Strawberry, Goat Cheese & Chocolate Balsamic Flat Bread

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Romina Moradi

It seems as though the sun has finally come out for us Vancouverites! About time I would say..after all, it is May 7th weather gods.

I’m going to go out on an optimistic limb here but I have a good feeling that the sun is here to stay. To keep the good weather coming–I’m going to share one of my absolute favorite summer recipes: Strawberry, Goat Cheese & Chocolate Balsamic Flat Bread.

I can’t describe how perfect this flat bread is for a summer day. All you need is a refreshing glass (or pitcher!) of sangria for absolute perfection. The caramelized onions, strawberries, goat cheese & mint leave the most unbelievable flavors in your mouth. The drizzled chocolate balsamic then ties everything together… in matrimony.

Pardon!? Chocolate Balsamic?

Yes ,Chocolate Balsamic. Such a thing does exist my fellow foodies! I got mine from the most adorable store called LaLa’s In my hometown Deep Cove. Regular balsamic will work just fine, however, this chocolate balsamic is out of this world. It takes this flatbread to a whole new level.

One great thing about making a flatbread is its versatility. Feel free to get creative with your flavors. I added BBQ chicken to my second flatbread. It was great, and the guys really seemed to prefer it with the chicken (go figure!). You can use whatever BBQ sauce you like, but one brand which I recommend is The Gourmet Village Beer BBQ Grilling Sauce. It also sells at Lala’s gift store in Deep Cove.

Confession : I was on a tight schedule so I used a pre-made flat bread (I hope I haven’t insulted anyone here). But any flat-bread recipe will do.

Ingredients

2 (6-inch) round or square flatbreads
olive oil for brushing
6 large strawberries, sliced

1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/4 cup chocolate balsamic vinegar

1 onion, sliced thinly
6 mint leaves, chiffonade

3 tbsp of toasted sunflower seed

Additional Toppings:

BBQ Chicken Pieces ( I used Gourmet Village Beer BBQ grilling sauce)

Directions:

1. Thinly slice the onion & caramelize on medium heat until golden brown. Roughly 15-20 minutes.

2. Place flatbread(s) on a cookie sheet and lightly brush a little olive oil on them. Distribute the strawberries on top, followed by the goat cheese & the caramelized onions when ready.

3.Drizzle a few tablespoons of the Chocolate Balsamic Syrup. (The sugars of the balsamic will come out in the oven…absolutely divine) .

4. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until just golden.

5. Sprinkle with toasted sunflower seeds & mint.

Easy, Sinful & Elegant. It’s perfection.

-r x

Sweet Potato, Almond & Cranberry Burgers

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Romina Moradi

For all of you ladies out there who are craving a burger but not the fat…I have come to the rescue with my Sweet Potato & Almond Burgers!

I can’t even describe how sinfully good these burgers are. Best part? They are loaded with vitamins & fiber.

Sweet Potato, Almond & Cranberry Burgers (Makes about 8 patties)

2 cans cannellini white beans, drained
1 large sweet potato, baked/peeled/mashed (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup wheat flour

3 cloves of galirc (diced finely)

2 tbsp of ginger (freshly grated)

50 ml of Dried Cranberries ( I used Craisins)

50 ml of Almonds (chopped up)

Panko crumbs
Canola oil for pan

Start by peeling the Sweet Potatoes, dicing them & then roasting them at 400 degrees Celsius for about 20 minutes or until “fork tender”.

While the potatoes are roasting start prepping the burger mix by grating the fresh ginger, finely dicing the garlic & chopping up the almonds. I left my dried cranberries whole-but you can also give them a fine chop if you like.

Once the potatoes are cooked, transfer them to a bowl with the beans, garlic, ginger, cranberries & almonds- give them a good mash together ( I did this in my kitchen aid mixer at low speed). If you would like to add salt, pepper or any other spices now is the time to do so!

Your patty mixture should be thick enough to form patties. If not, add in more flour until the desired consistency is reached.

Now the fun begins! Form your patties & give them a good coat in the panko bread crumbs.

Heat a frying pan with canola oil on medium-high and cook the patties until golden brown on both sides. Approx 4-5 minutes per side.

Once cooked- transfer the patties to a plate lined with paper towel.

Serve on toasted burger buns with your desired toppings! I topped mine with crisp apples & avocados!

