Black Beans and Rice

I know I said I'd be back to post about my birthday cupcakes, but I actually have this delicious black bean and rice dish banked, and if I don't post about it now, I know I'll forget and it will never happen. But don't worry! The cupcakes are coming! And you're not losing anything by getting this post first. In fact you're gaining because this dish is delicioussss! And really quick and simple! It's also versatile.
The first thing you need to do is cook up some rice. One cup (dry) to be exact. I didn't take a photo of rice cooking, though, for what I feel are obvious reasons. It's boring. It's self-explanitory.


The real fun starts with what I call the "dressing." In a large bowl you combine olive oil, lime (or lemon) juice, chili powder, ground cumin, turmeric, crushed garlic, salt, pepper and a can of green chilies. We use mild chilies because we don't like spicy food that much, but you can use any kind of green chilies, depending on how spicy you like your food!


Add in some chopped green onions and tomato...


and a can of black beans (rinsed thoroughly first, of course!).


Give it a good stir and wait for your rice to finish.


Then throw your rice in (we like basmati), mix it up well, again, and serve!

It's really that simple. Now, you may be wondering how you serve this dish. Well, as I said, it's versatile! The recipe is originally a wrap filling. Whip up some guacamole and your own tortillas, if you're feeling ambitious, chop up some lettuce and cheese and you've got yourself some delicious and healthy wraps. I've also baked this, with cheese on top! I've also stuffed peppers with it and baked them in the oven! But normally, we just eat it as a side dish with some form of protein (meat for Anders, vegetarian hot dogs for me, usually), and some cooked vegetables! It's really very tasty and when you can use it for so many things, you can't really go wrong! It keeps well in the fridge and makes a great quick snack as leftovers.

Now, before I move on to the recipe, I wanted to give myself a little shameless plug. I'm starting a very long photography project tomorrow, and while I don't know how many people actually read this blog regularly, I thought I'd plug it here, in case anyone who does read it is interested! There's nothing up there, now. My first post will appear at 12AM, eastern time. Thanks!

Recipe
Black Beans and Rice

1 cup dry rice, cooked
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime (or lemon) juice
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 medium clove garlic, crushed
salt and pepper to taste
1 can (114 ml) (mild) green chilies
1 cup tomato, chopped
6 green onions, diced
1 can (540 ml) black beans, drained and well rinsed

Cook rice and set aside. Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine the remaining ingredients. Add cooked rice and mix well. Serve as a side dish, baked with cheese on top, or stuffed in peppers.

Guten Appetit! Continue reading...

Canadian Thanksgiving... over a month late

I'm sorry it's been so long. This semester has been riddled with bad luck accompanied by stress. First I found a member of my family is very ill, then I fell off a horse and injured my tail bone and hip, then I pinched my sciatic nerve as a result of limping from the injured hip, as soon as that got better I rolled my ankle really badly and sprained it, and that only really started getting better a few weeks ago, and last week I had the worst cold I've had in years which kept me in bed for days straight. And through all that I either haven't felt like or haven't been able to bake or cook much out of the ordinary, day-to-day sustenance.
But Anders and I did make a small Thanksgiving dinner together and I took photos. We had been at my cousin's wedding the day before and neither of us were able to spend Thanksgiving day with out families, so we made a small dinner together. Now, Canadian Thanksgiving was over a month ago, but since American Thanksgiving is coming up, I thought I'd finally post about it!


Here's what our little table looked like. Delicious!


This is Anders' plate, complete with turkey (I don't eat meat).

I didn't really use recipes for any of this. For the turkey breast, I made a rub with softened butter, salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Then I rubbed it all over the breast and under the skin. I put a large piece of onion in the small "cavity" created by the ribs on the underside of the breast and put it in the oven for about an hour.
For the dressing we tore up rye bread, tossed it with celery, onions, salt, pepper, poultry seasoning and olive oil. Neither Anders nor I like mushy stuffing cooked inside the bird (especially me... since I don't eat meat), so we baked it in a dish until it got crispy and tasssty.
Steamed vegetables and a mashed potatoes are pretty straightforward, so I don't think I need to explain that, right? The only thing I will say is that for mashed potatoes, Yukon Golds are GREAT. I also find that it works best to mash the potatoes with a masher first, then add in milk and (lots of) butter and whip the whole thing with a mixer. It makes for very smooth and tasty mashed potatoes!

