Is it really for real April? Where has all the time gone and where the hell is the warm weather? It’s not funny anymore. I am officially OVER winter! Ok, so now that I got that off my chest…..
Last night the misters Dad came over for a long awaited dinner accompanied by talk of life goals and what her referred to as “narratives” or the story of our lives. Some deep shit to be talking about at dinner, especially with zero alcohol to be had.
Me, being so super awesome, was all up in taking charge in making the food. Except that last night I didn’t have a bunch of time and honestly, much energy to be doing anything. And sure, I could have just made a pot of spaghetti, but that just felt like cheeping out. So Polenta it was. And because I just made a hug pot of navy bean, those were going into the polenta too.
Beany polenta baked in the oven with a tomato sauce cooked on the stove. About 5 minutes of hands on time and an hour to cook it all. It’s the perfect meal to make when you have guests coming over. Fast prep, into the oven and on the stove, and then you have an hour to clean and make yourself presentable. See, I am a thinker. (I ended up skipping the making myself presentable part… I stayed in my gym clothes.. no need to impress family right?) Then after about and hour you end up with a hearty healthy pretty meal, all from scratch, that seems like you spent the afternoon cooking. When in fact you spent the past hour vacuuming and watching Gilmore Girls.
The Stuff. Cornmeal, water, navy beans and parmesan for the polenta. Crushed tomatoes, garlic, dried basil, onion, carrot, zucchini, and summer squash for the sauce. Salt, pepper, and olive oil all around.
Cornmeal and water go into a cast iron skillet (or any oven safe dish) with a pinch of salt and pepper. Give it a little mix and stick it into the oven at 400 degrees .
Once the polenta is in the oven, make the sauce. Chop up all the veggies and stick into a dutch oven or sauce pot with a pinch of salt, the basil and a good drizzle of olive oil. Stick on medium heat and let veggies cook down a bit. When the veggies are tender, add in minced garlic, crushed tomatoes and another drizzle or oil. Turn burner to lowest setting and simmer (giving it a stir every now and then) for about 45 minutes or until the polenta is done. After about 30 minutes when the water had pretty much all cooked down, take the polenta out of the oven and stir in the beans, the parmesan, a tablespoon or two of olive oil and salt and pepper. Smooth top out and sprinkle with more pepper, parmesan and drizzle with a bit more oil. Stick back into oven for another 1/2 or until polenta has formed a crust and no longer giggles when you wiggle the pan.
Pull polntna from the oven and let sit for at least 1o minutes.
Two big spoons and a pile of plates. Have the people serve themselves!
Have a Happy Day!
-C
Baked Navy Bean Polenta with Chunky Tomato Sauce
Serves 4 hungry people
For the Polenta
1 1/2 Cups Course Ground Corn Meal
4 Cups Water
3 Cups Prepared Navy Beans (Or just use to cans)
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese or Vegan Parmesan (Optional)
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
For the Sauce
One 28oz Can of Crushed Tomatoes
1 large Carrot
1 Small Onion
4 (or more ) Cloves Garlic
1 teaspoon Dried Basil
1 Small Zucchini
1 Small Summer Squash
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Preheat oven to 400
In a large skillet, mix together the cornmeal and the water and add a good pinch of salt and pepper. Place into oven for about 30 minutes or until the polenta starts to congeal at the edge of the skillet nd most of the waster has cooked down.
Remove skillet from oven and with a whisk or wooden spoon, mix in the beans, the parmesan (if using) and 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. Smooth out mixture, sprinkle with salt, pepper, parmesan and drizzle with olive oil. Stick back into oven for another 30 minutes or so. Polenta is done when it no longer wiggles when you giggle the skillet.
For the sauce
Small dice the carrot and the onion and stick into a medium dutch oven oor sauce pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Place on medium heat and cook until the veggies are tender. Add in tomato, minced up garlic and basil. stir and let simmer on stove top for about 45 minutes. When you place the polenta back into the oven for the second bake, dice up zucchini and squash and add to sauce. Stir and keep on simmer until ready to serve.
Once the polenta has completely cooked, remove from oven and let sit for at least 5 minutes…10 is better to solidify.
Spoon big piles of polenta on a plate or in a bowl, top with a big heap of tomato sauce. Sprinkle with a little more parm and maybe another dash of pepper .
Eat…..Spoon or fork is recommeded.
Happy Food!
Last night I had my sister and her kiddos come over for dinner. Nothing fancy, nothing to complicated, just something fast and something that I knew the littles would eat. Spaghetti and meatballs, except replace meatballs were bean balls So they came, we played, did a little drawing and had a bit of first grad gossip. Then came dinner time when I was told by one little that she was not going to eat.. She had pasta for lunch. Well I made her sit anyway and she mainly just ate carrots (I was ok with that) Then the other little was all into his pasta and bean balls, 1 down, 3 more to go, when the mister let slip that the meatballs were not really meat. He ate around the remaining balls, said he didn’t want them anymore. And my sister, well she doesn’t eat anything that is not pizza.
Good thing a neighbor stopped by while we were eating. He had a few of the balls and told me that they were amazing. I needed someone to tell me that.
So yeah, the littles were not overly enthused with the ball, but the Mister the Neighbor, and I thought that they were awesome and delicious. Maybe next time I will make sure that pasta was not lunch and tell Nick to keep his mouth shut and stop talking about balls at the dinner table.
I feel like I don’t need to tell you how to boil pasta or heat up the sauce, so I left that portion of the recipe out. I have faith that you are capable in doing that part without my instruction.
