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Posts Tagged ‘Beans’

Three Bean Chipotle Butternut Chili

Posted in Beans, Soup, Tomatoes, Vegan, tagged , , , , , , , , on December 4, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Still feeling like you indulged too much over the recent holiday? Here’s a healthy, hearty chili to offset some of those feelings of guilt.

Chili with Smoked Gouda-Squash Pupusas

Three Bean Chipotle Butternut Chili

Olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 Tbsp cumin

2 tsp dried oregano

1 cab diced tomatoes

8 oz can tomato sauce

2 cups (or more) vegetable broth

12 oz butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped into chunks, pre-cooked slightly *

3 cans of beans, drained and rinsed well *

1-1/2 Tbsp chipotle pepper in adobo puree, add more or less as desired, check ingredients *

1/2 – 1 tsp salt

Heat 1 Tbsp or so of olive oil in a large soup pot. When hot, add onion and saute for about 3 minutes. Add bell pepper and saute until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.  Add garlic and saute for one additional minute. Stir in chili powder, cumin and oregano and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently so that spices do not burn.

Stir in diced tomatoes and sauce. Add broth and squash. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until squash is tender (when pierced easily with a fork). Stir in beans and chipotle puree. Add more broth if needed, to get to desired consistency. Simmer for 10 minutes more or until beans are heated through. Stir in salt to taste. Serve topped with chopped avocado, cheese, green onions or sour cream.

Notes:

* This time I used pre-cut butternut squash from Trader Joe’s and I pre-cooked it for a few minutes in the microwave.

* Use any variety of beans. I used black beans, pinto beans and kidney beans.

* Be sure to check the label of your chipotle peppers in adobo, not all brands are gluten free. When I open a new can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, I throw the contents of the whole can in the blender and blend it into a puree. I store the remainder in the  freezer to use later.

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Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger – The Whole Kitchen

Posted in Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 9, 2010| 5 Comments »

Hey, have you ever stopped by The Whole Kitchen? No? Well, get on over there and take a look! I’ll wait…

So didn’t you just love what you saw? Imagine if you gave some of her recipes a shot… Well, I did this past month for the monthly Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger event started, and hosted this month, by Sea over at Book of Yum. This is my very first adoption and I enjoyed it thoroughly. The only problem was choosing which of Jenn’s delicious recipes to try! So I tried a few….more like four. Oops. Oh well, we needed to eat, right?

But first, more about Jenn and The Whole Kitchen. Jenn is a dynamite, creative and intuitive cook as well as a wonderful photographer. She is married, lives in Chicago and works for the American Cancer Society. She is also a runner, like serious running, marathons and stuff. Stuff I don’t do.

Jenn cooks gluten free, of course, but not vegetarian, although she still has some great ideas that can be easily adapted. Jenn was not formally diagnosed with celiac disease but she still knows that gluten is her enemy. Be sure to read about her amazing journey and successes over the past eight years here.

We have enjoyed getting to know one another and have connected over a couple of things; first, she lives in Chicago, from where I moved; second, she grew up in Ohio and with a family that foraged for wild foods like mushrooms and nuts, also like me; third, she loves ice cream (like me) and encouraged me to buy my ice cream maker(!), and lastly she loves great food!

And so without further ado…

First off, we had a good crop of butternut squashes from our garden this year. This was the first year I have grown them but they grew well here in our heat and although they were a tad bit smaller than the ones you find at the grocery, they are great.

The pie pumpkins, butternut squash and last of the Anasazi beans from our garden.

Since I had a couple of these buggers lying around, I figured I should make soup. I chose Jenn’s Roasted Butternut Squash Soup. It was lovely, although I think I used too many carrots since I was using up the baby carrots in the frig and it was a bit carroty. But still wonderful. And just as good was the squash, freshly roasted with rosemary, cooling on the stove. Yum. I couldn’t keep my fingers out of it.

I also made some Bisquick biscuits (first time) to go along with it and they were pretty good too, although a bit crumbly.

Next up, I had been eyeing the Pumpkin Spice Bars she had made recently.

Wow! These were wonderful. And we loved the added bits of ginger. I had to take half the pan to a friend because I knew how dangerous they would be sitting on my counter. And I agree with Jenn too that I only like a smear of frosting. Even though she halved the recipe on her page, it was still a lot of frosting, although delicious, and so my husband is telling me that I will have to make some more bars to go with the frosting! And also because he ate the last one today and I was thinking of it on my drive home from work only to find the pan washed up and the last one missing… The bars would also be delightful without any frosting at all.

Recently, I had asked if anyone had any good recipes for Anasazi beans. We grew some this year as you can see in the picture with the squash, and I picked up a bag at the Farmer’s Market this fall. Beautiful beans. Unfortunately their beautiful colors don’t stick around during cooking. But as I was browsing through The Whole Kitchen’s recipe index, I spotted a recipe that sounded good and used a similar bean, Good Mother Stallard beans. A Potful of Beans. Indeed. The Anasazi beans were a great substitute.

