Gluten Free Black Bean Quinoa Burgers

A friend of mine ordered a Black Bean Quinoa Burger at a restaurant we were at the other day and kindly let me try a bite. I found the idea of it intriguing and after I tasted it, I knew I had to make this at home.  It was actually really delicious. It doesn't truly taste like a hamburger...because it isn't...but it still tastes really good. In fact, Mike actually really loved it and said I could make it for dinner any day!

I looked up a few different recipes and ended up using them as a basis to make my own version. It has since become a staple recipe. It's so easy to make and I usually have all the ingredients on hand already which makes this a great last minute meal.

I have also made double batches and frozen them with great success. There's nothing like having meals already frozen when you don't feel like cooking.

I find myself having a hard time accurately describing the flavor, so you'll just have to make the recipe and try it for yourself!

(This recipe is gluten free but I've added notes where you can use regular gluten-ized ingredients. Some of my friends and family are gluten-free, by necessity or by choice, so I like to make recipes gluten-free if possible.)

Let me know what you think of this recipe and how it goes over with your family:


Black Bean Quinoa Burgers

1 15 oz can black beans
1/4 cup onion, diced small
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/2 of a can of Trader Joe's chopped green chilies or other canned green chilies
1 tsp cumin
some generous grinds of Trader Joe's Everyday Seasoning OR a dash of coriander, and a dash of dry mustard

salt and pepper
2 tbsp dried parsley
2 tbsp sriracha or other favourite hot sauce
1/4 cup cooked quinoa
2 eggs
1/2 cup gluten free breadcrumbs OR gluten free rice krispies, crushed OR regular breadcrumbs

Udi's gluten free hamburger buns OR regular hamburger buns

your favourite toppings, i.e. avocado, red onion, onion rings, ketchup, mustard, mayo, cheese, pickles, tomato, etc...

(this time I remembered to take step by step photos!)

In a large bowl, mash the black beans with a potato masher.

Add the onion, garlic, chilies, parsley and spices and sriracha.

Mix well.

Add quinoa and mix again.

Push mixture to one side of the bowl and add breadcrumbs and 2 eggs, as shown:

With a fork, lightly beat the eggs and mix them into the breadcrumbs. Then mix everything together really well.

In a large sauté pan, heat about 3 tbsp of regular olive oil over medium heat. Measure out about a 1/2 cup of black bean mixture into your hand and lightly shape it into a patty shape. Carefully place it into the sauté pan. Repeat with the rest of the mixture. It should make about 4 patties.

Cook about 5 minutes on each side or until there is a nice crust on each side and burgers are cooked through.

Place them each on a hamburger bun of your choice and go crazy with the toppings. So far, our favourite toppings are avocado and onion rings. I like to serve these with sweet potato fries and a salad or peas.

Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

Gluten-free and Lactose-free Orange Mango Creamsicle Smoothie

Summer is around the corner and warm weather automatically makes me think that I need to get back to making smoothies. I can't bring myself to drink slushy ice drinks when it's 20 degrees outside, but now I can't get enough of them. Usually I make mine with a blend of frozen berries, frozen mango and fresh spinach with orange juice as a base and sometimes protein powder. I swear that you do not taste the spinach at all and then I feel as if the smoothie is healthy and good for me as well as delicious.

I stumbled upon this great idea for a creamsicle type smoothie and modified it a little. I don't know if it really qualifies as a 'healthy smoothie'. It's certainly healthier then a creamsicle milkshake or a pint of ice cream but on the scale of smoothies, I would classify this as healthy dessert. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe it's super healthy for you and I'm just completely fooled into thinking it's dessert by how utterly fabulous it tastes. It also makes for a great drink accompaniment to a summery light lunch or dinner. Regardless of what you make it with, it's good.


Orange Mango Creamsicle Smoothie

1 - 1 1/2 cups vanilla coconut milk
1 can orange juice concentrate
1 cup frozen mango pieces
a dash of your chosen sweetener ( i used agave but honey or sugar would work too I'm sure)
a little of your favorite protein powder (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend thoroughly. Serve in pretty glasses. Enjoy. I would say that this probably makes 4 - 8oz servings but let's be honest, you'll drink the entire thing by yourself.

ps. the next day I needed to make this again but I only bought one can of concentrate. so I froze regular orange juice in an ice cube tray and used that instead. It worked just as well. The only difference was that it wasn't as sweet as the first one.

Spinach Strawberry Salad

A few weeks ago, we ate at this little hotel restaurant with barely anyone in there and no front door. You actually had to go into the hotel entrance and down a long hallway to even get to the restaurant. I was not expecting much. But since it was late, we were staying at this particular hotel, and we did not feel like driving all over, we ate there. More proof, if proof were needed, that you shouldn't judge a restaurant by it's entrance. It was incredibly delicious and super fast. Their portions were also enormous and forewarned by our friendly waitress, we easily split an appetizer and entree between the two of us.

