Chipotle Black Beans

I made this up by surveying the contents of my pantry, since I didn't have any perishables in the house besides onions and garlic. I like using dried beans but you could probably substitute three cans of black beans and cook on the stove for about 30 minutes.





2 cups black turtle beans
6 cups water

Soak beans in water in crockpot overnight.

1 medium onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp oregano
1 bay leaf

Add to beans in crockpot and cook on high for 6 hours.

1 - 15 oz. can whole kernel corn, rinsed
1 chipotle pepper in adobe sauce (you find these in 8 oz. cans in the Mexican food section of grocery stores)
1 - 8 oz. can diced green chiles
1 - 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained and rinsed
1 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp chicken or vegetable bouillon

Add to crockpot and cook on low for 1 hour. Serve with Easy Mexican Rice (or quinoa).

Mushroom Lentil Barley Soup

Miso just gives everything a wonderful flavor. I made this up one day when I was craving mushroom barley soup, but wanted something more substantial.

Serves 6

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp miso paste
1 tsp thyme

2/3 cup lentils, rinsed

2/3 cup pearl barley
2 cups sliced crimini mushrooms (or whatever mushroom you prefer)

6 cups water
½ tbsp chicken bouillon
¼ cup cooking wine (optional)

Sauté onion in oil over medium heat about 5 minutes. Add chopped garlic and stir for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add miso paste and stir until well-blended. Add lentils, barley, chopped mushrooms, thyme and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer about 1 hr.

Bulgar Pilaf

Finally, something to do with bulgar besides tabbouleh! The spices go very well with the sweetness of apricots. I slightly adapted this from one I saw on epicurious.com.




½ med. onion, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp allspice
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 large pinch of cloves
1 cup bulgur
1.5 cups water or chicken broth
¼ cup chopped apricots
¼ cup sliced almonds

Saute onion in oil for about 5 minutes over medium heat until onion is golden. Add spices and cook 1 minutes. Add bulgar and cook 1 minute. Add water and apricots and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and stir in almonds (toasted makes all the difference).

Crunchy Indian Cucumber Salad

Cayenne pepper in a little mound, waiting for you to pour on the tadke.   Once you stir it in, it looks so pretty and colorful.   NOTE:  This salad sounds spicy but it's not. 

If you are serving Indian food and need a salad to compliment the meal, why not try this non-yogurt dish?  I've been a huge fan of Indian food since we lived in India, but I somehow burned out on traditional raita made with yogurt.  I didn't care to eat it nor did I want to make it.  A few years ago, this recipe appeared in our local paper:   "Crunchy Cucumber Salad with Crushed Peanuts".  The original posting says it's from "5 Spices, 50 Dishes' by Ruta Kahate.  

• 2 English cucumbers, chopped into 1/4 inch dice, about 3 cups (sometimes I just use one cucumber)
• 1 medium green serrano chile, seeded & minced (I usually use jalapeño)
• 1/2 cup peanuts (toasted, unsalted are best, but sometimes I use salted & add less salt later) 
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice (don't skimp on this--add more if you need to)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I use 1/4 tsp.)

TADKE:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds (I use 1/2 tsp.)

Mix the cucumbers and the chile in a bowl.  Using a coffee grinder or food processor, pulse the peanuts until they are reduced to a coarse powder. (I usually just chop them up with a knife.) Add the peanuts to the cucumbers along with the lemon juice, salt and sugar and mix well.  Place the cayenne in a little pile on top of the salad but don't stir it yet. 

TADKE: Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a frying pan.  When it begins to smoke, add the mustard seeds, covering the pan with a lid or spatter screen (or paper plate).  As soon as the seeds stop sputtering, pour the oil over the cayenne. (I like to watch it sizzle.)  Stir and serve at room temperature or cold. 

 

Better for you Granola

If you've ever attempted to make your own granola before you know it's typically filled with fat and sugar and loaded with calories. This recipe drastically cuts the amount of oil and sugar by relying on egg whites to bind it together. I adapted this recipe from Cooking Light magazine by quadrupling it, adding a little oil (just to give it some more crunch and staying power), and lowered the amount of sugar. The result is just as tasty and more nutritious.




-4 cups rolled oats
-1 cup chopped nuts of your choice (I used sliced almonds)
-2 Tbsp of canola oil
-3 egg whites
-1 tsp vanilla
-1/4 cup brown sugar
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp salt
-2 Tbsp to 1/4 cup of honey (depending on how sweet you like it)*

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Mix oats and nuts together in a large bowl.
3. Add oil to oats and nuts and stir well to coat evenly
4. Beat egg whites and vanilla together in a separate bowl until foamy.
5. Add egg white mixture to oat mixture and fold to coat oats evenly.
6. Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in a bowl.
7. Fold brown sugar mixture into oat mixture.
8. Fold honey into oat mixture.
9. Spread granola onto a baking sheet (try to keep it clumped together but thinly spread enough to toast it evenly).
10. Bake for 25 min, stirring gently once after 15 min.
11. Let cool in pan before transferring to an airtight container.

