Hunger is Unacceptable

If you've been reading regularly, you know that as a member of the Austin Food Bloggers Alliance, I've been participating in a project with the Capital Area Food Bank. We've been trying to come up with cost-effective, nutritious recipes that a person who receives SNAP (food stamps/Lone Star Card in Texas) benefits could make to maximize their dollars.

Behold the power of the black bean! Ideally, you've budgeted not only your money, but your time to cook up a pot of beans from scratch. Dry beans, water, a little salt, and you have a great-protein filled dish. If you can add an inexpensive ham hock or salt pork, you can add more flavor. Heck even an onion adds more flavor to the pot!

But black beans on their own aren't as interesting as they are when you start adding things to them. This black bean salad is a staple for me. And it's easy. And you can use whatever vegetables (in whatever quantity you like) you have on hand. For this, I have used one 14-15 oz. can black beans (drained and rinsed; no I did not budget my time well so I could cook dry beans from scratch!), various bell peppers, diced, a jalapeno, diced, corn (fresh, frozen or canned is fine; you can also toast it lightly in a skillet), red onion and jicama, diced, cilantro, minced. I like a simple mixture of a little ground cumin, lime juice, and olive oil to just add a little punch of Latin flavor. Salt and pepper to taste, and you're done. Nice side dish, and plus if you make a big batch, it will last a few days in the fridge. Or you can make this into a salsa, by adding some fresh or canned diced tomatoes.

Next option, take this black bean salad, and add cooked quinoa and stretch it that much further. Quinoa? What? Quinoa is technically a seed that hails from the Incan civilization; it's a cousin to beets and spinach, which may explain why it is so nutritious. A portion of quinoa has a serving of protein, as well as your daily amino acids, something that rice or couscous can't offer. It's cooked like rice too, basically two parts water to one part quinoa; I add a little salt or sometimes some broth for flavor, and it's ready in about 15-20 minutes. It's great on it's own, but because it's flavor is mild, it's a nice healthy addition to dishes. A pound of quinoa from a grocery store's bulk foods department runs about $2, and that makes a LOT of quinoa. It's a cheap thrill fill. So here's the black bean salad with quinoa added.

From here, you could change it up from one night to the next, and make these into black bean and quinoa burgers. I've added two eggs, about 1/4 cup of flour (both for binding; I've tried it with only one egg, and it really needs both), about a cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Mix it well, and heat a skillet over medium heat with about a tablespoon of oil. With your hands, form a ball (about a tennis ball sized) of mixture, place into the skillet, and then press down to form a patty. I have found this works better than trying to form a patty by hand. Repeat with remaining mixture. Cook about 3 - 4 minutes per side, until they are golden and crispy. Remove from heat and serve. Great with a salad or side of roast veggies. If you make a big batch, they reheat pretty well in the microwave.

I had followed a recipe for these at one time, and now I sort of wing it. But here's what I think is the latest version! Enjoy, and happy eating!

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Black Bean + Quinoa Burgers

Makes about 8

1/4 cup green onion (scallions), sliced OR red onion, diced

1/2 - 3/4 cup bell peppers of choice, diced

1 ear corn, kernels removed from cob (or 1/2 cup frozen or canned)

1 jalapeno, minced

1 can (14 - 15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained (or 2 cups beans, prepared from dry beans)

2 cups cooked & cooled quinoa

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 Tbsp. lime juice

3 Tbsp. olive oil, plus additional for cooking

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup flour

Salt and pepper to taste

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-- Combine onion, bell peppers, corn, jalapeno and black beans in a large bowl.*

-- Add quinoa, and toss to combine.

-- In a small bowl, whisk together the cumin, a pinch of salt, and lime juice; add olive oil and pour over mixture.

-- Add cheese, eggs, and flour, and toss.

-- Heat skillet over medium heat; add about 1 tablespoon of oil.

-- With your hands, made about a tennis ball-sized ball and place in skillet; flatten with hands and repeat, to fill skillet.

-- Cook 3 – 4 minutes per side, until golden and crispy.

-- Place on wire rack in low temp oven to keep warm while finishing cooking.

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*If desired, vegetables can be sauteed in skillet with a little olive oil to soften before adding to beans.

 
 

Beets Raw Foods Cafe

I met a friend for dinner last week, and we both wanted healthy, so we met at Beets Living Foods Cafe. I didn't really know what to expect, but upon walking in, I immediately liked the modern lines and styling. It's also a large physical space, with ample parking, once I figured out where it was! (They're on West 5th Street between Mopac and Lamar, on the ground level of the 5th Street Commons building; drive (slowly) past the restaurant, then turn right, and go straight back; you can either park in the covered/indoor lot and take the back door into Beets, or behind the building.)