On a side note: This is our standard we're-not-that-hungry or let's-save-money-but-still-eat-out strategy. If you both have similar tastes, this works especially great when away on vacation or at restaurants that serve huge portions.

Anyway, the appetizer we ended up getting was a spinach and strawberry salad with pecans and goat cheese. It was so tasty and looked so simple that as soon as I got home, I tried it myself. The only difference is that I added chicken. It is just as delicious and such a simple and quick, but still healthy meal that I had to share it.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

1 bag baby spinach
10 large strawberries, washed and sliced
1/2 cup pecan pieces
2 chicken breasts, cooked and sliced
1 small log goat cheese, broken up into bite size pieces
Trader Joe's Champagne Vinaigrette or favorite light vinaigrette


After dividing the spinach onto two separate plates, line each plate with strawberries. Any extra strawberries place on top of spinach bed (or eat them yourself).

 
Place chicken pieces on top of each spinach bed, followed by pecans and goat cheese pieces. Lightly pour vinaigrette over the top. Enjoy.

Notes: I cooked the chicken on the grill pan with a little bit of olive oil, basil, rosemary and thyme, salt and pepper; 3-4 minutes per side until cooked through. It is packed with flavour and so easy to make that I make a bunch of it at once and use it in everything. Also, goat cheese is creamier than feta so it doesn't really crumble, just so you know.

Spaghetti Sqaush - Coolest Thing Ever

Okay, any fruit or vegetable (I think it's classified a fruit but whatever) that when cooked, tasted remarkable like pasta gets a gold star in my book. Since we've been trying to eat less carbs on a day to day basis (not the easiest thing for me to do), I've given up cooking pasta for dinner. And with that decision, all of my quick and easy pasta recipes went out the window.

However, Mama called and told me that she had made spaghetti squash and that even Daddy really liked it. Now, I've heard of this squash that actually tastes like pasta before and really couldn't believe it. I don't like acorn squash. I only like butternut squash if it is pureed to oblivion in soup form. I am not a fan of zucchini, or as the grocery store insists on calling it with incredible lack of imagination: green squash. Therefore, the idea of spaghetti squash was not exciting to me, though when mama called I figured, 'If Daddy could eat it, so could I.'

I humbly admit that I misjudged this fruit/vegetable thing. It - is - Delicious. It has the just the right texture and shape and it holds up to sauces just like pasta would. It is also a fairly easy thing to make. Hence, I submit to you my first try with spaghetti squash which was a huge hit:

Spaghetti Squash in White Wine Lemon Sauce

1 spaghetti squash
1 pkg Italian sausage, cooked and sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup white wine
2 tsp thyme
1/2 tbsp flour
Parmesan Cheese


First of all, you need to roast the squash.

How To Roast a Spaghetti Squash

1. Remove sticky label that grocery store adhered to said squash.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. With a fork, prick squash all over.
4. Roast in 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours.
5. Remove from oven carefully and allow to cool slightly (15-20 minutes just so you can handle it without burning your hands)
6. Slice open lengthwise with sharp knife and scoop out all seeds.

7. Run a fork through the flesh of the squash and stare in wonderment as it separates into "noodles".

Okay, now you are ready to continue with the recipe.

While your squash is cooling, cook your choice of Italian sausage according to package directions. I cooked mine in a large saute pan. When they were fully cooked, I removed them to a plate. In the same saute pan, add olive oil and garlic and cook until garlic is golden brown and fragrant.

Add butter, lemon juice, white wine, thyme and flour to garlic. Cook, stirring a little to incorporate the flour for about three to five minutes until sauce has thickened a bit.

When you've separated your "noodles", add them and the sliced sausage to the lemon sauce and stir to fully incorporate sauce into "noodles".

Remove from pan to plates and sprinkle on Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

A Better Chicken Noodle Soup

As I have previously mentioned, I don't like chicken noodle soup. Mike does though and sometimes one makes things one does not like for a person one loves. I figure if I really don't like what I made, I can always eat toast with jam for dinner like his grandmother used to.  The traditional carrot-celery-onion-chicken-in-broth soup recipe is frightfully boring so I started throwing in stuff that I saw in other soup recipes. I figured that all the ingredients came from soup recipes so they should all taste good together. I do realize that this method of cooking does not always work out for the best. I have first hand experience with the times that it has failed miserably. However, in this case, it worked beautifully. I even thoroughly enjoyed it.

