What's Cooking

I haven't posted a ton of recipes lately but I have been cooking away when I find time and making some good things.  So I thought that I would pop in with a few tips if not full recipes.

The soup above is a Cuban black bean soup from Deborah Madison's awesome Vegetable Soups cookbook (previously mentioned here) - the soup is good, although I tweaked the recipe a bit this past time and it wasn't quite as good as I remembered it.  I'll probably post a recipe here at some point in the future, once I have played around with it a bit more and gotten it just right (or, stopped trying to take shortcuts in what is a good recipe that just takes a while).  In the meantime, I wanted to share what I think is the best part of this soup - you top it off with a delicious lime cilantro sour cream.  This is literally just 1/2 cup sour cream with 3 tablespoons of chopped cilantro and 2-3 tablespoons of lime juice.  I love it with this soup, but I have also served it with other black bean soups and dishes and it really just hits the spot!

The other night I made a veggie lasagne which turned out pretty well;  I tested the theory that you can pretty much always use uncooked lasagna noodles whether or not they are actually labelled as no boil, and they were fully cooked by the time it was done.  I actually think doing it that way is a good idea in general with veggie lasagna since it can tend to be a bit watery, and that helps to absorb some of the extra liquid.  I also sauteed mushrooms and kale and layered that in with layers of ricotta/egg/parmesan mixture, low-fat mozzarella, and tomato sauce.  Overall turned out quite good, which is a good thing since we have a lot left over. 

I loved the vanilla caramels that I made from Sweet Confections so much, I couldn't wait to try the pumpkin caramels recipe from the book.  I picked up a can of pumpkin at the store the other day, and made them up the other night, so they are all ready for thanksgiving (and super yummy)!  Then I remembered that I had said I would bring muffins to work, and I found a recipe for pumpkin muffins that used up just the amount of pumpkin puree that I had left over - perfect!  They were really yummy, so I'm planning to post the recipe tomorrow - just in case any one else has half a can of pumpkin puree to use up in the coming week :).

How about you - what have you been cooking up lately?  Any tips to share?

Carribean Sweet Potato Black Bean Gratin

I made this sweet potato gratin last week for the second time, and it again was really delicious.  It's from one of my favorite cookbooks, Moosewood Restaurant New Classics, which I find often has recipes that are interesting and delicious without being needlessly complicated - it's a good, solid everyday cookbook.  This dish actually took me a while to assemble but that also could be because I didn't have canned beans on hand so I cooked some in the pressure cooker, I had to pick the spinach and thyme from the garden, and I was just generally moving at a slow pace.  In any case, it is worth the effort.  I often make black bean and sweet potato dishes with southwestern flavor combinations, which I love, but the flavors in this dish are a welcome departure - sweet from the coconut and lime, but with an earthiness from the spinach and thyme - it really does taste carribean.  I couldn't quite think what to serve it with so we just had a salad but if you had time and wanted to make it more special I think fried plantains would be a great accompaniment!

Pottery note - the plate above is one that I made a few years ago, it has a simple carved design on the flange that I really like and a deep green glaze.  It doesn't match any of the other dishes we have which actually makes me like it even more.

Carribean Sweet Potato Black Bean Gratin
Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics

• 1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated lime zest (about 1 lime)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
• 2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon dried or chopped fresh thyme
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 1/2 cups light coconut milk (about 1 1/2 cans)
• 4 cups peeled and thinly sliced sweet potatoes
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans (1 can, drained)
• 1 1/2 cups fresh spinach, thinly chopped

For the topping:

• 3/4 cup cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried or fresh chopped thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine the garlic, lime zest and juice, herbs, salt and pepper and coconut milk in a measuring cup.  Pour a third of this mixture into a lightly oiled 9 x 13" baking pan.  Put half of the sweet potatoes in a layer on the bottom of the pan, followed by half of the rice, half of the beans, and half of the spinach.  Pour in another third of the coconut milk mixture and repeat the other layers.  Pour all the remaining coconut milk on top. 

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix together all the topping ingredients in a small bowl and distribute evenly over the top of the gratin.  Bake uncovered for about an hour, rotating the pan halfway through.  When topping begins to brown and the sweet potatoes are tender, remove and let cool for 3-5 minutes before serving.

Black Bean Hummus

I'm calling this black bean hummus because the ingredients and proportions were inspired by hummus, but it could just as easily be called "delicious black bean spread" or "semi-spicy black bean dip" so if those sound more appealing to you then feel free to call it one of them, or something else.  In my family we like to adapt ingredients to fit what is on hand so there is a story about the time when a dish was made where all the ingredients had been replaced with something similar... pears for apples, and so forth.  This is a bit like that - I used black beans in place of chick peas, toasted walnuts in place of tahini, lime juice in place of lemon, and added some aleppo pepper flakes for a bit of kick.  It still does have garlic, olive oil, and salt like the original, however.   I have made this before and I'm very glad I kept track of the proportions this time because it was delicious and I will definitely be making it again.

