“Patty” cake, “Patty” cake…a burger and salad post

Burgers were always a big deal in my house. I grew up with a dad who was a ‘king of the grill’ in his own rights. The man didn’t cook a lot, but the things he did do, he did well.  I always knew when it was his turn to make dinner because there was a different atmosphere in the house.  It was relaxed, enjoyable and messy. Kind of like my kitchen.  I think I learned that from him.

Burgers were one of his specialties (so was garlic bread but we’ll cover that one another time).  And everyone who came over for a BBQ always asked for the “Joel Burger”.  So growing up, the very little meat that I did eat was pretty much always in the form of a patty. Handmade, hand seasoned and grilled with care. We’re talking real burgers here.  Not some pre-formed, frozen-within-an-inch-of-its-life round disc. So I became quite the burger snob.  Having recently chosen a plant-based lifestyle, I am now a vegan burger snob.

Don’t get me wrong; I have nothing against a good, hot off the grill soy burger. It definitely does the trick at the cottage or family barbeques.  But I’ve been craving something more. Something real - with vegetables I can identify – and was made in my kitchen and not a processing plant.  So I’ve been embarking on a challenge to make a GREAT vegan burger. The kind that works well on a bun with condiments, or topped with salad, or as an awesome appetizer to dip.  

I’ve got a few under my belt, ranging from broccoli to corn to white bean to black bean, but this one takes the cake. Its part burger, part potato latke, and when they first come out of the oven, the smell instantly transports me back to my Bubbie’s kitchen at Chanukah. And its simple perfection reminds me of my Dad.

 The base for this burger is sweet potato. One of my all-time favorite vegetables. The combination of warm mashed potato, heady spices and the sweet caramelization from a low-and-slow bake in the oven in this recipe is like a holy trinity of sorts. It just works. Well. (It must, because I’ve made three batches of them in the past week alone!)

You could put these on a bun, top them with some condiments and go to town, but since we’re on a “little to no bread” quest at the moment, I opted for a more middle eastern route: couscous salad and lemon-tahini dressing.  

My Dad was a ‘meat and potatoes’ kind of guy. But I really think even he would have loved this one. 

Enjoy!

Baked Sweet Potato Burgers with couscous salad and lemon-tahini dressing

Ingredients:

Burgers

2-3 large sweet potatoes, peeled, cooked in microwave and mashed

1 19oz can of chick peas or white kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1/3 cup ground oats (or breadcrumbs)

1/3 cup flour (I used whole wheat but all-purpose works well too)

1 tablespoon ground flax

3 tablespoons hot water

1 teaspoon paprika (smoked if you have it, sweet if you don’t)

¼ teaspoon chipotle powder (if you are using sweet paprika only, otherwise omit this one)

½ teaspoon mustard powder

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Couscous salad

1/3 cup couscous

1 cup vegetable broth

1 tomato, seeds removed, diced finely

½ an English cucumber, peel intact, seeded and diced finely

½ an orange pepper, seeded and diced finely

¼ cup each diced green and kalamata olives

Juice of one lemon

pepper to taste

Lemon-Tahini Dressing

1/3 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)

1/3 cup cold water

2-3 cloves of fresh garlic

Pinch of salt

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

 Directions:

1. Cook couscous in vegetable broth according to package directions.  Spread on a parchment lined baking sheet or large plate and cool completely.
2.  
3. Mix flax with 2 tablespoons of hot water and allow to stand for 5-10 minutes until mixture is thickened.
4.  
5. Preheat oven to 400F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
6.  
7. Pierce potatoes and place on a microwave safe plate.  Microwave for 6-7 minutes or until completely tender.   Slice open and allow to cool completely (I usually pop mine in the freezer for 15 minutes).  Drain chickpeas or beans. In a large bowl, mash them well with a potato masher or fork.  Scoop out flesh from cooled sweet potatoes and combine with beans.  Add flax mixture, ground oats, flour,  paprika, chipotle powder (if using), mustard powder, onion powder, garlic powder and cumin. Mix well.  Refrigerate for up to 30 minutes to allow mixture to set. 
8.  
9. With lightly wet hands, scoop out mixture and roll into tennis ball sized balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet, approx. 3 inches apart (you should be able to get 6 burgers on a tray).  Flatten using the palm of your hand until they are a good “burger” thickness  between a ¼ - ½ inch thick).  Bake for 40 minutes, flipping them once halfway through. 
10.  
11. Combine cooled couscous and diced tomato, cucumber, pepper, and olives in a bowl.  Add juice of one lemon and a few turns of fresh pepper. Mix well to combine. Chill until ready to serve.
12.  
13. In a small food processor or blender,  combine tahini, water, salt, garlic and lemon juice. Process for 60 seconds until smooth.

