“They say that blood is thicker than water, but maple syrup is thicker than blood. Therefore my loyalties lie with pancakes.”
Abigail Pamela Taylor
I’m inclined to agree with Abigail, though maple syrup also makes great cupcake batter AND frosting!
Here’s what you’ll need for the cupcakes:
6 tbsp of butter, softened
1/12 cup of flour
3/4 cup of sugar
2 eggs, separated
1/4 cup of sour cream
1/2 + 2 tbsp of milk
2 tsp of maple extract
1 tsp of baking soda
1/4 tsp of salt
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Separate your egg whites from your yolks and mix the yolks with sugar and butter in a stand mixer. (Hand mixing not recommended.) Add milk, sour cream, baking soda and salt to the mixing bowl all at once and mix at medium speed. Add flour slowly in as you mix and fold the egg whites after most of the flour has been mixed in. With a spoon, scoop the cupcake mix into your tin or a silicone cupcake mold and bake for between 12-15 minutes.
While those maple joys are baking, why not get to work on the better part of the cupcake duo, the frosting?
Here’s what you’ll need:
4 cups of Powdered Sugar
2 tsp of maple extract
2 sticks of butter
1-2 milk
Combine all the ingredients into a the stand mixer and churn at low speed until smooth.
From here, it’s all what you want to make of it with frosting the cupcakes.
Be sure to show us your pictures on Instagram with #CanIGetaRamen
We are going to keep these “five days of” posts short and sweet, and get right to the recipe. All I’m going to say about these is that they are dangerously delicious. Keep them in a container with lid, or you may find yourself popping one in your mouth every time you walk past them. Here’s the recipe:
For the cupcakes:
2 cups of flour
2 cups of sugar
1 can of organic pumpkin
3 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 Cup of milk, + 1 tsp. vinegar
Mix sugar, eggs, and butter in stand mixer, scraping downs sides, often. Add pumpkin, mix well. Next, add dry ingredients, including spices and run mixer on medium speed until well combined. Spoon batter into silicone cup cake molds, and bake at 350, for 12-15 minutes.
For the frosting:
5 cups of confectionery sugar
1/2 cup of butter, (we replaced half with plant butter, but you can use real butter if you are not watching cholesterol.)
2 tsp. vanilla
1 PKG. of softened Greek yogurt cream cheese
Add butter to mixer, with cream cheese mix well until smooth, add vanilla next, and lastly add confectionery sugar. Mix until smooth, then pipe or smooth onto cooled cupcakes.
Show us your finished cupcakes on Instagram, using #canigetaramen, or find us on FB and Pinterest.
We had our first snow fall today. I’ve been dreading it since the weather turned cooler in October, but it, actually, was quite beautiful. I really miss the Florida sunshine, but it was a great day to stay in, do some baking, and of course, throw together a large pot of soup. So, that’s what we did. I wanted to use what was lying around, and I noticed earlier today that we had a plethora of potatoes, and a couple salmon fillets in the freezer, so we pulled out some dill, onion and garlic, a can of evaporated milk, and within 35 minutes had an simple, tasty dinner, with minimal effort. On a day like today, I can’t think of anything better. Unless you’re counting the Florida sunshine. I’m trying not to. Meanwhile, in the interest of keeping things on the minimal side, I’ll get right to it. Here’s what you’ll need:
Around 8 large potatoes
2 Salmon fillets
1 can of evaporated milk
6 cups of veggie stock
Fresh or dried dill, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
Broccoli
Carrots
1 onion chopped fine
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp cornstarch
Add chopped onion and garlic, broccoli and carrots to large pot, cook until tender, then add vegetable stock. Chop potatoes, and add to broth. Add dill, then salmon. Cook thoroughly until salmon is done, then add the can of evaporated milk, reserving a couple inches to mix with cornstarch. Add cornstarch, milk mixture and continue cooking until thickened. Ladle into bowl and top with more dill.
