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Tree Nut-free – Page 17 – surviving the food allergy apocalypse (archive)

surviving the food allergy apocalypse (archive)

Tag: Tree Nut-free

Does not contain any tree nuts or coconut.

  • Gum Drops

    Gum Drops
    Gum Drops – Photo by J. Andrews

    So it’s that holiday time of year. And I like my sweets on holidays, so Mary Kate and I got together to make some candy a couple of weeks ago. (I burned and ruined one pot that day, so you’re not getting a recipe for caramels, until I get a new pot and try it again.) One of the things we tried that was a hit was the gum drops. I actually made them ahead of time because there’s some processing time between steps (AT LEAST 3 DAYS, please read the whole recipe), and we wanted to use them for a construction project (teaser for next week’s post). The recipe I started with was located here at Bakerella. If you can use commercial extracts and commercial food coloring, you can use the recipe as it is. But I can’t. So I used Cara Reed’s ideas from her book, Decadent Gluten-Free Vegan Baking (see Mary Kate’s review here) for food coloring for the green, and then extended her idea and used carrots for the orange. I also used the homemade extracts that I’ve made and some lemon essential oil.  You’ll see four colors of gum drops in the picture, but the best were the lime and orange and the other flavors still need more work before they are blog-worthy.

    Gum Drops

    The recipe for the gum drops makes one batch of one flavor. To make both flavors, either double the amounts for the gum drop and put the ingredients for one flavor in each half of the batch, or use the amounts below for the batch, and use half of the amounts for the flavors in each half of the batch.

    To make Orange Flavor:

    • 2 teaspoons of Orange Food Coloring (To make orange food coloring, take 1/2 cup of peeled, chopped carrots, and cook over medium heat in water in a small sauce pan until tender. Drain the water, saving 1/4 of a cup aside. Place drained carrots and 1/4 cup of reserved cooking water in a blender and process until smooth. Place in a storage container and keep it in the fridge for up to two weeks). 
    • 4 drops of Lemon Essential Oil (make sure it’s pure and not cosmetic grade)
    • 2 Tablespoons of homemade orange extract (I used orange peels as described here and I use either Vikingfjord  or Luksusowa Vodka because they are made only from potatoes, where some vodkas may also use grain or corn.)

    To make Lime Flavor:

    • 2 teaspoons of Green Food Coloring (To make green food coloring, take 1 cup of fresh spinach and boil in 3 Tablespoons of water for 5 minutes while covered. Pour spinach and water in a blender and process until smooth. Place in a storage container and keep it in the fridge for up to two weeks). 
    • 4 drops of Lemon Essential Oil (make sure it’s pure and not cosmetic grade)
    • 2 Tablespoons of homemade lime extract (I used lime peels as described here and I use either Vikingfjord  or Luksusowa Vodka because they are made only from potatoes, where some vodkas may also use grain or corn.)

    Gum Drops:

    • 2 Tablespoons of unflavored gelatin powder (Knox or Great Lakes are generally regarded as being okay if you’re not super sensitive to corn, again no affiliation with Amazon, just linking for reference)
    • 1/2 cup of cold water
    • 3/4 cup of boiling water
    • 2 cups of sugar
    • extra sugar for coating the gum drops
    • a bit of safe for you oil to coat the container in which you’ll cool your gum drops
    • a container about 4 inches by 8 inches in which to cool your gum drops (I used two sandwich sized Rubbermaid food storage containers so my gum drops were a little thinner than normal.) 

    Grease your container to cool your gum drops with your safe oil.

    In a large pot, add the gelatin and cold water.  Whisk them together until the gelatin is completely moistened. Let the gelatin and water mixture sit for five minutes.

    Add the boiling water and whisk until the gelatin dissolves.  Add the sugar and stir it into the gelatin mixture.

    Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, and boil for 25 minutes.

    Pour the mixture into your greased container and mix in the food coloring, extract and essential oil, until it is thoroughly combined.

    Cover the container and put it in the fridge overnight to set.

    Take out the container and use a knife dipped in hot water to cut 3/4 inch squares. I found it easiest to take the whole gum drop sheet out of the container (which is no small feat) and place it on a greased plastic cutting board and cut them on the board.

    Roll the cubes in sugar on all sides and place them on waxed paper or parchment paper (whatever is safest for you, those allergic to corn may have trouble with waxed paper), and let them dry at room temperature for two days to let the sugar dry and the gum drop harden a bit.

