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real food. everytime.

Black Bean and Quinoa Burgers

10/28/2015

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I'm sure your news outlets and social media feeds have been inundated with the recent announcement from the World Health Organization regarding processed meat products and cancer - I know mine has! In case you missed it, check it out CNN's summary here. Coincidentally (or not) a study released at the same time by startup company Clear Labs revealed results that claim 10% of processed vegetarian hot dogs actually contained meat products. CNN's summary of this report can be found here!

Whether you are looking for a new twist on your traditional veggie burger recipe, are horrified by the recent news about bacon and/or your veggie products, or are just inspired to figure out how to make these in lieu of the common frozen variety ... I highly recommend this recipe!
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I began experimenting with veggie burgers after I saw an episode of "Guy's Big Bite" on Food Network. You should totally check out the show one morning ... Matt and I dream about having an outdoor kitchen like his some day! Fieri's sister is vegetarian and he prides himself on creating her quality meat-free substitutes. His veggie burger recipe is phenomenal and I highly recommend it.
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Like any other recipe, it takes practice and multiple attempts to perfect. For me, it was challenging to find the balance between a juicy burger that fell apart and a dense hockey puck. I am proud to say this is my best creation to date! I think I finally found my base concoction to experiment with :)

Using quick oats vs. seasoned bread crumbs really made the difference - it helped create a more hearty patty that has great texture! The addition of the chiles en adobo and v8 juice also keep the beans and quinoa moist while providing tons of flavor. (The v8 is a nod to my mother and her famous meatloaf recipe! I have fond memories from when I was younger of helping her mix v8 into the ground meat with my bare hands)

These burgers are not only packed with flavor but they are loaded with protein ("Quinoa is a complete protein")! You will not leave dinner hungry. I served mine along side sauteed kale and red pepper hummus ... next time I will totally load this up with all the burger fixin's on a toasted bulkie roll #nomnomnom
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Black Bean Quinoa Burgers

Ingredients
1 can of black beans
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 small can chilles en adobo (pureed)
1 cup quick oats, more or less (uncooked)
2/3 cup frozen peas/carrots/corn (thawed)
1 egg
1/4 cup v8 juice
1/4 cup diced onion
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 jalapeno, diced
Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper, Cumin

​Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook quinoa according to package directions. Saute the garlic, onion, and jalapeno in 2 tbsp olive oil until softened, about 5 minutes. In a mixing bowl, combine pureed chiles with black beans and mash with fork (or puree beans with chiles ... I prefer them chunky and visible).

Add cooked quinoa and onions/garlic/jalapeno , v8, and thawed peas (or carrots or corn) to the mixture. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Add cumin to taste. Beat in one egg. Finally, gradually add the uncooked oats. You are looking for a moist patty that will hold its shape but is not too dry. They will hold together in the oven due to the egg - so don't over due it!

Lightly coat the bottom of a sheet pan with cooking spray and evenly space patties. Cook for 10 minutes on one side, flip, and cook for 10 more minutes. You may need to re-spray when you flip!

Optional: To serve - heat a cast iron skillet on medium high. Add canola oil. Sear each side of the patty for a crispy crust!

Serve with your favorite burger fixins :)

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BBQ Pork Quesadillas

10/21/2015

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This past weekend was our friends' annual BONFIRE! We were so excited to be able to participate this year :) Royals were playing in game two of the ALCS; a cold front moved in; and a huge pot of chili was on the stove. It was the makings for a perfect evening to celebrate all night by the fire.
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Matt and I cannot go to a gathering empty handed (part because I do not eat meat; part because we love to share our creations). If you all remember a few weeks ago we smoked a picnic shoulder for our friends. Well, pork was on sale again so we cooked another! (As Matt says "You can never have too much pork") We made chili last time with the leftovers but knew Juice's chili would take center stage tonight (rumor has it his chili is the best in town!) We decided to make a quick simple crowd pleaser to add to the sides... pork quesadillas!

​Sometimes the best foods are the simple foods. 
 We jazzed up our pork by pan searing then dicing and coating with bbq sauce ... this time we used Sweet Baby Rays. If we were cooking for the two of us we definitely would have gone with my new personal favorite Rufus Teague Blazzing Hot. It has some serious heat!

Since I don't eat meat and a few friends are gluten free/soy free - we picked up flour and corn tortillas. We quickly formed an assembly line and got to work! We like to pan sear our quesadillas in cast-iron to get a nice char on the outer shell. Quick tip: microwave them for 30 seconds before filling with meat and cheese. This keeps the shell from cracking when folded.
We loaded them into a disposable sheet pan for easy transportation and clean up. Once cool Matt also cut them into individual triangles. At our friends' home we popped them in the oven, covered, on warm for 20 minutes or so. They were ooey-gooey, hot, and delicious drive-by snacks as the Royals played their way to victory and the fire started to blaze.
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BBQ Pork Quesadillas

Ingredients
Bag of soft flour/corn tortillas
Shredded Colby & Monterey Cheese
Leftover Pork
BBQ sauce 
Cast Iron Pan
Canola Oil
Preheat oven to warm

Pan sear leftover pork in cast iron. Dice and toss in bbq sauce to taste. Set aside.

Microwave 2-3 tortillas at a time for 20 seconds. Cover one side of tortilla with 1/4 cup cheese (varies depending on size - do not over stuff!) Add 2 tablespoons of pork and spread evenly on top of cheese. Sprinkle more cheese on top as the "glue." Fold quesadilla in half.

Coat the bottom of a cast iron pan with a thin layer of canola oil and heat on medium to medium high. Place the tortillas in the pan and sear on both sides. If serving immediately, put in a warming tray in the oven until gooey. If serving later, place in a sheet pan in a single layer and let cool.

Serve with salsa/sour cream if you like!


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