As part of my healthier lifestyle and of course to get little monster (daughter) to eat veggies I try to have a few meatless meals per week.....I am a big fan of beans and peas. Love em and not just talking about the Heinz variety (as lovely as they are!) I love any kind, butterbeans, kidney, cannellini etc etc. Ok lets face it, I just love food! (except Fennel....that's the devils vegetable...I'll come to that another time)
So tonight I was really looking forward to making chickpea burgers. I love chickpeas, they're such an unassuming food item, don't really look much but look at what they give us! Falafels, hummus etc! YUMMY.
So I started caramelizing my onions ready for the burger, I went to the cupboard to get the chickpeas out.... and what did I see. Bloody nothing. Forgotten them hadn't I?!?!?!!!.....I swear to god I am dippier than a bloody chicken dipper sometimes! Luckily lurking at the back of my cupboard like a troll under a bridge was a tin of butterbeans. WINNER. I love butterbeans just as much as chickpeas and luckily they'd work in this recipe just as well so job done!
I was also wanting something yummy that'll satisfy my 'why aren't you feeding me junk food witch!!!' cravings from the belfry. I saw something the other day that I wanted to try. Its a healthy adaptation of TGI Friday's Deep Fried Green Beans. You know the ridiculously moreish ones that come in a little bucket with an amazeballs dip and you just wanna dive right in there like Tom Daly at the olympics? Yea those ones. I can honestly say the healthy version is absolutely gorgeous. Don't just take my word for it....try em!
And of course I HAD to follow up with a sweet since it would be rude not too with all those veggies flying around. I can't be 100% good now can I...that would just be sick and wrong!!! (however dessert was actually quite low fat too! My aren't I good??) ;)
So here we go! Piccies and Recipes below!!
BBQ Butterbean Burgers with seasoned Sweet potato fries and Crispy Green Bean Oven Fries
Burger Ingredients:
(Makes 4)
One can of Butterbeans, drained, rinsed and mashed
1/2 chopped onion (red or brown...you decide i.e. whatever you've got in!)
1 medium carrot peeled and grated
1/2 clove garlic crushed (or more if you wanna keep minging Edward Cullen at bay...Team jacob! ;p)
1tsp Paprika
1-2 Tbsps BBQ sauce (Shop bought is just fine!)
Method:
- Fry off onions on a very low heat with a couple of pinches of sugar for around 10-20 mins until they're soft and getting wonderfully caramel in colour (I used fry light but you can use olive oil, butter, oil etc)
- at this point add the grated carrot and cook off for another few mins
- Take off the heat and combine all ingredients together, shape into burgers (Should make around 4) and then put on a plate to chill in the fridge for around 30 minutes so they firm up. (If yours are sloppy then add some flour to your mix)
Seasoned Sweet Potato Fries ingredints (this is enough for two....chop up more pots for more people)
One sweet potato sliced into chips/fries
1tsp chilli powder
2 tsps garlic granules/powder
1tbsp Paprika (smoked preferably)
1tsp oregano (mixed herbs if you don't have it)
2 tsps Olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2tsp Cumin
Method:
- place all ingredients in a bowl...stir until combined and all potato fries are evenly coated...Simples!
Crispy Green Bean Oven Fries Ingredients
One pack of trimmed green beans (around 200g...I only used 100g though as there's two of us)
2 egg whites beaten
2 slices of wholemeal bread turned into breadcrumbs
A couple of Tbsps of wholemeal flour (plain if you don't have any wholemeal)
1Tbsp Cornflour
1Tbsp Garlic powder
1Tbsp Paprika
2tsps salt
1tsp pepper
2tsps mixed herbs
Method
- Blanch the beans (Boil for 3-5 mins until bright green and then drain and plunge straight into icy cold water to stop them cooking. Then drain again)
- Mix the breadcrumbs, cornflour, garlic, salt, pepper and herbs in a bowl and make sure evenly combined.
- Add the flour to a sandwich bag and chuck in the beans. Give them a good shake to ensure they are all coated evenly.
- Take the beans out one at a time, shake off excess flour, dip in the egg whites and then put in the breadcrumb mixture, toss about a bit to make sure they have enough coating and then line up on a baking sheet. Continue this process for the rest of the beans.
Now to cook!
- Preheat oven to 180degrees. When ready pop in the burgers and the seasoned fries.
- After 10 minutes add the beans on the shelf below
- Cook everything for a further 15-20 minutes until everything is looking crisp and done!
- Serve up the burgers with whatever you want on them! We had Slices of cheese and loads of bbq sauce on top and salad.
- I also whizzed up a quick garlic mayo...Mayonnaise and a clove of crushed garlic and a splash of lemon juice. Was a perfect dipping sauce for the Green Beans and we wolfed it all down!!!
Now the best part...........Dessert!
Chocolate Philadelphia 'No Bake' Creme Brulee
Fruit...Chocolate....and sugar that makes the most amazing crack as you smash through it eagerly with your spoon. I think I died and went to heaven....I hope this isn't heaven as my house is still a tip!
Ingredients:
Tub of Chocolate Philadelphia (I only used around half as was just making the one....If I made anymore I would've been tempting (fat)e.
2Tbsps of Greek Yogurt (You could use natural yogurt but due to the more liquid consistency the brulee wont be as 'set')
Berries...as many as you want! I had some frozen fruits of the forest in the freezer so just used a small handful of those and defrosted them!
2 Tsps granulated sugar
Method:
- put choc philly and greek yogurt in a bowl and heat gently to combine til you have a velvety smooth mixture (Please refrain from putting your face in at this point....as tempting as it may be!)
- Layer your fruit at the bottom of your ramekins and pour on choc mixture
- Put into fridge for a good few hours for the mixture to harden up (note it won't be as set as a traditional creme brulee as you don't have the fat from the eggs to harden it...but it still goes quite firm)
- An hour before ready to serve, take out of the fridge and top with your sugar, use a blow torch to carmelise the sugar...If you don't have a blow torch; heat your grill on its highest setting and place the brulee's under there until its melted. Then pop them back in the fridge for around an hour before serving.
Et voila you have a low fat gorgeous creme brulee that really does hit the spot!! I swear to god I could've eaten ten of them....then i'd be moaning at you all about getting fat again! So glad I only made one!
My favourite part!!! Getting your spoon and smashing through that thick sugar layer to reveal the creamy goodness underneath.... Small things :)
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