Archive for the 'beans' Category
I can feel the beta carotene coursing through my veins. I think my eyesight is improving. Is that a gnat on the window in the next room?
As I may have mentioned a few days ago, I’ve been working on an article for City Palate on the subject of carrots. Not the most inspiring ingredient, but it’s always interesting what I come up with when faced with a deadline! It’s a timely assignment, actually; as of late my house has been littered with wilting carrots, their tips chewed off in gleeful homage to Bugs Bunny. W can’t say his own name, but is able to clearly enunciate “eeeeh… what’s up Doc?” At least he has his priorities straight. (An interesting tidbit: Bugs Bunny’s blasé carrot-munching demeanor was inspired by a scene from the movie It Happened One Night, in which Clark Gable leans nonchalantly against a fence, eating carrots while talking to Claudette Colbert.)
And here’s something else you should know: although carrots seem relatively low-maintenance, it’s important to note that fruit (apples in particular) should not be stored alongside carrots; fruit expels ethylene gases that are easily absorbed by carrots, making them bitter.
If you’ve never tried couscous (not a grain, but teeny bits of pasta) before, come on, it’s the most amicable starchy dish out there. So much easier to make than rice. You pour boiling water over it in a bowl (1 1/4 cups water to 1 cup couscous), lid it with a plate and leave it for 10 minutes. You get extra points for buying the whole wheat stuff, which (unlike other pastas) tastes exactly like regular couscous.
Moroccan Braised Carrots, Squash & Chick Peas with Couscous
a drizzle of canola or olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
2 tsp. sweet paprika
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/8-1/4 tsp. dried chili flakes
1 19 oz. (540 mL) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed
3-4 carrots, peeled or scrubbed and sliced ½” thick
1 19 oz. (540 mL) can chick peas, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup golden raisins
plain yogurt, for serving with (optional)
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro or mint, or toasted sliced almonds to sprinkle overtop (optional)
1 cup couscous (plain or whole wheat)
In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion for about 5 minutes, until soft. Add garlic and ginger and cook for another minute. Add the paprika, salt, pepper, cumin, turmeric and chile flakes and cook for another minute.
Add the tomatoes and then a full can of water (use the tomato can), the lemon juice, squash, carrots and chick peas. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
Stir in the raisins, taste and season with salt and pepper. At this point you can cool it completely and refrigerate for a day or two, to allow the flavors to meld; rewarm on the stovetop or in the microwave. To make the couscous, put it in a bowl and pour 1 1/4 cups boiling water overtop; cover with a plate and let sit for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Serve hot over couscous (or rice or quinoa), topped with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro or toasted almonds.
Serves 6-8.
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April 23 2008 | beans and one dish and vegetarian | 3 Comments »
This afternoon was K’s baby shower, so from 2-5 W and I grazed on party snacks: crispy, deeply toasted sesame and caraway crackers with cheese, grapes and pineapple from the fruit plate, sliced sausages on little colored sticks (mostly W’s department), cookies and chocolate covered peanut butter balls. By 6 we weren’t much in the mood for dinner. By 7 I realized Mike was about to make eggs and toast for himself, and although I likely ingested enough calories to count as dinner, I still wanted something warm and dinner-like, and W probably needed a bit of a nutritional boost.
I evaluated the contents of my fridge and came up uninspired, so decided to chip away at the contents of my freezer by boldly grabbing the first frozen-solid yogurt container within reach and thawing it for dinner.
Although it was labelled ‘pesto chicken’, it was in fact antipasto.
The second, however, was marked ‘beans: march 1/08′. (Mike gets full credit for labeling it.) It went into the pot to work its way back to its former state.
I grabbed a couple of Yukon gold potatoes, still on the counter from last night’s trip to Lethbridge, diced them small (so that they would cook more quickly without boiling) and threw them in my skillet with a little olive oil. While the potatoes cooked the beans thawed, and in about 20 minutes we had something warm that resembled a meal.
