Friends of MT: Tincho’s Classic Caramelised Garlic Bruschetta with Roquefort [Tincho]

Intro by Zack:  Tincho does a great job explaining how we met in his post.  We became running buddies at work and our friendship took off from there.  His excitement for life is apparent in his post below.  He gave me a jar of this awesome caramelized garlic.  I couldn't contain myself and would sneak over to the fridge to eat these straight out of the jar!


Degree of difficulty: Easy

Time: 40 minutes to prepare the garlic, 10 minutes for the bruschetta

Serves: ~10 as an appetizer

I realised that I need to start my recipe with an Introduction. I’m afraid I don't have a funny one like the Bang Bang Shrimps (my introduction to this blog) but I will try something to capture the attention of the Koulermos family.

I met Zack thanks to our Johnson & Johnson Running Team in Brussels and I suddenly realised how enthusiastic he is with…. well, everything haha. We shared trainings, races (where I also met Lauren - another super enthusiastic person), beer tasting, photography, cycling and yes, cooking. I must admit that I was more on the ‘learner’  zone while Zack looked like a pro in most of the areas. I can still kick his ass drinking beer and doing long races like a marathon :)

Anyway, during the discussion of what to cook for his farewell, he mentioned the famous Bang Bang Shrimps, and the blog. I was like WTF are the Bang Bang but after tasting them, I can say that I agree with Justin (or whoever he is) that they are as good as sex. I even did it for Christmas and they were a unique success.

So, Zack showed us (the A team of running that includes Noemi and Dominika - two ladies also eager to take most of life and who also did the Amsterdam Marathon with me) the blog and encourage us to participate…  and I thought about my Classic Garlic Bruschetta.

I love this appetizer since the Garlic can be stored in a jar in the fridge and use it to welcome guests anytime. And the combination of flavours gives a lot with such a little effort. I took this recipe from a magazine and I’ve been cooking it for the last 3 years.

So here we go… hope you enjoy it.

Caramelised Garlic

Ingredients:

1)    1kg of garlic cloves peeled off like Mama Tommy’s logo (this is the only challenge of the recipe - see below (*1) )

2)    250 gr. of black sugar. (I reinforced ‘black’ since it is not brown. This is the secret ingredient and I could not find it in Brussels so I was shipping it from Buenos Aires :))

3)    200 ml of balsamic

4)    200 ml of soy sauce

5)    Thyme - as much as you like

6)    Rosemary - as much as you like… again

7)    Olive oil - see quantity below

PS: I usually prepare less than 1kg of garlic since it could be too much but up to you

OK, hands on work. But referring to the challenge in (*1), your first question could be “how in earth am I going to peel such a quantity of garlic?”. First time I did it, I followed the traditional way of peeling the cloves one by one. It took me ages and it was not fun at all. But don't worry, there are solutions for everything. Thanks to sharing this recipe with other friends, one of them found an interesting technique of peeling them in seconds. Yes, it is not a typo, it is seconds. Even my Mom (an experienced cooker) did not believe me, but it amazingly works and adds some fun to the cooking and a lot of noise !! Be careful with your neighbors.

In a nutshell, you just need to put the garlic into two metal bowls and shake them hard. No, Justin, I am not taking about Bang Bang Shrimps or sex :)

Here you have a photo of my own peeling and a youtube video in case you are as skeptic as my mom.

And now? The easy part.

Once the noisy experience is completed, just put the peeled garlic in a pot with the rest of the ingredients and cook them at a low fire. Olive oil is just to make sure you cover the surface of the garlic. Thyme and Rosemary at your own taste. I use a lot since it does not harm.

Approximate time of cooking is 30 minutes.

Cook them until the garlic is tender (see pic). Let them cool down and save them in jars in the fridge as shown below.

Bruschettas

Ingredients:

1)    Bread for bruschetta (we call it ‘country bread’ in Argentina but I think Cottage Loaf is the same)

2)    Roquefort cheese

3)    Rucola

4)    One clove of uncooked garlic (not the same one as above)

5)    Olive Oil

6)    And the Caramelised Garlic, of course :)

First thing is to slice the bread, use the uncooked garlic to scrape it in the bread and pour a little bit of olive oil on it as well. Then cook it in a very hot oven to make them crispy.

