black bean soup.

i love black beans. this is not a secret. i love soup. also, not a secret. here's my black bean soup recipe.

ingredients:

1 bag goya dried black beans, pre-soaked, picked through, and rinsed

fresh cilantro, chopped, to taste (i used about 1/3 cup)

3 leaves fresh culantro, chopped

2 white onions, diced

6 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped

black pepper, to taste

sea or kosher salt, to taste

water (about 3 cups)

white vinegar (1 capful)

hot sauce, to taste (optional)

crushed red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)

olive oil

PRE-SOAKING THE BEANS

put the beans in a plastic container. add about 1/2 cup of vinegar. fill the container w/ cold water. your beans will need to soak about 24 hours in your fridge (or, if your kitchen is FREEZING the way mine is, they can stay out). how will you know they're soft enough? the dark purple liquid that will run off of them when you rinse. also, the beans will be soft enough to squeeze ever so slightly.

instructions:

in your stock pot, add all spices (except vinegar and hot sauce), olive oil, garlic, and onions. heat on medium-high heat until onions are translucent.

add rinsed beans to pot.

add water, vinegar, and hot sauce.

bring soup to a full boil, stirring occasionally (to keep the beans from sticking to the bottom of the pot).

reduce heat.

simmer for approximately 3 hours or until the beans reach your desired tenderness.

you may also add to this soup: chicken broth, veggie stock, or beef broth instead of water. you may also include bacon. because bacon is fucking delicious.

frittata for that ass.

see, i don't really eat eggs all like that. unless i have a vicious hangover. so, when i'm trying to figure out low-gluten or gluten-free breakfasts, i never think of omelets or anything of that nature. it's like: oatmeal, potatoes, turkey sausage, bacon, maybe leftovers from the night before. i never think about eggs. as a matter of fact, i only buy them if they're an ingredient in something. so, when i saw our fridge was home to 4.5 dozen eggs in anticipation of thanksgiving, i was like "eeeeeewww! what am i gonna do w/ all those eggs? how do i keep them from going bad? ACK!"

then, it dawned on me: make scrambled eggs for boothang every morning. but that really didn't work, cuz she never eats more than two at a time. & i didn't feel like making sweet potato latkes. so i thought, and thought, and while perusing thekitchn.com, it hit me: FRITTATA!

not that i think y'all care how i arrived at this. i'm being self-indulgent & a bit of a story telling jackass. time for the recipe.

ingredients:

1 dozen eggs, beaten

3 small yukon gold potatoes, sliced into thin rounds

olive oil

hot sauce, to taste (i use crystal) ** totally optional. not required. at all.

black pepper, to taste

sauteed vegetables (i mixed broccoli, spinach, and some onion marmalade)

3 cloves of garlic, pressed

a few pinches of sea salt

** there's no cheese in this recipe because we only had american and i don't count that mess for anything that isn't a cheesesteak or grilled cheese sandwich **

instructions:

preheat oven to 375 degrees.

add about 1 tablespoon coat the biggest oven-safe skillet you have (cast iron is my go-to, about 1 foot in diameter) with olive oil. heat oil; add potatoes and a pinch of salt. cook potatoes until they are soft, stirring often. remove potatoes from skillet and set aside. in the same skillet, warm broccoli, spinach, garlic & onion marmalade. remove vegetables from skillet and set aside. you will need to add more oil to the skillet. lower flame to medium-low, and with a paper towel (or a basting brush), lightly touch the entire inside of the pan with olive oil.

pour about half of your beaten eggs into the skillet. cook until the edges of the eggs begin to solidify. layer potatoes on top of the egg; cook for about 3 minutes or until you see more of the egg solidify. add the other vegetables and the rest of the egg. cook about 5 minutes at medium-high heat or until the top layer of egg is runny primarily at the middle. turn off flame, place skillet in oven.

bake for about 15 minutes (or until the egg is no longer runny). remove skillet from oven. with a butterknife flush against the inside wall of the skillet (between the frittata and skillet), turn the pan. keep going until you return to your original starting point (the easiest way to complete this is to start at the handle).

let the frittata cool for about ten minutes. with a steady, protected (THIS MEANS A REALLY STRONG OVEN MITT OR A DRY TOWEL) hand on both the bottom of the pan and the handle, turn the skillet over onto a large plate. (the frittata will be upside down.)