A note on the aleppo pepper: this is one of my favorite seasonings; it has a mild, slightly smoky, rich spiciness to it.  You can use them in place of red pepper flakes or ground chili peppers in cooking, so if you are tempted to get them, don't hesitate, you won't regret having them around.  However, if you don't see the need to add another spice to your cabinet or just want to make this right now without tracking down my favorite obscure spice, you can substitute most milder chili peppers or even chili powder.  If you have ground or canned chipotle peppers I am sure those would work very well too.

Black Bean Hummus

• 1 can black beans, drained (or 2 cups cooked)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled
• juice of 1 lime (~3-4 tablespoons)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons aleppo pepper (or other chili pepper to taste)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt to taste (~1/2 - 1 teaspoon)
• water

Blend ingredients through salt in food processor or blender.  Add water to get desired consistency.  Serve with crackers, chips, vegetables, or as a spread in sandwiches, or however else you wish!

PS - Don't forget to check out the raffle for handmade baby items to benefit Japan!

Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili

I really love black beans (I may have mentioned this), and I think that black beans and sweet potatoes are an amazing flavor combination.  So this chili makes a natural pairing - I am almost surprised that I didn't come up with this a lot sooner than this year.  I had made chili with sweet potato or winter squash in it before, but usually multi-bean chilis with a lot of other stuff going on to distract you.  This version keep the focus on the black beans and the sweet potatoes, and it is earthy with hints of smoky sweetness.  It is moderately spicy, hot enough to be interesting but not so hot that it should make anyone squeamish.  I have made this chili several times this winter and finally remembered to write the recipe down, so I feel like it is already an old favorite and really overdue for posting here (especially considering the number of friends that have asked for the recipe).

I also realized that, since all our everyday plates/bowls/mugs are pretty much pots that I made, I am frequently posting pottery photos along with my recipes but rarely say anything about it.  So I may start highlighting some of the pots, too, and giving a bit of a backstory.   This bowl is one that I made in college, when I was first experimenting with carving on my pots.  I really like the simple basketweave type hatching pattern that I made on this bowl, and how it subtly shows through the matte glaze.  There is actually a small matching plate so I kind of think of this as a soup and salad set.  The earthy beige/brown color of this glaze is a great match for hearty bean and lentil soups like this one.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili
Makes 4 quarts

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil (or less, if desired)
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground chipotle chilis (optional)
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and finely chopped into ~1/2"-1" pieces
• One 28 oz can of diced tomatoes (or two 14 oz cans)
• 3 cans black beans, drained and rinsed, or 1 lb bag of dried black beans, cooked (not drained)
• 1/4 cup tomato paste (optional)

Like most soups, this soup is best if you let it simmer for several hours (or simmer for a while and then refrigerate and serve the next day).  If you have a slow cooker, it is easy to start this soup on the stovetop and then transfer it to the slow cooker to simmer away.  If you don't have a slow cooker, you can also easily make this on the stovetop and just simmer it there.  If you are going to transfer to a slowcooker, start the first step in a large skillet, but if you are planning to cook entirely on the stovetop, you can start in a large stockpot/soup pot.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onions and saute until soft.  Add the peppers, celery, garlic, herbs and spices, and saute for another 5-10 minutes, until onions are slightly browned and vegetables start to soften.  If cooking in a slow-cooker, transfer this mixture to the slow cooker and add the sweet potatoes, tomatoes, beans, and tomato paste.  If the herbs/spices are stuck to the pan when you transfer the mixture, add some water to the skillet to loosen and add to the slow cooker.  If cooking on the stove, just add the ingredients to the pan and stir to loosen anything that has gotten stuck to the pan.  Add water until it is chili consistency - 6-8 cups if you used drained canned beans, and 2-3 cups if you used cooked dried beans and added their cooking water (or whatever amount seems to get you to the right consistency.  Simmer for at least 1 hour, ideally 2-4 hours or longer (Note - 1 hour may not be sufficient in a slow cooker - 3-4 hours or longer in slow cooker is probably best).

Note on optional ingredients:

• The chipotle peppers add the slight smoky flavor and are really delicious.  If you don't have them though, you can make this without and just add a bit more chili powder.
• If you omit the tomato paste, this is more like a black bean soup than a full blown chili, but also very good.  This is actually what I did the last time I made the soup.

