Recipes

Roasted Black Bean Burgers

June 10, 2014 by mollygilbert520 3 Comments

HELLO!

Hi. It’s been awhile, huh? Almost a month! Which is like… a long time, in blog-years. Man. I have no good excuse. I went to the BlogHer Food conference in Miami last month and got really overwhelmed – sponsors! ads! video! networking! social media! – so instead of trying to catch up on all of the things I’m not doing here, I decided to stop writing altogether. A successful conference, no? (To be fair, it was a fun conference, I’m just a spaz.)

Anyway, I’m back and ready to talk about burgers. I’ve made a lot of burgers since Memorial Day (as one should, I think). I’ve done classic hamburgers, caprese turkey burgers, (recipe coming in my forthcoming book! More on that soon…), lamb burgers and these roasted black bean burgers, which definitely hold their own in the category.

These are my first go at homemade veggie burgers — I wanted to try my hand at making them because, though I’m definitely a meat eater (ahem, lamb burgers), lately I’ve been slanting towards a more veggie-centric diet in general, and sometimes I’m just not in the mood for meat (and lambs worldwide rejoice).

Veggie burgers can be lackluster (at best), and I was worried about turning up a mushy, ambiguously-flavored patty, but Kenji at Serious Eats helped put my fears behind me. Roasting canned black beans (rinsed and drained, first) eliminates the mush-factor and intensifies the flavor of the burger, and adding sautéed onions, garlic, and poblanos, plus some chopped chipotle in adobo and a handful of roasted cashews, really brings the whole thing to another level.

The resulting burger is deep and smoky, with a firm, slightly crumbly texture once cooked. You won’t miss the meat. Pile it on a bun with all your favorite fixings, or eat it over a bowl of dressed greens with some rice or quinoa mixed in.

Happy (burger-time) summer!

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Cherry Cashew Sesame Bars

May 15, 2014 by mollygilbert520 3 Comments

Tonight, I’m taking a red eye flight. By myself, which means that instead of nodding off on Ben’s shoulder, I’ll probably (accidentally) drool on a stranger. I’m also going to be the sneezy/sniffly girl on the plane — you know, that girl. Everybody hates that girl! Rough.

But it’ll all be fine because, when I wake up bleary-eyed from my unrested, sniffly, drool-covered airplane snooze, I will be in Miami. Miami! I’ve never been, but I hear that everyday’s like a Mardi Gras, everybody party all day, no work, all play, okay? (Where’s Will Smith when you need that guy?)

I’ll be there for BlogHer Food – a conference for food bloggers (this is a real thing, and I find it both hilarious and amazing). I’m excited to meet some fellow bloggers and, since this is my first time going, find out what this conference thing is all about. Will you be there, too? Get in touch!

I’ve never been to Miami before, but I envision eating a bunch of cuban sandwiches and possibly running into LeBron James. What else should I look out for down there?

In the meantime, I’m packing up the essentials – maxi dress, sandals, swim suit, business cards – and plane snacks. For long trips, I like to pack my own snacks so I don’t have to rely on unreliable airport/plane food. Do you ever do this? I like to make my own sandwiches, and usually some cookies, too (nothing brightens a miserable in-air experience quite like a homemade cookie). Tonight, in the name of portability and good health, I’m packing these homemade cherry cashew sesame bars.

I adapted these guys from Megan Gordon’s beautiful new book, Whole Grain Mornings, which I’m just loving these days. The bars are sturdy and flavorful, packed with good things like cashews, toasted sesame seeds, rolled oats and dried cherries. The bars, which you can cut as large or small as you please, are surprisingly filling and easily wrapped in some parchment for the road. They’re great for a quick breakfast or, in my case, a fuss-free plane snack (post boarding and pre-drooling, probably).

See you in Miami, friends!

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Cinco De Mayo!

May 5, 2014 by mollygilbert520 1 Comment

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

It’s grey and a little dreary in Seattle today, so an enormous bowl of guacamole seems like the right thing to do.

I will add too much lime juice because I like it that way.

And if we’re going whole hog fiesta, I’ve got a few more beats to lay down. Like grilled pineapple salsa! It’s that sweet/spice mix, with some charcoal-y grill flavors to boot.

A deep bowl of smoky bacon turkey chili would keep that tortilla chip train rolling along nicely.

And to finish it all off? I mean I don’t want to tell you what to do, but you should definitely serve some chewy brown butter chocolate pecan blondies. Add a little cinnamon to the mix to keep them on theme, por favor.

Beer and margaritas are optional since it’s a Monday but, then again, since it’s Monday I probably am going to need a beer and a margarita.

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Crackly Rye Banana Bread

May 1, 2014 by mollygilbert520 Leave a Comment

Weekend baking project! And GO.

