Black Bean and Mushroom Burgers

Posted on January 9, 2013 by Salts Kitchen

burger

After weeks of holiday celebrations, traveling, and loads of birthdays (mine came with a homemade- by friends- gluten and dairy free chocolate cake, so I had to eat numerous slices of course), I can safely say I’ve eaten my way through December and into January. Overdoing it on cakes and pies, salami, cheese, barbeque, and loading up on carbs for a ski trip, has caught up to me. It’s time to clean out the system. Back to making smoothies for breakfast and something filling and light for lunches at work. No more bacon, eggs, and potatoes every morning on the mountains in Utah.

Starting with lunches for the week, I’ve opted for black bean burgers with a beet and carrot slaw to top it off. I love the protein beans have to offer, and I like the idea of thickening a bean burger up with loads of other goodies. I put together a black bean, brown rice, and mushroom burger. I pressed individual patties into saran wrap and have frozen them to take one at a time to work.

Since all of the ingredients are pre-cooked, it will be fine if you can’t bake these at the office. Microwaving them causes them to fall apart, but the mush is acceptable. I put mine in the toaster oven at work and toasted each side for just a couple of minutes. There is no extra binding ingredient in these, so they are delicate. The one pictured here is on a gluten free crumpet, layered with sauteed spinach and shitaki mushrooms and topped with the beet and carrot slaw. Made a delicious lunch.

Black Bean and Mushroom Burgers
3 cups cooked black beans
1 cup brown rice, cooked
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chili pepper, or to taste
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups mushrooms, chopped

Place all of the ingredients, minus the onion and mushrooms, into a large mixing bowl and mix. Saute the onion in a skillet over medium heat until just translucent. Add the mushrooms and turn the heat down to medium-low. When the mushrooms are soft, remove from heat and add to the bean mixture.

With a hand-held blender, pulse the mixture until it is chunky. If you don’t have a hand-held blender, use the food processor and just pulse.

Shape the mixture into balls and wrap in plastic wrap. Press down into patties. Freeze individual patties until ready to use. Do not defrost, place patty in toaster or oven and bake at 400 for 5-8 minutes on each side. Use a spatula to flip the burger and to place atop the bun.

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Salted Cashew Cookies

Posted on December 12, 2012 by Salts Kitchen

cashew cookies

I volunteered to write a post for In.gredients, Austin’s zero-waste grocery store. It’s right around the corner and I’m there for a beverage on their patio every so often, so I figured this is win-win. The task at hand was to create a recipe preferably utilizing most, if not all, ingredients available in the store. Easy enough.

I walked into In.gredients and decided I would mull the assignment over a glass of wine. I grabbed my glass, took one glance around and realized I really wanted a cookie to go with my wine. No gluten-free cookies. Got it. I bought 3 items, had my wine, went home and made these cookies. These are another take on the peanut butter cookies I love to make. They are rich and creamy and the sea salt brings an extra layer of flavor to such a simple cookie. And bonus: all ingredients in this creation are available year-round.

Salted Cashew Cookies
1/2 cup roasted and unsalted cashews
1 3/4 cup cashew butter
2 eggs
1 3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
pinch of sea salt
optional: sesame seeds or additional cashew pieces for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a food processor, roughly chop the cashews. Add the cashew butter and eggs and blend. Add the sugar, baking powder, and kosher salt and mix until completely amalgamated.

Shape small teaspoons of the cookie dough into balls and place on the parchment paper about 3 inches apart. Lightly press a tiny pinch of sea salt onto each ball and then the sesame seeds or the cashew pieces, if using. Do not press the cookie dough down: it will spread out as it is.

Bake for 10 minutes for a chewy cookie. Bake for 12 minutes for a crisper cookie. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from cookie sheet.

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Boozy Bourbon Pecan Pie

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Salts Kitchen

IMG_2713

Did I say I wanted one dessert at the Thanksgiving table? I meant two. I also needed pecan pie. And yes, I really do mean need. I offered leftovers of everything on my Thanksgiving table, except the pecan pie. I saved that for myself.

The filling is loosely based on Marion Cunningham’s The Fannie Farmer Cookbook. I used to love making Marion’s Best-of-all-Pecan-Pie when I was gluten-full. Here is a gluten-free and bourbon-full version.

Bourbon Pecan Pie
For the Crust:
1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons sorghum flour
3/4 cup sweet rice flour
3/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup corn starch
pinch of salt
1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons guar gum
1/2 cup butter (or butter substitute), diced
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs (1 for brushing the top)
3-5 Tablespoons ice water

Place all dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix. Add the butter and shortening and mix with your fingers until the dough resembles peas. Beat 1 egg and add to the mixture. Work the dough with your fingers until mixed. Add 1 Tablespoon at a time of the ice water until it sticks together in your fingers. Knead this dough for 1-2 minutes in the bowl until smooth. Wrap the dough in saran wrap and press into a disk. Chill for at least 2 hours, preferably over night.

