Chickpea burgers

This may be the best vegetarian burger I've ever made, and I invented the recipe sort of by accident. I had chickpeas to use up, and some brown rice, and I was looking all over the internet for a burger recipe I could use. The only problem is that they all looked so awful, tasteless, and starchy. I don't really want to put two cups of rolled oats into a burger, because it sounds stodgy to me.

Well, there's plenty of starch in these burgers, but for some reason they didn't seem terribly starchy or stodgy, especially since I made the hamburger buns purposely rather small and thin. I liked the flavor of the chickpeas in the burger, especially the lovely golden crust that formed around them. In the future, I think I might add some more vegetables into this recipe for extra flavor and texture, or some herbs and spices. I'd like to experiment with finely grated carrot and finely diced celery. You could team the burgers up with any toppings you like, really--tomato and lettuce would be good. I used baby spinach, a slice of cheese, and a little bit of mayonnaise, and it was lovely. It passed the exacting toddler test, too.

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 cup cooked brown rice
2 tablespoons raw onion, very finely chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon kosher salt (I know this sounds like a lot, but you sort of need the flavor)
a few good grinds of pepper
1 1/2 cups fresh whole wheat breadcrumbs (zap a couple of pieces of bread in the food processor)
1 egg, beaten

1 tablespoon peanut oil (or any other kind of oil you have; however, I like peanut because you can heat it to high temperatures)

Hamburger buns and the toppings of your choice

Put the chickpeas into the food processor and pulse a few times until they're roughly chopped. (They shouldn't look like hummus.) Add the rice to the food processor and pulse once, so that the rice is cut up but not a mush.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the onion, garlic powder, rosemary, kosher salt, pepper, breadcrumbs, and beaten egg. Mix well to combine. Form four round patties from the mixture, trying to get them as flat as possible so that they'll brown well.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick or cast-iron frying pan over medium-high heat until it's shimmering. Add the patties and cook, covered, for 3-5 minutes on each side, until the burgers get a golden-brown crust.

Serves 4.

Vegetarian burritos

This is a wonderfully cheap, filling meal. When I try to eat cheaply, I so often find myself filling up on huge amounts of starchy carbs, but this really isn't necessary. This recipe is healthy, high in fibre, and has enough protein and vegetables to get you really full.

Ingredients (serves 3):
3 large tortillas (I used La Tortilla Factory's low-carb whole-grain ones)
1/2 recipe crock pot refried beans
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used Sargento reduced fat Mexican cheese)
1 large-ish zucchini, sliced
1 medium onion, radial cut
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
3 teaspoons salsa (any kind)
3 teaspoons sour cream

Heat oil over medium heat in a cast-iron frying pan (non-stick would also work). Add onions, salt, and pepper, and cook gently, stirring frequently, for 20 minutes. Add zucchini and chipotle chile powder and cook, stirring, for another 10 minutes until the zucchini are tender and juicy.

Divide the refried beans between the tortillas and spread to cover each tortilla. Divide the cheese and sprinkle it evenly over each tortilla. Microwave each tortilla, one at a time, for 30 seconds or until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Divide the onion-zucchini mixture between the tortillas and top with a teaspoon of salsa and a teaspoon of sour cream each. Wrap the burritos up tightly and serve.

Bubble and squeak

I'm told this is supposed to be made with potatoes and cabbage if you're to be authentically Irish, but I'm not Irish so I'll transgress. I think any kind of cooked vegetable would be great--peas, corn, spinach, green beans, etc.

Ingredients:
leftover cold mashed potatoes (any quantity: I had lots and lots left over from Thanksgiving)
1 cup of fresh white breadcrumbs (pulse a few rolls or slices of bread in the food processor until they're finely crumbled)
Optional additions: leftover cooked vegetables, or finely grated raw vegetables such as carrot or zucchini
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 cup grated parmesan
1 egg, beaten
salt to taste
pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil for frying

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. I used a cast iron one, but non-stick would work fine.

