Black Bean and Shallot Salsa

Lately, I've been on a real Mexican food kick. It may be due to the fact that I'm doing my best to avoid eating peppers and corn, which makes eating authentic Mexican food quite a trick. Really, it's impossible to avoid both of those ingredients at a restaurant so I've been adapting many of our favorite foods to my dietary restrictions and, believe it or not, coming up with some really fabulous results!

There's also something about Mexican food that lends itself beautifully to the hot weather we've been having lately! Not to mention an excellent way to use up all those delightful, fresh tomatoes that I cannot seem to get enough of, buying them at every conceivable opportunity. I've been using those especially to make salsa (we got sick of just slicing them and eating them with salt and olive oil) and we currently have three kinds in the fridge. Ooops! I guess you can never have too much salsa; it is one of the vegetarian's favorite snacks after all and he makes sure to keep us well-stocked with chips.

This particular salsa is hearty due to the black beans and also a little sweet from the shallots. I was inspired by a Black Bean and Corn Salsa recipe from Eat to Live, a great all-but-vegan cookbook by Joel Fuhrman that has lots of neat, healthy tricks and ingredients that I don't use nearly as often as I should. Since shallots bring a sweetness, I used them as the other main flavor in the salsa and I really like the results! While wonderful with chips, we also enjoyed it over some sprouted-grain quesadillas. Bon appetit!

Black Bean and Shallot Salsa
inspired by Eat to Live

• 1 can cooked black beans
• 1 small shallot, quartered
• 4 slicing tomatoes, quartered
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 small yellow onion, quartered
• 3 large cloves garlic, halved
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin, ground
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Place all ingredients except for lime juice, cumin and garlic powder in a food processor and pulse until just combined and desired consistency (this well be a softer salsa due to the black beans and olive oil). Remove and place in a serving bowl. Stir in lime juice, cumin and garlic powder. Serve with raw vegetables or tortilla chips, if desired. Enjoy!

Got leftovers? This is delicious mixed with scrambled eggs.

Links:

• Avocado-Lime Black Beans from The Kitchn
• Black Bean Salad with Corn, Red Peppers, Avocado & Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette from Once Upon a Chef
• Mexican Cornmeal Pancakes with Black Bean and Pineapple Salsa from Midwest Living
• Corn and Black Bean Salsa with Lime Cilantro Vinaigrette from Made from Pinterest
• Easy Avocado-Lime Black Bean Salad from Oh She Glows
  
  

Orange Peach Jam

I always thought that jam-making was an enormous deal -- something that grandmothers from another time did in their cottages on rural routes in middle America. They would pick and cut up fresh fruits, boil them on hot summer nights and then can them, processing the cans with a magic I don't understand and am afraid to master, so they and their grandchildren could enjoy the results in the middle of winter, spread onto thick slices of fresh, warm-from-the-oven homemade bread. Sounds idyllic, no? And so not me.

So I was pleasantly surprised when I successfully made jam and jelly last summer. I didn't can either of them (and I still haven't gone that far) but they were both delicious and I even used pectin when I made the jelly! Lately, there have been wonderful peaches at our greenmarkets and, being unable to walk away from such abundance, I keep bringing them home. And there's just so many I can put into my smoothies!

So I decided to make some into jam. Not wanting to go through a whole big-deal production, I found a recipe on Pure Kitchen for Spreadable Raisin Jam. This isn't cooked at all; instead raisins, orange juice and spices are put into a blender until jammy. It sounded perfect but my peaches needed to be cooked to taste more peachy! So I boiled them with spices and orange juice and then blended them for about a minute and they were delicious! The jam is entirely unsweetened and has a little kick from the spices which I love. It's great as a snack on rice cakes and also spread on gingersnap cookies. Enjoy!

Orange Peach Jam
inspired by Pure Kitchen

• 3-4 ripe peaches, peeled (if desired), pitted and quartered
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons allspice

In a medium pot, combine all ingredients and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook 25 minutes, adding water or additional orange juice if necessary. Let come to room temperature, transfer to a blender (or nutribullet) and blend for about 1 minute, until it reaches desired consistency. Bon appetit!

