Black Bean Patties

Now that I’m finished with my second year of med school, all of my time until June 1 is devoted to studying for the first step of boards. I have come up with a very structured study schedule. Because of this, of course the thing I look forward to most is my study breaks, especially lunch! I decided to try making black bean patties as something out of the ordinary for my lunches. These are wonderful! I am a huge fan of black beans anyway, but these are especially great because they are low fat, low calorie and a good source of protein. What’s not to love?

This recipe is from Cooking Light, but I was actually inspired to make it from reading another food blog (thanks Cara!) I basically followed the original recipe, but made very slight changes to suit my tastes. A word of caution - these patties are pretty mushy until they have been cooked, so the dredging can be somewhat delicate work. It worked out fine, and once cooked they held their form perfectly. I had one with white rice, and I still have enough food left for three more lunches. My only recommendation is to eat them with a little sour cream on the side - they are slightly dry without it. I think they would also be great with some sort of cilantro sauce (thanks Jessica, for the suggestion). Maybe I will try to concoct one!

Black Bean Patties
Ingredients:
2 cups rinsed, drained canned black beans, divided (about 1.5 cans)
1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg white
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup cornmeal
Cooking spray

Directions:
To prepare patties, place 1 1/2 cups beans, garlic, cumin, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl; partially mash with a fork. Place 1/2 cup remaining beans and egg white in a food processor; process 30 seconds or until well combined. Add bean puree to mashed beans in bowl, and stir until combined. Add cheese and onion to bean mixture; stir until combined. Divide bean mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Place cornmeal in a shallow dish. Dredge both sides of each patty in cornmeal.

Heat pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add patties; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Garnish with shredded cheese, green onions and/or sour cream as desired.

Holy Guacamole!

This evening I decided to try making homemade guacamole. This is quite a step for me, as I have been sort of repulsed by it ever since I was a kid. I remember vividly ordering nachos at a restaurant for dinner. When they arrived, there was a little bit of guacamole on them, and I was sure it was a booger…ew. Ever since, I have been too scared to try it - until now. Ben loves it and I felt like cooking so I decided to give it a shot. I am now a guacamole convert! Although avocados are relatively high in fat, they are lower in calories and have even more potassium than bananas, so guacamole can be a nutritious snack for people who don’t normally eat a high-fat diet.

This is another recipe from my Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. I have definitely gotten far more use out of this cookbook than any other one I own. Every recipe I’ve tried has been a great success, and I can’t wait to try more! My only warning is that this recipe makes A LOT of guacamole. I will probably halve it next time. It would be great for a party, but for only two people, this is a little much.

Guacamole
Ingredients:
4 ripe Haas avocados
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon)
8 dashes hot pepper sauce
1/2 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 medium tomato, seeded, and small-diced

Directions:
Cut the avocados in 1/2, remove the pits, and scoop the flesh out of their shells into a large bowl. Immediately add the lemon juice, hot pepper sauce, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper and toss well. Using a sharp knife, slice through the avocados in the bowl until they are finely diced. Add the tomatoes. Mix well and taste for salt and pepper.

Mother’s Day Treats

I’m pretty sure that I have the best mother in law anyone could ask for, so for Mother’s Day I really wanted to do something to make her feel special. I found an adorable tote bag from J.Crew, and had it monogrammed “MOM”. I wanted to fill it with lots of wonderful treats for her. Thankfully, I finished my second year of medical school on Friday (wahoo!), so that evening I had a great time preparing different goodies that I thought she would enjoy. Of course by the time I had finished, I had made a little too much to actually fit it all in her bag, but that was okay with me. I gave her her gift this morning at brunch, and she seemed to really enjoy it, as did the rest of the family.

I made four different things to put in her bag: blueberry almond cookies, sun-dried tomato dip, chocolate espresso bars, and potato salad. They all turned out wonderfully. They are all pictured with recipes below, except the potato salad.

Almond Blueberry Cookies

This recipe is from “Everyday Italian” with Giada De Laurentiis, another one of the Food Network chefs. These cookies are a really wonderful spring/summertime treat. I read many reviews on the Food Network website before making them, and many of the reviewers had two main complaints. First, many people complained that they would have liked more blueberries than the recipe called for - simple to fix, I just added 1.5 cups instead of 1 cup. Second, lots of reviewers mentioned that the juice from the blueberries had stained the batter and made the cookies look “dirty”. I think this is because the original recipe called for frozen blueberries, so I used fresh instead, and I really didn’t have that problem.