Mix breadcrumbs, garlic powder, parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste on a dinner plate.

Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop mashed potato up in round patties. Dip each one in beaten egg, then coat in the seasoned breadcrumbs. Fry in the oil for approximately five minutes on each side, turning the heat down if the oil starts to smoke, until the coating is golden and the potatoes are heated through.

These are heavenly served with a poached egg on top.

Pumpkin-lentil-tomato spaghetti sauce

This is a cheap, delicious recipe that makes enough for at least two family meals, and is substantial enough that one really doesn't miss the meat.

Ingredients:
1 cup brown lentils
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can pureed pumpkin
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon thyme
pinch of red pepper flakes
salt and pepper

Brown lentils don't really need soaking, but if you want to do something in advance, pour some boiling water over them in a bowl and leave them for a few hours. Drain them and place them in a large pot with 4-5 cups of boiling water and a bay leaf, and simmer until tender, 15 minutes or so. If you haven't soaked them, simply rinse them and boil them a little longer, maybe 25-30 minutes.

While the lentils are cooking, heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes or so. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for a minute or so until fragrant. Add the pumpkin, tomatoes, oregano, thyme, and red pepper flakes, pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

When the lentils are cooked, drain them, removing the bay leaf. Add them to the sauce and season to taste.

Serve over whole wheat spaghetti or other pasta, with a sprinkling of grated parmesan or Asiago cheese on top if desired.

Crock pot "refried" beans

I know canned refried beans can be bought for fifty cents and taste just fine, but this is even cheaper and it tastes so much better that I am loath to buy the canned ones ever again. And besides, I try to avoid the BPA liners of most canned food.

Exceedingly complex instructions! Throw the following into your slow cooker:

1 onion, chopped medium
2 cups dried pinto beans (no need to soak; just rinse them)
4 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
1 to 1.5 teaspoons salt (start with the smaller measure, then adjust at the end to taste)
Lots of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
6 cups water

Cook on high all day. It's fine to go out to work for nine hours, it won't boil dry! Next, simply strain the beans, reserving the liquid. Mash the beans with a fork, adding the cooking liquid little by little until you get the consistency you like. Taste and season. This makes loads--enough for several recipes (enchiladas, bean and cheese burritos, plain old beans and rice, etc).

Corn fritters

This is a pretty cheap, filling meal, if not the world's healthiest thing ever. I serve it with this homemade pico de gallo and a slice of bacon for each person. The recipe feeds two greedy adults and one greedy toddler.

Ingredients:
2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 egg
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter, for cooking

Place corn kernels in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for a minute or two to defrost.

Meanwhile, beat the egg, yogurt, and milk together in a large bowl. Add the defrosted corn, sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and whisk lightly to combine. Don't overmix; the mixture should be a little lumpy.

Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Melt a tablespoon of the butter, and ladle spoonfuls of the mixture into the pan. You'll probably be able to fit about three fritters in the pan at one time.

When the fritters are starting to get bubbles on top, gently flip them over with a spatula and cook the other side until it's lightly browned. Repeat until the batter is used up, adding more butter to the pan when necessary.

Avocado and Orange Salad

Having said I don't like salads, there are actually one or two that I find perfectly heavenly. This one is great during the elusive part of summer when avocados are in season and ultra-cheap. Oranges cost mere pennies at my local supermarket, and I can get a huge head of romaine lettuce for a dollar that lasts us all week. The only dressing is freshly squeezed orange juice. It sounds a little odd, but it's perfectly delicious on a hot day. I sometimes eat this as a main course, because it's pretty filling all by itself.

Ingredients
3 cups washed and dried romaine lettuce, sliced
1 orange, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
The juice of another orange
1 avocado, peeled, de-stoned, and sliced or diced as you like
1/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped**
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese***

Mix the ingredients gently in a large bowl. Pour the orange juice over the top. Serve.

