Black Bean, Zucchini and Roasted Garlic Cakes

We've all had them before.  Just about anybody who has ever eaten more than a few vegetarian meals has probably eaten a black bean burger.  I've always been quite fond of the protein-packed patties, but most of the store-bought versions really fail to satisfy.  Even the all-natural black bean burgers usually have an ingredient list that is far too long for me to feel good about (and often has a lot of unnecessary soy or corn-based fillers), not to mention the texture is usually dry and over-firm.

These black bean, zucchini and roasted garlic cakes, on the other hand, might become your new favorite meat alternative!  They are perfectly moist, thanks to the addition of shredded zucchini and the roasted garlic gives them a wonderfully savory aroma and flavor.  They have a nice, soft texture on the inside but get a crispy coating of panko to give them some crunch.  I served mine with Romaine and Radish Slaw and Cilantro-Lime dressing to make for a really fresh, crunchy and tasty meal.  The recipe can easily be doubled and the leftovers frozen, which makes for a super-quick and easy meal later on in the week. 

Black Bean, Zucchini and Roasted Garlic Cakes
makes 8 cakes

1 garlic bulb
2 T olive oil
4 cups black beans, soft-cooked
1 1/2 cups zucchini, shredded and blotted dry with a towel (about 1 medium zucchini)
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1 egg
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat the oven to 450 degrees.  Slice about 1/4 inch from the top of the garlic bulb so that a little bit of each bulb is exposed.  Add olive oil to a small ramekin and place the garlic bulb, cut side-down, in the ramekin.  Roast garlic until it becomes fragrant and soft, about 30-40 minutes.  Leave oven on and allow bulb to cool for at least 15 minutes.  Once cooled, squeeze garlic bulb from the bottom so the garlic cloves pop out of their skins.  Mash garlic with a fork to make a paste.

Next, assemble your cakes.  Add beans, garlic paste, zucchini, 1/2 a cup of the bread crumbs and spices to a large bowl.  Using your hands or a potato masher, mash the ingredients together until combined.  Season with salt and pepper and taste.  Adjust seasoning, if desired.  Lightly beat the egg with a fork then add to your bean mixture.  Mix well and set aside.
Brush a large baking sheet with olive oil and heat in the oven for at least 5 minutes.  Place remaining 1 cup of bread crumbs on a medium-sized plate.  Divide bean mixture into 8 balls.  Taking one ball at a time, flatten into a patty and coat each side with bread crumbs.  Place each patty on the heated baking sheet and place in the 450-degree oven.  Bake until the bottom of the cake becomes golden and crispy, about 12-15 minutes.  Flip the cakes and bake another 10-13 minutes.  Allow to cool, slightly, then serve atop the slaw (recipe below) with an extra drizzle of dressing, if desired.

Refried Bean Pizza and Romaine Salad, part deux

The fabulous thing about home-made pizza dough is that once you have all the elements (cheese, beans, salad fix-ins) it becomes the quickest dinner ever!  Heat your oven up nice and hot, roll out the dough, spread out the toppings and dinner is done in twenty minutes.  Boom.

This version has some extra elements of awesomeness with the addition of Haystack Mt. chile jack cheese (a tangy, spicy goat jack that's well worth the high cost!) and some fresh chorizo sausage from Marczyk's.  The only difference between this salad and last night's is that it's heavier on the lettuce and gains an extra depth of flavor from grilled garlic scapes and grilled corn.  It's a little more refined and quite delicious!

Refried Bean Pizza and Romaine Salad, part deux
serves 4

Pizza:
1/2 batch fresh pizza dough (or one large store-bought pizza crust)
2 fresh chorizo sausages
2 cups refried beans (homemade is preferable)
1/4 cup queso fresco, crumbled
1/2 cup Haystack Mt. Chile Jack cheese, shredded

Salad:
1 head romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
1 bunch breakfast radishes (about 8-10 very small radishes), thinly sliced
1 red pepper, grilled and chopped
1 green pepper, grilled and chopped
2 ears of corn, shucked and grilled
1 garlic scape, grilled and sliced
1 avocado
juice of 4-6 limes
2-3 T champagne vinegar (or other white vinegar)
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat a large pan over medium-high.  Remove chorizo from casings and add in small pieces to the hot pan.  Fry until lightly browned and cooked through, about ten minutes.  Remove chorizo with a slotted spoon and reserve fat.

