Monthly Archives: June 2016

Black Bean Burger

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I had mentioned in another post that my favorite food is actually Hamburgers. Well one of my favorite Hamburgers is this one, the Black Bean Burger. It is so good and if you serve it on a home made bun even better, goes without saying.

You won’t miss the meat at all with this one. They’re crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside but with enough bite to give you the burger sensation.  The bite is because you’re not supposed to squash all the beans to a puree, but leave some whole. You also need to add enough seasoning. Then bake them nicely in a pan until they get a dark golden crust on the outside. I serve mine with grilled Eggplant & grilled red Peppers.

Ingredients:

2 C. Black Beans, cooked

1 tbsp. Olive oil + 2 tsp. for cooking

1 Onion, peeled and chopped fine

1 clove of Garlic, peeled and grated

1 tbsp. Nutritional Yeast (optional, but it does add a hearty flavour)

1 tsp. Taco seasoning

1/4 C. Breadcrumbs  or use GF oats instead.

1/4 C. of mixed nuts

1 Flax egg (1 tbsp. flax + 3 tbsp. water) Let sit for 15 min.

1 tbsp. Chia seeds

Salt and Pepper to taste.

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Method:

Put the beans on a plate and squash them with a fork until roughly mashed. There should still be enough chunks for texture.

Meanwhile cook the onion and garlic in 1 tbsp. of olive oil over gentle heat until golden. Let cool slightly.

Put the squashed beans in a bowl and add the remaining ingredients.

Form into patties and place them on a slightly oiled plate. Cover with cling film and put them in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to firm up.

When ready to cook. Place a frying pan over medium high heat, put in the 2 tsp. of olive oil and cook for about 5 minutes on each side. Serve with toppings and additions of your liking. I do recommend you put them on the Hamburger Buns ,that makes them even better! Enjoy.

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Summer Fruit and Chocolate Slice

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These healthy bars are a real treat and so pretty.

For those of you are scared off by Tofu, I promise you, you can not taste any of it. It is just a neutral base that carries the flavors of the fruit and chocolate very well and is also loaded with protein rather than carbs. Why not give it a go. Easy and healthy rather than bad, what more could you ask for?

INGREDIENTS Crust:

  • 1/2 C. dates, pitted and soaked for 30 min.
  • 1/2 C. oats, (gluten free)
  • 1/2 C. nuts of choice
  • 1 tbsp. cocoa

INSTRUCTIONS:

Drain the dates and pat them dry, put in a food processor together with the remaining ingredients. Pulse for a few time until the mixture is crumbly.

Press into a square baking tin that has been lined with baking parchment.

Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 400° F.

Remove when done and transfer to a rack to cool completely before filling.

Ingredients Pink Filling:

  • 1 C. silk tofu
  • 1 C. Summer fruit mix
  • 2 tsp. Agar Agar
  • 3 to 4 tbsp Stevia, or sweetener of choice
  • 1/2 C. raw Cashew Nuts, that have been soaked for 6 hours

Heat berries in a small saucepan, add the Agar Agar. Cook for 1 – 2 minutes. Set aside and let cool. Add the Stevia/Xylitol granules. Blend the Cashews in a food processor until silky smooth add a little of the tofu to get it going. Now mix with all the remaining ingredients.

INGREDIENTS Chocolate  Filling:

  • 1 C. silk tofu
  • 4 oz. dark chocolate 70%, sweetened with coconut sugar
  • 1 – 2  tbsp. raw cocoa powder
  • 3  tbsp Stevia, Xylitol or sweetener of choice
  • 1/2 C. raw Cashew Nuts, that have been soaked for 6 hours. Drained.
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch of salt

Melt the chocolate au bain marie until melted. Remove from heat and let cool. Add the Stevia/Xylitol granules. Blend the Cashews in a food processor until silky smooth add a little of the tofu to get it going. Now mix with all the remaining ingredients.

To assemble:

Take spoonfuls of each mixture and place on crust alternating until you have used it all up. Make sure there are no air holes left. Shake the tin if necessary. Gently flatten to top with a spatula. Now with a knife draw a few “S”shapes in the filling for a rippled effect.

