More Bean Burgers

I absolutely love bean burgers, which you can probably tell by now from all of the bean burgers I've posted. The cheese inside the burgers makes for a nice gooey-ness and the mango salsa adds freshness and a summery touch. Bake some sweet potato fries for a complete meal.


Black Bean Burgers with Mango Salsa (Cooking Light, April 2010)

2 (15-oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, divided
3/4 cup (3 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 medium jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
2 large egg whites
cooking spray
1 1/4 cups chopped peeled mango (about 1 medium)
3 Tbs. chopped shallots
1 1/2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1 avocado, peeled and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
6 (2-oz.) whole-wheat hamburger buns, lightly toasted
6 green leaf lettuce leaves

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Place black beans in a medium bowl; mash with a fork. Stir in 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro and the next 7 ingredients (through egg whites). Shape bean mixture into 6 (1/2-inch-thick) patties. Arrange patties on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, carefully turning once.
3. Combine remaining 1/4 cup cilantro, mango, and the next 4 ingredients (through minced garlic) in a medium bowl. Place a patty on bottom half of each hamburger bun; top each with 1 lettuce leaf, 1/3 cup salsa, and top half of bun.

Jamaican Rice Mon

This rice is a perfect all in one meal. There are protein sources, carbohydrates, and vegetables of all colors. And, to top it all off, there is a ton of flavor. When you are looking for something different and complete, this Jamaican Rice Mix-Up is the perfect meal.


Jamaican Rice Mix-Up (Vegetarian Planet, Didi Emmons)

1 small sugar pumpkin or pie pumpkin, about 2 lbs., or 1 small butternut squash
2 cups water
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. canola or corn oil, plus a little more for pan-frying the plantains
2 medium onions, minced
1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. allspice
1 Tbs. curry powder, store-bought or homemade
1 jalapeno pepper, minced (optional) [we also added another one sliced on top when we served the rice]
2 cups thinly sliced collard greens, beet greens, or mustard greens
1 cup cooked black beans
salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
2 ripe plantains or large ripe bananas (optional)
1 tomato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1. Preheat the oven to 400. Cut the pumpkin or squash in half. Scoop out the seeds with a metal spoon, and discard them. Place the halves face down on a baking sheet. Bake the pumpkin or squash for 1 hour or until it is easily pierced with a sharp knife. Remove it from the pan and let it cool slightly.
2. While the pumpkin or squash cools, bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the rice and salt, and bring the rice to a boil. Cover the pan, and reduce the heat to low. Steam the rice for 20 minutes.
3. While the rice cooks, heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onions, and cook them, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until they begin to brown. Add the ginger, the garlic, the allspice, the curry powder, and, if you like, the jalapeno. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat.
4. When the pumpkin has cooled slightly, scoop out the flesh and discard the skin. Chop the flesh into large pieces.
5. When the rice is ready, reheat the onion mixture over medium heat. Add the rice, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the greens, toss well, and continue to cook for 5 minutes more. Add the pumpkin or squash and the black beans, and toss again. Season with salt and pepper.
6. If you'd like to garnish the dish with plantains or bananas, slice them in half lengthwise. Lightly coat a non-stick skillet with canola or corn oil, and set it over medium high heat. Pan-fry the plantains or bananas until they are golden, about 1 to 2 minutes per side, turning them carefully with a spatula. Transfer them to a paper towel.
7. Spoon the rice mixture onto plates. Top it with a little chopped tomato for color, and serve the plantain or banana slices alongside the rice.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! There is no better way to celebrate the holidays with family and food. I know that I, for one, show my love and appreciation through food. If I cook for you what in my mind is a good meal, it's because I care. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to track my cooking and baking while on the east coast for the holidays. But now that I am back home in the Bay Area with the Nutcracker and holiday season passed, I am dedicated to sharing my 2009 cooking adventures.

I received Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2009, which includes all of the recipes in the 2008 Cooking Light magazines, for Christmas. On the plane ride home, Adam and I looked through it and picked out a few recipes for the week. Last night we made Goat Cheese-Stuffed Jalapenos with Ranchero Sauce and Bacon-Chipotle Twice-Baked Potatoes, both from the December 2008 magazine. They paired quite nicely together; the potatoes helped to soothe the fire in our mouths from the jalapenos.
Goat Cheese-Stuffed Jalapenos with Ranchero Sauce (Cooking Light, December 2008)

Although this recipe serves 10, we made the whole batch. They are so delicious we ended up eating more than just one jalapeno each.

Ranchero Sauce:
1 tsp. canola oil
2 cups vertically sliced onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. Mexican oregano
1 (15-oz.) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 (8-oz.) can no-salt-added tomato sauce

Jalapenos:
Cooking spray
10 large jalapeno peppers (about 4 inches long)
1/4 cup (2 oz.) block-style fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/4 tsp. salt
1 (4-oz.) package goat cheese, softened
1 garlic clove, minced

Remaining ingredient:
10 corn tortillas, warmed according to package directions

1. To prepare ranchero sauce, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; saute 3 minutes. Add garlic; saute 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup water and next 5 ingredients. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Unconver and simmer 5 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 400.
3. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add jalapenos to pan; cook 9 minutes or until tender and blackened, turning occassionally. Cut a lengthwise slit in each jalapeno; discard stems, seeds, and membranes.
4. Combine cream cheese and next 3 ingredients. Fill each jalapeno with about 1 Tbs. cheese mixture. Place jalapenos on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 for 7 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve with tortillas and ranchero sauce.

Bacon-Chipotle Twice-Baked Potatoes (Cooking Light, December 2008)

We made these without bacon, but Adam is convinced that these would be phenominal with it. I, having not eaten bacon in 12 or so years, didn't feel like I was missing out on anything.

6 baking potatoes (about 3 lbs.)
1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk
1 1/4 cups (5 oz.) shredded extrasharp cheddar cheese, divided
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 Tbs. finely chopped chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
1 tsp. salt
4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. Pierce potatoes with a fork. Bake potatoes at 450 for 50 minutes or until done; cool slightly. Cut each potato in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp, leaving 1/4-inch-thick shells. Combine potato pulp, buttermilk, 3/4 cup cheese, and remaining ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Spoon potato mixture evenly into 10 shells; discard remaining 2 shells. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese evely over potatoes. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Spicy Slaw

Here's a great way to use red cabbage in a not-so-ordinary slaw. We quartered and grilled the cabbage, then mixed it with a grilled jalapeno and some light mayo. Voila! A spicy, unique slaw that will have everyone asking for more. We made this the other night with grilled chicken/veggie burger and a simple tomato salad. We bought the most fantastic tomatoes at the Farmers' Market on Saturday. They were picked-from-the-garden fresh. We just quartered them and drizzled them with olive oil and salt. Absolutely delicious! The grilled jalapeno and cabbage slaw goes well with any grilled meal--burgers, chicken, tofu, whatever you want.


Grilled Jalapeno and Cabbage Slaw

1/4 head of cabbage, sliced in two
olive oil
1 jalapeno
1/4 cup mayonnaise, or to taste
freshly ground black pepper

1. Spread the a light layer of olive oil onto the cabbage sections. Grill the cabbage and jalapeno over medium heat. When the jalapeno has blackened and the cabbage has grill-marks, chop both into small pieces. Add the mayonnaise and black pepper and stir until well combined.