Place a baking stone into the oven and heat to 500 degrees.  Meanwhile, roll out your fresh pizza dough on a lightly floured surface until crust is about 1/4-inch thick.  Slide dough onto a large, lightly-floured cutting board.  Brush the crust with chorizo fat and spread on the beans in an even layer.  Top with queso fresco and chile jack and finish with chorizo pieces.  Slide pizza from the cutting board onto the baking stone in the oven and cook until crust is crisp and lightly browned, about 8-11 minutes.  Remove from oven, let cool for a few minutes, then slice.

Meanwhile, assemble your salad.  Slice corn kernals off the cob.  In a large bowl, combine romaine, radishes, corn, garlic scape, and peppers.  In a blender, combine the avocado with lime juice and blend.  Add just enough vinegar to loosen the dressing (it will be very thick).  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Toss salad with about 5 T of the dressing.  Serve salad alongside the pizza.

Refried Bean Pizza with Romaine, Radish and Pepper Salad with Avocado Vinaigrette

When I have a day off and nothing planned I almost always seize the opportunity to make something tasty that takes just a little extra time.  Making things from scratch isn't always realistic in our busy, day-to-day lives but it's always well worth the effort.  So today I made fresh, whole-wheat pizza dough and slow-cooked and refried beans. 

You don't have to take the time to make pizza dough from scratch (although if you have a standing mixer it's a snap to put together) but I would highly recommend making your own refried beans as opposed to using the canned ones.  Not only is the flavor and texture infinitely better but most of the time that it takes to make them is inactive, anyway.  I like to freshen up homemade pizza by topping it with a light, chopped salad.  In this case, using the bright cilantro, crisp and flavorful romaine lettuce and the spicy, crunchy radishes we received from our Grant Family Farms CSA as well as some grilled peppers.  The dressing is as simple as can be - just an avocado blended with lime juice and vinegar. 

If you are serving a crowd, this recipe can easily be doubled so you can make two pizzas.  You are already making enough beans and pizza dough (most pizza dough recipes yield enough for two pizzas) and even dressing.  Just double the amount of lettuce, radishes and peppers you use and you've got enough food for about 6-8 people.  If you want to make this vegetarian, simply replace the bacon fat with more canola oil.  I, however, couldn't resist using the bacon fat!  It adds a rich and homey flavor to the beans and provides a hearty base for this wholesome and tasty dish.

Refried Bean Pizza with Romaine, Radish and Pepper Salad 
with Avocado Vinaigrette
serves 4

Refried Beans:
1 lb. dried pintos or black beans
vegetable bouillion
1 T bacon fat
1 T canola oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp mexican oregano
pinch of cayenne
pinch of cinnamon
salt and pepper, to taste

Pizza:
1/2 batch fresh pizza dough (or one large store-bought pizza crust)
olive oil, for brushing
2 cups refried beans
1/2 cup queso fresco, crumbled

Salad:
1/2 head romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
1 bunch breakfast radishes (about 8-10 very small radishes), thinly sliced
1 red pepper, grilled and chopped
1 green pepper, grilled and chopped
1 avocado
juice of 4-6 limes
2-3 T champagne vinegar (or other white vinegar)
salt and pepper, to taste

Cover beans with several inches of water in a large pot and bring to a boil.  Add enough bouillion to flavor the water and stir to combine.  Reduce heat to low, cover and allow beans to simmer until very tender and water is thickened, about 2 hours.

Once beans are tender, heat oils in a large pan over medium-high.  Add diced onions and cook until slightly browned, about 6 minutes.  Using a large slotted spoon, add about 1 cup of beans.  Fry until a light film coats the bottom of the pan, then add another cup of beans.  Continue to fry in batches until all the beans have been added (adding a little more canola oil, if necessary), then add enough of the bean broth to barely cover the beans.  Add remaining ingredients and reduce heat to medium-low and mash and stir the beans with a flat-ended wooden spoon until they reach a creamier consistency, about 10 more minutes (if beans get too dry, just add more bean broth until it reaches desired consistency.

