VEGGIE BURGERS ON PARADE WITH HOMEMADE KETCHUP AND DILL YOGURT

So I had some specific ingredients that could make totally different meals in my fridge right now- so I asked my husband which he would prefer. He choose a VEGGIE BURGER - all and all I wanted to use up some turnip I had and it was all a circus from there.
I thought of Quinoa but I've been missing the nuttiness of brown (short-grain) rice so let's get started...

 

You will need:

1/2 Brown Rice
1 Cup H2O
1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
Handful Sesame Seeds
Red Chili flakes (to taste- you know what you like)

also,

1 cup diced Turnip
1 cup diced Potato
1 med Sweet Yellow Onion , diced
1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika (yum)
1 tsp Garlic Powder
Olive oil

set aside:
1 (15oz can) Black beans
1 Egg
1 Cup Cashew flour (you could use bread crumbs)
1 tsp Basil (dried)

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

On stove (high heat) combine the rice, sesame oil, chili flakes, and sesame seeds with one cup water- let boil, turn to low for 35 min. Let rest.

Meanwhile, add all remaining ingredients (minus ingredients set aside) into a glass baking dish tossed in olive oil (discern how much you need to coat) and bake for 55 min.

Leave the veg in the oven to cool with residual heat. Then put into food processor and with drained and rinsed black beans. Add this mixture in a bowl with remaining ingredients and rice.

Heat a cast iron pan with olive oil on med/high heat and fry like burgers on each side 3-4 min or until brown.
Put the burger on your favorite bun or toast with lettuce (or other veg) & your fav condiments or the perfect pairing below...

(You can make the ketchup at the same time as burgers by following recipe below)

Spicy Ketchup

2 Cups tomatoes (I used fresh grape)
1/4 Sun dried tomato (For robust flavor, this could be skipped)
2 Stalks Celery
3 Dried Figs
1 Whole Jalapeno (You can skip this if you don't want it spicy)
1/4 Brown sugar (divide in two)
1/2 Cup Cider Vinegar (divide in two)

Put all ingredients into glass baking dish (8x8) setting aside 1/2 the brown sugar and vinegar. Bake with the burger ingredients in oven at 425 for 50 min. Add the remaining ingredients with oven mixture into food processor and puree. Let cool and put in fridge. It will be spicy...

Note: don't forget an apron and don't wear a white shirt- I did both - big mistake.

Dill Yogurt

This dill yogurt is the nice herby, cool compliment to the veggie burger and spicy ketchup. Whip the following ingredients and you will see how the hint of mustard is just enough. Don't over do the mustard the yogurt should be the star.

1 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt
Small handful fresh Dill
1/2 a Lemon
1 tsp Whole Grain Mustard
Little salt


Of course I served it with grilled endive, radish (with it's greens) sauteed in butter with red onion, olive oil and balsamic- topped with pa-pitas...

Xoxo -Renee

Gluten-free Banana Bread

and WHO DOESN'T LIKE BANANA BREAD?

This is a classic- mix and bake banana bread - no fail...

Here's how...

3-4 ripe bananas, mashed 
2 eggs 
1 3/4 cups flour (I used half sorghum flour and almond flour)  
1  cup brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil
(You could use butter- or do half and half- (I did 1/4 cup vanilla keifer or yogurt) (you could use milk)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla 
1/4-1/2 cup walnuts (optional- i opted with no nuts for Liz cause walnuts bother her but otherwise I may have added pecans) 

Directions:

1) Combine the oil, eggs, sugar, yogurt, vanilla, and mashed bananas.
2) Add the baking soda and flour.
3) Combine well for 2-3 minutes.
4) Pour into a greased bundt pan and bake in a preheated 325 degree F oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Bon Appetit- Renee

A Winter Classic on the Warmest Day since October...
Two days ago I started working on a Classic Beef Stew thinking Winter was probably never leaving us only to eat this warm and cozy dish last night while the outside temp still hung on at 50 degrees. A big deal for us tired and cold New Englanders.