We omitted the bacon and I added a bit more olive oil since there wasn’t any bacon fat to saute the onions in. I also didn’t have Mexican oregano, so I just used regular old oregano. I also added a couple drops of Liquid Smoke to impart some of the bacon-y flavor and smell. It worked. And the smoked paprika added depth as well. These were a tasty treat this week, now that it is starting to get a bit chilly in the evenings. We ate the beans as a meal with some pumpkin corn muffins. We will be making this again.

And although it is getting chilly, we still like our ice cream. And since Jenn convinced me that I ‘needed’ an ice cream maker, I knew I had to make one of her ice creams. Although strawberries aren’t in season, frozen strawberries work almost as well, so we made Jenn’s Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream.

Dy-na-mite!  The flavor was wonderful; just enough goat cheese tang with the sweet strawberries. I actually ended up using only three ounces of goat cheese and one ounce of light cream cheese because I apparently gobbled too much of the goat cheese some other day. I probably could have left out the ounce of cream cheese and the goat cheese still would have shone through. As well, I like how she used coconut milk and half-and-half for the recipe instead of all coconut milk. I haven’t found myself loving the overpowering taste of coconut milk in some dairy-free ice creams. And since I don’t have to be dairy free, I liked this compromise. As I sit here eating a bowl of it…

I have also made some of Jenn’s other recipes, although not as part of this event. Mushroom and Leek Pasta and Thai Curry Coconut Butternut Squash Soup. Of course, these were also delicious.

Mushroom and Leek Pasta made earlier this year.

 

So I hope you’ll go on over and check out The Whole Kitchen and try some of her delicious creations. Enjoy!

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Chickpeas with Sausage and Sun Dried Tomatoes

Posted in Beans, Chickpeas, Rice, tagged , , , , , , , , on October 31, 2010| Leave a Comment »

We love chickpeas at our house! So I am always looking for new flavor combinations to try with them. I spotted an inspirational recipe a few months ago and it has been sitting here on the desk to try. And finally we did this last week. I switched things up a bit to fit our tastes and dietary needs and it was still delicious.

Chickpeas with Sausage and Sun Dried Tomatoes

Adapted from Dishing Up Delights

Makes 4-6 servings

1 Tbsp oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

12 oz soy chorizo, crumbled *

2 – 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced

2-3 Tbsp fresh oregano, chopped *

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

Sour cream or plain yogurt

Cooked rice or pasta

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add onion and garlic and saute until the onions have softened. Add the sausage and chickpeas and cook until heated through (this vegetarian sausage was pre-cooked). Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and oregano. Let cook for 1-2 minutes, then turn off heat and add vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

We served this over brown rice. You could toss with cooked pasta as well. The soy chorizo made this quite spicy so I topped mine with a bit of plain yogurt to cool it off.

Notes:

* I used Trader Joe’s Soy Chorizo. It is quite spicy. Also, the texture is more like crumbled ground beef instead of pork sausage.

* We still have fresh oregano growing in the garden but you could just as easily used dried. I would start with about 1 Tbsp and see what you think.

I apologize for the photos over the next few month in advance. Since I have a day job, and the days are much shorter, most of my photos will be taken after dark, under my kitchen lighting, which isn’t very flattering and is pretty orangey, but it will have to do for now. No fancy equipment here…

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Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

Posted in Avocado, Black Beans, quinoa, Salad, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on June 20, 2010| 5 Comments »

Over the years, I have made quinoa salad quite often, usually with the same standard ingredients of black beans, cilantro and tomatoes. Quinoa pairs well with these flavors but this time I wanted to change things up for a slightly different flavor. I liked the slight sweetness in this dressing from the agave nectar. So, try it, and let me know what you think.

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

Adapted from The Perfect Pantry

1-1/2 cup quinoa

3 cups water

1-15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

3 green onions, chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1 avocado, diced

Dressing

2 tsp olive oil

1-1/2 Tbsp lime juice

2 tsp rice vinegar

2 tsp agave nectar *

1/8 tsp chipotle chile powder

1/4 tsp salt

garlic powder

Cook quinoa in water according to directions. Let it cool.

Whisk dressing ingredients together in a bowl.

Combine all other ingredients except the avocado in a large bowl. Add cooled quinoa and pour dressing over the top. Mix well.  Gently fold in avocado and serve.

Notes:

* You can substitute the agave nectar with honey if you’d like.

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Italian White Beans and Polenta

Posted in Beans, Polenta, tagged , , , , , on June 9, 2010| 5 Comments »

This dish was part of our Meal Plan a couple of weeks ago. Since I linked up to the original recipe, I wasn’t going to report on it here again but then I realized that over the years I have changed up the recipe to suit our needs better. So here is our version. Don’t be afraid of the polenta, it is super easy and this is one of my favorite ways to make polenta as it stays quite soft and creamy.

And I am sorry that the picture isn’t more appetizing – it really is delicious! Serve with a tossed salad to get in your green vegetables.