Give this soup a try, on a cold winter evening, and let us know what you think in the comments. You can also #canigetaramen on insta. Thanks for reading!
It’s that time of year. Cans of pumpkin towering in the aisles, bags of stuffing mix piled high, stacks of cranberry sauce looming overhead. That’s right, it’s November. Turkey time!
It’s that time of year. Cans of pumpkin towering in the aisles, bags of stuffing mix piled high, stacks of cranberry sauce looming overhead. That’s right, it’s November. Turkey time! Immediately following Halloween, you are bombarded with Thanksgiving messaging. The reason for this, is, that it works! I doubt that I am the only one who falls for this marketing ploy every. single. year. I will undoubtedly purchase an early November turkey, and cook it by the second week of November, just in time to ruin my Thanksgiving appetite. This year, though, I’ve wised up. Instead of buying the tubby turkey, I have, instead, chosen to purchase a tiny little turkey tenderloin for a small taste of Thanksgiving, in sandwich form, that will preserve my hankering for turkey until turkey day. My favorite parts of Thanksgiving dinner, are, certainly, the turkey, the greens, sweet potatoes with browned butter sauce and sage. Additionally, I love to try a new stuffing recipe every year. Since those were the things I was craving most, I decided to make them into a simple sandwich. Problem solved. If you are of a similar mindset, and want to try this sandwich, here’s what you’ll need:
Ciabatta Rolls
1 turkey tenderloin. Roast in oven for specified time, ours took around 1 hr, 15 minutes
1 can of sweet potato puree,
1 stick butter, I used avocado plant butter, my new, cholesterol free, butter of choice
1/2 an onion sliced thin
a sprig of fresh sage
1 bag of Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix, I chose, Onion and Sage,
Some kind of stock, it calls for chicken, but I used vegetable instead.
Greens, I used spinach.
First, roast turkey tenderloin, according to package directions. Then slice for sandwiches. Prepare stuffing mix, adding 2 cups of stock of choice, add 4 tbsp of melted butter, toss in some extra sage and either bake in oven for 20 minutes, or toss in microwave for 2 minutes, to heat thoroughly. Next, brown butter in small saucepan. Remove from heat, and let cool a bit. Slowly add sweet potato puree, and mix well, let simmer for about 10 minutes, making sure to stir often, to avoid sticking, or burning. Gather sandwich ingredients, on a clean work surface, and begin to assemble sandwich, topping first with turkey, adding stuffing , greens, and onion slice. Spread sweet potato sauce on sandwich lid, place on top and secure lid with toothpick. Bake in 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. Top toothpick with cranberries, if that’s your thing (it is ours), and enjoy!
So tell us, are you prone to spoiling your Thanksgiving too? If so, how do you head off, early November cravings? Share with us in the comments, or post to insta, don’t forget to #canigetaramen.
It’s pouring down rain, today. It shows no signs of stopping in time for trick or treating, tonight, with a 90 percent chance of rain, in the forecast. Of course, the small one is disappointed. I hate it when kids are disappointed. I’m scouring my cupboards, looking for ways to salvage this drowned out Halloween, for the kiddos, with a last minute party. It’s the end of the week, and I really don’t want to go out in this downpour for supplies. I have the youngest one sitting down watching “The nightmare Before Christmas”, so I can scope out my kitchen for solutions.
It’s pouring down rain, today. It shows no signs of stopping in time for trick or treating, tonight, with a 90 percent chance of rain, in the forecast. Of course, the small one is disappointed. I hate it when kids are disappointed. I’m scouring my cupboards, looking for ways to salvage this drowned out Halloween, for the kiddos, with a last minute party. It’s the end of the week, and I really don’t want to go out in this downpour for supplies. I have the youngest one sitting down watching “The nightmare Before Christmas”, so I can scope out my kitchen for solutions. Next, I’m heading to Pinterest to find some easy decorations to diy for the indoors. This would be so much easier if I had already decorated my house for Halloween, but we don’t get trick or treaters out here, so I didn’t even bother. (Regrets.) Of course, we still buy the candy for the older boys, and us.
