Black Bean Stew

This is no groundbreaking feat of a stew, but it was easy, quick, cheap, just a tad spicy (my mister did not even kick up a fuss), and super comforting on a freezing cold November night.  I tend to think of black bean soups as either too boring-just a cup full of beans, or super Mexican flavored.  This was somewhere else on the spectrum.  Not too spicy, not too much of my beloved Cumin, no chili powder to be found, no cilantro or lime either. What really grabbed my interest was the addition of orange zest right at the end, it just sounded so good and different and I just had to make it right away.

I found this recipe on a random round-up of one pot meals, and the original source was Runner's World, which I am not an avid reader of, or practiced runner.  In any case, I always love the idea of one pot meals, and saved a bunch of soups from this page to make later.

This Black Bean Stew in particular, was noted as a quick stew to help you shed pounds, as this stew is packed full of protein and fiber from the beans and then the spiciness from the chipotle is supposed to be good at curbing appetite and boosting calorie-burning.  Who can say no to that? Add in some other fresh veggies and you are golden.

I made a few changes and additions, but nothing too crazy. Instead of roasting the pepper and slicing it up, I diced it up and cooked it in the pot. I liked this change because the peppers kept up a bit of their crunch.  I also threw in a diced sweet potato that I had laying around and it also was a great addition, due to the texture and slight sweetness, but I would not have missed it much if I had left it out (and if I did leave it out, I would have used two bell peppers, one each of orange and red). This is a great base soup that could easily be modified in tons of ways.  The absolute best part is the orange zest, it really livens up the dish, adding a hint of summer to this cold weather staple.

Black Bean Stew
Serves 6

2 tsp Canola oil
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, sliced thin
1 small sweet potato, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1-2 garlic cloves, diced
2 15 oz cans drained and rinsed black beans
2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes
3 cups chicken stock (or veggie broth)
1 Tbls minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1 Tbls cumin
1 Tbls fresh thyme
Zest from one orange
1/2 bunch of shredded dino kale
salt & pepper to taste
Diced avocado (optional)

Heat Canola oil in a Dutch oven or other soup pot over medium heat.

Add the onion and carrot, sauteeing for 5 minutes. Add the sweet potato and let it cook for another 5 minutes. Add the diced red pepper and let all of this cook about 10 minutes until the sweet potatoes are just barely tender.

Add to the pot the black beans, tomatos, broth, minced chipotle, and cumin.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.  Taste broth and add salt and pepper to taste.

Simmer 20 minutes until the sweet potatoes are tender.  Toss in the shredded kale, fresh thyme, and orange zest.  Ladel into bowls and top with diced avocado.  Enjoy!



p.s. This photo looks terrible. I think I must have accidentally changed some setting without noticing, but I was so anxious to eat that I didn't bother messing with it. Forgive me?

Curried Vegetable and Chickpea Stew

When that first fall chill hits the air, out comes my dutch oven for a big pot of stew.  

This was a crockpot recipe, but I wanted to do it on the stove top because I was worried it would turn into a big pile of curry mush. I am glad I did it my way because all the vegetables turned out perfect!  The curry gives it a warm comforting vibe, like a big hug from the inside. 

If you use vegetable broth, this would be vegan!  If you don't like one of these veggies, just leave it out or sub something else that you do like--green beans, mushrooms, zucchini, cabbage, etc.  Add some shrimp or shredded cooked chicken if you have some on hand.  If you like things spicy, add more cayenne or top it with hot sauce when you eat it.  We ate this as a soup but it would also be delicious over rice or cous cous.
Curried Vegetable and Chickpea Stew
Adapted from TheKitchn
Serves 8 - 10

1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 large onion, diced 
2 medium sized red potatoes
1 small sweet potato
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 of a medium head of cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
1 small head of broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
10-ounces baby spinach
1 cup frozen peas  1-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated (about 1 tablespoon)
4 garlic cloves, minced 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with their juices
2 cups chicken stock
2 (16-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon salt 
2 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup coconut milk 

Heat the oil in a dutch oven over medium heat.  Saute the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the diced red potatoes and sweet potato and a tablespoon of salt.  Saute until the potatoes are slightly translucent around the edges.  Add the broccoli, cauliflower, red and green bell peppers and saute for another 5 minutes.

Stir in the curry, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.  Cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.

Pour in the stock and the tomatoes with their juices and stir to combine.   Bring to a boil and then reduce to a low simmer.  Let simmer for 45 minutes until the vegetables are just barely soft.  

Add in the chickpeas, spinach, frozen peas, and continue to simmer for another 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender, the spinach is wilted, and the chickpeas and peas are warmed through.   Stir in the coconut milk, taste, and adjust seasonings.  Fall comfort in a bowl!