While waiting the bread, start cutting the cheese in cubes. Do the same with the caramelised garlic. Wash and cut some rucola.

Once the bread is ready, add the rucola, the cheese and the caramelised garlic (in this order) as you can see below. Spread some of the liquid in the jar on top for more sweet flavour and Voilá!

Ps: Ok, not my best pic here I must admit. It is the second round. I was so excited serving this during Christmas that I forgot to make the official picture of the first round that was looking much better :)

Enjoy it and thanks to Zach for encouraging me to take pics while cooking and write this down. It was a lot of fun!

Suggested soundtrack: Blackbird Album - Fat Freddy’s Drop

Israeli Vegetarian Lentil Soup [Zack]

Winter is raging outside and I wanted something to comfort my insides.  I chose to cook one of my favorite soups from an awesome little restaurant named Beni Falafel in the Jewish quarter of Antwerp.  They are known for making great falafel sandwiches, but I also really enjoy their lentil soup which is healthy, vegetarian, and kosher.

My version is very close to the original - I used lots of lentils, potatoes, red pepper, spinach, onion, garlic, and whole cumin seeds.  You'll feel like a super hero when you're finished eating - it's filling but doesn't feel heavy. 

Process:

Slice and dice all of your veggies.  

In a pot over medium heat, add 2T of olive oil and your onion, red pepper, and diced mushrooms.  Saute for about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and cumin seeds.  Cook for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant.  Dump in the potatoes, tomato, and your veggie stock.  

Add 3 handfuls of lentils to the pot (check for stones first) and bring to a simmer.  Lower the heat to low and place the lid on top a bit askew.  Cook the lentils for about 30-45 minutes depending on your texture preference.  

Add the spinach during the last 3 minutes of cooking and serve hot.  A small squeeze of sriracha can add some heat and a bit of sweetness to the soup.

You'll warm away any winter blues!

Ingredients:

1 medium red onion, sliced

1 red pepper, diced
6 baby bella mushrooms, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1T whole cumin seeds
1 tomato, diced

8 golf ball-sized baby red potatoes, diced

3 handfuls of green lentils

1 quart (1 liter) veggie stock
1-2 big handfuls of spinach
salt and pepper to taste

squeeze of sriracha if desired

Song: D'Angelo - Betray My Heart

Black Truffle and Shiitake Mushroom Fettuccine [Zack]

It happened folks.  Lauren and I bought a truffle slicer.  There’s a great mushroom stand at the Antwerp Saturday market and they had some “early season” truffles that were surprisingly not expensive.  The best truffles cost more than cocaine by weight, but we paid a total of around $7 for the amount we used to top our pasta (still was great).  And of course, we needed a truffle slicer to shave the truffle.

Truffles are a weird ingredient.  The biggest impact to your final dish is the funky aroma that they add when the plate is placed in front of you. In terms of value add:  the order is smell > texture > flavor.  Freshly shaved truffles are nice, but if you are in the mood for a mushroom extravaganza, you’ll have to add something else to further boost the mushroom flavors.

Hence, we made a pasta with sautéed shiitake mushrooms, pecorino cheese, parmesan cheese, and some freshly shaved truffle on top.  It was heaven.

Process: 

Start by slicing your shiitake mushrooms and mincing your garlic.  Also, grate both cheeses.  Get a pot of salted water boiling.

Start up a sautee pan over medium heat, large enough to hold both the mushrooms and the pasta (later on).  Add the 3T of butter and 2T of olive oil when the pan is hot.  Toss in the mushrooms and sautee until they are browned.  Add the garlic to the pan and immediately take off the heat so the garlic doesn't brown.

Boil your pasta per the instructions for al dente on the package.  Grab a coffee mug and reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.

Add the pan with the mushrooms back to the stove over medium heat.  Strain the pasta and add it in with the mushrooms and garlic. Toss the cheese, cream, and pasta water in with the pasta.  The liquids will combine with the cheese to make an awesome sauce.  Crack lots of black pepper on top.

To serve, go crazy with the truffle!  

Ingredients:

½ pound fettuccini pasta

~15 medium shiitake mushrooms, sliced

3T butter

2T olive oil (or you can get crazy and use half truffle oil!)

