I like some types of veggie burgers, and I do eat them on a regular basis. My favorite are the Morningstar Farms Grillers Prime - which are a type that is meant to actually taste like an actual burger. There are lots of veggie burgers out there, though, and many don't really try to mimic an actual meat burger taste... some just taste like veggies or beans or what have you, and are delicious in that way rather than in a meaty way. That is the type of veggie burger you tend to find in restaurants or if it's homemade. I've never actually made a homemade veggie burger; I've always stuck with the pre-made frozen ones. The closest thing I've come to making something like that would probably be the bean cakes - such as black bean cakes or bean and rice cakes that I've made. For some reason today I decided to try my hand at making my own real homemade veggie burger patties so I spent all afternoon fiddling around in the kitchen. I thought I would share my results with you.
I made my veggie burgers out of beans and bulgur wheat. I get bulgur wheat at the bulk section of my grocery store and it can be used for all kinds of things. It's a main ingredient in tabbouleh, and that's what I've mostly used it for. I happened to have some in the house, though, and I thought I might be able to use that in the burger. I cooked some beans (after soaking them for a while), and ran them through the food processor until smooth but still a little chunky (like refried beans).
To the beans and bulgur wheat, I also added a little bit of dried bread crumbs, and some minced onion and shredded zucchini (that I pre-cooked). I was going to serve the burgers with feta and tzatziki so I added marjoram and parsley for a Greek themed flavor. I was very worried about the burgers being dense and gummy so I tried to mix the mixture gently and keep some air in it. I had to decide whether to put in egg as a binder and decided against it and figured I would use it as is first. So I formed a couple of patties and sauteed them with oil on a hot skillet.
The verdict on the burgers was great! They got a nice brown crust on the outside and the flavor was good. However, they did start to crumble and fall apart. We ate the burgers like that, but then I went back and added egg to the rest of the mixture. I made six more patties out of the remaining mix and those are in the freezer right now for some future veggie burger meals. Lack of egg notwithsanding, I'm actually pretty proud of my first foray into veggie burgerdom! The bulgur wheat was actually a really good addition. And even though I wasn't really going for meat flavor, they actually were relatively meaty tasting.
I was worried the results would be somewhere between disaster and meh, but I'm relieved that my burgers turned out pretty good. The addition of the feta and tzatziki made them actually quite yummy. Of course it takes a lot to make something with feta not yummy!
Happy eating!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Carrot Butter
I made something that was new to me the other day when I had High Tea with my friends: Carrot Butter. I'd seen it made by Chuck Hughes on his show, Chuck's Day Off, and thought it sounded interesting. He served it over risotto, if I recall correctly. Coincidentally he mentioned juicing your own carrots to use to make the butter and I had recently bought a juicer. So I figured I would give this carrot butter thing a try and serve it as a topping for the scones with our Tea.
It was a very simple process. You simply juice several fresh carrots, or pick up a bottle of carrot juice at the store. I've found bottled carrot juice with the other fresh and organic juices near the produce section. You have to reduce the carrot juice to a syrup consistency by gently simmering it in a saucepan. It can take a while, depending on the amount of juice you have, maybe 45 minutes. Reduce it however much you want - the longer it goes, the more concentrated the flavors are.
When it's reduced, you let it cool a bit, then slowly whisk in about half as much butter as carrot syrup. Chuck melted the butter first, and he used the carrot butter warm and melty. I wanted it to be spreadable, so I didn't want to let the butter melt all the way and separate. So I used room temperature butter and made sure my syrup wasn't too hot before I whisked the butter in. Then I poured it into a container, and let it cool in the fridge. I was using salted butter, but if your butter is unsalted you'd probably want to add some salt. I suppose it would be neat to add other seasonings as well, like curry or cayenne or cinnamon or something. I might try that sometime.
We had the carrot butter with the savory cheese scones I made and they were great. I also had it on toasted french bread later in the week. It is really delicious! It might seem a little out there, but actually it was kind of a nice way to add a little pizazz to such a common spread. I vote thumbs up on the carrot butter.
Happy eating!
It was a very simple process. You simply juice several fresh carrots, or pick up a bottle of carrot juice at the store. I've found bottled carrot juice with the other fresh and organic juices near the produce section. You have to reduce the carrot juice to a syrup consistency by gently simmering it in a saucepan. It can take a while, depending on the amount of juice you have, maybe 45 minutes. Reduce it however much you want - the longer it goes, the more concentrated the flavors are.