Serves 2 as a main course, 4 as a side dish

*I heard years ago that you were supposed to tear lettuce apart with your hands, but I have heard more recently that this bruises the lettuce and that it's much better for both the taste and the nutritional content to slice it. To be honest, I can't tell the difference. I find it quicker to slice the lettuce with a sharp knife, so that's what I do.
**Or pecans. I used whatever's cheapest because I like them both.
***If you don't care for feta, use any kind of crumbly cheese.

Quinoa tabbouleh

A very long time ago, when I was a student, I dated a boy from Iraq who took me to all sorts of Middle Eastern restaurants. It was there that I developed my lifelong love of tabbouleh. Recently, I had the urge for some, but didn't have any bulghur wheat, which is supposed to be the star ingredient. Happily, I had quinoa, and the results tasted so much better than the bulghur version that I've made it with quinoa ever since. (There are those who say--rightly--that we shouldn't eat so much quinoa, because an unintended consequence of its popularity in the West is that it's now too pricey for many Bolivians to eat. One thing we can do is to seek out American-grown quinoa. Another is to consume the Bolivian-grown stuff in moderation.)

Ingredients

1/2 cup quinoa (this doesn't look like a lot, but cooking it makes it expand to four times its size)

1/8 cup lemon juice (you can get this out of lemons, or use one of those lemon-shaped plastic squeezy bottles, I won't tell)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 a teaspoon salt

pepper to taste

1 green onion, sliced very thinly (substitute a handful of chives if you don't like green onions)

1/2 cup parsley, chopped very finely (using a pair of scissors can speed this up)

1 English cucumber, peeled and cut in half lengthwise with the seed scooped out, cut into small cubes

1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes

Boil the quinoa in a large pot of boiling water over high heat for 15 minutes, or until the grains have gone translucent around the edges. Drain and allow to cool.

Mix the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

Mix the cooled quinoa with the green onions, parsley, cucumber and tomatoes in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix thoroughly. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for two hours, then serve.

Serves 2-3 as a main course, 4 as a side dish.

Optional extras: you can put pretty much any raw vegetable you like into this. Finely chopped carrots, radishes, or peppers would all be good.

Self-Crusting Quiche

I adore eggs, and I adore quiche. The only problem is the crust. I used to think I couldn't make pastry, but it turned out I was just cutting the butter too small; once I figured out how to leave bigger bits in there, it went much better, but you're left with the problem of how unhealthy it is. White flour, masses of fat. I could solve this by making it with whole wheat flour, but that never tastes very good to me, and you still have masses of fat. Then I figured out how to make a self-crusting quiche, which drastically reduces the amount of both fat and white flour. Fabulous!

Ingredients
1 onion, cut in half and then sliced into rings
2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped finely
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon peanut oil (or any other kind of oil)
1 medium sweet potato
1 cup milk (any kind, but I haven't tried it with non-dairy milks so I can't promise it would work)
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup small broccoli florets and chopped stems
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (I used reduced fat)
Salt and pepper

First, caramelize your onion. Melt the butter in a cast-iron frying pan* over medium heat, then add peanut oil. Cook the onions, stirring, until they are completely soft and delicately colored (not browned). It takes an unbelievably long time to do this. Some recipes lie and say it takes 15 minutes. It actually takes more like 45, but you can do other things while they caramelize.

Such as: peel the sweet potato, cut it into bite-sized pieces, and boil it for about 10 minutes, or until it's soft but not a mushy mess.

Cut up the broccoli and steam it in a small pot with about an inch of water and the lid on over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes.

Beat the eggs, milk, flour and baking powder together with a whisk. Season as much or as little as you like. Stir in the grated cheese.

Now preheat your oven to 430 Fahrenheit (or 220 Celsius). Oil an 8x8 baking dish, or spray with cooking spray. (You will save yourself a great deal of washing-up if you use a non-stick one, but it will work in a dish of any material.)

