Tag Archives: vegan

Black Bean Burger

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.

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.

Summer Fruit and Chocolate Slice

10 Replies

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.

Rice Paper Rolls with peanut dipping sauce

10 Replies

Rice paper rolls are really easy to make, they may look a bit intimidating, but the trick is not to soak them too long. Let the rice paper soften without going soggy, they tear apart easily. The vegetable filling is also moist and will give the roll enough pliability once you’re rolling them up. They keep a day in the fridge but really are best when eaten the same day. They are really great for lunch or a summer dinner when it is too hot outside to cook. You can make them in the morning and keep them in the fridge for when you are ready to eat them. I added the beet root which may be a bit unconventional, for the sweetness it gives the rolls and of course the beautiful color.

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients for the rice rolls:

- 10 rice papers or more

- 1 cup cooked quinoa

- 1 cucumber, peeled, deseeded and cut in to strips

- ½ cup sprouts

- 2 carrots cut to thin strips

- some Coriander leafs

- 1 avocado, peeled and cut in to strips

1 beet root, peeled and grated fine

Ingredients for the peanut sauce:

- 1/4 C. peanut butter

- 1 tbsp. soy sauce

- 1/2 tsp. coriander powder

- 1/4 tsp. cumin

- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

- 1 tsp. Sambal Oelek or Sriracha sauce, or more if you can take it

3/4 – 1 C. coconut milk

Method:

For the peanut sauce, just mix all the ingredients. You can serve it as is, or heat it up a little bit. It will thicken however.

For the rice rolls, arrange all the ingredients for the stuffing and prepare to make the rolls. Take a shallow bowl with warm water.

Soak the rice paper sheets for about 15 seconds and let it get pliable. Carefully take it out and lay it on a moist kitchen towel (I put them on a plastic cutting board, but then you have to work quit fast), and stuff all the vegetables. Top with Quinoa and roll tightly. Make sure not to over stuff it. Roll like you would a traditional spring roll or a wrap.After you roll it, put them on a plate that has been rubbed with a little bit of vegetable oil. Cover them loosely with a wet paper towel or kitchen towel. Cut them in half when you are ready to eat. Serve them with the peanut sauce. If you are going to keep them in the fridge all day until evening , cover them with cling film which has been sprayed with cooking oil.

Enjoy!

Myra Xo

Carrot Soup

Leave a reply

This is pure bliss in a bowl, it makes me happy just looking at it. The color is so vibrant and pretty. The sweetness of the carrots is balanced with the spiciness of the Coriander and the sharpness of the Ginger in a very harmonious way. Making this soup spicy enough for winter and also bright and light enough for summer. So basically you can make this soup all year round, when it is very hot outside you can even serve it cold. And the good thing is all the beta carotene will stimulate your sun tan, so I say, bring it on.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 lbs. Carrots, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp. coconut oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped fine
1 tbsp. Agave syrup
1 clove of garlic, peeled and grated fine
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tbsp. freshly grated ginger, peel it first
1/2 can (about 6 oz.) coconut milk
2 organic chicken stock cubes, or vegetable for vegans
fresh ground pepper, a few twists of the mill
1 1/2 – 2 C. boiled water from the kettle
A few coriander leafs for garnish and a swirl of coconut cream.

Method:

In a large pot, heat the coconut oil. Add the chopped onion and all the carrots. Fry over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Then add the Agave syrup and continue to cook over medium heat for another 5 minutes to get a bit of caramelization going. Add the minced garlic, the spices and the minced ginger. Stir around a few time to toast the spices.

Now carefully add the coconut milk and the crumbled up stock cubes. Add some pepper and about 1 1/2 cups of the boiling water. Set the heat on low, and gently simmer for about 20 minutes until the carrot are tender when pierced with a fork.

Transfer the whole lot to a blender and carefully blend, you may need to do this in batches.

Put the pureed soup back on the heat and see if it needs more seasoning and add water if it is too thick. Serve in pretty bowls garnished with some of the coriander leafs and a swirl of coconut cream.