Pumpkin Black Bean Soup from KindSoups 11/11/24

 Another KindSoups success!  

This particular one was make in preparation for World Kindness Day 11/13/24.  I’ll be donating mine to people I know personally, as there were already enough donations for the community event.

Would use the full complement of spices but I only used one jalapeño and I think that was about right.  Add more if you like the spice.  The lime (or vinegar if you don’t have lime) really enhances the taste, and a little salt helps as well.  For this triple recipe, I only used one cup of lite coconut milk, and that was enough for me.  I made it vegetarian and just used the 3 cans of black beans.  You can sprinkle sunflower seeds or hemp seeds on it for more protein if you wish. 

I accidentally went out for a walk thinking I had turned off the stove - I only turned off the timer!  So the soup was on a low flame for an extra half hour or so, but I actually think it was better - softer, creamier.  Fortunately, my husband was home, the pan didn’t burn and the smoke alarm didn’t go off! 

Ingredients

CHICKEN optional

• 3 8-ounce chicken breast (boneless, skinless, organic, and pasture-raised when possible) OR Shredded Mexican Chicken Breast (if vegan, omit and double up on beans!)

SOUP

• 1/3 cup avocado oil (or sub water)
• 4.5 cups diced white or yellow onion (or sub shallot or red onions)
• 9 cloves garlic (minced)
• 3 tsp fresh minced ginger
• 3 medium jalapeños, minced (seeds and stem removed)
• 3 small sweet potatos, diced (skin on)
• 3 (15-oz.) can diced fire roasted tomatoes with green chilies
• 3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 4 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 3 tsp chili powder (or add more to taste) (also, I used my favorite - cocoa chili)
• 1  tsp ground coriander 
• 3 (14-oz.) can light coconut milk (or sub full fat for a creamier soup) (I used 1 cup)
• 3 cups canned pumpkin pureé (or add more for more pronounced pumpkin flavor)
• 3 (15-oz.) cans black beans, drained (if not using chicken, double the beans for more protein and fiber!)
• 1/3 cup lime juice
• Sea salt to taste

Otpiontal toppings

• 9 cups chopped greens (such as kale or spinach)
• Fresh cilantro

Instructions

• Optional (if adding chicken): Fill a large saucepan with 15-16 cups water and bring to a boil. Add boneless, skinless chicken breast, cover, and cook for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. Drain water and let sit to cool slightly. Using two forks (or a hand mixer), shred chicken. Alternatively, prepare 1 serving (as recipe is written) Mexican Shredded Chicken Breast and set aside.
• Heat a large pot (or Dutch oven) oven medium heat. Once hot, add oil and onions and sauté until translucent — about 4-5 minutes — stirring occasionally.
• Add minced garlic, ginger, and jalapeños and continue cooking for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add diced sweet potato and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
• Add diced fire roasted tomatoes, broth (starting with lesser amount), cumin, chili powder, and coriander (optional) and bring to a low boil.
• Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until sweet potatoes are tender (about 5-10 minutes).
• Add coconut milk, pumpkin purée, drained black beans (option to increase amount if not using chicken), and cooked chicken (if using). For a soupier consistency, add more broth. Cover, return to a simmer, and cook for 5-10 minutes to allow flavors to develop.
• Add lime juice (starting with lesser amount). Taste test and adjust as needed, adding more lime juice for acidity, chili powder for heat, cumin for smokiness, coriander for floral notes / depth of flavor, or salt to taste.
• Stir in chopped greens (optional), cover, and cook on low until wilted (about 3-5 minutes).
• Serve as is, or with your favorite grain of choice. Optional: Garnish with chopped cilantro. Store cooled leftovers covered in the refrigerator for 4-5 days or in the freezer up to 1 month. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until hot, adding more broth, water, or coconut milk to thin as needed.

Eggplant recipe

Recipe from Tali - dish she brought to postcard party today.  Delish with crackers/ pita chips.

 Here is the eggplant recipe. I'm not sure I can call it a recipe since it's just throwing things together. How does one teach kids to cook with "a little bit of this, and a little bit of that?" 

- sauté diced eggplant until they are really soft and browned. 

- add fresh or canned dices tomatoes and tomato paste (see photo below) 👇

- add cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, salt, and sugar to taste 

- I like it cold. I mentioned to Holly about my clever neighbor who put feta and egg on it, like shakshuka!