2 fat cloves garlic, minced

2T cream (to taste)
1/2 cup pasta water

1/3 cup finely grated pecorino romano cheese

1/3 cup finely grated parm reggiano

freshly cracked black pepper

freshly-shaved truffle

Song:  ZHU - Faded

Puff Pastry Vegetable Tart [Zack]

I am always trying to find uses for the puff pastry sheets in my freezer.  This breakfast "pizza" was created using all of the ingredients in our fridge.  Feel free to get creative!

Process:

Lay down some foil on a baking sheet, and butter it.  Defrost 2 puff pastry squares and pinch them together to form a long rectangle.

Slice onions into moons and throw them in a pan with some butter to caramelize them.  Cook for 5 minutes or so over medium heat.  Add some sliced mushrooms to the mix if you want.

Spread the red pepper paste over the top as you would tomato sauce for a pizza (leaving a small border for crust).  Place your caramelized onions and mushrooms on top, then shave the parmesan on top.  Some slices of a red or yellow pepper will give it color.  Top with shredded kale and a drizzle of olive oil.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until the crust is golden brown

Ingredients:
2 puff pastry squares
1 small tab butter
1 T red pepper paste
shaved parmesean reggiano
a few slices of red or yellow pepper
1/4 cup mushrooms
1/2 medium onion
1/2 cup shredded kale

Song:  Kanye - Champion

Coconut Dhal Curry [Zack]

This is a simple Dhal (lentil) curry that you can make at home with a pressure cooker.  You can chop and toss everything into the pressure cooker and have dinner on the table in 45 minutes.  The coconut milk adds a sweetness to the lentils, and the fish sauce brings the umami to the party.  Leave the fish sauce out for a totally veg meal.

Process:

Start by grinding up cumin seeds, harissa powder, and the onion powder in a mortar and pestle. Then peel the ginger and garlic, loosely chop them, and then add them to the mortar and pestle with the powder. Mash until it makes a paste.

Slice the onion, red pepper, and the tomatoes. Heat up your pressure cooker over medium heat and add some butter, oil, or ghee into the bottom. Saute the onions and red peppers together for about 5 minutes. Then, add the paste to the pot and cook for about a minute (until it becomes fragrant). Add the tomatoes to the party and your 1.5 cups of lentils. Make sure to look for small stones in the lentils by dumping them on a plate and sorting through.

Add the 3 cups of water and cover the pressure cooker. Cover, and cook at high pressure for 20 minutes over medium heat. Make sure to shake it around every 5 minutes, so nothing sticks to the bottom.

You can cook your rice that you’ll combine with the lentils while the pressure cooker is going. Also, dice the onions, peppers, jalapenos, and coriander for the topping.  Combine all of the diced veggies into a bowl.

De-pressurize your cooker, and add in the fish sauce and coconut milk.  Add a bit more salt or maple syrup if necessary.

Serve over the rice, and topped with the fresh garnish!

Ingredients:
1.5 red peppers
1.5 cups lentils
3 cups water
3 tomatoes
1 red onion
1 fat inch ginger
4 cloves garlic
2T cumin seeds
2T harissa powder
1T dried onion powder
½ cup coconut milk
1.5T fish sauce
1tsp sugar or maple syrup (if it needs a kick of sweetness)

For the topping, combine:
½ red onion
½ red pepper
¼ cup pickled jalapenos
1 fist-full of coriander

Song:  Raphael Saadiq - Good Man

Mushroom, Spinach, and Emmental Quiche [Zack]

Quiche is one of our weekend go-to meals.  It gives us a great opportunity to use up a lot of odds and ends from our fridge.  Most everything works well together - here are some examples of our most recent quiches:

• spinach, goat cheese, pumpkin, pine nuts
• roasted red pepper, leeks, feta cheese
• sundried tomatoes, pesto, walnuts, haloumi cheese
• smoked salmon, cream cheese, red onion, dill
• roasted chicken, roasted veggies (squash, eggplant, etc)
• bacon/speck, onion, potatoes

This is the reason why we keep puff pastry sheets in the freezer.  You don't have to leave the house as long as you have eggs and a few random leftovers that will work together.