    Enjoy!

    Gum Drops
    Gum Drops – Photo by J. Andrews

     

  • Gluten-free, vegan Apple Fritters

    Glorious apple fritters with powdered sugar snow
    Glorious apple fritters with powdered sugar snow

    I have to admit, I spend a lot of fall jealous of people eating cider doughnuts and apple treats of all sorts. It’s part of a day out in the fall — stop at an orchard, get some fried appley things, eat bliss. Nowadays, I get cider, which is great, but somehow not as filling. Lucky for me, I think apple crisp is the pinnacle of baked apple dishes, as that’s super easy to take the gluten out of — it’s not meant to hold together. It’s meant to go in a bowl with ice cream and just be brilliant. But it’s not a fried apple treat of any kind, and I missed those.

    So when Denise and I decided to have another day of frying everything, apple fritters were on my mind. I think it’s been years and years since I had one, so I’m not entirely sure these are “traditional,” but they were tasty, and they kept well in the oven (set down at 170ºF) while we made the rest of the fried things. I’d love to tell you how they did a day later or frozen, but I can’t. We ate them all. I’m not big on food guilt anyway, but I can say that if you fry things maybe three times a year, you can’t really feel bad about eating everything.

    How many fritters you get will depend on how big you make them, and there’s really not a lot of measuring the mess into the oil. Just try to make them similar sizes so that they can be done about the same time. I’m not sure an exact count would be possible anyway — you’ll be eating them as soon as they are cool enough, way too fast to count, anyway, unless you have inhuman strength. The recipe is loosely based on the Chai-Spiced Pancakes recipe on The Canary Files, which is my go-to pancake recipe (my favorite thing about it is that you need to make it the night before and let it sit in the fridge overnight. I LOVE that. I don’t really do mornings so much as mornings happen to me.) For a fritter batter, though, I’ve altered it quite a bit, and then dunked it in hot oil; I’m just saying don’t expect health food.

    Batter, Frying, Draining (and absorbing sugar)
    Batter, Frying, Draining (and absorbing sugar)

    Gluten-free, Vegan Apple Fritters

    • 3/4 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour, blend of your choice (THIS is my go-to)
    • 1 Tablespoon sugar
    • 1 Tablespoon baking powder (corn-free, if you need it)
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
    • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
    • 2 1/2 cups rice milk, DIVIDED (if you make this by hand, add slightly less water than called for, about a 1:1 ratio of cooked rice to water, and strain it really well for a thicker texture that is so much better for baking)
    • 1 Tablespoon of chia seeds, ground, mixed with 3 Tablespoons warm water to form a chia egg
    • 1 scraped vanilla bean (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
    • 2 Tablespoons light olive oil (regular will be fine, you just might taste it a bit)
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground psyllium husk
    • 4 medium apples, peeled, cored, and shredded (medium=baseball-sized)
    • powdered sugar for dusting. Really, don’t even bother to mention this, just sift or sprinkle it on.

    Mix the dry ingredients (AP flour to nutmeg) together well. Add 1 1/2 cups rice milk, chia egg, vanilla bean, olive oil, and psyllium. Mix well, adding more rice milk if needed. Then put in the fridge for an hour. It will thicken considerably. Add the rest of the rice milk and stir in the apples. You want a thick dough, sort of like regular gluten-containing muffin batter would be, so pay attention as you add the liquids.

    Heat a pot of oil to 370ºF. Drop the fritter batter in by spoonfuls, making sure not to crowd the fritters. If you use two spoons, you can sort of flatten or spread the fritters as you form them, making them more UFO saucer shape than rounds, and this will mean the insides cook better. They WILL stick together or stick to the sides of the pot, so bounce them around enough to make sure they don’t. Flip a few times, and see how they brown. You may have to test a few — I’m not giving you a cooking time as it varies widely based on how thick each fritter is, but after 3 or 4, you’ll have the hang of it.

    When they are nicely golden brown, remove them to a paper towel-lined plate or tray to drain. Let the oil return to 370ºF, if need be, before doing the next batch. An oven turned down as low as it goes (170ºF on my oven) will keep them nicely warm until you’ve finished all of them.

    Dust liberally with powdered sugar and no longer feel left out.