From what I can tell, without a trip to the store, I can make cupcakes, apple filled donuts, and maple almond popcorn . I have extra apples on hand for snacking, and everything I need to make mini pizzas. And maybe some fries. I can work with this. Next, we’ll have the boys choose some movies and music and we’re good to go. When I say “party”, I am not talking about an, impress the neighbors, invite everyone over, kind of party, but “Oh, crap, Halloween’s cancelled, now what?” kind of party.
First step, cake mix. Follow instructions on the box. Bake, then let cool.
Next, Pick your icing color, we went with purple. All I had on hand, in the red and blue families, was burgundy and teal. I mixed them together, and hoped for an acceptable purple.
I had a bit of fondant, lying around, from other cake decorating endeavors, so I used that, and a few fondant sculpting tools, to form these raven skulls, to top the cupcakes with. Here is the finished result:
Not perfect, but for a last minute cupcake, not bad?
Next, I’m going to make apple filled donuts. This, I’m getting the boys involved in, because they’ve skated out of most of the work; and I still have a lot to do before I’m done. I’m getting one to cube the apples, very small, and one to prep the canned biscuits, for the apple filled donuts. I will get the oil heating, and make apple filling myself. The small fry can mix up the cinnamon sugar to roll them in. We should have this done in just a few minutes.
Apple Filled donuts:
First, grab a can of biscuit dough, heat oil in small pan, for frying. Fry biscuits, a couple at a time, turning over often to make sure they don’t burn, but still get cook all the way through. To be honest, every time I make donuts from biscuit dough, I struggle to get the middle done before the outside gets too brown. The only time I don’t have this issue is over a campfire in a cast iron skillet. It might take some adjustments to get them just right. Remove from oil, and roll in cinnamon sugar.
Cube apples, very fine, then add to small pot, squeeze a bit of lemon juice over top, then add 1/4 cup of sugar, and a tbsp of cinnamon. Cook down until apples are soft, add a tsp. of cornstarch, continue cooking until sauce is thickened. Remove from heat, let cool. Fit a frosting bag with coupler, but no tip. Fill with apple filling and insert into side of donut. Fill each one, until filling is visible from side view.
The last treat we’re going to make today is maple almond popcorn. Then it’s just an easy dinner, of mini pizzas, fries, and we’re done. Time to party.
For the Maple Almond Popcorn:
First we’ll need about six cups of popped popcorn, made in the air popper. I use my lasagna pan to bake it in the oven, at 250 degrees. Then, Toss a stick of butter, 1 cup of sugar, and 1/2 cup of maple syrup into a saucepan. Cook until sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, then add a tsp of baking soda. Sauce will expand, so make sure to use a big enough saucepan. Remove from heat, and pour over popcorn in pan, top with sliced almonds. Bake at 250 for about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool before digging in.
Then it’s just fries, and mini pizzas. The fries are just potatoes drizzled with olive oil, baked at 450 degrees, and topped with salt, and cracked black pepper. Now, in our house mini pizzas mean, a pizza bar. We pile everything on the counters and let people do what they like here, because there are so many varying tastes when it comes to pizza. I went with mushroom bacon and egg, on a whole wheat tortilla, topped with greens, tomato, and sweet and hot peppers. The boys are more inclined to your basic cheese and pepperoni, maybe a few mushrooms or peppers. I’m showing you mine here, because it’s more interesting;)
Whew! Now that all the work is done, it’s time to settle down with some Halloween movies, and spend some time with the kiddos. Here’s our short notice Halloween spread for the family to enjoy while we’re scaring ourselves silly, and waiting for the rain to stop.
So, let us know about yourselves. Did your Halloween get cancelled, too? What creative solutions did you find to salvage the holiday for your small ones? Let us know in the comments, or share your ideas on insta, don’t forget to #canigetaramen.
