Salisbury.Fake food, snacks

Nut and Seed Bars/Trail Mix

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So, the fun thing about these is I can never get my granola bars to stay in bar form.  I have tried sticky sweeteners with baking and not baking, and I’ve tried egg whites and flax eggs.  I left out the oats this time, and I used a flax egg to bind everything.  I used brown rice syrup as well, since I discovered it was the stickiest sweetener.  To me, anyway.

I wanted to make this since I’m going on a camping trip this week, and I wanted to have some snacks to take on the trail with me while I go hiking.  I’m excited for the upcoming trip, and I plan on making a bigger post for it when I come back.  It might take time for me to post it, so I’m hoping this one will be okay enough till I can get my thoughts together.

Nut & Seed Trail Mix Maybe Bars

1/4 cup sunflower seeds, roasted
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, raw
2 tbsp hemp seeds, shelled
2 flax eggs (mix 2 tbsp ground flax with 6 tbsp water and mix. Let sit till gelled, about five minutes)
1 1/2 cups crispy rice cereal
1/4 tsp kosher salt (a pinch, really)
2 cups cashews, roasted
1 1/2 cups almonds, roasted
1/2 cup brown rice syrup (or other sticky sweetener, I just find this one holds better)
2 tbsp vegetarian/vegan friendly butter

Melt together sweetener and butter, then add in flax eggs.  Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl and add syrup mixture.  Mix everything well together and spread evenly into a half sheet pan.  Place in fridge to set, then bake at 350* F for ten minutes.  Cool and either cut into bars or break into pieces for trail mix.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

 

Salisbury.Fake dinner, food, Uncategorized

Black Bean and Walnut Burgers

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Life being what it is, and my lack of motivation for blog posting, here’s a simple recipe for some burgers.  They’re easy.  All you need is a food processor, a mixing bowl, spatula, baking sheet, and that’s pretty much it.  Measuring spoons, too, if you’re in the mood for precise measurements.

Black Bean and Walnut Burgers 

1 cup walnuts, lightly toasted (you don’t want them completely raw, but not completely toasted either)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup quinoa, cooked
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs (the can I have isn’t vegan, which makes me wonder why milk is sneaked into everything like it knows the deal)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 heaping tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 heaping tsp smoked paprika (optional, but it adds in that nice kind of charred taste you get from a grill without having a grill)
1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flaxmeal, 3 tbsp water, mix and set aside for two minutes)

In your food processor, mix together all of the ingredients aside from the bread crumbs and quinoa.  You want it to resemble a wet dough almost.  Scrape sides if you’ve got some errant spices (my paprika likes to cling to the sides). Some chunks are okay.  Texture and whatnot.

After this, add the mixture to a mixing bowl and add in the quinoa and bread crumbs.  Mix together pretty well.  You don’t want to have bread crumbs hanging out.

Scoop out 1/3 cup of the mixture and press into a patty shape.  You get about six patties out of this mixture.  You can bake them at 375* F for 15-18 minutes, flipping halfway, or you can pan fry them for 2-3 minutes a side.  I didn’t have time to babysit a pan today, so I made mine in the oven.  They freeze spectacularly well, and work well as ground “beef” crumbles in spaghetti sauce.

Fair warning, they do dry out a little in the oven, so pan frying is recommended, but if you’re okay with dousing things in barbecue sauce like I am, then you’ll be fine with oven baked.

Salisbury.Fake dinner, food

Basil Pesto Fettucine and White Beans

 

 

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Basil Pesto Fettucine with White Beans

For the beans:

1 12 oz can white beans (great northern, I think they’re called), drained and rinsed
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp olive oil

Heat the oil in a skillet.  Add the beans and cook for 2-3 minutes.  You’re looking to dry the beans out a bit.  They’ll start to brown and get crispy, which is completely fine.  Add the garlic and continue cooking on low heat till the beans are tender crisp, and then remove from heat.

For the pesto:

About a cup and a half of loosely packed fresh basil leaves
2 small cloves of garlic
1/2 cup walnuts
salt, pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil

Blend in a food processor the basil, garlic, walnuts, and salt and pepper.  Slowly drizzle in the olive oil until a ball forms.  You don’t want it to be too loose.

Cook about a pound of fettucine to al dente.  Drain and set aside.

Add the beans to the pasta, then stir in the pesto.  Add about 1 1/2 cups of cashew milk, or other non dairy milk of your choice.  Or if you drink dairy milk, feel free to add that instead.  You’re going to stir everything together and then let it come to a simmer for 5-7 minutes, or until the sauce thickens slightly.  This is why you want your pasta almost cooked.  You’ll finish cooking it in the sauce.

Serve with salad, or just on its own.  This recipe makes four servings.

