Creamy Roasted Garlic Red Pepper Sauce
Smokey Mushroom Barley Burger with Crispy Green Bean Fries
Creamy Roasted Garlic Red Pepper Sauce
Unlock a new dimension of flavor with our Creamy Roasted Garlic Red Pepper Sauce! This luscious, savory blend is so versatile, it might just become your new kitchen MVP. Drizzle it generously over juicy burgers for an instant upgrade, turning a simple meal into a gourmet experience. It's the ultimate dipping sauce for crispy fries, chicken tenders, or fresh veggies. Slather it across warm pita bread or elevate your grain bowls with a creamy, vibrant flourish. And for that street food cart vibe, don't hesitate to pile it high on chicken and rice, transforming every forkful into a tantalizing adventure. Its rich, roasted notes and smooth texture make it the perfect companion for virtually anything savory.
This Velvety Roasted Garlic Sauce is rich, creamy, and has a mellow, sweet garlic flavor. Roasting garlic is one of those culinary secrets that feels incredibly gourmet, yet couldn't be simpler, especially with the brilliant trick of no pre-peeling required! This hands-off technique transforms pungent raw garlic into sweet, mellow, buttery cloves that are incredibly versatile. You pop whole, unpeeled cloves (or even a whole head!) into the oven, and let the gentle heat work its magic. The papery skins act like tiny protective wrappers, steaming the cloves inside until they're tender, fragrant, and easily squeezed from their jackets after cooling. This effortless process yields a golden, caramelized ingredient that adds incredible depth to sauces, spreads, mashed potatoes, or spreads on toast, proving that big flavor doesn't have to mean considerable effort. When I make this recipe, I usually pop a few heads in the oven for later in the week.
Makes 1 ½ cups
Ingredients:
1 large head of garlic (25g roasted garlic)
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup (60g) roasted red peppers
1 cup (8 oz) canola or sunflower oil
1 ½ tablespoons ice water
1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 large egg white
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Slice off the top of the head of garlic, wrap in foil, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Wrap tightly and place in a small oven-safe dish. Place in the oven and roast for 40-50 minutes, or until very soft and fragrant.
Remove the roasted garlic from the oven and allow it to cool completely. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze out each roasted garlic clove.
Place the peeled roasted garlic cloves into an immersion blender container (or a standard blender). Add the roasted red pepper, canola oil, water, fresh lemon juice, egg white, and fine salt.
Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until it becomes thick, creamy, and completely smooth. If using a standard blender, start on low and gradually increase speed until emulsified.
Note:
Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Smokey Mushroom Barley Burgers
These Mushroom Barley Burgers are hearty, flavorful, and incredibly satisfying. The secret lies in the deeply savory mushrooms and tender barley, creating a veggie burger that holds its own. Your newly crafted Creamy Roasted Garlic Red Pepper Sauce makes these burgers sing. You will never eat another frozen veggie burger again!
Makes 4 burgers
Ingredients:
For the Pearl Barley:
1 cup pearl barley
3 cups water
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Mushroom Barley Burgers:
1 large russet potato, peeled (or 1 cup leftover mashed potatoes)
2 ½ cups (about 10 mushrooms), roughly chopped cremini mushrooms
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried tyhme
1 cup cooked pearl barley (prepared as above)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 buns, buttered and toasted
Toppings: Butter lettuce, pickles, cheese, ect.
Instructions:
Combine pearl barley, water, smoked paprika, and kosher salt in a medium saucepan fitted with a lid. Bring all ingredients to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, stir the barley, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cover the saucepan and cook for 20 minutes. Drain the cooked barley in a strainer and set aside to cool slightly.
If using leftover mashed potatoes, skip this step. While the barley cooks, place the peeled potato in a separate pot of water and boil until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and mash the boiled potato in a separate bowl, season with salt and pepper to taste.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a large non-stick pan. Add the roughly chopped mushrooms, season with salt, smoked paprika, and thyme, and cook, stirring infrequently, until they have softened and released their moisture, about 5 minutes. Transfer the cooked mushrooms into a medium bowl.
Add the mashed potatoes and cooled barley to the mushroom mixture. Season with additional salt and pepper as needed, then mix by hand until well combined. Shape the mixture into four 1 ½ inch thick patties, using a plate and compressing them firmly by hand to ensure they hold together.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in the same skillet used for the mushrooms. Carefully add the patties and cook until well browned and slightly crispy on each side, about 2-3 minutes per side.
Serve hot on buttered toasted buns with your favorite toppings, I love it with melty cheese, crisp butter lettuce and crunchy pickles, smothered in the Creamy Roasted Garlic Red Pepper Sauce.
Green Bean Fries
These Green Bean Fries offer a delightfully crispy crunch with a tender interior, elevated by the bright spice of green peppercorns. They're a fantastic, healthier alternative to traditional fries and disappear quickly!
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
12 ounces (about 5 cups) green beans, trimmed
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 ½ teaspoons finely ground pepper
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons 2% milk
1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher Salt to taste
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Set up a dredging station. In the first shallow dish, combine the all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Stir to mix. In the second shallow dish, whisk together the eggs and 2% milk. In the third shallow dish, combine the panko breadcrumbs, the remaining 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, the remaining ½ teaspoon of pepper, and the olive oil. Use your fingers to thoroughly mix the olive oil into the panko, ensuring it's evenly distributed (this helps with crispiness).
Working in small batches, dredge the green beans first in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess. Then, dip them into the egg wash, allowing excess to drip off. Finally, coat each green bean generously in the panko mixture, pressing gently to ensure a good coating. Place the breaded green beans on the prepared baking sheet, ensuring they are in a single layer and not touching.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, flipping them halfway through, until they are golden brown and crispy.
Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with salt to taste. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce. I recommend the creamy roasted garlic red pepper sauce, recipe above.