Place a baking stone, if using, into the oven and heat to 500 degrees.  Meanwhile, roll out your fresh pizza dough on a lightly floured surface until crust is about 1/4-inch thick.  Slide dough onto a large, lightly-floured cutting board.  Brush lightly with olive oil then spread on the beans in an even layer.  Top with queso fresco.  Slide pizza from the cutting board onto the baking stone in the oven and cook until crust is crisp and lightly browned, about 7-10 minutes.  Remove from oven, let cool for a few minutes, then slice.

Meanwhile, assemble your salad.  In a large bowl, combine romaine, radishes and peppers.  In a blender, combine the avocado with lime juice and blend.  Add just enough vinegar to loosen the dressing (it will be very thick).  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Toss salad with about 3 T of the dressing.  Top pizza slices with a handful of salad and serve immediately. 

Classic Chili

Every home cook needs at least one great chili recipe in their arsenal.  It's the ultimate comfort food - hearty and wholesome with tons of flavor and universally crowd-pleasing.

This chili was inspired by all the beautiful organic beans that we have been getting from our Grant Family Farms CSA share.  I used the mixed black and pinto beans we got this week and some of the kidney beans from last week, which is a pretty classic trio of legumes for chili.  I like the color and texture that results from this combination, but just about any bean you have laying around in your pantry will do!

I used 100% grass-fed beef and Niman Ranch pork to make the meal a little more special (we don't eat a lot of meat in this house, after all!) but this chili is quite flavorful and delicious without the meat, too.  I love topping each serving with lots of fresh cilantro and queso fresco.  Use whatever toppings you like best - some might prefer a good aged cheddar and red onions or a heaping spoonful of sour cream and green onions.  The best thing about chili is, it's easy to make it your own!

Classic Chili
serves 6
 
3 T olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups mixed beans (I used pinto, black, and kidney), rinsed and picked through
1 can whole San Marzano tomatoes
6 cups vegetable or beef stock
1 T chili powder
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp Mexican oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
1 T tomato paste
salt & pepper
1 pound grass-fed ground beef
1 pound ground pork

Optional garnishes:
Cilantro and queso fresco
Aged cheddar and diced red onions
Sour cream and sliced green onions

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium-high.  Add onions and cook until lightly browned, about 7 minutes.  Add garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds, or until fragrant.  Add beans, the liquid from the can of tomatoes, and increase heat to high.  Crush the whole tomatoes by hand in large, rustic chunks and add to the pot along with the herbs, spices and tomato paste.  Stir well and allow mixture to come to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover and allow to simmer until beans start to become tender, about 1 1/2 hours. 

Meanwhile, heat a large shallow pan over medium-high.  Add ground beef and pork and break apart with a flat-ended wooden spoon.  Cook meat until lightly browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes.  Once cooked, drain the fat from the meat in a colander.  Add to chili.

Continue to simmer the chili with the meat until beans reach desired level of tenderness - for slightly al dente, cook another 30 minutes.  Season well with salt and pepper and serve with garnishes.

Christmas Beans

It's here!  My favorite time of year has finally arrived... CSA season!  For anybody who has never participated in Community Supported Agriculture, let me just give my enthusiastic recommendation - DO IT!!!  Not only does it help you pack more fresh, organic, local produce into your diet but it also really gets the creative juices flowing since you have no say in what kind of vegetables you are getting. 

One of the things we got in abundance this week was spinach.  The thing I love about spinach is that it goes well with so many different things.  You can chop it up and throw it in pasta sauce, minestrone or other soups, pesto, or a pot of beans like these simple and tasty Christmas Beans (y'know... 'cause they're green and red!).  The spinach adds lots of good nutrients and beautiful color to the dish, but is also rather unassuming when incorporated into beans, which makes it perfect for people who think they don't like the stuff (heaven forbid!).

I used the absolutely beautiful Red Mexican Heirloom beans that came with our CSA share, but any 'ol red bean will do.  I never pre-soak my beans because I've never found it necessary (and also because Rick Bayless told me not to and if there's any Cabacho I'm going to trust with my beans, it's him!).  Try these beans over cooked brown rice, or just about any other cooked grain you have on hand, and you've got yourself a protein-rich, wholesome, delicious meal that's also nice and filling.  What's not to love?