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March 30 2008 | beans and leftovers and vegetarian | No Comments »
I’m just finishing up an article on the subject of picnic food for the summer issue of a Toronto kids’ magazine, and in it one of my menu suggestions is a heartier version of pasta salad - one made with stuffed tortellini instead of the usual rotini or penne or whatever. The recipe says cheese tortellini, but when I ran over to Safeway to buy some so I could take a photo, they had smoked chicken tortellini (just the Safeway brand - I’d pull out the package to refer to, but when I went to boil them I turned on a burner, changed my mind and used another burner, turned the first one off and then mindlessly set the plastic package down on top of it) so I bought that instead (it looks identical to the cheese version, so you won’t be able to tell in the photo anyway), and a package of feta. Boiled the tortellini, ran it under cold water and drained it, then tossed it in a bowl with a drained can of red kidney beans, a few chopped sun-dried tomatoes, a handful of crumbled feta and a couple spoonfuls of pesto (on account of it being W’s magic elixer; also flavorful and works instead of vinaigrette, and won’t spoil as easily as mayo-dressed pasta salads in the hot sun). I left half in the fridge to marinate, and packed the other half to bring on our impromptu road trip to Banff. It was perfect to pick at in the car, and when we got to the hotel we found it has a little fridge! So W picked at it in the bath, lining the tortellini up along the edge of the tub, I picked at it at the little hotel-room desk, and I just noticed it’s past dinnertime (the boys are at the pool) and we don’t really have a plan. Chances are, the tortellini (it’s still not finished) and assorted car snacks will suffice.
I did take photos. But it seems I can’t upload them on my laptop… you’ll have to wait!
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March 25 2008 | beans and one dish and pasta and salads | 1 Comment »
Despite my abhorrence for any connection between guilt and food, I couldn’t help but look at dinner tonight as penance for last night’s rib free-for-all. Mike looked glumly at it and asked, “what’s this to go with?” Nothing, that’s it. But it was delicious, really, and even Willem gobbled it down once I added a bit of shredded roasted chicken from the freezer to somewhat disguise the chick peas. I actually think I enjoyed it as much as the ribs. Mike thought that was pushing it a bit, but agreed to feeling much better afterward.
It started out as something I saw in a recent issue of Cooking Light magazine (one of my favorites, and they don’t even pay me to say that) and quickly took on a life of its own. Now it doesn’t much resemble the original, except that they both have the aforementioned grains and chick peas.
I have to say, it’s a pet peeve of mine when recipes call for 3/4 cup of chick peas instead of a can, or 1 cup of chopped onion instead of 1 chopped onion; those who follow recipes to the letter might wonder what to do if their chopped onion amounts to 1 1/4 cups, or if it comes up short might shave a chunk off a second onion to make up the difference. Some of these quantities just don’t need to be as precise.
I really do love cooking with barley. The very best thing about barley, brown rice, wild rice and lentils is that they all take the exact same amount of time to cook. So that means you can throw any combination in a pot of boiling water, and they will be done in 40-45 minutes. Drain, and you have a great side dish, addition to soup or base for a grainy salad. The original recipe called for almonds and green onions; I had toasted chopped pecans left over from a late-night attempt at a sundae, and no green onions. There were grape tomatoes though, so those went in. I added curry paste to the dressing as well, and boosted the quantity.
Brown & Wild Rice and Barley Salad with Chick Peas
1/3 cup brown rice
1/3 cup wild rice
1/3 cup barley (pearl or pot)
1 19 oz. (540 mL) can chick peas, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved
a few green onions, chopped (optional)
1 bunch curly or Italian parsley, chopped (optional)
small handful chopped toasted pecans or almonds
Dressing:
3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 Tbsp. flax oil (or more canola, or olive oil)
2 tsp. mustard
1 tsp. curry paste or powder
In a large pot of boiling water, cook the brown rice, wild rice and barley for 40-45 minutes, until tender. Drain well and run under cool water to stop the grains from cooking. Transfer to a bowl and add the chick peas and raisins.
Whisk together all the dressing ingredients (adjusting them if you like to suit your taste) and pour over top. Chill in the fridge until the mixture is completely cool, or for up to a day.
Add the tomatoes, green onions, parsley and pecans (or save them to sprinkle on top) and serve. Serves 4-8, depending on whether you’re eating it as a main course or side dish. (It would go really well beside a filet of salmon.)
Later in the evening, the ice cream I ran to the corner store to buy last night wouldn’t stop calling to me, so I had to eat it just to shut it up. I hardly ever buy ice cream because it speaks my language, but I did yesterday because I had leftover honey-chocolate ganache (I made another batch of cupcakes for CBC) that I didn’t want to go to waste. Besides, my brain rationalized, I already ate half a rack of ribs and a buttered baked potato; I might as well go for the hot fudge chaser.
