Black Eyed Pea Salsa

I always have a hard time with incorporating black eyed peas into our new year's day meals.   Not this year!  This salsa comes to me from my sister in law, and it's a real winner.  It could also serve as a side dish or salad at a party but really shines on tortilla chips (what doesn't?).  Anyway, I'm thrilled she shared the recipe with me.

Black Eyed Pea Salsa
Adapted from my Sister in Law, Keri

Ingredients
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
4 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cans black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1 4 oz can green chiles
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 ear corn, boiled for 2-3 minutes and cut off the ear (or 1 cup frozen)
1 can black beans, drained, rinsed
2-3 green onions, diced.

Mix all ingredients together.  Serve in day 2 if possible.

Black Bean Patties

More vegetarian meals are always welcome, especially ones that are as packed with flavor as this one!!!  The Patties also lend well to baking at 450 for 8-10 minutes, liberally sprayed with cooking spray.  I think the avocado cream sauce makes a big difference.  These are also easy to pop in the freezer, and pull out on a moment's notice.

Black Bean Patties
Adapted from Annie's Eats

For the patties:
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed (or 3 cups cooked black beans), divided
2 roasted red bell peppers, divided
2 large eggs
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. cumin
1 chipotle chile in adobo, minced
1 medium onion, finely diced
½-2/3 cup cornmeal or panko (plus more, as needed)
Salt and pepper
Canola or vegetable oil


For the avocado cream sauce:
1 avocado, pitted and coarsely chopped
½ cup greek yogurt or light sour cream
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper, to taste


To make the bean patties, place half of the beans in the bowl of a food processor with 1 coarsely chopped bell pepper, the eggs, oregano, cumin, and chipotle.  Process until smooth.  Finely chop the remaining bell pepper.  In a large bowl, lightly mash the remaining beans.  Stir in the bell pepper, onion, and smooth bean mixture.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Stir in the cornmeal or breadcrumbs, a bit at time, mixing lightly just until the mixture firms up.  (Pick up a bit and see if it can be easily molded into a ball.  If it is too sticky, add a little more cornmeal.)  Chill the mixture for 30 minutes.

To make the avocado cream sauce, combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or blender.  Process until completely smooth.

Form the bean mixture into patties approximately 3½ inches in diameter.  Heat about 2 tablespoons of canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the patties in batches, cooking until lightly browned and firm, about 3-4 minutes per side.  Serve the patties warm topped with the avocado cream sauce.

Boston Baked Beans

This recipe is exactly what you expect.  Sweet, comforting, but also savory.  We used to eat these with hot dogs for dinner.  It was my dad's favorite meal.  Believe it or not, it's a surprisingly good combination.  I don't think they were homemade, but they were doctored up enough to be called my mom's own!  Anyway, homemade or not, these homemade beans taste exactly like my mom's.

Boston Baked Beans
Adapted from cooks illustrated

6 ounces bacon cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon mild molasses
1 1/2 tablespoons brown mustard
2 cans white beans (cannelini)
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
Ground black pepper

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 300 degrees. Add bacon to 8-quart Dutch oven; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and most fat is rendered, about 7 minutes. Add onion and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 8 minutes. Add 1/2 cup molasses, mustard, beans, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and 9 cups water; increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil. Cover pot and set in oven. Bake until beans are tender, about 4 hours, stirring once after 2 hours. Remove lid and continue to bake until liquid has thickened to syrupy consistency, 1 to 1 1/2 hours longer. Remove beans from oven; stir in remaining tablespoon of molasses, vinegar, and additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Vegetarian Cassoluet

It's not often that we find a vegetarian meal that we both really love.  I used chicken stock, but vegetable stock is a natural choice.  This meal is really hearty, and freezes perfectly.  My favorite part is the bread crumbs!  An easy thing to do is to make it in your pot, top with breadcrumb, cool in fridge, then cover.  The next day, bake at 350F for about 30-40 minutes uncovered.  Nice tomato flavor, creamy beans crispy breadcrumbs-- really good!

