Coconut Black Beans with Lime-Pickled Onion

Recreated as a tostada topping. Original recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1025039-coconut-black-bean-soup?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share

Lime Pickled Onion

1 large white onion, peeled

juice of 2 limes

1 tsp kosher salt

Coconut Black Bean Spread

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, diced

11/2 teaspoons kosher salt

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeño, unseeded, minced

1 bunch cilantro, stems and leaves separated

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon black pepper

4 (15.5-ounce) cans black beans, drained

1 (13.5-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk

1 lime – 1/2 for juice and 1/2 in wedges for garnish

Step 1

Prepare the Lime Pickled onion. Cut the white onion in half lengthwise and then cut lengthwise again into quarters.

Thinly slice onion. Add slices to a small bowl and stir in the lime juice and salt. Set aside for serving.

Step 2

Prepare the Bean spread. Heat a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high. Once hot, add the oil. Add the diced onion and cook until tender and golden at the edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.

Step 3

Stir in the jalapeño. Mince ¼ cup cilantro stems and add to the pan. Cook until the jalapeño and cilantro stems are tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, cumin seeds, black pepper and salt. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the tomato paste darkens.

Step 4

Add in the black beans and coconut milk and stock. Bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the mixture is thick.

Step 5

Purée spread to desired consistency.

Step 6

Stir in the lime juice. Taste and add more salt and lime juice as needed.

Serve topped with the pickled onions, chopped cilantro, and with lime wedges alongside.

Coconut Black Bean Soup

Original recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1025039-coconut-black-bean-soup?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share

Notes: would be good omit the broth to make thicker and use as coconut refried beans on Tostada, topped with extra lime-pickled onion

1 large white onion, peeled

2 limes, 1 halved and 1 cut into wedges

1¾ teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeño, unseeded, minced

1 bunch cilantro, stems and leaves separated

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon black pepper

3 (15.5-ounce) cans black beans, drained

1 (13.5-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk

1 cup water + 1 tsp BTB NCB

Step 1

Cut the white onion in half lengthwise and then cut lengthwise again into quarters.

Thinly slice one quarter of the onion. Add slices to a small bowl and stir in the juice of ½ lime and ¼ teaspoon salt. Set aside for serving. Dice the remaining onion and reserve.

Step 2

Heat a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high. Once hot, add the oil. Add the diced onion and cook until tender and golden at the edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.

Step 3

Stir in the jalapeño. Mince ¼ cup cilantro stems and add to the pan. Cook until the jalapeño and cilantro stems are tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, cumin seeds, black pepper and remaining 1½ teaspoons salt. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the tomato paste darkens.

Step 4

Add in the black beans, coconut milk and stock. Bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the mixture is thick.

Step 5

Purée soup to desired consistency

Step 6

Stir in the juice of the remaining lime half and ½ cup of chopped cilantro leaves. Taste and add more salt and lime juice as needed.

Serve topped with the pickled onions and more chopped cilantro, and with lime wedges alongside.

Brook’s sweet & sour Eggplant

Original NYT recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020459-sweet-and-sour-eggplant-with-garlic-chips?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share

4 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced

¼ cup sunflower oil or other neutral oil

Kosher salt

3 medium Japanese eggplants (about 1 pound total), quartered lengthwise then cut into 2-inch pieces

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

½ to 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

½ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

¼ cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

Step 1

Set a small sieve over a heatproof bowl.

Combine garlic and oil in a medium skillet and heat over medium-low. Cook garlic until light golden brown and crisp and the bubbles have subsided, 3 to 4 minutes, then quickly strain the garlic chips into the sieve set over the bowl. Transfer the garlic chips to a paper towel-lined plate, season with kosher salt and set aside. Transfer the garlic oil back to the skillet.

Step 2

Heat the garlic oil over medium-high. Add the eggplant in batches, adding more as they shrink in size and space permits, and cook, stirring occasionally, until cut sides of eggplant are golden-brown and skins are slightly wrinkled, 6 to 8 minutes.

Step 3

Add the soy sauce, sugar, vinegar and red-pepper flakes and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, tossing the eggplant to coat, until sauce thickens, 1 to 2 minutes.

Serve topped with fresh herbs and garlic chips.

Brook’s note: The trick was to be very patient when adding eggplant in slow batches as it browned