I love birthdays. I love planning parties, all the food preparation, baking the cake, the decorating. Selecting just the right gift, I love it all. When my husband and I first had children, he just didn’t get why I needed to do all of these things. He tolerated it, but, just didn’t quite get it. The boys, of course, loved it when they were young, and now that they are older, I’m pretty sure, they still tolerate the fussing, because it makes me happy.
I love birthdays. I love planning parties, all the food preparation, baking the cake, the decorating. Selecting just the right gift, I love it all. When my husband and I first had children, he just didn’t get why I needed to do all of these things. He tolerated it, but, just didn’t quite get it. The boys, of course, loved it when they were young, and now that they are older, I’m pretty sure, they still tolerate the fussing, because it makes me happy. When they were younger, I even took some cake decorating classes with my, then, bestie. She rocked it, I on the other hand did not. I was so disappointed. I really wanted to get good at decorating cakes. I had taught myself to make all sorts of chocolates, truffles, bon-bons, fudge, sponge candy, but I just could not figure out cakes. Eventually, my life took a different direction, we moved across the country, and I put all of that behind me, and turned to soap making for a hobby/business instead. Since we lived in Florida, things that melt easily, just didn’t seem like a practical hobby. Now that I am back in the northeast, I, once again, have a yen to tackle this cake decorating business, and have been working on improving. I signed up for Bluprint.com and have found the videos there to be comprehensive, very easily understood, and easy to follow along, at my own pace. I have learned more, from watching videos on bluprint, than I ever did in cake decorating class. Which brings me to Saturday. It happened to be my birthday, and my darling husband wanted to do something special for me. Apparently, my penchant for over the top birthdays has rubbed off on him over the years. He decided that he wanted to make me a cake, which he’s never done before, and cook an elaborate meal, which he has, also, never done before. So, we got up and went to the farmer’s market, the last one of the year, here. Immediately, my control freak tendencies appeared, and since this was his show, not mine, he sent me to Sephora, while he went shopping for the rest of the list. This man knows me. The easiest way to distract me is to say “go to Sephora and buy whatever you want.” So, I did.
I love Sephora. My favorite way to spend my birthday is pure self indulgence, with a bit of pampering. Getting a makeover, being taught all about the newest products available, and of course, picking up my Sephora birthday gift is absolutely perfect, in my opinion. If you are not yet a Beauty Insider, sign up! It is a little bit of guaranteed indulgence, on your birthday, every year! Who doesn’t want that? It is also, a tiny reminder, to look, at another oncoming year, as an opportunity to improve, grow, and embrace life. At least, that’s how I look at it. The ladies who work at our Sephora in our town, are so lovely. Each time you shop there, you come out of the experience, happier than when you went in. So, when I told the lovely ladies that I was turning 44, and wanted to learn how to tweak my look, update it, and improve my makeup application skills, they jumped right in to help.
I can never tell, exactly, what my skin tone is without help. Right now, it’s in transition from a year round Florida tan, back to my natural, white, white complexion, and I am just not adept at deciding what colors are flattering on me. This was the first problem that I brought to them. Well, if you haven’t been into Sephora to get a color match done, drop everything and go. This is the best my foundation has looked. Ever. Problem number, 2? I can’t stand to feel foundation on my skin. Solution? It Cosmetics CC Cream. I had, of course, heard all about it, but had yet to try it. It has a SPF of 50, and an added anti-aging serum. You seriously can’t even feel in on your skin. This was a total win, as far as I’m concerned.
Last, but not least, I was clueless, as to what eyeshadow colors are best for my coloring. Answer: blue eyes look great against gold, hence, The Urban Decay Naked Palette in Honey, is ideal for me. I haven’t used eyeshadow with sparkle for years, because when done poorly, it can make you look decades older. I didn’t want to purchase a palette with tons of sparkle, because I knew I wouldn’t use it. The lovely ladies, understood my position, and because there are five sparkly colors in this palette, showed me how to use them sparingly, with just a dab on the inside corner of the lid. It really makes the eyes pop, and I really did miss wearing a little bit of sparkle on the eyes. It makes makeup feel fun again. Here, is the final result of my sephora makeover. I’m struggling to get used to my skin looking so white, but I’m adjusting, and relearning how to apply makeup to suit it.