The dinner was really great, except that the turkey was apparently pretty disappointing. I didn't have any, so I wouldn't know, but Anders didn't like it much. I got the breast from a butcher nearby, but I should have known better, because Anders has never really cared for any of the meat I've gotten there. Everything else was delicious though, and we were so happy to be able to have a small Thanksgiving dinner when we couldn't be with our families.

Anyway, I'm hoping to be able to do more baking soon - I've missed it a lot, especially since I haven't been able to do any of my other normal activities like horseback riding and running. And with Christmas coming up, I should have an excellent reason to do so!

Until then, guten Appetit! Continue reading...

Zwetschgenknödel or Plum Dumplings

Okay, now I really have been remiss. I've been quasi-busy with school and a bit busier than that with work. I've also been having some bad luck - I recently fell off a horse and hurt my bank and hip, that injury turned into a pinched sciatic nerve, and on Monday I rolled my ankle really badly and have a very bad sprain. But today I did a presentation in my grad level German class and I'm tired and am not planning on doing any work tonight. So here's a post about something I made a while ago. Plum dumplings. They are a traditional German dish (in German: Zwetschgenknödel) that Anders family makes every summer. They can really only be made (and enjoyed) when plums are in season. In Ontario, that means the end of August. Anders and I made them one night shortly before school started.


We began by making the dough, which is very simple - flour, eggs, butter and Quark cheese.


We mixed the ingredients together by hand until they come together into a nice soft, sticky ball. The dough had to be cooled for an hour after that.


While the dough was in the fridge, we worked on our plums... and our apricots. That's a variation Anders' family loves to do.


After washing the fruit, we cut a slit down one side and pulled out the stones. You absolutely need freestone fruit for this, or you'll just want to die.


Next, we replaced the stone with a sugar cube.


Once we'd replaced all our stones with sugar cubes and our dough was cooled, we tore off small pieces of dough and flattened them out. These we used to cover each plum or apricot.


This is trickier than it may seem. The dough is sticky, and the fruit is somewhat wet/juicy. So between the dough sticking to your hands, and the juice from the fruit making the dough wet and not sticky, covering all the fruit takes some time and patience.


To cook these bad boys, we brought a large pot of water to a boil and dropped them in. The dumplings are finished then they float to the top.


We set the finished ones in a colander to drain.


And this is the final and most important step. We each took as many dumplings as we could fit on our plates and in our stomachs, cut them into bite-size pieces and covered them with cinnamon sugar (Anders also put melted butter on his, which is traditional, but I never do it).

And there you have a delicious, traditionally German MAIN COURSE. I'm serious! No one ever believes that this is a main course dish, but it is! Which is not to say that they don't also make a delicious dessert, it's just not traditional.
I have to apologise for not posting this sooner, as plums are definitely out of season in most places (although it is spring in the southern hemisphere...). But it's something to look forward to through the long winter months ahead of us.

Recipe

Zwetschgenknödel or Plum Dumplings

350 grammes flour
1-2 eggs
40 grammes butter
250 grammes Quark

Pinch of salt
50 prune plums
50 sugar cubes
Bowl of sugar
Cinnamon

×××

Mix and knead flower, eggs, butter and Quark thoroughly until smooth. If sticky, use more flour. Cool ball of dough in refrigerator for 1 hour. Meanwhile, wash and dry the plums. Slit plums along one side and replace stones with sugar cubes. When the dough is cool, form it into a thick roll. Cut off small pieces, and knead into flat thin wraps. Wrap each plum in dough.
Drop dumplings into slightly salted boiling water. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until dumplings rise to the surface. Remove gently and place into colander to let the water run off. Serve in a large warm bowl with cinnamon sugar and melted butter on the side.

Guten Appetit! Continue reading...