after the frittata cools, feel free to flip it right side up. slice in half, then quarters, followed by eighths.

serve with toast, breakfast meat or tofu scramble, or by itself.

reheats really well in the oven, and keeps pretty well in the fridge overnight. if you're serving this the day after preparing, the frittata can be a bit runny in the middle -- the reheating will take care of that. if possible, let the frittata get to room temperature before placing in oven. and, please do NOT put your cast iron in the fridge. add cheese before serving, if desired.

buen provecho!

deliciousness unreal: black eyed pea salsa.

i think black eyed peas are awesome. after making & eating this salsa, you probably will, too.

ingredients:
1 big-ass can of black eyed peas (i use goya), drained & rinsed
1 bag frozen corn, thawed & drained
1 large green bell pepper, large dice
3 roma tomatoes, large dice
1 medium white onion, large dice
3 celery stalks, sliced horizontally (you can be fancy and dice if you want, i don't really care)
the juice of 1 lime
sea salt, to taste
cayenne pepper, to taste
crushed garlic, to taste
black pepper, to taste
olive oil (about 3 tablespoons) (optional)

combine spices, lime juice, onion, & celery in a bowl. mix enough to thoroughly coat the onion & celery. set aside for about 10 minutes. (during this time, you can finish any chopping or do the rinsing/ draining of the corn and black eyed peas)
add all other ingredients; mix gingerly, as the peas will be kind of soft & you don't wanna turn them into mush. chill the salsa or serve at room temperature.

this salsa is also absolutely fucking delicious when served as a soup, in chicken or veggie stock. jesus.

kale recipes abound!

look at this fabulous link: 20 kale recipes, all of which are easy to prepare (by my standards) and probably taste just as yummy as they want to.
enjoy!

(oh. i live in nyc now. i've been busy/ lazy/ my laptop is a piece of crap -- not a lot of blogging. some new food delights have come into my life, though, and i'll have to blog on them soon.)

white bean turkey chili

quick, easy chili that can be veganized and goes really well with kale or collards. enjoy!

3 cans cannelini beans, rinsed (i use trader joe's)
1 can tomato paste (trader joe's organic)
1 lb ground turkey (shadybrook farms)
olive oil
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1/2 large red onion, diced
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
cumin, to taste
1 tbsp chili powder
1 crushed red pepper, to taste
juice of 1/2 lime
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1 can diced tomatoes

1) brown turkey in a skillet w/ olive oil, two cloves of garlic, salt and pepper to taste.
2) add diced bell pepper and onion; add cumin and lime juice.
3) transfer contents of skillet to stock pot; add lime juice.
4) add tomato paste, chili powder, crushed red pepper, diced tomatoes and beans.
5) fill tomato paste can w/ water; add to pot.
6) bring mixture to a boil; reduce to a simmer.
7) simmer for about 45 minute , stirring often to help prevent sticking. serve with rice.

and, of course, it tastes even better on the 2nd day!

curried sweet potato soup: part 1.

the ingredients:

4 lbs sweet potatoes, boiled and peeled
2 medium yukon gold potatoes, skins on, boiled and diced
2 medium red bliss potatoes, skins on, boiled and diced
1 large red onion, diced
2 carrots, chopped (i leave the skins on; you don't have to)
1 shallot, diced
5 cloves of garlic, peeled and pressed
1 can coconut milk
2 tbsps olive oil
about 2 quarts of water or vegetable broth
curry powder
sea salt
black pepper
cayenne pepper
crushed red pepper flakes
garlic powder
fresh ginger, grated or sliced (to taste; ground ginger may be subbed)

combine shallot, garlic, onion, spices (all are to taste!), & olive oil in your stock pot.

cook until onions are translucent and the carrots are soft; add water or vegetable broth; bring to a rapid boil.

add all potatoes; lower the heat to a simmer.

cook for about 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

** at this point i decided i had to go to bed. next post: coconut milk, pureeing the soup, last-minute tweaking, and what happens when you add a dollop of honey.