Could have used some eyebrows, maybe?
I had a great time, learning how to better apply my makeup, and learning what colors suit me best. Here’s a look at my total Sephora birthday haul: (Also known as, the price a husband will pay to get some peace. 😉
I bought the It Cosmetics CC Cream, The urban Decay Eyeshadow Palettte in Honey, and Bare Minerals Blush In Gen Nude. For my Beauty Insider birthday gift, I chose the Drunk Elephant Set, and used my BI points to nab the Versace Bright Crystal Sample, the Bare Minerals Patent Lip Lacquer, and Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment. Self-Birthday gifts don’t get much better than that.
After meeting up again, with Darling Hubs, we headed back home and I made myself scarce for a while, so he could work some kitchen magic with out my nosing input. This was not the easiest thing in the world for me. I struggle to share my kitchen with others. As I had earlier mentioned, I love to bake cakes. Knowing that he was baking, without me, was difficult, so I sort of, nagged him, into letting me decorate the cake a bit myself. I had just bought new Russian frosting tips, that I have barely had the chance to try out. That kept me occupied enough, prepping frosting and the like, that he could finish making dinner, alone. If you, like me, love decorating cakes, but, maybe, are not so stellar at it, yet, these frosting tips will make you feel fairly competent. I bought a set from Amazon, and truly love them. Of course, I have a very long way to go, in learning how to use them. When, I do master them, I will try to do a teaching post on them. In the meantime, you can find videos on YouTube, Bluprint, Craftsy, etc.
I wish I had taken photos of the truly, wonderful, whole wheat pasta dish, that hubs made for me. Scallops, simmering in lemon, butter garlic sauce. It was absolutely delicious. We’ve been married for 23 years, and I had no idea, that he could cook like that. I was truly impressed. But, best of all, was this cake.
White Chocolate Raspberry Cake. So delicious.
He made a white chocolate cake, with raspberry filling. I am considering recruiting him to fill all of my cake pans, because my cakes never come out this level. I put the flowers on top, but never had such an easy time with it, because the cake was just so level. Not to mention delectable. He knows that I am trying to watch my cholesterol, so he used avocado plant butter in place of oil, and duck egg whites, in place of the whole eggs, and it made the most amazing fluffy white cake. White chocolate raspberry is my favorite flavor combination, in just about any pastry. This was just the most exquisite cake. Added to this, he kept the coffee flowing, and did all of the clean up. I just didn’t know what to do with myself. No cooking or cleaning, for an entire day. After dinner, and cake, with the kids, we went out for a couple of drinks and a very low key, relaxing evening. All in all, a perfect day. What I cherish the most, is how much thought and effort Hubs put into this day, for me. Being that we are parents of four, we rarely have time to focus, completely on each other, for more than an hour or so at a time. As they get older, of course, this lessens, but for now, we take what we can get. And appreciate every minute.
No romance with this kid around…
How about you? Do you, also, love birthdays? Have you ever had someone do something special for you, unexpectedly? How do you show your appreciation, when someone does something so thoughtful for you? Let us know in the comments.