Christmas Beans
serves about 6

2 cups dried red beans, rinsed well
12 cups water
2 T olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp Mexican oregano
1 T cumin
dash of cayenne
salt and pepper, to taste
4-5 cups chopped spinach (stems removed and washed well)
sliced green onions

In a large pot, cover dried beans with water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until beans are tender but not mushy - about an hour.  Drain beans, reserving 2 cups of liquid, and set aside.

In another large pot, add olive oil and cook on medium-high.  Add onions and cook until soft and lightly browned, about 7 minutes.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, another 30 seconds.  Add beans, reserved bean liquid, and spices and turn the heat up to high.  Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until most of the liquid is absorbed.

Just before serving, add chopped spinach and mix well so that the leaves get a chance to gently wilt.  Serve with cooked brown rice, if desired, and top with plenty of sliced green onions.

Mango, Quinoa and Black Bean Salad with Ancho-Mango Dressing

Ugh, another quinoa and black bean salad?!  Have no fear... although quinoa is a ridiculously healthy grain it does NOT have to taste awful - and I think this recipe can serve as proof!  My inspiration came, in part, from the sudden abundance of Haitian mangoes appearing at my nearest Whole Foods (and probably yours, too!). These mangoes are sweet, deliciously floral and are also Whole Trade certified. This recipe would work with just about any mango you can get your hands on - just make sure to buy one that's medium-ripe and one that's very ripe (one for dicing and one for blending).

Although this salad is by no means authentic, it makes excellent use of the fresh, vibrant flavors of Mexican cuisine. The sweet, mellow crunch of jicama lends a wonderful contrast to the soft, juicy mangoes and the ancho-infused quinoa and beans add a gentle, fragrant spice to the dish. The dressing is a luscious, thick concoction of ancho chiles and mangoes with lots of vibrant, bright-tasting cilantro and tangy lime juice. If you are like me and you like to dress your salads lightly, you can use the leftover dressing to marinate pork or fish, or you can add some chopped onions, jalapeno and diced mango to make a tasty salsa!

Mango, Quinoa and Black Bean Salad with Ancho-Mango Dressing

Serves 6

 

Mango, Black Bean and Quinoa Salad:

 

1 cup dried black beans
2 dried ancho chiles
1/2 cup red quinoa
a dash of chile powder
1 cup diced medium-ripe mango (1 large mango)
1 1/2 cup diced jicama
1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 cup cilantro leaves, stems reserved for dressing
juice of 1 lime
salt to taste

 

Ancho, Mango and Lime Dressing:

 

1 ripe mango
1/2 cup leftover cilantro stems, loosely packed
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons rehydrated ancho chile, seeds removed and chopped (use the chile from the beans or quinoa)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 4 small limes)
1/2 serrano pepper, minced (optional)
splash of tequila (optional)
salt to taste

 

In a medium pot, cover the black beans with several inches of water and add the dried chile. Bring to a boil, then simmer until beans are tender (about 1 1/2 hours, or 8-10 minutes in a pressure cooker). Drain the beans and remove the chile. Season with salt and set aside.

 

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan cover the quinoa with 1 cup of water and add the other ancho chile. Bring water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and a dash of chile powder, fluff with a fork and allow to cool. 

 

Assemble the dressing: combine all the ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Combine the beans, quinoa and remaining salad ingredients in a large bowl. Add desired amount of dressing (I used all but about 1/4 cup for a lightly-dressed salad) and toss well to combine.

 

Greek Pizza

Happy New Year, everybody!  I think there's really nothing like entering a brand new year to get you motivated.  So many of us make plans to eat a little better, or maybe just cook at home more and eat out less.  January seems to be the one month when everybody is thinking about their health! 

So, in honor of New Year's Resolution-makers everywhere, I give you the Greek Pizza.  Not only is it a snap to put together, but it's also wholesome, light, high in protein, full of flavor, and very satisfying.  For the base of the pizza (and my daily legume fix) I used Palirria Giant Beans in Tomato Sauce.  When you mash the beans together with the sauce, it acheives a wonderful hummus-like consistency and the flavor is just marvelous - lots of bright tomato with hint of dill mingling with the creamy white beans.  The toppings are just an assortment of all the veggies I love best on a pizza.  If you haven't tried black cerignola olives, now is your chance to get some!  They are my all-time favorite olive for their rich meatiness and lightly floral flavor.  Kasseri cheese is the final touch, and is another must-try ingredient.  It is made with a blend of sheep and goat's milk and has a salty, tangy, complex flavor and it melts like a dream.  Feta would make a fine substitute, although you'll be depriving yourself of that nice, smooth, melty texture that Kasseri will give you. 