Coriander Chicken Lettuce Wraps

When the weather is nice for three days and then turns rainy suddenly, as May in Portland is wont to do, your grilling plans can be shattered.  Luckily this delicious marinade turned out beautifully in the oven and aside from the chicken and fresh ginger, I already had all of the ingredients on hand.  

This chicken is super flavorful and just spicy enough, and turned out extremely tender chicken.  It satisfied a craving for Indian food without a super long marinating time or slow cooking or anything like that.  It came together quickly, cooked easily, and was so extremely satisfying.  I will likely grill the chicken next time and I am positive it will be even more delicious that way, and I may not make any other type of chicken for quite some time. 

We ate this tasty treat wrapped in Boston lettuce leaves, topped with a few chopped red onions and a spicy cilantro walnut sauce.  On the side we had roasted sweet potatoes tossed with fresh lime zest which worked perfectly to balance the spiciness.

The chicken recipe is modified from The Barbecue Bible by Steven Raichlen and here is the recipe as I made it:

Coriander Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Sweet Potatoes

For the chicken:

(serves 6-8)

3 lbs boneless chicken thighs 

1 heaping tsp Cumin

2 heaping tsp ground Coriander

2 tsp freshly ground pepper

8 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

fresh ginger, a 2 inch piece, peeled and sliced

3 Tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil

2 Tbsp lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)

1 heaping tsp Cayenne pepper (use more if you love spice, less if you don't)

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped

1/4 cup water (if needed)

For the sweet potatoes:

(serves 2)

2 smallish sweet potatoes

olive oil

salt & pepper

zest of 1 lime 

For the Cilantro Walnut sauce:

(makes about 1 cup)

1 cup loosely packed cilantro (cut off most of the stems)

3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1 jalapeno pepper (seeded if you want a less spicy sauce)

1/2 cup unsalted walnut pieces

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

First, get your chicken marinating.   Rinse the chicken, blot dry, and place in a baking dish or tupperware that allows the chicken to be in a single layer.  

Using a blender or hand mixer, blend all of the other ingredients for the chicken (minus the water) to a smooth paste.  Add water if needed to obtain a pourable consistency. Spread the paste over the chicken, tossing to coat all over.  Place in refrigerator and let marinate for at least 2 hours, up to 6 hours.

When you are almost ready to cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 425 degrees and cut the sweet potatoes lengthwise into 8 wedges, and then cut those wedges in half. Toss on a parchment-lined cookie sheet lined with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

When the oven is hot and you are getting hungry, take the chicken out of the fridge, and put it onto a foil lined rimmed cookie sheet in a single layer.  Place the sheet of chicken and the sheet of sweet potatoes into the oven.

After 10 minutes, toss the sweet potatoes and flip the chicken.  Check the chicken and potatoes again after another 8 minutes or so.  

While the chicken and potatoes are in the oven, blend up the Cilantro Walnut sauce with that handy hand blender (or regular blender) and taste for seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed.

The chicken should be cooked to 165 degrees internally and the sweet potatoes should be fork tender but slightly crispy on the outside.  When the potatoes come out of the oven, toss them with the zest of one lime.

Chop up some chicken, place it into a fresh crunchy Boston lettuce leaf with a few slices of red onion and a scoop of cilantro-walnut sauce, and eat it like a taco! The sweet potatoes were so so good on the side, and crunchy enough to eat with your fingers like french fries. We ate the leftover chicken in a salad over the next couple of days and it was also so so good.  

Enjoy!

Thai Curry Vegetable Pot Pie

I struggled with whether or not to make this recipe.  It sounded so good but the recipe was written a tad poorly and I wondered if it would end up soupy.  In the end I decided that it's the thought that counts and I made quite a few adjustments to make it my own masterpiece.  Not to mention that I'll take just about any chance to roll out a piece of pie dough.  It's so therapeutic and rewarding when it comes together and I always get a thrill when I get it right.  It's easy for this one to get her kicks these days, mmkay?

Also this is a great recipe to make in this weird in between spring time because it's lighter than your traditional pot pie but still is hearty enough to chase away the rainy blues.  I made some changes not only to the vegetables I put in to the mix but also I always opt to make my own crust even though I know it's so much easier to use store bought.  But if you're not feeling it and don't get your kicks the same way I get mine then use that pre-made pie dough! If you do, this recipe is easy as pie.....pot pie.

Also if you aren't into the tofu thing, which I know lots who aren't, chicken would be a perfect meat to substitute in place of that.  After all chicken and pot pie go together like birds of a feather.  Below is the recipe as I made it. 