As I mentioned in my last post, I am closely watching my cholesterol intake, so I’ve spent many an hour online, researching foods, checking numbers, reading nutrition labels, for foods that I thought I knew all about. When your food goals change overnight it’s like starting at square one. You have to learn your nutrition facts all over again. I’ve been keeping track of how much cholesterol, obviously, but also saturated fat, is
As I mentioned in my last post, I am closely watching my cholesterol intake, so I’ve spent many an hour online, researching foods, checking numbers, reading nutrition labels, for foods that I thought I knew all about. When your food goals change, overnight, it’s like starting at square one. You have to learn your nutrition facts all over again. I’ve been keeping track of how much cholesterol, obviously, but also saturated fat, is in the foods that I consume. I know that I need to eat more grains, less butter, bacon, and cheese (in other words: Life.) but now, I’m concerned with eating too many carbs. Did you know if you eat a half a cup of oatmeal, with a banana sliced on top, that’s 54 carbs? Yikes. That’s before any milk or sweetener! With diabetes woven through the genes, on both sides of my family, I’ve been carefully watching my carbs, for more than a decade. Now, I feel like I can’t eat anything,therefore, I want to eat everything in sight. You know, as soon as you tell yourself you can’t eat something, it becomes the Holy Grail. I’ve been keeping track of my numbers in a food journal, until this all becomes routine. I was feeling quite proud of myself, because I had consumed no cholesterol and very little saturated fat for a few days running. Well, my husband happened by, right at that moment, and oh-so-helpfully pointed out that “if you don’t eat any cholesterol, your body will make it.” Hence, I have no idea what the H-E-Doubles I’m supposed to be eating. Grrrr. The one thing I know I can eat, without concern, is vegetables. I can eat all the vegetables. So, this wrap was dinner, while the boys were eating, can ya guess? It starts with a B and smells like heaven. (At least, my version of heaven…is that weird?) Bacon! BLT wraps. Those little…darlings were eating bacon. In front of me. Again. When I gave him the stink eye, the oldest one,defensively claimed “I’m trying to get it out of here, so it doesn’t keep tempting you!” How kind.
Moroccan spice is very aromatic. Which is why I picked it. Hoping to overpower the ambrosial scent of bacon, wafting through my kitchen, as I was grilling vegetables on my panini maker. On an aside, I wouldn’t actually recommend this. This was done out of desperation, not good sense.
Once I got the squash started, and sprinkled with a little Ras El Hanout, I was starting to feel a little better about my bacon-free, forthcoming wrap. I challenge anyone, to stay cynical, when confronted with the piquant aroma of cumin, cloves, ginger, paprika, cardamom, and coriander and nutmeg meandering through your kitchen. You can buy Ras El Hanout at most grocery stores or make your own. To make your own: Toss a tsp. of each into a mortar and pestle, and mix thoroughly. You can also add, salt, pepper, and turmeric, cinnamon, sugar. Try different combinations and find what you love. To make this wrap, Here’s what you’ll need:
For the filling:
Vegetables for grilling (squash, eggplant, potatoes, garlic, onion, leeks)
Olive Oil or Avocado Oil
Ras El Hanout
Choose an array of vegetables, use whatever you have on hand, brush with olive or avocado oil, arrange on grill (or panini maker;). Grill until tender, then layer on a whole wheat wrap.
If you look closely, under the pile of veggies on this wrap, you may see a weird orange substance sticking out from underneath. You may be thinking: “That looks like cheese!” Busted…sort of. It’s Tofutti Dairy Free Cheese. This was surprisingly good, and meltier than I expected. For those of you thinking “Cheese? With Moroccan spices? That doesn’t work!” I thought that too. Then I thought: “I don’t give a hoot. I haven’t had cheese of any kind in five days. Etiquette be damned. This is about survival, people!”
These two products were a lifesaver.
For the Toppings:
Fresh greens for topping wrap (I used Beet Greens)
Tomatoes
Sprouts (I used, Pea and Leek sprouts)
Peppers
Silk Almond milk yogurt for dressing
More Ras El Hanout for sprinkling on top
Now you just, load up with fresh greens, tomatoes, peppers, drizzle (or glob, like I did here) some silk yogurt for the dressing, sprinkling with a little more Ras El Hanout, top with sprouts and you’re good to go. Then, tuck in the ends and fold over. Plate with some fruit and raw veggies, or seeds, if you’re running out of low cholesterol foods in your house, as well.
