Yes, I make and eat food that isn't filled with sugar! I generally try to eat pretty healthy meals, especially when I myself am cooking (I just tend to follow up those meals with chocolate...). I really enjoy coming up with something that tastes good and knowing that it is pretty good for me as well.
While I am not vegan or vegetarian, I don't tend to cook that much meat. This works out well as my roommate (
Miss Polyglot) basically eats like a vegan and every now and then we like to make dinner together. We both enjoy black bean burgers, but neither of us had tried making one before. I printed out about six different recipes as I was concerned about texture, but in the end we just made it up as we went along. We each did our own thing as I decided I wanted Panko crumbs in mine. In place of store-bought bread crumbs she toasted bread and crumbled them in and it worked out well for both taste and texture. It's great making a burger that you can taste-test before you cook it!
I was really excited to try the sweet potato fries. I love sweet potato fries, but they never really have a good outer crunchy texture to them. Well, a co-worker had told me that if you coat them in corn starch before baking they will be crunchy! It worked and they tasted great! Next time I think I would make them a bit thicker though.
Black Bean Burgers
How I did it
(makes two burgers)
1 can black beans
1/8 cup panko crumbs (or your breadcrumbs of choice)
1 tsp flaxseed meal (or more breadcrumbs)
2 tsps water (may need more or less depending on desired consistency)
1/8 cup diced green pepper
1/8 cup diced carrot
1/8 tsp garlic powder
3 dashes cumin
2 dashes chili powder
1 dash cayenne pepper
olive oil
For serving (optional):
100% whole wheat with flax sandwich flats
Salsa and/or tomatoes
Avocado
olive oil
1. Drain and rinse black beans and then pour into a medium-sized mixing bowl (while still wet). Mash the beans up with a potato masher or your hands. Add breadcrumbs, flax meal, and combine until you reach your desired consistency. Keep in mind that if it is too try or too wet it will fall apart more easily.
2. Add carrots, peppers, and spices and combine well.
3. Seperate equally and form two balls. Flatten balls into desired thickness. I made mine the size of the bread, so they were a little thinner (see photos), but perfect to me.
[Note: If you make them too thin they will be hard to work with (flip...eat).]
4. Coat a frying pan with olive oil and place on medium heat and once heated, toss your patties on (except don't really toss them or they will come apart!). Cook for about 5 minutes and then carefully flip. When done both sides should be solid and warm.
For serving:
5. Lightly coat a frying pan with olive oil and place over medium-high heat. Once heated place your bread on and push down. Check on it every few minutes and flip when done to your liking.
6. Place burger in the "bun" and top with salsa (or tomato) and sliced avocado. Grab the sweet potato fries and enjoy!
Crunchy Sweet Potato Fries
How I did it
(serves 2 people)
2 sweet potatoes
1/4 cup corn starch
olive oil
1. Preheat oven to 375 and (olive) oil a large baking/cookie sheet - set aside.
2. Wash and peel sweet potatoes. Cut ends and any remaining skin and slice into desired thickness.
[Note: If you make them very thin, they will be extra crunchy. About 1/2 inch thickness will get you crunchy on the outside with the potato still nice and soft on the inside.]
3. Dump the corn starch into a large zip-lock bag. Put all of your raw chopped sweet potatoes into the bag with the cornstarch, seal, and shake until coated. [Note: The sweet potatoes only need to be thinly coated]
4. Place on oiled baking sheet so none are touching (if they are touching they will not crisp up, but instead turn soft and soggy). Drizzle lightly with olive oil and bake for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
5. Remove from tray and let cool for a couple minutes before serving.