     

  • Chunky Mustard Refrigerator Pickles

    Chunky Mustard Refrigerator Pickles
    Chunky Mustard Refrigerator Pickles

    So here’s another canning inspired recipe, because these pickles were really a winner. I used the recipe from the Ball Complete Guide to Home Preserving, but modified it to leave out the ClearJel (which is modified corn starch) and to substitute the distilled white vinegar for apple cider vinegar instead. I did water bath can them originally, but I’ve rewritten the recipe here for a much smaller quantity and so that you can do them as a refrigerator pickle for those of you who don’t can. These would be great to do as a part of your appetizer plate for Thanksgiving. They’ll need to sit in the refrigerator for a week or so to absorb the flavors, so start them now for Thanksgiving.

    Makes 1 quart.

    • 2 cups of a mix of zucchini and summer squash, washed, trimmed of stem and blossom ends, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (you can use pickling cukes, but they are harder to get this time of year)
    • 1 2/3 cups of onions, chopped
    • 1/2 Tablespoon and 1/4 teaspoon of canning salt or sea salt (nothing with any additives)
    • 1/2 cup and 1/3 cup of sugar
    • 1/2 Tablespoon and 1/4 teaspoon of ground mustard
    • 3/4 teaspoons of ground ginger
    • 3/4 teaspoons of ground turmeric
    • 1 1/2 Tablespoons of water
    • 1/2 cup, 1 Tablespoon and 1/2 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar (safest for those allergic to corn is probably Bragg’s)
    • 1/4 of a red bell pepper  (put the rest in your freezer in a zip top freezer bag and use it the next time you make pasta sauce or chili)

    In a non-reactive bowl (stainless steel or glass), mix the zucchini and summer squash and onions. Sprinkle them with the canning or sea salt, cover and let them stand at room temperature for an hour or so.  Transfer the vegetables to a strainer/colander over the sink and drain them well.

    In a non-reactive (stainless steel or ceramic or enamel, do not use aluminum or cast iron) sauce pan, combine the sugar, mustard, ginger, and turmeric. Stir well, gradually blending in the water. Add the vinegar and red bell pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often to dissolve the sugar. Add the drained vegetable mixture and return to a boil for two minutes.

    Ladle the mixture into a non-reactive heat safe container (beware that putting them in a plastic container will cause the plastic to be permanently dyed yellow with the turmeric). Your best bet is probably a mason jar or glass container with a lid.  Just make sure to warm up the jar/container with some hot water (don’t leave the water in the container, just put the hot water in the container to warm it up and then dump it out) before putting the hot veggies and brine into it. Put a lid on the container and let it sit on the counter until it reaches room temperature, and then place it in the refrigerator for a week.

    In a week, enjoy the fruits of your labors!

     

    Chunky Mustard Refrigerator Pickles
    Chunky Mustard Refrigerator Pickles

  • Slow Cooker Pork Roast

    Slow Cooker Pork Roast with roasted broccoli and mashed sweet potatoes
    Slow Cooker Pork Roast with roasted broccoli and mashed sweet potatoes

    It’s set-it-and-forget-it season! Actually, the crock pot is good all year, but because it makes pots of lovely hot food, I think people associate it more with winter than summer. I know I do. The first thing I thought when I saw pork roasts on sale was “slow cooker.” But I didn’t really want barbeque. Nothing wrong with it, but it’s a flavor I’m bored of before the leftovers are gone. Molasses is a fall obsession of mine — while the world goes crazy for “pumpkin spice” everything, I want to drown in molasses (not literally. That stuff kills. Science!). So I started with molasses and went from there. Balsamic vinegar and some spices add up to earthy and hearty.

    This pork roast will make a lot of leftovers, if it’s just one or two of you, or it’ll feed a crowd. And it is quick enough to be made first thing in the morning. I served this with some roasted broccoli and sweet potatoes — I hope to share the sweet potatoes as soon as I work out some kinks with that recipe. Pork and sweet potatoes are great together, and broccoli goes with everything.