I went with cranberries, pomegranate arils, and sprouted pumpkin seeds.
That about wraps it up. Leave us a little feedback, and let us know your opinion. When you give this wrap a go, don’t forget to post on Insta with #canigetaramen. Find us on FB, and Pinterest under Can I Get A Ramen.
There’s a little backstory behind the naming of this burger. Black Bean Smash Burger sounds much lovelier than the “being over 40 sucks, having high cholesterol burger”, or “watching all the boys eat bacon
There’s a little backstory behind the naming of this burger. Black Bean Smash Burger sounds a bit more appetizing than “the being over 40 sucks, having high cholesterol burger”, or “watching all the boys eat bacon cheeseburgers while you are nibbling beans and greens and wishing it was bacon” burger. So, I went with the former. The reason it’s a smash burger is because I was throwing things. (Burgers. Into the pan.) Supremely irate. Today, I found out my cholesterol was high. I was simultaneously gobsmacked, and, truly not all that surprised. But still angry. On one hand, I have not eaten the standard american diet in over 15 yrs. I eat red meat maybe four times a year. I workout regularly. On the other, I drink too much milk, eat too much saturated fat. Alongside that, my father has fought high cholesterol since his early thirties, no matter how healthy his diet. I thought I was doing enough to ward it off for a while longer. Apparently not. Therefore I need to make a few more changes in diet. Add more oats, stop drinking cow’s milk altogether. Luckily, oat milk is having a moment, and is very easy to find. Also cheese. God, I’ll miss cheese. I already eat large quantities of fruits, and vegetables, start my days with smoothies, get to the gym etc. You tend to think of yourself as healthy when you do all of these things. You, maybe, don’t always count the occasional slice, when out shopping with the boys. Hence, when they say “I just want a burger”, I make them a burger. So here I sit, with my beans and green burger, smelling bacon, wanting to smash something, trying to get over it. Enter: this burger.
Where’s the bacon?
Don’t get me wrong, here. I don’t, usually, resent eating black bean burgers. I have scarfed down countless black beans burgers by choice, in the name of better health and just because I love them. I love them. But I feel that choosing a black bean burger, over a bacon cheeseburger, is different if you don’t have to. When you have to, it now feels like deprivation, and I don’t do deprivation. Does that make me perverse? Therefore, if I have to eat a black bean burger, it better be one truly decadent burger. It better have a unique flavor profile, it better be a burger that you can’t get at any fast food joint. In other words, it better be a dang sight better than a bacon cheese burger. This is better. If you find yourself in the same position, you’ll want to give this burger a try. Here’s what you’ll need:
For the Burgers:
1 can of black beans (Organic is best)
1 sweet potato cubed and cooked
handful of kale
1 small egg
1/3 cup of breadcrumbs
Appreciate the process. Ewww.
Drain and rinse your black beans and pour in blender, add sweet potato and kale. Blend for 20 seconds or until is mixture is like ground burger. Scoop it out into bowl, then add egg and bread crumbs, Mix thoroughly. Form into a ball and toss into pan, flatten hard, with back of spatula. Cook on each side for about five minutes, or until cooked through.
Toppings: (you can adjust toppings to your own liking, of course)
Avocado
beet greens
kimchi
pea sprouts
leek sprouts
spring onions
siracha
peppers of your choice (I chose sweet and hot peppers)
mongolian bbq
drizzle of honey
To your health…
You can customize this burger to your heart’s content. Not into Asian burgers? Try some thing else. Share your results with us:) Don’t forget to post your adaptations on Instagram: #canigetaramen, or leave us a little feedback in the comments, to let us know what you think!
A couple of weeks ago we took a quick run to Philadelphia.
A couple of weeks ago we took a quick run to Philadelphia. While there, we stopped by Reading Terminal Market. My husband, for the cheesesteak, myself, for the pork and greens sandwich at Tommy Dinic’s. When we road trip, it’s always, in some way, about food.
There was also a fair bit of goofing around. And snoozing.