So, next time you have to get dinner put together at lightning-speed, give this simple recipe a try!

Greek Pizza
Serves 4

4 Whole Wheat Pita rounds
1 can Palirria Giant Beans in Tomato Sauce (hummus with a little extra olive oil is a good substitute)
1 can (14 oz) Artichoke Hearts
1/2 cup chopped black olives (black cerignolas are my favorite)
1 roasted red pepper, roughly chopped
4 oz Kasseri cheese, grated (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a small bowl, smash the beans in tomato sauce with a fork until no beans are left whole and mix until a chunky paste forms.  Drain artichoke hearts, cut off leafy ends and reserve for other uses (they are great in pureed soups).  Roughly chop hearts.

Arrange pitas on a work surface.  Assemble pizzas using 1/4 of each of the ingredients for each pizza:  spread bean paste on pita leaving about 1/2 inch around the edge.  Top with remaining ingredients in any order you like and place pizzas directly on the oven rack.  Bake until cheese is completely melted, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Chickpea Meatballs

There are a seemingly infinite number of vegetarian "meat"ball recipes out there.  What I like about this one is, it is made with mostly pantry staples (which makes it cheap!), it has lots of flavor, and it's quick and easy to put together.  The extra bonus?  They're good for you!  I made a quick and simple tomato sauce by caramelizing a few sliced shallots in some butter and pureeing it together with a can of diced San Marzano tomatoes and a little salt and tossed it with some whole wheat penne pasta. 

I always have a lot of dried beans on hand, so I used my pressure cooker to cook dried chickpeas (1 cup yields about 2 cups cooked), but canned ones would work just as well.  For those of you who don't have a pressure cooker, especially those who are frequent legume consumers, I would highly recommend the investment.  Not only will it eventually save you money (dried beans in the bulk section of any supermarket are way cheaper than canned beans and even packaged dried beans) but it also makes quick work out of any traditionally slow-cooked dish.


Chickpea Meatballs
makes about 16 balls

1 cup oats
1 roasted red pepper
3 shallots, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 T dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp cumin
3 T olive oil
2 cups cooked chickpeas
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup bread crumbs


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Add oats to a food processor and pulse until ground into a coarse flour.  Add remaining ingredients and pulse to combine into a slightly chunky puree. 

Place breadcrumbs on a medium-sized plate.  Form chickpea mixture into two-inch balls and then roll the balls in the breadcrumbs.  Arrange on a baking sheet and bake, flipping once, for about 30 minutes or until golden in color and firm.  Serve with pasta and tomato sauce or atop a simple salad.

Delicata Squash and Pinto Stew

Whether you shop at the grocery store, the farmer's market, or the farm stand, (or all three!) you can't go anywhere without running into squash right now!  The best markets will already have a rather diverse selection, which might include kabocha, acorn, buttercup, delicata, butternut, spaghetti, and carnival squash.  All are wonderfully flavorful and nutritious, and each has it's own unique characteristics that make it special. 

The delicata squash may look rather unassuming next to the cute and colorful carnival squashes or the rustic, brightly-colored sunshine kabocha, but it is actually a wonderful little gourd!  Delicatas are small and yellow with green striping and are one of the easiest squashes to prepare raw because of their small, easy-to-manage size and their thinner skin.  Their flavor is rather mild and "delicate" compared to other varieties of winter squash.  The delicata blends well with other ingredients because of it's unassuming flavor but still lends that signature nutty-sweet flavor of squash to any dish.

This stew is a nice, easy weekday meal with a lot of the cooking time being inactive.  It is healthy yet hearty and quite inexpensive to put together, and makes great use of a lot of kitchen and pantry staples.  Since it has some distinctly mexican characteristics to it, I had a couple tortillas on the side (and for dipping!) to make it a nice, filling meal. 