Outrageous Brownies

Recipe from Chef AJ's 2024 book - Sweet Indulgence

As a previous presenter on Chef AJs podcasts, I was invited to preview a few recipes from her new book, Sweet Indulgence, due to hit the stands this week.  

First I tried almond date bliss balls, which were delicious, especially when rolled in cinnamon.  Today's quest was the Outrageous Brownie recipe, which is delightful.  The brownies are really fudge from a combination of date paste, made by soaking dates in unsweetened soy milk and/or water, and black beans.  Texture is added by the addition of rolled oats, and I highly recommend the optional topping of nuts and chocolate chips.  I substituted walnuts for the pistachios, mainly because I was out of pistachios, but what goes better with brownies than walnuts?!

The interesting thing about these brownies is that they are filling and taste good, but are not cloyingly sweet.  They smell just like any other brownies while baking, then have the right level of chocolate taste for me, due to the unsweetened cocoa powder. The second time I made them, they tasted much more like black beans than chocolate, so I might try increasing the date paste:black bean ratio to have a little more sweetness; and add some chocolate chips to the batter ;-)

Serves 16 

INGREDIENTS: 

15-oz can of salt-free black beans, rinsed and drained (or 1.5 cups cooked)

1.5 cups Date Paste (see recipe below - allow a few hours ahead of time; don't use store-bought)

3/4 cup unsweetened plant milk (I used soy)

1 tsp vanilla bean powder

1/2 tsp aluminum and sodium-free baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats or oat flour

1 cup unsweetened or date-sweetened dairy-free chocolate chips, optional

1/2 cup finely chopped raw, unsalted pistachios, optional (I used chopped walnuts)

DIRECTIONS:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Place beans, date paste and plant milk in a food processor fitted with the 'S' blade and process until smooth.  Add the vanilla bean powder, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa powder and process again.  

3) Add the oats and process very briefly, just until combined.  It's ok if the oats stay whole.

4) Pour the batter into a 10" square silicone baking pan. Sprinkle with nuts and/or chocolate chips, if using, and gently press the toppings down with the palm of your hand.

5) Bake for 30-35 minutes (mine took 20 minutes) until the middle does not jiggle and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool before cutting, or you'll have to eat all the fudgy insides that come out on your knife!  Chef AJ enjoys these with a cold glass of her homemade Vanilla Almond Mylk (recipe in the book).

DATE PASTE:

This recipe makes 2.5 cups, so you'll have 1 cup left over to use on a muffin or cracker of your choice.

Combine 1 pound of pitted dates (~ 2.5 cups) with 1 cup of liquid (water, unsweetened plant milk or juice) - I used soy:water about 2:1)

Soak dates for hours or overnight until much of the liquid is absorbed (after a few hours in the fridge, hardly any was absorbed, but the recipe worked well)

Process until completely smooth.  Store any leftovers in the fridge or freezer.  

Spicy Black Bean and Beet Burgers

 From The No Meat Athlete Cookbook - Matt Frazier and Stepfanie Romine

Very good recipe - made quickly with precooked rice.  Evidently leaving the burgers uncooked in the fridge for at least an hour will help them hold together.  I wasn’t able to do that, and also didn’t pack the burgers by hand, so they didn’t hold together too well.  But the taste was excellent and will definitely try again.  Usually vital wheat gluten or soy protein is used to hold burgers together but this recipe uses all Whole Foods. 

Can serve with lettuce, tomato and onions; or cashew ranch dressing, mustard or ketchup.

INGREDIENTS:

15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup cooked brown rice

 1 Tbsp OO or 1/4 cup broth

2 Tbsp Taco Seasoning or Harissa

1 beet, peeled and grated

1 carrot, peeled and grated

1/2 yellow onion, finely diced

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp tomato paste

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp salt

Black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1) Preheat oven to 400.  Line a baking sheet with parchment.

2) Pulse the black beans and rice in a food processor until thoroughly combined.  Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.

3) Heat a medium skillet over medium heat, then add the oil.  Add the taco seasoning and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

4) Add the beet, carrot, and onion and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.

5) Add the vinegar, tomato paste, and garlic and cook until the tomato paste has darkened and thickened, about 3 minutes.  If there is moisture left in the pan, use a slotted spoon when transferring the veggies.

