Lisa's Culinary Atrocities

     One of my recent grand ideas is to take Robert’s recipes and make waffles out of them, not only for fun, but as a creative way to combine our different styles.  He recently made his über delicious Black Beans Mole and there were magical leftovers, soooo woo-hoo…waffle potential numero uno!  I decided to try two different ways, being a researcher and all: waffling his incredible concoction and making waffles from a Black Bean Patties recipe I found online with a few modifications.

I honestly am not being biased here when I say that Robert & Lisa’s Black Bean Mole Waffles collaboration was far superior to the Black Bean Patties version.  The latter was simply not moist enough.  Perhaps if I add the egg to the mixture like I did with my Chickpea and Quinoa Waffles, it would be much better.  The Mole version was intensely flavorful, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, much like a perfect black bean burrito, sans the tortilla.  The chocolate in the mole, paired with the cinnamon, oregano and chili powder is an outstanding combination of flavors, especially with the earthy black beans. In other words, a deeply exotic Mexican waffle.

Paired with a Malbec and mixed green salad with lightly baked green onion leaves…süper num.  Will definitely make this again…

Black Beans Mole

• 4 cups Cooked black beans
• 1/4 cups almonds, ground to fine meal
• 1/4 Tbs. ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoons dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoons oil
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

Combine cinnamon, oregano, and the chili powder. and set aside. Saute onion in oil until translucent. Add garlic, saute 30 seconds.  Add the spice mixture and saute 30 seconds. Add the tomato sauce, cocoa powder, and almond meal. Cook 5 minutes. Return to skillet and add the beans. Cook 10 minutes

Black Bean Waffles

• 2 tablespoons oil, plus more for frying
• 1 small diced onion
• 1 large minced garlic clove
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon chipotle
• Two 15-ounce cans or 2 cups freshly cooked black beans
• 1 1/4 cups panko
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/3 cup all-purpose gluten free flour
• 2 large beaten eggs
• Sharp white cheddar cheese, green onions and chipotle salsa for serving.

In a medium skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderate heat just until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the cumin and chipotle and cook until just translucent. Scrape the onion mixture into the bowl of a food processor. Add 1 1/2 cups of the beans and pulse until the mixture is finely chopped but not smooth. Scrape the mixture into a medium bowl. Mix in the remaining whole beans and 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs and season with salt and pepper. Form the mixture into patties, about 1/2-3/4 inch thick.  Put the flour, beaten eggs and the remaining 3/4 cup of bread crumbs into 3 shallow bowls. Dust each black bean cake with the flour, tapping off the excess. Dip the cakes in the egg and then in the bread crumbs, pressing so that the bread crumbs adhere.  In lightly oiled waffle iron, add the cakes and waffle until crisp and golden brown. Top with sharp white cheddar, chipotle salsa and green onions.

Serves 4.

Black Beans Mole Waffles

Take recipe above for Black Beans Mole. With 2 cups of mixture, add 3/4 cups of panko and fold until just combined.  Form into patties, dip in flour, egg and remaining panko, and place in waffle iron.  Press lid closed and cook until crispy and golden brown. Top with sharp white cheddar, chipotle salsa and green onions.  Masticate.

     I got super creative this week in my Waffle Lab.  It is so very nice to not only have time to play around in the kitchen, but also be rewarded with massive nummy noises from a Chef!

We had some leftovers in the refrigerator that needed to be eaten before the holiday so I had to get creative.  I tried a few different things and came up with something I really am proud of, if I may be so bold! I will also add here that this is my first real recipe, as opposed to editing an already existing one to fit me, birthed from my own noggin and inspired by what was available and my surroundings.  Did I mention how much fun this was? It was FUN.

I decided to make some quinoa and process it up chunky-wise with leftover chickpeas.  I knew from my fawaffle experience the importance of moisture, so I added some egg, flour, salt, Vegenaise and garlic.  If you’re vegan you can use egg replacer; I am sure that would work just fine. I made a ball of the mixture and rolled it in a combination of panko and black & white sesame seeds.

Considering my latest disaster in the waffle iron, I first tried using my pancake/waffle pan to see if that would work. 