Delicata Squash and Pinto Stew
Serves 6

2 T olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 celery rib, diced
1 Delicata squash, peeled, seeded and diced
1 large green pepper, seeded and diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine (optional)
1 1/2 cups dried pinto beans, cooked
about 6 cups vegetable stock
1 1/2 T ground cumin
1-2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp Mexican oregano
salt and pepper to taste
Tortillas, to eat alongside the stew (optional)

In a large soup pot over medium heat, add olive oil.  Add onions and celery and cook until onions are soft and lightly browned, about 6 minutes.  Add squash and peppers and cook another five minutes.  Add garlic in the last minute.  Deglaze pan with white wine and allow liquid to reduce for about two minutes.  Add pinto beans, stir well, then add enough vegetable stock to just cover all the vegetables.  Bring liquid to a boil, then add spices.  Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer until fragrant and slightly thickened, at least 20 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper and serve with warmed tortillas on the side.

Optional step:  Using an immersion blender, puree the soup for about a minute so that there are still lots of diced vegetables

Spring Greens and White Bean Salad with Mint-Walnut Dressing

This year, my parents wisely opted into a CSA and they are thankfully sharing the harvest with Obe and me!  We are so excited to have a share of Red Wagon Organic Farm's CSA.  This week's share was the inspiration for this pungent, flavorful and lively salad which highlights Red Wagon's beautiful mixed greens, sweet and tender pea greens, pungent walking onion and spicy radishes.  A true taste of the flavorful bounty Colorado has to offer!

Some of the ingredients are a bit unusual, but they will surely all be available at the Farmer's Market this month.  If you can't make the trip (although it is truly worth the effort!) you can substitute the pea greens for regular mixed greens and the walking onion for regular green onions.  It won't be quite as special, but the salad will still taste wonderful.  The pungent onion and spicy radishes are gently balanced out by the mellow white beans and toasted walnuts.  The bright, minty dressing gives it a nice tang. 

Spring Greens and White Bean Salad with Mint-Walnut Dressing
serves 3-4

4 cups mixed greens
2 cups pea greens
2 radishes, thinly sliced
1 walking onion, thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup)
1 1/2 cups cooked white beans, seasoned with salt
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
1 cup walnuts, toasted

Dressing:
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 cup mint leaves
1 tsp. honey
2 T walnut oil
2 T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Assemble dressing.  Add vinegar, mint leaves and honey to a blender and pulse until the mint is chopped.  Slowly drizzle in the oils while blender is on.  Add salt and pepper and blend. 

In a large bowl, combine all the salad ingredients.  Drizzle 1/4 cup of the dressing (or more, if desired) over the salad and toss well.  Serve immediately.

Cabbage and Bean Chili with Herbed Cornmeal Dumplings

It has been "April Showers" all day long here in Colorado.  I do love the Spring rain and it puts me in the mood for something warm and comforting.  Hence:  Chili and Dumplings! 

When you eat "vegetarian-ish" for as long as I have, you come across about a million different chili recipes.  I, myself, rarely make the same chili twice because it is such a great way to clear out the pantry and the crisper!  Especially when the grocery budget is tight, I love to challenge myself to make dinner with whatever is on hand.  It often makes you combine things you wouldn't normally have thought to put together and it forces you to get creative with a limited number of ingredients. 

So, inspired by the rain and the contents of my pantry and fridge, I give you this chili.  This dish is deliciously warming and full of flavor!  The cabbage gives it lots of texture and crunch, while the beans and dumplings make it homey and filling without being heavy.  Not to mention the beautiful color pallete of bright purple cabbage, green onions, a rosy-red broth and pale, golden-yellow dumplings.  In the words of Ina Garten, "What's not to like?!?" 

Cabbage and Bean Chili with Herbed Cornmeal Dumplings
serves 8-10

1 cup dried black beans, cooked
1 cup dried kidney beans, cooked
2 T olive oil
1 T peanut oil
1 green pepper, diced
1 red onion, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups red cabbage (about 1/2 a small head), sliced and washed
1 28 oz. can diced San Marzano tomatoes
6 cups vegetable stock
1/8 cup maple syrup
1 T cumin
1-3 tsp cayenne, to taste
salt and pepper
Herbed Cornmeal Dumplings, recipe to follow

In a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat, add olive oil and peanut oil.  Add pepper, onions and celery and saute until soft, about 7 minutes.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add cabbage and stir well.  Cook until volume of cabbage is reduced by almost half, about 10 minutes.  Add tomatoes and stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and stir in maple syrup, cumin, cayenne and salt and pepper to taste.  Cook, covered, about 15 minutes.

