Category: recipe

Maria’s Refried Beans

We had the distinct honor of cooking with Maria, a co-worker of Mexican descent, who is a FANTASTIC cook. The menu included chicken, pork, and cheese and jalapeno tamales, refried bean tostadas, red salsa and green salsa. Oh and sweet tamales – which Maria and Chad are preparing in the photo!

UCooking with Mariapon arriving at her house, she already had a pot of refried beans ready to be enjoyed. And you know that we enjoyed them!

Expecting a difficult and lengthy recipe, it was great to find out that her refried beans recipe was simple and yields fantastically delicious beans. All without having to soak the beans overnight. It’s the soaking that always gets me… because I forget and then can’t cook the beans because they’re too hard. So, this recipe is fantastically easy and delicious. Yessss!

 

Maria’s Refried Bean Recipe (well, she doesn’t have a recipe written down, but this is what we were able to gather from our cooking with her and it works great. Not bad for a couple of gringos!):

Ingredients:

2 cups dry Peruvian beans (also known as Mayo Coba)

2 whole cloves of garlic

1.5 teaspoon salt

Water

1/4 cup vegetable oil

 

Directions:

  1. Using crock pot, place all ingredients and cover with water, about 5″ over the top of the beans so that there is enough water for the beans to absorb and cook long enough without having to add water while cooking.
  2. Cook on low for 8 hours. We usually start these right before going to sleep so that the beans are ready to finish the next morning.
  3. Preheat large skillet on medium heat, add vegetable oil.
  4. Using slotted spoon, strain and beans and add to the skillet. Don’t include the garlic.
  5. Using potato masher, mash up the beans to a consistency that you enjoy. Add small amounts of the left over bean water to the beans if needed for thinning out.

These beans are great for leftovers, so you can double the recipe if you want to have a bunch of beans on hand for tostadas, side dishes, burritos, etc. If the bean mixture is too thick, you can add a little water to thin it out before serving.

I’ll see you a la mesa (at the table)!

 

Hasselback Potatoes

We really like potatoes in our family, but these Hasselback potatoes are a big hit in our household. They look great and taste great too! This recipe is based off the Hasselback recipe from Pompier850 on Allrecipes. This recipe serves 5 (2 adults and 2 teens, 1 toddler), with some leftovers. We love leftovers around here!

Ingredients:

  • 8 russet potatoes
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • Himalayan pink salt
  • Black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons grated parmesan
  • 2 tablespoons seasoned bread crumbs

 

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper to help with clean up later.
  2. Wash potatoes thoroughly. You can peel the potatoes, we like the peel so leave it on.
  3. Using two wooden spoons with the same size handles, place the potato between the spoons and then cut thin slices without cutting through to the bottom.
  4. Drizzle 4 tablespoons of melted butter over each potato, try to get as much in between the slices as possible. It’s a messy process, but totally worth it if you get the butter down in between. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  5. Bake for 30 minutes.
  6. In a small bowl, combine parmesan and breadcrumbs. Drizzle the remaining melted butter over partially baked potatoes, then sprinkle the parmesan mixture – try to get butter and mixture between the slices again.
  7. Finish baking for 15 minutes.

Serve on a platter, using small tongs to pick up because the slices will make it hard to move with a spoon. Hasselback potatoes go great as a side dish in a meal where you’d have a baked potato, but they look fancier so get ready to wow your humans!

I’ll see you at the table!

Banana Banana Muffins

Banana Banana MuffinsWe eat a lot of bananas in our house! Occasionally, I’ll purchase an extra bunch of bananas so that we’ll have enough bananas on hand to go overripe for banana bread. This muffin recipe (adapted from Shelley Albeluhn on All Recipes) is easier than banana bread and always turns out great. Plus, I love to add extra ingredients – like nuts or dried coconut flakes – to mix it up.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 5 reallllly ripe bananas
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup soft butter
  • 1 cup chopped nuts (we love walnuts or pecans)

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Line muffin pans with paper cups. Spray a little no-stick spray in each muffin paper.
  • In a large bowl, mash up the bananas with a fork. Add in sugar, eggs, butter and stir to combine.
  • In a larger bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix thoroughly, but with as few strokes as banana1possible. This is where you can add your extra ingredients, like 1 cup of nuts, coconut flakes, or chocolate chips, etc.
  • Spoon mixture into muffin cups. Should make 2 dozen muffins.
  • Bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool on rack.
  • Don’t be surprised if these are gone within a day.