It did work but it wasn’t quite crunchy enough so I held my breath and put a little of the mixture in my iron and Voila!  Perfect crunch and texture…and it’s purty.

For the lentils, I sauteed onion and garlic in peanut oil, then added a little vegetable broth.  When the broth cooked most of the way down and the onions were translucent I added the cooked lentils and a generous amount of berbere that I made for my Ethiopian escapade, then added a handful of spinach and let it wilt.  I topped the waffles with toasted sesame oil and the lentil/spinach mixture and Shazam!  The texture of the waffles were almost potato/quiche like and the exotic bite of the berbere in the lentils contrasted beautifully with the garlicky crunch of the waffles. Robert was very impressed, and THIS makes me happy.  Success!

Chickpea & Quinoa Waffles

   * 2 cups cooked chickpeas
   * 2 cups cooked quinoa
   * 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
   * 2-3 cloves minced garlic
   * 1 teaspoon sea salt
   * 3 teaspoons Vegenaise
   * 3 eggs
   * panko
   * black and white sesame seeds
   * toasted sesame oil

In a food processor coarsely combine chickpeas, quinoa, flour, garlic, salt and Vegenaise.  Transfer to a bowl, add the egg, and fold till mixed.  Roll a ball of the mixture in the panko/sesame seeds and place on lightly oiled waffle iron.  Cook until just browned.  Top with toasted sesame oil just before serving.

Berbere Spiced Lentils & Spinach

   * 2 cups chopped onion
   * 5 cloves minced garlic
   * 1/3 cup vegetable broth
   * 2 cups cooked lentils
   * 5 cloves minced garlic
   * 2 tablespoons berbere
   * 2 cups fresh spinach
   * peanut oil

In heavy skillet, heat peanut oil on medium to medium high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until translucent, occasionally adding the vegetable broth.  Add the cooked lentils and berbere and cook until combined.  Add the spinach to the top and cover with a lid until the spinach starts to wilt.  Sir occasionally for about 5 minutes or until spinach is wilted and bright green.

Perfect Quinoa

Soak quinoa for at least 1/2 hr before cooking to remove saponin.  Cook 7-11 minutes depending on stove, using a ratio of 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water or broth.  After cooking, cover and let sit to fully absorb liquid.

Berbere Spice

   * 1 teaspoon ginger
   * 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
   * 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
   * 1 teaspoon ground fenugreek
   * 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
   * 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
   * 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
   * 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
   * 2 tablespoons finely chopped onions
   * 1 tablespoon minced garlic
   * 2 tablespoons salt
   * 2 cup paprika
   * 2 tablespoons ground cayenne pepper
   * 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
   * 1-1/2 cup water (if you want to make paste)

In a heavy skillet toast the dried spices for a few minutes over medium heat, stirring continuously to avoid scorching.  Remove from heat and allow to cool. If making dry berbere powder: grind the mixture in a spice grinder or blender, or use a mortar and pestle. Store the berbere powder in a tightly sealed container. If making berbere paste: combine the toasted spices with the water and grind together in a blender or with a mortar and pestle.  Store the berbere paste in a tightly sealed container.

     I am still perfecting my french toast waffles.  This time I made two kinds: the typical cinnamon and one with orange blossom water, both made with thick cut sheepherders bread.  Now that I have a taste tester, I will be more apt to try even more new things, plus, how tasty does orange blossom water sound?!

My typical recipe is 4 eggs : 2/3 cup liquid.  This time I used 1/2 hemp milk and 1/2 almond and cashew cream.  The cream makes it nice and thick, and the flavors of cashew, almond and hemp add a very nice nutty flavor.  In one bowl I added a splorg (yes, a splorg) of cinnamon, and the other I added a number of tablespoons of orange blossom water.  Sorry I am not being more precise here….it was a test.

The consensus was that the the orange blossom water version was quite delicious, but very subtle.  Perhaps I will try this again, but add an orange garnish, or even a glass or OJ to amp up the flavor. I don’t want to overwhelm the subtlety though, so maybe a different bread, or a complimentary flavor will be in order. Research will ensue.