There is no fearing beach season now.

xo r

Homemade Herbed Chicken Burgers

Posted on November 27, 2011 by Romina Moradi

Last night we decided to go support the UBC men volleyball team for their big game against Calgary. In light of this- I wanted to make some comforting Friday night game food. When thinking game food the first thing that came to my mind was a burger; a thick juicy beef patty (or two) with oozing sharp cheddar cheese & overwhelming amounts of bacon.

Yet, despite how good those would be- I decided I would do myself and all of you a favour and not be the subject of anyone’s waist lines! I needed to come up with something that would taste equally as good but would be much much healthier. I thought homemade chicken burgers would do the trick- and let me tell you they were just as satisfying! By using extra lean ground chicken in place of ground beef I was able to cut back on a ton of calories and saturated fats (this is a good option for those of you who struggle with high cholesterol).

What you will need (serves 4)

1/2 cup finely chopped white onion

Handful of crushed Almonds

2 tsp fresh grated ginger

1 egg

1/4 cup of bread crumbs ( I was out so I used 2tbsp of white flour instead)

1/4 cup diced tomatoes

2 tbsp each of chopped parsley, mint, dill & basil

2 large cloves crushed garlic

1 tsp Sirracha

1 lb extra lean ground chicken

4 whole wheat hamburger buns

4 leaves of romaine lettuce ( or mixed greens)

For Yogurt Dill Sauce:

1/2 cup yogurt (I stick with 1 %)

3 tbsp chopped till

1 tsp honey

1 small clove garlic

I first started by making the chicken patty mixture. In a large bowl I combined the extra lean ground Chicken with Tomatoes, Ginger, Onions, Almonds, Mint, Dill, Parsley, Basil, Egg, Flour & Garlic

This is where you can get creative- work with what you got! Baked yams or cranberries would also be excellent in this!

Using your hands gently combine the mixture together and form into four 1/2 inch (1cm) thick patties

Next, in a skillet heat oil over medium high heat; fry burger , turning once, until golden (or when thermometer reads 165 F) this usually takes about 10-13 minutes.

Meanwhile toast the buns and make your dill yogurt dressing; combine yogurt, dill, honey, garlic & blend until smooth. Once done-top your burger with the dill yogurt sauce.

Dress your burger to your preference!

P.S This dill yogurt sauce is not only light & refreshing but it is also a much healthier alternative to regular burger condiments such as mayo!

P.P.S Good game to the UBC men volleyball team! I was very impressed! Here is some shots from the game

Mads& I

Congrats on the win!

xo romina!

Gotta’ work with what you got

Posted on November 8, 2011 by Romina Moradi

You know those moments where you open your fridge door and stand there for a good minute or two deciding what you can possibly make out of the few most random ingredients known to man kind?

I have been so busy this week that I haven’t had time to make a proper trip to the grocery store. My fridge literally consists of black beans, onions, tomato, basil and boccincini. I felt as though I was on the Food Network show Chopped with the clock ticking towards my next class. Thankfully, I had one of those beautiful little cooking moments and I came up with this little masterpiece :).

Bocconcini Slider w/ Black Bean Spread

The bean spread was so so so good! I added Sriracha just before blending to make it spicy! However, If you don’t like spicy- skip this step.

Spicy Black Bean Spread

1 cup black beans

2 tbsp 2% greek yogurt

1 large clove of garlic

1 tsp Sriracha

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp garlic powder

In a magic bullet or blender- blend all the above ingredients together. You should be looking for a smooth yet thick consistency. If you would like it more runny feel free to add either more Greek yogurt or water. This makes about 1/2 cup of spread.

Once you have made the spread to you preferred consistency- spread about 1-2 tbsp on one side of the slider.

For the slider I used multi-grain Weight Watcher flat bread- they are light and very nutritious;one whole slider has roughly 110 calories and 4g of fiber so it does keep you quite full after.

In the meantime – add 1 tsp oil to a frying pan and add about 1/4 of a cup of white onion Cook until soft- about 4 minutes.

Add 3 slices of tomatoes to the frying pan and cook just until hot. Take off stove top.

Add cooked onions and tomatoes to the other half of the slider. drizzle with a little bit of balsamic vinegar. Top with bocconcini and place both halves in the oven.

2 (6-inch) round or square flatbreads olive oil for brushing 6 large strawberries, sliced

1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese 1/4 cup chocolate balsamic vinegar

1 onion, sliced thinly 6 mint leaves, chiffonade