I’ll see you at the table!

 

Recipe: Vegan Fried Rice

rice3Versatile and abundant rice! There are more than 40,000 varieties of cultivated #rice (the grass species Oryza sativa) said to exist. But the exact figure is uncertain. Over 90,000 samples of cultivated rice and wild species are stored at the International Rice Gene Bank and these are used by researchers all over the world. (Source: riceassociation.org.uk) I want to see this rice bank!

rice1

 

 

 

 

 

Fried rice becomes the main dish at our dinner table. Here’s a simple recipe that is a crowd pleaser for the veggie lover and meat eaters.

Ingredients:
2 cups basmati rice, yields about 4-5 cups cooked
2 cups small broccoli florets
1 cup diced purple cabbage
1 small white or yellow onion, diced
2 cups frozen peas
2 cups carrot, diced
2 celery stalks, small dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks green onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons sesame seed oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 cup soy sauce

Directions:
1. Use a rice cooker to prepare basmati rice. Usually, I prefer day old rice, but you can use same day rice of you forget to cook ahead.
2. Using a large wok, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil on medium-high heat.
3. Saute onion, celery, carrot for 5 minutes.
4. Add garlic, cabbage, broccoli and 1 tablespoon of sesame seed oil. Saute for 4-5 minutes or until cabbage is soft.
5. Add basmati rice and the frozen peas.
6. Add 1 tablespoon sesame seed oil, soy sauce and white pepper, toss to coat.
7. Put lid on wok, turn down heat to low and allow rice and peas to warm through about 4-5 minutes.
8. Through the entire cooking time, keep tossing the mixture as it will burn and stick to bottom of the wok.
Serve immediately with green onion for garnish. We love it with veggie dumplings on the side.

Optional sauces to add spice at the table: hoisin, mae ploy, sriracha, sambal.

I’ll see you at the table!

There are over 1 billion people who eat rice every day in the world. That's a lot of rice to be grown and harvested!
There are over 1 billion people who eat rice every day in the world. That’s a lot of rice to be grown and harvested!

Pleasure of Persimmons

persimmons3I’ve heard about persimmons for years and finally bought some. Holy-amazingness-Batman! What was I so concerned about before?? I have found a new fall time favorite. You should check them out too… Don’t wait years like I did.

The first dish using persimmon is a simple green salad. I’m heading back to the store to buy more and see what else I can do with this beautiful orange fruit!

Persimmon and Beet Salad:
Ingredients:
1 roasted beet, cubed
1 persimmon, peeled and cubed
Green leaf lettuce
Spicy nut mixture
Balsamic dressing

Directions:
Layer the ingredients lettuce, beets, persimmon, nuts. Add a drizzle of dressing. Serve as side dish to any main course that you’d normally pair with a green salad. Don’t be surprised if there’s not a lot of talking at dinner.
persimmons2
I’ll see you at the table.

Even the persimmon harvesters can’t help but smile when they check the crop! persimmons1

 