UPDATE: i pureed the soup, added a bit more veggie broth to thin it out, and left the coconut milk out. it was deliciously amazing. :)

potato soup!

with kale
with turkey sage sausage
with corn
with cheese
with whatever you like!


take the mashed potato recipe, add extra veggie stock (i used a combo if that and homemade mushroom broth) and whatever seasoning you'd like (i even threw some horse radish mustard in).

mine has kale and WAY too much hot pepper in it. it's definitely great. there's a huge pot of it so i'll have plenty to eat on those broke/ lazy days . . .

mashed potatoes.

(what? in august? YES.)

i saw this recipe from heidi "i am secretly the devil because i want you to cook and eat all the time" swanson and had to try it for myself.

holy crap. it's delicious. my variations:

no scallions, just fried shallots
veggie broth instead of milk
garlic powder in addition to fresh garlic
a sprinkle of cayenne
smart balance instead of butter (it was all i had available)
no parmesan

it's awesome. i wanna add some more potatoes to it. such goodness.

getting ready for fall . . .

fire roasted salsa.

tomato. shallot. green pepper. lime juice. salt. pepper. garlic.

4 roma tomatoes, rinsed
1 large green pepper, seeded and halved
1/2 shallot, diced
lime juice, to taste
salt, pepper, garlic (crushed or powder) to taste

roast the tomatoes, one at a time, on your stovetop. when the skin is blackened and almost peeling, remove. dice the tomatoes and set them aside in a bowl w/ salt, pepper, garlic and lime juice.
roast the green pepper and dice it.
add the shallot and pepper to tomatoes.

serve room temperature or chilled. enjoy with eggs, toast, as a side to some home fries, with a tofu scramble for breakfast. yesterday it served as a topping for a vegetable tamale, and WOW was it delicious. :D

black eyed peas with brown jasmine rice

(i meant to make this post days ago, but i've had a series of internet issues that have resulted in my becoming comcast's bitch as opposed to verizon's or earthlink's again)

if you're a person from the african diaspora or live in the southern united states, you probably know about the new year's day tradition of eating black eyed peas & collards to bring in a new year of wealth & prosperity.

so, here's my recipe. late as hell (i forgot to publish it after adding photos) . . .

ingredients:

one 1-lb bag of goya frijoles caritas (it says in english somewhere on the bag, black eyed peas), soaked & rinsed
one carton of trader joe's vegetable broth
diced bell peppers (assorted colors)
olive oil
1 small red onion
sofrito
garlic, crushed (to taste)
salt, pepper, adobo & whatever spices you like (to taste)
bragg's liquid aminos (for the smoky taste)

instructions:

1) saute veggies & sofrito in olive oil, in the same stock pot you're going to cook the peas in.
2) once the onions are translucent, add veggie stock, braggs & spices.
3) add peas. bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
4) cook the peas to your desired consistency.
5) serve with the rice of your choice. enjoy!

note: i cooked my brown jasmine rice with bay leaf. YUM.

spicy mango fried rice.

i made the coconut forbidden rice about 2 weeks ago, & was looking for something to do w/ allllllll the leftover i had. so, i froze it & thought really hard about what would be suitable. it's tooooooo hot for soup, & i wasn't about to attempt much else (sweet sticky rice was out because of the ginger & garlic) beyond plain old coconut rice as a side dish. then i thought about it. i like mango & coconut outside of desserts.
so i came up w/ spicy mango fried rice! here goes nothing. all measurements are estimations, children...

2 cups coconut forbidden rice
1 cup trader joe's frozen mango chunks, thawed slightly and diced
2 small cloves (or one large clove) garlic, peeled & pressed
3/4 teaspoon pureed ginger
2 tbsps olive oil (or whichever oil you cook with -- butter or margarine would mess w/ the flavor)
ground ginger, to taste
cayenne pepper, to taste
onion powder (i didn't have a real onion), to taste
blk pepper, to taste
sea salt, to taste
chili powder, to taste

1) mix the diced mango & seasonings in a bowl; set aside. (i let mine sit for about 10 minutes or so before i started cooking, so the mango would get thoroughly spicy)
2) in a skillet or wok, heat the oil to its frying point.
3) add rice. stir-fry for about 3 minutes.
4) add fruit/ spice mixture. stir-fry for another 3 minutes or until the mango is tender.
5) remove from heat. serve.

i like my rice kinda crisp so i kinda overcooked it, then added the mango. i let the whole dish cool before tasting any of it. it was really good. i'm supposed to be sharing it w/ my homegirl but i genuinely don't see that happening. lol.

happy eating.

coconut forbidden rice.

this is my own variation on the recipe for purple jasmine coconut rice which i posted a few days ago, from 101 cookbooks. this was a complete stab in the dark, as i (a) didn't want cashews or shallots, & (b) had never cooked w/ forbidden rice ever in my life . . . i used heidi's measurements for the rice, coconut milk, water & salt.