For last night’s honey-chocolate ganache and toasted pecan sundae I warmed the ganache, adding a bit of half and half to thin it just enough to make a fudgy, truffley sauce. Tonight there was still a bit left, and I had the bright idea to resurrect it with a spoonful of peanut butter. I set the small saucepan over the heat, stirred in a spoonful (all-natural would have been healthier, but wouldn’t have had as smooth a mouthfeel, so I went with the creamy light stuff) and drizzled it warm over vanilla bean Breyer’s light.
(So much for penance.)
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March 12 2008 | beans and grains and one dish and salads and vegetarian | 2 Comments »
I have never been so happy to see the arrival of daylight savings time. Sunlight at dinnertime! This is going to make documenting these dinners much easier.
Last week I lugged home the bone from the roast ham we made on It’s Just Food (in case you haven’t figured this out already, I can be cheap) and yesterday threw it in a pot of water to coax the remaining meat off and make a stock.
Having opened up a can of black beans to make quesadillas for lunch (still one of my favorite things ever) I decided that the ham stock was destined to be black bean soup. I’m sorry if I’ve black bean souped you to death already; turns out we eat a lot of it.
This one was a bit of a soup yukaflux: half a leftover can of diced tomatoes, carrots, celery, onion, red pepper, jalapeno (this is something I never would have had in the fridge even a year ago, but I have discovered that even one chopped into my soup makes all the flavor difference), the half can of black beans, a shake from the bag of frozen corn, and the meaty ham stock. Scooped hot over a pile of leftover brown rice that was in the fridge. Done like dinner.
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March 10 2008 | beans and freezable and soup | 1 Comment »
I was home for dinner tonight! We taped overnight last night - 10:30 pm until about 11 am - so by dinnertime today a sane person might have considered ordering a pizza. Stephen, the Sound Guy on set, asked the other day if I ever get tired of cooking. I do. But not very often, and not for long. And for some reason the thought of pulling together dinner tonight was not at all daunting; after all, I didn’t need to tag team with Ned, or time everything right for the camera, or think of anything smart and witty to say about whatever it was I was chopping or cooking while trying to stand up straight and suck it in. The thought of pulling together a quick dinner for the three of us at home in my own kitchen in my PJ pants without talking anyone through it was a relief.
I made a sort of chile-spiced pulled pork goulash kind of thing back in January, and while rummaging through my freezer the other night in an attempt to locate something prepared and edible, unearthed a container and pulled it out. I threw it into a pot. Further rummaging revealed the last of the baked beans, which I figured would get along nicely with the pork. That went in too. And to serve it over, Sloppy Joe-style, some warm biscuits. This is my favorite biscuit recipe: made with olive or canola oil and half whole wheat flour, they take on any flavor you like very well. Had I had some in the fridge I might have added some grated cheese. On weekend mornings, I add a couple spoonfuls of sugar and throw in some fresh or frozen (unthawed) berries, or raisins, or chopped dried apricots and ginger. Brushing the top with a little milk will make them brown nicely. If you are making a sweet version, some plain or coarse sugar scattered on top is also a Good Thing.
Whole Wheat & Olive Oil Biscuits
These are made healthier with the addition of olive oil and whole wheat flour, but you can use all white flour if you like. To flavor the dough, add grated lemon or orange zest, ginger, fresh or dried herbs (such as basil or rosemary) or spices (such as cinnamon, star anise or fennel seed), or stir in a handful of grated cheese or fresh, frozen or dried berries.
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp. sugar (optional)
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup butter, chilled and cut into pieces
1/4 cup olive or canola oil
3/4 cup milk or buttermilk
Any additions you like (optional)
Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.
Put the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the bowl of a food processor or into a medium mixing bowl and pulse or stir until well blended. Add the butter and oil and pulse or stir with a wire whisk or fork until crumbly. If you’re using a food processor, transfer the mixture to a medium bowl.
Add the milk and stir gently until the dough begins to come together. Add any additions (cheese, raisins, nuts, fruit etc.) as you stir the dough together.
For wedge-shaped biscuits, pat the dough into a circle that is about 1” thick and 8”-9” in diameter on the cookie sheet. (If they are sweet and you want a brown, crunchy top, brush them with a little milk and sprinkle with sugar.) Cut the circle into 8 wedges with a knife or pastry cutter and separate them on the sheet so that they are at least an inch apart. For round biscuits, pat the dough about 1” thick and cut it into rounds with a biscuit cutter, glass rim or open end of a can, rerolling the scraps only once to get as many biscuits as possible.
Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden. Serve warm. Wrap well and freeze any you don’t eat the same day. Makes 8 biscuits.