    Slow Cooker Pork Roast with roasted broccoli and mashed sweet potatoes on Surviving the Food Allergy Apocalypse
    Slow Cooker Pork Roast with roasted broccoli and mashed sweet potatoes

    Slow Cooker Pork Roast

    • oil to grease the crock
    • 1 sweet onion, halved and sliced thin
    • 1/2 teaspoon of oil
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 2-2.5 lb center cut boneless pork roast, fat side up
    • 1 Tablespoon molasses
    • 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
    • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
    • 1/4 teaspoon mustard
    • 1/2 cup broth or stock, whatever you have on hand
    • 1/4 cup hot water
    • fresh ground pepper, to your taste (I used about 1/2 a teaspoon, not that I measured)

    Grease the crock of your slow cooker. Add the sliced onion to the bottom, and drizzle on the 1/2 teaspoon of oil and the 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

    Place the pork roast on top of the onions, with the fat side up (I do not trim this for the slow cooker — it’s good flavor).

    In a small dish or right in a measuring cup, whisk or stir with a fork the next 7 ingredients (molasses through the broth/stock). Pour this over the roast. Use the last 1/4 cup of water to rinse all the seasoning out of the measuring cup, and pour this along the side (don’t rinse off the seasoning that landed atop the pork roast!). Grind the pepper right on top.

    Cover and cook all day. Or, you know, 4-6 hours on high, 6-8 hours on low.

    When this is done, take just the meat out. Attempt to slice it, and find out that it will shred instead. After breaking it up, put it back in the liquid you cooked it in, and stir well. This lets the meat soak up a little more of the cooking liquid to serve.

    Alternately, you could also make a starch slurry (starch of your choice mixed with water, 1:2 ratio) and add that to the liquid for the last 30 minutes or so of cooking — this will give you more of a gravy consistency.

    Serve with side dishes of your choice — roasted veg would be great, but go wild. You’re coming home to dinner almost done.

     

  • Thai Hot and Sweet Dipping Sauce

     

    Thai Hot and Sweet Dipping Sauce
    Thai Hot and Sweet Dipping Sauce

    As many of you know, I’ve been canning for well over a year now because it was the only way to replace commercial condiments that I could no longer buy at the grocery store because of the whole corn thing. When I saw this recipe in the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving (you can also find it at this link) I knew I had to make it because I loved that sauce. And I made it, and it was good. Really good. So good that you want to dip all fried food in it. Seriously, dairy-free, gluten-free, fried onion rings are so good dipped in this stuff). I shared a jar with Mary Kate, and she discovered that it’s awesome when used as a salad dressing. So when she ran out, she asked me for help in converting the recipe to a reasonable amount that she could just put in the fridge, as she did not want to learn to can and have nine 8 ounce jars hanging around her apartment. (If you do want to make it in quantity and can it, follow the recipe at the link above.) Since it’s free of the top eight allergens, complies with each of our restrictions, and is fantastic, I thought I’d share the refrigerator version.

    Thai Hot and Sweet Dipping Sauce

    Makes a little less than 2 cups.

    • 4 1/2 teaspoons of finely chopped garlic
    • 1/2 teaspoon and a pinch of salt
    • 1 cup, 3 Tablespoons, and 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar (safest for those allergic to corn is probably Bragg’s)
    • 1 cup, 3 Tablespoons, and 1 teaspoon of sugar
    • 4 1/2 teaspoons of hot pepper flakes

    Combine the garlic and salt in a small bowl, and set it aside.

    In a non-reactive (stainless steel or ceramic or enamel, do not use aluminum or cast iron) sauce pot, add the apple cider vinegar and bring it to a boil.  Add your sugar and stir with a non-reactive utensil (wooden, rubber, nylon or silicone spatula or spoon), until the sugar is fully dissolved into the vinegar. Reduce the heat and boil gently for about 5 minutes or so. Add the garlic mixture and hot pepper flakes and stir well. Reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the sauce pan from the heat and let it cool until it is safe to put it into a storage container. Place it in the refrigerator to store.

    Thai Hot and Sweet Dipping Sauce
    Thai Hot and Sweet Dipping Sauce

    Go fry all the things, and dip the fried things in this stuff, or dump it on your salad. You won’t be sorry.

     

  • Potato Curry Soup

    Potato Curry Soup (on the moon!)
    Potato Curry Soup (on the moon!)

    Apparently, I first made this recipe in September 2007 — I’m an historian, so I do tend to date all my notes. I never really finished it, though. Like so many things, I made it once, liked it enough to sketch down sorta kinda what I did and what I threw into the pot, and never looked back at it. But this is why good notes are important right?