The only changes I will make next time will be to use a bit more almond extract because the almond flavor seemed a bit overshadowed by the lemon flavor. Also, I would recommend baking them on parchment paper as some of the blueberries pop while cooking, releasing their juice. The parchment paper will make for much easier clean up.

Almond Blueberry Cookies
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 to 1/3 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoons lemon zest, about 1 lemon
1/2 cup chopped almonds, toasted
1 ½ cup fresh blueberries

Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. In another medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar using a hand mixer. Add egg and beat to incorporate. Add milk, almond extract, and lemon zest. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Fold in the almonds, then the blueberries. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Using two small spoons, dollop mix onto cookie sheets. Bake until golden brown around the edges, about 15 minutes. Cool the cookies on a wire rack.

Sun-dried Tomato Dip

This is yet another recipe from Ina Garten out of my Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. It really has the right amount of sun-dried tomato flavor - not overpowering as I feel they sometimes can be in other dishes. I put a package of toasted French baguette rounds in the bag to go with this dip. It was great with these, and on veggies as well. I was very happy with the way this turned out. This was incredibly easy, and would be great to throw together at the last minute if needed.

Sun-dried Tomato Dip
Ingredients:
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped (8 tomatoes)
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup good mayonnaise
10 dashes hot red pepper sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)

Directions:
Puree the tomatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, red pepper sauce, salt and pepper in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the scallions and pulse twice. Serve at room temperature.

Chocolate Espresso Bars

Once again, another incredible recipe from Williams Sonoma. I made these especially because I know how much Robin likes coffee, and I am so glad I did. These were definitely the most popular of the treats. The only real change I made was to garnish them with chocolate chips instead of chocolate covered espresso beans, because I had chocolate chips on hand. The recipe does call for espresso powder, which is sold mainly in specialty grocery stores. It would be possible to substitute instant coffee instead, but I have other recipes that call for espresso powder as well, so I decided it was a worthwhile ingredient to have around.

Chocolate Espresso Bars
Ingredients:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
3 Tbs. instant espresso powder
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 oz. semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 eggs
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the glaze:
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. instant espresso powder
4 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
Pinch of salt
16 chocolate-covered espresso beans (optional)

Directions:
Preheat an oven to 350°F. Generously grease an 8-inch square baking pan. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder and salt into a bowl; set aside. In a small, heavy saucepan over low heat, combine the butter and chocolate and heat, stirring occasionally, until melted, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and brown sugar until blended. Gradually stir in the chocolate mixture until blended. Stir in the vanilla, then add the flour mixture and stir until blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the edges pull away from the sides of the pan and the center is springy to the touch, about 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool.

Meanwhile, make the glaze: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream and espresso powder and heat, stirring, just until the powder is dissolved and bubbles start to appear around the pan edges. Add the chocolate and salt, remove from the heat and stir just until the chocolate is melted. Let cool to room temperature.

Using a small offset spatula, spread the cooled glaze over the cookie in a thin layer. Refrigerate until the glaze is set, about 30 minutes. Cut into 1 ½ -by-2 ½ -inch bars or 2-inch squares. Top each bar with a chocolate-covered espresso bean (or chocolate chips). Makes 16 bars.

Spaghetti with Mozzarella-Stuffed Meatballs

Everyone loves good old spaghetti and meatballs. We love it even more when there is mozzarella cheese in the middle of the meatballs!! I’ve been making this recipe for a while now, and it is a very tasty and easy version of this standard meal. The mozzarella could easily be left out for a more traditional meatball, but they are tasty regardless. I served this with a side of broccoli because that was all I had in the fridge. I just boiled it until tender, about 3-4 minutes, and tossed in a few red pepper flakes.This recipe is from Rachael Ray, one of the chefs from The Food Network. While I find Rachael incredibly annoying to watch, I must admit that I love some of her recipes. The only change I make to this recipe is to season the tomato sauce a bit. It seemed a bit bland the first time I made it, so now I use a bit of dried basil and oregano to give it more flavor. This makes about 20-25 meatballs, so there is plenty left over for dinner tomorrow.

Spaghetti with Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

Ingredients:
¼ c. bread crumbs
½ c. milk
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, 2 smashed and 1 chopped
2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
salt
1 lb. ground sirloin
2 tsbp. parsley, chopped
½ c. parmesan cheese
1 egg
4 oz. mozzarella cheese
1 lb. pasta 

Directions:
Soak bread crumbs in milk. Heat olive oil in skillet. Add smashed garlic, cook 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, season with S&P and simmer. Add beef, chopped garlic, parsley, parmesan, egg and 1 tsp. salt to bread crumbs. Stir with a fork until mixed. Use about 2 T. of the mixture to form a meatball around a cube of mozzarella. Place meatballs in sauce so they are submerged. Raise heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes. Serve with spaghetti.

