Jalapeno, kidney bean and quinoa veggie burger.

I haven't really eaten veggie burgers much since living in the UK, very few restaurants have them on the menu here in Bali and when they do they are usually pretty disappointing. This week I created a mouthwatering recipe from what I had at home on a day when I was unable to drive having put my neck out and so couldn't get to the supermarket. It really was improvising at its best and the end result was marvelous. 

Full of flavor and texture.

As a teenager my mum sometimes used to buy me veggie burgers from the supermarket made from kidney beans, so I knew that would be a good starting point and I always have a tin of these in the cupboard. Although the ones my mum used to buy were quite tasty, I always used to add a spicy sauce as they were a bit bland so I knew I wanted jalapenos in my recipe to bring them to life. Breadcrumbs feature in a lot of burgers, veggie and non-veggie, so I whizzed up some of those in the food processor too. I have been using quinoa quite a lot recently so figured this would work well in the mix too as I've seen a lot of veggie burgers made with brown rice over the years and they are similar. So that was my starting point and the rest was inspired by the contents of my fridge. Give them a try, they really were fantastic and I have already made them again since! I served them with salsa that I'd made the day before and also whipped up a cup of cucumber and mint raita. Yum!

Ingredients

(makes enough for 4- 6 burgers)

Burgers:

1 cup of cooked quinoa (cooked in vegetable stock)

1 tin of kidney beans rinsed and drained

A handful of corriander leaves

1/4 cup of finely diced celery

2-3 small shallots finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic minced

3 tbsps of breadcrumbs

1-2 tbsps of pickled jalapenos (if you don't like spice leave them out) 

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 tsp Tabasco

Seasoning

1 egg whisked

2 tbsp of vegetable oil for frying 

The uncooked burger mix.

To serve:

Enough burger buns for the number of patties you make

Grated carrot

1 tbsp of salsa per bun

Some sprigs of corriander 

A handful of arugula for each bun

2 tbsp of cucumber and mint raita per bun

Arugula, cucumber and mint raita, grated carrot and salsa.

Method 

Put the corriander, celery, shallots, garlic, breadcrumbs, and jalapenos in the food processor and whizz together so that they are mixed and fine. Pour this in a bowl and add the quinoa, kidney beans, mustard, Tabasco, and seasoning and mix by hand. Add one whisked egg and mix. The mixture will be quite gooey so place in the fridge for about one hour.

Once the mixture has chilled form into patties. These will still be quite wet and sticky but don't worry. Heat up a qood non-stick frying pan and add the oil. Add the patties into the oil and turn the heat down to medium. Use a spatula to press the patties down a little. Let them fry for approximatley 2 mins before turning.

Once cooked place on some kitchen towel to absorb excess oil. On the bottom half of a bun put some salsa with grated carrot on top and a few sprigs of corriander. Then place the burger on top of this. On the top half of the bun place some arugula and some of the cucumber and mint raita. Place the top half on the burger. Enjoy the spice of the burger and salsa with the coolness of the raita and the crunchy of the carrot and salad.

The burger crisping up in the frying pan.

Arugula and raita on the top half of the bun and salsa, carrot and corriander on the bottom.

Crispy burger on the bun.

I love a bit of extra raita.

Cheat's raita

Into a few tablespoons of plain yoghurt mix 2 tsp of mint sauce and a couple of tablespoons of diced cucumber.

Pineapple not so fried rice!

Fried rice is made in many countries and it certainly varies from place to place. A Chinese egg fried rice is more oily for example than fried rice in Thailand which is usually more spicy, and both are different from fried rice found here in Indonesia. In fact even within Indonesia you will find different types of fried rice depending which island you are visiting or what region the chef comes from who is making it. It is a real staple in the Indonesian diet and I particularly love Balinese fried rice (or nasi goreng as we call it here) which has lemongrass in the paste.

Jam-packed full of lots of fresh veggies.