The bean ball stuff. Chickpeas (soaked and cooked or canned), sweet potato, carrot, onion, and some chick pea flour. Dried garlic, basil and oregano. Salt and pepper and a little bit of olive oil. Small chop all the veggies and toss them and the dry spices into a skillet with a drizzle or two of olive oil. Stick on medium heat and add about 1/4 cup of water to pan. Top with slid and let veggies cook down until soft and fragrant.
Add the cooked veggies to a food processor or blender with the rinsed and drained chickpeas. The mixture gets pulsed until combined, keeping a little bit of chunkiness. Now go warhead and taste the mixture. Add another pinch or two of salt , pepper or any of the spices that you think it need. Dump the mixture into a bowl and mix in the chickpea flour than stink the mixture into the fridge for a least a 1/2 hour. Cooling to off is really important to forming the balls. If you don’t, it’s much harder to keep mixture from falling apart and sticking to your hands.
After the mixture has had time to cool and set, start rolling the mixture into balls roughly the size of ping pong balls. In a shallow bowl, add a few tablespoons of the chickpea flour with a pinch of salt, pepper and garlic powder. Take each ball and roll in flour and place each ball on a well oiled baking sheet. When the balls are all rolled, stick into the oven and bake away for about 30-40 minutes, flipping balls after about 20. After you flip the balls, get the pasta ready so its finished about the same time the balls are done.You pasta and sauce is cooked and the balls are all crispy and oh so nice.
Serve balls over pasta with sauce and eat with a fork.
Your day is now complete.. balls and all.
Happy Weekend!
-C
Spaghetti and Bean Balls
makes about 20 balls
4 Cups (or 2 cans) Cooked, Rinsed and Drained ChickPeas
1 Small Sweet Potato
1 Small Onion
1 Carrot
1/4 Cup Chickpea Flour plus extra to roll balls in
1 Heaping Teaspoon Basil
1 Heaping Teaspoon Oregano
1 Heaping Teaspoon Garlic Powder
Olive or Vegetable Oil
Salt and Pepper
Your choice of Spaghetti (Use Vegan and or Gluten Free if needed) Prepared as package recommends
Marinara or Pasta Sauce of your choice
Preheat Oven to 425 degrees
Small dice the carrot, onion and sweet potato and toss into a skillet on medium high heat with a splash of oil. Add in the dry spices and add in about a quarter cup of water. stir and cover the skillet with a lid and let the veggies cook down until the water has evaporated and the veggies are tender.
Add rinsed and drained chickpeas to a food processor with the cooked veggie mixture. Pulse together until the mixture is combined and slightly smooth, but still with a little bit of texture left.Place bean mixture in a bowl and mix in the 1/4 cup of chickpea flour. and stick in the fridge for a least a 1/2 hour to cool. (Mixture can be made a day ahead if you want)
Once the mixture has time to cool and set up , remove from fridge and with a light head, roll mixture into ping-pong sized balls. In a separate shallow dish add a bit of chickpea flour with a pinch of salt and pepper. Roll each ball in the flour mixture and place balls on a well oiled baking sheet. Once balls ae made, stick into the oven and bake for about 30-40 minutes, flipping after about 20 minutes. The balls are done when the outsides are once and golden brown and crispy. After about 30 minutes, get to cooking your pasta and mariana sauce.
Once the pasta and sauce is done, plate it and toss on some of those awesome bean balls!
Bean balls also make fantastic bean ball sandwiches or bean balls on a toothpick.
Whenever my little sister comes over for dinner, I always end up making lentils in some form or another because she, like me, is awesome and loves a good lentil. It makes me so happy that she has such great taste in food and wants to eat what I make. It’s validation from a teenage girl which is the best kind of validation.
So last night when she came over after school for dinner and trash talk (she likes to verbally abuse Nick) we decided to make both of our favorites … Lentils AND sweet potatoes. How can you go wrong with that combo? Well I am telling you that you can’t. The rich creamy soft and slightly sweet sweet potato mixed up with the hearty, earthy, oh so fantastically tasty lentil. Add in a bit of kale and cheese if you wish and serve with salsa and guac… Whoa, it’s the best!!!
Such a great evening, I get to the cooking, the sister gets to the verbal abuse and the mister, begin the champ that he is, takes it and dishes it right back.
I am the greatest(coolest) sister.
Baked sweet potatoes, cooked lentils, chopped up kale and monetary jack cheese (Cheese is optional.. and make it vegan cheese if you want) And you don’t need then, but salsa and guacamole are the best toppings.. So you have them.
Cut the cooked potato in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh out into a bowl. With a fork, smooth the potato , sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix in lentils and kale.
Stuff the mixture back into the skins of the potato.
And add some cheese (The mister and the sister wanted lots of cheese, no cheese for me) and stick the potatoes into the oven and let bake for another 5 or so minutes or until the cheese is all melty or the top is nice and crispy.
Remove and plate… Serve with salsa and guacamole and maybe some corn chips.
I am the greatest sister
-C
Makes 2 serving
1 Large Sweet Potato
1 cup Prepared Lentils
1 cup Chopped Kale
1/2 cup Grated Monetary Jack Cheese (Vegan style or not)
Salsa (optional)
Guacamole(optional)
Place potato in oven at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until soft a baked throughout.
While potato is baking, prepare lentils. 2 cups water to 1 cup lentils. Add water and lentil to pot, bring to a boil, add a sprinkle of salt, and reduce to simmer until lentils are tender.
When potato is cooked, remove potato and let cool for a few minutes. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out most of the flesh out of the skins and place into a big bowl. WIth a fork, mash the potato a bit Add in the lentils and the kale, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and mix to combine. Stuff the mixture back into the skins of the potatoes and top with cheese. (if using ) Place potatoes back into oven for 5-10 minutes until cheese is melty and bubbly or the top of the potato is a bit crispy. Remove from oven and serve on a plate with salsa and guacamole.