Vegetarian Cassoulet
Adapted from smitten kitchen and Gourmet, March 2008

For cassoulet
3 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only)
4 medium carrots, halved
lengthwise and cut into 1-inch-wide pieces
3 celery ribs, cut into 1-inch-wide pieces
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
4 thyme sprigs
2 parsley sprigs
1 Turkish bay leaf
3 (19-ounce) cans cannellini or Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 19-ounce can diced tomatoes, with their juice
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 quart stock (I used chicken)

For garlic crumbs
4 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs from a baguette
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Make cassoulet:
Halve leeks lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces, then wash well and pat dry.

Cook leeks, carrots, celery, and garlic in oil with herb sprigs, bay leaf, cloves, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a large heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 15 minutes. Stir in beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, then stock, and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender but not falling apart, about 30 minutes.

Make garlic crumbs while cassoulet simmers:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Toss bread crumbs with oil, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a bowl until well coated. Spread in a skillet, and toast over medium high heat. Cool crumbs in pan, then return to bowl and stir in parsley.

Finish cassoulet:
Discard herb sprigs and bay leaf. Mash some of beans in pot with a potato masher or back of a spoon to thicken broth, or give a quick blend with the immersion blender. Season with salt and pepper. Just before serving, sprinkle with garlic crumbs.

Pasta Fagioli

This is a nice, hearty soup, with a pleasant amount of spiciness.  It's actually quite a bit of heat, which I enjoy.  I love the beans, and Brian wanted me to add more next time, which I have adjusted this time.  I definitely agree!   

I like to keep the pasta separate, so it keeps its bite.

Pasta Fagioli
Adapted from Fake Ginger


1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled & chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 lb hot Italian sausage (casings removed)
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 -2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste
1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
3 – 4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
2 cans cannellini beans
1 cup ditalini (or other small pasta, cooked al dente)

Parmesan cheese, for serving

Heat olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium high heat. Add the diced onion and cook until it just begins to soften, about 2-4 minutes. Add celery and carrots; cook, stirring frequently, for another 3-5minutes. Add garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30-45 seconds.

Add the sausage to the pot, crumbling as it cooks. Cook until the sausage fully. Stir in Italian seasoning and red pepper. Stir in tomatoes and stock.
Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.

Boil the pasta til al dente at this point.

Stir in the beans. (Add an extra cup of stock or water at this point if it’s boiled down too much.) Stir in the pasta just before serving.  Sprinkle with parmesan.

Three Bean Salad

I have an inordinate amount of guilt about 3 bean salad- guilt this recipe finally relieves.  My godmother, who is a wonderful woman, always made three bean salad.  Her version involved kidney beans, canned green beans, and canned wax beans.  I never liked it- something about the texture.  Now the last time I had it I was under 12, for sure, so I may feel differently about it now.  But this recipe I would put up against hers any day!  The fresh green beans are my adaption, and the major reason I love it.  The blanching makes them crisp but tender, and very green.  Draining the marinade prevents it from getting too pungent, or too soggy.

The other nice thing about this recipe is that it's meat free and keeps all week.  So after reading Food Matters, I decided we needed to be meat-reduced - that book basically argues you should have 2 meat free dinners a week, and no meat until dinner time.   This is perfect for a meat free lunch!

Three Bean Salad
Adapted from Allrecipes
Ingredients

1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 lb green beans
4 green onions, chopped
1 stalk celery, sliced

1/2 cup tarragon or cider vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon ground dry mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions
Trim the green beans.  Boil the green beans for 3 minutes, then drain in a colander and plunge into ice water until cool.  Then drain again.

In a bowl, gently mix the garbanzo beans, kidney beans, green beans, green onions, and celery. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, honey, mustard, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. Pour dressing over the salad, and toss gently to coat. Cover, refrigerate at least 2 hours, then remove as much marinade as you can.  Gently toss before serving.