Lets eat beans for every meal.

I hesitate to give you this recipe because it is so freaking unbelievably good.  And its really freaking unbelievably easy.  Freak yeah it is.

What you need:

1 pound of dried whole pinto beans

4 garlic cloves

12ish peppercorns

Salt to taste

Here’s how to make it.

Soak the beans overnight (best method) or if you forgot, use the quick soak method on the bag of beans.

Rinse the soaked thoroughly and put in a crock pot.  Cover with about 2 inches of water and turn it on high.

Now you need to figure out how to make what chefs/French people call a “sachet d’épices”.  This is basically a bag to put your spices (in this case the garlic and the peppercorns) in so they don’t mingle with the beans.  If you have cheesecloth hooray for you,  if not I came up with an alternative that works great.  First, heres a picture of what a real sachet looks like.

Sachet d'épice

I don’t happen to have cheesecloth laying around, so I carefully dismantled a tea bag, dumped all the tea out, put all the spices in and tied it up.  It worked great, just be careful not to rip it.  Anyway, crush the garlic and about half of the peppercorns and place all in the sachet.  Also, you might want to use an additional tea bag so you don’t overload one.

Check the beans and stir about every hour.  Its probably gonna take 6 hours or so.  If the beans start drying out on top, you don’t have enough water, add another cup.  The beans are finished when they are tender enough to eat.  Remove some of the excess juice and reserve it.  Use your stick blender to blend them in the crock pot, or let them cool and do batches in your food processor, or mash them with a potato masher, I don’t really care what you do, just get them to your desired texture.  I like em smooth and slightly runny (I use most of the reserved juice).

Salt to taste (remember, don’t salt until you’re done cooking, salt can retard the bean cooking process), and serve.

I think thats it.

“Trifle” is from the Middle English word “Trufle” which comes from the Old French word “Trafe” or “Trafle”, all meaning something of importance. Enough of the ifle’s, afle’s and ufle’s, we only care if it is chocolaty and delicious! Here is the recipe for the delicious Candy Bar Trifle:

What you will need:

1 pound cake (cut into cubes)

Heath Bar chips

Chopped Snickers bars

2 boxes chocolate fudge pudding mix (instant)

4 cups milk

Whipped Cream

A Trifle Bowl (pictured below- you can purchase one at Walmart for about $10)

Prepare Instant pudding as directed.

Put a layer of cake cubes in the bottom of the trifle dish.

Sprinkle about 1/2 of the Heath chips over the cake cubes, then cover with half of the pudding. Next, add a layer of Whipped cream, then some chopped Snickers bars.

Then layer again with the cake cubes, Heath bar chips, chocolate pudding and whipped cream. Top with Snickers bar pieces and refrigerate. Enjoy!

(If you want a healthier version, try using berries and fresh fruits instead of the pudding and candies!)

Garlicky goodness.

Kale is a superfood. It is packed with beta-carotene, an important nutrient for good vision.   Kale is also an excellent source of vitamin C, which is good for cold prevention, as well as a reduced risk of colon cancer.   Kale is also rich in minerals, such as iron, manganese, calcium and potassium.

It’s a member of the Brassica family of vegetables, which have gained quite the reputation as cancer-fighting foods. Kale is loaded with the organosulfur compounds that may lessen the occurrence of some cancers. Studies suggest that the phytonutrients in kale and other Brassicas may actually help the liver neutralize potentially cancerous substances.

You’re still not gonna eat it if it doesn’t taste good, right?  I’m happy to say that it tastes great (if cooked properly).  Mature kale can have a slightly bitter flavor.  This, to me, is not a bad thing, but there are two steps you can take to counteract the (slight) bitterness.   The first and most important is to choose a bunch with smaller leaves, which have a milder flavor, this will get you started on the right path.  The second is to taste it while cooking and if it is too bitter, add a little honey to balance out the flavor.  Here is my favorite way to eat kale, if you try it and like it, feel free to branch out to other cooking methods.  If you do try it, I guarantee you will crave it at least once a week.