Balsamic Bruschetta

Okay, I love bruschetta. When I'm at a restaurant that has very few vegetarian choices, or if I just can't decide what I want, I get bruschetta. I've had so many different kinds. Some with cheddar, or mozzarella, or feta. Some with fresh basil, or no basil, or maybe oregano. Some with white onions, or red onions, or just too many onions. Some served hot, or served cold. It's always different and while I like it pretty much every way, I've never had an order of bruschetta in a restaurant that I would consider perfect. So I decided to try making my own.


I started by chopping up some tomatoes.


And some red onions. I like the flavour or red onions better than white onions, plus they don't seem to aggravate my heartburn as much.


Next I sautéed some garlic in olive oil.


And then added the onions.


I added some balsamic vinegar and let that cook until the onions softened slightly and balsamic mostly evaporated.


While that was happening, I cut some slices from this lovely Italian stretch loaf. I didn't take any photos of this, but I also brushed the slices lightly with olive oil and toasted them in the broiler just until they were a little golden.


Next I added the tomato (and salt and pepper) to the pan with the onions and garlic, and let it cook, ONLY to heat the tomatoes. I didn't want the tomatoes to cook and loose their bite and shape.


Finally I put a few spoonfuls of the bruschetta mix on each slice of bread and popped them back into the oven to heat through and toast slightly.

It took a few tries to get it to turn out how I wanted it to, and there are still some changes I would make, especially if I was just making it for myself, not myself and Anders. For example, I might try to put some fresh basil chiffonade in. I might also melt some mozzarella or parmesan or both on top. But generally, I like that it's simple and light. The balsamic adds a nice flavour and the red onion is nice and sweet. I can't wait to make this in the summer during the height of tomato season!

Recipe

Balsamic Bruschetta
1 cup tomato, chopped
3/4 cup red onion, chopped
olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

×××

Briefly sauté the garlic in the olive oil then add the onions and balsamic vinegar. Allow this to simmer until the onions have softened and the vinegar is mostly evaporated. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper and continue to simmer, only until the tomatoes are heated through. Serve warm on your favourite (toasted) French or Italian bread. Left overs keep well in the fridge for a few days and can be reheated in the microwave before serving on bread.

Guten Appetit! Continue reading...

Tortilla Soup

This soup was inspired by my friend and faithful reader Irina. Her recipe is very loose and vague, so I really just did whatever I wanted to, and based it on her recipe. Oh man, it's exciting.


I started by sautéing some salt and pepper, garlic, chili powder and a tiny amount of red pepper flakes in olive oil. I also put on a pot of rice, but I didn't really take photos of rice cooking... it's kind of like paint drying... pretty self explanatory.


Next I chopped up some green onions (I like them better than yellow or white onions).


And then some red peppers.


I added both those things to the pot and let them cook until they were a bit tender.


Then I poured in some vegetable broth.


While the broth was heating up, I chopped some grape tomatoes in half. Okay, so it was just supposed to be chopped tomatoes, but 1) there weren't any good ones AT ALL at the grocery store and 2) I thought it was be awesome.


Anyway, then I threw those tomatoes into the broth. I also threw in some tomato paste.

And while that was cooking a bit, I opened a can of kidney beans and a can of black beans...

and rinsed them!

I threw them into the broth, along with the cooked rice.

I let that cook for about 15 minutes and then it was time to eat!

Irina suggested putting chips and cheese (soy cheeseloaf, if you're actually Irina) in the bottom of the bowl and then pour the soup on top, but I really can't do soggy things.
And Anders doesn't do cheese, so he put chips on the bottom of his bowl, and I elected just to put some on top along with my cheese.

This soup was absolutely great and delicious and quick. It was like eating nachos in soup form or something! I also like that I can just throw in what I/the grocery store happen/s to have on hand. The other excellent point is that Anders liked it. We don't eat soup like... ever. When he eats soup, it's usually from a can and with big hunks of beef in it. It did happen to be a little spicy for him, but we both really enjoyed it a lot.

Recipe

Tortilla Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons chili powder
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, pressed
6-8 green onions, chopped
1 large red pepper, seeded and chopped
4 cups vegetable broth*
1-2 cups tomato, chopped
1 small can tomato paste
1 can kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 ½ cups cooked rice

×××

Sauté spices and garlic in oil. Add onion and pepper and cook until they become slightly tender. Add broth and simmer for a few more minutes. Add tomato and tomato paste and continue to simmer. Add beans and rice and stir well. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips and cheese.