Links:

• Peach Marmalade from About.com
• Peach Orange Marmalade from Mother Earth News
• Orange Peach Jam from Mennonite Girls Can Cook
• Peach-Orange Marmalade from National Center for Home Food Preservation
• Peach Orange Preserves from Cooking Lessons

Refried Beans Without the Refry

As I'm sure many of you do, I get e-mailed recipes. Lots of them; I just keep subscribing to various newsletters from recipe sites. Unfortunately, I never get around to reading most of them but every so often a recipe catches my eye and I bookmark it, saving it in a folder titled with the appropriate month in which to make it (I do so try to cook seasonally).

These pinto beans have been on the waiting list for quite a while. We cooked them last month (in the slow cooker -- my favorite way to make beans) and then they sat in that folder waiting for me to finally have time to write them up. Today is their lucky day!

Now, you may be confused by their name (and I admit that's why I clicked on this recipe in the first place when I saw it on Allrecipes.com) but, amazingly enough, this do taste a LOT like refried beans. However, since they have neither oil nor butter, they're exceedingly low in fat. They're also really versatile. They have a bit of a kick from the jalapeno and we used them mostly in Mexican preparations, but I'm sure you could use them in any preparation that calls for cooked beans. And, considering we still have a tupperware full of them in the freezer (they freeze beautifully), that's probably what we'll do!


Make these into a Bean Salsa, add them into Marco Polo Salad or Quinoa Pepper Jack Macaroni and Cheese, serve alongside Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting or turn them into Sour Cream Bean Enchiladas or Chili. Really, the possibilities are endless. Bon appetit!

Refried Beans Without the Refry
adapted from Allrecipes.com

• 3 cups dry pinto beans
• 1 7-inch piece kombu
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and cut in half
• 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
• 15 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 teaspoons garlic parsley salt
• 1 3/4 teaspoons black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/8 teaspoon cumin, ground
• 9 cups water, plus additional for soaking beans

Place pinto beans and kombu in a pot full of fresh water. Let them soak 8 hours, or overnight.

Drain beans and place them, kombu, onion, jalapeno, garlic, salt, pepper and cumin in a slow cooker. Add 9 cups water and stir to combine. Cook on HIGH (yes, really) for 8 hours. 

Once beans are cooked, strain, reserving the cooking liquid (it makes a wonderful broth for soups or rice). Using a potato masher, mash beans (and onion and kombu if desired), adding in as much broth as you want. You can also leave the beans unmashed and mix them with the onion and kombu, first chopping the aromatics so they're easier to combine. Enjoy!

Links: 

• Refried Beans Without the Refry from Allrecipes.com

BED: Trout (or White Beans) with South Indian Spices

Is it March already? Doesn't February always disappear just when you've gotten comfortable with it? Or is that just me?

Anyway, I have a wonderful recipe to share with you today (complete with a vegetarian adaptation that uses the same spices) and, if you're making the trout component, an even more exciting cooking technique!

Back when I regularly cooked omnivore food, fish was one of my specialties. Fast and easy to cook, I could always adjust my seasonings to suit my mood. I realized this month, as I planned the menu for our monthly cooking adventure that I hadn't made fish in quite a while. So I resolved that it was time that changed. Wanting to combat the winter doldrums I've been in, I decided I wanted this fish to have a bite ... and lots of garlic. Interesting spices always make me think of Indian food so I went back to The 4-Hour Chef and adapted his recipe for Trout with South Indian Spices, including a wonderful Ginger-Garlic Paste made from scratch. (There's still more of the paste in our fridge -- any suggestions on how else we should use it?)



As for the vegetarian, he loves these flavorings as well, so, while I made the fish, I tossed a couple of cans of white beans with the same marinade ingredients and baked them in the same oven for the same amount of time. Formal directions are below. We also served this with basmati rice and gremolata and had an amazing whiskey butterscotch pudding for dessert. A Falanghina was a delicious accompaniment. மகிழ்ந்து உண்ணுங்கள் [bon appetit]!

Trout (or White Beans) with South Indian Spices
inspired by The 4-Hour Chef

• 1 head garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 hand ginger root, chopped
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons beer vinegar (can substitute rice vinegar)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon garlic parsley salt
• 2 small whole trout, butterflied and gutted (if making the omnivore version)
• 2 cans navy beans, drained and rinsed (if making the vegetarian version)
• juice from 1/2 lime

Combine garlic, ginger and water in a cup or mixing bowl. Using your immersion blender, process until they've all combined into a smooth paste.