My friend had been a couple times before, so she told me about a few of her favorites, and I had the waitress tell me some of hers. I picked the nori rolls and a small Asian salad, and my friend had the carrot ginger soup (one of her and the waitress' favorites) and a large Asian salad; the salads can be prepared mild or spicy, and I went for spicy.

M's carrot soup came first, and it was really good! Nice ginger flavor, especially since I find ginger often gets lost in dishes like that. Couldn't help but wonder how it would be warmed up! (Remember, this is a RAW foods experience!)

Our salads were next. These have cabbage, kelp noodles, sea veggies, carrots, green onion, cilantro, radish, broccoli, and a sweet spicy miso dressing. Tasty, crunchy, the dressing was good; all very fresh.

But wait! What happened to my rolls? I had to ask about them because since they are listed as an appetizer, I thought they had been forgotten.... the waitress said they take a long time to assemble, so they were coming. This would have been nice to know up front, but oh well.  They did finally arrive, and I will say they were gorgeous, though difficult to eat.  Because of all the little julienned pieces, you really had to put the whole thing in your mouth or risk everything falling out. These were carrots, red cabbage, sprouts, and a "mock" tuna, made from some sort of almond paste, I believe.

And I was instructed to leave room for dessert. They have a case full of different options, but my friend definitely had her eye on the chocolate cheesecake. I got a brownie with mint chocolate chip ice cream. The ice cream  is made from a nut milk blend, and sweetened with raw agave nectar. The brownie had cacao nibs, dates, and I can't remember what else. I liked the ice cream, the brownie was ok... bit different texturally than what I am used to. The cheesecake however, was AMAZING! I didn't catch what was in it, but the texture was silky smooth, and the flavor was great. Almost better than any "real" cheesecake I've ever had.

It was a good meal, and I left feeling satiated. However, within an hour of getting home, I was totally craving a hamburger....

Bits and Bites

And, in this week's news:

In case you really can't figure out where to go eat, the Austin Chronicle Restaurant Poll came out last week. It's always fun to see what the readers and critics picked, and of course, I always have to agreed and disagree with some of the picks. (Like this year's new number one restaurant??) Bookmark the page, or hurry up and find the glossy print copy, and make more lists of all the places you want to try!

Man Up Texas BBQ has announced their 2nd Annual Texas Monthly BBQ Festival will be October 30th on the City Terrace at the Long Center.  I've got to go to this! A friend went last year and said it was phenomenal. Porky goodness! 

The USDA has finally realized that overcooked pork is not tasty. They have lowered the recommended cooking temp of pork from 160 degrees Fahrenheit to 145 with a 3 minute rest. Read the National Pork Board's update on it.

Now through June 28, when you shop at area HEB grocery stores, you can add $1, $3, or $5 to your grocery bill total to help support the Capital Area Food Bank. HEB is a big supporter of the CAFB, and it's great to see them involving their customer base.

Openings

-- Hoover's (some of the best down home cooking in town) has embarked on a healthier venture, based off of homegrown produce. The Soular garden is at 12th and Waller, and will also be accompanied by a food truck of the same name.

-- Olivia, one of my favorite brunch spots, will now be open on Saturday and Sunday for brunch, beginning June 4th; read their newsletter announcement. Because of this, they will now be closed for Friday lunches.
-- And speaking of Olivia, owner/chef James Holmes is about to have another restaurant named for another one of his daughters: Lucy's Fried Chicken will open later this year on College Avenue (off of SoCo, running into Oltorf), in the site of the former Nueva Onda.

Closings

-- Fortune, the huge Chinese and dim sum restaurant, in the Chinatown complex up north. According to their Facebook page, they'll become a site for event rentals. Bummer.

Noble Pig

I had heard of Noble Pig's existence when they opened last fall, and quietly bemoaned their location on 620, off of 183, as an area I never go to. As in: way, way far northwest Austin. Hence, seven, eight months down the road, I still hadn't been. That's all changed as of last night, and I would now actually make a pilgrimage up there! I was invited to a gathering, along with several other bloggers and food writers for a tasting that has totally raised the bar on local sandwiches.

We began with an offering of their different sausages and pate.