Ben can’t tell how he feels about the crackle in this bread. I, on the other hand, love the crackle. (Just so we’re clear, by crackle I mean raw millet, aka birdseed, aka don’t look at me in that tone of voice because it tastes good, okay?)

So, yeah. Birdseed banana bread. Have I lost you yet?

Though it’s used in birdseed, yes, millet is actually a human food. It’s a kind of ancient seed, healthy and full of nutrients, which happens to be having a renaissance in the bulk food aisle, somewhere between the multicolored quinoa and the chia seeds (and the general pretension, yes). And whatever, it’s great in banana bread! With a bit of rye flour and coconut oil and not very much in the way of sugar, the loaf sings and crackles and makes you feel better when you pull a back muscle and have to hobble around like someone three times your age. It’s great in thick slices for breakfast or thin, half slices when you’re not supposed to be snacking but just can’t help yourself (I’m told).

Banana bread is a staple, for me. One that gets tweaked and twisted and changed according to how I feel, or what’s in my pantry, or which books or blogs I’m reading this week. I mean, how many recipes for banana bread have I tried, at this point in my almost-30-year-old life? A bunch. But this one, with its depth and crackle, is my favorite version yet.

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Sunchoke & Arugula Soup

April 21, 2014 by mollygilbert520 2 Comments

The soup! Finally the soup.

Have you ever eaten sunchokes before? They’re a root vegetable, also called Jerusalem artichokes (though they have nothing to do with either, apparently) or earth apples. Earth apples! Sounds like some kind of alien pet name. Let’s go with sunchokes. They’re weird little gremlins, all gnarled and lumpy, but oh — they’re delicious. Kind of sweet and earthy. Paired with mild leeks and fresh garlic, they bring a real sense of depth, a rich kind of grounding, to this bright and verdant springtime soup.

I ate this for a week straight, you know, the week just after the roasted rhubarb, and just before the diamond ring. It’s a happy sort of soup, I think.

It’s a soup good with bread, or goat cheese toast, or topped with roasted Brussels sprouts chips (those are a thing, and they’re amazing – recipe coming soon) or just an extra dollop of crème fraîche. It’s a soup fit for spring — for rainy mornings and budding branches and cool, puff-cloud sunsets over Greenlake (and beyond).

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An Engagement

April 15, 2014 by mollygilbert520 10 Comments

I had a soup recipe for you today… but then I got engaged (!) and all thought of soup just wouldn’t do.

Ben proposed (!!!!) at the park on Friday afternoon. First, I completely lost it. Then I said yes. And then our families came running out of the bushes, where they were watching from afar. We drank champagne and ate cheese and chocolate on blankets in the grass, and it was pretty much as perfect as it gets.

I mean… soup?!? I can’t concentrate on the soup. Just the ring on my finger (on that finger, eeeeeeeks) and my Ben. For the moment.

Now it’s on to planning a wedding. Who’s got tips for me? I need all the help I can get!

Don’t worry, there’s soup coming soon…

Malted Almond Chia Pudding

April 11, 2014 by mollygilbert520 2 Comments

Remember that time we made malted almond milk? That was fun. I used it to make smoothies, and when I still had some leftover – chia pudding!

As you may have noticed (or maybe not because pie), I’ve been experimenting with a bit of a healthier approach towards eating these days. I haven’t cut anything out or made anything off limits, so there will still be plenty of doughnuts and also lots of cookies, I’ll just supplement with lots of salads and soups and whole grain banana bread affairs (coming soon). And chia pudding!

Have you ever tried chia pudding? I won’t lie, it’s kind of weird. It’s a texture thing. If you’re not into tapioca things, you probably won’t be into this thing. It’s just chia seeds (which are naturally grain and gluten free and are the richest plant source of Omega-3, so that’s probably good) simply mixed with almond milk, some salt and vanilla extract, and then BOOM. Pudding. The little chias soak up everything in the land — everything! — and then sort of gelatinize and thicken up, which is pretty amazing and ultimately means we can eat pudding for breakfast. I’m okay with it.

Chia pudding’s definitely not a new thing, but it’s new to me and I’m excited to experiment with different flavors — maybe next time I’ll add some cinnamon or roasted fruit or coconut milk… so many options! This version’s not very sweet (I’m sure you could add your favorite sweetener if you like) but I like that about it. It’s richly almond-y, and the chia seeds heft everything up and are really filling. In general, it just feels wholesome and good. I kind of want to try making a warm version, which to me seems like a cozier option for breakfast.

Have you ever tried chia pudding? Into it, or no go?

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Roasted Rhubarb

April 8, 2014 by mollygilbert520 7 Comments

Last weekend I decided to take a trip to the Ballard farmer’s market – as a newbie to the city of Seattle and person who generally likes food, I’d heard this was a must-do. So I was excited to wander over on Sunday, empty-basket in hand, as the sun peeked out from behind the drizzle.