Combine 1 1/2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste, vinegar, turmeric and salt in a bowl.

If making the fish, place it in a heavy ziploc plastic bag and add the marinade, massaging it well into the flesh. Marinate at least 8 hours.

If making the beans, add them to the bowl of seasonings, stir well and let sit for at least 15 minutes so marinade can permeate.

Preheat oven to 400F.

If making the fish: Remove it from the bag and place on a plate, flesh-side up. Now comes the fun part (I made the vegetarian stay in the other room while I did this): insert a skewer through the fish's mouth and rest its length along the fish's body. Balance 3 skewers along the width of a baking pan. Gently flip the fish over and rest its skewer on the other 3. Repeat with the second fish (and any others that you want to make; you may need to use more than one pan, depending on the size of your fish and your pans).

If making the beans: Place beans and marinade in a baking dish and stir well. I used a loaf pan.

Place beans and/or fish in the oven and bake 12 minutes. Serve with the lime juice drizzled on top. Enjoy!

Links:

• Best Spicy Masala Fish from Bland is Boring
• Cajun Rainbow Trout from Whole Foods Market
• The Best Salsa from Bland is Boring
• Ginger-Garlic Eggplant from Chicago Tribune
• South Indian Style Green Bean "Stir Fry" from The Mistress of Spices
• Spicy Sun-Dried Tomato Soup with White Beans & Swiss Chard from Vegetarian Times
• Kidney Beans Curry from Easy Indian Cooking
• Slow Cooker Vegan Spicy Pinto Bean Chili with Corn and Kale from The Perfect Pantry

Braised Pinto Beans & Shiitake Mushrooms

Back before Hurricane Sandy, I went to Tokyo for a week for work. Luckily, I was able to to have most afternoons (and several evenings) to myself when I could explore that exotic city -- definitely the most foreign place I've ever been to. Never having been somewhere where I couldn't at least read the street signs, it was a totally new experience for me and one I hope to be able to share with the vegetarian at some point in the future!

Of the culinary delights, I of course indulged in fantastic sashimi (it's so hard to eat it back in the States

now!), udon and lots of tea. Not being able to speak the language, I mostly ordered by pointing at various items on a menu so half the time I didn't really know what I was eating: not something that bothered me in the slightest!

My favorite afternoon in the city was spent in the company of Mom's best friend from high school, who happens to live in Tokyo. She took me around kappabashi, "kitchen town", where we wandered in and out of various kitchenware, restaurant depot and dried goods stores. Of the delicacies I brought home, the largest was a package of dried shiitake mushrooms. I could smell them even through the plastic and they sat on our hutch waiting to be used.

The opportunity presented itself last week as I scanned my brain for what to braise my newest batch of beans with. Mushrooms! I exclaimed. I soaked the shiitakes all day and then when it was time to make dinner, I was also rewarded with the soaking liquid which turns into a fantastic stock (I've since used it several times). Serve these over linguine. Leftovers? We had them over spaetzle one day and as part of a mixed green salad the next. I recommend a rioja alongside. Bon appetit!

Braised Pinto Beans & Mushrooms

• 2 tablespoons rapeseed oil with chili (you can substitute olive oil)
• 1 tablespoon butter, unsalted
• 10 yellow onions, finely diced
• 12 cloves garlic, crushed
• 6 ounces dried shiitake mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 cup chicken broth (can substitute vegetable broth)
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 2 teaspoons oregano, chopped

Soak mushrooms in a bowl of clean cold water for at least 1 hour, ideally 8 or overnight. Drain and slice thinly. Save soaking liquid and use as mushroom broth.

Heat oil and butter together in a pan over medium heat until butter is melted. Add onions, garlic and mushrooms and saute 8 minutes, until onions are soft. Reduce heat to medium-low and add tomato sauce, paprika, beans, salt, pepper, broth and fennel seeds. Cook another 15 minutes, until beans are warm and soft has thickened slightly. Garnish with oregano and serve warm.