Process:

Slice the red onion into moons, clean the mushrooms, chop the garlic, and wash the spinach.  Start a pan on medium heat and sautee the onions until starting to slightly brown in butter.  Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 mins.  Add the garlic and spinach and cook until the spinach has wilted.  Make sure there is not excess water in the veg, or else you will have a watery quiche.

Butter a pie pan and patch together the puff pastry sheets to form a crust.  Let your veggies cool off and then put 3/4 of them in the pie crust.  Add some sliced emmental cheese.

Crack your 6 eggs into a bowl, and whisk in 1/2 cup of milk or cream.  Add salt and pepper to the eggs.

Pour the eggs over the veggies in your pie crust and then add the rest of the veg and a few more slices of cheese on top.  You add the second portion to make sure all of the filling isn't grouped on the bottom of the quiche when it's finished cooking.

Bake at 350F/175C for 30-45 minutes until the middle is set.  If the top is browning too quickly, you can put a loose piece of tin foil over the top.

Ingredients:

6 eggs
150ml of milk (a little over 1/2 cup of milk)
4 puff pastry sheets
1/2 T of butter
1 medium red onion
3 cloves roasted garlic (or 2 cloves fresh garlic)
1.5 cups mushrooms (I used a mix of 4)
1 cup fresh spinach
1/2 cup sliced or shredded emmental cheese

Quiche Baking Song:  Justin Timberlake - TKO

Chickpea and Roasted Eggplant Curry [Zack]

If you're in the mood for a healthy and hearty vegetable dish that will leave you full and satisfied, you're on the right page.  The combination of chickpeas with rice creates complete proteins, which means that it's a great substitute for meat.

I chose to make this with an Indian flair.  I included a few basic Indian spices, I pureed the chick peas to make a creamy curry, then added the cubes of roasted eggplant for texture.  Try it out!

Process:

The first step is to get the eggplant goin.  Dice it in 1/2 inch cubes and drizzle with some olive oil.  Place them into the oven at 400F / 200C until they are nicely browned (about 30 mins).

Next, get a pot started over medium heat.  To be prepared for the mashin, slice the red onions roughly (you'll puree them later along with the chickpeas, so no reason to be precise.)  Also, peel and roughly chop your ginger and garlic.  Chop your birdseye chiles too.

Add the onions to the pot with the 3T of olive oil.  Let them lightly brown.

If you have a mortar and pestle, add the cumin seeds, fenugreek, tumeric, and the mustard seeds. Crush them up into a powder, then in goes the ginger, garlic, and chiles.  This paste should smell amazing!  If you don't have a mortar and pestle, just chop everything and toss it in the pot!

Add the paste into the pot.

Wash your chickpeas.  Once you can smell the paste, dump the chickpeas into the pot, along with the chicken stock and 2 cups tomato puree.  Once it starts a'bubblin, reduce the heat to low and let it cook for about 5 mins.

Use a stick blender or a food processor to smooth out the curry.

Swirl in the yogurt and juice your lime into the curry.  Add 2 puffs of hing (if you have it) and adjust for salt.

Your eggplant should be roasted and ready to stir in.  Let the flavors integrate for about 5 mins, then serve over rice or with garlic naan.

Ingredients:
2 roasted eggplants
2 red onions + more for garnish
2 cans chickpeas
2 cups chicken stock (or veg stock if you want to keep it all vegetarian)
2 cups tomato puree
1 lime
1/2 cup yogurt
3T olive oil (plus more to drizzle over the roasted eggplant)
optional cilantro garnish

if you can't find all of these spices, just use cumin :)
1.5 tsp mustard seeds
1t fenugreek
1T tumeric powder
2 small squeezes hing
2T cumin seeds

2 inches ginger
2 birdseye chiles (or 3 if you can handle it!)
2 cloves garlic

Song:  Movits! - Skjut Mig I Huvet

Aged Pecorino with Walnuts and Truffle Honey [Zack]

Lauren and I spent a day cooking and taking food photographs with her sister Kaitlin (super cool sister) and Kaitlin's fiancee Ricky (super badass professional photographer). We started the day by going to the Cleveland West Side Market, then we moved on to an Asian supermarket. We spent 7 hours cooking, laughing, and taking photos. It was a total blast. While we were starting to get our ingredients and equipment organized, I whipped up a fast appetizer so people wouldn't get too hungry while we were cooking.

