Black Bean and Rice Cakes

From Everyday Food Magazine

Ingredients

• 2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 large scallions, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3/4 cup cooked brown rice
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro, plus leaves for serving
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a food processor, pulse half the beans with scallions  and cumin until a chunky paste forms. In a large bowl, combine bean puree with rice and remaining beans; season with salt and pepper. Divide mixture into eight 3-inch-wide patties. (To freeze, wrap individually in plastic and freeze up to 2 weeks; thaw before cooking.)
2. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with oil; place in oven to heat, 5 minutes. Carefully place patties on hot sheet; bake until bottoms are golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through. Let rest on sheet 5 minutes before removing.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine yogurt, cilantro, and lime juice; season with salt and pepper. Serve patties topped with yogurt sauce and cilantro leaves.

** Delicious served with pineapple salsa on a bed of greens or over multigrain chips.

Orange and Yogurt Tart

from Everyday Food Magazine

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup raw almonds
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• Coarse salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons powdered gelatin (from a 1/4-ounce packet)
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt (2 percent)
• 1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 3 medium navel oranges

Directions

1. In a food processor, pulse almonds, granulated sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until finely ground. Add flour; pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture is crumbly and holds together when squeezed. Press crumbs in bottom and up side of an 8-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Freeze 15 minutes. (To store, cover and freeze, up to 1 month.)
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until crust is golden brown and set, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack 10 minutes, then remove tart ring and let cool completely.
3. In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 2 tablespoons cold water and let stand 5 minutes. In a small saucepan, warm half-and-half over medium. When it begins to steam, add gelatin mixture and stir until dissolved, about 1 minute. In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt, brown sugar, and pinch of salt. Stir warm half-and-half mixture into yogurt mixture. Pour filling into cooled tart shell and refrigerate until set, 2 hours (or up to 1 day).
4. With a sharp paring knife, slice off ends of oranges. Following curve of fruit, cut away peel, removing as much white pith as possible. Slice oranges into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and remove any seeds. Just before serving, arrange orange slices on top of tart.

** I did not like the gelatin texture of the filling. It freaked me out- much like jello does. I will try again with a cream/custard filling because the crust is awesome and the flavors are all really good together. Plus, it's beautiful. Here's a custard filling I found that I will try next time in place of the gelatin yogurt filling.

• • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/4 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into pieces

  1. Make the pastry cream: Combine milk, vanilla bean pod and seeds, and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
     
  2. Whisk together egg yolks, cornstarch, and remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar in a separate bowl. Slowly add 1/3 cup milk mixture to the egg mixture, whisking to combine. Add egg-milk mixture back to the pot, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a mixing bowl, and beat in butter with paddle attachment until combined and cream has cooled, about 5 minutes. Strain into a bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the cream, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
     3.  Beat chilled pastry cream with paddle attachment until smooth, about 30 seconds. Set aside. Whip heavy cream using the whisk attachment until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold whipped cream into pastry cream.
     4.  Spread cream into cooled tart shell using a small offset spatula. Arrange citrus segments in a circular pattern around the tart. Serve cold.

Chocolate Chip Muesli Cookies

 Adapted from Bob's Red Mill Muesli Bag. 

Whisk the following in a bowl:
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3 TBSP flax seed
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix the following in a separate bowl:
2/3 cup pearsauce (homemade is ideal- it takes about 2 pears warmed up with a bit of water and mashed)
1 TBSP butter
a good long squirt of honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg

Stir the dry into the wet. Then mix in 1 heaping cup of muesli (I prefer Bob's Red Mill) and chocolate chips. Drop on a silpat in heaping tablespoons. Bake ay 375 degrees for 10-12  minutes. Makes 20-24 cookies depending on how big the heaps are.