From twelve o'clock, the sweet Italian sausage with a nice sprinkling of fennel; Shiner Bock Bratwurst, a milder flavor, with cream and eggs incorporated into the pork along with allspice; the thinner (in diameter) linguisa, which had a softer texture than other linguisas I've had -- a great smokiness and mild spiciness to it; housemade grainy mustard; quenelle of pork liver pate, with house-cured bacon and roast pork shoulder ground up in it; toast points; and in the middle of the plate, pickled onions and cuke. Their pickled veggies were an accompaniment on almost all the plates, and they really are a great foil for the meats; they also sell them in the case up front, along with some sweet temptations. The linguisa and pate really stood out to me!

And into breakfast. They provided tastes of two offerings: chorizo and fried egg on white bread, and a biscuit pocket-sandwich, with pecan smoked pulled pork and red onions baked inside. The chorizo was tasty, and I did okay with the fried egg, though they are not my favorite thing. The biscuit though, blew me away! (I think ALL of us, really!) What a great concept, a portable breakfast sandwich; I am going to have to steal the idea, and try making something similar for myself. The biscuit was nice and tender, and the meat really had nice flavor. Want. Now.

Then jumped right into the sandwich offerings. And they make all of their own breads too. Starting with duck pastrami (on the left), which was really nice and smokey, on white bread with the pickles and Russian dressing.  

The namesake Noble Pig on wheat (on the right, above), housecured ham, bacon and pulled pork with provolone. I really liked it, but after so much food, I can't seem to tell you much more about it...

Thai Chicken (on left), a stewed chicken in a broth of star anise, lemongrass. Really great flavor, especially from the lemongrass. Not your ordinary chicken sandwich.

Beef tongue (on right, above), that's braised for seven hours, sliced, and seared; dressed with smoked paprika, roasted red peppers, and a horseradishy mustard (apparently it tastes of horseradish because it's so fresh). I have only had tongue a couple of times, but this was amazingly tender. Made with love. Here's the full-sized version.

And I think this was the duck.

Almost stuffed, we headed into the homestretch with the desserts, and we're not talking chocolate chip cookies either (not that there's anything wrong with a good cc cookie!). The buttermilk basil pie was incredible. Nice crust, good custard consistency, and just amazing what some basil can do to it. The French toast had a blueberry compote and Nutella sandwiched inside. And the pecan meringue had five spice chocolate pudding as it's filling. The five spice powder gave the chocolate great flavor, and it's another idea I will steal from them the next time I do pudding.

Noble Pig is owned/chef-ed by John Bates and Brandon Martinez, both of whom are culinary school grads, and have experience at a variety of local restaurants. John said they're looking to expand; they've already outgrown their current spot, and I think would ideally like to knock down a wall if a neighbor tenant were to go out. They're currently in a gas station strip mall on 620 and El Salido Parkway, not the sexiest of locales, and this certainly proves excellent food doesn't have to be sexy. They're considering another location south, so of course I push for South Austin, but even if they get to central Austin, that'd be good for me. (It took me an hour to get there, going up Mopac to 183 in 5 pm rush hour traffic; fortunately, only 20 minutes to get home, but I don't envy people who have to do that every day.) While I doubt I'll be there for 6 am breakfast anytime soon, yes, it is worth the drive.


And if this wasn't well timed: the Austin Chronicle Restaurant Poll came out today. Noble Pig was awarded the "Restaurant We Most Wish Was in Central Austin" pick by the critics. Yes, please!

 

Bits and Bites

Mostly reposts from my Twittering, but bits and bites to pass along. Will try to make this a weekly segment!

-- P Terry's has opened a new location at South Congress and Ben White/290. I believe it's at the northwest corner, by the Shell gas station. Eater Austin has more, here. Hopefully they've designed it so the overflow of cars waiting in line are along the side street, and not actually blocking traffic on SoCo, or the 290 access road. Cross your fingers!

-- Although they moved from just off Lake Austin Blvd to way out on Bee Caves two years ago, Zoot is closing. The owners will transform it into BC Tavern, says Forklore/Mike Sutter. I hadn't eaten there since the move, but as they say, all good things must come to an end.

-- The Cooking Channel's show Eat St. is currently in town filming various food trailers. Show them some love! The camera will love the very charismatic Iba, owner of Cazamance, where they'll be tomorrow evening. He's a good guy too. :)

-- Looks like the Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival has now become the Austin Food and Wine Festival, targeted for March 30 - April 1, 2012. Read more from Sutter.

-- Congrats to Barley Swine, named best new restaurant in all of Texas, by Texas Monthly magazine!

-- And while this isn't local news, the National Pork Board is giving away a year's supply of PORK to a lucky winner! Enter here by May 31st, and if YOU win, you must share with me!