Black bean stew

I recently read an essay about eating beans in the book Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant, which is a collection of essays about what people like (or don't like) to eat when they're alone. It had me hunkering for a hearty meal of black beans. The black beans recipe is from the book, and is somewhere between a soup and a stew. I added some crushed pineapple (with its juice) and spices to give the beans a little zing.

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T chili powder
1.5 t cumin
2 12-oz cans of black beans, drained of liquid
1 12-oz can chopped tomatoes
1 red (or yellow/green) pepper, chopped finely
1 small can of crushed pineapple (about 1 cup)
1 small chili, seeds removed and chopped finely (be careful if you use spicy chilis!)
Optional: adobo or other smoky flavored chilis/spices
olive oil/salt/pepper as needed
coriander

Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet or medium pot over medium-high heat, and saute onion in 1 T olive oil for ~5 minutes, until translucent. 
2. Add chili powder, cumin, garlic, and fresh chili, and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
3. Add beans, tomatoes, pineapple, and pepper - simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes (or longer if you want more concentrated flavors and a stew-like consistency)
4. Serve with Coconut Rice and corainder

Vegetarian Tacos

This recipe is a vegetarian adaptation of the American classic - tacos.  It is infinitely better than any premade taco seasoning, and can be used with any meat substitute (not just quorn).  Adapted from Cooks Illustrated.

Ingredients

1 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T chili powder
1 t cumin
1.4 t cayenne pepper
1 t salt
1/4 c tomato paste
1/2 c broth
2 t cider vinegar
1 t brown sugar
1 T oil
1 package quorn mince

Instructions

1) Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and cook onion in oil until translucent and golden, about 8-10 minutes.
2) Add garlic and spices, stir, and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
3) Stir in the tomato sauce, broth, vinegar and sugar.
4) Add quorn, stir, and simmer for a few minutes, until some of the liquid is absorbed.
Serve with taco shells/tortilla wraps, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, cilantro, salad, and vegetables of your choice.

Drunken beans (frijoles borrachos)

The tequila for this recipe adds a great, hearty flavor.  This recipe goes well with rice, but also with tortillas.  Adapted from Vegetarian World Classics.

Ingredients

olive oil
2 onions, chopped finely
3 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 fresh chillies, de-seeded and chopped finely
1 14oz  can chopped tomatoes
2 14oz cans pinto or barlotti beans
2 t cumin
1-2 T lime juice or vinegar
1/3 c tequila
1 large handful cilantro, chopped
sour cream
cheddar cheese
avocado slices

Instructions

1) Heat a large pan over medium heat, add oil, and fry onions until fragrant and translucent.
2) Add garlic and chilies, fry 30 seconds until fragrant.
3) Add tomatoes, then add both cans of beans - with the liquid from one.
4) Add cumin, lime/vinegar, tequila, and salt/pepper to taste.
5) Simmer for 30-40 minutes, until the consistency of the beans is thickened.  Serve with coriander, cheese, avocado, and sour cream.

Creamy salsa verde

This sauce is an amazing combination of tangy, spicy, and creamy.  It goes very well with tacos or burritos.  I have substituted tomatillos for jarred jalapenos because I cannot get tomatillos in England.  But feel free to use either or a combination of the two!

Ingredients

1/2 c jarred jalapenos, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cilantro, chopped
1 T oil
3 T creme fraiche
1 T mayonnaise
1 fresh chili, de-seeded and chopped
1-2 T fresh lime juice

Instructions

1) Using a hand-blender, combine and blend jalapenos, garlic, and chili in a medium bowl.
2) Add creme fraiche and mayonaisse, and combine further.  The texture should be smooth, and the hand-blender should get rid of any chunks of garlic or jalapeno.
3) Add the cilantro and blend briefly, to retain some of the texture of the cilantro.

Gazpacho

This is a classic gazpacho - it's not fully pureed, but leaves some chunks of vegetable instead.

Ingredients

3.5 c tomato juice
8 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 cucumber, seeded and chopped finely
1 red pepper, chopped finely
1 medium onion, chopped finely
1/3 c chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 c chopped fresh parsley
3 T fresh lemon juice
1 green onion, minced
1.5 t (about 1 medium) chile, seeded and minced
2 garlic cloves, crushed

Instructions

1) Combine 1 c tomato juice, half tomatoes, half cucumber, and half bell pepper in a blender, and puree until smooth.
2) Pour puree into large bowl.  Stir in remaining tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, tomato juice, onion, cilantro, parsley, lemon juice, green onion, chile, and garlic.
3) Season with salt and pepper, cover, and chill 2 hours before serving.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burrito

From Moosewood Low-Fat Favorites. A filling, healthy, and tasty twist on vegetarian burritos.


