when it comes to organization and order. I rely on her for any and all communication regarding family events or activities. The Freeman men are not known for their communication skills, but she has somehow learned to speak their language and relay their plans to me. Jackson loves going to Grandma’s house. She and Grandpa take him to the barn to see their horses every other Thursday while we are at home group. Another thing I love about Pat is she loves shopping at Costco. I always leave their house with a bag full of avocados, medjool dates, or berries, because with their busy work schedules they really can’t eat 30 pounds of fresh produce before it spoils. I love that.

Obviously, the mother who carried me for nine months, put up with me through my bratty preteen years and still let me live to share this blog with her, is a pretty good woman. Last time I was at her house, I left her with Jackson for a couple of hours and returned to the kitchen to find a gourmet vegan meal waiting for me and Jackson happily playing with various kitchen utensils in his high chair. She’s like a professional nurturer, able to nurture and love and adore multiple kids of all ages at once. She knows me so well that she called me in Texas all the way from her home in Colorado to tell me she thought I was pregnant, even before I knew. She can tell by the sound of my voice within the first few words exactly how I’m feeling. I don’t have to explain much to her, she just gets me. I love that. We often chat while we are cooking and one of us will say, “I’m making ‘such and such,” and the other will exclaim, “I’m making ‘such and such’ too!” The other day, she sent me her list of upcoming recipes for the blog, including her Confetti Rice Pilaf Stuffed Avocados. I had just returned from the store with ingredients for stuffed avocados myself. So, I give you ANOTHER stuffed avocado recipe. I can’t promise this will be the last time mama and daughter are cooking up the same thing, unbeknownst to each other.

A delicious meatless meal on the grill.

Rachel’s Grilled Stuffed Avocados

Serves 2 entrees (4 appetizers)

Ingredients

Stuffed Avocados
2 avocados, cut lengthwise in half and pitted
2 corn on the cob, soaked & silks removed*
1 poblano pepper
1/2 red onion, sliced into thick rings
2 T. Canola Oil
1 t. kosher salt
juice of 1/2 a lime (~1 T.)

Cilantro Lime Sour Cream Sauce
1/4 c. vegan sour cream (or regular if you eat dairy)
1/4 c. cilantro
1/2 T. lime juice
1/4 t. salt
1/8 c. fresh jalapeno, chopped & seeded
1 clove garlic

Serve with: rice and beans for a complete meal or as a healthy side dish for any Mexican meal

Directions

Prep:

Soak corn in water for 30 minutes and then peel back husks and remove silks. Light coals for charcoal grill. You want the coals to be all white, and no longer flaming. Mix canola oil, salt, and lime in a small bowl.

In a blender or food processor, Blend all ingredients for the cilantro lime sour cream sauce. Set aside.

Brush corn kernels with oil mixture and pull husks back up around kernels. Brush onions with canola oil mixture. Put corn, onions, and poblano pepper (left whole) on the grill. Apply canola mixture as they cook and turn veggies so they cook evenly on all sides. When poblano is charred on all sides, remove it and put it in a bowl covered with plastic wrap for a few minutes to loosen the skin. Remove the skins with a wet paper towel. Grill onions and corn for 15-20 minutes until they are cooked through and lightly charred.

Just before taking the veggies off the grill.

Brush avocados with canola mixture and grill flesh side down for 3-4 minutes. Ideally, you’ll get nice grill marks across the avocado (I think our grill wasn’t quite hot enough by the time we got them on so this was not our result, but we decided it didn’t matter because they tasted amazing anyway.)

Cut corn off the cob, dice onions and poblanos to a similar size as the corn kernals. Toss together in a bowl.

Stuff the grilled avocados with the grilled corn, onion, and poblano mixture. Serve two halves nestled on a bed of rice and drizzle with sour cream sauce. Serve beans on the side for a complete meal. Or, just serve one half as an appetizer or side.

This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
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The Title: Grilled Stuffed Avocados
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© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved

Crispy Southern Fried Tofu

Posted: June 8, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Appetizers, Asian Dishes, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegan Options, Vegetarian | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

Crispy Southern Fried Tofu

(Becky, the Butter Lovin’ Mama)

When Rachel and I pitched our new book we described it as Alicia Silverstone meets Paula Deen.   This fried tofu recipe is the perfect mingling of a young vegan chef with an older southern cookin’ mama.