Here is what you will need:

• One dutch oven or large heavy pot
• Two tablespoons butter
• One package of boneless beef ribs (they get tender fast and little marbled fat about 1+)
• One cup flour (I used sorghum flour)
• One tablespoon Garlic Powder
• 5 Stalks Celery (love celery) 
• 4 golden potatoes (the ones with the yellow thin skin- leave the skin on please and try to buy organic for the skins sake) 
• One small turnip (don't skip this!!)
• Two med or three small sweet potato (peeled)
• Few handfuls of baby carrots or 1/2 a small bag (pre-peeled and all that) 
• One package white pearl onions (there are probably twenty that you will peel and half but they look pretty and give the right delicate flavor so be patient)
• One small purple/red onion 
• 2 (32 oz (64 total)) Beef stock (this can be homemade) 
• 2 Cups White wine  or Red (I had half a bottle on white on hand) 
• 2 oz dry sherry or sweet vermouth (either will do)
• 1/2 bunch parsley (fresh) 
• 1/4 Worcestershire Sauce  
• One large ziplock bag
• One bay leaf

Ok, you are thinking- what have i got myself into? Tons of ingredients. Not really, just lots of veggies which after stewed give tons of flavor. Let this soup do that. The longer you let is sit on low, the happier it gets. 

So, start by cubing all the veggies nice and big just like your mom used to do. The only thing that wont need this is the carrots, which are already the perfect size and of course your onions project which means peeling and halving. The only vegetable you will set aside at this point is the red onion. Other wise the celery, potato, sweet potato, turnip (peeled and cubed), all go into a large bowl raw. Throw those carrots and onions in raw as well and set aside. 

Now you may slice or dice that red onion any way you like and leave on cutting board. 

Take your ribs and cube them the same size as your veggies. 

Take the flour and put inside the ziplock bag with garlic powder and heavy salt and pepper, you may add more spice but I keep it classic. 

Start getting your pot hot at a medium temp enough to melt but not burn that butter. Add the butter to melt and meanwhile put the beef in the bag with the flour and shake the heck out of it. Now, take the beef cubes out floured and put in pot. Turn the heat to a med high to get a nice color on them. Do NOT discard the flour in the bag. Set it aside. Add the red onion to the beef after one minute. 

After browning the beef and onions, deglaze the pot with the sherry (beef still in pot) After another minute, pour in that white wine and let it cook down for ten minutes. 

Now the surprise. Add ALL the veggies in the pot and keep on med/high temp.Add bay leaf. Add both containers of stock and Worcestershire. Let the stock heat to almost a boil before turning to a low simmer. 

At this stage take a spare bowl and put the remaining flour with a few ladles of the nearly boiling stock. Whisk the two together and return to the pot. This will thicken the stew and for all your germ-o-phobes out there, the boiling stock will kill any bacteria of the raw beef in the flour, trust me it will cook off - this cooks hours.  

The Worcestershire sauce will make this stew slightly smokey while the turnip, sweet potato and white wine make it sweet so there is a balance there. If you want it more robust add red wine as opposed to white and skip the sweet potato. I can't stress enough not skipping the turnip- it makes the dish.

(This is a pic before the stew has stewed - by the way add any salt and pepper you need for taste- you will see the apple wood smoked salt i used on top due to the grey color)


Let this stew for an hour and keep out of fridge for an extra hour as it will be hot!
After shutting the burner off add the half bunch of chopped and washed PARSLEY. This brightens the dish but doesn't kill this delicate yet hearty herb too quick. Cool it and refrigerate over night. The following day take it out at very least an hour before you want to eat and follow a similar process by starting it on med heat and putting on low when it gets to the desired temp.

I served mine with GF cheddar biscuits - maybe I'll add that recipe too...