Guten Appetit! Continue reading...

Chicken Pot Pie

I recently traveled from Kingston to Hamilton to spend Christmas with my family, leaving Anders behind, at our apartment, where he is studying for exams until next week. Before I left, I wanted to make sure he wouldn't have to resort to eating cookies and granola bars until he gets home. This is not to say he can't cook. He can! It's one of many reaons he's a great man. But cooking (and cooking well) takes time, time that could be better used studying and preparing for exams! So before I left, I set to work making some chicken pot pies!

Naturally enough, I started with some chicken breasts!


I drizzled the chicken with olive oil, and seasoned it with salt, pepper and rosemary and baked it.


While the chicken was roasting, I prepared some potatoes, carrots, celery and an onion.


And then the chicken came out of the oven, smelling super delicious. Even though I don't eat meat.


I set the chicken aside to cool and started on the pie filling. The recipe called for oil and butter in the pan, but elected to use the remaining oil and chicken drippings from the pan and some butter.


In that, I sauteed the onion and celery.


Next, I added a bit of flour...


And blanched the potatoes and carrots in some chicken stock.


After blanching in the stock for three minutes, I removed the potatoes and carrots and set them aside.


And then added both the chicken broth and some cream to the onion and celery and whisked until smooth.


Once it had thickened a bit, I added the potatoes, carrots, and some frozen peas and corn.


And I mixed it all together again, and then cut the chicken up into chunks (which I added later and didn't snap a photo of, apparently).


I turned to my trust olive oil pie dough for these little pies, and rolled the dough out to fit into little pot pie tins.


Next, I stuffed shell full of the chicken filling. Let's face it, if I made it any smaller, it wouldn't be filling enough for Anders!


Then, I put on a simple top.


I put four pies on a tray (two of these are actually beef!) and put them in the oven to brown up.


Anders heated up a pie the next day for dinner.


And enjoyed it!


I was personally just happy they turned out so well! I'd seen so many photos of chicken pot pies with completely liquid fillings, so I was pleasantly surprised to see this nice, thick filling. I can't say anything about the flavour, but it all looked really good!

Recipes

Olive Oil Pie Crust

2/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
2 ½ cups of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup ice water
1 tablespoon of vinegar

×××

Place olive oil in the freezer until it solidifies, approximately 3 or 4 hours.
Combine flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl and mix. Add remaining ingredients and blend with a pastry blender. Place dough in an air tight container or plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for an hour or so to chill.
Roll ball out to 1/8 inch thickness and fit into a pie plate(s). Use as you would a regular pie crust.

Chicken Pot Pie

3 cups cooked chicken (three to four breasts)
1 onion, diced
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (or the chicken drippings)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
4 cups chicken broth made with one extra boullion cube
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup cream
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup frozen peas

×××

Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt, pepper and rosemary. Roast in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
In a large, deep pan, sautee onion and celery in chicken drippings and butter for about 5-10 minutes. Be sure to stir every few minutes to ensure it doesn't stick to the bottom of your pot.
Heat up the *chicken stock in a medium sized pot, adding one extra cube of bullion. Blanch the carrots and potatoes in the stock for 3 minutes, remove and set aside.
Add the garlic to the onion and celery and cook for another couple of minutes. Add the flour and cook out the starch for about 2 minutes. Stir constantly, to avoid burning. Add the hot chicken stock and allow to come to a low simmer as you stir to thicken. Once the mixture has begun to thicken add the salt, pepper, and cream, and allow to simmer for a couple of minutes. Add the carrots, potatoes, corn, peas and chicken and stir until combined. Allow to simmer for a few minutes before removing from the eat.

×××

Preheat oven to 375 Fahrenheit. To assemble the pie (or pies), roll out the dough and fill the pie dish, leaving a little extra dough around the edges. Fill the pie with the desired amount of filling, and place a vented top over the filling. Pinch the edges to seal. Bake for up to 45 minutes, or until the filling bubbles and the crust browns. After removing the pie(s) from the oven, allow to set for a few minutes before serving.


*For the stock, I used OXO broth boullion powder.

Guten Appetit! Continue reading...