1 1/2 pounds young kale,  I like to take the leaves off the stems like so:

Destemify it if you like.

Then rip it into bite size pieces, but this is not absolutely necessary.  You can just break out the chef’s knife and chop the stems and leaves coarsely.
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1/2 cup vegetable stock or water
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until soft, but not colored. Raise heat to high, add the stock and kale and toss to combine. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove cover and continue to cook, stirring until all the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add vinegar.

Easy Speezi.  A few things you can do:

Sautee some onions with the garlic.

Add a touch of tahini or sesame oil to taste.

Add some chipotle with adobo sauce (spicy).

Blanch and shock the kale so that it will retain its color better.   Just immerse the kale in boiling water for 30 seconds or so then immerse in very cold (icy) water for a minute.  Remove and drain well.

Stuffed.

Don’t forget the Book Club.  Head over to the forum and introduce yourself.  E-mail me if you need help.

Here’s a recipe from Veganomicon my favorite cookbook that happens to be Vegan.

4 large Russet potatoes, scrubbed, baked (poke em repeatedly with a fork, wrap them in foil, bake in a 400 degree oven for an hour) and cooled
1/4 cup vegetable broth
3 tbsp  oil
1 tsp yellow mustard
1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed (I realize you might not have these in your spice rack so you can leave em out)
1 small yellow onion, cut into a small dice (pinky nail)
1 medium-size carrot, cut into a small dice
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp grated fresh ginger (use 1 tsp powdered ginger instead if you want)
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric (see coriander seeds above)
1 tsp salt  (or more to taste)
1/2 cup frozen peas, rinsed
1 1/2 Tbs lemon juice

Slice cooled potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the insides, leaving about 1/4 inch of potato in the skin. Mash the potatoes withbroth and set aside the skins.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Heat the  oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mustard and coriander seeds. The mustard seeds should begin to pop; if they don’t pop in a minute or two, turn the heat up. Let the seeds pop for about a minute (put a lid on them so you don’t get splattered), add the onions and carrots, and saute for 7 to 10 minutes, until the onions begin to brown.

Add the garlic and ginger, and saute for a minute more. Add the cumin, turmeric and salt with a splash of water, stir well, then add the potatoes, mixing everything well. Add a little extra water if it looks too dry. Cook until the potatoes are heated through, then add the peas and cook until those are heated through. Add the lemon juice to taste and stir to incorporate.

Brush the inside of the potato skins with la little bit of oil. Then scoop the filling into the skin, pressing gently to hold the filling in place. Line the potato halves on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

Enjoy.

Cutesy Little Cabbages

Yes, Brussels Sprouts.   You may have hated them as a child, you probably hated them as an adolescent, but your sophisticated adult pallet is ready to enjoy their yummy goodness now.   Brussels Sprouts might be the cutest vegetable, I challenge you to find a cuter one*.  They contain good amounts of Vitamins A and C, folate, fiber and sinigrin which is believed to protect against colon cancer.  Brussel Sprouts are available fresh and frozen.  Frozen Brussels are ok, but for our cooking purposes, we want fresh. Why do we want fresh?  Because we’re gonna roast them and roasting frozen sprouts is a bad idea.

*Baby carrots are NOT cute, they’re just big carrots that have been shaved.  Nothing cute about that.

Here’s what you need:

1 1/2 pounds fresh brussel sprouts
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried sage

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the bottom of each brussel sprout off (most of the stem) and then slice in half lengthwise. Toss all ingredients and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 12 or so minutes remove from the oven and mix them around a bit, put em back in for another 12 minutes or so until they are slightly browned* and tender throughout.   Serve hot or cold.
*As the chef’s in school used to say, you want them GBD.  Golden Brown Delicious

A few things you could do:

• Add a Tablespoon of Sugar or honey (not vegan anymore) when tossing to bring out the sweetness.
• Add a bit of chipotle tabasco or chipotle in adobo sauce to give it a mouth watering smoky flavor.  (This one gets my vote)
• Add 1/2 to 2/3 cup of cornmeal when tossing for a nice crunch.
• The original recipe is great by itself, but feel free to be creative.