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March 03 2008 | beans and bread and pork and sandwiches | 1 Comment »
Another long day of shooting. I left at 7:30 am, and just arrived home at 11 pm. I know a lot of people work hours this long, but today I spent maybe 20 minutes sitting, and my legs hurt.
Once again I have no idea what the boys ate for dinner, but I suspect it was whole wheat rotini (Mike’s favorite standby) with tomato sauce or pesto. On the set we had pasta for lunch, but we generally don’t break for dinner, so end up grazing on whatever we’re making on the show - every act ends with Ned and I digging in to the finished product - in this case it was sauces: cheese sauce, mushroom-Guinness gravy, caramel sauce, chocolate sauce and custard sauce. Not really enough to make a meal, so I mostly snacked on the leftover baked beans from yesterday. I adore baked beans.
Baked Beans
If you’re lucky enough to have a slow cooker, you can let these simmer all day long while you work or play or sleep.
2 slices bacon, chopped (optional)
1 onion, chopped
3/4 cup (185 mL) ketchup, barbecue sauce, or tomato sauce mixed with 1/4 cup (60 mL) packed brown sugar
1/2 cup (125 mL) water or beer
2 Tbsp. (30 mL) cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. (30 mL) molasses
2 Tbsp. (30 mL) Dijon, yellow, or grainy mustard or 2 tsp. (10 mL) dry mustard
1 – 19 oz. (540 mL) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 – 19 oz. (540 mL) can Great Northern, navy or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
Salt and pepper
A few shakes of Tabasco sauce (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350°F (190°C).
In a medium ovenproof saucepan, sauté the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove it from the pan, crumble and set aside. If you’re not using bacon, heat a drizzle of canola or olive oil in the pan and sauté the onion in the oil or bacon drippings for about 5 minutes, until tender and beginning to turn golden.
Add the ketchup, water, vinegar, molasses, mustard, beans, and salt and pepper to taste and bring the mixture to a simmer. Put the saucepan in the oven for an hour, stirring once or twice, until it’s thickened and bubbly. (If you aren’t using an ovenproof saucepan, transfer the mixture to a baking dish.) Stir the bacon back into the beans after about 45 minutes. Add a few shots of Tabasco sauce if you like, and serve the beans hot.
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March 01 2008 | beans | 1 Comment »
Today was the grains show, and the slow cooker show. Another long day.
A couple weeks ago, in a panic over the thought of being away from home for dinnertimes on end, I made a few batches of freezable things to stash away for Mike and W. Not that I didn’t think they could survive happily on eggs and toast.
One of those things (as part of an article I was working on for What’s Up Kids magazine in Toronto) was turkey chili with barley. Barley has more fiber than whole wheat bread, brown rice, or oats. It’s great stuff. And Canada is the second largest producer of it. In Alberta, we produce half the Canadian crop.
The trade-off tonight at 9:30 was so fast that I didn’t get a chance to ask Mike what they ate tonight, but the empty container evidence in the sink suggests it was a turkey chili night. This photo was one I did for the magazine - the piece was on edible bowls. (For kids who like to play with their food, and parents who hate doing dishes.)
Turkey Chili with Barley
Canola or olive oil, for cooking
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 lb. lean ground turkey
¼ cup chili powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper (white pepper, if you have it)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 can chicken stock, undiluted
1 28 oz. (798 mL) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup jarred salsa, hot or mild (optional)
2 19 oz. (598 mL) cans white kidney or navy beans, drained
1/2 cup pot or pearl barley
Low fat sour cream and fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)
Heat a drizzle of oil in a large, heavy pot set over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for a few minutes, until softened. Add the turkey and cook until no longer pink. Add the chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper and cinnamon. Cook for another minute.
Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, salsa, beans and barley and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes. By then the barley should be cooked through.
If you want to serve it right away, let it simmer for another 15-20 minutes, then taste and adjust the seasonings. Otherwise, let it cool and then refrigerate overnight; reheat on the stovetop over medium heat after a day or two. Add some extra stock or tomatoes if the barley has absorbed too much liquid and it has become too thick.
Serves 8.
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February 29 2008 | beans and chicken & turkey and grains | No Comments »
So
tired.
We started shooting season 2 of It’s Just Food today, after a late night last night. We managed to get through only one episode - Cakes - instead of the two we planned on. I walked in the door at 9:55, just in time to read W a few stories and kiss him goodnight. Having only been around cakes all day (carrot, chocolate zucchini, white layer, cupcakes and cheesecakes) and having sat down for maybe 5 minutes since the alarm went off, I really needed something steaming hot and full of vegetables, that I could eat curled up in bed.