The cinnamon was decidedly better, so that’s what was made.  Paired with Earth Balance Butter and boiled eggs with choice of mustard or cumin salt made the meal perfect….OH…and delicious coffee from our new coffee maker!!

Yeah.  I waffled me up some cinnamon rolls, threw some Earth Balance butter & cinnamon on em, and ate ‘em up. 

Leaving for Monterey/Carmel, CA on Wednesday!  Will be attending the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion & Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, then driving to Sonoma, Napa…Mendocino, up the coast and through Oregon’s Willamette Valley.  So. Very. Excited.  Will try very hard to post the delicious foodiness that will arise.  :)

What a great release from the conference last week.  Whew!

Williams Sonoma has some pretty spectacular frozen croissants, so when I discovered that the same Master Pastry Chef, Jean-Yves Charon, Founder of Galaxy Desserts in Richmond, CA, also makes Trader Joe’s mini croissants, I was more than thrilled!  Pay $39.95/24 or $3.75/8 for the SAME THING?

Being the waffle-loving person that I am, I also had to try to waffle a few.  After letting the dough proof overnight I gently unrolled a couple of the adorable croissants and added blueberries, then let sit for another hour or so to further proof.

I set them in the waffle iron for about 3-4 minutes and they came out perfectly steamy, flaky, buttery and abso-friggin-lutely delicious.

I also tried one without the blueberries inside:

And lastly, in the oven:

I cannot recommend these enough.  They are the perfect size, decadent, inexpensive, incredibly tasty, and easy easy easy.

…topped with kalamata olive oil, kale, avocado, chili and Asiago.

SO simple:

-Trader Joe’s Cornbread Mix

-make like a normal ol’ waffle in your spiffy waffle maker

-top with desired ingredients

-consume

-nap

-repeat

I discovered “The Cravings Place” brand gluten/wheat/nut/egg/dairy free mixes and they are really really wonderful.

Using their “All Purpose Pancake & Waffle mix”, make the waffle batter by adding to the mix coconut oil, baked sweet potato, a little pumpkin spice and soy milk until the desired consistency/flavor.

The tofu I used was pre-seasoned and really quite amazing as far as pre-seasoned tofu goes (I usually prefer to make my own). The brand is “Soy Deli” organic, baked, savory flavor. Slice and warm in the oven. I also like to make tofu ‘croutons’ with this tofu by cubing and baking until crisp on the outside…Yum!!

On the side: lightly steamed Italian kale sprinkled with a lightly salted nutritional yeast, garlic and garam masala.

Add some shaved Asiago and your favorite olive oil…and viola!

This is really very simple and delicious. The olive oil is imperative as to help with the breadiness of the Belgian waffle. The slight sweetness of the waffle paired with the bitter/sweetness of the kale and the savory of the tofu was a realllly lovely combination. Even the tomato garnish paired well!

Waffled Vegetable Samosas from Trader Joe’s—spicy, crispy and mighty tasty.

Ooooh doggie I made some good vegetable soup. Really and truly—I’m not just tooting my own soup-horn.  My recipe was adapted from this recipe from the Food Network.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups chopped leeks
• 2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
• Sea salt
• 2 cups chopped carrots
• 2 cups quartered small yellow potatoes
• 2 cups fresh green beans, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 2 quarts vegetable broth
• 4 cups halved cherry tomatoes
• 2 ears corn, kernels removed
• 1/4 cup packed, chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 2-4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (to taste—I like more)

Directions

Heat the olive oil in large, heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the leeks and garlic, and cook until they begin to soften, approximately 7 to 8 minutes.  Meanwhile, steam the carrots, potatoes and green beans until just soft enough to stick a fork in half way—about 10 minutes)

Add the stock and steamed vegetables to the pot and increase the heat to high. Once simmering, add the cherry tomatoes and corn kernels. Reduce the heat to med-low, cover, and cook until the vegetables are fork tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and add the parsley and lemon juice.  Season, to taste, with sea salt and more lemon juice.

Brush olive oil on sliced par-baked chiabatta bread and toast in waffle iron.

Consume.

What more is there to say?