Black bean peach salad and tabbouleh

Tonight's dinner was a bit eclectic - based largely on what I had in the fridge and what I felt like making, these two salads went together better than I expected.  The black bean salad has a bit of spice which is nicely balanced by the sweetness of the peaches.  In a continuation of my what-to-do-with-all-these-cucumbers situation, the tabbouleh served well to use up several cukes, the tomatoes I had on hand (one from the garden, one from the market), and some leftover bulgur.   I served the salads with a side of honeydew melon which was also delicious!  Also in the photo above you can see the placemats which I made a few years ago with some Amy Butler fabric, without even thinking about the fact that it would perfectly match my orange (spodumene glaze) plates.

Black Bean and Peach Salad

• 4-6 cups cooked black beans (2-3 cans), rinsed
• 2 fresh peaches, pitted and chopped
• 1/2 -1 cup chopped peppers (1-2 large peppers or multiple small)
• 3-4 scallions, chopped (or red onion would be good too)
• 1-2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon crumbled aleppo peppers (or crushed red pepper generally if you don't have aleppos)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• salt to taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and serve.

Garden Tabbouleh

• 1 cup uncooked bulgur wheat
• 1-2 cups chopped cucumber
• 1-2 cups chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 - 1 cup chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• salt to taste (I salted generously)

Put bulgur in a heatproof bowl and cook by pouring boiling water to cover by 1", then cover and let sit for 15-20 minutes.  Drain if necessary then combine with remaining ingredients in a bowl.

Black bean and swiss chard quesadillas

This is literally what I ate for most of graduate school.  Quick, delicious, relatively healthy, and it has black beans... what more could I ask for?  I usually make this with swiss chard, since I grow it in my garden, but it works fine with spinach too.

Black Bean and Chard Quesadillas
Makes 1 full size quesadilla (sandwiching two full tortillas) or 2 folded over quesadillas.

• 1/2 cup cooked black beans
• 1 teaspoon chili powder (or less, to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or mexican cheese mixture, or goat cheese)
• 4 large chard leaves, coarsely chopped (about 1/2 cup), or equivalent amount of spinach
• 1 tablespoon finely choppped cilantro (optional)
• 2 medium to large sized whole grain flour tortillas

Mix together the beans with the chili powder and cumin, then spread on the center of the bottom tortilla (or on one half of each of two tortillas, if you are making folded ones).  Mound the cheese in the center of the beans (or near the fold, if you are making folded ones) - the cheese will melt out as it cooks, so you want to put it near the center to start to keep it from getting too messy.  Put the chard and cilantro on top, then top with the second tortilla (or fold over).  I have always cooked these on a george forman grill or a panini press (folded over size works better on a forman, if you put the fold at the bottom it prevents everthing from coming out the bottom as it melts).  If you don't have either of those, you could try cooking them on a cast iron skillet, baking in a toaster oven (or conventional oven), or even microwaving (although I expect that would get soggy).  Serve with salsa, sour cream, or just plain.

Smoky Black Beans

I love black beans.  They are one of my all-time favorite foods.  I may have had a hankering to make black beans for dinner tonight because we went to a crummy suburban Mexican restaurant in Hagerstown for dinner last night, where not only did they serve only bad refried beans with their food, but we strongly suspected that they were using American cheese.  Very sad.  Our dinner tonight was much, much better.

Featuring peppers, basil and oregano from the garden, we ate the beans accompanied by brown rice, feta cheese, and another peach tomato salad (with a drizzle of lime to make it more Mexican side-dish appropriate).  Also visible in the picture at top - fun napkins that I made using Metro Cafe fabric.  I originally thought that we would use these for outdoors to go with our bright red plates, but we have been enjoying their bright summeriness inside too.

Smoky Black Beans

• 1 lb dried black beans or 3 16 oz cans, drained
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil
• 2 chopped onions
• 2-3 chopped peppers (more if you are using small ones like my garden has been producing)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil (or 1-2 teaspoons dried)
• 2 teaspoons chopped oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ancho chili peppers
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon ground chipotle chili peppers (this is what gives it the smoky flavor)
• salt to taste

Either pre-soak the beans for 6-8 hours, then drain water and add new water to cover by 1-2", or just cook in a pressure cooker (my preference!), or use canned beans.  While the beans are cooking (if not using canned), chop the vegetables and begin to cook.  Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat, then add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the peppers, garlic, herbs and spices, and continuing sauteing until the peppers start to soften (or until the beans finish cooking).  Add the beans a a cup or two of the cooking liquid (or water if using canned beans).  Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for another 15-20 minutes.  Mash the beans or use a hand blender to partially blend (or remove part of the beans to a blender then return to the pot - be careful not to burn yourself).  Add salt to taste, let cool for a few minutes and serve.  Makes about 6-8 servings - plenty for leftovers!

These make great leftovers - the flavor deepens when they have a chance to sit (so be careful not to add too much spice for your taste!).  Also - you can put pretty much any vegetable in these that you please, they are also a great way to use up zucchini.