Salisbury.Fake dinner, food

Mango Barbecue Sauce (with shredded chicken)

1 mango, peeled and cubed (leave the core out, just in case you weren’t sure)
water to cover mango pieces (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons molasses
2 heaping tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 white onion, medium diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper

In a small saucepan, bring the mango and water to a boil, then simmer until the mango is tender and the water has reduced slightly.  While this happens, heat a medium skillet with the vegetable oil and cook the onion and garlic till the onion is translucent.  When the mango and water reduce, add in the molasses, brown sugar, Worcestershire, vinegar, coriander, red pepper, and cumin.  Let this simmer for about ten more minutes and then add in the onion/garlic mixture.  Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes, 2-3, and then use a blender or food processor till your desired consistency is reached.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

I served this over shredded chicken and it was heaven.  It would also work really well over pork.

Salisbury.Fake food, snacks

Spiced Almonds

1 pound raw almonds
1 egg white
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon black pepper
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line a baking sheet with foil, then grease the foil.  It may seem like an extra step, but trust me on this one.  In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the egg white with honey, cardamom, and black pepper.  Once mixed well, add in the almonds.  Spread in one even layer on the baking sheet.  Sprinkle the salt on top.  Place in the oven and let roast for about ten minutes.  Remove from the oven and let the almonds cool completely before you eat them.  Store in an airtight container.

Salisbury.Fake baking, food, snacks

Corn Crackers

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(***This was originally meant to be an imitation Fritos recipe because I was craving them and didn’t want to buy them, but I have a ton of cornmeal I should use more than I do)

1 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 stick of butter, melted
1 egg
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2-3 tablespoons water

Preheat the oven to 375 F. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda, pepper, and salt.  Melt the butter and cool slightly.  Beat the egg and add in the butter in a slow stream so you don’t cook the egg.  Begin to mix together the wet and dry ingredients, adding a tablespoon of water at a time till you have a dough that is soft and somewhat crumbly  (It’ll stick together when you roll it out).

Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet (I used one that’s a bit bigger than 9×13).  Place the dough in the center, and use a piece of waxed paper to push the dough onto the sheet.  Use a rolling pin to get a smooth, even surface (over the waxed paper, of course).  Once the dough is smooth, score the surface for the shape you’d like your crackers to be, and then bake for about 20 minutes until golden.

These are really good with taco toppings, as well as with chili.  They are somewhat dry, but it’s a cracker.

Salisbury.Fake dinner, food, snacks

Turkey Meatballs

SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES1 pound ground turkey
1/2 cup cooked rice
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
scant 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Mix all of the ingredients really well in a bowl.  Roll into walnut sized balls, and place on a foil lined baking sheet.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.  If you want to freeze them, bake at 350 for about 10-15 minutes to reheat.

Salisbury.Fake dinner, food

Quinoa with Red & Green Peppers, Onion, and Garlic

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1 small onion, diced
1 quarter of a red pepper, diced
1 quarter of a green pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup red and white quinoa
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium sauce pan, heat the oil and then add in the peppers, garlic, and onion.  Cook for a few minutes until the vegetables start to soften.  Add the quinoa, stock, and coriander.  Bring to a boil and then cover with the lid tilted so steam can escape.  Reduce the heat to simmer and cook until the quinoa has expanded and white threads appear around it (10-15 minutes).  Add any salt and pepper if you’d like.

This makes several servings.  Store leftovers in the fridge for up to a week.

Salisbury.Fake dessert, food

Chocolate Truffles

6 tablespoons butter (unsalted), cut into pieces
3 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2-1 cup more confectioner’s sugar

In a smallish, maybe medium saucepan, combine the butter, 3 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar, and cocoa powder.  Heat until the ingredients form a smooth batter.  Remove from heat, and add in the vanilla.  Stir in powdered sugar until a soft dough forms.  While the dough is still somewhat warm, pinch off teaspoon sized pieces and roll into balls.  Refrigerate until set.

You can play with the flavorings in these (mint, peanut butter, etc), but I’d suggest always adding a touch of vanilla to help bring out the chocolate flavor.

Salisbury.Fake baking, food

Whole Wheat Bread with Quinoa and Oats

2 1/4 teaspoons active yeast
3 tablespoons honey
1 cup warm water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cooked quinoa (I mixed 1/4 cup red and 1/4 cup white)
1/2 cup oats soaked in 3/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Mix the yeast, honey, water, and salt.  Let the yeast proof for about 10 minutes until it looks foamy and creamy.  Add in the quinoa, oats (with the water), applesauce.  Mix in the wheat flour, and then add in the all purpose flour 1/2 a cup at a time.  The dough will be sticky and look wet like a quick bread dough, but that’s fine.  Let the dough rise in a covered bowl for about an hour, until doubled in size.  Once the dough is doubled in size, turn it onto a well floured surface and knead about 10 turns.  You don’t want to overwork this dough, even though it’s very dense.  Separate the dough into two equal pieces, and place into two greased bread pans.  Cover the pans loosely and let the dough rise for another hour.  In the last ten minutes or so of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Bake for 25-30 minutes until bread sounds hollow when tapped.  Let bread cool completely before cutting.