For the filling:
1 1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/ teaspoon cream of tartar
pinch of salt
1/2 cup water
2 Tablespoons molasses
4 Tablespoons butter
1 1/2 Tablespoons bourbon
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup pecans, chopped

Combine the sugar, cream of tartar, and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil then turn to low and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the molasses and butter and stir until melted. Remove from heat and then add the bourbon. Let cool slightly. Beat the eggs and vanilla together in a bowl and whisk in the brown sugar mixture. Fold in the pecans.

Assemble the pie:
Preheat the oven to 425. Remove the dough from the refrigerator about 15 minutes before you’re ready to roll it out. Roll the dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper dusted with rice flour. Line the pie pan with the dough. It’s okay if some pieces don’t stick together, just press it back in.

Pour the pecan mixture into the prepared pie pan. Crimp the edges of the crust and then brush with the additional beaten egg. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to 350 and bake for another 15-18 minutes. Let the pie cool slightly before serving.

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Chocolate Hazelnut Torte

Posted on December 1, 2012 by Salts Kitchen

With my sweet tooth (teeth?), I needed to make sure there was at least one dessert on the Thanksgiving dessert table I could eat. This is one of those wonderful naturally gluten and dairy free desserts where you can’t go wrong. If you like hazelnuts and chocolate, you’re in for a treat. It’s a cinch to make with very few ingredients and it looks beautiful to serve too. This is a variation of Alice Medrich’s Chocolate Almond Torte in Pure Dessert.

Chocolate Hazelnut Torte
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted
7 ounces dark chocolate chocolate (I used 72%)
1 cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
7 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Cocoa for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch spring form cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Toast the hazelnuts and when cool enough to handle, rub the skin off. Place the nuts in a food processor and pulse until chopped. Add the chocolate, 1/2 of the of the sugar, and the salt in a food processor and pulse until chopped, leaving some small chunks of chocolate.

Beat the egg whites and the cream of tartar until somewhat frothy and soft peeks form for a moment.  Add the remaining sugar and continue beat until stiff peeks form. This is important! Be patient.

Fold the chocolate mixture into the egg whites 1/3 at a time. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool for about 10 minutes and then remove from springform pan. Dust cocoa powder over the torte. Serve warm or room temperature.

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Wild Rice Stuffing with Sausage and Wild Mushrooms

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Salts Kitchen

Note to self: Make this wild rice stuffing all year long. It went great with the turkey on Thanksgiving, but it stands on its own as well. Stuffing is one of my favorite parts of the Thanksgiving meal so giving it up would be awfully sad. We had this on the table and I don’t think anyone missed the “traditional” stuffing.

Wild Rice Stuffing with Sausage and Wild Mushrooms
1 pound wild rice
3 cups chicken stock plus 3 cups water
1 pound ground mild pork sausage
1 large onion, chopped (about 3 cups)
5 celery ribs, chopped (about 2 cups)
8 cups mushrooms, chopped (I used mostly shitake, and some oyster and button)
1 Tablespoon sage, minced
1 Tablespoon thyme, minced
3 Tablespoons red wine

Rinse the wild rice under cold water. Cook the rice in the broth and water according to the brand’s instructions.

While the rice is cooking, brown the sausage in a large skillet. When cooked through, remove the sausage and set aside. In the same skillet, saute the onion, celery, and half of the chopped herbs. If there is not enough fat from the sausage left, add 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil.

When the celery and onions are translucent and soft, add the chopped mushrooms. Saute over low-medium heat until the mushrooms are cooked through. Cover the skillet when you’re not stirring. Add the sausage back into the vegetable mixture. Add the red wine and cook over medium-high heat until it’s cooked off- just about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

When the rice is done, combine it with the sausage mixture in the skillet. I removed three cups of the wild rice at this point to reserve for another use. I also like my stuffing heavy on the sausage and vegetables. You can add all of the rice if preferred. Taste the mixture for salt and pepper. Taste for herbs and add more of the minced herbs if desired.

Now, you can either stuff the bird with this mixture or you can bake the rice in the skillet at 400 for about 30 minutes right before serving. If you make this stuffing the day before or it feels dry, add another 1/2 a cup of broth or water before putting in the oven.

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Salad of Chicories, Celery, Dates, Pecans, and Pomegranate

Posted on November 25, 2012 by Salts Kitchen


This may actually be the perfect Autumn Salad. It’s an adaptation of the Persimmon, Pomegranate, and Pecan Salad my mother makes at Thanksgiving and it’s always one of my favorite items on the table. I changed it up this year because persimmons were already done (short season here in Austin) and because I knew I wanted to snack on leftovers…

The thing about salad is that leftovers are usually tossed out with the compost, am I right? This salad we save and the next day we pick around the greens to find all the goodies hidden between leaves. I decided to forgo the greens this year so leftovers would make it past a day. Chicories such as endive and radicchio hold up well over time and so did this salad.

