This one’s going to be short and spicy. Pun fully intended.
There is no way to make this pretty, but damn, it’s yummy. Like hummus meets refried beans with a kick of sriracha – the perfect car snack when you need something munchy but with some semblance of nutritional value. I’m not against junky nibbles on road trips, but always feel a bit like a movie theatre floor by the time we arrive wherever it is we’re going.
No road trips this week, but plenty of eating at my desk. This.
Spicy Red Kidney Bean Dip
(adapted from Nigella Lawson, by way of the lovely Jeannette Ordas of Everybody Likes Sandwiches)
canola or olive oil, for cooking
1 onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
pinch salt
1 Tbsp. curry paste
2 Tbsp. tomato sauce
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1 19 oz. (540 mL) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
juice of a lemon
a squirt of sriracha (the more, the spicier)
1 tsp. maple syrup or honey
In a medium skillet set over medium-high heat, heat a drizzle of oil and saute the onion and and garlic until soft. Add the salt, curry paste, tomato sauce, garam masala and cook for a few minutes, until nice and fragrant.
Put the kidney beans into the bowl of a food processor and add the cooked onion mixture. Add the lemon juice, sriracha and maple syrup and pulse until as chunky or smooth as you like. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Cool and refrigerate overnight (it’s even better the next day, and the day after that), and serve with pita chips, torn fresh pitas, tortilla chips, crackers or vegetable sticks.
April 19 2012 | appetizers and beans | 11 Comments »
This is all Sue‘s genius. She discovered that chickpeas, being as benign in flavour as they are, are more than happy to soak up some bacony goodness and sticky maple sweetness. Never considered beans for breakfast? Think again! Oh the potential of a roasted chickpea.
We’re in Vancouver tonight, having flown in to Abbotsford to teach a class at Lepp Farm Market.
Don’t you love Instagram?
Tomorrow we’ll do more cooking with beans on TV and then do a cooking demo at the Wellness Show on Friday. (Because beans are so good for you and all.) In between, the plan is to walk the sea wall, go to Bao Bei and L’Abbatoir, see some businessy people for overpriced drinks and do lots of poking about Vancouver, which is after all such a poke-aboutable city. And because we’re both sans kids, we may even stroll through the VAG without having to hush anyone or worry about light saber moves knocking down a priceless piece of art.
So those roasted chickpeas up there we made in our class, and it occurred to me that I haven’t shared them with you yet, and that maybe I should.
Roasted Chickpeas and Pecans with Bacon and Maple Syrup
1 cup (250 mL) cooked chickpeas, or 1/2 19 oz (540 mL) can, rinsed and drained
2-3 slices bacon, diced
a handful of broken pecans
1/4 cup maple syrup
light sprinkling of sea salt
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spread the chickpeas and bacon over a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake, stirring once or twice until bacon is starting to brown, and most of the fat has been rendered, about 30 minutes.
Increase the oven temperature to 400°F, and add the pecans. Roast for 5 minutes, and add the maple syrup. Toss well, and return to the oven for another 3-4 minutes. The maple syrup should be thickened and bubbling. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt, and allow to cool somewhat before eating.
February 15 2012 | beans and breakfast | 8 Comments »
