Making Friends with Veggie Burgers

Recipe
Red Lentil Chickpea Burgers with Peanut Sauce

We try to follow a relatively flexitarian diet in our house - meaning we don't eat meat with every - even most - meals. It's a choice we've made for financial, environmental, and ethical reasons...and having several vegetarians in our lives that often eat meals with us hasn't hurt, either. The biggest reason we often eat meatless meals, though, is simply because there are so many delicious vegetarian recipes that have become our favorites. The veggie burger - that quintessential veg-friendly offering at many bars and burger joints - has not generally been one of my favorite entrees. Although the concept is great, I rarely meet a veggie burger that I like: they are too often tasteless, dry, and crumbly. Determined to find something palatable, I've been experimenting with recipes at home...and after running the gamut of veggie burger options, I've finally found one that I'm excited about:

And here it is. The base of these burgers is a combination of red lentils (which are wonderful all on their own) and chickpeas, which add extra substance and bulk. Add a few spices, vegetables, and some bread crumbs to hold everything together, and you've got yourself one decent veggie burger. Notice I said decent. These burgers aren't bad on their own, but what really makes them something special is the tangy, slightly spicy peanut sauce that accompanies them. A basic Asian-inspired peanut sauce, it's whipped up in a blender and ready to go in less than a minute - and we wouldn't love these burgers so much without it.

While the sauce is quick to put together, the burgers themselves are a little tedious - particularly because they have to chill before they are cooked. Luckily, they keep (and freeze) well, so the easiest way to enjoy these is to make a big batch when you've got some time, form them into patties, and keep them in the freezer the same way you would those pre-packaged Boca burgers - just take out a couple at a time when you're ready to cook them. We usually eat ours over brown rice, but they're great wrapped in pitas, too. They're healthy, filling, and tasty, but the best part? I can finally call the veggie burger my friend - my work on this front is complete.

Want more veg-friendly fare? Try a Rice Omelette or Chipotle Macaroni and Cheese.

Finishing the Year with a Familiar Favorite

Recipe

Rice Krispie Bars

Everyone loves Rice Krispie bars, right? And most everyone has a unique way that they prefer them...with chocolate chips, with peanut butter, with frosting on top...I even know someone who prefers the packaged Rice Krispie Treats you can buy at the store to homemade ones (which I don't quite understand, but to each their own). Personally, I like them best pure and unadulterated - and if we're getting really picky, I like to call them "bars" and not "treats". I make them the way my mom made them when I was little: with considerably more butter, marshmallows, and Rice Krispies per pan than the recipe printed on the back of the cereal box calls for. The result is (I think) more chewy and satisfying than the standard Rice Krispie bar, and it's a dessert that pleases friends and families just as much as some of the fancier desserts I make. If I'm making them for my sister or other vegetarians in my life, I'm careful to use marshmallows that are free of animal byproducts - I find them at my local co-op.

I won't go into another long soliloquy about why I've been away from my blog for so long - my first semester of graduate school has definitely taken its toll on other areas of my life. Know that you have been missed, blog readers, and I'm excited to make blogging a more regular priority in 2010. Happy (almost) New Year!

Searching for other easy dessert recipes? Try a Chocolate Deli Cake or Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies.

The Fast and the Fabulous

Crustless Spinach and Turkey Quiche

I've been on the lookout lately for meals that can be prepared quickly with relatively little fuss (I haven't made a dish that requires more than 45 minutes in the kitchen from start to finish in months), and that reheat well, so we have quick, grab-and-go meals to turn to throughout the week. Quiches of all sorts are great for this: they come together fast, lend themselves to endless variations, and make excellent leftovers. If it's a crustless quiche, all the better - who has time to fuss with a crust? Versions of this spinach and turkey quiche grace our dinner table regularly - and also show up often in my lunch bag at work. Sometimes I follow the recipe exactly (it's excellent as is), sometimes I omit the turkey to make it vegetarian-friendly, sometimes I toss more vegetables in or vary the types of cheese...as long as I stick to the egg-liquid-flour ratio, it turns out fabulous every time. Fabulous and fast - these days, that's my kitchen mantra.

On to other business: how about a giveaway? This one is relevant for my Twin Cities readers only: I sell Blue Sky Guides as a fundraiser for my early childhood center every fall, and I hung on to an extra one this year for Cooking in Cathedral Hill. For those of you who are unfamiliar, it's a coupon book full of discounts on local, sustainable businesses. I use it mostly for the grocery coupons - many of my favorite stores are featured (Whole Foods and Mississippi Market, for example), as well as some of my favorite brands (Organic Valley, Peace Coffee, etc.). There are also great coupons for local restaurants, activities, and other Twin Cities businesses. If you don't have one yet and you live in the area, I promise you'll love it. If you already have one (and if you know me personally, you may have purchased one from me - thank you!), maybe you know someone who would like one as a holiday gift. Either way, if you're interested in a free thank-you gift for reading my blog, let me know by leaving a comment on this post (or send me an email, if you're more comfortable with that). Nothing fancy - just say hello and let me know you're out there! I'll select a winner at random next Sunday, November 8, and contact him or her so I can ship out the Blue Sky Guide. To my beloved, non-local readers - have no fear! I've been collecting cookbooks for giveaways and I'll be sure to include everyone next time around.

Happy November, everyone!

Looking for other ways to use up a dozen eggs? Rice Omelette and Custardy Popovers.