Thai Curry Vegetable Pot Pie
adapted from here

2 sheets of pre-made whole wheat pie crust (or here is the homemade recipe I use)
12 oz. drained extra firm tofu
2 tbl olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 bunch kale, center stems removed and chopped thin
1 small head broccoli, stem removed and chopped into small pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 sweet potato, diced
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
2 tbl soy sauce 
1/2 cup broth of your choice
1/2 can lite coconut milk
2 tsp green curry paste
1 tsp flour
2 tsp fresh herbs of your choice (I used thyme and parsley)
salt and pepper to taste

1. First prepare your pie dough.  If you're making homemade get that prepared and chilling in the fridge.  If using premade there's usually a thaw period to abide by.
2. Drain tofu by sandwiching between two plates and put a weight on top for about 10-15 minutes or until most of the liquid has drained out.  Then cut into 1 inch pieces.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
4. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large wok or skillet. Throw in tofu and cook until golden brown on all sides.  Remove from pan into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
5. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in same skillet or wok.  Add onion and garlic and saute until translucent.  Add celery, broccoli, carrots and sweet potatoes.  Saute until potatoes are tender.
6. Add soy sauce and mix with veggies.  Remove veggies and put into the same mixing bowl with tofu.
7. In the same wok or skillet add green curry paste and allow to heat until aromatic.  Add coconut milk and broth.  Then add the flour and allow to thicken on low heat for about 5 minutes.  Turn off heat.
8. Prepare your baking pan with the pie dough.  If using pre-made use a 9" pie plate.  I used a larger casserole dish for mine as my homemade recipe made enough dough.
9. Line the bottom of the pie dough with chopped kale.  Pour the tofu and veggies on top of the kale.  Then add the curry sauce from the pan on top of the veggies.
10. Place the second pie dough over the top and seal the sides up as decoratively as you please.  Put a few vents by poking fork holes or something decorative as well.
11. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.  Let sit 5 minutes before serving.  Goes great with a green salad!

Winter Comfort in a Bowl-Vegetable and Sausage Cobbler

This is one of those recipes that surprises you with its astounding goodness. In search of something wintery and cozy to serve my craft night buddies I had been sitting on this recipe from Moosewood Cookbook called Vegetable Cobbler. It sounded a tad strange since I've only had cobblers of the sweet kind. But I figured it had biscuits on top and well, as you may know from my last post, biscuits are one of my favorite foods.

The result was something so cozy and delicious that it sent some folks back for seconds. We decided it was a cross between Shepard's pie and chicken pot pie. I'm really glad I took a chance on this one as it's definitely something I'll be making again and again (I ended up making it again 5 nights later). I added some basil garlic chicken sausage to the recipe and altered the vegetables I used a bit as I wasn't in the mood for corn or white potatoes. And if you don't fancy yourself a baker don't let the biscuit part scare you; drop biscuits don't require any rolling out or cutting. Here is the recipe as I made it.

Vegetable and Chicken Sausage Cobbler

adapted from the Moosewood Classics Cookbook

Serves 6

• 2 tablespoon olive oil (or butter)
• 1.5 lbs bulk basil garlic chicken sausage (or any type of ground meat you prefer)
  
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped onions (about 1 large onion)
  
• 1 fennel bulb, core removed, thinly sliced
  
• 2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 to 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 to 5 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 cups peeled and chopped sweet potatoes (or butternut squash)
• 2 cups peeled and chopped carrots (or parsnips)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 cups mushroom stock
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 cup cold water
• 1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Dash of hot sauce (optional)

Biscuit Topping:

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 6 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt (I used nonfat yogurt)
  
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill (or any herb you have on hand)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9 X 13-inch baking dish.

2. Warm 1 tablespoon of the oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot. Add the sausage and saute just until all of the pink is gone. Remove the sausage and all of its juices and set aside in a bowl to add back later. Warm the other tablespoon of oil in the same pan. Add the onions, fennel and garlic, cover, and cook on medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add the salt, thyme, crushed red pepper flakes, mushrooms and mustard. Cook until the mushrooms start to release their juices, about 5 minutes.

4. Add the sweet potato, carrot, black pepper and water or stock, and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender.

5. Stir the dissolved cornstarch mixture into the simmering vegetables, stirring constantly. When the liquid starts to thicken, mix in the peas, soy sauce and salt. Add the cooked sausage back to the pot. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. (You can also add a dash of hot sauce.)

6. Pour the vegetable/sausage mixture into the prepared baking dish, and set aside.

7. In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In a separate bowl, mix together the melted butter and buttermilk or yogurt. Combine the wet and dry ingredients with as few strokes as possible to make a soft dough.