Here’s what you’ll need:

A container large enough to hold your turkey and enough brine to cover it.  Both Reynolds (Oven Roasting Bag for Turkeys) and Ziploc (XL Storage Bag) make very large food safe sealable bags that are great for brining.  You can use a 5 gallon bucket, it must be food safe though.

Water-Enough to cover the turkey completely.  I’m gonna start with 3 gallons and make more if I have to.

Salt-1 cup per 1 gallon of water

Sugar-1/2 cup per 1 gallon.

Herbs and spices.  1 Tablespoon of each herb per Gallon of water is a good rule.  I’ll use about 3 Tablespoons of dried rosemary and the stems from the rosemary.

Here’s how:

In a large stockpot add 1 gallon of the water and all of the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.  Make sure the salt and sugar are  completely dissolved.  Add the rest of the water.  You want this water to cool the brine so make sure you are adding cold water.  Add ice until the brine is cool to the touch.  Transfer the brine to your brining container which should already contain the turkey.  Place in the fridge for  1 hour per pound of turkey.  Don’t have room in the refrigerator? Try a cooler.

After brining, rinse and pat dry with a paper towel.

Its ready to roast normally.

A nice healthy salad.

When Beth and I lived in Lawrence, Ks we used to visit The Merc nearly every day.  It was the best place in town to buy tofu and they had cheap bulk goods, but it was the prepared salads that kept us coming back.  Among those prepared salads was this very salad, Thai Roasted Tofu, it was easily our favorite.   Its really an easy recipe and it works great as a side or even a main dish.  If you have never tried tofu, or if you have tried it and didn’t like it, just give this recipe a shot, I guarantee you’ll become a tofu fan.  Oh yeah, healthy, yada yada.

Here’s what you need:

1 package Extra firm or High Protein Tofu

1 Bottle Thai Salad dressing.  Really you could use nearly any asian dressing, sesame, shiitake, peanut, you get the point.

2 Bell Peppers-Red and yellow preferably, but it would be fine with just green.

1/2 medium purple onion

Here’s how:

Remove the Tofu from the package and place on a clean towel.  Cover with the towel and press lightly to dry.  It doesn’t take much.

Cut the tofu into even thumb sized chunks.  1/2″ x 3/4″ x 2 ” or so.  Place in a plastic container (with lid) or a plastic bag.  Cover with the dressing and let sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or as much as 24 hours.

Remove from the container and place on a roasting rack if you have one, if not any old baking sheet will do, just give it a nonstick spray.  Reserve this marinating liquid (dressing), it will be the dressing for the salad.

Place in the oven at 400 degrees and cook for 45 minutes to an hour.  Tofu is very nice to cook because it hardly ever burns, but if it looks like its getting too dark, remove it after 45 minutes, if not, leave it in for an hour.

Remove from the oven and let it cool.

While, your letting it cool, cut the pepper and onions  into 2″ long strips and place into a large bowl with about a cup of the dressing.  Place the cooled tofu (just not hot) in the bowl with the peppers and dressing, toss to coat and refrigerate for at least an hour.  The more time you give it in the fridge, the better the flavors will mesh.

Serve as is.  Add more or less dressing to taste.

My favorite.

I’ve been tweaking my Enchilada Sauce for years and it still hasn’t turned out the way I want it. I just can’t get the flavor right, too bitter, too sweet, too spicy and it seems lately that It’s getting worse. That is, until last Saturday. Last Saturday I came as close as I ever have to getting the flavor I want, it was well balanced, well seasoned, and had just the right amount of spiciness. It simply tasted great and I’d like to share the recipe with you. Good Luck.