6) Remove from the heat and add the salt; season with plenty of pepper.  Add the vegetable mixture to the bean-rice mixture.  Stir or mix with your hands until thoroughly combined. 

7) Using wet hands, scoop a mold the mixture in to 8 patties (or 24 sliders), each about the size of a tennis ball.  Preferably, refrigerate for 1 hour or up to overnight.  Or can freeze them at this point for up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge overnight before baking.

8) Bake for 30 minutes, then flip and cook for another 10 minutes.  Let cool for 10 minutes - they’ll hold together better when they’re not straight out of the oven.

They can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.  

Barbecue spiced cauliflower with peaches, nuts and herb dressing

 From WSJ

4 servings

This was a very interesting mix of flavors.  I’ll probably play with the sauce a bit more next time.  I steamed the cauliflower instead of boiling it - why waste the good stuff?

Photos 8/4/24

INGREDIENTS:

2 heads of cauliflower, sliced thru the stem into 1” wedges

6 Tbsp plus 1/2 cup olive oil, divided

1/4 cup BBQ spice rub or smoked paprika

2 Tbsp sugar

Kosher salt

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, plus extra to garnish

1 clove garlic

1.5 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, plus more to taste

4 ripe, firm peaches, sliced into 1/4 - 1/2” wedges

1 packed cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped (I used toasted sliced almonds)

DIRECTIONS:

1) Steam the cauliflower to just shy of al dente, 3-5 minutes.  Drain and toss dry. 

2) Meanwhile, preheat grill to medium high or an oven to 425 degrees.  In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower with 6 Tbsp olive oil, spice rub, sugar and a generous pinch of salt.  Grill seasoned florets until caramelized on all sides and soft throughout, 12-15 minutes.  

3) Prep sauce.  Place green onions, parsley, cilantro mint and garlic in a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped.  Add vinegar, 1/2 cup olive oil and a pinch of salt and pulse a few more times until chunky.

4) Combine peaches and nuts in a medium bowl and toss to combine.  To serve, arrange grilled cauliflower across a serving platter.  Drizzle generously with dressing and top with peach-nut mixture.  Garnish with extra mint if desired.  

Smashed potato salad with tzatziki dressing

 WaPo Food section 7/31/24

Smashed Potato Salad With Tzatziki Dressing

6 to 8 servings (makes 8 cups)

This TikTok-inspired recipe uses the crispy texture of smashed

potatoes to create an unorthodox but delicious potato salad. The

creamy, cooling dressing is based on tzatziki, featuring a combination

of Greek yogurt, cucumber, dill and lemon juice, but dill pickles and red

onion add another pop of briny, acidic flavor. Though it’s a bit of a time

investment, most of the cooking is hands-off, and the unique texture of

the salad is worth the wait. It’s a twist on tradition that is sure to be a hit

at cookouts, barbecues and potlucks.

Storage: The texture of the salad is best when fresh, but you can

refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days.

Active time: 30 mins; Total time: 1 hour 45 mins

Adapted by editorial aide Anna Luisa Rodriguez from Hungry

Happens and Allrecipes.

Ingredients

For the potatoes

l 3 pounds baby potatoes, scrubbed

l 1 tablespoon plus 1/ 2 teaspoon fine salt, divided

l 3 tablespoons olive oil

l 1/ 2 teaspoon garlic powder

l 1/ 4 teaspoon freshly ground

black pepper

For the dressing

l 2/ 3 cup plain Greek yogurt, preferably whole-milk

l 1/ 2 cup seeded and finely chopped cucumber

l 1/ 2 cup finely chopped dillpickles

l 1/ 3 cup mayonnaise

l 1/ 3 cup finely chopped red onion

l 1/ 4 cup finely chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish

l 1 garlic clove, minced or finely grated

l 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

l 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

l 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Steps

l Make the potatoes: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees.

Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

l In a large (at least 6-quart), lidded pot, combine the potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the

salt, and add enough cold water to cover the potatoes by about 1 inch. Set the pot over

high heat, cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Uncover and reduce the heat to medium, or

as needed, so the water is at a lively simmer, and cook until the potatoes are very tender

and easily pierced with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes.

l Drain the potatoes, transfer to the prepared sheet pan and set aside until cool enough to han-

dle. Using the bottom of a glass or measuring cup, carefully and slowly crush each potato to

1/ 4-inch thickness, doing your best to keep them intact. Brush the tops of the potatoes with

the olive oil and season with the remaining 1/ 2 teaspoon of salt, the garlic powder and

pepper.

l Transfer the potatoes to the

oven and roast for about

55 minutes, or until crispy and

golden brown. Let cool on the

pan for 10 to 15 minutes.

l Make the dressing: While the

potatoes are roasting, in a large

bowl, whisk together the yo-

gurt, cucumber, pickles, may-

onnaise, onion, dill, garlic, lem-

on juice, vinegar and mustard

until combined.

l Once the potatoes are cool

enough to handle, cut them in

half or bite-size pieces and add

to the dressing. Toss to coat

evenly. Garnish with dill and

serve.

l Substitutions: For a richer

potato salad >> use sour cream

in place of Greek yogurt, or a

combination of equal parts

Greek yogurt and mayonnaise.

Red wine vinegar >> white

wine vinegar or apple cider

vinegar. Vegan? >> Use vegan

mayonnaise and plant-based

yogurt. Instead of red onion >>

try scallions or shallots. Dill >>

parsley or chives.

Nutrition | Per serving (1 cup), based on 8:

257 calories, 29g carbohydrates, 6mg

cholesterol, 13g fat, 5g fiber, 5g protein,

2g saturated fat, 309mg sodium, 3g sugar

Recipe tested by Anna Luisa Rodriguez;

Baba Ganouj

From https://www.loveandlemons.com/baba-ganoush/

It’s easy to include the eggplant on the grill with whatever else you’re preparing.  You might get bitten by the bugs but you’ll keep your kitchen cool. 

Made this with eggplant grilled for ~ 20 minutes - just brushed with oil and pierced in a few places.  After cooling, cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the innards.  Then proceed with making the dip.  There is enough liquid involved that I was able to use my Magic Bullet - no fuss, no muss. 

Ingredients

• 2 medium (or small) eggplants, pierced with a knife or fork
• ¼ cup tahini
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
• 2 garlic cloves
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• Finely chopped fresh parsley
• Smoked paprika
• Red pepper flakes, optional - used Aleppo flakes from Shafa in Rockville
• Pita bread, for serving
• Veggies, for serving

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400°F and wrap the eggplants in foil. Roast for 50 to 60 minutes, or until they are soft and collapse to the touch. Remove from the oven and set aside.
• Once cool to the touch, peel the skin from the eggplants, removing any big clumps of seeds. Place the flesh in a strainer set over a bowl and let stand for 20 minutes to remove excess water.
• Place the eggplant flesh, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and salt in a food processor and pulse until smooth. 
• Transfer the baba ganoush to a serving dish and sprinkle with parsley, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes, if using. Serve with pita and veggies.

Notes

Note: For a more traditional, smokier baba ganoush, cook the eggplant on the grill (no foil), until the eggplant is very soft and charred all over. Remove the charred skin and continue with the recipe instructions.

Quick okra with sweet-and-sour dressing

From Ottolenghi Simple

If you keep the okra whole and barely cooked, you should avoid having it get slimy.  Also, if I cut into one and hear it ‘crunch’ it usually means it’s older and tougher, so I don’t use it.  

This dressing would be good on most veggies.  Would try on broccoli.  

Serves 4 as a side

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 pounds okra, stems trimmed, not exposing the seeds

3 Tbsp peanut oil (or other mild oil)

2 garlic cloves minced

Salt and black pepper

1 red chile, seeded and thinly sliced

2 tsp maple syrup

1 large lime, finely zest to get 1 tsp and juice to get 1.5 Tbsp

1/2 tsp sesame oil

3/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

1/3 cup salted roasted peanuts, roughly chopped, to serve

DIRECTIONS:

1) Preheat oven to 425 (I used an air fryer)

 2) Place the okra in a bowl with 2 Tbsp of the oil, the garlic, 3/4 tsp of salt (or less), and a good grind of black pepper.  Spread on 2 parchment lined baking sheets, not crowded, and roast for 7 minutes until just slightly cooked but still firm and bright green in color.  Remove from oven and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

3) Place the remaining 1 Tbsp of oil in a large bowl with the chile, maple syrup, lime zest and juice, sesame oil and 1/8 tsp of salt.  Mix to combine and then, just before serving add the okra and cilantro.  Mix really well - the dressing tends to sink to the bottom.  Then transfer to a serving bowl.