Say the word “tofu” to non-vegans and vegetarians and wait to see how quickly they respond with some form of the words “yuck,” “spongy,” or “blah.”

What I’ve discovered about tofu is that it is indeed “yucky, spongy and blah” until you cook it correctly.  I now love and often prefer it to meat, as long as it is sautéed or baked in a coating until caramelized, or…. fried. Let’s be honest:  frying is not the healthiest method of cooking anything. However, as a treat, it is one of the tastiest ways to cook anything.

My 5 year old  grandson Georgie is staying with us this week,  and had never experienced  Kentucky Fried Chicken. He laughed and laughed when I told him we were going to get “chicken in a bucket” for dinner.  (At the end of a week with a five year old, this Nonny was losing touch with her normal cooking groove.  Lack of sleep and  uninterrupted thoughts will do this to a person, as adorable as he may be!)   But one taste of KFC chicken leg and he started humming happy “mmm…mmmm…MMM’s” and saying things like, “I can’t stop eating this!” and “This is the best chicken I ever had.”  He had three pieces before he finally paused to lick every finger on his hands.

Georgie chowing down on his first piece of southern fried chicken, Colonel Sanders style

Granted, a roast chicken is much healthier, but now and again, there’s just nothing like a good ol’ southern friend chicken.  Or tofu.

Rachel and I were together in Phoenix  this past fall, when we both ordered the crispy tofu and noodles dish at an Asian restaurant.  When we took a bite of the tofu and it actually went “crunch,” it was a revelation.  Tofu can crunch?  Not only that, but the inside of the crunchy coating was a pillow of silken perfection.   I had to duplicate it. This recipe below turned out at least as good as that lovely crunchy tofu in Phoenix.  It’s a wonderful “gateway recipe” to get people who are afraid of tofu to give it a try.

Becky’s Southern Fried Tofu

Serves 2 to 3

Ingredients

1/2 block tofu, diced in squares about the size of a dice (little more than 1/2 inch squares)

1/4 c. teriyaki sauce

1 t. sesame oil

1 T. thai chili sauce

canola or coconut oil for frying

1/2 c. cornstarch

1/2 t. sea salt

/3 c. toasted sesame seeds

More teriyaki and chili sauce for coating and dipping, if desired (to personal taste)

2 slices fresh lime

1/4 c. chopped green onion

Directions:

Fill a medium sized  sauce pot with oil until it is one and one half to two inches deep. Heat oil at medium high. (Or use a fryer.)

Use medium saucepan filled 1 1/2 to 2 inches with oil

Mix teriyaki sauce, sesame oil and chili sauce in a shallow bowl.  Use a spoon to toss and coat the pieces of tofu lightly.

Next, toss the tofu  in a shallow bowl of cornstarch mixed with 1/2 t.  salt.

Tofu marinated, tossed in cornstarch. After frying you will roll in the bowl of sesame seeds.

Carefully place tofu in small batches  in sauce pan or fryer. Using a heat proof slotted spoon, turn the tofu until it is golden brown on all sides and remove with the same spoon (tapping to drain off oil) to a shallow bowl with sesame seeds.   Gently toss the tofu in sesame seeds.  Taste and if needed sprinkle with a very light dusting of sea salt.

Can use as an appetizer just like this, or coated in a bit more teriyaki sauce with a side of edamame.

Variation: Delicious also served with a variety of Asian sauces (such as teriyaki, black bean, hoisin, low sodium soy, Thai Sweet Chili sauce,  plum sauce, hot chili sauce , lime, sesame oil, grated ginger), chopped green onions, and served with a slice of lime over a bowl of rice and steamed veggies.  A sprinkle of chopped peanuts and chopped cilantro is wonderful with this dish as well.

Southern Fried Tofu

This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Crispy Southern Fried Tofu
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© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved

Pasta Arrabiata with Roasted Garbanzos & Kale Chips

Posted: June 5, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Main Dishes, Pasta, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

One of our staple vegan meals: Roasted Garbanzo Beans and Kale and a Spicy Arrabiata Sauce served over whole wheat pasta with a side of extra roasted veggies and whole wheat garlic toast. Satisfies every time.