Fried rice is a great comfort food and in our household we eat it probably at least once a week as I can pack it full of vegetables and make sure that my husband is getting his veggie quota for the day or even week! I know when you hear the words "fried rice" you think of something greasy and unhealthy, but I can assure you if it was either of those I would not be a fan. My version uses so little oil I probably shouldn't even call it fried. You would put more oil in one serving of salad dressing than is used to make this fried rice to feed four people. The secret is a good non-stick wok or large frying pan!

Pokcoy, beansprouts, grated carrot and sugar snaps.

I love cooking with fruit and I love finding savory recipes to add fruit to, so this week I thought I'd make a pineapple fried rice. I told my husband this and he thought it was a ridiculous idea and would be horrible, but he was wrong, it was fantastic. There were plenty of other vegetables in it but the pineapple worked so well and my husband even went back for seconds! Please give it a go. With or without the pineapple it is still delicious. You can use almost any vegetables (I have tried cooking with nearly every vegetable in fried rice at some pooint), though in the recipe below I have used the vegetables that I think work best together. This is a really easy recipe. More time is spent preparing all the chopped vegetables than actually cooking the rice. I do all the preparation first and the actual cooking takes just a little over five minutes!

Ingredients

For the paste:
Shallots (2-3 small ones)
One red chilli
Tomatoes deseeded (3-4 large ones)
Garlic (2-3 cloves)
One stick of lemongrass ( cut off the woody end)
2 tbsps Kecap manis (sweet thick soy sauce) 

For the fried rice:
1tbsp of vegetable oil
2 eggs (whicked and seasoned)
Half an onion diced
One or two cloves of garlic minced
A cup of diced peppers (I use a mix of red, yellow and green peppers)
Half a cup of diced courgette
Half a cup of pokcoy chopped
Half a cup of beansprouts
Half a cup of grated carrot
Half a cup of sugar snaps
Half a cup of chopped pineapple
2-3tbsps of the paste above
3 cups of cooled cooked rice (ideally cooked the day before and kept in the fridge overnight) 

Scrambled egg.

Chopped courgette.

Colorful juicy peppers.

Chopped fresh pineapple.

Method 

Blend all the ingredients for the paste together in a small food processor or with a stick blender. Set aside to use later. If you make extra it can be stored for about a week in a sealed container in the fridge.

In a good large non-stick wok or frying pan heat a small amount of the oil and then scramble the eggs. Once these are done remove from the pan and set aside. Add the rest of the oil to the pan and once hot add the onion, garlic, peppers and courgette and stir fry until tender. Then reduce the heat to medium and add the rice and heat through making sure there are no big lumps of rice. Add 2-3tbsps of the paste and mix so the paste rubs onto the grains of rice, coating it and making it brown on the outside. Keep stirring until all the rice is coated. Then add all the pokcoy, carrot, beansprouts, sugar snaps and pineapple. Don't stir constantly, just every 20 seconds or so. Once all the vegetables are tender add the egg back into the pan and mix and heat it through. I don't cook with salt usually, but if you do this would be the time to taste and season. (I usually add some freshly ground black pepper on my plate). Once everything is hot and tender it is done.

Everything in the pan.

Serve with a leafy green salad and garlic bread or as we did this week with some crispy prawns :)

Fried rice a crispy prawns.

Selamat makan! (Enjoy your meal!)

 

Tapenade to tantalize your taste buds!

When I offer tapenade to people most of the time they ask me what it is. I instantly feel sorry for their taste buds for having gone through life without having met this delicious olive spread before. It comes from Provence and usually consists of pureed or finely chopped olives, capers, anchovies and olive oil.

Tasty green Spanish olives.

I have been making my own vegetarian versions of this spread since I was a student. I used to treat myself occasionally to a small pot of black olive or green olive tapenade from the luxury range at a local supermarket. One little pot would bring me so much pleasure, it really packs a punch and I would enjoy it on toasted granary bread or in sandwiches (especially good with mature cheddar and crispy salad leaves). To this day one of my favorite meals is a big bowl of home-made soup served with crusty bread, a nice sharp cheese and tapenade. 

Lime brings this recipe to life.