Steak and Bell Pepper Kabobs

 

I am thrilled that this dinner turned out so well because I am always looking for more meat recipes that I enjoy. I’ve never been much of a red meat eater and I especially don’t like steak - no matter how well prepared it is, I’m just not a fan. My recipes are mostly chicken, which doesn’t bother me at all, but I like to be able to make red meat sometimes since Ben loves it so much. This dinner is a keeper because not only did Ben like it, but so did I!

This recipe is adapted from Williams Sonoma, one of my favorite sources for recipes. I used two orange and one yellow bell pepper because our store was out of red peppers. We decided to cook half of the kabobs with and half without the barbecue sauce because the marinade smelled so wonderful on its own. Ben really loved them both ways and I loved them without the barbecue sauce so we will probably continue to do half and half when we make them again.

Steak and Bell Pepper Kabobs
Ingredients:
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbs. beef grilling rub
1/2 tsp. salt
1-1.5 lb. boneless beef sirloin, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 orange bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup molasses and rum grilling sauce (optional)

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the wine, olive oil, grilling rub, salt and beef sirloin and stir to coat the meat evenly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or as long as overnight.

Prepare a medium fire in a grill. If using wooden skewers, soak in water for at least 20 minutes before assembling kabobs.

Remove the beef from the marinade. Thread the beef and bell peppers onto the skewers from a kabob grilling rack, alternating the pieces and dividing them equally. Arrange the skewers on the rack and place on the grill directly over the fire. Cook, turning the skewers occasionally, until dark grill marks appear underneath, about 10 minutes for medium-rare beef, or until done to your liking. Brush the meat and bell peppers with some of the grilling sauce (if desired) and cook for 1 minute more, then brush with more sauce. Remove the skewers from the rack and transfer to a warmed platter or individual plates. Pass the remaining sauce alongside.

Maple Oatmeal Scones

Scones hold a special place in my heart because I remember how much my mom loved them. She liked to make them on Christmas morning when I was young, so scones always make me think of her.

Since I’m in the middle of my two weeks of finals, I’ve had a lot more time at home than normal. As a result, I’ve been cooking and baking to relieve stress during my study breaks. I made these last night and they were a great breakfast before my three hour exam this morning.

This recipe is from my Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten. As is usually the case with Ina, the original recipe yields A LOT of food. I halved it and still got 8 very large scones out of my batch. One variation Ina suggests in her book is to add 3/4 cup of raisins, and I may try that next time. These are delicious!

Maple Oatmeal Scones
(this recipe has been halved)
yield: 7-8 scones

Ingredients:
Scones:
1 ¾ c. all purpose flour
½ c. whole wheat flour
½ c. quick cooking oats, plus additional for sprinkling
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
½ lb. (2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, diced
¼ c. cold buttermilk
¼ c. pure maple syrup
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 egg beaten with 1 tsbp. water for egg washGlaze:
½ c. + 2 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
¼ c. pure maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°. In a mixing bowl, combine the flours, oats, baking powder, sugar and salt. Blend in the cold butter with an electric mixer on the lowest speed and mix until butter is in pea-sized pieces. (If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment.) Combine the buttermilk, maple syrup and eggs and add quickly to the flour and butter mixture. Mix until just well blended. The dough may be sticky.

Dump the dough onto a well floured surface and be sure it is combined. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough ¾ to 1 inch thick. You should see lumps of butter in the dough. Cut into 3-inch rounds with a plain or fluted cutter and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops with egg wash. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are crisp and the insides are done.

To make the glaze, combine the confectioners’ sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla. When the scones are done, cool for 5 minutes, and drizzle each scone with 1 tablespoon of glaze. Sprinkle with some uncooked oats for garnish.

Welcome to my food blog!

After frequenting various cooking websites and message boards, I have been inspired to start my own cooking blog. Cooking and baking are two of my favorite things to do, and the kitchen is a great place for me to relax. I love trying new recipes and making old favorites. And of course, my wonderful husband Ben is thrilled about this. We are a match made in heaven - a girl who loves to cook and a boy with an amazing appetite

Hopefully this blog will serve as an inspiration both to myself and others who enjoy cooking. Bon appetit!