Eat and be happy.
Being that it was St. Patricks day this week and lots of folks buy up a good amount of cabbage, I figured that this is a good time to get people to try one of my most favorite of favorite meals…..Beet bean and cabbage steaks. I love to play around with food, how to pair textures and colors plus tastes while trying to make whatever I am making healthy and balanced. This is one of my fav creations. And sure, this may seem like a somewhat weird combo, maybe a little like a extremely hippy dippy vegan fake meat thing, and you might be kind of right, but screw if it doesn’t taste like A-mazing. First off, notice how freaking dang pretty this thing is. The roasted beets bring a earthy hearty flavor but also pack a huge punch of color, especially when blended together with the ever so sweet white bean, which brings a nice mellow taste and a great serving of protein. (Beets and beans are meant for each other). Spread that brightly colored, tasty mixture onto of a huge slab of one of my favorites, roasted cabbage with all its crunch and cabbagy flavor and you got yourself a hearty healthy meal of deliciousness.
So maybe this might seem a little out of your normal food routine, but why not try it? Trust me….you will love it and everyone you make it for will think you are a number 1 badass too.
Cabbage, white beans, and beets. There is a lemon involved, but it didn’t make it into the picture.
Notes…. I used white beans, but I have also done this with chick peas and lentils. All are fantastic. Also, I did not peel my beets because I never do.(I do not peel anything the skin is full of goodness and I love the taste) If you don’t want to eat the skin, then peel them. Cabbage is cut into inch thick slabs… I like to us the inter most part of a cabbage head cause I like the core. But use any cut that you want. 2 beets are chopped into chunkers and both the cabbage and the beets are placed on a lightly oiled baking sheets, seasoned with salt and pepper, and stuck into the oven for 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees.
Once the beets are tender and the cabbage is cooked to a nice withered golden pretty, take out of the oven, but leave the oven on. Leave the cabbage on the pan but throw the beets into a blender or a big bowl if using a hand blender with the white beans
Beans and beets get pureed together. Add the juice of 1/2 a lemon (or the whole lemon, depending on your taste) and a pinch of salt and pepper. With a big spoon or spatula, scoop equal amounts of the bean/beet mixture on top of the cabbage steaks and spread around. Sprinkle with cracked pepper and place back into oven for another 5-10 minutes. (You could totally skip the second bake, but I like my cabbage well done and crispy)
Oh ho boy… And with a good squirt of mustard to finish off… I could eat this all day, everyday
And now I am #1
Happy Wednesday… Keep it good!
-C
Beet and Bean Cabbage Steaks
Makes 2 Thick Cut Steaks
1/2 head of cabbage (green or red)
2 cups or 1 can of cooked white beans
2 medium beets
1 lemon
salt and pepper
Mustard (Optional)
Preheat Oven to 4oo degrees
Cut two 1 ish inch thick rounds of cabbage from the widest part of the head. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Chop beets into chunks and toss on same baking sheet.(Peel if you want) Sprinkle everything with salt and pepper. Stick into oven for 20-25 minutes or until the beets and cabbage are tender. Remove veggies from oven and place roasted beets into a blender (or bowl if using a hand blender) but leave the cabbage on the baking sheet. Add the white beans, the juice of half a lemon, and salt and pepper to the beets and puree until smooth. Scoop equal amounts of the mixture to each cabbage steak, sprinkle with pepper and place back into oven for another 5-10 minutes to give the beans and beets a nice crunchy crust (You can skip this step if you don’t want to be crusty)
Remove from oven, stick on a plate and drizzle with mustard….Fork and knife are good ways to eat it, but eating it with you fingers makes less dirty dishes.
Yay Tuesday! Which means its lentil day in my house. Ok not really, because everyday is lentil day in my house. Why? Because they are pretty much the best. And with the addition of lots of garlic and lemon…..whoa nelly!!! Eat your heart out.But for serious, not only are these little bits of happy legumes oh so tasty, they also are a nutritional whomper. So much protein, iron and zinc, magnesium and a bunch of other good stuff. Low in calorie and fat. Shelf stable, cheap, and fast and easy to cook. They are fantastic in soups, sauces, casseroles and salads. Eat them warm, cold, plain or covered in mustard. There possibilities with these little guys are endless. If you do not have lentils in your pantry right now, you are crazy. Make it priority to get some. Do it today, and make these fantastically yummy lentils for dinner. Trust, you won’t be sorry.
Lentils, water (not shown but I think you know what it looks like) lemon, garlic, and some salt and pepper. Cabbage and kale to make it that much better.
Add a cup of lentils to a pot with minced or pressed garlic, the zest of the lemon and the juice of half the lemon. (save the other half to squeeze on top later) Add in 2 1/4 cups water , a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Place a lid on pot and turn heat down to low. Let cook for about 15 – 20 minutes or until lentils are just about done.
Now top the almost done lentils with the cabbage and the kale. Add a splash of water and a pinch of salt and replace lid. Keep pot on simmer for another 5-8 minutes until the veggies are wilted. This gives you a slightly cooked, but still nice and crisp veggie. If you like you veggies a bit more soft, just add them into the lentils a little earlier or don’t even cook them at all. It’s whatever you want.
After a few minutes take the lid off and…aahh. Smells like cozy lemony garlicy happiness.
A big steaming bowl of everything that is good. Serve with an extra wedge of lemon to squeeze on top!
Tuesday Ah HA!
Make your day AWESOME!!!