Here’s what you need:
12 Dried Ancho Chiles
6 Dried Guajillo Chiles
5 Cloves Garlic (preferably roasted)
1 Medium Yellow Onion-Small dice, the smaller the better.
3 Tablespoons Veg or Canola Oil
1 15 oz can Tomato Sauce
1 1/2 cup Vegetable Stock
2 teaspoons Dried Oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons Ground Cumin
1 teaspoon salt
3 Corn Tortillas
Dark Chocolate (a few ounces I think)

Here’s how:
Break of the tops of the chiles and remove the seeds. Discard the seeds ans stems. Place The remaining pieces of the chiles into a large bowl and add boiling water to cover. Add a plate or something similar to the bowl to make sure the chiles remain under water. Like this:

Put a lid on it.

Soak the chiles for at least 1 hour.   Remove the chiles from the water and place in a food processor or blender.  Save the soaking water, we’ll use almost all of it.   Blend the chilies with 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the soaking liquid.  Blend very well, we don’t want any pieces of chile showing up.  Leave it.

Heat up a large saucepot over medium high heat.  Add the oil.  When its good and hot, add the onions  and the whole cloves of garlic.  Stir to coat in oil.  Sautee for 7 minutes or so.

Add 1 cup soaking water to the chile mixture and blend well again.  Add the chile mixture to the garlic and onions, sautee/ simmer for another 5 minutes.  Add 1 cup soaking water, tomato sauce, oregano, cumin, stock, tortillas, and salt.  Cover and Simmer over medium low heat for 15 minutes, stirring at least every 5 minutes.

Now you need to blend the sauce.  If you have a stick blender, you’re in luck, just blend it in the pot.  If you have a food processor or blender, wait for it to cool a bit, then blend it in batches.  Get it nice and smooth, no chunks.

Return it to the sauce pan and simmer over low heat.  Add the chocolate 1 thumbnail sized chunk at a time and salt 1 pinch at a time until you reach your desired flavor.  The Chiles will be bitter, the chocolate will balance them out.  So if your sauce is too bitter, add more chocolate, it will mellow it out.

If you don’t remember how to roll enchiladas, look here.  For a filling I just used a Ranchero cheese, or Queso Fresco with some salt and  scallions.

• FOR THE PUMPKIN WHOOPIE COOKIES
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon ground cloves
• 2 cups firmly packed dark-brown sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 cups pumpkin puree, chilled
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• FOR THE CREAM-CHEESE FILLING
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Make the cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together brown sugar and oil until well combined. Add pumpkin puree and whisk until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and whisk until well combined. Sprinkle flour mixture over pumpkin mixture and whisk until fully incorporated.
3. Using a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism, drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Transfer to oven and bake until cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of each cookie comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely on pan.
4. Make the filling: Sift confectioner’ sugar into a medium bowl; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth. Add cream cheese and beat until well combined. Add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, beat just until smooth. (Filling can be made up to a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate; let stand at room temperature to soften before using.)
5. Assemble the whoopie pies: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Transfer filling to a disposable pastry bag and snip the end. When cookies have cooled completely, pipe a large dollop of filling on the flat side of half of the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edge of the cookies. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate cookies at least 30 minutes before serving and up to 3 days.

recipe courtesy of Martha. Good ole Martha. I think the fact that she spent time in thr slammer makes her even more endearing to me.

1/2 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped onions depending on your taste

1 quart vegetable stock

8 oz dried pasta, I used angel hair because I had some left over

3 Tablespoons of oil

Here’s how to make it:

Heat up a nice big sauce pan (at least 2 quart) over high heat.  Add the oil.

Make sure the pan is good and hot then add the carrots, sautee for 3 minutes then add the celery and onion. Still over high heat.  The more you get the carrots to brown, the more flavor your soup is gonna have.  At some point while doing this, get some water started heating in another pan, to boil the noodles.

Sautee

When the carrots are sufficiently browned, add the stock to the pan.  Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes.

Start the Simmer.

Boil the noodles and drain.

Add the noodles to the soup right before serving.  You don’t want the noodles to cook in the soup.  Salt and Pepper to taste.

Serve with a nice hot slice of homemade bread as pictured.  If I had more time I would have added some small diced tofu when I added the celery and onions, I have a feeling that would have been yummy.

I Love Food.