Links:

• Braised Beef & Mushrooms from Eating Well
• Black Beans with Mushrooms from VegWeb.com
• Onion Rings & Green Bean Casserole from Jules Speaks Gluten Free Blog
• Grilled Portobello Mushroom Tacos with Mango Black Bean Salsa from Tasty Yummies
• Mushroom Burger from Vegetarian Food
• Slow-Cooker Black Bean-Mushroom Chili from Eating Well

(Re) Braised Pinto and Cannellini Beans and Onions

Even though it's still technically fall (and it's actually warmer than it was for most of November), the calendar says December and that puts me in mind of winter, particularly braised dishes. And so, this month, that's the majority of what I'll be cooking -- vegetarian (and gluten-free) braises. While beef (and other meats) are what first come to mind, braising doesn't have to mean "meat". It just means cooking foods in liquid over a low temperature for a nice amount of time. "Low and slow," as they say. And braised beans and vegetables are delicious. So while I do miss pot roasts and briskets, this month we'll be exploring what else we can braise.

My first thought when I picked this month's "theme" was: "But I just made braised beans!" And, wanting something easy, I decided to use that recipe as my starting point. But, being me, I tweaked it a bit the second time around.

First off, I still had plenty of cooked pinto beans so I wasn't about to make another batch. That would just be wasteful, you see! Also, the vegetarian and I have been trading a cold back and forth for the last few weeks so I wanted to inundate us with onions to try and finally blast it out of us.

So I devised a way to quickly braise the already-cooked beans. This works equally well with canned beans if you don't have any homemade on-hand. And if you don't like onions, feel free to reduce them. This makes a LOT of onions, so much so that they become a main component of the dish rather than just a seasoning. Serve over mashed steamed potatoes with Cabernet Sauvignon. If, like us, you have leftovers, make a stir-fry with bean threads. Bon appetit!

Braised Pinto and Cannellini Beans and Onions

• 1 3/4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
• 1/4 cup mushroom broth
• 7 yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 4 cups pinto beans, cooked or canned
• 2 cups cannellini beans, cooked or canned
• 2 teaspoons allspice, ground
• 2 tablespoons Italian parsley, finely chopped

Heat broths in a pan large enough to hold all the ingredients (I used a roasting pan over 2 burners) over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute 3 minutes. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Add beans and allspice, reduce heat and simmer 8 minutes (if you have a big enough lid you can cover your pan but it's not necessary). Garnish with parsley. Enjoy!

Links:

• Braised Beef and Onions from Epicurious.com
• Green Beans with Onion from Food Network
• Onion Rings and Green Bean Casserole from Jules Speaks Gluten Free Blog
• White Beans with Caramelized Onions and Kale from SparkRecipes.com
• Onion and White Bean Bake from TreeHugger
• Slow-Cooker White Bean Soup with Andouille and Collards from Real Simple

Braised Pinto Beans and Onions

I guess this was really my month to do all those foodie things I never do! I made pasta, two different tomato sauces and dried beans, all from scratch! For those of you thinking, dried beans? But I get really good canned ones; what's the big deal? Until I made a big batch of my own beans, I felt the same way you do. But, really, this was incredibly easy (not to mention cheap!) and these beans are far superior to even the best canned beans. Also, you can control how al dente they are (which is a big plus for me since the last time I used canned beans they were too soft), what seasonings you cook them with and what additives there are -- especially helpful for those of us with dietary restrictions.

And, because you have a "mess of beans" as I've been affectionately calling them, you can use them in anything! I'd recommend our Pinto Bean Picadillo -- they really elevate every dish we've put them in. I cooked these in the slow cooker, which means the hardest part was carrying the groceries home. If possible, soak the beans first (for anywhere from 1-8 hours) with a piece of kombu. This will make them easier to digest (and sneak some sea vegetables into your diet). And when we got in that night, the house smelled amazing (thanks to all those onions). So, really, make these. They freeze beautifully as well. You can use them in hundreds of ways but I must recommend having them over steamed potatoes, as we did the first night. Noodles would make a nice bed as well.

Braised Pinto Beans and Onions

• 2 pounds pinto beans, picked over
• 1 4-inch strip kombu
• 6-8 cups water (plus more if necessary)
• 2 teaspoons allspice, ground
• 7 yellow onions, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons Italian parsley, finely chopped

Soak beans and kombu overnight (or as long as possible) with enough water to cover them by 2 inches.

Drain beans and kombu, discarding soaking water. Chop kombu finely. Create a bed in slow cooker with onions. Place beans and kombu on top, followed by garlic. Add water to cover beans by 1/2-inch. Cook on low for 6 hours. Sprinkle with parsley. Bon appetit!