1 cup dry lentils
2 1/4 cups water
4-5 cloves garlic
1 lemon (juice and zest)
Salt and pepper
some shredded cabbage
a few kale leaves
Add water, lentils, the zest and juice of 1 lemon and about a teaspoon of salt and pepper to a pot. Mince garlic and add that in too. Bring to a boil then place a lid on it and turn down to simmer. After about 15 minutes, give lentils a stir. At this point the lentils should be a al denta, but just about done.( If you notice the lentils seem dry, just add a bit more water) Layer on the cabbage and kale, adding in a splashof water. Replace lid and let simmer of another 5-8 , or until lentils are cooked and the veggies are you cooked to your liking.
WOO WHOA!! MARDI GRAS! I wish I was down in New Orleans today celebrating… and soaking up some warmth and sunshine, catching beads, maybe even taking my shirt off(?!!?)
No, I keep my shirt on today because I am not like that, and also, I would die of hypothermia. Today I wear a shirt, underneath 5 other shirts ad sweaters. Because today is just another day of -20 below here in Vermont.
To keep me from going completely crazy, I am thinking of warm weather and I am thinking of New Orleans (love that place!) and the humongo celebration that’s been going on there for the past week. Everyone partying out in the streets. Big floats and beads all around. I might be feeling a little jealous, (more of the weather then the partying) but thats ok, I have TV to watch and a warm comforter to wrap myself up in. And maybe I should have done a post of fried donuts or of some type of alcohol party drink to celebrate the day, but I really just wanted to make something warm and spicy, so I went with some dank cajun beans. And also I wanted to sing…. “Beans Beans the musical fruit, the more you eat the more you toot!!” hehe
But for real, these beans are sooooo f-ing tasty and super versatile. You can serve the spicy beans with the rice or just eat just the beans. You could do the beans and add to a bed of kale (me) or add cheese, guacamole and a few corn tortillas to the mix (the mister). Simple to make, super tasty and full of flavor! And pretty freaking heathy to boot! This dish gets an A+!
This dish is so full of flavor but so simple to make. We start with presoaked black beans drained and rinsed. Cajun seasoning (which is basically 1 part onion powder, thyme, oregano, and 2 parts paprika, garlic powder, cayenne power, and salt and pepper) Sliced onion and jalapeno, and a few tablespoons of tomato paste. Oh, and the rice.
Beans are in a pot filled with water unit beans are completely sumerged. Add in the onion, jalapeño, tomato paste and cajun seasoning. Bring to a boil then cover with a lid and simmer for about 45 minutes….. After about a half hour, start up the rice. Water in pot with rice, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
The rice is done and fluffed with at fork. The beans are cooked with just the tiniest bit of bite, bathing in a thick spicy tomatoey sauce. The chunks of onion and jalapeño have broken down and are hiding in every bite…. Oh so good!
Now get ready for the bowl!!! Bringing a little spice and nice to this crazy cold winter day or any fun festivities you may have planned.
Have a Fantastic Day.. Stay Warm or if you already are.. lucky you!
-C
Cajun Black Beans and Rice
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups dried black beans* soaked for at least 4 hours or overnight..Rinse and strained
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
salt and pepper
1 Jalapeño
1 small yellow onion
1 tomato (I used a large roma)
1 1/2 cup of dried rice plus 3 cups water
*If you want to use canned beans, go for it…Just sub in 2 cans rinsed and strained black beans and only add a cup of water to the beans. Pre sauté the onion and the jalapeño before adding to the beans and only simmer the beans for about 15 minutes.
Place you soaked beans into a pot and fill with water until the beans are completely summered. Slice the jalapeño and onion and add to the pot along with the tomato paste and the cajun seasoning. Bring to a boil then place a lid on it and turn heat down to low. Let simmer for about 45 minutes or until the beans are completely cooked.
When the beans are about half way done, add rice to water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, place a lid on pot and turn heat down to simmer and cook for about 15 minutes or until all water is absorbed and rice is tender. Fluff with a fork.
To sever. place a scoop of two of rice to a bowl and top with a scoop of two of beans.… Top with diced tomatoes and scallions… (The mister added shredded pepper jack to his and thought it was excellent)
Eat with a fork or spoon.
I was informed yesterday that if I was going to make tortilla chips, that I better make some sweet ass dips to go with them. I kind of agree… tortilla chips need dip… or better yet, two dips. Queso and guacamole. It’s what needed to be done, and so I did it.
Guacamole is amazing… anything avocado is amazing…this guacamole is amazing. White bean guacamole is amazing. And not that we really care, but this guac is half the fat then straight up guacamole. Plus it’s packed full of protein making it a kind of super duper, must eat all of it, kind of dip. And sweet potato anything will make me happy. Making queso dip with sweet potato and cauliflower is probably one of my best food combos so far. (after eating a butt load, I felt like I was a genius and made an amazing discovery) Again, not that we need it to be, but this is also a fat-free, vegan, gluten-free, super healthy, packed full of B12, fiber and nutrients, dip for all kind of dip.…. just another reason why you cannot feel bad when you finish off half a batch before you get a chance to stick it in a serving bowl. (I might have done that)
Here is what you need for a good time:
−These tortilla chips ….Check.
−Some Chopped Veggies (I want the veggies)…..Check
−Cauliflower Sweet Potato Queso.…Check.
−White Bean Guacamole…Check.
You are now ready for it. It being this party, that party, the Super Bowl, or a Wednesday afternoon.
To the left we have the makings for the cauliflower sweet potato queso.. Steamed cauliflower, a baked sweet potato, nutritional yeast, garlic, and chopped up red onion, red bell pepper and jalapeño. To make all you need to do it take the chopped peppers, onion, and garlic and sauté for a few minutes just to slightly soften and bring out flavors. While that’s going on, take the steamed cauliflower and sweet potato(skin off..but eat it, or save it for soup or feed it to the dog) and puree together with a blender or food processor. Add in nutritional yeast, about a tablespoon or two of hot water and, salt and pepper to taste. Blend for about 5 minutes until super creamy smooth. Add in sautéed stuff and pulse just enough to incorporated the veggies but not complete blend in. Stick in a bowl.