When the onions are caramelized, add the garlic, and cook, stirring, for about a minute or until the garlic is a little more fragrant than in its completely raw state.

Add the onions, sweet potatoes, and broccoli to the egg mixture and stir gently. Pour the mixture into the baking dish.

Bake for around 30 minutes, or until the center is set and the outsides have formed a soft crush around the edges of the dish.

Serves 4, or 2 plus leftovers for lunch the next day.


*Non-stick is also fine, but there's something about cast-iron that produces very pleasing results. No idea why.

Non-Disgusting Black Bean Stew

I adore most beans, but I'm not usually terribly fond of black beans. There's something about their sticky sludginess that reminds me of tar. This recipe, however, converted me. It's utterly delicious. I can eat vast quantities of this, and so can my family. The wine and the balsamic give it an acidic edge that completely cancels out the cloyingness of the beans. Note to self: adding booze improves everything.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups dried black beans, rinsed but not soaked
1 large onion, chopped fine
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or more to taste
1/4 cup wine (red or white, whatever you have*)
2 tablespoons Tamari**
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Put black beans, onion, oil and water in a large pot and bring them to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium low, cover, and simmer until the beans are cooked, probably 75 to 90 minutes, or longer if your beans are ancient and have been sitting in the back of your cupboard since the dawn of time.

Add the wine, Tamari, and balsamic vinegar, stirring, and the salt, tasting to check if you've put in enough for your liking. (Woe betide you if you put in too much. Add more booze; it might help. If it doesn't, drink more booze and you'll mind less.)

Simmer uncovered until the mixture reduces to the consistency you like, or add more water if it's too thick.

Serve by itself in a bowl, or over rice. I'm told basmati rice has a lower glycemic index than other types of rice, and I believe everything I read in health magazines, so that's the kind of rice we usually eat. (I also think it tastes better than any other type of rice, so I can be virtuous and enjoy myself in one go.) If you believe (rightly) in having a side of vegetables, steamed broccoli goes well with this, or you could make a green salad.


Serves 8 in one sitting, or keeps two adults and one toddler going for days on end. Keeps very well in the refrigerator.

*And please do feel free to get the most awful bottle of $4 plonk you want. Then again, you may want to spring for something nicer if you like to take a swig out of it while you're cooking.
**Or plain soy sauce, since it's cheaper and this is, after all, a frugality blog.

Baked Mexican omelette

This is a great recipe for feeding a lot of hungry people. I have no idea if a Mexican person would burst into scornful laughter at this, but this family of wimpy gringos likes it. I typically make something like this if I'm hosting a brunch, because it feeds six hungry people and eight slightly less ravenous people. The ingredients are moderately cheap, the recipe is very easy, and for some reason it tends to impress guests. You can cut it in squares and eat it the way it is, or scoop it into warmed corn tortillas.

Ingredients
6 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cottage cheese (I used low fat, any kind would do)
1/2 cup sour cream (ditto)
1 cup grated cheese (any kind; I used cheddar)
1 cup salsa (any kind; I used a mild one because of Baby B's sensitive taste buds)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (160 celsius)

Spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray, or coat with oil.

Beat the eggs in a medium bowl, then gently stir in the sour cream, cottage cheese and salt.

Spread the salsa evenly over the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the salsa.

Pour the egg mixture over the cheese.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the eggs are set. For some reason, it sometimes takes up to 10 minutes longer. Don't panic. Everything is fine.

(Optional extra: Mr. B, who adores meat, always wistfully says that this would be better with some crumbled cooked sausage meat in it. I don't especially like meat at breakfast time, but I'd eat it that way for dinner.)

*I can't particularly tell the difference between full-fat and low-fat dairy products. I don't use the low-fat ones in baking, but for most cooking they seem to work. I don't, however, recommend fat-free hard cheeses, which taste like a nasty hybrid of cardboard and rubber.