When it's reduced, you let it cool a bit, then slowly whisk in about half as much butter as carrot syrup. Chuck melted the butter first, and he used the carrot butter warm and melty. I wanted it to be spreadable, so I didn't want to let the butter melt all the way and separate. So I used room temperature butter and made sure my syrup wasn't too hot before I whisked the butter in. Then I poured it into a container, and let it cool in the fridge. I was using salted butter, but if your butter is unsalted you'd probably want to add some salt. I suppose it would be neat to add other seasonings as well, like curry or cayenne or cinnamon or something. I might try that sometime.
We had the carrot butter with the savory cheese scones I made and they were great. I also had it on toasted french bread later in the week. It is really delicious! It might seem a little out there, but actually it was kind of a nice way to add a little pizazz to such a common spread. I vote thumbs up on the carrot butter.
Happy eating!
Monday, January 16, 2012
Homemade French Fries
I love potatoes in general, and french fries are obviously one of the most delicious ways to prepare them. Even though making french fries is a relatively simple task, I used to always buy the pre-cut frozen bags. It's silly, really, when you realize how easy it is to just cut your own fries. Purchasing the frozen bags of pre-cut fries really is unnecessary once you know what you're doing. Here are a few guidelines to easily making your own fries at home.
Everybody has their own opinion about what sort of potatoes are good for each particular use. There are waxy, starchy, etc. etc. For french fries I think good old russetts are great. I peel them, because I have to limit my potassium intake, but they are great unpeeled too. To cut fries, simply slice the potatoes into roughly rectangular planks and then cut the planks into fries.
One great tip I've picked up is to transfer the fries to a cold water bath as they are being cut, and let them soak for a few minutes. Not only does the water help prevent browning, but it washes off extra starch, and keeps the fries cool and crisp.
There are many ways to fry a french fry. It's useful to use a deep fryer or cast iron dutch oven, but most sturdy saucepans will do as long as you are very careful. A lighter-weight pot doesn't hold the temperature vey steady, and it's easirer to knock over or even just bump, sending hot oil sloshing all over the place. A smaller pot will require multiple smaller batches of fries. It's very important to not fill any vessel more than about half way, leaving plenty of room for the oil to bubble up without spilling over. A good frying temp is somewhere around 350, but it really depends on the thickness of the fries and how you like them done.
As far as actually frying the potatoes, I have a two-step method. After patting them dry (drops of water will cause the oil to spatter), I fry them (in batches) for a few minutes, just until they barely start to take on color, and then drain them on paper towels. Then I fry them a second time, letting them get nice and golden brown. Frying them twice helps them get golden and crispy while keeping the insides just right.
Salt, pepper, garlic, or any other seasonings go on asap once the fries are done frying the second time. Yum! French fries! There's nothing like a batch of freshly made fries.
The used oil, as long as it's not too dark, can be filtered and used for deep frying again.
Happy eating!
Everybody has their own opinion about what sort of potatoes are good for each particular use. There are waxy, starchy, etc. etc. For french fries I think good old russetts are great. I peel them, because I have to limit my potassium intake, but they are great unpeeled too. To cut fries, simply slice the potatoes into roughly rectangular planks and then cut the planks into fries.
One great tip I've picked up is to transfer the fries to a cold water bath as they are being cut, and let them soak for a few minutes. Not only does the water help prevent browning, but it washes off extra starch, and keeps the fries cool and crisp.
There are many ways to fry a french fry. It's useful to use a deep fryer or cast iron dutch oven, but most sturdy saucepans will do as long as you are very careful. A lighter-weight pot doesn't hold the temperature vey steady, and it's easirer to knock over or even just bump, sending hot oil sloshing all over the place. A smaller pot will require multiple smaller batches of fries. It's very important to not fill any vessel more than about half way, leaving plenty of room for the oil to bubble up without spilling over. A good frying temp is somewhere around 350, but it really depends on the thickness of the fries and how you like them done.
As far as actually frying the potatoes, I have a two-step method. After patting them dry (drops of water will cause the oil to spatter), I fry them (in batches) for a few minutes, just until they barely start to take on color, and then drain them on paper towels. Then I fry them a second time, letting them get nice and golden brown. Frying them twice helps them get golden and crispy while keeping the insides just right.
Salt, pepper, garlic, or any other seasonings go on asap once the fries are done frying the second time. Yum! French fries! There's nothing like a batch of freshly made fries.
The used oil, as long as it's not too dark, can be filtered and used for deep frying again.
Happy eating!
Friday, January 13, 2012
I Dreamed A Dream
Dream big.
You may recall that in my previous post about High Tea, I mentioned that as I was setting the table I realized I didn't have a teapot to use. What a silly predicament! To serve Tea with no teapot. In fact I didn't even have anything sortof similar to a teapot... no coffee pot either, no jug, no pitcher, not even a camping coffee pot. I had the carafe from our coffee maker or a good ol' regular saucepan. I used the saucepan.