The problem with traveling for iconic food, is that when you get back home the craving hits again. Hard. Then you are left with the memories, and a strong desire to recreate a dish that you aren’t sure how to construct. Therefore, you improvise. So, improvise we did.
We started at the local farmer’s market, looking for greens. We found plenty.
While I did not find the broccoli rabe that I went there for, I did, in fact, find spigariello, or broccoli leaves, from Canticle Farm, so I went with that. I was not disappointed. I grabbed a package of dill havarti from Eden Valley Creamery as well, but what I was most excited about, was a sprout grower called Life Force Microgreens, which had every kind of sprout imaginable. I chose broccoli sprouts for salads, pea sprouts for smoothies, and my personal favorite, the leek sprouts, which takes center stage on this particular sandwich. The sandwich. It starts with roast pork, slow roasted in the crock pot all day long. Add greens, which are high in beta carotene, and cheese, because it’s mandatory, and now I’ve got your attention, don’t I? For a final burst of flavor, leek sprouts. A simple delicious sandwich that you can toss in the crock pot in the morning, and have a fantastic dinner in the evening when you get home. Okay, now that I’m sure to have whetted your appetite, here’s what you’ll need:
Angel Rolls
4 lbs.Pork Loin
2 tbsp. Chopped Garlic
2 tbsp. Avocado Oil
Splash of Balsamic Vinegar
Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
Bunch of Spigariello
2. oz Dill Havarti
2. oz Dubliner (optional)
handful of Leek Sprouts
Cook pork loin in slow, on high for 6-8 hrs or until done, with chopped garlic, avocado oil, balsamic vinegar, and red pepper flakes. When mostly cooked throw in spigariello, cook until tender. Shred pork, top with shaved Dubliner, and a handful of leek sprouts.
Finish with the shaved dill havarti, a few more leek sprouts, and savor.
Are you ready to give this sandwich a try? Keep in mind, if you do you might find yourself craving it every couple of weeks. Let us know if you too, deem it the best pork and greens sandwich you’ve ever encountered. Leave us a comment or post on insta. Don’t forget to #canigetaramen. Thanks for reading!
As reported by the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, there is but one alcoholic beverage which when consumed, feels as if your brain is being smashed out by a lemon wedge wrapped around a large gold brick. (That part’s rather important, the large part.) Best known as President Zaphod’s, favorite drink, the Pan Galactic Gargle-Blaster is widely considered as the best drink in existence, aside from the unfortunate side-effects that come with it. While it is nearly impossible to recreate here on Earth due to containing non-existent spirits and additions, (What is anAlgolian Suntiger anyway?) that hasn’t stopped multiple bars from concocting their own rendition of the mysterious drink. Being huge Hitchhikers’ fans ourselves we applaud their creativity and are keen to join their search for the best interpretation of the legendary drink. Don’t Panic. Grab your towel and hitch a ride with us, because we have created, we believe, the definitive Pan Galactic Gargle-Blaster for this side of The Edge of the Universe.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Goldschlager
Pinnacle-Whipped Vodka
Amaretto
Sweet and Sour mix
A wedge of lemon
Fill a shot glass, 1/3 parts each, of Goldschlager, Amaretto and Whipped Vodka, then lightly stir in a splash of Sweet-sour. The Goldschlager obviously is in reference to the large gold brick, in which the beverage feels like it smashes your brain out with; but the large gold brick is not alone for this party. The lemon wedge signifies the literal lemon wedge that is wrapped around the (large) gold brick.
Drink with care, as we can only guess that the feeling is not that pleasant. A few too many and you’ll likely be hitting the ground like a sperm whale falling from space. Hello, Ground! You really don’t want to lose your head. Unlike Zaphod, you might not have an extra one to fall back on. What did you think of this recipe? Willing to try it, or is the danger of gold bricks to the head a little off-putting? Leave us a comment or shoot us off a picture on Instagram! Don’t forget, #canigetaramen.