For this salad, prepare all of the layers and then pile them up right before serving. It makes for beautiful presentation with crisp and fresh components.

Thanksgiving Salad
2 cups arugula, chopped (optional)
2 cups endive, shredded
2 cups radicchio, shredded
4 ribs celery
1 cup dates, pitted and chopped (about 10 dates)
1 cup pecans, chopped and toasted
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Chop or shred the arugula (if using) and place in a large serving bowl. Add the layer of the radicchio and then the endive. To prepare the celery, peel the outer fibrous strings. Then slice the celery on a diagonal very thinly. Place celery on the endive.

Place chopped dates, then toasted pecans, and last the pomegranate seeds on top of the chicories and arugula.

Sprinkle salt and pepper and half of the oil and lemon juice. Add more of each to taste.

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Melted Leeks, Roasted Tomatoes and Zucchini, and Pancetta Tart

Posted on November 23, 2012 by Salts Kitchen

If you’ve ever asked me what I like about Thanksgiving, why it’s my favorite holiday, or what I do to prepare, you’ve heard this before: Thanksgiving is far and away my favorite holiday. There is no pressure, there are no secular or non-secular expectations, it’s the “before” to the holiday season so vacation is still ahead, and the food. And the food. Did I say the food? I love Thanksgivings when anyone and everyone eats together. Since vacation is around the corner, so many folks stay in town. Nobody gets turned away. I got to host many friends and some family again this year.

I made a few dishes, the first one being this lovely savory tart. This was my favorite savory crust so far and the toppings were a nice addition that I could get at the farmers’ market. Must remember this one for next year, or anytime between now and then.

Savory Tart
The Crust:
60 grams sorghum
80 grams mochiko rice flour
95 grams brown rice flour
85 grams tapioca flour
1 1/2 teaspoons guar gum
1 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons butter (or earth spread)
4 Tablespoons shortening or lard
2 eggs, beaten plus 1 egg for brushing
6-8 Tablespoons ice water
extra mochiko for rolling the dough

To form the crust:
In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients with a fork. Cut the butter and shortening into chunks and add. Use your fingers to break apart the butter into the dry ingredients, as you would a pie crust. When it resembles sand, add the 2 beaten eggs and mix with a fork. Add 1 tablespoon at a time of the water until the dough presses together easily in your finger tips.

Wrap the dough in saran wrap and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours or overnight.

Filling:
5 slices pancetta, diced*
4 Tablespoons olive oil
6 cups sliced leeks (about 3 large leeks)
2 1/2 cups diced zucchini (about 2 medium zucchini)
2 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
pinches of salt
extra olive oil for drizzling
3 sprigs thyme

To make the filling:
In a large skillet, cook the pancetta until cooked but not yet crisped. Remove from the pot and set aside. Add the olive oil to the same pot and heat. Add the leeks and a pinch of and saute over low-medium heat until very soft (about 20-25 minutes).

While the leeks are melting, heat the oven to to 400. Toss the zucchini with 1 teaspoon olive oil, a pinch of salt, and roast for just about 20 minutes (soft but not browned). Remove from the oven and set aside.

Assembly:
Heat oven to 350. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let sit for 15-20 minutes at room temperature. Roll the dough out between 2 pieces of wax paper. Sprinkle both sides of the dough with the rice flour before rolling. When the dough is about 1/4-inch thick, place it on a cookie sheet. Fold dough in about 1 inch to create a border. Brush the sides liberally with the extra egg.

Spread leeks in a thick layer over the crust. Then add the zucchini, the tomatoes, and lastly the pancetta. Sprinkle with a dash of good salt, a drizzle of olive oil, and the sprigs of thyme. Bake in the oven for approximately 25-30 minutes or until tomatoes are nice and soft and the crust is slightly browned. Turn the oven to broil for an additional 3-4 minutes to crisp those tomatoes and pancetta.

Let cool slightly and then slice as you would a pizza. Serve hot.

*You can easily make this vegetarian by holding off on the pancetta.

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Liver Mousse. Yes, you heard right.

Posted on November 21, 2012 by Salts Kitchen

I went through a chopped liver/paté/liver mousse/liver terrine phase in the last several months but could not seem to make that sound amazingly delicious on my blog. I brought the samples I made to many an occasion and there were of course a variety of reactions to the word “liver”. The best reaction (by far) was at the office with our farmers’ market manager. You know the guy- he’s guided my decisions before by saying things like, “just add some bacon.” He tasted the liver with no trepidation and then asked if he could take the leftovers home with him. Why sure. I had yet to publish this one until Huntley walked through my door these months later and told me he’d like to make my liver mousse for a Thanksgiving appetizer. So here we go, liver mousse.

