Category: Recipes

The Bizarre Tale of Beany Brownies

Beany Brownies

I am now on the hunt for gluten-free recipes, and this is one of the first ones I chose. The clincher for me is the secret ingredient… black turtle beans. Not your usual brownie ingredient.

I love black turtle beans. I love them so much that I could probably snack on them. When I saw a brownie recipe that was mostly made up of black beans, I couldn’t imagine they would be good! I couldn’t get them out of my head, so I decided to make up a batch for Hallowe’en. It’s a simple recipe, so I really had nothing to lose.

Don’t kid yourself – these aren’t fat-free. I think the awesome power of black beans overpowers the butter and eggs, though. BAM! Superhero “brownies”!

Beany Brownies

Rich in beanly goodness

The Verdict:

Would you mistake these for regular brownies? Hells no! Are they tasty? Yes! Am I at least a little bit biased by my love of black beans? Yeah, I think so. J thought these were great, too, so you have a second opinion on the matter.

 

Beany Brownies

Source: this recipe

about 12 muffin-sized portions

Ingredients:

  • 1 can (15 ounces) no-salt-added black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup melted butter, more for the baking dish
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons gluten-free vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup cane sugar
  • 1/2 cup gluten-free semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts

Preparation:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 12 silicone muffin liners and place in a muffin tin, or on a baking sheet with a lip.
  2. In a food processor, blend the black beans, eggs, melted butter, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract and sugar. Allow the mixture to sit for a couple of minutes, to allow it to thicken.
  3. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
  4. Scoop out the mixture into each of the muffin liners, filling about 2/3 of the way, and top with a few more chocolate chips.
  5. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until just set in the center. Allow to cool completely before eating.

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Moroccan Eggplant Zaalouk

Moroccan Zaalouk (Eggplant dip)

When in Morocco, we had this fantastic eggplant dip that was quite different from the babaghanoush that we’re used to. Although cold, it was more similar to a hot dish that I enjoy in Indian cuisine… so I thought I would turn it into a hot dish! Perfect for the cool fall weather…

I’ve taken a pretty long break from the blog, covering my busiest time of year at work (where did September go?) and a much needed vacation (where did October go?). During that time, cooking was either a chore or not an option. Thankfully, this has changed.

After a trip to Spain, Morocco and Portugal, I am inspired to cook many new things.

Travel inspires me to cook, for two main reasons. First, the obvious – I get inspired by things I’m eating and smelling, and it gives me the opportunity to explore the culture further after the trip has ended. The second reason I get inspired to cook is, unfortunately, bad touristy food and a lack of vegetables. Whatever the reason, I’m happy to be inspired to cook and blog!

Fes - Riad Dinner

The riad in Fes: Don’t you just want to curl up with a glass of wine and some appetizers?

Back to the Moroccan dip that inspired this post… We were brought to a guest house in the medina in Fes – a mind-boggling maze of a place. The setting was incredible and elaborate, and we were seated on the terrace, with a view of the city. The meal started with a series of cooked dips, which were lovely. I probably could have eaten a whole meal consisting only of dips. The eggplant dip was a highlight for me – cleaner tasting than babaghanoush (no creamy tahini here), and closer to Indian baingan bharta in texture.

I had a thought – what if I served this dish hot?

To make it more of a meal, I have added some green bell pepper and served it on top of rice. It could also be served with crusty bread instead of rice.

This is a really easy dish – and you could even roast the eggplant and tomatoes in advance and cook the dish the next day to save time and make a weeknight-friendly meal. One thing I should note – I didn’t get a big enough eggplant, so it turned out a little more tomatoey than it should have. It still tasted amazing, but I recognize that the dip we had in Fes did not have such a strong tomato flavour.

You can also be flexible with the seasoning, if you like it a little bit spicier or want to add in some Ras el Hanout.

Cold, this is a great dip to bring to a party. Hot, it’s a simple dinner option.

Moroccan Zaalouk (Eggplant dip)

Delicious hot or cold!

Moroccan Eggplant Zaalouk

Based on this recipe. This can be served hot or cold. Traditionally, it is served cold (as a dip), but it made a great hot meal with the addition of green bell pepper and served with bread or rice.

