Back Again (and with burgers)

It has been forever and a day since I have last posted. This has been a ridiculously busy summer full of memories-both immensely sad and fantastically joyful. With the start of the new school year and new additions to the family (Eric, the whole Uyguanco clan, and our new pup, Evie), I look forward to sharing my love of cooking and food with my family and friends.

My friend Sarah Anne recently requested a spicy black bean burger recipe, and to fulfill that promise, it will be my first post in months. This isn't a spicy burger, but it is super fast and ridiculously delicious. We've frozen the extra burgers to defrost and eat as a quick dinner when we need a good meal but are short on time. Serve with roasted sweet potato fries or a salad for a complete meal.


Speedy Burger (Vegetarian Planet, Didi Emmons)

4 slices stale or toasted bread
1/2 cup whole or slivered almonds
1 tsp. ground coriander seeds
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup coarsely chopped fennel bulb or celery
3/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro stems and leaves
1 1/2 cups (1 15-oz. can) cooked, drained, and rinsed black beans
1/2 medium red bell pepper, seeded and chopped fine
2 Tbs. toasted wheat germ or untoasted rolled oats
1/2 tsp. salt, or more, to taste
fresh-ground black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil, or more, as needed

1. Break the bread into pieces, and whirl it to crumbs in a food processor. You should have 2 cups crumbs. Transfer them to a large bowl. Put the almonds into the processor, and run the machine until they are chopped fine.
2. In a dry skillet over medium-high heat, toast the chopped almonds with the coriander, shaking the pan constantly, for 1 minute or until the almonds taste lightly toasted. Transfer the coriander and the almonds to the bowl of bread crumbs. Add the cloves to the bowl.
3. Chop fine the onion, the fennel or celery, and the cilantro in the processor. Add the beans, and run the machine in 1-second spurts until the beans are mixed in and mostly chopped (not pureed). Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Add the bell pepper, wheat germ or rolled oats, salt, and pepper, and stir well (I use my hands). With well-floured hands, form six patties from this mixture.
4. Heat a large skillet or a griddle over medium-high heat, and add 1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil. Cook the burgers about 3 minutes per side. (You may need to cook them in batches. If so, add a little oil to the pan before cooking the second batch.) Serve the burgers in bulky or kaiser rolls or in hamburger buns. [Top with tomato, lettuce, mustard, mayonnaise, and pickles to make them extra delicious.]

Protein-packed Enchiladas

These enchiladas have a wonderfully smokey flavor to them because of the chipotles in the sauce. And, not only do they have wonderful flavor, they are also packed with protein. The filling has beans, tofu, and cottage cheese, and the sauce is full of almonds. Healthy and delicious?! What could be better?


Nutty Enchiladas with Spicy Chile Sauce (Vegetarian Planet, Didi Emmons)

Filling:
1 Tbs. olive oil
2 carrots, chopped fine
1 1/2 cups minced onions
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano, or 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 16-oz. package firm tofu
10 oz. fresh spinach, large stems removed (optional)
1 1/2 cups (1 15-oz. can) cooked, rinsed, and drained black beans
1 cup low-fat or nonfat cottage cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Sauce:
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin seeds
3 cups (about 8) finely chopped plum tomatoes
1/4 cup sherry
1 Tbs. red or white wine vinegar
1 1/3 cups water
1 pinch ground cloves
1 [or 2] chipotle pepper (dried and soaked in hot water 30 minutes, or canned in adobo sauce), or 1/4 tsp. liquid smoke
1/4 cup chopped almonds, lightly toasted
1/2 tsp. salt
fresh-ground black pepper to taste

4 10-inch or 8 6- to 8-inch flour tortillas

1. Make the filling: In a large skillet, preferably non-stick, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions, garlic, and oregano. Saute for about 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, take the tofu out of its water, and put it into a bowl. With your hands, break up the tofu by squeezing it through your fingers. Stir the spinach, if you're using it, into the onions and carrots, and cook until the spinach wilts. Stir in the black beans, and then the cottage cheese, tofu, salt, and pepper. Take the pan off the heat.
2. Make the sauce: In a medium-sized saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, chili powder, and cumin seeds. Stir constantly for 30 seconds, making sure the garlic does not brown. Add the tomatoes, then the sherry, vinegar, and water, and let the mixture simmer for 4 minutes. Add the cloves and chipotle pepper, and simmer 6 to 8 minutes more, sitrring once or twice. Remove the pan from the heat.
3. Grind the almonds fine in a food processor or blender. If you used a dried chipotle, remove it from the sauce. Add half of the sauce to the blender or food processor, puree the mixture, and transfer it to a bowl. Puree the second half of the sauce, and add it to the first half. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. If you used a dried chipotle and you'd like a hotter sauce, chop the chipotle fine, and stir it in.
4. Assemble the dish: Preheat the oven to 350. On your work surface, lay out 1 large tortilla or 2 small ones. Fill the tortilla(s) with one-quarter of the filling. Roll the tortilla(s) tight, folding in the sides as you roll. Fill the remaining tortillas the same way. Place the filled tortillas in a casserole dish large enough to hold them snugly. Pour the sauce over the enchiladas, then cover the dish with foil. Bake the enchiladas for 20 minutes. Serve the enchiladas hot.