Better Chicken Noodle Soup


olive oil
one yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 c white wine
1 small can diced tomatoes
8 cups chicken broth or 8 cups water with bouillon cubes (follow package directions)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (I baked the chicken in garlic-Parmesan olive oil at 350 for 30 minutes)
3 zucchini, cubed
4 carrots, sliced into rounds
fresh or dried thyme
fresh or dried rosemary
salt and pepper, to taste
1 large can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups noodles of choice (I used pappardelle)
1 bag fresh baby spinach
grated Parmesan cheese

Coat the bottom of a large pot with olive oil; heat over medium heat. When oil is heated, toss in onions. Cook, stirring occasionally until onions are translucent and beginning to brown. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute. Add white wine and cook for another minute or two. Add tomatoes and continue to cook, stirring occasionally.

Add broth, carrots, zucchini, chickpeas and herbs (I had fresh thyme and rosemary from another dish I made but if you only have dried I'm sure that will work too. I used three stems of thyme and one stem of rosemary. The rosemary I chopped up but I just picked the thyme leaves off the stems and threw it in without bothering to chop it. If you are using dried, I would use about 2 tsp of each.) Continue to cook until zucchini and carrots are soft, about ten minutes. Stir occasionally. Add noodles and cubed chicken.

*Note: I used pappardelle noodles from Trader Joe's because they looked very pretty in the package. However, because these noodles are so wide and long, they need to be broken into smaller pieces. I suggest that you do this in your hands over the soup pot. Do not try to cut dried noodles with a knife on a cutting board. The noodles break into little noodle shards that rocket all over the kitchen.

After adding the noodles, I left the pot on the stove, cooking on very low heat, for about twenty minutes more until we were ready to eat. Just before serving, add spinach and stir well so that the heat from the soup wilts the spinach.

Serve in bowls topped with Parmesan cheese.

Ratatouille (my quick version)

Ingredients and a cup of tea

I realize this is more of a winter meal but spring can have its chilly days too when you want a hearty bowl of something warm and mildly spicy that doesn't take all day to make. This would be that kind of meal. If you prep the veggies earlier, it's even faster.

The recipe calls for garlic and onions. Of course, as I began making this I realized that I was out of both of those. So I substituted garlic powder and onion powder. Granted, the dish tastes far better with the actual garlic and onions but in a pinch, powder works.

Ratatouille

2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium eggplant, peeled and cubed
1 yellow squash, cubed
2 zucchinis (or as my grocery store insists on calling them: green squash), cubed
2 bell peppers, seeded and cubed
1 package sliced mushrooms
 1 large can diced tomatoes
1 tbsp basil
1 tsp thyme
3/4 cup good red wine (if you wouldn't drink it, don't cook with it)
1 package Italian hot sausage

In a small saute pan, cook sausage over medium heat until cooked through.

Meanwhile, in a stock pot, combine olive oil with garlic and onions. Cook over medium heat until onions are golden and garlic is fragrant (about 2 minutes) Add eggplant, squash, zucchini, bell peppers and mushrooms. Stir to combine and cook for two minutes more. Add can of tomatoes, red wine, basil and thyme. Stir, cover and simmer for about fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally.

When sausage is cooked through, slice into bite size pieces and add to stock pot, stirring well, remove cover and simmer for five more minutes.

When veggies are soft (after about twenty minutes) and stew is fragrant, remove from heat.

Serve as is, or covered in Parmesan cheese or over rice. This could even be tossed with angel hair pasta. It's very versatile. According to Mike, it also makes a great lunch the next day.

Salad Dressings, Dips or Marindes

Have you every read the back of a salad dressing bottle? The ingredient list is filled with poly-syllabic words like monosulfosis and polydextrosonity (I made those up). And nothing tastes better than dressing you make at home. It's easy, tasty and made with the best ingredients you can get your hands on.

Granted, no dressing you make at home is going to have a shelf life of a hundred years but be honest, aren't you a little disturbed about how long store-bought dressing lasts, even after you open it?

Thought so.

In light of the above, I have assembled my three favorite (at least for now) make at home dressings.

Honey Mustard
Garlic Dijon Vinaigrette
Bacon Shallot Vinaigrette

Honey Mustard is the easiest thing I've ever made that tastes this good. This is great with chicken tenderloins coated in almond meal or crushed Ritz crackers and fried. It's also great with french fries and exceptional on salad with the aforementioned chicken cut up on top.

Ingredients:
5 tbsp good honey
3 tbsp good dijon (I like Grey Poupon)
2 tbsp white wine vinegar

Directions: Mix extremely well. Yes, that's it. Just mix. I told you it was easy!

Garlic Dijon Vinaigrette is also extremely easy just with more ingredients. This is the dressing from my Panzanella recipe. It's just as fabulous as a marinade for chicken or on regular salad with feta cheese. Yum!

Ingredients:
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup good olive oil
4 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard

1 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp basil
salt and pepper

Directions: Whisk vigorously.

Bacon Shallot Vinaigrette is a little bit more involved but if you have a blender, that will make it easier. I use this dressing on a salad that I make with chicken slices, grapes, dried cranberries, pistacios and pears. The slightly onion-y, saltyness of the dressing compliments the sweetness of the fruits quite nicely in my opinion.