If you haven’t tried Pecorino cheese with honey and walnuts yet, you may be skeptical. This is a traditional Italian preparation that takes advantage of the salty-sweet flavor combination. You can pair Pecorino with a variety of sweet items: figs, pears, honey, jelly/compote, grapes, etc.

If you don’t like to cook, but you want to bring a fancy appetizer or cheese course to a dinner party, this is your ticket. Cut the cheese (heh), sprinkle walnuts over it, and drizzle honey on top. That’s it!

As you can imagine, since this is such a simple combination of items, the quality of the ingredients is key here. If you can, try to go to a nice cheese shop and ask someone about the different types of Pecorino. The more aged the cheese is, the stronger it will taste. I happened upon some truffle honey at the market, but you can use a nice quality regular honey as well. You’ll just miss the back end unmistakable funk of the truffles after you’ve taken a bite.

Process:

There's really not much to say here.  Slice the cheese in the way that you want to serve it.  You can make little squares so people can eat it with toothpics, or longer slices for small plate presentation.

Crumble some walnuts in your hands, and drizzle a good amount of honey on top.  I always end up adding more than I would have guessed because the honey is so darn good.

Ingredients:

Quality Pecorino cheese, aged to your taste (a proper cheese monger will let you try a few varieties)
Crushed walnuts
Truffle honey, or normal honey

Song to drizzle to:  Snoop Dogg - Beautiful

Double Mushroom Wild Rice [Zack]

Wild rice can add an exciting texture to your plate.  It’s a nice change from the normal white or brown rice – it has a bit of a snap, similar to al dente pasta.  There are many ways to prepare the rice, but I’ve chosen a very simple preparation that maximizes flavor and minimizes ingredients.  I made this rice to accompany a roasted chicken.

Since you’ll use dried and fresh mushrooms, they will add a deep flavor to the rice.  You can skip using your precious chicken stock (but it wouldn’t hurt if you did)….

Process:

Slice the red onions into moons and measure out 1 cup of wild rice and 1 cup of dried mushrooms.

Combine everything into a covered sauce pot and add 2 cups of water.

Cook covered for 40 minutes on low, or based on the instructions on the box.  The mushrooms and rice will absorb the water during the cooking time.

While the rice is cooking, slice your brown mushrooms and heat up a pan over medium-high heat.  When the pan is hot, add a good ½ T of butter and some olive oil.  Put the mushrooms in the pan, season them with salt and pepper, and sauté for 8 minutes or so until they are nicely brown.

You will use the mushrooms as a base, and top them with the wild rice.

When the rice is finished, stir in a few T of cream (optional, but it adds a nice dimension).  Add salt and plenty of black pepper to the rice.  Cook for an additional minute or two to let the cream settle in.

Serve hot on top of your sautéed mushrooms!

Ingredients:
1 cup wild rice
1 cup dried musrooms
10 baby bella mushrooms
1 medium onion
2T-4T cream


Creativity options:

• Add thyme and goat cheese instead of cream
• Rosemary and crispy pancetta
• Pulled lamb and tarragon
• Orange juice and raisins

Song to wild out to: C2C - Down the Road

Blue Cheese and Mascarpone Spread on Chocolate Biscuits with Port Wine Reduction [Rhonda]

With a mix of unlikely flavors, my favorite chef--Josh Dalton--has created a fun appetizer for one of the best (and most imaginative!) restaurants in central Ohio...Veritas Tavern. He's up in Delaware OH doing stuff that would warrant recognition in, say, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, or Tribeca.

When you unpack it, this appetizer is easy. Soften two cheeses, whip them together. Pour some port or red wine in a small saucepan, add a touch of brown sugar and cook it down to a syrup.

The chocolate biscuits? A UK staple, found in the international aisle at Meijer's and at World Market. So no whining about being hard to find!

