Ro Raggy! Scooby Doo Blueberry Burger

I was sitting around imagining what Scooby Doo would do if he knew what was actually in his Scooby Snacks. I mean, he’s a nice dog, right?

So I decided to imagine a kinder gentler burger for him and Shaggy.  It’s turned out so good I’m posting it right away, but I haven’t tested it extensively, so move forward at your own foodie peril.

Ro Raggy Blueberry Burger
Combine
2 cups cooked brown lentils
1 1/2 cups cooked whole grain mix* (could just use a sticky sort of brown rice). I used leftovers from this rice blend that I purchased at Costco
1/2 cup onion, grated fine
1/2 cup whole grain bread crumbs (or g/f if you like)

Toast
1/2 cup pepitas, hulled (don’t make the mistake I did once and use unhulled–very prickly)
In a food processor, blitz
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
2 tsp umi plum paste (use 1 T soy sauce as substitute)
toasted pepitas

Add to lentil mixture. Stir to combine.

Dust top of bowl with brown rice flour. Using as much flour as you need to handle the burger mixture, form into balls–somewhere between tennis and ping-pong. Put on a lightly oiled nonstick pan over medium heat and press down into patty shape with a flat turner. There should be some sizzling when you set them on. Cook patties 3-4 minutes per side, until well brown. They should hold together well, but they are still fragile. Flip and do the same on the other side.

They should look like this–nice and Shaggy

It helped that I paired my burgers with top-quality condiments, including
Vertical Paradise Baby Oak Lettuce

Refrigerator pickles

And Mazi’s piri piri sauce

Ro Raggy! This was so good I don’t think Scooby’s ever going back.

* Here’s the mix I used

 

 

Morgan’s maple-roasted almond butter

Morgan Doane shared a quick and easy–and delicious–way to make maple-roasted almond butter at our February supper club. Check out the directions below!

Maple-roasted Almond Butter
16 oz. raw almonds
2-3 T maple syrup
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix raw almonds together with maple syrup and pour onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes, pulling the sheet our every five minutes to stir. Allow to cool slightly—not too cool or they will be hard to handle. Pour almonds into the food processor and begin to process. This can take a long time (10-20 minutes) depending on the size of your processor and your motor. Stop every so often to scrape down the sides with a spatula. The almonds will go through many stages, including coarse sand, sticky dry mass, clumping mass and finally smooth butter. When is begins to move from clumping together to smooth butter, add the cinnamon and salt. Process until fully incorporated.

Geoff Fields’ Mushroom Poblano Gumbo

Well, I was tempted to call it ‘Yumbo,’ but that’s so corny and Geoff is so serious!

Seriously. This was delicious! Thank you, Geoff. Here is a man who takes his recipes very seriously. Recently, he wrote to us–

Disclaimer: I have always known enthusiasm is my strong suit, maybe to the point of excess. You have been warned…

So permit me to say that I have been working on a recipe for the PBSC next month that is, appropriately, fitting for St. Patrick’s Day. I made the second test batch tonight, and I can say beyond a moral certainty that I would eat this stuff every week. It’s the best vegan recipe in my playbook – at least judged by originality and taste – and I cannot wait to have you guys try it.

How cool is it that friends come up with this idea like “Plant Based Supper Club” so that people like me, and others, can spend a cold winter night imagining a recipe for the next get-together? My compliments to you both.

Peace, GF

So here’s the recipe in all its earthy glory…Geoffs Gumbo Recipe

Detroit Vegan Soul (Yes!)

Last Thursday, fellow foodie Morgan Doane and I, after listening to our friend Angela Topp rave about Detroit Vegan Soul, decided to head to the Motor City to check it out for ourselves. Morgan goes to Detroit for ball games all the time and has previously been limited to Subway. This all-vegan restaurant, begun from the heart by life and business partners Kirsten Ussery (1) and Erika Boyd (r), is such an exciting new add to Detroit’s food scene. Let’s cut to the food!

That wasn’t as easy as we thought. So many options to choose from. We began with okra stew, a thick and hearty veggie-filled gumbo-like dish that we both loved and made Morgan swoon, since she’s a dedicated okra groupie.

The sesame-kale salad was both crunchy and savory and we loved the bits of sun-dried tomato mixed in.

Angela recommended the soul platter with it’s beans and rice, stewed collards, mac and cheese, sweet potatoes and corn muffin. Delicious and filling.

I think my favorite was the to-fish sandwich. I’m such a sucker for this kind of comfort food. A great bun and breaded briny tofu with lettuce and tomato. Comes with sweet potato fries and cole slaw.

We managed to find a tiny extra bit of space to split a red devil cupcake and we recommend you do the same. There’s something indefinable about it. I felt like there was taste of ground graham crackers, kinda toasty. Really good.

Everyone is so friendly and restaurant itself with it’s luscious green walls and polished wood interior was an antidote to the dreary rain we experienced all day. Please visit Kirsten and Erika when you are in Detroit and try their food. You’ll be glad you did.

 

 

 

Y’all come back now!

 

Katie’s Gluten-free Chocolate Almond Cherry Cookies

The lovely Katie Williams (pictured above) brought these delicious cookies to our September Supper Club. Below, she demonstrates how she made them more healthy and vegan! It’s a great example of how easy it is to transition recipes. Thank you, Katie!

Katie’s Gluten-free Chocolate Almond Cherry Cookies
Ingredients
• 1 1/4 cups almond meal
• 1/4 cup chopped dark chocolate (I used cacao nibs)
• 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (I used sea salt)
• 1/3 cup brown sugar (I used Raw Coconut Sugar)
• 1 egg (I used 1 Flax egg; 1 Tbsp flax meal + 3 Tbsp water)
• 3 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• Handful of dried cranberries (optional)

Directions
1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together almond meal, dark chocolate
chips, coconut, baking powder (raw coconut sugar), salt and sugar.
2. In a separate bowl, beat egg (flax egg) until uniform in color and
doubled in volume.
3. Whisk in the coconut oil and vanilla, then add to dry ingredients and
mix until just combined.
4. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or even overnight.
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
6. Shape dough into 1-inch balls, place on baking sheet with 1-1/2 inch
space in between each. Press down slightly to flatten a bit.
7. Bake until edges begin to brown, 7-10 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and let cool before serving.