Some Recipes from Last Night

These are a few of the recipes that I cooked for Jo Ellen, Deirdre, Don and Chris. I also did kale chips (which were a big hit), the Quinoa black bean burger and sweet potato fries (which didn’t turn out at all – any tips on getting them crisp?). Everyone was a very good sport about the diet/vegan type fare. Tomorrow night I’m going to try a green bean with preserved lemon recipe – I can hardly wait!

Roasted Asparagus & Creamy Tahini Dip

Serve as an appetizer course or as nibbles before supper. Really tasty. Lots of dip, enough for another bunch of asparagus, or perhaps some pita chips.
Yields: 8 Servings

Ingredients

1 bunch Asparagus
1 teaspoon Olive oil
1/8 teaspoon Salt
1/4 cup Tahini
1 tablespoon Lemon juice
1 teaspoon Honey
1 clove Garlic minced
1/4 teaspoon Cumin

Instructions
1. Stir tahini with lemon juice, honey, garlic and cumin in a small bowl.

2. Gradually stir in 1 to 3 tablespoons water until smooth.
3. Position rack in bottom of oven. Preheat to 400F.
4. Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus. Toss with oil and salt on a rimmed baking sheet.
5. Bake on bottom rack of oven, stirring halfway through, until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes (yes just 5 minutes)
Serve with tahini as a dip.

 

Roasted Chickpeas

"A delicious, high fibre snack, these roasted chickpeas are a crispy, crunchy alternative to bland, mushy chickpeas."
Yields: 4 Servings

Ingredients

1 can (12-16 oz), drained
salt
garlic powder optional
cayenne pepper optional

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Set rack to middle.
2. Blot chickpeas with a paper towel to dry them. In a bowl, toss chickpeas with salt, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper, if using. Spread on a baking sheet, and bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until browned and crunchy. Watch carefully the last few minutes to avoid burning.

 

Zucchini & Kidney Bean Burger

Tasty in a whole wheat pita with a chimichurri sauce, or the spicy avocado spread (avocado, 1/2 tsp sirrachi, lime juice). They aren’t much different from the Quinoa & Black bean burger. Next time I will try adding more zucchini and beans.

Yields: 6 Servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup zucchini grated (unpeeled)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup onion minced
3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup kidney beans
1/2 cup quinoa cooked
1/2 cup millet cooked
2 tablespoons lemon juice
salt & pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
optional garnishes: lemon

Instructions
1. Cook the millet and quinoa (1/4 cup each with 1 1/2 cup water/stock) together in microwave for 25 minutes. You may need to add extra water near the end.
2. Place the grated zucchini into a strainer in the sink or over a bowl and rub the 1/2 teaspoon of salt into it. Let it drain for about 20 minutes.
3. While the zucchini is draining, sauté the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes, until they are browned.
4. Then, in a large bowl, smash the red beans with a fork until they form a thick paste. Then add in the other ingredients for the cakes: zucchini, onion, garlic, quinoa, millet, and lemon juice, and then season with salt and pepper.
5. Once all of your ingredients are combined, form the mixture into small patties. Makes 6 1/3 cup patties.
6. To cook the patties, heat up a couple of tablespoons of the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the cakes, as many as will fit comfortably in the pan, and cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side (until they are browned). Be careful when you're flipping the cakes, they can fall apart easily if you're not gentle with them.
7. When they're cooked on both side, transfer to a plate and garish with the optional lemon juice, parsley, or sesame seeds. Serve warm.