ranch style pinto bean soup

1 # dried pinto beans, sorted, soaked & rinsed
6 cups water
1 Tbsp oil
2 1/2 tsp salt
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, if desired, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 14.5 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
1/2-1 bunch cilantro (can save some for garnish)
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano

In a pressure cooker (can cook on the stove), cook the soaked pinto beans, onion, jalapeno, water, oil & salt at pressure for 8 minutes. Let the pressure drop on its own accord. While the pressure is dropping, in a blender, puree the tomatoes, cilantro, additional water and spices. Add to the cooked beans. Blend a cup or two of the beans with the liquid until desired thickness is reached (there should still be plenty of whole beans). Cook until heated through.

red beans & rice

Written down for Devon…
[It’s my estimate that this probably serves 6 as a main dish, and also that it probably costs me less than $3-4 to make]

Red Beans:
1# small red beans, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed
5 cups water
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
(1-3 stalks celery, chopped)
(1-3 peeled carrots, chopped)
2 tsp salt
1-2 Tbsp oil
2 bay leaves
1 tsp Italian seasonings
1/2 tsp liquid smoke

Rice (or make however you want):
1# (2 cups) brown rice
3 1/3 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oil
2 bay leaves

-Make sure the beans have soaked overnight, or use the quick soak method.
-Put the rice ingredients in the rice cooker. Or cook on the stove however you do it.
-For the red beans, put all ingredients except Italian seasonings and liquid smoke in the pressure cooker. Bring to pressure, reduce heat so that the thingy is gently rocking, and keep at pressure for 40 minutes. Release pressure with cool water over top. Mix in Italian seasonings and liquid smoke. Smash some of the beans if necessary to make it creamy, but you want to keep most of the beans intact. Serve over or mixed up with the rice.
-Alternatively, you can simmer the red beans on the stove. This will probably take several hours — the idea is that the beans kind of become mush on their own.

fudge

I made fudge that was pretty good and pretty well recieved. These are the alterations that I plan on making to the fudge recipe I made last night, based on the feedback I got…

3/4 cup margarine
1 cup chocolate chips (good quality)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup cocoa
1/4 tsp salt
3 cups powdered sugar
liquid to consistency (‘milk’, liquer, coffee, etc.)
nuts or other additions

Prepare a pan by lining with tinfoil or parchment paper. In a saucepan over low heat, melt margarine. With a rubber spatula, stir in chocolate chips until smooth. Add vanilla, cocoa and salt, stirring until smooth, scraping down sides as necessary. Slowly add in powdered sugar, stirring until smooth. Add in other liquid if necessary to obtain a spreadable consistency. Spread into prepared pan. Set in refrigerator until firm, at least one hour, before cutting into small squares.

crispy tortilla strips

for adding crunch to soups and chilis.

12 corn tortillas, sliced in half and then in 1/4″ pieces
2 Tbsp canola oil
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp kosher or sea salt
1/2 tsp sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Toss all of the ingredients together. Bake in the oven until crispy, tossing every 5-10 minutes until crispy, about 30 minutes.

tomatoless, vegetarian lentil soup

serves 6 as a main dish

1/4 cup olive oil
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 potatoes, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/2# (approx 2-3 medium) carrots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Adobo (start with less if you like/want it less salty)
1# lentils, rinsed and sorted
8 cups H2O
1 bay leaf
(1 bunch spinach or other greens, washed and chopped)
3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tsp Italian seasonings
2 tsp salt-free garlic & herb seasonings (like McCormick’s)
1/2 tsp black pepper

Saute celery, potatoes, onion, garlic, carrot and Adobo in olive oil until soft. Add lentils, water and bay leaf. Bring to boil. Reduce to simmer, cover and simmer for about 1.25 hrs, until lentils are tender. Add spinach/greens (if using) and simmer 15 more minutes. Add nutritional yeast and spices. Puree some of soup until desired thickness is achieved. Adjust spices to personal taste.

raw kale-avocado salad

I am sure I got this recipe from somewhere online, but can’t think of where from. It’s easy and the kale wilts with the salt and lemon juice.

1 bunch curly leaf kale
juice from 1 lemon
1 avocado
1 tsp kosher or sea salt
(raisins for garnish. The sweetness compliments it nicely)

Wash your hands real good! In a large bowl, tear the kale into bite size pieces, discarding the rib in the middle. Juice the lemon into the bowl. Scoop the avocado into the bowl. Add the salt. Using your hands, squish it all together until the kale is coated in a creamy sauce and kind of wilted. Top with raisins.

baba ganouj + how to roast an eggplant

Based on this recipe, the process is modified quite a bit, however.

(Yield: ?? cups)
3 medium sized eggplants (# pounds??)
olive oil for roasting pan
1/3 cup tahini
1 heaping teaspoon kosher salt
juice from 1 lemon
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 generous pinch paprika
1 generous pinch cumin
1/2 bunch cilantro

Preheat oven to 350′. Grease a baking pan with a generous layer of olive oil. Cut the stems off the eggplants and then cut in half and place cut-side down on the olive oil. Prick the back with a fork. Bake 45-60 minutes, until the skin is wrinkly and you can smell the eggplant.

When the eggplants are done, puree the eggplants (no need to skin) in the food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until well combined. Garnish with olive oil, paprika and cilantro if desired.

chewy wheat-free oat muffins

I made these into 24 small muffins but they could have been 12 larger muffins (longer cooking time). Also, didn’t add the blueberries, but they would’ve been better with them.

Preheat oven to 400′.
In a food processor, pulse until flour-y:
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
2 Tbsp ground flax seeds
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

Pour into a large mixing bowl and stir in:
1 cup rice milk (or water)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup oil
1 cup applesauce
1 tsp vinegar

Then stir in:
2 cups rolled oats
(1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries)

Wait ten minutes. Spoon into well-greased or lined muffin tins. Bake for 12 minutes until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

roasted winter squash puree

preheat oven to 350. cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds (and save them for roasting!). Bake cut-side down for 45-60 minutes, or until the outside is easily pierced with a fork. Scoop out the insides – or remove the peel, whichever is easiest – and puree in a food processor until smooth. At this point, the squash can be reserved for using in pies/baked goods/anything calling for canned pumpkin.

To make a sweet side dish – puree with orange juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and brown sugar/agave/maple syrup and margarine/oil to taste. Sprinkle with a touch of cinnamon and sugar and bake again if desired.

For a savory side dish – add carmelized onions, garlic, curry powder, margarine/oil and/or salt and pepper to taste.

southwestern millet polenta

This is a make-ahead dish- a variation of the millet polenta recipe. For dinnershare, double the recipe.

2 cups millet
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion
1/2 diced red bell pepper
2 tsp salt
5 1/2 cups water
1 small can diced green chiles, undrained
2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Toast millet in a pot, stirring often, until it emits a toasty smell (about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and pour a bunch of water in the pot, and then drain in a fine seive (I have to use a piece of cloth in the sieve to keep the millet from washing through).

While the millet is draining, sautee the onion, bell pepper and salt in the oil until soft. Add the water and bring to a boil. Add the millet and chiles and reduce to simmer. Cook uncovered for 25 minutes (you don’t have to stir it). Stir in oregano, nutritional yeast and paprika; cook another 10 minutes.

Spread into pan(s) and refrigerate until nice and firm. Before serving, put under the broiler for 8 minutes.