    For this time of year, when “cool” feels “cold” because of transitions in temperature, a nice soup with warming spices might be the most perfect dinner. Also, the house smells amazing. As a finishing note, I add coconut milk, just a bit, to give it a richer, creamier curry flavor, though this is not necessary. I am reasonably sure that most non-dairy milks would work here, though I’m not sure rice milk would add much (and don’t use “light” coconut milk — it adds very little). But I think it’s fine without the added non-dairy milk, too. Because of the optional coconut milk, I’ve confusingly tagged this with a “tree nut warning” as well as “nut-free.” It depends on how you make it; do what works for you.

    I basically took my forever-perfect combination for soup (onions, potatoes, carrots, celery) and changed up the seasonings to a mad fantastic curry blend. The spice of this soup stays mainly in the broth, which is a nice play against the earthy vegetables and beans. When you taste it to adjust seasonings, taste the broth AND a potato or carrot; they balance.

    Because this is a big pot, mix it up as you work through the leftovers. A handful of spinach added before re-heating is pretty awesome. I’ve also used a serving, with lots of broth, poured over fish and simmered until the fish is done. I like to get a little creative with leftovers.

     

    Potato Curry Soup
    Potato Curry Soup

    Curry Potato Soup

    • 1-1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
    • 1/4 of an onion, softball-sized, chopped (between 1/2 and 3/4 cup)
    • 2 cloves of garlic, pressed or chopped finely
    • 1 good chunk of ginger, one inch around (size of a walnut), finely minced or micro-planed
    • 1 Tablespoon curry powder (choose sweet if you like it mild, hot if you like that)
    • 1/2 Tablespoon turmeric
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional, but I’d suggest adding at least a pinch)
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt (if you’re using commercial broth, use 1/4 teaspoon then taste)
    • 1/4 of a bell pepper (about 1/2 a cup)
    • 4 stalks celery, chopped
    • 3 carrots, chopped
    • 3 medium potatoes, small cubed (smaller than dice, about 3 1/2 cups). If you want a super creamy soup, peel your potatoes. If you’re lazy like me, or want the fiber, leave the skins on. It’s up to you.
    • 2 cups or one can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
    • 6-8 cups broth or stock, vegetable or chicken
    • 1/4 cup coconut milk, unsweetened and unflavored, optional
    • additional hot sauce, if that’s your thing, optional

    Heat a large stock pot over medium heat. Add oil to your stock pot for a good thick coat (hence the range), and let that heat until shimmery. Add your onion and cook until translucent.

    Add the ginger and garlic, stir well, and cook until fragrant. Add about 1/4 of a cup of broth and stir well, making sure to scrape up any of the garlic and ginger that stuck to the bottom.

    Add all the spices and stir well.

    Add the pepper, celery, and carrots, stir well, and cook for 5 minutes or so. Add potatoes, stir until completely coated with spices, then add the beans and stir again. Add the rest of the broth, covering your soup ingredients completely, stir well, and cover until it comes to a boil. Do this over medium heat. When you’ve reached the boil, turn the heat down to low and simmer until the potatoes are fully cooked and starting to break down a little — about 30 minutes.

    Stir soup well, and taste. Add salt, if needed, and then add the coconut milk, if using (or use another non-dairy milk here) and hot sauce if everyone wants it. If you do like it really spicy, I’d recommend harissa here.

    Enjoy. This soup reheats fantastically, but I’ve never frozen it.

     

     

     

     

  • Dry Rub for Barbecue

     

    Dry Rub for Barbecue
    Dry Rub for Barbecue

     

    This one’s pretty simple, but often the rubs and seasonings that you can buy pre-mixed at the grocery store have something I’m not supposed to have, whether it’s citric acid for flavor, or a filler, or an anti-flow agent that happens to be derived from corn, wheat or milk. I can’t tell you how ticked off I was to find that one of my favorite taco seasonings had lactose in it. I’ve given this a try on some boneless pork ribs and I bet it’d be great on chicken, but I can’t find out since I’m allergic to chicken. I really liked the bark (the crispy browned bits) the rub gave to the pork. I mixed just enough as listed in the ingredients below to cover two pieces of pork about six to eight inches long and about  five inches wide, because I live in an apartment and they won’t let me put a grill on my second floor balcony. If you grill a lot, you might want to double or triple the recipe so that you can have it on hand. This is also pretty great on roasts and stuff you broil in the oven since we’re getting pretty close to only indoor cooking time of year. The recipe below makes about a third of a cup or so.