4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 eggplant, 2 pounds, halved lengthwise
  • 4 large tomatoes, halved lengthwise
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped (optional – if making dinner, as opposed to a dip)
  • 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro and parsley, mixed
  • juice from 1/2 lemon

Preparation:

  1. Place eggplant and tomatoes skin-side up, on an oiled roasting pan. Pierce the skins with the tines of a fork. Sprinkle a bit of olive oil on top of the eggplant and tomatoes. Roast in the oven, on the top rack, under the broiler until the skin is a little bit charred, and and the meat is very tender (it took about 10 minutes for me).
  2. While the vegetables are roasting – if you will be serving this as a hot meal – lightly sauté the bell pepper in a little bit of oil. Remove from heat, and set aside.
  3. Scoop out the roasted eggplant from the skin, and peel the skins off of the tomatoes. Mash the eggplant and tomato together. Set aside.
  4. In a deep sauté pan, heat the remainder of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant and tomato mixture, and stir. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the lemon. Mix well, cover and cook for about 20 minutes, until the mixture is very thick and most of the liquid has been cooked off. Do not let the mixture burn – turn down the heat, if necessary.
  5. Add the green bell peppers and half of the cilantro/parsley to the mixture and heat through.
  6. Add the lemon juice and the rest of the cilantro/parsley.
  7. Serve warm or cold with crusty bread, or on top of rice.

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Grilled Pizza, a Revelation

Grilled Pizza

Pizza is one of the few things that I “let” J make for dinner. He’s a pro with the dough – something I have no patience for.

This post is a bit of a cheat because I didn’t do any of the tough work on this dish… I just helped. Also, this isn’t a recipe post. It’s more of a “results of our experiment” post. Hahahaha.

In any case, here it is:

Grilled Pizza

On the grill!

For this experiment, we decided to stick to one of our usual combinations of sauce and toppings, just to keep it simple. J made his usual dough. For the sauce, I took full advantage of the wealth of fresh basil we have right now and made a lightly tomatoey basil sauce with lots of olive oil. For toppings, we used mushrooms, green peppers, thinly sliced smoked sausage and buffalo mozzarella.

A couple of tips that we collected from various sources and took to heart:

  • oil the grill well
  • cook your toppings first!

The second tip was the one that made lightbulbs go off for me. I had never heard it before, but it made total sense. On the BBQ (especially a little propane one, like ours), the bottom will cook before the top. Unless you want your crust to burn, you need to cook your veggies and other toppings that need to be cooked. I sautéed the mushrooms and green peppers to release the liquids, and J lightly pan fried the sausage slices to release some of the fat.

The dough goes on the BBQ first, to grill the bottom before any toppings or sauce go on. Once the bottom is cooked nicely, flip the dough and add the toppings to the cooked side. You want to cook it long enough to get a nice crust with grill marks, and to melt the cheese. Since the veggies were already cooked, we don’t have to worry about them!

Grilled Pizza

Ready to eat!

The Verdict

Seriously, J was over the moon. It was so delicious, and he was so proud of himself for finding a way to make pizza in the summer. We kicked ourselves for waiting this long to try it. Do it. You will not regret it!

The one thing that I want to improve for next time is a way to keep the pizza warm after it’s done cooking. We took it right off the grill, and it did cool off while we were eating. It wasn’t terrible, but I think we can do better. Maybe if we took it off the grill long enough to cut a couple of pieces and let the grill cool a little, we could return it to the grill to keep warm. Hm.

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Barley Rice Salad

Barley Rice Salad

I love barley. In the winter, I’m always making stews that overflow with barley. Until now, however, I haven’t found something to use it in during the summer months. Here, I’ve used it in a salad with some rice and veggies. Cross that one off my list of grains to try saladifying!

I’m not sure why I love barley so much. It doesn’t have a big flavour, and isn’t as versatile as rice or quinoa. I like the little chew it gives to a dish. I guess it’s as simple as that.

It seems like I’m trying to find a way to make salad out of every grain in my cupboard. Grain salads are great for me, because they make great leftovers to bring to work. I’m always thinking of what to bring for lunch the next day. I do my best to limit the number of days I have to buy lunch, so that’s really important for me.

I’ve kept the dressing very simple lately. I just restocked my apple cider vinegar, which is fantastic for salad dressing. It’s tart and acidic and has more flavour than white vinegar, so you don’t need to add many other ingredients. One reason I kept things simple – fresh basil. Our rooftop garden is overflowing with delicious basil, and I’m happy to highlight it in the salad. Nothing compares to fresh basil.

Cooking tip: cook the barley in advance and freeze in portions. Do this on a day that isn’t too hot, so you’re ready to go when you need it. I didn’t do this with the rice, because rice is quicker to cook up when you need it.