 

Back to Basics...

picture and original recipe courtesy of Peas and Thank You

When I first met Husband almost 9 years ago, I was a relative vegetarian.  I say 'relative' because I wavered on things like fish or seafood (and eggs), but I didn't eat any red or white meat in any way, shape or form.  Husband, on the other hand, was a super-carnivore. To him, vegetables were merely decoration and took up valuable space that could be occupied by meat. And fish was something you kept in an aquarium - not on your plate.

Over the past "almost-decade", I taught Husband to embrace vegetables, love seafood and even eat tofu. He taught me to eat steak.  We found a happy medium of herbivore and carnivore. And it worked for quite a while.  But somewhere along the way, that changed.  Little Miss joined our family, and it made us stand up and take notice of our lifestyle - and eating habits.  Suddenly words like 'organic' and 'natural' were part of our everyday vernacular - and our grocery list.  A few years ago, you'd be hard pressed to find fresh fruit or vegetbales of any kind in our kitchen; now our fridge and countertops are overflowing with bright colored, sweet fruits and veggies of all kind.  We stopped buying meat from the grocery store and sought out an organic butcher.  Dairy and egg products had to be organic and antibiotic free.  We strived to feed Little Miss only homemade food - with very little additives or processed ingredients - and for the most part, we've been successful. She's definitely a "picky eater", but she's always chosen homemade over processed. (I think I've borne the only child on the planet that HATES Kraft Dinner.)

Husband and I however, weren't as diligent about our own diets as we were with hers. Until now.  Ok - I'll admit, I'm still not as diligent as I should be. I give in to temptation quite easily.  I'm a professional baker - it kind of goes with the territory.  But Husband has adopted a new clean lifestyle - which no longer includes meat.  Or dairy. Or Bread. Or anything processed. Yes, you read that right.  Nothing processed.  Only whole or raw plant-based foods.

Switching away from meat has never been a big deal for me. I've always been 'take it or leave it' about meat.  Whole food cooking however, was a completely foreign concept, and challenged everything I know (and love) about cooking.  No oils, no dressings, no premade or processed sauces, condiments or ingredients of any kind.  Over the years, I've accumulated quite the pantry full of exotic oils, condiments and other funky (and totally processed) ingredients.  Those brightly colored bottles and boxes have been replaced with bags of all natural granola, organic vegetable broth, goji berries, raw cacao and tetra packs of almond milk. This is so NOT my pantry.

Admittedly, I haven't embraced this change easily - or willingly. I'll be honest, I pretty much do all the grocery shopping and cooking around here. So a change like this is huge.  It was as if my entire world was turned upside down.  Meals suddenly required extreme planning. Take out was no longer an option. Labels needed to be scrutinized.  Cooking became a nuisance rather than a joy.  Simple acts like sauteing onions in a bit of oil, or buttering toast were monumental challenges to overcome.  It annoyed me.  And for quite a while, I resisted it at every turn. Until one day I stopped to think about what I was resisting: a husband who loves his family enough to change his lifestyle so drastically so that he can live a long, healthy life.  I must be out of my mind.

It just so happened that this drastic change - and epiphany on my end - coincided with the release of an amazing book called "Peas and Thank You" - a cookbook written by a mom who chose to raise her family (which includes two small children) vegan, and it's full of amazing recipes.  This cookbook has changed my perspective on vegan cooking. Dishes don't have to be laden with fats, or dairy products or meat to be delicious.  And there are many wonderful - and easy ways to substitute those elements and still create a wonderful meal. 

What was - as recently as a couple of weeks ago - a huge upset and inconvenience, has become a challenge that I'm a little more willing to accept:  to find new ways to cook delicious food in a whole-food-healthy way.  And I'm putting my culinary skills to the test.  For example, I figured out the other day that avocado is an excellent substitute for butter. It's rich, creamy, melts easily and hello...it's a fat! (A healthy fat to boot.)  This little trick came in very handy in the recipe I'm sharing below.  The mashed potato topping wouldn't be mashed potato without a little "milk and butter".

Little Miss and I are not completely following Husband's diet. She's only two and still requires certain foods that he won't eat. But we've modified our eating habits quite a bit. She's never cared for meat anyway, and we're doing our best to ensure she gets all the protein, iron and other nutrients she needs from other sources.  And while I still cook with oil or butter at times for me - I'm much more conscious about how much I'm using - and how often.

It's been 3 months since Husband started this quest. In that time, he's lost over 60 lbs, is in great shape and looks and feels way better than he has in a very long time.  And I'm extremely proud of him.  So proud that I made him a modified version of Peas and Thank You's Indian Shepherd's Pie.  It's definitely a "Sunday Supper" kind of meal. It took multiple pots and multiple appliances to make. But the look of utter satisfaction and delight on his face when he tasted it was worth it.  And it really didn't take that much modfiying to make it a "whole food" recipe. Oh - and honestly, you won't even miss the meat!