Gently drop the dumplings onto the surface of the chili and cover again.  Cook until dumplings have puffed up and are firm, about 25 more minutes.  Serve.


Herbed Cornmeal Dumplings
makes 14 dumplings
adapted from a recipe posted by Bon Appetit's website in January of 2011:  http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2011/01/mixed_greens_and_sausage_soup_with_cornmeal_dumplings

3/4 cup white flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 T sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp coarse salt
3/4 cup almond milk or other milk substitute (or regular milk)
1 1/2 T peanut oil
1 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
1 T fresh rosemary, finely chopped

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Add the wet ingredients and stir to combine.  Add chopped herbs and stir once more to combine.  Allow mixture to sit for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours.

Wetting your hands periodically with cold water, roll dough into golf ball-sized pieces.  Drop into hot liquid, cover, and cook for 25 to 30 minutes.

Black Bean Mocha Soup

Here at the Ariss household, we are major coffee drinkers!  Obe makes it every morning, drinks a cup while he gets ready and then gets one to go.  I usually only have one cup, which leaves us with leftover coffee almost every day.  In the spirit of minimalizing waste, lately I've been pouring the extra coffee into a glass milk bottle and sticking it in the fridge to enjoy later. 

But tonight I decided to put it to a different use - making my pot of beans a LOT more interesting!  Some leftover coffee and a little espresso powder, layered with luscious dark cocoa, and we've got a complex, bittersweet blend of flavors that is sure to cure your black bean boredom. 

Black Bean Mocha Soup
serves 4

1 yellow onion, chopped
1 T olive oil
4 cups cooked black beans
2 cups brewed coffee
1 cup vegetable broth
2 tsp dark cocoa powder
1 tsp espresso powder
pinch of cayenne
pinch of cinnamon
zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp honey
salt to taste

In a large pot, add olive oil and heat over medium-high.  Add onions and saute until soft, about 7 minutes.  Add beans and stir to combine.  Add remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer.  Using a hand blender, puree soup until it becomes smooth and creamy.  Adjust salt and spices, if necessary.  Serve with rice seasoned with a little lemon juice or a poached egg, if desired.

Vegetable Burritos

It seems to me that one of the most common misconceptions about healthy eating is that it costs more.  In my experience, this is not so!  In fact, when I was a perpetually broke college student a whole decade ago, I ate very well on a minuscule food budget.  Lots of beans and rice, lentils, yoghurt, applesauce and other simple, wholesome foods were the staples of my diet back then.   

This burrito recipe is a perfect example of how to eat well without spending a lot of money.  All the ingredients are widely available, beans are about the cheapest source of protein there is, and the veggies can be just about anything you have in the fridge.  You can make a huge diversity of variations depending on what you have, what's on sale, or what's in season, including zucchini, asparagus, leeks, eggplant, potatoes, and just about anything else you can think of!  Choose what you like and make the recipe in big batches, because these burritos are great for freezing. 

Vegetable Burritos
makes about 6 burritos

Beans:
1 pound dried pinto beans
3 T olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T ground cumin
1 tsp cayenne
salt and pepper to taste

Veggies:
1 T olive oil
2 red bell peppers, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
1/2 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped
6 whole wheat tortillas

First, make the beans.  Pick through beans and remove any rocks.  In a pressure cooker, add dried beans and enough water to fill half the pot.  Cook at high pressure for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to de-pressurize at room temp.  When beans have cooled, slightly, remove from pressure cooker and strain in a colander.  Rinse well.

In a large pot over medium-high heat, add olive oil.  Once hot, add onions and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for another minute.  Add beans, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper and stir to combine.  Use a wooden spoon to mash the beans as you cook and stir them for about 10 minutes.  If you like a smoother consistency, add about 1/2 cup vegetable stock and puree with a hand blender.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large flat-bottomed pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil.  Add peppers and onion and fry until onions darken and peppers are soft.  Add kale and season with salt.  Remove from heat and stir frequently until kale is softened by the heat of the other vegetables.