One day when the supermarket didn’t have any jars in stock I thought I’d make my own. I didn’t look up a recipe as I’d read the ingredients list on the jar enough times so thought I’d improvise. It turned out great and I’ve been making my own ever since. It is super easy and quick to make, you don’t really need to measure anything and you can add more or less of things to taste. I am always experimenting with slightly different flavor combinations and they nearly always work and I usually have the ingredients needed to whip up a batch in the fridge. 

Shallots add flavor and crunch.

 

Yesterday I had a few moments to spare so whipped up a batch of one of my favorite tapenades before lunch. I have some great half pint mason jars so I usually make enough to fill one and it keeps in the fridge for at least a week in these. Believe me you have to try this. Friends are always asking me where I’ve bought it when they eat it at my house and are amazed when I tell them how easy it is to make.

Freshly minced garlic.

Ingredients

Green olives (approximately 200g)

A couple of cloves of garlic (peeled and minced)

1 large red chilli (deseeded)

2-3 shallots

Juice of one small lime or half a large one

Some fresh parsley and fresh coriander

A couple of glugs of a good olive oil

Seasoning to taste

Chuck everything in the food processor at once.

I like my tapenade coarsely chopped.

 

Method

Throw everything into a food processor and blend until it ‘s all coarsely chopped or place in a bowl and use a hand held stick blender. Taste and if you want to add a bit more of anything do so now. Transfer to an air-tight container and store in the fridge. If you’re anything like me half of it will have been eaten before it makes it to the fridge!

Can't resist a bite!

I usually squeeze a bit more lime on the tapenade when I spread it on bread or toast.

  

Enjoy!

 “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” -Virginia Woolf

Quinoa, feta and garlic salad.....my new addiction!

Quinoa is the ONLY plant food that contains ALL 10 essential amino acids for the human diet. It's protein content surpasses that of wheat, rice, maize and oats and a substitute for animal protein. If these are not reason enough to rush out and buy some then I hope my salad is!

Quinoa grain after cooking in vegetable stock.

Quinoa probably only really made an appearance here in Bali last year. I have very much enjoyed eating it on my visits to many of the healthy cafes around the island but have only recently tried cooking it at home. It is delicious, and with a nutty flavor it complements so many other ingredients. Each place I have eaten it at has found a different flavor combination to serve it with and let me tell you that this salad that I conjured up one night this week when Agung was busy working late and I fancied a hearty tasty salad for dinner, has become my new addiction! I have made it twice since!

Quinoa, feta, and garlic hearty salad.

Quinoa, feta, and garlic salad 

Ingredients
1/3 of a cup of uncooked quinoa per person
1 cup of vegetable stock per person
A couple of handfuls of salad leaves per person (I used frisee, radicchio and romaine lettuce leaves) roughly torn or chopped
2-3 plum cherry tomatoes per person quartered lengthways
2 sundried tomatoes per person chopped into strips
1 minced clove of garlic per person
Feta cheese crumbled (as much or little as you like)
Fresh basil leaves shredded 
Olive oil for cooking
Mustard vinaigrette (olive oil, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper)
Salt and pepper for seasoning 

Some of the fresh ingredients: sundried tomatoes, crumbled feta cheese, basil leaves, plum cherry tomatoes. 

Crispy, fresh salad leaves. I used frisee, radicchio and romaine.

Method
1. Wash the quinoa grain then toast it in a little olive oil in a sauce pan. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a rapid boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-15 mins until the stock is absorbed. Once cooked fluff the grain with a fork. Set aside.
2. In a bowl combine the feta, sundried tomatoes, plum cherry tomatoes, basil, quinoa, minced garlic and vinagrette (as much or as little vinaigrette as you like, I like quite a lot!). Season to taste.
3. Combine with the salad leaves of your choice.
4. Serve and enjoy! I love it with some crusty bread for a hearty lunch. 

The finished salad with crunchy French bread.

I hope you love the combination of garlic and basil, with the nuttiness of the quinoa and the creaminess of the feta as much as me!

Tuck in!