Put in the refrigerator for a few hours until completely set.

Nut rosettes for decorating the top:

  • 1 C. Cashew Nuts, soaked for 6 hours, drained
  • 1/3 C. Coconut cream, maybe a tablespoon more
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup

Mix all the ingredients in a high-speed blender or magic Bullet, blend until smooth. Put the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a rose tip, make little roses on top of the slices.

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Tartelettes aux Ganache

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Serves 4.

These Tartlets just look so dainty, don’t you think? Once you have the base you can custom make them to your liking. Fill them with lemon curd or cooked Rhubarb or Strawberries and cream. Any thing you fancy really. They are great at a tea Party or for dessert. And they are also so easy to make.

I have made these with a Ganache filling that has a truffle like flavor with a hint of coconut. You could use regular cream if you don’t like coconut cream. But I wanted to make these dairy free.

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Base;

  • 1/2 C. dates, pitted and soaked for 30 min.
  • 1/2 C. oats, (gluten free)
  • 1/2 C. nuts

Method:

Drain the dates and pat them dry, put in a food processor together with the remaining ingredients. Pulse for a few time until the mixture is crumbly.

Press into 4 little tartlet tins that have been well buttered or oil sprayed. You may have some leftover crumbs, press them into cookies to bake alongside the tartlets, to have later with some tea. I always have one or two cookies worth left over.

Now bake them for approximately 20 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 400° F.

Remove them when done and transfer to a rack to cool completely before filling.

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For the filling:

  • 6 oz. Dark organic Chocolate 70% , (sweetened with coconut sugar)
  • 3/4 C. Coconut cream

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Method:

Heat the cream over gentle heat until very hot but not boiling. Remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate. Let it sit for about five to ten minutes. Then stir gently to mix the two together. Let it cool to room temperature but before it sets, pour into the prepared tartlet crusts.  Put the tartlets in the refrigerator for several hours until they are set. Leave them in their little tins until ready to serve. Serve with strawberries or raspberries or just with some extra cream.

Enjoy!

Myra XO

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Smokey Maple glazed Bbq Ribs.

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Serves 4

When you’re in the mood for Bbq ribs and it’s pouring with rain outside, you’ve got a problem. Best thing to do if you live in a very rainy country like we do is to cook them in a slow cooker and finish them off under the grill. I make these all the time and it’s almost embarrassing how easy they are. You just have to plan it a bit in advance.

Ideally you make the Bbq Sauce 24 hours in advance before marinating the ribs for a night. You could buy ready-made Bbq Sauce if you like but it’s great to have your own special home-made sauce.

The recipe for the Bbq sauce is enough for several times. I keep mine in the fridge and use it over grilled chicken, hot dogs or steak.

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Smokey Maple Bbq Sauce:

2 tbsp. Olive oil

1 onion, peeled and chopped fine

1 garlic clove, peeled and grated or crushed

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1/2 C Maple syrup

1  14.5 oz. can  peeled chopped tomatoes + 1 can of water or more

1 tsp. mustard powder

1 tbsp. Cajun seasoning

1/2 tsp, ground black pepper

3 tbsp. liquid smoke

2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp. Soy sauce

Method:

Fry onion and garlic in the olive oil over gentle heat until just beginning to go golden, add the remaining ingredients and simmer for an hour. Add more water if needed, for the right thickness. Let cool completely and store in the fridge.

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For the ribs:

4  lbs. of spare ribs.

21/2 C. Bbq sauce

Method:

Place the ribs in the pot of the slow cooker and pour over 2 cups of Bbq sauce. Let marinate overnight in the fridge.

The next day take the pot out of the fridge and put it in the slow cooker. Cook for 3-4 hours on high or for 4 to 5 hours on low. This really depends on your slow cooker so you may have to adjust the cooking time.

When the ribs are tender to your liking, transfer them carefully to a baking tray, preferably with a rack on it. Pour some more Bbq sauce over the ribs and repeat when you turn them over. Grill for about five minutes on each side. Keep an eye on them.