To the right we have white bean guacamole stuff. Two cups (or one can) rinsed white beans, one ripe avocado, a lime, a few cloves of garlic,(I also added a bit of garlic powered…I like my garlic) and some chopped up red onion and tomato. Place beans, garlic, avocado and lime juice in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add salt to taste and toss in the chopped tomato and onion. Blend for sec to mix that in…Stick in a bowl
Perfect…
To think that both of these dips took about 10 minutes total to make. (I had pre baked the cauliflower and sweet potato) And for real, I would spend much more time if I had too because both of these dips are so freaking good, I definitely will be making these on the regular.
So there , dips for those sweet ass chips or whatever you want to dip or them spread them on.
And he guys…It’s FRIDAY! Have a fantastic day!
-C
White Bean Guacamole
2 cups white beans (or 1 can) rinsed and drained
1 ripe avocado
3 cloves garlic
1 lime
1/4 small red onion
1 small tomato
1-2 teaspoons salt
Finley chop onion and tomato. Set aside. Place the beans, avocado, garlic, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt and the juice from one lime into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add a splash of water if needed to help keep things moving. Taste and add more salt if needed. When smooth, add the onion and tomato and pulse a few times to mix in. Scoop into a serving dish and finish with a squeeze of lime and a bit of chopped onion and tomato.
Cauliflower Sweet Potato Queso
1 1/2 cups pre cooked steamed or roasted cauliflower
1 medium pre baked sweet potato
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1-2 tablespoons hot water
1/2 a small red pepper
1/4 small red onion
1 jalapeño
3 cloves garlic
salt and pepper
Finely dice the red pepper, jalapeño, onion and garlic and sauté in a skillet for a few minutes until slightly soften and fragrant. Take the pre-cooked cauliflower, sweet potato (skin removed), and nutritional yeast and place in a blender or food processor. Blend for about 5 minutes until creamy and smooth. Add in a tablespoon of water to keep things moving. When completely smooth, add in sautéed veggies and pulse a few times to combine. Scoop into a serving dish. If your feeling it, top with scallions and cracked pepper.
Serve dips with chips, veggies or anything you want. Also make great spreads for sandwiches and crackers too!
Don’t let the fact that these rich, fudgy, soft, oh so yummy brownies have beans in them scare you away, it just means that you can eat more, you know, like half a pan, and not think twice about it. (I think that is perfectly acceptable) And the carob. Well one of the things I always do for my birthday is to buy a new ingredient of some sort that I wouldn’t normally buy because it’s either too expensive or is hard to find. Carob is neither too expensive or hard to find, but I couldn’t find the really expensive stuff that I was looking for so I grabbed a bag of carob powder. If you have never tried carob, it’s a must. It’s kind of like chocolate, but more fruity, sweet, not bitter, and caffeine free, while still containing all the good health benefits as chocolate. It’s really good…..you will like it. (You can use cocoa instead, but then you are going to miss out on the awesomeness of carob and be left with a plain old normal black bean brownie)
I was also thinking that these would make for a fantastic Super Bowl party snack, you know, brownies and protein.. Sounds like a football type of food right. ( I know nothing of football, but I do know about food parties….brownies are good for food parties)
Anyways, super fast, super simple, super easy. Make these and feel awesome. And maybe don’t tell people that you made them with beans, they don’t need to know, all they will think is that they are eating something good.
One bowl. Beans, oil, oats, baking powder carob and vanilla. I used an emulsion blender but a blender or a food processor does the same…..blend together until fully incorporated, smooth and creamy with little speckles of oats. It’s so simple and barely a mess to be made.
Into a greases pan and into the oven for 25- 30 minutes…. Out of the oven when a toothpick comes out clean
Let cool for at least 10 minutes (ok, maybe 5) and cut into squares of any size you like.
Stacked on parchment….oh so pretty
Ready to go….. To share or to hoard.
Excellent for so many reasons; tasty, gluten-free, vegan, full of proteins and when consumed, make people happy. My little nephew who is so so picky and doesn’t like anything even really liked these so right there I knew this recipes was a winner.
Enjoy your brownies!
-C
Black Bean Carob Brownies
Ingredients
2 cups cooked black beans (1 can)
3/4 carob powder
3/4 cup gluten-free quick oats
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking power
Place all ingredients in either a food processor, blender, or a large bowl for an emulsifier, and blend together until fully incorporated and smooth. Transfer into a well greases 9×9 baking pan and stick in over for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean.
Let cool for 10 minutes, cut into squares and serve!
THE LOVELY CRAZY
September 19, 2015 by maximios • Blog
Last night the misters Dad came over for a long awaited dinner accompanied by talk of life goals and what her referred to as “narratives” or the story of our lives. Some deep shit to be talking about at dinner, especially with zero alcohol to be had.
Me, being so super awesome, was all up in taking charge in making the food. Except that last night I didn’t have a bunch of time and honestly, much energy to be doing anything. And sure, I could have just made a pot of spaghetti, but that just felt like cheeping out. So Polenta it was. And because I just made a hug pot of navy bean, those were going into the polenta too.
Beany polenta baked in the oven with a tomato sauce cooked on the stove. About 5 minutes of hands on time and an hour to cook it all. It’s the perfect meal to make when you have guests coming over. Fast prep, into the oven and on the stove, and then you have an hour to clean and make yourself presentable. See, I am a thinker. (I ended up skipping the making myself presentable part… I stayed in my gym clothes.. no need to impress family right?) Then after about and hour you end up with a hearty healthy pretty meal, all from scratch, that seems like you spent the afternoon cooking. When in fact you spent the past hour vacuuming and watching Gilmore Girls.