    Dry Rub for Barbecue

    • 2 Tablespoon of brown sugar
    • 1 Tablespoon of kosher salt
    • 1/2 Tablespoon of ground cumin
    • 1/2 Tablespoon of paprika
    • 1/2 Tablespoon of garlic powder
    • 1/2 Tablespoon of onion powder
    • 1/2 Tablespoon of chili powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
    • 1/2 teaspoon of white pepper
    • 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne

    Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix well with a fork or a whisk until everything is completely blended.  Wow, that was easy wasn’t it?  Put it in an air-tight container to store.

    To use it, simply coat your cut of meat with it and put it on the grill or roast or broil it in the oven.  If you’d like to use it with vegetables, I’d coat the veggies in a safe oil first, and then coat them in the rub.

    Dry Rub for Barbecue on Boneless Pork Ribs
    Dry Rub for Barbecue on Boneless Pork Ribs

  • Mung Bean Patties

    Mung Bean Patties with roasted potatoes
    Mung Bean Patties with roasted potatoes

    This recipe is actually perfect for coming out of last week, as, like so many things that happened last week it arose out of the ashes of me screwing something up because I did not know what I was doing and was not paying attention. Last week was just that kind of week. I need a nap. Or a vacation.

    A few years ago, I’d bought mung beans, dried, because I understood that they could be cooked relatively quickly, like lentils. So I put them in a pot with water, on a burner, and then wandered off to do something else. By the time I came back, I had mush instead of beans. Oops. So I made a bean loaf. You know, like meatloaf, but without vegetarian. The thing is, “bean loaf” sounds kind of gross, and baking this in a loaf meant you only had a few edges. Plus, it wasn’t really that successful at holding its shape when sliced.

    You really should soak the beans overnight, so far as I can tell, but you can also just dump a kettle of boiling water over them and soak them for about an hour. They will plump up quite nicely. They are “done” cooking when they are starting to fall apart but haven’t actually fallen apart yet.

    Since then, I’ve refined this so that I have less bean mush and more mushy beans, and revised the add-in vegetables and seasonings somewhat to create a flavorful bean-based patty. Actually, if you make them my way, they’re more ball-shaped, but bean balls isn’t appetizing either. We’ll go with patties. This recipe makes 16 patties measured out by a 1/2 cup ice cream scoop. These store and reheat well, but I have not tried freezing them. Structural integrity is still low, but they taste good, and who cares if your patty falls apart a bit? You already have a fork on hand.

    Soaked Mung Beans before cooking
    Soaked Mung Beans before cooking

     

    Mung Bean Patties

    • 2 cups dry mung beans, soaked overnight or covered in boiling water and soaked an hour
    • 3-4 carrots
    • 1/4 of a bell pepper (use up to half if you really love the flavor)
    • 1 bunch (6-8) scallions
    • 1 portobello mushroom cap
    • 2 cups fresh parsley leaves
    • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon tarragon (crush the leaves as you add it)
    • 1 teaspoon thyme (also crush this as you add it)
    • 1 Tablespoon basil
    • 1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt (to taste)

    Put soaked mung beans in a saucepan and cover with water so that there’s about an inch of water over the mung beans. Put over high heat, covered, and bring to a boil. Boil 8-10 minutes, turn to low, and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes. Water should be completely absorbed, and beans should be slightly mushy but not entirely without structural integrity at this point. Remove from heat, remove cover, and let cool while you prep the veg.

    Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

    Using a food processor, grind up all the veg. You can do this any way you like, but here’s what works for me — I use the shredder attachment for the carrots and bell pepper, and then put the S-blade in to grind them up a bit more. The scallions and parsley will need liquid, so add the oil or vinegar to this. The mushroom should be fine with just the S-blade.

    Add the ground vegetables and all the seasonings, along with the mung beans, to a large bowl. Stir well, longer than you think you should, and then use your hands to really work the beans.

    There are two ways to form patties — either grease a muffin tin and fill it, or make scoops with an ice cream scoop and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or greased lightly. Make sure to pack the bean patties/balls together as you form them — these won’t be masterpieces that will stay together through a coming apocalypse, but they will hold their form as you dump them out of the muffin tins.

    Bake 15 minutes, then enjoy.

    Mung Bean Patties
    Mung Bean Patties