8. Drop the biscuit batter over the vegetables in the dish in six equal mounds. Sprinkle the dill over the dough.

9. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of a biscuit comes out clean. Serve immediately.

Into the oven it goes

Done!

Sweet & Spicy Black Bean Soup

I was craving cornbread. V's brother suggested black bean soup via Facebook and I set off to find the most delicious black bean soup I could find. Plain old black bean soup sounded kinda blah so I chose this recipe as a starting point.

I cheated a bit because I was too impatient to make my own black beans or to let canned ones stew for a while for added flavor. Instead I bought Trader Joe's Cuban black beans in a can because they are already a little bit spicy. If you want to stew your own or spice up a regular can of black beans, check out the original recipe that I linked to above! I also omitted chipotle powder because I didn't see any at the store and I added bacon and chicken andouille sausage to the mix.

Here is the recipe as I made it:

Sweet & Spicy Black Bean Soup

2 cans black beans (Trader Joe's Cuban black beans were perfect!)
4 slices of bacon, diced
2 spicy chicken andouille sausages, diced
1 1/2 onion, 1/4 inch dice
2 celery stick, 1/4 inch dice
2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch dice
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cumin
2 tablespoons medium heat red chile powder
a few shakes of cayenne pepper and garlic powder
14 oz can diced tomatoes
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 orange bell pepper, diced
1 cup frozen corn
salt and pepper to taste
juice of 1 lime
Cilantro, minced for garnish

Cook the bacon and sausage in a large soup pot until brown. Remove from pot and set aside.

If needed, add some oil to the pan and toss in the onion, celery, and sweet potato. Saute until lightly browned, about 10-15 minutes.

Add the garlic, cumin, chile powder, cayenne, and garlic powder along with some salt and pepper. Saute a few minutes more.

Add the beans, tomatoes, broth, bell pepper, corn, and salt. Simmer for 20 minutes, uncovered. Puree 1/2 of the soup. Return to the pot. Add the lime juice and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve with cornbread!



This recipe made a ton of soup, a giant pot that my boyfriend and I ate all week. It was perfectly spicy, a hint of sweetness from the corn and peppers, and it was extremely delicious. It tasted even better the second day. Cornbread was a perfect accompaniment, and I will definitely make this again!

Pass the honey, honey!

So this is going to be two posts in one because I am behind! And neither of them is soup! But I will be posting about soup in the next couple days, promise.

First up...

For Thanksgiving at my boyfriend's aunt and uncles house, we were assigned to bring a sweet potato dish. I scoured the internet for one that sounded delicious and easy and wasn't pureed, since I wanted my sweet potatoes to stand out and not be just another mushed up potato dish. I found this on Epicurious and it turned out amazing. I modified the recipe only very slightly (cooked at a higher temp, added some cayenne pepper and rosemary).

Wildflower Honey & Whisky-Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup light-flavored honey such as wildflower, orange blossom, or clover
2 tablespoons Scotch whisky (I used Cutty Sark)
2 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
3 pounds orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
about 1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 375°F (I cooked the potatoes at closer to 400). Butter 2-quart casserole dish.

2. In small saucepan over moderately high heat, combine butter, honey, whisky, and sugar. Bring to simmer, whisking until butter and sugar are melted, then reduce heat to moderately low and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes.

3. In large bowl, toss potatoes with butter mixture, salt, and pepper. Transfer to prepared dish and bake, tossing occasionally, until tender and glazed, about 45 minutes. Serve warm. (I cooked mine for an hour and they were perfect. When put back into the oven right before being served, the potatoes got super carmelized and crispy and were even more delicious than when I first took them out of the oven!)

These were so incredibly easy to make and super tasty. I think they will be a Thanksgiving staple from here on! Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of them after they were extra sugary carmelized, but this is what they looked like when I first took these morsels from the oven.




The other item I wanted to share is...
When my boyfriend's produce delivery service brought him an acorn squash, I was excited but then realized I've never cooked an acorn squash, what the heck do I do with it?! I found this recipe, thinking it sounded easy and it turned out even better than I had hoped for. Never having cooked any kind of squash besides zucchini before, I was pretty pleased with myself after this one.

This came from Ms. Paula Dean.

* 1 acorn squash, cut in 1/2
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preperation:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Scoop the seeds and stringy pulp out of the squash cavities and discard.

3. In a small mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, butter, syrup and salt and pepper, to taste.

4. Rub the squash cavities and cut sides of the squash with the butter mixture and place them on a baking sheet, cut side up. Put about 1/4 inch of water in the bottom of the pan.

5. Cover and bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork. Serve 1 half per person.

I took mine out when it was falling off the skin and it was so so so so so so so good. I want some right now!