Two big spoons and a pile of plates. Have the people serve themselves!
Have a Happy Day!
-C
Baked Navy Bean Polenta with Chunky Tomato Sauce
Serves 4 hungry people
For the Polenta
For the Sauce
Preheat oven to 400
In a large skillet, mix together the cornmeal and the water and add a good pinch of salt and pepper. Place into oven for about 30 minutes or until the polenta starts to congeal at the edge of the skillet nd most of the waster has cooked down.
Remove skillet from oven and with a whisk or wooden spoon, mix in the beans, the parmesan (if using) and 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. Smooth out mixture, sprinkle with salt, pepper, parmesan and drizzle with olive oil. Stick back into oven for another 30 minutes or so. Polenta is done when it no longer wiggles when you giggle the skillet.
For the sauce
Small dice the carrot and the onion and stick into a medium dutch oven oor sauce pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Place on medium heat and cook until the veggies are tender. Add in tomato, minced up garlic and basil. stir and let simmer on stove top for about 45 minutes. When you place the polenta back into the oven for the second bake, dice up zucchini and squash and add to sauce. Stir and keep on simmer until ready to serve.
Once the polenta has completely cooked, remove from oven and let sit for at least 5 minutes…10 is better to solidify.
Spoon big piles of polenta on a plate or in a bowl, top with a big heap of tomato sauce. Sprinkle with a little more parm and maybe another dash of pepper .
Eat…..Spoon or fork is recommeded.
Happy Food!
Good thing a neighbor stopped by while we were eating. He had a few of the balls and told me that they were amazing. I needed someone to tell me that.
So yeah, the littles were not overly enthused with the ball, but the Mister the Neighbor, and I thought that they were awesome and delicious. Maybe next time I will make sure that pasta was not lunch and tell Nick to keep his mouth shut and stop talking about balls at the dinner table.
The bean ball stuff. Chickpeas (soaked and cooked or canned), sweet potato, carrot, onion, and some chick pea flour. Dried garlic, basil and oregano. Salt and pepper and a little bit of olive oil.
Small chop all the veggies and toss them and the dry spices into a skillet with a drizzle or two of olive oil. Stick on medium heat and add about 1/4 cup of water to pan. Top with slid and let veggies cook down until soft and fragrant.
Serve balls over pasta with sauce and eat with a fork.
Your day is now complete.. balls and all.
Happy Weekend!
-C
Spaghetti and Bean Balls
makes about 20 balls
Preheat Oven to 425 degrees
Small dice the carrot, onion and sweet potato and toss into a skillet on medium high heat with a splash of oil. Add in the dry spices and add in about a quarter cup of water. stir and cover the skillet with a lid and let the veggies cook down until the water has evaporated and the veggies are tender.
Add rinsed and drained chickpeas to a food processor with the cooked veggie mixture. Pulse together until the mixture is combined and slightly smooth, but still with a little bit of texture left.Place bean mixture in a bowl and mix in the 1/4 cup of chickpea flour. and stick in the fridge for a least a 1/2 hour to cool. (Mixture can be made a day ahead if you want)
Once the mixture has time to cool and set up , remove from fridge and with a light head, roll mixture into ping-pong sized balls. In a separate shallow dish add a bit of chickpea flour with a pinch of salt and pepper. Roll each ball in the flour mixture and place balls on a well oiled baking sheet. Once balls ae made, stick into the oven and bake for about 30-40 minutes, flipping after about 20 minutes. The balls are done when the outsides are once and golden brown and crispy. After about 30 minutes, get to cooking your pasta and mariana sauce.
Once the pasta and sauce is done, plate it and toss on some of those awesome bean balls!
Bean balls also make fantastic bean ball sandwiches or bean balls on a toothpick.
Whenever my little sister comes over for dinner, I always end up making lentils in some form or another because she, like me, is awesome and loves a good lentil. It makes me so happy that she has such great taste in food and wants to eat what I make. It’s validation from a teenage girl which is the best kind of validation.
So last night when she came over after school for dinner and trash talk (she likes to verbally abuse Nick) we decided to make both of our favorites … Lentils AND sweet potatoes. How can you go wrong with that combo? Well I am telling you that you can’t. The rich creamy soft and slightly sweet sweet potato mixed up with the hearty, earthy, oh so fantastically tasty lentil. Add in a bit of kale and cheese if you wish and serve with salsa and guac… Whoa, it’s the best!!!
Such a great evening, I get to the cooking, the sister gets to the verbal abuse and the mister, begin the champ that he is, takes it and dishes it right back.
I am the greatest(coolest) sister.
Baked sweet potatoes, cooked lentils, chopped up kale and monetary jack cheese (Cheese is optional.. and make it vegan cheese if you want) And you don’t need then, but salsa and guacamole are the best toppings.. So you have them.
Cut the cooked potato in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh out into a bowl. With a fork, smooth the potato , sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix in lentils and kale.
Stuff the mixture back into the skins of the potato.
And add some cheese (The mister and the sister wanted lots of cheese, no cheese for me) and stick the potatoes into the oven and let bake for another 5 or so minutes or until the cheese is all melty or the top is nice and crispy.
Remove and plate… Serve with salsa and guacamole and maybe some corn chips.
I am the greatest sister
-C
Makes 2 serving
Place potato in oven at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until soft a baked throughout.
While potato is baking, prepare lentils. 2 cups water to 1 cup lentils. Add water and lentil to pot, bring to a boil, add a sprinkle of salt, and reduce to simmer until lentils are tender.