(Rachel – The Vegan-Eatin’ Daughter)

My husband had a few hours off this afternoon, so as I wrote a post for my literary agency’s blog, The Wordserve Water Cooler, Jared kept an eye on Jackson and helped out around the house. He was folding a load of laundry at the kitchen table with Jackson at his feet, and though Jackson can barely reach the table, he managed to grab a corner of one of the piles and pulled half of the folded clothes onto the floor. Looking up from my laptop, I knowingly grinned and said “I’m so glad you get to experience a little piece of my life every now and then.”

The other day, Jared came home and, for what seemed like the 100th day in a row, I was rocking our crying teething baby in the same clothes I was wearing when he left for work, the house a total mess, and no dinner on the table. I told him “Just once, I’d like for you to come home and me to be bathed & dressed, the house to be clean, blogs to be finished, my word-count to be completed, and dinner to be ready. I can usually get a couple of those done on any given day, but I think it would be a miracle to fit it all into one day and be present for our son.”

Here’s what cooking with Jackson looks like on a good night. Veggies are chopped, every piece of tupperware is on the floor. Next up, Arrabiata sauce and emptying the pots and pans drawer.

Never trust a tupperware container from the house of a toddler. It surely has been discarded onto an unswept floor, then thrown back into the cabinet without so much as a rinse.

I know Jared works VERY hard. In fact, I would probably cry every day if I had his job of taming teenagers in the classroom, followed by practice and games most nights and weekends. But it’s nice to know he understands that being a work-at-home mom is not all tickles and giggles either.

On this night, my house was a wreck and the closest I got to showering was sticking my feet in the tub while Jackson bathed and dotting my neck and wrists with a little “perfume” of coconut oil while I cooked. But dinner was on the table and it was delicious. And my husband kindly overlooked the yoga pants and tank top I was trying to pass off as an outfit and the ponytail I was trying to pass off as an intentionally messy updo.

I like to put the kale chips on the side and then crumble them into a tasty crunchy kale dust between every few bites. Jared loves his as chips and just eats them on the side. To each his own.

Pasta Arrabiata with Roasted Garbanzos

This makes a lot of sauce, enough to fill about 2 pasta sauce jars. You can easily freeze leftovers or store them in your refrigerator for up to a week.

Arrabiata Sauce

Ingredients

3 T. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 t. salt
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. Tomato Paste
1 28 oz can of whole peeled San Marzano Tomatoes
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup red or white wine
2 T. brown sugar
1 T. Italian seasoning
1 T. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 c. fresh parsley, chopped & divided

Directions

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large sauce pan. Add onions and salt and saute until translucent. Add garlic, saute for 2 more minutes. Add tomato paste and stir. Add the whole peeled tomatoes and break them up with a fork until nice and chunky. Add crushed tomatoes, wine, brown sugar, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Bring to boil and simmer for 30 minutes on low, stirring occasionally. Add 1/4 cup of fresh parsley before serving.
Roasted Garbanzos & Kale Chips

Makes enough to top 3-4 bowls of pasta

Ingredients

1 cans of garbanzo beans (also called chickpeas), drained and rinsed
2 c. kale, washed, dried very well, and torn into pieces
3-4 t. olive oil, divided
4 t. Italian seasoning, divided
1 t. crushed red pepper flakes, divided

Preheat oven to 325.  Coat a large cookie sheet with a little olive oil or cooking spray. In a bowl, toss garbanzos in half the olive olive oil until all are lightly coated. Add half of the Italian Seasoning & crushed red pepper flakes and toss again. Pour onto half the cookie sheet. Repeat same steps with the kale, making sure to massage the olive oil into the leaves. Bake for 20 minutes, shaking the pan half way through. They are done when the kale chips are light and crispy and the garbanzo beans have a slight crunch.

Serve Arriabiata sauce over pasta and top with a sprinkle of fresh parsley, chickpeas and kale. I actually like to put the kale chips on the side and crush them over the top as I eat them.

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The Title: Pasta Arrabiata with Roasted Garbanzos & Kale Chips
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© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved

Creamy Vegan Fruit Salad Dressing

Posted: June 1, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Desserts, Fruit Dishes, Gluten Free, Sauces and Dressings, Sides, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tags: , , , , , | 1 Comment

Creamy Vegan Fruit Salad Dressing

(Becky — The Butter Lovin’ Mama)

When my five year old grandson Georgie was about three and a half, my husband Greg (“Poppy” ) took him fishing with my son, Georgie’s Uncle Zeke.  The thing about Zeke is this:  he is the most optimistic person in the universe.  So he over-estimates the fun and “ease” of everything, while disregarding things like obstacles, mileage, gale force winds, the limits of the human body, gravity, and reality.