John’s Addictive Granola

I love friends who experiment with healthy recipes and share their very best with me. Below is a fantastic granola recipe that my beloved friend John shared with me years ago. Here’s the deal on this recipe… it’s addictive. I mean, really addictive. So, you’ll want to make a big batch of this because it’ll be a delicious snack, breakfast meal, sprinkled on ice cream, etc. Trust me, don’t halve this recipe, even though it seems like a lot to make!
Instructions:
In a bowl, mix the following goodness together
Ingredients:
  • 8 cups whole oats
  • 2 cups ground unsweetened coconut
  • 1 cup cashew pieces
  • 1 cup sesame seeds
  • 1 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1 cup pumpkin seeds
  • 1 cup flax meal
  • 1 cup walnut or pecan pieces
  • 1 cup steel cut oats
  • Throw some wheat germ in for good measure
  • 1 cup raisins (NOTE: These and the dates are to be added after the SECOND COOK CYCLE. See below for details.)
  • 1 cup chopped dates (optional)
  • Then add anything else you want. Other kinds of nuts? Sliced almonds? Cinnamon or other spices? Go ahead! Lots of leeway here.
  • 2 cups Adam’s natural peanut butter (softened for stirring)
  • 1 cup honey (omit for less sweet)
  • 1 – 2 cups warm water (add just enough water so that the ingredients can be compressed into a sticky ball)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 275.
2. Scoop out ingredients onto two separate large cookie sheets. Gently press and spread granola as you would bar cookie batter, making sure to evenly distribute and cover the cookie sheet.
3. Place cookie sheets in the oven for 15 minute intervals.
4. After each interval, remove granola and use a pancake flipper (that’s John’s term for spatula 🙂 ) to turn granola.
5. Break up granola to the chunkiness you desire along the way. After the second 15 minute cook cycle, add raisins or Craisins or dates (or all of them) to the granola BEFORE your turn it.
6. After the third fifteen minute cooking cycle, remove granola and allow to cool for an hour or so.
7. Place in your favorite air-tight container and eat whenever the hell you desire (as long as you are regularly exercising).
Thanks, John! I’ll see you at the table!

Lemon Spinach with Dijon Balsamic Dressing

spinach lemon saladI’ve never tried lemon spinach before. Packed with lots of citrus flavors, this leafy green made a wonderful tart salad. Wish I bought more at the Farmer’s Market so I could also try cooking with it.
Ingredients:
1. Bag of freshly picked and cleaned lemon spinach
2. Lemon cucumber, cubed
3. Caramelized walnuts
4. Tiny amount of thinly sliced red onion
5. Your favorite dijon balsamic dressing

Directions:
1. Toss together all ingredients and eat immediately.
2. For the meat lovers, add grilled cubed chicken, egg slices or blue cheese crumbles.

Recipe: Vegan Cauliflower and Potato Curry

Easy to make Vegan curry that’s great stand alone dish, or side dish.

Cauliflower and Potato Curry

Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower, medium cube
2 cups carrot, diced
1 white onion, small dice
2 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1-15 oz can cooked potatoes, medium cube
2 cup frozen peas
1-15 oz can coconut milk
1 cup water

Directions:
1. Using soup pot, water sautee onion over medium heat for 4 minutes.
2. Add garlic and additional water as needed for water sauteeing.
3. Turn heat up to medium-high and add cauliflower, 1 cup water, coconut milk, curry and turmeric – bring to slow boil and then turn heat down to medium-low for 15 minutes.
4. Pulse 3 cups of mixture in a high powered blender (I use @Blendtec) until smooth and add back to the pot. [WARNING: Blending hot food has a high potential of exploding out of the blender, so blend carefully with the lid tightly secured]
5. Add carrots and potatoes, covered and simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Add frozen peas, mix through and simmer for 10 minutes, covered.

Serve with lightly toasted naan, basmati rice. Chopped cilantro and sriracha for garnish.

I’ll see you at the table.

Recipe: Roasted Brussels Sprouts

brussel sproutsDinner is going to be good when there are roasted Brussels Sprouts as a side dish!

Ingredients:
4 cups of Brussels Sprouts, rinsed, ends cut off, cut in half
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper

Recipe:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Line cookie sheet with #parchment
3. After cutting the Brussels Sprouts, place in bowl. Toss to coat with the olive oil then spread evenly on parchment lined cookie sheet.
4. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. If you really wanna kick in the pants, add a little Ghost Pepper salt (like a tiny teensie weensie sprinkle. Seriously.)
5. Bake for 30 minutes, checking at 15-minute mark. Rotate cookie sheet if your oven heats inconsistently.
6. Eat as soon as they come out of the oven.
Enjoy those little bites of roasted heaven!

I’ll see you at the table!