More Fun with Black Beans!

The black bean patties I've tried so far were all good, but I am on the hunt for GREAT. I am closer. Last night I added a cup of cooked quinoa to a small can of black beans (drained and rinsed) and mashed. Then I added a tbsp. of GF Worchestershire sauce, salt and pepper, MCCORMICS garlic and onion powder,  a handful of Daiya cheese shreds, 1 grated carrot, about a half cup of sauteed, chopped mushrooms, and 2 tbsp. of ground chia. It still seemed just a little mushy, so I added 1 tbsp. of rice bread crumbs as well. The consistency was just right, so I fried up some patties and some meatballs in garlic olive oil. Yum. I served us each a patty, with homemade red/purple potato salad and creamy coleslaw (both made with veganaisse). It was so good, I had some leftovers for breakfast this morning. :)

This meal was vegan and gluten-free; also free of nightshades.  There are other black bean patty recipes below.  It's been fun to experiment and you can't really "fail," only create patties that you may like either more or less than the last one.  So start with a small can of black beans, drain and rinse them, then experiment with the ingredients and seasonings you like best.  I suggested McCormick seasonings because they are gluten-free... at least, it would seem.  Other seasonings often contain fillers or "natural" flavours that are made with gluten.  If you are gluten-free, please make sure your seasonings and flavourings are as well. (Vanilla extract for instance, is often made in grain alcohol.  That's grain, as in gluten.)

Also try to add some Omega-3 ingredients, such as Chia and/or freshly ground flax seeds.  You can even add protein powder if you can have it.  It will help absorb the moisture of the black beans, and add protein to your vege patty as well. 

Have fun, and enjoy!!

Meatballs ~ No Meat!

I took a notion to make meatballs, and maybe a veggie patty or two. But, of course, these had to be made with something other than meat. I remembered reading that sweet potato and black beans make a nice mixture, but I couldn't find any recipe. So I decided to wing it. My first effort was a little mushy. I needed a binder, but I don't eat eggs either, and I wasn't that big on GF crumbs. A friend suggested ground flaxseeds. Hey! Good idea! So I tried it.

Here's the recipe... very simple: Saute some chopped mushrooms and a small, chopped onion. Set aside. Into a bowl place 3/4 cup boiled and mashed sweet potato; 3/4 cup canned organic black beans, drained and rinsed; 3/4 cup ground flax seeds; salt, pepper and spices of choice. Now you could use a food processor if you want, but I'm getting tired of washing mine, so I got hold of a sturdy fork and applied elbow grease to mash up the black beans, and then mix everything together.

Get your clean hands in there and fashion meatballs about 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter, and/or fashion a patty or two. (I got about 16 meatballs and one patty out of this batch.) Place into a warmed skillet coated with oil. (I used garlic olive oil.) Cook them on low-medium heat, turning as necessary. Watch them... you want them browned and warmed through, but not blackened. ;o)

Once they're cooked, pack them into a container, cool and refrigerate. (This helps them "set" or firm up.) When it comes to serving, add them to what you want ~ rice, pasta and sauce, potatoes and veges... whatever you like. Just warm them in the microwave and you have a yummy, healthy, vegan addition to your meal that's loaded with fiber and Omega 3. Enjoy!

Now I'm adding more to this post because I made this a couple more times with adjustments, one of which was to make a meatloaf. The first one was good. The next one was soggy. ;p Never one to be hindered by failure, I tried again, making more adjustments and made some giant meatless meatballs. Here's what I did differently: I left out the sweet potato. It is a nice mix with the black beans, but I find that these vary in moisture and too much moisture is a bad thing for meatless meat. So this time I just drained and rinsed a can of black beans and crushed them with a fork, then added the sauteed chopped onions and portobello mushrooms. Into a food processor I put about 3/4 stalk of celery, 3 carrots and 2 cloves of garlic... whrrrrr. All chopped up, I added these to the mixture. Then I put in a tbsp. each of Tamari sauce, GF Worchestershire sauce, and GF hot sauce. (Read the label on your Tamari to make sure it's wheat free. Apparently there are some misguided brands out there.) Then, to absorb that moisture you need the ground flax seed. You can also add some almond "flour" if you like. I also added a couple tbsp. of raw sunflower seeds put through my grinder, and 3 tbsps. of GF flour, and for good measure, a tbsp. of instant onion soup mix, GF of course. (optional) Salt (in moderation, especially if you use the onion soup mix) and pepper, and just a little (optional) Tex Mex spice (being sure that it is also GF). Once all this was thoroughly mixed and a nice, firm consistency, I made giant meatballs and placed them in a lightly greased muffin tin, baked at 350 for about 45 mins.

My plan was to cool and refrigerate them before use, but as soon as they were cool my daughter and I had to try them. They were so good right out of the oven that we each ate one. :)

Don't be afraid to experiment in search of the texture and flavours that you like best. The worst you can do is fail, and failure is just learning.

Simple Gluten-free, Vegan Pumpkin Bread

So, I've been experimenting a little lately... trying new flours and checking out recipes from some new resources... at least, new to me. I tried a couple of things though that definitely belonged in the FAIL column. I had a container of pureed pumpkin in the fridge I wanted to use up and pondered for a moment, then I rejected the notion of another experiment and decided to keep it basic. A pumpkin bread was called for here. A simple, basic, gluten-free, vegan pumpkin bread.


Here's what I did.

Into a bowl I measured: 1 cup whole bean flour; 1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill All Purpose GF flour; 1/4 cup almond flour; 2 tsp GF baking powder; 1/2 tsp sea salt; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1 and 1/2 tsp cinnamon; 1/2 tsp ginger; about 1/2 cup brown sugar, loose. (You can use another sweetener, but if it's liquid, remember to adjust the liquid ingredients accordingly.)

I stirred up the dry ingredients well, then added: 1 egg replacer; 3/4 cup pureed pumpkin; 3/4 cup organic lemonade. (Yes, you can just use a couple of tbsp fresh lemon juice, either in water, or you can sour the milk of your choice.)

Stir till all the dry ingredients are moistened. Scoop batter into greased loaf pan and bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for roughly 50 minutes. (Ovens may vary.)



No FAIL column in sight here. I wound up with a lovely, moist, spicey pumpkin bread that my daughter, at left buttering a slice, thoroughly enjoyed, as did I, with no butter of course. Makes a great breakfast, as well as a good snack. :)

Enjoy!