Blog — bird + cleaver

There have been a few really big adjustments in the last few weeks. L and I both got new jobs! Yes, it's going to be great, but it also means we all have to get accustomed to the rigors of a new and unfamiliar schedule. So, what we need from all of you is, to please bear with us if it takes an extra couple of days for us to get something new up here on B&C. We promise it will be worth it! As far as we are concerned, one of our biggest struggles thus far has been not caving in to convenience for our meals. Just finding (or making) the extra time to create something healthy that's worthy of brown baggin' has been a little difficult with our new time constraints. But, we shall overcome.

This dish was created during a 30 minute window of opportunity. Pretty good for for 2-3 days worth of lunches! It is infinitely adaptable (as always) and super simple. We used farro and quinoa, however, just about any combination of grains would work. Play around with it, make it your own. Just please, whatever you do, don't call it a burger.

veggies & grain patty

1 cup carrot, finely chopped

1 cup white onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup green onion, sliced thin

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

1 1/2 cups cooked black eye peas

2 1/2 cups cooked farro

1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa

1/3 cup dry white wine

1/3 cup tahini

1 Tb soy sauce

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp turmeric

Juice of 1 lemon

1 Tb cider vinegar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

In a medium saute pan combine carrot, onions, and garlic with about a Tb of olive oil. Saute over med/high heat until just soft. Add wine and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat and place in large bowl. Add peas, farro, quinoa and parsley to bowl. In a separate bowl combine remaining ingredients, whisk to combine. Add tahini mixture to large bowl, mix to combine. Form into patties, place on a non-stick cookie sheet and place in fridge to set up. About 1 hour. Serve it up.

These patties are pretty delicate, so we chose to eat them cold. We would surmise, that if one was careful, pan frying could certainly be a tasty possibility! Enjoy.

Ya know, there is really nothing funny about this recipe. No silly anecdote or cute personal reference on how this came to be. Nope, just a couple of classic flavors joined together on top of one of the worlds greatest inventions, flatbread. Good stuff. To be perfectly honest, this recipe is nothing more one than a " just throw something in the oven" standby that we often take for granted. Well, a variation of it at least. This time, we actually decided to take a minute and write down actual amounts of ingredients. What a concept!

We chose L's flatbread (because it is the best) as the vessel for all this goodness, but any ol' pizza crust or pita would do. Really, you don't even need one. Put it on your eggs, spread it on a sandwich, dip a carrot in it, eat it on a cracker. Hell, eat it straight out of the pan. Or, all of the above. It's versatile, you'll figure it out.

roasted tomato & eggplant flatbread

1 med eggplant

1 32oz. can crushed tomatoes

3 garlic cloves minced

2 tsp paprika

1 Tb lemon juice

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp coriander

your favorite flatbread, etc....

garnish

feta cheese

flat leaf parsley

cilantro
toasted cumin seed

Preheat oven to 400. rub a small amount of oil on a 9x13 pan. Slice eggplant in half lengthwise, sprinkle with kosher salt, and place skin side up on the pan. Combine together tomato, lemon juice and spices, add to pan. Place pan in oven and roast for 45-50 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully scoop out the eggplant from skin. Add eggplant back to tomato mixture, mix well. Spread mixture onto bread/crust, top with feta and return to oven. Bake until golden brown. Garnish w/ parsley, cilantro, cumin seeds, and a sprinkle of kosher salt. Eat that thang!