Links:

• Braised Beef and Onions from Epicurious.com
• Bacon Braised Green Beans from Food Network
• Braised Green Beans & Summer Vegetables from Eating Well
• Turkish-Style Braised Green Beans from Epicurious.com
• Braised Pork with White Beans and Pickled Red Onion from Logan's Kitchen

Roasted Allspice Potatoes

Happy almost-Thanksgiving! I'm sure you're all thinking about sweet potatoes. But what about the humble regular potato? I may be alone in this, but I actually prefer white potatoes to sweet. And since switching to a (modified) version of the body ecology diet, I'm happy to get my starches (and carbs) wherever I can. Not to mention that potatoes are very high on the list of the vegetarian's favorite foods.

All that said, I've been debating whether or not to even post this recipe. There are very few ingredients and it's terribly easy. Because I've declared November to be allspice month, that was my main flavor, and I adapted a recipe from The (modern) Busy Girls' Cookbook. But there are endless variations -- just toss the potatoes with whatever spices and flavorings you want, then roast them. It's so hard to go wrong with roast potatoes.

But that's exactly why I want you to have this recipe: partly to show you that we don't eat like kings every night and to remind us all that sometimes the simplest foods are the best. This would be a perfect vegetarian side dish for your Thanksgiving feast. How do you season your roast potatoes?

Roasted Allspice Potatoes
(adapted from The (modern) Busy Birls' Cookbook)

• 30 red-skinned potatoes, cleaned
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Cut potatoes into quarters. In a bowl, combine potatoes, olive oil, allspice, caraway seeds and salt. Toss well until potatoes are completely covered in spice mixture. Spread out in 1 layer on aluminum foil-lined sheet pan. Roast 45 minutes. Remove pan from oven and shake well. (You can also flip potatoes with a spatula but I find this is easier.) Return to oven and cook an additional 15 minutes until browned and crispy.

Remove from oven, toss with parsley and serve hot. Enjoy!

Links:

• Roasted Allspice Potatoes from The (modern) Busy Girls' Cookbook
• Garlic Roasted Potatoes from Food Network
• Gluten Free Oven Roasted Potatoes from All Gluten Free Recipes
• Roasted Potato Salad with Avocado Dressing from Diet, Dessert and Dogs
• Roasted Rosemary Potatoes from Vegetarian Food
• Robyn's Crock Pot Herb Roasted Potatoes from Food.com

Monthly Cooking Adventure: Stuffed Potatoes

We have too many cookbooks. Which shouldn't be that surprising, considering my mom's a trained librarian (and cookbook author) and the vegetarian's parents are bibliophiles. Some might say that, really, it was inevitable. But when you live in an apartment and have resorted to piling books up next to the bookcase and have completely given up on arranging them in alphabetical order (I told you my mom's a librarian), it's time to admit you have a problem.

So I've made a rule -- I have to use my cookbooks more. And I'm not allowed to buy any more unless I'm planning on using that one within the week. Which brings us to this month's Monthly Cooking Adventure, affectionately titled "We survived Hurricane Sandy."

Now, really, what better way to celebrate surviving a natural disaster than with comfort food? And, to me, comfort food means Jewish food. I wanted something really celebratory but not tied to any particular holiday. So I bought a new cookbook, Jerusalem: A Cookbook, filled with Palestinian and Jewish recipes from that mythical city. Beautiful photography and evocative spices -- this is one of the most taste-inspiring cookbooks I've ever seen.

So for our Monthly Cooking Adventure, we made two dishes: Stuffed Potatoes and Latkes. Ottolenghi and Tammi stuffed their potatoes with beef but I vegetarianized ours with chickpeas (half I still stuffed with beef). We had some stuffing left over which was delicious fried up as mini veggie (and beef) sliders. Serve over couscous, rice or rustic white bread with a spicy Cabernet Sauvignon.

I'm submitting these to Slightly Indulgent Tuesday and Gluten Free Fridays.