After much experimenting, the result here is a combination of my favorite elements of the Jewish chopped liver I love with the smooth creaminess that I love in paté, without using much dairy. This one ain’t for the purists as it’s not quite chopped liver and it’s not as buttery or dairy-full as paté. Oh it tastes really good.

Liver Mousse
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound chicken liver
3-4 Tablespoons brandy
1 egg, hard-boiled, not too firm
salt and pepper

Heat the olive oil and 1 Tablespoon of the butter in a skillet. Add the onion and saute on medium heat until soft and some pieces are a bit browned. Remove the onions to a bowl and set aside. Sear the chicken liver in the same pan and add 2 Tablespoons of brandy while the liver cooks. Depending on the size, this should just take a couple or a few minutes. The liver should be a bit pink on the inside still. Put the onion, the liver, and the egg in a food processor and blend.

De-glaze the pan with another tablespoon of butter and brandy and add that to the food processor as well. Blend until very smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill until ready to eat.

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Coconut Lemon Pie with Almond-Pecan Crust

Posted on November 19, 2012 by Salts Kitchen


My friend Liz’s birthday party was a barbeque and pie extravaganza and of course, with my sweet tooth I needed to make sure there was at least one dessert I could eat too (forget the fact that I ate a lion’s share of some of the best steak ever). I made a pie version of my lemon squares. I redid the crust to work for a pie and experimented with the filling to make it more of a custard than a delicious tart square. I ate so much of this each time I made it and Liz ate it as her post-birthday breakfast. Yum. Nice and tart, but creamy too.

Coconut Lemon Pie with Almond-Pecan Crust
Almond-Pecan Crust:
1 cup + 2 Tablespoons almond flour
3/4 cup pecans
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, or earthspread butter substitute
1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 350. Grind the almonds and pecans in the cuisinart until just fine. Add sugar, baking soda, and salt dry to blend. Add butter and vanilla and blend until completely mixed. Press the crust into a 9-inch pie pan. The dough is very sticky. You will need to rinse your hands in warm water and then gently press the crust into the bottom and up the sides. There will be some translucent spaces, don’t worry, it fills in. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Coconut Lemon Filling:
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 cup coconut cream*
3 Tablespoons arrowroot powder

Whisk together all of the above ingredients and add it to baked crust. Bake at 350 for another 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely. It will still wiggle slightly, but should be set. Let cool and then chill until ready to serve.

*If you can’t find coconut cream, skim the thick top off the can of coconut milk. Do not shake the can first.

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My Newest Obsession is a Chickpea Flatbread Called Socca

Posted on November 18, 2012 by Salts Kitchen

A potential vendor at the SFC Farmers’ Market brought tons of food for staff to sample the other day and whenever there is a specific gluten free option I am immediately called from my desk to try it. This time there was an Indian Chickpea Flatbread for me to taste. Loved it. More than that, I decided it looked like the easiest thing in the world to make. So I did.

Looking up chickpea flatbread I came across dozens of variations all with different names from all over the world. The way I opted to make this delicious chickpea delight is most similar to Socca originating in Southeastern France.  All are delicious, all are naturally gluten and dairy free.

I tested out plain and simple first and then started adding various herbs and spices. It’s up to you: do you feel like putting a Middle Eastern spin on this dish or keeping is simple as they do in Southern France? Cecina, Faina, Farinata, or Karantita, or make it Socca as I’ve done here. I also filled it with eggs and veggies for breakfast one morning for an extra treat.

Socca
1 cup chickpea flour
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more for serving)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
optional herbs and spices: paprika, cumin, and coriander; za’atar and sea salt; chopped rosemary; dried basil and parmesan cheese…

Set the oven to broil. Whisk together the chickpea flour, water, salt, and 1 1/2 Tablespoons of the olive oil. When the oven is hot, put a 9 or 10-inch skillet in to heat up. When it becomes hot, brush a thin layer of olive oil on the skillet then ladle some of the batter into the pan to form a very thin layer.

I made one version about 1/8-1/4-inch thick and it was delicious but I much preferred a very thin version as it got crisp and browned nicely. Broil the socca for 4-6 minutes- timing will depend on your oven. It is done when the sides get browned and bubbley. The socca should slide right out of the skillet. Brush another bit of olive oil on the skillet and repeat the process until the batter is gone.

If you are adding herbs you can toss them on top of the batter before you broil the dish. If you’re using the spices, add them into the batter. By far my favorite version was 1/4 teaspoon cumin in the batter then 1-2 teaspoons za’atar sprinkled on top with a pinch of sea salt.

Eat hot out of the oven: cut into triangles or tear it apart with your hands.

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