When potato is cooked, remove potato and let cool for a few minutes. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out most of the flesh out of the skins and place into a big bowl. WIth a fork, mash the potato a bit Add in the lentils and the kale, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and mix to combine. Stuff the mixture back into the skins of the potatoes and top with cheese. (if using ) Place potatoes back into oven for 5-10 minutes until cheese is melty and bubbly or the top of the potato is a bit crispy. Remove from oven and serve on a plate with salsa and guacamole.
Eat and be happy.
So maybe this might seem a little out of your normal food routine, but why not try it? Trust me….you will love it and everyone you make it for will think you are a number 1 badass too.
Notes…. I used white beans, but I have also done this with chick peas and lentils. All are fantastic. Also, I did not peel my beets because I never do.(I do not peel anything the skin is full of goodness and I love the taste) If you don’t want to eat the skin, then peel them.
Cabbage is cut into inch thick slabs… I like to us the inter most part of a cabbage head cause I like the core. But use any cut that you want. 2 beets are chopped into chunkers and both the cabbage and the beets are placed on a lightly oiled baking sheets, seasoned with salt and pepper, and stuck into the oven for 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees.
And now I am #1
Happy Wednesday… Keep it good!
-C
Beet and Bean Cabbage Steaks
Makes 2 Thick Cut Steaks
Preheat Oven to 4oo degrees
Cut two 1 ish inch thick rounds of cabbage from the widest part of the head. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Chop beets into chunks and toss on same baking sheet.(Peel if you want) Sprinkle everything with salt and pepper. Stick into oven for 20-25 minutes or until the beets and cabbage are tender. Remove veggies from oven and place roasted beets into a blender (or bowl if using a hand blender) but leave the cabbage on the baking sheet. Add the white beans, the juice of half a lemon, and salt and pepper to the beets and puree until smooth. Scoop equal amounts of the mixture to each cabbage steak, sprinkle with pepper and place back into oven for another 5-10 minutes to give the beans and beets a nice crunchy crust (You can skip this step if you don’t want to be crusty)
Remove from oven, stick on a plate and drizzle with mustard….Fork and knife are good ways to eat it, but eating it with you fingers makes less dirty dishes.
Yay Tuesday! Which means its lentil day in my house. Ok not really, because everyday is lentil day in my house. Why? Because they are pretty much the best. And with the addition of lots of garlic and lemon…..whoa nelly!!! Eat your heart out.But for serious, not only are these little bits of happy legumes oh so tasty, they also are a nutritional whomper. So much protein, iron and zinc, magnesium and a bunch of other good stuff. Low in calorie and fat. Shelf stable, cheap, and fast and easy to cook. They are fantastic in soups, sauces, casseroles and salads. Eat them warm, cold, plain or covered in mustard. There possibilities with these little guys are endless. If you do not have lentils in your pantry right now, you are crazy. Make it priority to get some. Do it today, and make these fantastically yummy lentils for dinner. Trust, you won’t be sorry.
Lentils, water (not shown but I think you know what it looks like) lemon, garlic, and some salt and pepper. Cabbage and kale to make it that much better.
Add a cup of lentils to a pot with minced or pressed garlic, the zest of the lemon and the juice of half the lemon. (save the other half to squeeze on top later) Add in 2 1/4 cups water , a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Place a lid on pot and turn heat down to low. Let cook for about 15 – 20 minutes or until lentils are just about done.
Now top the almost done lentils with the cabbage and the kale. Add a splash of water and a pinch of salt and replace lid. Keep pot on simmer for another 5-8 minutes until the veggies are wilted. This gives you a slightly cooked, but still nice and crisp veggie. If you like you veggies a bit more soft, just add them into the lentils a little earlier or don’t even cook them at all. It’s whatever you want.
After a few minutes take the lid off and…aahh. Smells like cozy lemony garlicy happiness.
A big steaming bowl of everything that is good. Serve with an extra wedge of lemon to squeeze on top!
Tuesday Ah HA!
Make your day AWESOME!!!
Add water, lentils, the zest and juice of 1 lemon and about a teaspoon of salt and pepper to a pot. Mince garlic and add that in too. Bring to a boil then place a lid on it and turn down to simmer. After about 15 minutes, give lentils a stir. At this point the lentils should be a al denta, but just about done.( If you notice the lentils seem dry, just add a bit more water) Layer on the cabbage and kale, adding in a splashof water. Replace lid and let simmer of another 5-8 , or until lentils are cooked and the veggies are you cooked to your liking.
No, I keep my shirt on today because I am not like that, and also, I would die of hypothermia. Today I wear a shirt, underneath 5 other shirts ad sweaters. Because today is just another day of -20 below here in Vermont.
To keep me from going completely crazy, I am thinking of warm weather and I am thinking of New Orleans (love that place!) and the humongo celebration that’s been going on there for the past week. Everyone partying out in the streets. Big floats and beads all around. I might be feeling a little jealous, (more of the weather then the partying) but thats ok, I have TV to watch and a warm comforter to wrap myself up in. And maybe I should have done a post of fried donuts or of some type of alcohol party drink to celebrate the day, but I really just wanted to make something warm and spicy, so I went with some dank cajun beans. And also I wanted to sing…. “Beans Beans the musical fruit, the more you eat the more you toot!!” hehe
But for real, these beans are sooooo f-ing tasty and super versatile. You can serve the spicy beans with the rice or just eat just the beans. You could do the beans and add to a bed of kale (me) or add cheese, guacamole and a few corn tortillas to the mix (the mister). Simple to make, super tasty and full of flavor! And pretty freaking heathy to boot! This dish gets an A+!