Bringing Root Beer Aficionados to Their Knees

Recipe

Root Beer Chocolate Bundt Cake

Root beer has such a strong, distinct flavor that I think it's usually one of those things you either love or you hate...I fall squarely into the former category. I don't drink any other soda, but if I'm offered a frosty mug of root beer, I definitely won't turn it down. Root beer floats? Best thing ever! Root beer barrels? Fabulous! Root beer chocolate bundt cake?! Swoon.

Root beer and deep, dark chocolate is not a flavor combination I had considered prior to making this cake, but let me tell you, it's pretty darn amazing. You have a few options when making this: you can make the cake with straight root beer, and it will come out with a subtle root beer taste in the background. Alternatively, you can substitute 1/2 cup of Root Beer Schnapps for some of the root beer in the recipe, and the root beer flavor in the cake will be much more pronounced. If children will be eating your cake, you'll probably want to stick with the plain root beer. However, if you're making this for a group of adults and you're thinking you don't want to go to the trouble of buying Root Beer Schnapps just for this recipe (as I thought myself), it's worth the trip to the liquor store. Even if you have no other use for the Schnapps, it keeps forever and I'm pretty confident you'll want to use it when you make this cake again...and again. Your second option is to sprinkle a little sea salt over the top after frosting the cake...or not. I love salt, and thought it accented the chocolate and root beer flavors wonderfully, but if this doesn't appeal to you, it's certainly not necessary. Lastly, your third decision is whether or not to serve this cake with vanilla ice cream, for a pseudo-root beer float experience. But let's be serious here: this is not much of a decision, is it? Break out the ice cream, my friends - you'll have deep, long-lasting regrets if you don't.

Interested in other unique flavor combinations? Bacon-Wrapped Dates and Double Chocolate Cherry Cookies (with wine!).

I'm Back!

Recipe

Zucchini Pie

It's been a long summer away from my lovely friends in the blogging world...and a busy one! We're all settled in to our new home, and have started the many renovations we have planned (I see many long years of remodeling in my future!). In addition to all the hustle and bustle that comes with moving, I applied for grad school over the summer, and started my classes last week. There's definitely been a lot going on in my little part of Cathedral Hill, but I'm anxious to get back to cooking and writing about food, so here we go!

It's still quite warm here in Minnesota, and I'm seeing lots of zucchini at the farmer's market and my friends' gardens. If you've got zucchini you're looking to use up, this recipe for zucchini pie might fit the bill. I've been making it a couple times every summer for the last few years - I love it because it highlights two of my favorite late summer ingredients: zucchini and basil. Somewhat quiche-like in texture (but a little less eggy and minus the crust), this pie makes a great main course served with a salad for a light meal, but it's equally delicious as a side dish or as part of a breakfast or brunch. Really simple to throw together (just toss everything in a bowl and stir), this was one of the first things I made when we got our kitchen up and running in our new house. Try it soon before the zucchini crop peters out for the year...I promise you'll be glad you did!

Looking for more zucchini? Zucchini Spice Cake and Balsamic Zucchini.

A Summer Hiatus

I owe my sincerest apologies to all of you, lovely readers, for the extended gap in my posting the last couple months. Dariush and I have been going through the process of purchasing a home, and the process turned out to be much longer and more involved than we had anticipated...and my precious blog has taken a backseat while we sorted everything out. Happily, the house is now ours (and in the same neighborhood, so I can still "cook in Cathedral Hill!). Unhappily (for my personal comfort and for the sake of this blog), this house needs a quite a bit of love and will require a great deal of attention from both Dariush and me this summer. Suffice it to say, there will not be much cooking happening in our new Cathedral Hill kitchen for the next couple of months.

One of the biggest reasons we fell in love with this house, however, was the beautiful, expansive kitchen (complete with a fireplace...in the kitchen! I can hardly believe it!), and I am anxious to get back to my regular cooking (and blogging) schedule this fall. So, Cooking in Cathedral Hill will return to its regularly scheduled programming at the beginning of September.

I appreciate the emails and comments I've received from friends, family, and strangers who are still interested in my blog, and those of you who keep checking back from time to time. Please know how much I miss this space and how anxious I am for my home life to settle down a bit so I can get back to writing here. To show you just how much I appreciate all of you, dear readers, I thought this would be a good time to offer the first ever Cooking in Cathedral Hill giveaway! I have a copy of one of my favorite cookbooks, Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann (slow cooker meals really come in handy, especially when you have a barely-functioning kitchen) to pop in the mail to one of my loyal readers. Leave me a comment below, or send me a private email if you prefer - just something to let me know you're still here after my absence. (make sure to leave me an email address to contact you if you win, of course). I'll select the winner at random next Thursday, July 16, and contact that person to get their mailing address.

I hope everyone is having an absolutely wonderful summer, and I'll see you all in September!

- Elisabeth

Embracing Spring

Recipe

Citrus Herb Salmon

Spring signals a return to light, bright flavors with lots of color after the heavy, heartier dishes of winter. This salmon is the perfect meal with which to embrace spring: infused with the warm weather aromas of citrus and fresh green herbs, it's a light, healthy meal that won't send you into a food-induced coma - instead it may inspire you to get outside and enjoy the spring air! The dish is ridiculously simple to put together: salmon fillets are sprinkled with lemon and orange zest, then decked with sprigs of fresh oregano, thyme, tarragon, and chives, and finally, layered with thin slices of lemon and wrapped in foil. The result is a stunning presentation for minimal effort (no tedious chopping of the herbs, just a few quick passes across the grater for zest) with a delicate, tangy bite. Thank goodness for spring!

Last year at this time...Jerk Turkey Slow Cooker Soup and Two Layer Key Lime Pie.