Zeke with his youngest son Titus, trying to “fish”

Zeke told Greg that there was a great fishing hole “just a little walk down the road” where they could let Georgie and Zeke’s two little boys (Nate and Titus)  wet a line. Knowing Zeke as he does, Greg should not have been surprised when Zeke’s definition of a “little walk” would turn out to be at least a mile long hike (each way). This,with three preschool boys in tow, not to mention poles and tackle boxes.

Georgie and his Poppy “fishing” — which means mostly throwing in the line and “untangling”

George and his cousin Nate (Zeke’s eldest) fishin’ on a mountain lake

In the end Greg carried Georgie the mile back home on his shoulders, and both of them arrived after their “evening of fishing with Uncle Zeke and cousins,” at our house, exhausted and famished.  Little Georgie disappeared into the kitchen pantry, then came out dragging an enormous warehouse-purchased bag of tortilla chips that was at least as tall as he was.  Tugging the bag over to his Poppy with his last ounce of strength, Georgie sighed and declared: “I want ALL of dem.”

I know how Georgie feels.

Last night for some reason, I was especially craving fruit salad.  On a lark, I whirled some dried cantaloupe I bought a local health food grocery store, with about a cup of creamy coconut milk in my Vitamix blender.  The result was more than I bargained for: it was perhaps the best fruit salad dressing I’ve ever tasted.  I poured this gorgeous pastel orange cream over a small bowl of berries and kiwi, and it was so good, I ate it all, and had another bowl. Then another.  Yes, I ate “ALL dem” berries and kiwi because the creamy dressing was just that scrumptious.

I bequeath this easy delicious two ingredient recipe to you.  If you are like me, this will be your new favorite topping for everyday and holiday fruit salads.  Though I am also an optimist at heart (Zeke’s outlook doesn’t fall very far from his Mom’s personality tree), I promise you I’m not exaggerating.   And if you want to get your kids to eat their fruit, this is a great way to get them  to eat “ALL of dem.”

Creamy Vegan Fruit Salad Dressing

Becky’s Creamy Vegan Fruit Salad Dressing

Ingredients

1 cup coconut milk (not “lite”)

1/3 cup chopped dried fruit (cantaloupe, apricots, papayas, or mangoes recommended)

Dried cantaloupe  You can also use dried apricots, papayas, or mangoes in this recipe for similar results.

*If the fruit is particularly hard, or your blender not particularly powerful, try soaking the fruit in hot water for about 5 to 10 minutes, then draining water off before blending

Pinch salt

The two main ingredients for Creamy Vegan Fruit Salad Dressing

Directions:

Into powerful blender or food processor, put coconut milk and chopped dried fruit.  (If you can find the dried cantaloupe, I loved it in this recipe.  I found mine at Sunflower Market.) Start it on low and then move to most powerful setting and blend until the fruit is completely emulsified and the “dried fruit cream”  has no grainy pieces in it.  Add pinch salt (about 1/4 t. or less) and blend again.  It tends to thicken up in the fridge as the coconut milk gets cold.  I like it fresh from the blender and also from the fridge.  Delicious both ways.

Creamy Vegan Fruit Salad Dressing (Made from coconut milk and dried fruit)

Arrange fruit on pretty plates and drizzle on dressing.   A beautiful side dish, snack or summertime dessert. Coconut oil and milk has some impressive health benefits. Click here for peer reviewed research.

This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Creamy Vegan Fruit Salad Dressing
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© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers

Posted: May 31, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Main Dishes, Sandwiches, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tags: , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers with grilled pineapple and corn on the cob, hits the spot after a day at the pool.

(Rachel – The Vegan-Eatin’ Daughter)

This morning at 5:30 am, Jared hopped out of bed and yelled “Rach, come on, we’ve gotta go!”

“Where? What? What’s going on?” I asked in a bit of a frantic haze.

“To the bathroom. We have to take cover.”