Stuffed Potatoes in Tomato Sauce
adapted from Jerusalem: A Cookbook

Tomato Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 chile colorado, finely chopped (optional)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds, ground in a coffee grinder
• 1 teaspoon allspice, ground
• pinch smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Hungarian paprika
• 1 28-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1/2 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Stuffed Potatoes:

• 1 pound ground beef (or 1 can chickpeas, blitzed in a food processor until crumbly)
• 2 cups cracker crumbs (blitz crackers in a food processor)
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, ground
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 13 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and halved lengthwise
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Start with the tomato sauce. Heat olive oil in a large, lidded frying pan (if you're doing two batches, do two pans) over low heat. Add garlic, onion, celery, carrot and chile (if using) and saute 10 minutes. Add caraway seeds, allspice and paprika and cook another 2 minutes, until very fragrant. Add tomatoes, lime juice, lemon juice, salt and pepper and bring to a boil then remove from heat and set aside while you make the potatoes.

In a bowl, combine beef (or chickpeas), cracker crumbs, onion, garlic, parsley, cinnamon, salt, pepper and eggs. Mix them very well, using your hands to make an even paste. The consistency should resemble meatballs or veggie burgers.

Using a teaspoon, hollow out potatoes (this is best done with a friend as it's mindless work but time-consuming), leaving a sturdy enough shell that the stuffing won't escape -- about 2/3-inch thick. Save potato innards for latkes or soup (they're in small enough pieces that you won't have to grate them). Stuff meat (or chickpea) mixture into potatoes, pushing it down so it's packed well and completely fills potato.

Return tomato sauce pan to a low flame and add potatoes, pushing them snugly into the sauce, filling facing upward. You will probably have to squeeze them very close together (or even use two pans). Just make sure they don't overlap. Add water (pour it gently!) to the sauce so that it just reaches the tops of the potatoes but doesn't cover the stuffing. Cover and let cook, simmering, for 1 hour. Remove lid and reduce 5 more minutes. Serve over rice (if desired), garnished with cilantro. Bon appetit!

Links:

• The Ultimate Stuffed Potato from Food Network
• Papas Rellenas Con Chorizo or Chorizo Stuffed Potatoes from Spicie Foodie
• Wonderful Stuffed Potatoes from SparkRecipes.com
• Vegetarian Stuffed Potatoes from Food.com
• Crockpot Cheddar Stuffed Potatoes from Southern Food and Recipes

Allspice Pasta

Sometimes I think I should hand in my "foodie" card. I almost always use tomato sauce from a jar, I buy canned beans and lentils rather than making my own and I've never made fresh pasta. Well, while the MTA was still under-performing as a result of Hurricane Sandy and the vegetarian was still home from work because his office was powerless, I decided to change one of those things. So, even with no pasta maker, the vegetarian and I tried our hands at making gluten-free pasta from scratch.

Before beginning, I did some research on pasta-making, both gluten-free and regular. The regular recipes taught me to use my food processor to make the dough and that, if I didn't mind making my pasta malfatti, I could just cut it with a knife. The gluten-free recipes all seemed terribly daunting, talking about using extra egg yolks and various combinations of flours. Yikes! I wasn't interested in a trip to the grocery store, so I just went with gluten-free all-purpose flour and the two eggs we had in the fridge. I also added some allspice (my current obsession) because, really, what's the point of homemade pasta if you don't add your own flavorings?

So ... how did it turn out? Interesting. It wasn't my favorite thing I've ever cooked, though it wasn't terrible either. For some reason, it tasted "meaty" to me (the vegetarian disagreed) -- possibly as a result of the garbanzo flour in my mix? The vegetarian did find it heavy, a common complaint with gluten-free pastas and pizzas. With some (jarred) tomato sauce, it was dinner. And next time? I guess I'll have to start experimenting with different flours (not to mention spices). Suggestions welcome!


Allspice Pasta

• 1 1/2 cups + additional as necessary gluten-free all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons water

In a food processor, combine flour and allspice. Slowly add in eggs (one at a time), olive oil and water. Pulse until just combined. Remove dough to a lightly-floured cutting board and roll out as thinly as possible. Using a sharp knife, cut dough into strips. Cook into boiling water for a few minutes, until it rises to the top. Bon appetit!

Links: 

• Fresh Pasta from Food Network
• Fresh Gluten-Free Pasta from Epicurious.com
• Healthier Italian Pasta Salad from Sugar-Free Mom
• Tuscan Vegetarian Pasta from Food.com
• Slow Cooker Pasta Meat Sauce with Ground Turkey from The Yummy Life

Green Peas with Allspice and Mushrooms

Happy November! Not sure where you are, but, here in NYC, we've just survived a hurricane -- Hurricane Sandy. Now, don't get excited, the vegetarian and I are fine. Actually, I wasn't even in NYC -- I spent the last 2+ weeks in LA and Japan for work (enjoying some wonderful sashimi in Japan!) and was lucky enough to get one of the first flights into the newly-reopened JFK airport.

