Beans, Glorious Beans

What else can we do but collect a million bean recipes at this point?  Last week we went on a crazy cooking spree and tried 7 new recipes!  Some flopped, but here are a couple that will make it into the regular rotation!

Lentil Walnut Burgers

2 Tbsp. Olive oil

1 cup onions

4 large cloves garlic, minced

1 3/4 cup cooked lentils

1 small egg

2 Tbsp. Apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp. Chopped ripe olives

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup oat bran

2 Tbsp. Garbanzo bean flour

2 Tbsp. Oil for frying

2 Tbsp. Butter for frying

Heat olive oil in large non-stick skillet. Sauté onions and garlic over low heat until tender.  Place onion mixture in bowl and add remaining ingredients.  Mix well.  Chill for 1 hour.  Heat olive oil and butter in skillet.  Use 1/4 cup measure, scoop mixture and form into burgers.  They will be sticky.  Fry on medium-low heat until brown and crisp, flipping carefully to brown both sides.  Burgers will firm up when done.  For cheese burgers, add slices of cheese, cover  pan and cook on low until cheese melts.  Makes 12 burgers. 

We topped with guacamole, and used no butter.  The olives were definitely stronger in the leftovers, so if you like that flavor you may want to let them sit a day!

A Little Smoking Habit

Happy February!  Actually, happy January as well while I'm at it!  For our catch up month's recipes, let's start out with something tasty for Jim to give a try!  Steve is officially obsessed with smoking everything since he got his smoker.  He insists its the tastiest thing he's ever eaten.  I'm so sure, but willing to try until he finds the right combo that I like!

So here's how it all began...how he was smoking on the grill before he got the smoker!  He loves this guy's episodes, and has learned a lot from him.  Start at 20:42!

Project Smoke

In Steve's words:

I just take a rectangular piece of foil about a foot long and add one handfull of chips.  Fold the foil into a square pouch and then poke holes in the top with a squewer.  I keep it on the hot part of the grill and put the meat on the cold side while the grill is heating up on the other side and the smoke smolders.  It's up to him how long he wants to leave it on for.  You can also put under the meat on a rack to keep the meat form cooking.  Look at this video at 12 minutes and 30 seconds

Now, because your sister really loves you, and your brother in law rocks, recipe #2 is how to cold smoke using your grill!  This is best if you want the smoke to set in without actually cooking the meat, or veggies, etc.  You could smoke that yummy pork roast THEN have Jess broil it...is your mind blown yet??  Smoked eggs?  Smoked cheese?  The possibilities are endless!

Project Smoke, cold smoking

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Jim and Ginny!

I thought that having a digital copy of our recipe exchange might make things easier to find again, as well as link for recipes on the internet.

So, without further ado...

Here's your Christmas Recipes!

1)  5 Ingredient Black Bean Soup

This yummy deliciousness is what we had for Thanksgiving.  It's definitely better with the fresh cilantro, but we've done without as well.  We cook our own beans, and so add 1 cup of vegetable or chicken stock.  The recipe calls for cans without rinsing.  We've liked the Herdez Mild Salsa, as is recommended.

2)  Squash Bisque - 

We rarely have leftovers, this is SO delicious!  Note that the recipe calls for fresh sage, which is a different measurement from dried sage.  Ooops!  I already made that mistake!  We used olive oil for sautéing instead of vegan butter (eew), almond milk instead of coconut, and added 1 extra onion.  It sounds crazy, but garnishing with ground pistachios makes it just perfect.  Steve already grinds his own for salads, so it's a no brainer for us!

And as a Christmas Bonus...

3)  Balsamic Baby Roasted Carrots

Steve doesn't care for these, I'm completely addicted.  I like with either rosemary or dill (we grow both in the garden...yummy!)  The kosher salt at the end does make a difference for a the taste without needing a ton of it.  I usually double the recipe and take them to work for a week.  In the past I've never liked cooked (or raw) carrots, but these I'll gladly eat!