*You need both brown sugar and honey for this recipe because they each serve a different purpose. Brown sugar helps to make the oats crunchy and crispy and honey helps to bind the mixture together to give you clusters. You can substitute maple syrup or agave nectar for the honey, but I don't recommend substituting for the sugar.

"Make your Indian co-workers jealous" lentil recipe

The secret to these lentils is in the sauce, and in not watering it down too much. Substitute your favorite Indian curry paste if you can't find Patak's (pictured below).



Ingredients:
2 cups water
1/2 cup lentils
3-4 cloves garlic
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 14-oz can of diced tomatoes
2 heaping tablespoons of hot indian curry paste
fresh cilantro

1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add garlic.
2. Rinse 1/2 cup of lentils.
3. Add lentils to boiling water and cook over low-medium heat for about half an hour, or until most of the water is absorbed and the lentils are getting nice and soft.
4. Meanwhile, fry 1 chopped onion in olive oil.
5. Add 2 heaping tablespoons of curry paste and stir.
6. Immediately add 1 14-oz can of diced tomatoes and stir together
7. Let the tomatoes, onion, and curry paste simmer for a little while.
8. When lentils are beginning to burst, add tomato mixture to the pot and stir. Let sit for a few minutes so the lentils can absorb the awesome curry flavor
9. Top with fresh cilantro and serve with basmati rice, and/or naan.

Chickpea Curry (Chana Masala)

This is my signature chickpea curry, which I found in perfect form from hookedonheat.com - a great site for Indian recipes with fabulous pictures. I've tried lots of types, but this one is perfect. The ginger and tomato give it a little something different than other recipes. This is great as a side dish, or even a main dish.

• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• 1 medium-sized onion , finely chopped
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1-2 green chillies, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tbsp light cooking oil
• 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
• water, as needed
• fresh chopped cilantro, as garnish
• lemon wedges, as garnish

SAUTE cumin seeds in hot oil till they start to sizzle and pop. Add onions and green chillies, and fry till tender.


ADD in tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, tomato paste, salt and spices, and cook till tomatoes pulp and starts to give out oil from the sides.


STIR in about a cup of water, allow it to come to a boil, and then add chickpeas. Let simmer covered for a few minutes till chickpeas are soft and tender to the touch.


GARNISH with fresh coriander and a sprinkle of lemon juice.

Cowboy Caviar

This is an easy recipe that is suprisingly yummy.

1 can corn - drained

2 cans black beans - drained & rinsed (some recipes say 1 can black beans and 1 can black-eyed peas)

Chopped tomatoes - 1 large- or you can use a can of chopped tomatoes - drained

red onion - chopped
cilantro to taste - finely chopped (I use a mini food processor to do this)

fresh jalapeno or serranos to taste - finely chopped (ditto)

1 cup italian salad dressing - make your own or use your favorite bottled
avocados - 1 or 2 depending on size

Combine first 7 ingredients and refrigerate overnight. This step is important to allow the flavors to marry. Just before serving dice the avocado and add to the salsa. Serve with tortilla chips.

Makes a boatload of salsa so be prepared to share.

Basic Miso Soup

Many grocery stores carry miso paste nowadays, but you may have to venture to Cost Plus or your nearest asian grocery to find dashi granules. I used Hon-Dashi.



4 cups water
1-2 tsp dashi granules (start on the low side and go up as you like)
2-3 Tbsp miso paste (I used mellow white, but the brown kind is ideal)
1 block tofu (10-12 oz.), in small 1/2 inch cubes
A couple handfuls of fresh spinach (optional)
2 green onions, chopped (optional)

Bring water to a boil in medium saucepan. Reduce heat to medium. Add dashi granules, tofu, spinach, and green onions. Cook until spinach is soft and bright green. Remove from heat. Add miso paste and stir until blended.

Makes 2-4 servings

Note: You don't want to boil the miso as many people believes this kills off the good bacteria in the miso.

Curried Cabbage Slaw

This is from Mom's cookbook, I think this recipe was originally from the Oregonian. Unless you are a ginger-fanatic, I would cut it down to 1 tsp, or leave it out completely. It overpowered the delicious fried cabbage and onion flavor. Cabbage is my new favorite vegetable. It's very high in vitamin K and C, and folate, and it's dirt cheap.

1 tbs. veg oil
1 lb. green cabbage, sliced (or a big bag of cole slaw)
1 medium yellow onion, sliced (I always added extra)
1 tbs freshly grated ginger
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tbs. brown mustard seeds
salt and pepper to taste

In a large heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the cabbage and onions and saute until translucent, 8 - 10 min. Stir in the ginger, curry powder, cumin, coriander and mustard seeds until well-combined. Remove from heat and let cool. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature. Store in a an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Makes 3 cups.

Easy Mexican Rice

I adapted this from my coworker's recipe. I substituted quinoa for the rice.

½ chopped onion
½ tbsp olive oil
1 cup washed rice
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp tapatillo or hot sauce
1 cup chicken broth

Saute onion in olive oil on medium heat for about 3 minutes or until tender. Add rice and continue to cook for about 5 minutes until rice is mostly dry (this is called puffing the rice). Add cumin, tomato sauce, tapatillo, and chicken broth. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes.