4) Sprinkle the roasted peanuts over the top and serve. 

Sheet Pan Roasted Veggies with Grains and Legumes – Make Your Own Bowl - Calvary recipe

 This is a good ‘use what you have’ recipe.  Today I used farro for the grain, green lentils for the protein, and roasted sweet potatoes, onion, mushrooms, red and yellow peppers and cauliflower for the roasted veggies.  I dressed it with a Maple Mustard Vinaigrette. It’s a freestyle kind of dish!

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

Whole grain cooked according to directions – farro is my favorite, nutty and firm and filling

Spinach or kale (optional)

Legume – choose any kind of lentil, or bean, or tofu

Vegetables – choose a few from the following categories to make about 1.5 pounds:

         Sweet or white potatoes, other root veggie like butternut squash

         Yellow or red onions, bell peppers, fennel bulbs

         Red cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower

         Summer squash or zucchini

         Fresh corn, kernels sliced off the cob – can leave them in mini-sheets

         Portobello mushroom caps or button mushrooms, trimmed

Olive oil or broth

2 Tbsp of spice blend – Garam Masala, or salt and pepper and favorite dried herb.  I like 

         Herbes de Provence as a good general combo.

Salt and pepper to taste

For the dressing: either use your favorite store-bought or make this vinaigrette

·       ¼ cup apple cider vinegar

·       1 teaspoon maple syrup, or honey

·       1 garlic clove, grated

·       ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard

·       ¼ teaspoon sea salt

·       Freshly ground black pepper

·       ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

 

DIRECTIONS:

 

1)    Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Oil or line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper

2)    Prepare the grain according to package directions – if purchased in bulk, you can google how to cook it.  In any case, keep tasting to confirm preferred texture.  Remove from heat.  For extra goodness, tear kale or spinach into small pieces, and add to cooked grain.  The greens will soften and shrink without any further cooking.

3)    Chop the veggies into equal-size pieces.  

4)    If using tofu, cut into cubes.  For beans, either soak and cook, or purchase already cooked.  For lentils, cook according to directions.  Would use green or black lentils.  

5)    Divide the veggies (and tofu, if using) between the prepared baking sheets.  Try to not let them overlap, or they will steam instead of roast.  Drizzle with oil and sprinkle the spices evenly over them.  Toss to thoroughly coat, and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

6)    Bake uncovered until the veggies are cooked through and starting to brown, about 30 minutes.  Rotate the sheets halfway through if one level is cooking faster than another.

7)    While the veggies are roasting, prepare the dressing. Whisk all ingredients together, or shake in a jar with a tight lid.

8)    In individual bowls, or in a casserole type container, layer the grain (and green if using), the lentils, and then the veggies.  Add dressing to taste.  

Cherry granita

Haven’t tried it yet, but I sure will.  Seems like using frozen pitted cherries would be easier than pitting fresh ones! I wouldn’t strain anything - keep all that great fiber!

https://www.thebittersideofsweet.com/cherry-granita/ 

INGREDIENTS:

• 20 Rainier Cherries pitted
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons honey

INSTRUCTIONS

 

• Blend cherries in processor until smooth. Pass through a strainer to remove any bits of cherry.
• Add water and honey together. Mix well.
• Stir water into cherries.
• Place in an 8X8 baking dish. Place in freezer.
• After 30 minutes. Using fork, scrape granita into flaky crystals. Replace back into freezer.
• Repeat 4 more times.
• Serve immediately. ENJOY!

Blueberry Granita

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/214468/blueberry-granita/

 So refreshing - can adjust the sugar depending on how sweet the berries are.

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups blueberries

• ½ cup white sugar

• ¾ cup water

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Local Offers

New York, NY 10118

 

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Directions

1. Blend blueberries and sugar in a food processor until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing with a wooden spoon to separate blueberry purée from any chunks of skin or seeds. (I would not strain - keep all that flavor and fiber!)

2. Stir blueberry purée with water and lemon juice in a shallow glass baking dish or tray. Place into the freezer, scraping and stirring the mixture with a fork every hour, until evenly frozen and icy, about 4 hours. Scrape to fluff and lighten the ice crystals, then spoon into chilled glasses to serve.