I’m here to report that the outing was, indeed, a must-do. Yes, the produce and flowers and prepared food are fantastic (salmon sliders, hello). Yes, I did get my hands on a huge arrangement of gorgeous flowering quince branches. I bought freshly canned tuna, a handful of sunchokes (more on those later) and some broccoli rabe, a big bag of arugula, a gigantic leek and bunch of firm, bright pink stalks of rhubarb. It was awesome.

But! But. I had just bought my beautiful branches and was sidling over to the honey booth when — HEY! I know that little girl. How do I know that girl? She’s all cheeks and dark brown curls. She’s dancing (adorably) in front of the bluegrass trio by the curb. How do I know her??

OH RIGHT, I stalk her mom on instagram! Yes, correct. The little girl was baby June, daughter of Molly Wizenberg (she of Orangette), who was also standing right there. At the market. Next to her husband (who runs one of Seattle’s best restaurants and bars). Next to me.

um… HI MOLLY! Thanks for being an amazing writer and cook and inspiration to me, in general. Also your daughter is the cutest and your husband makes great pizza. …Hi.

I actually didn’t say hi, since they seemed to be enjoying some family time, and also because I wasn’t sure what I would say (the above seemed a bit over the top, at the time). I mainly just smiled from behind my giant branches and hoped no one would call me out as a creeper (holy smokes I’m such a creeper).

Then I bought some granola from Megan Gordon (of Marge Granola and an amazing, newly released cookbook) and my life was pretty much complete. Ballard farmer’s market, you rule.

As for the rhubarb I bought at the market? I knew only a recipe from Orangette would do. This one is the simplest as they come, and turns sour, tart stalks of rhubarb into sweet, tender, spoonable fruit. We ate it warm, spooned over bowls of ice cream, which I think is the way to go, though the other Molly swears by eating it straight from the refrigerator.

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Malted Almond Milk

April 3, 2014 by mollygilbert520 2 Comments

Let’s be clear: I love dairy products. I enjoy milk, yogurt, cheese (so much cheese) and ice cream on the regs. I’m lucky to have a body that seems to tolerate milk products, a happenstance for which I (and Ben & Jerry & the like) are quite grateful.

Lately, though, I’ve been playing around with nut milks – in my cereal, glugged into a smoothie. I even used almond milk in some pancake batter awhile back and it was, decidedly, a good decision.

Almond and cashew milks are my favorite nut milks, and they’re both pretty easy to find at the grocery store. Still, I’ve been reading some things about common additives, particularly carageenan, which seems to be hard to avoid in store-bought nut milks (and dairy products in general, actually), so I figured I’d take a stab at making my own. (I’m in good company, too — turns out my friend Tracy (she probably definitely wouldn’t call me a friend but I listen to her podcast so feel like she’s mine) posted her own recipe for homemade almond milk just this week!)

Turns out homemade almond milk is easy peasy! All it takes is almonds, water, and maybe a little sweetener, if you like. I’ve seen versions that use maple syrup, honey, dates, agave, vanilla extract… sky’s the limit, really. I decided to use malted milk powder, which is slightly sweet, and ultimately put the dairy back in my non-dairy milk alternative. Dairy nut milk. It’s a thing now. Get onboard!

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White Bean & Avocado Hummus

April 1, 2014 by mollygilbert520 4 Comments

I can’t say much with authority in life, but today I will say this: putting together an 8-drawer dresser from Ikea is a suckbox of an activity. It takes, on average, at least two days and as much sanity as you have on hand.

True, it probably would have been an easier task had the instructions not been missing and had all of the parts been in tact, but still. Just part of the experience, amiright? Thanks, Ikea. Your cheap furniture may or may not be worth the subsequent years you took off my life this weekend.

In other news, I’m feeling fairly dramatic today.

Let’s talk about hummus! It’s a staple in our fridge, and though I’ve made my own a few times, I usually just buck up and buy it when I’m out grocery shopping. There are a few really great brands out there, and hauling out the food processor every few days to make a new batch is kind of a daunting prospect, so. Sabra it is!

That said, occasionally I get the itch to experiment on the hummus front. Awhile ago I made creamy garlic edamame dip, and the idea for white bean & avocado hummus came about this week. (I think technically you can only call something hummus if it’s made with chickpeas, but I like to live on the edge and we’re only talking about dips, not NATO members or medical terminologies, so I think we’re okay.)

I love the dense creaminess that white beans bring to the table here. They’re dreamy paired with rich (but light) whipped avocado, fresh lemon juice and punchy herbs and spice. It’s great in any kind of hummus application — spread on crackers or sandwiches, or used as a dip for fresh veggies, pretzels and chips.

You’ll need a food processor or high-powered blender to get a supremely smooth, creamy hummus, but don’t be daunted– I know for a fact that cleaning these appliances, while not the most fun, is at least 15 times more enjoyable than assembling something — anything, really — from Ikea.

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