White Bean and Asparagus Salad

This is one of my favorite dishes as it only takes a few minutes to put together. It's nice served with garlic bread or on a bed of greens. Or just by itself with some Tabasco! I usually add more lemon zest as I just love the lemon-y flavor. For leftovers, you can eat this cold but I like to warm it up a little.

(Adapted from Eipcurious.com)

4 servings

1 lb. asparagus or a bag of frozen asparagus

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

½ tsp. Lemon zest

2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

2 reg. cans white beans, rinsed and drained well

½ cup shredded parmesan cheese

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Cut asparagus diagonally into 1/4” slices. (If using frozen, microwave for about 5 min. in bag and then cut.)

Bring oil, lemon zest, juice, salt and pepper to a simmer in a 4 quart heavy saucepan, then stir in beans and asparagus. Remove from heat and let stand, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Add parmesan cheese and parsley, toss and serve.

Joe's Non-dairy Quinotto

Linda has decided to avoid dairy products for a number of reasons which are beyond the scope of this blog, so, last night, I decided to see if I could adapt my famous quínoa recipe* to be dairy-free but just as delicious. This was the result.

Ingredients:

• 5 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 slice of bacon, chopped (optional)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon of curry powder (I use Jamaican, but this may not be available in all jurisdictions. Substitute as you see fit)
• pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
• dash of cayenne pepper (optional)
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme
• 1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup of quínoa, rinsed and drained 
• 2 cups of organic, low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/4 cup sliced zucchini/eggplant/squash (whatever you like) 
• 10-15 fresh basil leaves

Step 1: Prepare a sofrito.

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat.
   
2. Add bacon and cook till lightly browned (optional)
   
3. Add onions and cook for about 5 minutes, till translucent.
4. Reduce heat slightly and add garlic, curry powder, salt and all other spices and stir for about a minute.
5. Immediately add the can of tomatoes. You don't want to burn your curry powder or your garlic. Add a little water if needed.
6. This mixture is called sofrito in Spanish. Let it simmer at medium heat for about 5 minutes to soften up the tomatoes and bring the flavors together. Here's a picture:

Step 2: Add the quínoa

1. Stir the quinoa into your sofrito and let it absorb the flavors for a few minutes.
2. Add 1 cup of chicken stock at a time, while stirring and adjusting the heat every so often to ensure that the mixture is simmering gently and not sticking to the bottom of the pan.
3. As the quinoa grains are reaching the desired level of doneness, and before too much of the moisture has been evaporated, mix in your vegetables and mushrooms. I do this about 5 minutes before the quinoa is done.
4. Finally, remove from heat and stir in the basil leaves.
5. Serve while hot onto two plates.

*The original involved half a cup of heavy cream toward the end of the cooking process, and then some cheese folded in at the very end. You might consider topping with fresh parmesan cheese to get some nice cheese flavor without too much extra fat. 

Mammy’s Dahl

Mammy's Dahl with Anna's Curried Quinoa (see above)

There are thousands of dahl recipes and this one is very basic and simple. I like it because I can make it with ingredients already on hand; the only fresh ingredient you have to have is cilantro. I don’t mash the lentils like some recipes suggest as I like the dahl chunky. Oh, it also freezes well.

2 cups red lentils* (thoor dahl or masoor dahl)
6 cups water
½ tsp. turmeric
½ tsp. cumin seeds
½ tsp. mustard seeds
½ tsp. crushed red pepper/red pepper flakes
2 Tbs. oil
2 cups chopped onion or 1 bag frozen onion
2 tsp. minced garlic
4 jalapeno peppers (or Thai or Serrano) split lengthwise (with or without seeds removed)**
2 cups chopped tomatoes or 2 cans diced tomatoes (14 oz)
1-1/2 tsp. salt
¼ cup chopped cilantro

Bring lentils, water and turmeric to a boil, then turn the heat down. As it starts to cook it will “foam”; just scoop off some of the foam and discard. You have to check on the lentils as the water could boil down. You may have to add more water but be careful you don’t add too much as then it’ll be too “soupy”.

Meanwhile, in a wok or heavy saucepan, heat cumin seeds, mustard seeds and crushed red pepper in oil until mustard seeds start to pop. Turn the heat down and add onion, garlic and chilies. Fry for about 5 min. until soft.

Add the tomatoes (drain canned tomatoes if using) and cook for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, the lentils should be about cooked. Add the tomato and spice mixture, and the salt, then simmer for a couple of minutes. Turn off and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with basmati rice or if you’re watching carbs, a little low-fat cottage cheese.

*You can use yellow split peas if you prefer but you must cook them longer with more water.
**You can buy red lentils at Fred Meyer in the bulk section
*** You can make this hotter if you leave the chili seeds in. You can dice the chilies or just split them lengthwise.
Serve with basmati rice or if you’re watching carbs, a little low-fat cottage cheese.