In seconds, I threw the comforter off of me, jumped out of bed and started heading to grab Jackson, when I thought to ask, “How do you know a tornado is coming?!”

“I hear the wind” he responded, “but I guess I should check the weather.”

I paused and quickly checked the local weatherman’s Facebook page to see that the storms were not severe.

“You mean to tell me, you woke me up from my deep sleep and asked me to go wake my soundly sleeping baby so we could take refuge from wind?”

“Sorry, the wind sounded like a freight train. I really thought it was a tornado. In hindsight, I guess it could have actually been the freight train that runs through town.”

To his credit, we did get the car into the garage before it was pelted with a hail storm that came through shortly after and we were scary close to a bad tornado not long ago, so his heightened awareness was not completely displaced.

Texas weather is just crazy! Just a couple of days ago, we were grilling up some corn on the cob and pineapple and I was whipping up a batch of these sweet potato black bean burgers to enjoy on the patio after an afternoon at the pool. Today, we were pelted with hail and are on alert for more severe weather this evening. Thankfully, we have leftovers and so even though it’s windy and rainy outside, it’s summer inside!

10-month old Jackson LOVED these burgers. In fact, he ate an entire patty with avocado. Here he is with just a few crumbs left. Baby approved.

I think Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers are this little man’s new favorite. He cleared his tray.

I think the key to a good veggie burger is getting them a little crispy on the outside and cooked until firm on the inside. I’ve found that if  I only cook them on the stove, they are too mushy on the inside unless the patty is very thin, but baking them alone doesn’t give them the outside crunch that I personally really like. If you don’t have time to do both, you can certainly just bake them, but I would probably skip the bread crumb coating if you do it that way.

I love the crispy outside and the moist, yet firm inside of these Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers. The key is coating them in bread crumbs, pan-frying, then finishing them off in the oven.

Rachel’s Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers

Makes 8-10 patties

Ingredients

1 sweet potato, chopped and boiled until fork-tender
2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
2 carrots, chopped
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup oats, coarsely ground (see picture in directions)
1 cup Panko bread crumbs (whole wheat if you can find it), divided in half
1/2 cup corn, fresh, frozen & thawed, or canned & drained
2 t. cumin
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1 t. cayenne (if you like spice–omit for little eaters)
olive oil

Directions

Heat oven to 350 F. Either spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray or line it with parchment paper.

In a large flat-bottomed skillet (cast irons are great), saute onions and carrots on medium-low heat with a little olive oil until onions have a nice golden color. Add garlic and saute for 2 more minutes. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mash one can of drained black beans (a fork, potato masher, or your hands will do the job), then add the other can of drained black beans and just lightly mash them, leaving some whole. Add the sauteed veggies and all the other ingredients, except for 1/2 of the bread crumbs, and mix well, mashing some of the sweet potatoes to help bind the mixture.

Put the remaining bread crumbs on a small plate or pie pan.

Pulse oats in a blender, food processor, or coffee bean grinder once or twice until they are coarsely ground like this.

The mixture should be thick and slightly sticky. This looks a little gross, but let’s be honest, ground raw meat doesn’t look much better! 🙂

Form the patties. Use a 1/2 cup measuring cup, slightly over-filled, to measure out each patty. Patties should be about 1 inch thick and 4 inches in diameter.

In the same pan you cooked the veggies, add just enough oil to lightly coat the pan and turn the burner back to medium low. Dip the patties into the panko crumbs, gently pressing the crumbs into the patties. Add panko-crusted patties to the pan (2-4 at a time depending on the size of your pan), letting them get lightly golden brown, then flipping. The first side browns quicker.

Transfer the patties to the baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.

Serve on hamburger buns with your choice of toppings. Avocado, tomato, roasted red pepper, lettuce, chipotle mayo (just blend a chipotle pepper with 1/2 cup of mayo), are all great with these.

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The Title: Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers
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© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved

Lentil Veggie Chili

Posted: May 29, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Gluten Free, Main Dishes, Soups, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Lentil & Veggie Chili over brown rice, a delicious, healthy, economical twist on an American favorite.

I think any of our regular readers know my affections for kale at this point. I do love that cruciferous veggie (in fact, this recipe sneaks in two cups of it), but I’ve been keeping quiet about another favorite food of mine. Possibly the the humblest legume out there, the lentil.