Degree of difficulty: very easy (sorry Josh)
Time: 15 minutes, mostly to reduce the port
Serves: 12

Ingredients:
2 boxes McVitie's Digestive milk chocolate biscuits
8 ounce container mascarpone
4 ounce container blue cheese crumbles
half a bottle red wine or 2 cups port
1 tablespoon brown sugar if using red wine

Let the mascarpone and blue cheese come to room temp for a few minutes. Put in mixing bowl and whip until blended, a minute or so.

Pour the port in a small saucepan and, over medium heat, reduce by two-thirds. If using red wine, add the brown sugar, swirl and reduce. (This reduction will keep in the fridge for a few days if you want to plan ahead, as will the cheese mixture.)

Suggested soundtrack: "Blow the Whistle" by Too Short. Not for the lyrics. For the beat.

Red Cabbage and Green Apple Cole Slaw [Zack]

If your pulled pork or BBQ'd meat needs a friend, cole slaw is a nice sidekick. It's crunchy, tangy, creamy, and a little bit sweet.

This was suggested by Katy to go on top of our pulled pork sandwiches. It paired perfectly with the oven roasted pulled pork sandwiches!

Process:

Shred your cabbage with a cheese grater on the large holes. Be careful not to get any of the red juice anywhere - it stains! Slice your green apples into matchsticks. Next, slice the red onions, and then combine everything into a bowl.

Make up the dressing by mixing the mayonnaise, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, honey, and soy sauce together. Taste the dressing and adjust if you want it to be creamier (more mayo), tangier (more vinegar/dijon), or sweeter (more honey).

Toss the veggies in the dressing and let the flavors combine until you are ready to serve.

Ingredients:
1 head cabbage, washed and shredded
2 red onions, sliced
4 granny smith apples, sliced into matchsticks

1/2 cup mayonnaise
4T dijon mustard
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2T honey
4T soy sauce
1/3 cup olive oil

Song to shred to:  Jamie Lidell - What's the use?

Chili Relleno [Tom & June]

Cinco de mayo is approaching soon. This is one of three recipes for your Mexican party. We decided not to deep fry like most recipes do. This is fairly simple using some ready made ingredients.

Chili Relleno for 8

Shopping List:
~ 8 Cubano Peppers
~ 1/2 cup Flour
~ 18 ounces canned Enchilada Sauce
~ 1/2 cup Milk
~ 3 Egg Whites
~ 1/8 teaspoon of each Salt and Pepper
~ 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
~ 1 Brown Paper Bag
~ 8 oz. shreded or sliced Montery Jack Cheese

Prepare the Peppers:

Wash the peppers, towel dry. Lightly brush the peppers with oil. Set half the oil on the side.
Grill on a medium flame careful not to burn. Turn until a bit charred on all sides and softened.
Remove from the grill and place the peppers in a brown paper bag. Close the bag for 15 minutes. Remove the peppers and start to remove the charred outer skin if cooled enough to the touch. Make a slit lengthwise on one side and remove the seeds. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, brush a sheet pan with oil. The photo below shows the flank steak being grilled for our next recipe as well as the cubanos.
                                                                       

The Coating:

In a large bowl beat the egg whites, add the milk and beat in for a wash. Pour the flour in a flat dish combining the salt and pepper and mix. Place each pepper in the wash, then in the flour to coat. Lay the peppers on the sheet pan and bake for 15 minutes or until coating becomes firm.
                                                                       

                                                            
Baking:

Lightly coat the bottom of a 9" x 13" baking dish with 6 oz. of the enchilada sauce. Lay the peppers in the baking dish. Spoon the remainder of the enchilad sauce over the peppers. Place the cheese on top. Cover with foil. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Vegetarian Pumpkin, Beet, and Mushroom Couscous Burgers [Zack]

While walking through the grocery store, I’m sometimes enticed to stroll past the vegetarian section. I like the idea of being able to cook something quick and healthy from the veg aisle, but I usually refrain from buying something because the products look so processed. It seems like a strange dichotomy: a good portion of people go vegetarian for health reasons, but end up losing some of the benefit due to all the long list of additives in processed foods.

And why would you force tofu to look like pork meat strips that you get in gyros? Or ground beef? Yuk. I’m getting off track….