We have a gift card to Macy's that we got from returning a few things we got for Christmas that we absolutely couldn't use. For instance, one thing I got was some perfume. I won't be able to ever use it because with my migraines I've become extremely sensitive to those sorts of smells. (I can't even smell Dan's cologne - which I got for him last year because I loved it. Now it triggers a bad reaction.) I hate having to return gifts, but we may as well get some use out of the giver's effort and thoughtfulness. I hate to see that go to waste. At any rate, when I started looking online for things from Macy's to use up our gift card, the first thing I wanted to look for was a teapot.
I found a few I liked and one topped the list. It was just the right shape, but the design and color were just ok. After searching through all the teapots and categorizing them by price (and excluding all the freakishly girly ones, which is most of them), this was the one at the top of the list of the ones I could afford. Our budget is super-tight (medical bills running rampant over it), and if I don't get a teapot with this gift card, I'm not getting one anytime soon. I had an idea of a teapot style I wanted in my head, and this teapot wasn't it, but it was good enough.
Then all of a sudden I saw a different one. It was actually the same teapot but with a different paint job. And it was AWESOME. It was actually the teapot I saw in my head! It was just the right color, perfect shape and size, flowery and pretty but not too girly, cobalt and shades of blue just like I wanted, no pink, etc etc. I'm not kidding - I'm surprised this teapot even exists: if I were to design one, it couldn't be more perfectly exactly the thing I was looking for! Even the teacups & saucers are great (if I ever want to complete the set). I love them!
...And, Macy's has none of them. The reason it hadn't come up in my search for 3 hours is that they have none of them to buy! NOOOOOOOOOOOO! I did a quick search, and there are plenty of those teapots our there in cyberspace. Just not at Macy's, which is the only place I'm allowed to shop right now. Son of a crap. I showed Dan and whined my best tortured whine, but there's simply no way to fit it into our budget right now. It's not very expensive, but unfortunately, paying for prescription meds has to come first.
This photo is the lovely teapot of my dreams. The pattern is called "Veronica" by Denby. Cute, right? I decided not to even order any of the other teapots because I'd rather hold out for this one. I am spending my gift card money instead on a few other kitchen tools I've been needing. I'll buy it someday, just not right now I guess. Everybody needs a dream, I suppose! Mine right now is a teapot. Dream big!
Happy tea-ing!
You may recall that in my previous post about High Tea, I mentioned that as I was setting the table I realized I didn't have a teapot to use. What a silly predicament! To serve Tea with no teapot. In fact I didn't even have anything sortof similar to a teapot... no coffee pot either, no jug, no pitcher, not even a camping coffee pot. I had the carafe from our coffee maker or a good ol' regular saucepan. I used the saucepan.
We have a gift card to Macy's that we got from returning a few things we got for Christmas that we absolutely couldn't use. For instance, one thing I got was some perfume. I won't be able to ever use it because with my migraines I've become extremely sensitive to those sorts of smells. (I can't even smell Dan's cologne - which I got for him last year because I loved it. Now it triggers a bad reaction.) I hate having to return gifts, but we may as well get some use out of the giver's effort and thoughtfulness. I hate to see that go to waste. At any rate, when I started looking online for things from Macy's to use up our gift card, the first thing I wanted to look for was a teapot.
I found a few I liked and one topped the list. It was just the right shape, but the design and color were just ok. After searching through all the teapots and categorizing them by price (and excluding all the freakishly girly ones, which is most of them), this was the one at the top of the list of the ones I could afford. Our budget is super-tight (medical bills running rampant over it), and if I don't get a teapot with this gift card, I'm not getting one anytime soon. I had an idea of a teapot style I wanted in my head, and this teapot wasn't it, but it was good enough.
Then all of a sudden I saw a different one. It was actually the same teapot but with a different paint job. And it was AWESOME. It was actually the teapot I saw in my head! It was just the right color, perfect shape and size, flowery and pretty but not too girly, cobalt and shades of blue just like I wanted, no pink, etc etc. I'm not kidding - I'm surprised this teapot even exists: if I were to design one, it couldn't be more perfectly exactly the thing I was looking for! Even the teacups & saucers are great (if I ever want to complete the set). I love them!
This photo is the lovely teapot of my dreams. The pattern is called "Veronica" by Denby. Cute, right? I decided not to even order any of the other teapots because I'd rather hold out for this one. I am spending my gift card money instead on a few other kitchen tools I've been needing. I'll buy it someday, just not right now I guess. Everybody needs a dream, I suppose! Mine right now is a teapot. Dream big!
Happy tea-ing!
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