I don’t have a funny or inspiring story to tie into this recipe, so I’m just going to indulge in one of my favorite guilty pleasures, talking geeky about health food.

“What’s a lentil?” You ask. Well, I didn’t know either until about two years ago when I started eating a plant-based diet. I wish I had known about them when I was a college student trying to eat healthy on a tight budget. A pound of lentils costs less than $1.00 and will yield 5 cups of cooked lentils. Each cup boasts a whopping 17 grams of protein, 16 grams of fiber, folate (90% RDV), iron (35% RDV), magnesium, and much more, yet only has 1 gram of fat and 230 calories. All that, and they cook in 30 minutes (versus 4+ hours for most dry beans) with no soaking required.

Like most legumes, lentils aren’t a powerhouse of flavor on their own, but they pick up the flavors of whatever they are cooked in nicely. I use them in soups and spaghetti sauce all the time. This week, I discovered a new use for them. Instead of using canned beans or slow cooking kidney and black beans for my usual veggie chili recipe, I used lentils.

I know it’s warming up and, for some, chili is a winter dish, but I love any quick one-pot meal in the summer that doesn’t require turning on the oven or hovering over the stove for long. You can make a lot at once, and then take the next night off or easily pack up the leftovers for lunch at the office. And if you top it with a hit of diced avocado, some cilantro, and a squeeze of lime , it really brightens up the flavors and brings a bit of summer color to this warm dish.

What’s your favorite under-the-radar ingredient or food that you love to tell your friends about?

Lentil Chili served over brown rice and topped with avocado, cilantro, and lime.

Rachel’s Lentil Veggie Chili

Ingredients

1 onion, diced
3 carrots, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 t. grated ginger
1 T. cumin
1 t. cayenne
1 t. salt
2 serrano chilies, whole
1 sweet potato, chopped
14 oz can of diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup (1/2 lb) dry green lentils, sorted for dirt & rocks* & rinsed
6 cups water
2 cups of frozen corn, thawed
2 cups kale, removed from stem
1 t. crushed red pepper flakes (optional for an extra spicy kick)

Other: Brown Rice and/or crackers, avocado, cilantro, & lime

Directions

In a large pot, heat a little bit of olive oil and saute onions and carrots with a pinch of salt on medium heat until soft.  Add garlic and ginger and saute for 2 more minutes. Stir in cumin, cayenne, and salt. Add serrano chilies, sweet potato, tomatoes, lentil, and water. Cover and bring to a boil, lower to a simmer for 30 minutes with the lid tilted, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid. Add corn and kale & optional red pepper flakes. Simmer for 10 more minutes. If you want a thicker soup, continue to simmer uncovered until you reach the desired consistency.

Serve over brown rice or with crackers. Garnish with avocado, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.

*Before cooking any dried legumes, pour them onto a solid surface, like a paper towel and sort through them looking for sticks, little rocks, or clumps of dirt. Please don’t skip this step. I find something in probably 50% of my dried beans. You don’t want you or your guests to bite into a rock!

This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Lentil Veggie Chili
The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-lR
© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved

Salted Caramel Banana Nut Shake (Healthy)

Posted: May 28, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Beverages and Smoothies, Breakfast Foods, Cocktails, Desserts, Gluten Free, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Salted Caramel Banana Nut Shake

I’ve always loved a perfectly ripe banana for a quick snack. On hectic mornings, I’d often grab a banana,  a spoonful of peanut butter, a swig of milk and call it breakfast.  Once,  when my four kids were young, we all headed in a crazed mass exit toward the car where I would drive them to school.  Realizing I’d forgotten to eat, I instructed my then-thirteen year old son, Zach, to “run back in the house and grab me a banana.”

I watched, perplexed. as he ran to the front door of the house then took an odd pose, his head slightly to the right, his arms to his side, and then ran back to the car in this weird position. “What are you doing?” I asked.  He answered in all seriousness, “I thought you told me to go to the house and then run like a banana.”

I swear, when puberty hits our children their hormones start eating their brain cells.   But I digress.

Back to bananas for breakfast.  As some of you know, I’m determined to eat my way to lower blood pressure.  One of the ways to do this is to eat more potassium rich foods.  And a banana is loaded with potassium.  In fact,  I read that a bite of a banana has more potassium than most potassium tablets.   Almonds, too, are praised for all sorts of health benefits, including lowering blood pressure.