Enjoy!

Indian Shepherd's Pie

This is my version of the recipe - I've adapted it from Peas and Thank You: simple meatless meals the whole family will love.

Ingredients:
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed in 1-inch pieces
1 pound butternut squash, peeled and cubed in 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon very ripe avocado
2 tablespoons non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/3 cups water
2 cups cooked lentils (I used green lentils but any kind would work)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp coriander (ground)
1 cup organic spinach, choppped
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add sweet potatoes and butternut squash.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. When potatoes and squash are fork-tender, drain and add to a large bowl.

3. Using an electric or stand mixer, add avocado and non-dairy milk and cinnamon and whip until fluffy and lump-free.

4. In a smaller pot, cook lentils according to package instructions.

5. In a large skillet, saute onion, carrots and chick peas in 2 tablespoons of vegetable broth until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for one minute.  Add remaining broth, curry, coriander and simmer.  Add lentils to pot when ready and cook for another 3-5 minutes to allow sauce to thicken. Add spinach and dried cranberries and stir until combined.

6. Grease a 2 quart baking/casserole dish with avocado and add vegetable mixture.  Top with mashed squash and sweet potato topping and spread evenly to cover filling.  Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes.

Perfect Picnic Potatoes

I am not a lover of potato salad. I never quite understood it.  Cold cooked potatoes all globbed together with mayonnaise and very little flavour.  I'd rather have coleslaw. But then again, I've always had a love affair with all things tart and tangy. 

That all changed a couple of weeks ago.  We had a family get-together and my cousin made a potato salad that was out of this world. Really.  This is high praise from a non-potato-salad-loving person.  What was unique about her salad was that it a) was made with sweet potato and b) it had no mayonnaise. Yes, you read that right...no mayo.  So you could actually taste the flavours in the bowl. And boy did she add flavour!

She graciously gave me the recipe - which I made today and just had to share.  And although I totally forgot to ask her if it was okay to blog it, I'm sure she won't mind. She's amazing that way.

So, as May comes to a close and June rolls in, it's time to start thinking of backyard BBQs, weekends at the cottage and picnics - and of course - what to serve for dinner.  Well, at least you've got the side dishes covered!

Enjoy!

(p.s. I didn't have any green onions on hand so I substituted with red onion. It was still amazing!)

Lisa's Sweet Potato Salad

Ingredients

2-3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. wine vinegar
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice (or a little more if you like the tang!)
2 tsp. cilantro paste
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt and pepper
1/2 cup diced red pepper
1/3 cup sliced green onions
3 tbsp. fresh cilantro (optional)
1/2 cup cashews

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, simmer sweet potatoes in salted water until fork
tender.  Drain, rinse in cold water (helps to retain the colour) and drain
again.  Cool.

2. Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, cilantro paste, cumin,
sugar, salt and pepper.

3. Gently mix the potatoes, red pepper, green onions and fresh cilantro with
the dressing.  Refrigerate for 2 hours to overnight.  Mix in the cashews
before serving.

Get your slurp on...

It's another soup post!

This soup knocked my socks off...literally. Must have been the chipotle pepper. Okay, I'm kidding. It's not that spicy. I think I was just blown away at how a simple thing like a sweet potato could produce a soup that is so rich and spicy and sweet and simple - all at once.

I first saw this recipe on Chef at Home. Michael Smith is kind of a hero of mine. I mean - have you seen that guy's kitchen pantry? I'd do almost anything to play in there for a day. His spice collection alone is staggering. Anyway, he was making this soup and it just looked so comforting and delicious - and it was snowing here for a change, which made me crave something warm and rich. This soup certainly fits that bill.

Having what seemed like a bushel of sweet potatoes on hand the other day, I made two batches of it: one with the chipotle pepper for Husband and myself, and a second batch - minus the peppery heat - for Little Miss. Both versions were an instant hit. And took less than an hour to make. So the next time you're craving comfort, think soup. Just be sure to pour yourself a big bowl...you're going to want to dive right in.

Enjoy!



Spicy Sweet Potato Soup
(From Michael Smith's Chef at Home TV series)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil
3 onions, peeled and chopped
4 cups vegetable stock
2 large sweet potatoes, washed and grated
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
(available in the International Foods section of your grocery next to the salsa)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
salt

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot over medium high heat, add olive oil and onions and saute until soft, golden and translucent but not dark brown.

2. Add vegetable stock and grated sweet potatoes and stir. Bring to a simmer.

3. Add chipotle pepper (if using), cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Continue to simmer until potatoes have softened (about 15-20 minutes).

4. Puree in a blender or right in the pot with an immersion blender until smooth. Adjust seasoning and , if necessary, adjust thickness by adding a cup or so of water.