Death by White Chocolate!

This past holiday season, I couldn't think of what to give folks.  I mean, c'mon, they're the type of people who have everything, so a trinket from one of my savings stores would've proved more of a miss instead of a hit.  So, then it hit me.  "Eureka!" I thought.  "I'll make them mini cakes!" Not just any cakes - I made white chocolate raspberry mini cakes.  Some were layered with almonds, while others were sprinkled with crushed black walnuts.  Others were garnished with raspberries and all were infused with chocolate essence - both in the batter and in the icing.  Before I get into the recipe, here are a few photos of how they turned out.  If you guessed scrumptious, you guessed right!

EP’s ONE IN A MILLION CHICKPEA BURGER

If you are a carnivore or a former carnivore, the words “chickpea” and “burger” just don’t belong in the same sentence.  That is simply because you haven’t had a chickpea burger.  I can tell you that when it is prepared correctly, the chickpea burger is the most amazing burger on the planet.  Yes… it is that good and it can hold its own against the beef, turkey and chicken burgers.  Let’s get into this recipe and get you on your way to a better appreciation of the chickpea!!

Take a look at the two pictures above.  This is what the chickpea burgerse looked like before they were cooked.  The one on the left was made without using whole grain oats.  The one on the right was made with whole grain oats and a touch of coconut milk.  Both have tumeric in them, as well as onions, garlic, soybeans, mushrooms, carrots, green and red peppers and herbs and spices.  When I first started making these, I made them much like a falafel burger but as time went on, they evolved, and I believe you just can’t go wrong when you make the chickpea burger.  Also, not sure if I mentioned this, these do not have egg in them.  Which was totally cool, because I didn’t have any eggs in the house at the time and we’d just gotten hit with a snow storm. So, just so you know, you can make these with or without eggs and they turn out amazing! However, if you choose to use eggs or egg whites, please do not eat the batter until you’ve cooked the burger.

And voila!!!

This is the finished product!!  Believe it or not, they sort of remind me of salmon croquettes or even crab cakes when it comes to consistency.  The best advice that I can give you is – and I’m speaking from experience here – refrigerate your chickpea burger patties prior to frying them.  So, as soon as you prepare the mixture and form it into patties cover them with wax or parchment paper (or if you’ve run out of wax paper like I did above -then grab some tin foil) and place them in the fridge for just about 15-30 minutes.   It makes frying easier and they won’t fall apart in the pan!  Also…there was something else that I wanted to add, but since I’m having a senior moment, I will somehow remember it prior to the end of this post.  But for now, let’s get this show on the road!  Here’s the recipe.

Ok home chefs….

We’re looking at a prep time of 15 minutes and a cook time of 10 minutes (this does not include that additional 15-30mins of burger chill time).

Keep in mind that you can get all of these ingredients inexpensively at your local international (Asian, Middle Eastern or Spanish) supermarkets.  You can get the spices in bulk at your local grocery story or online. My secret savings stores are Wegmans and the Great Wall Supermarket!  I love, love, love Wegmans and I just can’t get enough of the Great Wall especially for produce!!!

Anywho…back to the recipe!

Ingredients:

• 1 can of chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans)                                                          *Or if you’re a bean pro – you’ll know how to soak those suckers and pre-cook them for burger preparation. I’m no bean pro, so I’m cheating!
• Your favorite buns or bread
• 1 tsp of cumin
• 1 cup whole grain organic oats (optional)
• 4 small cloves garlic chopped
• 1 tsp of coriander (if you use is dry – this is optional)
• 1 ½ cup of fresh breadcrumbs                                                                                      *Suggestion: You can make these burgers gluten free by omitting the breadcrumbs.
• 1 medium sized onion (red, yellow or white) chopped                                                   *Suggestion: You can always use green onions in addition to or instead of the red, yellow or white onion.
• ¾ cup diced zucchini
• ¾ cup mushrooms sliced and diced ( you can use button, but we use shitake)
• ¼ cup fresh red pepper chopped
• ¼ cup fresh green pepper chopped
• 1 tsp of turmeric
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• Jar of coconut oil or a bottle of extra virgin olive oil (you won’t use that much of it but you should have it within arm’s reach)
• ½ tsp Applewood Smoked sea salt
• 1 tsp Hungarian or Smoked paprika                                                                           *Suggestion: The Applewood Smoked Sea Salt provides a robust smoked flavor.  To balance it out with    the rest of the ingredients we use the Hungarian Paprika because it is a bit sweeter.  However, if you want  a yummy, smokehouse flavor throughout, rock on with the Smoked Paprika – it works like a dream!

Prep:

• If you have a food processor then you can put all of the ingredients in there and whiz away – however you should make sure that the batter is not smooth.  Consistency is a necessity.  If you do not have a food processor then you can mash the beans by hand.
• Drain and rinse your chickpeas.
• Dump them on a plate or cutting board and mash them with a fork. 
• Placed the mashed beans in a large bowl.
• Add breadcrumbs, oats and herbs, sea salt and spices to the bowl.
• Sauté your veggies (green and red peppers, zucchini, mushrooms and onions) in a small frying pan with 1 tbsp of coconut oil.
• Add the sautéed veggies to the mashed beans, bread crumbs, oats, herbs and spices.
• Mix with your hands.
• If you find that the breadcrumbs are too coarse in the mix, add a few tablespoons of coconut milk to soften.
• Form the mixture into 4-6 patties.
• Place patties on a plate and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes.