Another new food craze I love is salted caramel anything.  So I combined a simple banana smoothie with almonds and unsweetened almond milk (only 35 calories a cup!) then added a touch of caramel and sea salt. (Sea salt does not raise blood pressure the way iodized chemically produced salt does, and you need less of it to flavor your food since it so rich in minerals.) There is only 2 teaspoons of caramel syrup (about 40 calories) in each shake, but because you use one of the teaspoons to rim the glass and as a decoration on top,  you get the feeling that it is much sweeter as you get a tiny taste of the pure caramel with each sip.

This new smoothie/shake is the breakfast of my dreams.  I’m hooked.  It also makes a wonderful mid-afternoon snack or a bedtime treat, since the ingredients also relax you for a good night sleep.  It could be a fluke, but I have noticed my blood pressure has lowered since having one of these banana and almond treats per day.

Served in a martini or margarita glass not only adds more elegance but allows you to rim the glass in a bit more caramel and sea salt, and gives you more surface area to garnish the top with the same.

Salted Caramel Banana Nut Shake

Becky’s Salted Caramel Banana Nut Shake (Healthy)

Serves Two

Ingredients

1 rounded T.  roasted almonds (salted or unsalted both work)

1 banana, peeled and chopped into 2 inch slices   (preferably frozen)

1 ½ c. unsweetened almond milk

4 t.  caramel syrup, divided (There are several non-dairy alternatives for vegans, including caramel agave nectar,  or google recipes for vegan caramel. )

½ c. ice

Sea salt – couple of tiny pinches

almond milk, roasted almonds, a frozen banana, caramel syrup and sea salt makes an amazing and potassium rich treat

Directions:

Into a blender put almonds, banana, and almond milk,  2 t. caramel syrup,  ice and small pinch sea salt. Blend until smooth and almonds are just specks.

Pour about a teaspoon of caramel syrup around a plate, approximately the size of the rim of a martini glass. Sprinkle this circle with a tiny pinch of  sea salt, lightly.  Dip the rim of the glass into the syrup and salt, twisting and turning to coat evenly.  Do this twice to prepare two martini glasses.

Create a circle of caramel syrup, lightly sprinkled with sea salt, on a plate,  to rim the glasses

Pour half the smoothie/shake into each glass.   Squiggle a bit more of the syrup (about 1/2 t.) to garnish the top of the drink, and sprinkle with one more tiny pinch of sea salt.   Prepare to fall in love.

Variations:  Add protein powder to buff up the protein and drink the whole recipe to make a complete breakfast smoothie. 

Add liquor (rum, coconut or vanilla vodka) to turn this into a yummy frozen cocktail. 

Try it with coconut milk instead of almond milk.  

In a  hurry? Skip rimming the glass. 

Vegan Ranch Dressing

Posted: May 24, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Appetizers, Salads, Vegan | Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment

Vegan Ranch Dressing, great as a dip or on a salad.

(Rachel)

This weekend I cleaned out my refrigerator door and overflowed the trash can with expired bottled salad dressings and corn syrup-filled marinades. It dawned on me that I haven’t eaten bottled dressing in years. Once you start making your own fresh dressing, it’s hard to go back.

Usually I make a simple vinaigrette or something like my mom’s Lemon Drop Dressing, but sometimes Jared and I crave the creamy classic, Ranch Dressing.

When Jackson was just a few weeks old, Jared got a hankering for a salad with ranch dressing, but I was nursing the baby and couldn’t get up to help him. So from the rocking chair in the living room, I walked him through the steps of washing, drying and chopping the parsley, mixing it with vegan mayo, salt, pepper, minced onions, and garlic powder, and thinning it out with a little unsweetened milk.

Unsure if he got the seasoning right, he brought the bowl to me so I could taste it. Just as he stepped onto the carpet, our cat Marvin, jetted in front of him, tripping Jared and sending the bowl into the air. Like a scene out of a Steve Martin comedy, the bowl came down landing right on the cat. In a panic, Marvin took off, shaking frantically throughout the living room sending ranch flying in every direction, coating us, baby included, the furniture, the walls, and the carpet.

The house (and the cat) smelled of onion and parsley for days.