Add a large spoonful (about 2/3 a cup) of beans to each tortilla and spread around, leaving about 1 inch of room around the edge.  Top with a large spoonful of veggies and roll into a burrito.  Serve with salsa, hot sauce, fresh cilantro, avocado slices, or guacamole, if desired.

Spaghetti Squash with Beans & Greens

Truth be told, I have never been all that impressed with the Spaghetti Squash.  The somewhat trendy tendency to treat it as a replacement for pasta is, for me, utterly unsatisfying.  There's something about a pile of squash with spaghetti sauce that leaves me feeling cheated.  However, if you start treating this vegetable as a vegetable, rather than spaghetti in disguise, it becomes something else entirely!  The light, delicate sweetness and interesting texture of spaghetti squash make it an excellent home for bright, zingy flavors and crispy textures. 

This recipe is simple, cleansing and light.  It makes an excellent post-over-indulgence type of meal (I often like to have something like that on Mondays to give the week a refreshing start).  You can also make this as a side dish to go alongside any protein with bright flavors like lemon and white balsamic vinegar. 

Spaghetti Squash with Beans & Greens

1 Spaghetti Squash
2 cups kale, stems removed and torn into bite-sized pieces
2 cups brussels sprouts, leaves separated and core removed
2 cups broccoli florets, roughly chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
zest of two lemons, juice reserved
2 cups white beans, cooked (canellini or navy work well)
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper
1 T olive oil
2 tsp walnut oil
1 tsp peanut oil
1 T white balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup sliced almonds (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Half the spaghetti squash length-wise and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet, cut side-down.  Roast squash until soft, about 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile, toss the kale, brussels, and broccoli with garlic, lemon zest, olive oil and salt to taste and place on a large baking sheet.  Bake, tossing mixture occasionally, until some of the leaves are crispy, about 10 minutes.

Once squash has cooled a little, use a large spoon to scrape the stringy flesh into a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk the cumin, lemon juice, balsamic, peanut and walnut oils, and salt and pepper to taste until combined.  Add to squash and toss well.  Add greens, white beans and almonds and toss just before serving (so the greens stay a little crispy).

Spaghetti with White Bean Sauce and Crispy Kale

This recipe was inspired by a recipe in Robin Robertson's "Vegan Planet" (an excellent cookbook for Vegans and Veggie lovers alike).  I make it with whole wheat spaghetti (though any wholesome pasta variety will do) and throw in lots of luscious, green kale for good measure.  The pureed beans have a slightly creamy texture which makes the sauce taste rich without adding any cream, cheese or butter. 

The other marvelous thing about this recipe is, it's cheap to make!  I buy dried white beans in bulk.  They are less convenient to use, but you save a lot of money versus buying cooked beans in a can (not to mention there's far less packaging involved, so it is better for the environment).  I also think dried beans taste a little better since canned beans tend to have that slightly "tinny" flavor.  Don't bother soaking beans overnight, especially if you have a pressure cooker.  Many people might tell you otherwise, but I literally never pre-soak my beans (and, BTW, Rick Bayless also recommends skipping this step!) because I try to eliminate uneccessarily time-consuming steps whenever possible.  If you don't have a pressure cooker, I would strongly recommend buying one.  It will be your new favorite cooking instrument!

Spaghetti with White Bean Sauce and Crispy Kale
Serves 6

3 T olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked white beans
2 T chopped sage
1/2 tsp white pepper
4 cups vegetable stock or water
2 T white balsamic vinegar (optional)
1 lb. whole wheat spaghetti
6 cups chopped kale, stems removed
salt

Preheat oven to 350.  Toss kale with 1 T olive oil and a sprinkling of salt.  Arrange on a large baking sheet in a single layer, then bake until crispy, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil.  In a large saucepan, heat the rest of the olive oil on medium.  Add onions and garlic and saute until soft, about 7 minutes.  Add beans and sage and stir to combine.  Add stock, turn up heat to high and bring mixture to a boil for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces slightly.  Reduce heat and puree with a hand blender until smooth.  Keep heat on low and allow to thicken until it reaches desired consistency, at least 10 minutes.

Cook spaghetti in pot of boiling water according to package instructions.  Drain in a colander and add to pot of bean sauce.  Add balsamic vinegar and toss well.  Serve spaghetti with a handful or crispy kale on top.