A few days ago I had mixed up a batch of hummus - possibly one of the easiest things on the planet to make, provided you have a food processor - so I tore into a whole wheat pita and just dipped into it, straight from the fridge, while I heated up a bowl of black bean soup. Remember the day I made quesadillas with leftover chicken and black beans? After ravaging the carcass, I threw the bones into a pot, covered it with water and added a few peppercorns and a couple stalks of celery - the inner ones, with the leaves - and simmered it for a bit. Then I made a batch of black bean soup with the remainder of the can of beans, pouring the stock through a colander directly into the pot. There were some chunks of meat left clinging to the bones, and that went in too.
Black bean soup, like chili, is something that should be made in advance and eaten the next day, or the day after that, or the day after that. Like Leonardo DiCaprio, it just gets yummier and fuller-bodied with age. Of course there are limits; after a week or two I’d think it would likely take a downward turn.
Ironically, the last comment I got was from The Hummus Guy. Must make good hummus. (My jar of tahini had a suspicious best-before date, so I ditched it and used peanut butter instead. When I do this, I often add a drizzle of sesame oil to make up for the missing tahini, which is otherwise known as sesame paste.)
Hummus
1 big can chick peas (also known as garbanzo beans), drained
1 big clove garlic
lemon juice (a couple tablespoons, or to taste)
a big spoonful of tahini or peanut butter
a drizzle of sesame oil if you have no tahini
a glug or two of olive oil
a big spoonful of plain yogurt (optional; Greek-style if you have it)
a pinch of cumin is good
a big pinch of salt
a roasted red pepper is good too
Whiz all in a food processor until smooth.
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February 23 2008 | appetizers and beans and snacks | 3 Comments »
In honour of the 20th anniversary of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, I made some Jamaican food for CBC this morning, since the Jamaican bobsled team was one of the most memorable part of our Olympics. Jerk chicken, of course, threaded onto skewers for easy in-studio eating (saved a few for dinner) but I wanted to do something with my new favorite condiment: Pickapeppa sauce. Straight from Jamaica, it’s a blend of tomatoes, onions, sugar, cane vinegar, mangoes, raisins, tamarind and spices that resembles HP and is delicious with crackers and cream cheese, simmered into red beans and rice, spread on roast chicken or pork, and is a great vegetarian substitute for Worcestershire, which contains anchovies.
Jerk Chicken Skewers
Although the ingredient list is long, these are a snap to put together. If you want to prep them far in advance, freeze the baggie full of chicken and marinate for up to three months; thaw before threading onto skewers and grilling.
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast or pork tenderloin
4 green onions or 1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 -2 jalapeno or small hot red peppers, seeded and chopped
2 Tbsp. orange or lime juice
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Combine everything but the chicken in the bowl of a food processor or blender and whiz until well blended. Cut the chicken into strips and put them in a bowl or zip lock baggie; pour the marinade over and stir to coat well. Put it in the fridge for at least an hour or leave it overnight.
Thread the chicken onto 12 wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for at least 10 minutes to prevent them from burning. Grill or broil for about 5 minutes per side, until cooked through. Serve warm. Makes about a dozen skewers.
Per skewer: 62 calories, 1.9 g total fat (0.3 g saturated fat, 0.8 g monounsaturated fat, 0.5 g polyunsaturated fat), 8.9 g protein, 2.3 g carbohydrate, 21.9 mg cholesterol, 0.5 g fiber. 28% calories from fat.
Jamaican Red Beans and Rice
Because it’s one of the healthiest and most inexpensive sources of complete protein, beans and rice is one of the earliest known culinary combinations, one that is found in cuisines all over the world.
A drizzle of canola or olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 red or yellow pepper, seeded and chopped
2 19 oz. (540 mL) cans red kidney beans, or one of kidney beans and one of black beans, drained
1 14 oz. (398 mL) can of diced or stewed tomatoes
1/2 bottle Pickapeppa sauce
Steamed rice, for serving with
Heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, red pepper and garlic and sauté for about 10 minutes, until the onion starts to turn golden. Add the beans, tomatoes and Pickapeppa sauce and simmer for about an hour, until nice and thick. (Add a little water, stock or tomato juice if it’s too thick.) If you like, cool the mixture down and refrigerate overnight, then reheat it after a day or two.
Serve hot, over rice. Serves 4-6.
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February 12 2008 | appetizers and beans and chicken & turkey and one dish | 2 Comments »
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