Ingredients

5 C peeled, cubed sweet potatoes
2 T water or broth for saute
3-1/2 C diced onions
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 T minced fresh green chile
4 t ground cumin
4 t ground coriander
4-1/2 C cooked black beans (or 3 15-oz. cans, drained)
2/3 C lightly packed cilantro leaves
2 T lemon juice
1 t salt
8 eight-inch flour tortillas (non-fat version)
tomato salsa for topping

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 350 F.
2) Place sweet potatoes in pot with water to cover. Cover and bring
to boil. Simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3) With 2 T water in a non-stick skillet, saute onions, garlic, and
the chile. Add water as necessary to keep from sticking. Cover and
cook on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until onions are
tender, about 7 min. Add cumin and coriander and cook 2-3 min.,
stirring frequently. Remove from heat and set aside.
4) In food processor, combine beans, cilantro, lemon juice, salt, and
cooked sweet potatoes. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a large
mixing bowl and mix in cooked onions and spices.
5) Spray with nonstick spray a large baking dish. Spoon about 2/3 to
3/4 C. of the filling into center of each tortilla, roll closed, and
place seam side down in baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake
at least 30 min., until piping hot. Serve topped with salsa.

Southwestern Corn and Potato Soup

From Moosewood Low-Fat Favorites. This soup comes out so creamy that it tastes like it has a bunch of dairy in it, but nope. Amazing.






Ingredients

1 cup finely chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 small fresh chile (I used a mild one), seeded and minced
1/2 t salt
4 cup vegetable stock
2 t ground cumin
1 med. sweet potato, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
3 cup fresh corn kernels (I cooked six stalks for three minutes to get about 3 c. of kernels)
salt to taste
lime wedges
finely chopped cilantro leaves

Instructions

1) Chop veggies.
2) In a covered soup pot, simmer onions, garlic, chile, and salt in 1 c. of vegetable stock for about 10 min., or until the onions are soft.
3) Add cumin and cook two more minutes.
4) Add the sweet potatoes and the remaining stock and cook about 10 minutes, or until sweet potatoes have softened.
5) Add the bell pepper and simmer for five minutes.
6) Add the corn and simmer, covered, for an additional five minutes.
7) Puree about half the soup in a blender and add it back in to the pot.
8) Garnish with lime and cilantro.

Tamale Pie

A delicious, healthy recipe adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites. What could be better than getting corn, cheese, and vegetables all in the same plate?

The original recipe calls for (optional) cheddar cheese sprinkled on the bottom of the casserole dish, but I opted to mix parmesian into the cornbread topping because I love strong-flavored cheese. I think it made the topping a little more dense (i.e. it didn't rise as well), but it was still delicious, so you can go either way.



Ingredients

Veggies

1 T olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 T ground cumin
2 t ground coriander
1 t dried oregano
cayenne pepper to taste
1-2 T water
1 cup peeled and diced carrots
1 cup diced red/green bell peppers
1 cup diced zucchini
2 cups canned diced tomatoes (15oz can, undrained)
1.5 cups cooked beans (15oz can, drained)

Cornbread topping

3/4 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup grated parmesan
1 T flour
1/2 t salt
1 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1 egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 T olive oil

Instructions

1) Warm olive oil in pan, add onions and garlic, cover, and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes.
2) Add the cumin, coriander, oregano, enough water to prevent sticking, and the carrots. cover and cook 5 minutes.
3) Add the bell peppers, zucchini, and cayenne pepper. cover and cooke another 5 minutes.
4) Stir in the tomatoes and beans, cover, and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
5) Remove from heat and salt/pepper to taste.
6) Preheat oven to 400F.
7) In a mixing bowl, thoroughly combine the cornmeal, flour, salt, parmesian cheese, baking powder, and baking soda. in a separate bowl, mix together the egg, buttermilk, and oil. gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry, stirring until just mixed.
8) Prepare casserole dish with cooking spray or a light coating of oil. spread the vegetable-bean mixture in the bottom of the dish.
9) Pour the batter directly on top of the vegetable-bean mixture, pressing it down a little with a spatula. bake 30-35 minutes, until the top is golden and a knife inserted into the topping comes out clean.

Garnish with minced scallions, chopped cilantro, and sour cream.