Lauren had made a very good black bean and quinoa burger a few weeks ago, and I was craving a similar version. We didn’t have quinoa, but we did have bio couscous and some veggies that we could construct into a patty. This is a very healthy alternative to the meaty version. It takes about 45 minutes to make a batch because you have to let the veg cool off once you cook it, but you can double the recipe and freeze some pre-made burgers (separated by wax paper.)  Pop em in the oven on a week night, and eat up!

Process:

Start by slicing the pumpkin into strips and roasting it in an oven at 400F/200C. Put down a light coating of olive oil on your baking sheet, and sprinkle some salt and pepper on top. Bake until the edges slightly brown and it gets fork-tender.

While the pumpkin is going, you’ll need to cook your couscous and sauté your other veggies. Start a small pot of 1.5 cups of salted water boiling.

Heat up a pan on medium heat. Wash and slice your mushrooms, dice your red onion, and dice your beet. Add some oil to the pan, and then add in your mushrooms and onions. Stir them around until they are almost cooked - about 5 minutes, then add your diced beet and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

When the water is boiling for your couscous, pour the 1 cup of measured pasta into the pot and remove it from the heat. Yes, I just learned that couscous is pasta made from grain.  Thanks Google!

Empty out your sautéed vegetables into a nice big bowl and let them cool off. If you try to make the burger with hot ingredients, the steam will make them mushy and it won't stick together. Less water = good.

Your couscous should be finished by now, so fluff it with a fork and add it into the bowl.

Take the roasted pumpkin out of the oven, and let it cool for a few minutes. Add this to the bowl as well. Smash up the everything with a fork or a potato ricer to get rid of the large chunks. Include your breadcrumbs and flour, which will help bind everything together.

Pour in the mustard, sriracha, and oregano, give it another stir, and then you’re ready to make patties.

Quickly make up the sauce – stir together diced feta cheese, yogurt, and some diced red onion.

Form the burgers into hockey pucks the size of your burger buns, and place them in a non-stick skillet.  Cook, turning once for about 3 minutes per side.

Top your toasted buns with the crispy burgers, the creamy sauce, sliced red onion, and fresh lettuce.

Ingredients:
6 baby bella mushrooms
1 red onion
1.5 cups roasted pumpkin
2.5 cups cooked couscous (1 cup dry couscous + 1.5 cups boiling water)
1 tsp dried oregano
1T flour
1/3 to 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1T dijon mustard
1 tsp sriracha

1/2 cup feta
1/4 cup yogurt
1T minced red onion

Techno Healthy Euro Burger Jams:  Major Lazer: Jah No Partial

Hoisin-Glazed Roasted Carrots [Zack]

A few of our friends decided that they were having an outdoor fish bake in January.  This idea would usually be met with skepticism (due to the snow outside), but we were on board immediately!  Hey, the grill is a heat source!

In our attempt to be good friends, we offered to bring over a vegetable side dish.  We originally wanted to make a roasted hoisin eggplant side, but the grocery store gods said "nay."  Instead, we found some fun looking mini carrots with parts of the green stem left on (for nice presentation.)

Not being one to cry over spilled hoisin sauce, we made the carrots and they paired perfectly with the fish.  The carrots were tangy, spicy, and a touch sweet and played nicely with the delicate fish.

Process:

Pre-heat your oven to 400F / 200C.  Wash and peel the carrots.  Place them in a large baking dish along with 1T of butter and 1T of sesame oil.  Roast in the oven for about 15 minutes too cook them through.

While that's going, start a small sauce pan over medium heat.  Peel and dice the ginger, garlic, and birdseye chiles.  Saute the stuff you just diced in 1tsp of sesame oil.  Once they have softened a bit, add in the oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, vinegar, and honey.  Cook for a few minutes to let the flavors combine.

Remove the carrots from the oven and give them a stir with a spatula.  Brush the carrots with the glaze, coating them evenly.

Place the baking dish back into the oven and cook for 5-10 minutes, until the glaze has caramelized.  Serve as a side and enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 lb carrots, peeled
1T butter
1T sesame oil

1 tsp sesame oil
4T oyster sauce
2T hoisin sauce
2T minced ginger
2 cloves garlic
2 birdseye chiles (or 1 if you don't like it too spicy!)
1tsp vinegar
2T honey

Funky carrot jams: Gramatik - Make You Better