If you can chop parsley and dodge schizo cats, you can make this dressing. It’s a great base for other creative combinations, too, like Avocado Goddess Dressing or Roasted Pepper Ranch. You can use dried parsley in this recipe too, but the fresh parsley really pops.

Easy, fresh, and so much better than bottled ranch dressing.

Rachel’s Vegan Ranch Dressing

Makes 1 cup of dressing

Ingredients

1 c. vegan mayo (We like the Grapeseed Oil Vegenaise)
1/8 c. flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 t. dried minced onion
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. salt
1 t. freshed cracked pepper
2 T. unsweetened non-dairy milk (add a little more for a thinner consistency or less for a thicker dip)

Directions

Combine ingredients and store in an air tight container in the refrigerator. Let sit for a couple of hours before using if possible. It should keep for about three days.

This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Vegan Ranch Dressing
The URL: https://welaughwecrywecook.com/2012/05/24/vegan-ranch-dressing/
© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved

White Tea Fruit Slushies: My New Summer “Coffee”

Posted: May 18, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Beverages and Smoothies, Fruit Dishes, Gluten Free, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Becky’s White Tea Fruit Slushy

Nobody loves the first sip of morning coffee like I do! In fact, I used to use this moment as an inspirational speech illustration on how to capture “Eden moments” in our lives.

Obviously we aren’t living in Eden anymore, but that does not mean we don’t get glimpses of Eden.   “The way we catch ‘Eden moments’,” I would say, “is the same way we acknowledge that first sip of good coffee in the morning.  Many of us audibly say, ‘Ahh, that’s good.’  The same way God paused and said, ‘It is good’ after every phase of creation. We live more meaningful lives by noticing small blessings and pausing, even a second, to say, ‘Ah, that’s good.’ String enough of these small moments of gratitude together and you will find yourself happier.”

I still believe this is true.  But this week,  I had my favorite illustration taken from me!  Due to a spike in blood pressure, I’m cutting out foods that may raise BP, and adding in foods that may lower it. One of the toughest things to give up was that sacred, holy, blessed… Cup o’ Morning Joe.

Since I, like most people, am more motivated by pleasure than I want to admit, I had to find a substitute morning beverage that would be worth getting out of bed for.   I’ve experimented with several alternatives. There was a canned non-caffeinated health/energy drink.  It tastes like chilled, diluted cough syrup.  No go.

I tried various mugs of green and white teas, hot, with honey. They were nice, but hardly exciting enough to compel me to crawl from under the sheets.

Not a fan of de-caf coffee.

Then it hit me.  Our cute local tea shop offers “tea slushies” during the summer months.  I love them but they are a bit too sweet, full of sugar.  I also need to add more berries and fruit in my diet, so I wondered about making a white tea berry slushy.  A little of this, and a pinch of that went into the blender and in no time, out came The Winner.  (Insert angel voices singing here.)   Meet my new morning beverage of choice.  So perfect for back porch sitting and sipping, that I often enjoy an afternoon tea slushy, too.

You’ll find me under the shade tree with my new icey-brew tomorrow, savoring a first sip and saying,   “Ahh.. that is good.”

P.S. I like both green and white teas, but have found white tea has a milder flavor and even more nutritional benefits.  White tea has been shown to fight cancer, help with weight loss, improve and protect the skin and the heart in a myriad of ways among many other benefits.  I often mix it with decaf black tea and sip on this all day.  Here’s an informative link: White Tea Information.

Becky's White Tea Fruit Slushy

Becky’s White Tea Fruit Slushy

Serves 2 large glasses, or 4 “wine” glasses

Ingredients

2 cups brewed white or green  tea, cooled  (made from 2 to 4 tea bags, depending on how strong you like it)

10 ounces (or a little over 1 cup) frozen berries, any kind

1/4 cup agave nectar or a tad of stevia or other sweetener of your choice

1/2 cup ice

Optional: citrus slices for garnish/flavor

Directions

Put all ingredients into a blender and whirl until slushy.  Serve immediately, garnishing with a slice of lime, lemon or orange if desired.

Variations: Try other teas. (A visit to a nice tea shop is like a visit to a cool wine bar these days!) Substitute other frozen fruits such as peaches, cherries, mangos or kiwis.   Even veggies like celery and cucumber would be refreshing.

This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: White Tea Fruit Slushies
The URL:http://wp.me/p1UwM9-jh

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