This dish is so full of flavor but so simple to make. We start with presoaked black beans drained and rinsed. Cajun seasoning (which is basically 1 part onion powder, thyme, oregano, and 2 parts paprika, garlic powder, cayenne power, and salt and pepper) Sliced onion and jalapeno, and a few tablespoons of tomato paste. Oh, and the rice.
Now get ready for the bowl!!!
Bringing a little spice and nice to this crazy cold winter day or any fun festivities you may have planned.
Have a Fantastic Day.. Stay Warm or if you already are.. lucky you!
-C
Cajun Black Beans and Rice
Ingredients
*If you want to use canned beans, go for it…Just sub in 2 cans rinsed and strained black beans and only add a cup of water to the beans. Pre sauté the onion and the jalapeño before adding to the beans and only simmer the beans for about 15 minutes.
Place you soaked beans into a pot and fill with water until the beans are completely summered. Slice the jalapeño and onion and add to the pot along with the tomato paste and the cajun seasoning. Bring to a boil then place a lid on it and turn heat down to low. Let simmer for about 45 minutes or until the beans are completely cooked.
When the beans are about half way done, add rice to water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, place a lid on pot and turn heat down to simmer and cook for about 15 minutes or until all water is absorbed and rice is tender. Fluff with a fork.
To sever. place a scoop of two of rice to a bowl and top with a scoop of two of beans.… Top with diced tomatoes and scallions… (The mister added shredded pepper jack to his and thought it was excellent)
Eat with a fork or spoon.
Guacamole is amazing… anything avocado is amazing…this guacamole is amazing. White bean guacamole is amazing. And not that we really care, but this guac is half the fat then straight up guacamole. Plus it’s packed full of protein making it a kind of super duper, must eat all of it, kind of dip. And sweet potato anything will make me happy. Making queso dip with sweet potato and cauliflower is probably one of my best food combos so far. (after eating a butt load, I felt like I was a genius and made an amazing discovery) Again, not that we need it to be, but this is also a fat-free, vegan, gluten-free, super healthy, packed full of B12, fiber and nutrients, dip for all kind of dip.…. just another reason why you cannot feel bad when you finish off half a batch before you get a chance to stick it in a serving bowl. (I might have done that)
Here is what you need for a good time:
−These tortilla chips ….Check.
−Some Chopped Veggies (I want the veggies)…..Check
−Cauliflower Sweet Potato Queso.…Check.
−White Bean Guacamole…Check.
You are now ready for it. It being this party, that party, the Super Bowl, or a Wednesday afternoon.
To the left we have the makings for the cauliflower sweet potato queso.. Steamed cauliflower, a baked sweet potato, nutritional yeast, garlic, and chopped up red onion, red bell pepper and jalapeño. To make all you need to do it take the chopped peppers, onion, and garlic and sauté for a few minutes just to slightly soften and bring out flavors. While that’s going on, take the steamed cauliflower and sweet potato(skin off..but eat it, or save it for soup or feed it to the dog) and puree together with a blender or food processor. Add in nutritional yeast, about a tablespoon or two of hot water and, salt and pepper to taste. Blend for about 5 minutes until super creamy smooth. Add in sautéed stuff and pulse just enough to incorporated the veggies but not complete blend in. Stick in a bowl.
To the right we have white bean guacamole stuff. Two cups (or one can) rinsed white beans, one ripe avocado, a lime, a few cloves of garlic,(I also added a bit of garlic powered…I like my garlic) and some chopped up red onion and tomato. Place beans, garlic, avocado and lime juice in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add salt to taste and toss in the chopped tomato and onion. Blend for sec to mix that in…Stick in a bowl
So there , dips for those sweet ass chips or whatever you want to dip or them spread them on.
And he guys…It’s FRIDAY! Have a fantastic day!
-C
White Bean Guacamole
Finley chop onion and tomato. Set aside. Place the beans, avocado, garlic, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt and the juice from one lime into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add a splash of water if needed to help keep things moving. Taste and add more salt if needed. When smooth, add the onion and tomato and pulse a few times to mix in. Scoop into a serving dish and finish with a squeeze of lime and a bit of chopped onion and tomato.
Cauliflower Sweet Potato Queso
Finely dice the red pepper, jalapeño, onion and garlic and sauté in a skillet for a few minutes until slightly soften and fragrant. Take the pre-cooked cauliflower, sweet potato (skin removed), and nutritional yeast and place in a blender or food processor. Blend for about 5 minutes until creamy and smooth. Add in a tablespoon of water to keep things moving. When completely smooth, add in sautéed veggies and pulse a few times to combine. Scoop into a serving dish. If your feeling it, top with scallions and cracked pepper.
Serve dips with chips, veggies or anything you want. Also make great spreads for sandwiches and crackers too!
I was also thinking that these would make for a fantastic Super Bowl party snack, you know, brownies and protein.. Sounds like a football type of food right. ( I know nothing of football, but I do know about food parties….brownies are good for food parties)
Anyways, super fast, super simple, super easy. Make these and feel awesome. And maybe don’t tell people that you made them with beans, they don’t need to know, all they will think is that they are eating something good.
Ready to go….. To share or to hoard.
Excellent for so many reasons; tasty, gluten-free, vegan, full of proteins and when consumed, make people happy. My little nephew who is so so picky and doesn’t like anything even really liked these so right there I knew this recipes was a winner.
Enjoy your brownies!
-C
Black Bean Carob Brownies
Ingredients
Place all ingredients in either a food processor, blender, or a large bowl for an emulsifier, and blend together until fully incorporated and smooth. Transfer into a well greases 9×9 baking pan and stick in over for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean.
Let cool for 10 minutes, cut into squares and serve!