These are what I call: COMFORT BROWNIES
Easy to make, easy to eat

Preheat Oven 350

In a food processor add:
3/4 rinsed black beans (yes, you are reading that right!)
3/4 chunky PB (I used the earth balance coconut PB but you can use anything!)
1/4 raw honey
1/4- 1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup Cocoa powder

dash vanilla
dash salt

Whip it all together in the food processor (consistency will be like reg raw brownie)
add 3/4-1 cup chocolate chips of your choice and blend them into the batter by hand.
I mean, come on, there has to be some work in baking.
Put mixture into an oil or buttered 8x8 baking pan and bake for 25 min.
Couldn't be easier and honestly couldn't be more comforting. They are cakey and fudgey at the same time!
Oh and by the way they are flour free and you'd never know it!
The only thing that could improve them is homemade whipped cream.
Enjoy and Bon Appetit
 -Renee

If you are looking for an easy and delicious dessert, look no further you've found it! I had some good friends over for dinner tonight and I wanted a dessert that wouldn't be too overwhelmingly sweet, yet curb that end of night sweet tooth that I have so terribly developed. After scrambling thru my refrigerator and cabinets, things were looking rather bleak. Then, suddenly, as I pushed back what seemed to be the endless amounts of yogurt, there was my dessert savior hiding in the back of my fridge....THE RICOTTA CHEESE! I am no master chef like my business partner Renee, but I had remembered this fabulous dessert she once made for us and I figured with a little help from Google and the ingredients I had on hand, I could make this into something delicious!
 The recipe is as follows:
Blend 1 cup of ricotta cheese with 2 tablespoons of honey and a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract until smooth. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
Boil 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar with 2 tablespoons of sugar. Let it simmer for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let this mixture completely cool down, I let it sit for a few minutes then places in the fridge for a few more.
Chop up a handful of fresh basil.
Cut up a 16 oz container of strawberries and mix with the chopped basil and the balsamic syrup. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
When its time for dessert scoop out the delicious ricotta mixture and then top it with the strawberry mixture and enjoy!! I personally enjoyed alongside a great glass of wine...this step I also highly suggest!
I hope that anyone and everyone that tries this recipe finds it as delicious as I did! If anyone has a similar recipe please share any other adaptations you have tried I would love the feedback!

Liz

Good Evening!
Some times the simplest things are the most satisfying like...
Wild green salad with creamy Black Beans, Quinoa and Chicken



(*All seasonings are to taste in my opinion so I won't tell you how much to add including salt and pepper...)

You will need:
One Lemon
One Lime
3 Avocado (ripe)
Four pieces chicken breast
Homemade or store bought herb dressing 1/4 Cup
1/2 cup Quinoa
One can Black beans

1/4 Greek Yoghurt
2 Fresh Serrano pepper
Garlic Powder
Cayenne pepper
Cumin



To Start marinate trimmed chicken with dressing in bowl up to a day ahead (the vinegars in the dressing along with salt will tenderize the meat).

I used a salt bowl to mix three avocados with cumin and juice of one lemon (the salt bowl did the trick but if you don't have one add salt to taste) and set aside.

While mixing up your avocado put a little olive oil on bottom of smaller pot and add red or regular 1/2 cup quinoa to the heated pan and immediately one cup water as well as one Serrano pepper halved lengthwise let boil and reduce to simmer twenty minutes. When finished let stand to cool.

At this point start heating up your griddle to med/high heat on stove for chicken (lightly oil the pan).

Rinse one can of beans and add greek yoghurt with juice of one lime and chopped Serrano pepper as well as salt and cayenne- if you are shy to heat skip the cayenne or the Serrano as they are spicy (the pepper even more than the dried cayenne). Mix well. Chill.

Add chicken to griddle and cook 4 min or so on each side. Take off heat and rest before cutting into bite-sized pieces. At this point you can take out some mixed greens and place them on plates.

You can salt your greens if you wish. Add beans to each plate, quinoa chilled, a dollop of avocado mixture and chicken. A great GF compliment is chips and salsa. You may top with a little Olive oil but otherwise the yoghurt sauce is enough to coat the salad. Top this salad with as much or little of the ingredients as you like. There will probably be some left over. Another compliment to this would be sliced tomato or red onion, maybe some fried plantains.
Bon appetite
xoxo,
Renee