Matt Cooking Stuff, Recipes

Korean BBQ Portobello Burgers

2014_07_04

I am now a proud owner of a grill! Can you believe it? I’ve been a home owner for ten years and have never owned a grill before. But after grilling for the first time at my own house on a real grill, I can finally call myself a “true American.” But once you hear what I grilled, you may take issue with my choices and my “true American-ness.”

Korean BBQ portobello burgers still count, right?

We were having friends over for a BBQ over the fourth of July weekend. And since I’ve never grilled before, I figured I should do a practice run with something just to make sure I got the hang of it.

I made grilled zucchini, grilled corn on the cob, and Koren BBQ portobello burgers. No meat, but that’s what we decided on (I’ve been told if you don’t grill meat that it doesn’t count, which I suppose is a valid argument on some level).

Anyway, I killed it for my first time! The corn was crisp and rich. We didn’t even use butter or salt! The mushrooms were juicy and meaty (as much as a vegetable can be). And the zucchini was, ok, maybe a little overdone, but still delicious.

I think I’m going to love summer time grilling. Next up, Chicago style hot dogs!

RECIPES:

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Korean BBQ Portobello Burgers

Recipe taken from Isa Does It, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. If you enjoy vegan and vegetarian meals, I highly recommend you get this book. It’s my most used recipe source at the moment.

Marinade:

1 cup water
1/4 cup light molasses (I left this out because I couldn’t find it)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 red wine vinegar
2 tsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp liquid smoke
2 tsp sriracha
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp onion powder
4 portobello mushroom caps
Olive oil for grill

Toppings:

Hamburger buns (I lightly grilled Kaiser roll buns)
Vegan mayo (I used regular)
1 cup kimchi

Marinate mushrooms for an hour. Grill mushrooms 5 minutes per side or until done. I added the marinade as I grilled them. I wanted as much of the marinade flavor as possible.

Spread mayo on lightly grilled buns. Place mushroom on bun and top with kimchi.

(The book has a lot more details but you get the gist of it)

Matt Cooking Stuff, Recipes

“Pulled” Cauliflower BBQ Sandwiches

2014_06_08

I know this sounds weird. I was a little iffy on it too. I like cauliflower, but a cauliflower instead of pulled pork? I’m not so sure. However, I really liked these! Topped with caramelized onions and homemade BBQ sauce, I barely noticed it was cauliflower. Well, maybe that’s a stretch. You could definitely taste the cauliflower, but in a good way. You have to like cauliflower to like this.

The first time I did these I made them as sliders. The second time I used regular sized buns. The kids ate more and enjoyed it more as a slider size. This recipe definitely made it in the rotation.

This recipe is originally from the Beard and Bonnet website.

 

 

Matt Cooking Stuff, Recipes

The Legendary Hot Brown

2013_12_16The last time we visited our friends in Lousiville, they took us to the English Grill for brunch to have a Hot Brown. Now when they first mentioned it, I was a little worried. The last thing I think of when I hear the term ‘hot brown’ is food. But luckily this dish gets it’s name from the hotel it originated at (The Brown Hotel), not because of something that happens to you after you eat it.

After reminiscing about our trip to Kentucky, I decided to make hot browns for dinner. I knew this was rich and heavy, but man, after seeing the ingredients it’s no surprise why. Tons of butter, tons of heavy whipping cream, and tons melted cheese topping a half pound of sliced turkey breast finished with crispy bacon. Woah… Not something I want to eat everyday, but so delicious!

The recipe I used is from The Brown Hotel website. The story of how the Hot Brown originated is shared their too.

RECIPES:

The Legendary Hot Brown Recipe

Matt Cooking Stuff, Recipes

Spinach Feta Veggie Burger w/ Fried Onions and Roasted Tomatoes

2013_08_05b

This burger was similar to falafel patty because the base was pureed chick peas. Throw in some spinach and feta and it’s as simple as that. You didn’t need a sauce because the roasted tomato acted like a one. And while the roasted tomato was rich in flavor and provided moisture, I’m not a huge fan of roasted tomatoes. Next time I’ll do a roasted red pepper instead. And I will definitely make these again! These were great and very filling.

I served it with a hearty salad with a homemade mango salad dressing. This dressing is pretty much pureed mango with some lime so you can goober your salad up and not worry about oil. I added fresh thyme and an extra tbsp of apple cider vinegar. It was nice and very refreshing.

RECIPES:

Spinach Feta Veggie Burger with Fried Onions and Roasted Tomatoes

Mango Salad Dressing

2013_08_05a

Matt Cooking Stuff, Recipes

Tofu Sandwiches w/ Ginger Peanut Sauce and Carrot Apple Ginger Soup

2013_03_26aI was a little iffy on these sandwiches. I like tofu, but I don’t love it. Luckily, everything worked really well together and I actually loved this sandwich. The peanut sauce was great, and the crunch of the peppers and carrots balanced the tofu. Ellie loves tofu and gobbled it up. “Daddy made this!? Oh my goodness!”

This soup complimented the sandwich really well. I made a double batch because I plan on using the soup again tomorrow. I used 3 lbs of carrots. That was a lot of peeling and chopping, but it was totally worth it! Ellie loved this too!

RECIPES:

Crispy Tofu Sandwiches with Ginger Peanut Sauce

Carrot Apple Ginger Soup

2013_03_26b