Ingredients:

1 large garlic clove, chopped

1 small shallot, chopped1/2 cup olive oil
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp good honey
1 tbsp dried tarragon
2 slices cooked bacon
salt and pepper

In a small saute pan, add a little olive oil and the shallot and garlic clove. Cook a couple of minutes until golden brown. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. When cool, add to your blender. Add all the other ingredients to the blender. Blend.

I store all of these in the fridge in jam jars for about a week. Having homemade dressings completely made and on hand make dinners and lunches even easier. Marinade, dressing or dip, these three are a great addition to your fridge!

Gluten-Free 'Pancakes'

I apologize for the horrible photo . The camera is broke so I'm using my phone.

As I said before, we are trying to eat a little healthier in this household. Pancakes with butter and peanut butter and maple syrup and chocolate chips really don't fall under the healthy eating category, although every now and then, they still make for a great indulgent breakfast. But what if you want pancakes but still want to be a little healthy, or what if you don't want/can't have the wheat in pancakes? I happened to find this great gluten-free pancake recipe. With some blueberries in the batter and a little almond butter on top with a little maple syrup, it's still mildly indulgent without the guilt.

Gluten Free Pancakes

2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract or gf vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup all natural unsweetened applesauce (Trader Joe's has a really delicious brand)
1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg

1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

In a medium bowl, beat eggs. Add almond flour, applesauce, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg to eggs and mix well. Stir in blueberries, gently. Meanwhile, heat a skillet sprayed with a little bit of olive oil. When skillet is hot, ladle about a 1/4 cup of batter onto the skillet. Repeat with as many as your skillet will hold.  Cook until little bubbles appear and you can easily flip the pancake. (Time will vary depending on your stove) Flip pancakes. Continue to cook until each pancake is cooked through. Remove to warm plate. Serve with a dollop of almond butter and maple syrup and a few berries on the side. 

Much thanks, again, to my cousin for her help with my gluten-free recipes!

Apple Chips

We've been trying to eat healthier in this household lately. It's not the easiest thing to do when it's cold and snowy and gross out and all you want to do is curl up inside with junk food and never leave the house, but we are trying. In an effort to find something that is snackable but in the category of "very healthy", I remembered eating apple chips as a child. I think we bought them in a bag at the health food superstore that my mother frequented when I was little. She was very health-conscious then...very, very health-conscious and therefore I blame her for my love of sweets and junk food. I was denied it in my young years so I'm making up for it now! I digress.

Anyway, back to eating healthy. Apple chips were crunchy unlike their dried apple counterparts and only slight sweet, but still delicious. So I decided to give it a shot. All the recipes I could find said to slice the apple into 1/16 inch slices. Any idea how difficult it is to slice a lopsided, slightly oblong apple into 1/16 inch slices? Nigh impossible, at least for me. Needless to say, I barely escaped with all of my fingers. I gave up then.

The next day, we went to Williams Sonoma where I bought a mandoline slicer, which is now my new best friend. This makes cutting 1/16 inch slices the easiest thing ever. That evening, I was in possession of a bowl full of apple chips! Success!

Well, minor success. My husband thinks they're gross and won't touch them. More for me then.

Apple Chips

2 large firm apples like Gala
Mandoline Slicer                                                  
Parchment Paper
Cookie Sheets

Preheat oven to 190 degrees. Slice apples 1/16 inch thick according to your slicer's instructions. I also used a heart shaped fondant cutter to remove the core from a few of the slices. The other apple I cut in half and cored with a melon baller first.

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Place apples on parchment and then in oven.

Bake for two hours. Remove from oven to cool.

Be prepared to consume the entire bowl in one sitting. I did.

Gluten-Free Apple "Crisp"

So many are doing the gluten-free thing including a cousin of mine, so I decided to try some gluten-free recipes. Cutting down on the wheat isn't necessarily a bad thing anyway. I really love apple crisp but the topping is very carb and gluten heavy so I came up with a topping that isn't. And it turned out surprisingly good. It was crunchy and sweet and perfect on the cold snowy days we've been getting so much of.

Apple "Crisp"

2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2 gala apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1/2 cup almond meal
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts
1 1/2  tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp butter, melted
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla or gf vanilla

Spray a baking dish with Pam spray (or its equivalent). Layer apples in baking dish and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp nutmeg.

In a bowl, combine almond meal, almonds, hazelnuts, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp nutmeg. Mix well.

In another small bowl, combine melted butter, maple syrup and vanilla.

Pour butter mixture over almond mixture and mix with a fork until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Dump the mixture over the apple and spread evenly.  Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the kitchen smells of beautifully baked apples! Enjoy.

Since this is very healthy, it would make a great breakfast too.