Barley Rice Salad

Barley Rice Salad meets the Garlic Scape Monster

Barley Rice Salad

4-6 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup brown or mixed rice, dry (I used a fun one from Bulk Barn called Black Pearl)
  • 1 – 1.5 cups pearl barley, cooked
  • 1 cup corn kernels, cooked (can use canned, frozen, grilled)
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped green garlic (or 1/2 teaspoon finely minced garlic clove)
  • 1/2 – 1 cup sliced fennel
  • 10-12 cherry tomatoes, quartered (and drained, if using a waterier variety)
  • 2 tablespoons basil, chiffonade or finely minced
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground yellow mustard seed
  • salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
  • pinch of cayenne, or your favourite ground chile (optional)
  • 1 cup chopped cucumber

Preparation:

  1. Cook rice using your favourite method (stovetop, rice cooker, steamed, etc.). Remove from heat, transfer rice to a large nonreactive bowl, stir in barley and set aside to cool.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare and mix together the garlic, fennel, tomatoes and basil. Stir into rice and barley mix and put in the refrigerator.
  3. In a small glass with a pour spout, whisk together the oil, vinegar, mustard powder, salt, pepper and cayenne until the mixture emulsifies (it will come together and thicken slightly). Pour dressing over salad, bit by bit, and gently toss until well coated. You may not need to use it all.
  4. Top with chopped cucumber and serve.

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Tabbouleh (Bulgur Salad)

Tabbouleh (Bulgur Salad)

Another in a line of fresh summer salads, Tabbouleh is great if you have too much parsley on hand. I thought this would be a great way to stop the parsley from taking over the garden. Made up primarily of bulgur wheat, parsley and tomatoes, this Middle Eastern favourite provides a nice break from the usual green salad.

Like most salads, this one is pretty flexible. Do a quick Google search, and you’ll see some that look like they’re entirely made of parsley – mine is heavier on the bulgur. The main elements – bulgur, parsley, tomato and lemon juice – are the key constants. I usually buy a coarser bulgur, for making pilafs over the winter. Lucky for me, I had just enough fine bulgur stashed in the cupboard for this occasion.

I added some Aleppo and Maras pepper to give it a bit of kick. Aleppo is fruity, and not spicy, and the Maras is a little fruity and also a little spicy. So much fun!

One note about the tomatoes… You can use whatever you have on hand. This is a great way to use up bits of tomato left from making sandwiches. The one thing to pay attention to is the water content. If your tomatoes are watery, I recommend straining the liquid off before adding them to the salad. If you are using a drier tomato, like a Roma or a grape tomato, you probably don’t need to worry about it.

Tabbouleh (Bulgur Salad)

Tabbouleh (Bulgur Salad)

Tabbouleh (Middle Eastern Bulgur and Parsley Salad)

4-6 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 c dried fine bulgur
  • 1 c packed finely minced parsley
  • 1/4 c minced mint
  • A sprig of dill (optional)
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 – 1/3 c chopped tomato (Roma and grape tomatoes work well)
  • Juice from 1 med lemon
  • 1/4 tsp Turkish Maras ground pepper (optional, could also use a pinch of cayenne)
  • 1/4 tsp Aleppo pepper (optional)

Preparation:

  1. Pour 2 cups of boiling water over bulgur, in a heat-safe bowl. Gently stir with a fork, then cover with a clean dish towel. Leave for 10 minutes. Most of the water will be absorbed, strain off any excess. Allow to cool.
  2. Stir in the remaining ingredients.
  3. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Can be served slightly chilled, or brought back to room temperature.

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Fettuccine with Brussels Sprouts, Cranberries, and Caramelized Onions

Brussels Sprouts Pasta

I used to hate Brussels sprouts. Nothing against the Belgians, but I always found these little cabbages to be mushy and bitter. Then I met J, and realized I had better find a way to like them.
Continue reading Fettuccine with Brussels Sprouts, Cranberries, and Caramelized Onions

Daring Vegetarian Köfte (lentil and bulgur patties)

Daring Vegetarian Kofte

This month’s Daring Cooks’ challenge asked us to make some form of ‘patty’. I used it as an opportunity to dive back into my Turkish cookbook…

The end result is a mashup of a couple of different dishes – a great way for vegetarians to experience köfte. Most people know Turkish köfte as football-shaped meat balls, full of spices and a little bit crispy on the outside. This is my attempt at making them vegetarian.

Continue reading Daring Vegetarian Köfte (lentil and bulgur patties)