Cook:

• Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan until it is hot.
• Remove your burgers from the fridge and place them in the heated frying pan.
• Fry the burgers for just about 4-5 minutes per side.  If you’re using coconut oil you’ll want to keep that burner turned down two notches below medium so that your burgers won’t burn.
• Place them on a bun and you’re done!

Yummy and healthy chickpea burgers will always get the EP stamp of approval!!!

THE SCOOP ON HEALTH NUTS

Whenever I go to the supermarket, I make sure to go into the bulk food aisle for several reasons – one of which is to stock up on raw, organic nuts.  I’m going to let you in on a little secret- if you didn’t know already – nuts are a nutritional power snack. There have been numerous debates back and forth over the benefits of raw organic nuts vs. their roasted counterparts.  I can tell you that I prefer getting raw organic nuts just because they have more nutrients.  Not to mention, I roast my own nuts and add my own herbs and spices to them. 

Quick Tip: When roasting nuts make sure the temperature of your oven is under 240°.  Ideally the temperature should be at 160°.  This temperature setting will prevent acrylamides (chemicals that form when some foods are heated at a high temperature) from forming.

Raw nuts will always get the EP stamp of approval!!!

GOLDEN CRISPY STEAK FRIES

This one recipe where you simply can’t go wrong!  First off, most people loooooooooove a good batch of fries, but to make steak fries – golden….crispy….steak fries takes the love of French fries to a whole new level.  Who’s with me?!?  So, let’s get down to the nitty gritty of this recipe.  The trick is not necessarily in the frying component dahling. (I was watching re-runs of Dynasty and now I can’t stop saying the word dahling…go figure!)

Back to the goods…

The trick to making your steak fries as golden and crispy as possible is to bake them!  That’s right!  Whenever, I bake these puppies, they always turn out waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than when I fry.  Sure, many would argue that it’s easier to toss cut up potatoes into a deep fryer, and while that may be true (no argument here) my suggestion to bake the fries is a yummy, and healthy alternative.

It will take you just about 10-15 minutes to prep and between 30-45 minutes to bake.  Keep in mind, you are the top chef when it comes to how crispy and golden you want your fries to be.  With this in mind, once you put your cut up potatoes into the oven, you should consider setting your timer for 25 minutes, that way you’ll have a 10 minute window to gauge how crispy you want your steak fries to be.  I also like to place my baking sheet on the lower rack of the oven because it helps the potatoes get that beautiful golden color quicker!

Ingredients:

•          2 nice sized (big) baking potatoes peeled and cut into 10-12 wedges.
•          2 tablespoons of coconut or extra virgin olive oil                                                          *Coconut oil can make your fries cook quickly and make them extra crispy.  If you choose to use coconut oil, your baking time might be cut short.
•    Sea Salt (Himalyan, Hawaiian, or just a coarse sea salt)                                                     

 Prep:

•          Preheat your oven to 425°.
•          Place the already cut potato wedges onto a baking sheet and sprinkle the potatoes with the oil.
•          Toss your potatoes around a bit – you want to make sure that each wedge is coated with the oil.
•          Place the potatoes into a single layer on the baking sheet.

Cook:

•          Bake the potatoes for 25 minutes or until golden.  If you are using coconut oil, check at the 20 minute mark.  
•          Remove from the oven and turn the potatoes over with tongs.  (Tongs make it a bit easier to pick up the wedge.)
•          Place the potatoes back in the oven for another 10 minutes and keep checking on them to ensure that they reach a uniform golden color.
•          Remove from the oven and sprinkle generously with sea salt.

Quick Tips:

We like to use sea salt because it is healthier AND you don’t have to worry about issues with blood pressure because unlike regular table salt, the human body can not absorb sea salt.  Also, if you’re feeling like a top chef, then you might consider tossing a bit of Rosemary on to those fries.  If you’re planning on doing this, then you should probably sprinkle the rosemary on during the last oil coating phase, that way you’ll capture that amazing flavor of the herb  in the fries.

Good and yummy steak fries prepared with one of “essential” oils for optimal health also gets the EP stamp of approval!!!

ESSENTIAL OILS – PART 1

Good eating involves much more than merely cooking well.  It requires a conscious effort to eat the right foods.  More importantly it involves eating smart.   When it comes to eating smart it is important to be conscious of the ingredients that you use in order to prepare your food.  For example, for the foods that we cook at E.P. we like to use coconut oil whenever possible.  It is a much healthier alternative to vegetable oil.  Coconut oil is heart healthy and it provides overall nourishment for the body from the inside out.  For more information on Coconut oil, check out this book.

Look for this stamp of approval on all of our Good Eats recipes.  Tell us which recipe is your favorite and we’ll send you a super gift for free!