Italian White Beans with Polenta

Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

1 tbsp olive oil

1-2 medium onions, chopped *

1/8 tsp red pepper

4 cloves garlic

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup water

2 – 15 oz cans of white beans, drained and rinsed *

1-1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar *

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

Polenta:

4 cups water

1/2 tsp salt *

1-1/4 cup cornmeal

1 Tbsp butter

1/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Fresh grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Heat the oil in a skillet. Add onions and saute until they are beginning to soften. Add pepper, garlic and bay leaf. Saute 2 minutes. Stir in the water and beans. Cook until the beans are heated through. Stir in vinegar, salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaf and serve over the polenta with parmesan on top.

To make the polenta, bring the water and salt to a boil in a large, deep pot. (Polenta  will bubble and splatter.) Reduce the heat to medium and slowly whisk in the cornmeal to avoid lumps. Whisk until it thickens, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the butter and cheese and serve.

Notes:

* Onions – we like a lot of onions. You can use less if you’d like.

* White Beans – I use either Great Northern or Cannellini beans. Both work.

* White wine vinegar – It can be found with the other specialty vinegar at your local grocery store. We like vinegar  and we like to taste it, so I use a lot in this dish. You can use less if you’d like.

* Salt – I don’t always salt my polenta water. It won’t affect anything if you don’t use it.

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Taco Salad

Posted in Beans, Salad, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on May 25, 2010| 6 Comments »

Now there are lots of ways to make a taco salad. But it is fun to switch it up a bit based upon what you have on hand. This time we had almost everything to make a perfect taco salad; beans, peppers, roasted corn, avocado, cilantro, tomatoes.

The taco salad I grew up eating had a dressing that went with it, instead of just having salsa and sour cream on top. It was made from Thousand Island salad dressing, salsa and sugar. My mom used ground beef and crumbled up Fritos on top of the salad. You could use 1/2 pound of ground beef and one can of beans if you wanted. We use all beans. This is our version of taco salad.

Taco Salad

1 Tbsp oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 pkg taco seasoning *

2/3 cup water

2 – 15 oz cans of beans, drained and rinsed *

1/2 cup Thousand Island salad dressing

2 Tbsp salsa

2 Tbsp sugar

Lettuce

Cheese, shredded

Tomatoes, chopped

Roasted corn *

Cilantro

Avocado, diced

Salsa *

Sour cream

Corn chips, crumbled

Heat the oil in a skillet. Add onions and peppers. Saute until they are beginning to get soft. Stir in the seasoning packet and cook for 1 minute. Add in beans and water. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until most of the water has evaporated.

Mix together the salad dressing, salsa and sugar.

Top lettuce with warm bean mixture and shredded cheese. Add some dressing and whatever else you desire.

Notes:

* Be sure the ingredients are gluten free. I like to use a low-sodium version.

* Use any type of beans; kidney, black, pinto, etc. This time I used one can of pinto and one can of white kidney beans.

* Trader Joe’s has frozen roasted corn. I cooked up a small portion in the microwave.

* Salsa – I made Pioneer Woman’s Restaurant Style Salsa today and loved it. So easy. But I made it with what I had on hand. I used one 28 oz can of diced tomatoes, one 10 oz can of Rotel tomatoes with Green Chiles, a very small onion, 1 Tbsp lime juice, 1 clove of garlic, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 sugar, 1/4 tsp cumin and a couple handfuls of cilantro. No jalapenos on hand so I didn’t add them. The green chiles in the Rotel tomatoes give it a little bit of a spicy kick.

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Three Bean Tacos

Posted in Beans, Black Beans, Chickpeas, tagged , , on April 23, 2010| 7 Comments »

This is an old stand by recipe for us; we’ve made it for years. It makes a lot and can be eaten in a variety of ways so it is great to make when you know you will need some leftovers to munch on later in the week. I am not sure where the original came from, but here is my version.


Three Bean Tacos

2 tsp oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 Tbsp chili powder *

1 Tbsp oregano

1-1/2 tsp cumin

1 clove garlic

3- 15 oz. cans of beans, drained and rinsed *

1 – 8 oz. can of tomato sauce

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion, peppers and spices. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the beans and tomato sauce and 1/2 can of water (1/2 cup). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for approximately 20 minutes.

Serve with hard taco shells, soft corn tortillas, or if you aren’t gluten free, flour tortillas. Add your typical taco toppings like lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, avocado, sour cream, hot sauce, salsa – whatever you like.

In the picture above, I used a Brown Rice Tortilla from Trader Joe’s. They are pretty good, be sure to heat them in the microwave for about 30 seconds.

I also enjoy eating the leftovers heated with some shredded cheese on top and some corn tortilla chips to scoop it up. I have also been known to make a taco salad out of it; just make a bed of lettuce, heat some of it up and place on top of the lettuce and sprinkle with cheese. Add whatever other salad topping you like.

Notes:

* Sometimes I use all regular chili powder, sometimes I substitute part of the chili powder with chipotle chili powder for a slightly different flavor.

* Our usual mix of beans is 1 can of pinto beans, 1 can of chickpeas, and 1 can of black beans, but you can mix it up with whatever you have in the cabinet, kidney beans, black eyed peas, cannellini beans, etc.

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