The vegetarian and our apartment lost cable and internet for a couple of days but it returned shortly after I did. Now we're enjoying a few days off (reduced subways make it quite difficult to get around) and, as I nurse a nasty cold, I'm getting reacquainted with our kitchen!

Tonight's offering is a simple Syrian-Jewish dish, very gently adapted from A Fistful of Lentils. Served over rice (we used a smoked basmati, wild rice and quinoa blend) and lentils, it was a perfect meal. Enjoy!

Green Peas with Allspice and Mushrooms
adapted from A Fistful of Lentils

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 15 white mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup water
• 20 oz. garden peas, defrosted if frozen
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 teaspoon allspice, ground

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil until it moves as easily as water. Add onion and cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute. Add mushrooms and cook 3 minutes. Add water and peas. Cover and cook 8 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and allspice and mix well. Cook another 2 minutes so flavors meld. Adjust seasonings. Serve warm over rice. Bon appetit!

Inspirational Links:

• Peas with Mushrooms from Allrecipes.com
• Mushroom and Green Pea Risotto from She Knows
• Green Peas and Mushrooms from Food.com
• Mushrooms with Peas from Manjula's Kitchen

Monthly Cooking Adventure: Falafel (Fava Bean Fritters)

"A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti." -- The Silence of the Lambs.

Not wanting to skip our Monthly Cooking Adventure this month (and wanting to see what would happen if I "went off" the Body Ecology Diet for an evening), the vegetarian and I picked fava beans as this month's main ingredient and I decided to make Falafel, fava bean fritters. I adapted the recipe from The Book of Jewish Food and, with my seasoning changes, everyone agreed they were the best Falafel we'd ever had ... if I do say so myself.

I actually tweaked the original recipe quite a bit. To counteract the bitter fava beans, I added pungent spring onions, salty sea salt, hot chile peppers, bittersweet cumin, garlic, sour yogurt and walnut oil. I also soaked the beans with a piece of kombu; this makes them easier to digest and I highly recommend it. The fritters are best right out of the oven (along with some hot sauce) so only make as many as you're going to eat. The batter saves well so you can fry up more whenever the inspiration strikes.

For a treat, I recommend them with Vegetable Couscous and Chickpea & Chile Pepper Salad. Bon appetit!

Falafel (Fava Bean Fritters)
adapted from The Book of Jewish Food

• 1 pound dry fava beans (can substitute lima beans if you can't find any favas)
• 4-inch strip kombu
• 1 bunch Italian parsley
• 8 spring onions, bulbs only
• 3 teaspoons sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ancho chile powder
• 4 teaspoons cumin, ground
• 12 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon yogurt
• 12 tablespoons walnut oil, for frying

Place beans and kombu in a large pot and cover with cold water. Let soak 12 hours. Rinse, drain well and pat dry on a clean dishtowel.

Finely chop parsley and onions in a food processor (much easier than doing it by hand). Remove and put aside. Add beans to food processor and blend, pausing to scrape down the bowl, about 15 minutes, until it's a smooth paste about the consistency of chunky peanut butter. Add salt, chile powder, cumin, garlic and yogurt and process another 5-10 minutes until well combined. Return parsley and onions and pulse a few times, just until mixed through. Remove from food processor and set aside to rest for 1 hour.

To fry: The best bet is to do these in batches. Heat about 1 inch of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat until just before it smokes. Take walnut-sized lumps of batter (smaller than you may be used to but, believe me, it works better) and shape them into round flat cakes. Fry as many as you can comfortably fit into the pan (without crowding!). Once the falafels are in, lower heat to low and let fry until golden, about 5 minutes on each side. While they're frying, set up a plate with a layer of paper towels on it. Remove falafels to this plate to drain once they're cooked. Serve with pita bread, salad or whatever you like. Enjoy!

Links to edible inspiration:

• Spicy Broad Bean Fritters with Lemon Minted Yoghurt from Jamie Oliver
• Fava Bean Fritters from Some of My Favorite Italian Dishes ...
• Falafel from Rec.Food.Cuisine.Jewish Newsgroup