2 cups forbidden (aka black) rice
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (i use the foco brand, which is hella cheap & thick as thick can be -- do NOT use lite. use regular, whichever brand. & please for the love of pete, don't use coconut creme.)
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 large clove of garlic, crushed (optional)

soak the rice in cold water for 45 minutes to an hour in the pot you'll be using to cook it. once the rice is finished soaking, drain & rinse it twice. add to the pot the water, sea salt & coconut milk. stir the mixture. place the pot over high heat, uncovered. bring rice to a boil, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. lower the flame to a low simmer. cook for about 20 minutes without stirring the rice or removing the lid. remove from heat. allow the rice to sit for 20 minutes (still covered). fluff the rice with a fork & serve with the garnish of your choice.

this was a really easy recipe.
i ended up adding about a half cup more coconut milk once i'd finished though; the taste wasn't quite right to me.

next time i'll try some shredded ginger . . .

hot!!! beans & rice

with a few modifications, this can evolve into a soup or chili.


ingredients:

1 cup of white or brown rice (i use trader joe's organic jasmine or brown rice, as boil in bag rice doesn't come out right)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons sriracha rooster sauce (more or less per your taste)
1 tablespoon cilantro (totally optional. bill, i know you hate it)
1 clove of garlic, pressed
1/2 red or white onion, chopped finely
1/2 green or red bell pepper, diced
1 can of black beans, mostly drained (again, i use trader joe's but goya or la fe or whatever is fine if that's what you like)
1 teaspoon of olive or canola oil

follow cooking instructions for the rice.
add to the rice as it simmers the garlic, tomato paste, rooster sauce, cilantro, & any other seasonings you wish.
in a separate pan, saute the onions and peppers.
when the rice is finished cooking, add the beans & sauteed veggies.

serve as a side dish.

** you can also 'bake' the beans & rice to dry the dish out. about 20 or so minutes at 350 depending on how dry you like yours.

eat up!

portabellas!!

portabella mushroom caps, sliced
approx. 4tbs bragg's liquid aminos or soy sauce
approx 4tbs vegetable broth
parsley
oregano
sage
a pinch of spike natural seasoning
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 medium sized onion or one small onion
olive oil
salt (to taste--between the spike & veggie broth you probably won't need it)
blk or cayenne pepper (to taste)

~arrange mushrooms in a single layer in a pie or casserole pan lightly
greased with olive oil
~add seasonings, let sit for 10-15 minutes or up to overnight
~place in broiler about 5 minutes or until mushrooms shrivel a bit & onions
are caramelized

enjoy with pasta, on sandwiches, as a "beefy" main dish, etc.

**if you want "steak", leave the caps whole (or only cut in 1/2), skip the
veggie broth and bragg's and use A-1 or another steak sauce as a marinade w/
the other seasonings.

thanks to omi for posting this.

garlicky herby roasted potatoes

easy. cheap. relatively quick.

prep time: about 10 minutes

cook time: 20 minutes

ingredients:

3-4 small-to-medium sized yukon gold potatoes, washed, cubed, skin on
garlic (fresh, minced, or granulated)
basil (fresh or dried)
parsley (fresh or dried)
onion powder, to taste
salt & pepper, to taste
adobo (optional, but poor ppl use it constantly. broke bitches stand up!)
sriracha hot sauce, to taste
olive or canola oil (you can get ignorant & use bacon grease if you really want/ need to)

preheat oven to 350.
mix all ingredients in a bowl; transfer mixed ingredients to baking pan or sheet. cover potatoes w/ foil.
bake for about 20 minutes; check potatoes for tenderness. if they're ready, remove the pan from the oven & leave it covered until ready to serve.

** this recipe is ibs-friendly because the potatoes have the skin on, which adds fiber.
** this recipe is vegan/ vegetarian friendly.


happy eating,

lenée