Chana Masala (Curried Chick Peas)

I love a good curry, and this is the one I make most often.  Aside from the cilantro, I always have everything on hand to make this.  Keep peeled ginger well-wrapped in the freezer, and grate it from frozen with a microplane as needed. 

1 T vegetable oil

1 onion, diced

1 t cumin seeds

3 cloves garlic, minced

2” piece of ginger, minced

1 t cumin

1 t coriander

½ t turmeric

1 t paprika

1 t garam masala

½ t chili powder

¼ t cayenne pepper (medium heat, use ½ t for hot)

400 ml can diced tomatoes

540 ml can chick peas, drained and rinsed

Small handful cilantro, chopped

½ t salt

1 t sugar

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Juice of 1 lime

In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, add oil, followed by onion.  Cook, stirring often, until onion begins to turn golden.  Add the cumin seeds and cook another couple of minutes.  

Add garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric, paprika, garam masala, chili powder and

cayenne.  Stir well to combine.  Reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring often, for approximately five minutes.

Add tomatoes and stir through.  Bring mixture to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and cook for ten minutes with the lid slightly ajar.

Add chick peas and half of the cilantro; stir through.  If mixture is very thick, thin out a bit with water.  Bring back to a simmer and cook until chick peas are heated through. 

Add salt, sugar, black pepper and lime juice.  Stir to combine.

Garnish with remaining cilantro.  Serve with basmati rice, raita and a salad.

Makes 3 servings.

Creamy Black Beans

Properly-made black beans are a thing of beauty.  They should be tender, well-seasoned, and surrounded by a thick, starchy sauce.

As with all bean cookery, acids cannot be added to the beans until they are completely tender. Doing so prematurely will result in a complete halt of the the cooking process, and the beans will never soften. Similarly, salting beans prematurely will result in tough skins.

These are even better if made the day before, but I rarely have the foresight to do so.  

1½ c dried black beans

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

½ red bell pepper, diced

1 bay leaf

1 t cumin

1 t oregano

Stems from one bunch of cilantro (optional), rinsed & tied together with string

¾ t salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Juice of one lime

Chopped cilantro to serve

Soak the black beans in plenty of water for 8 – 12 hours.  Drain, return to pan and top with three cups of fresh water.

Add the onion, garlic, bell pepper, bay leaf, cumin, oregano and cilantro stems, if using.  Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook until tender (taste for doneness), 1 to 1-1/2 hours.  Remove cilantro stems & bay leaf.

At this stage, your beans should still have quite a bit of broth surrounding them.  Remove the lid and add salt, pepper and lime juice.  Stir through.  Increase the heat to medium-low, and simmer the beans uncovered, stirring often, until broth reduces and becomes gravy-like, 20 to 30 minutes.    

Serve with rice, and garnish with cilantro.  Coleslaw makes an excellent accompaniment.

White(ish) Chili

This is a white chili in the sense that there is no beef or tomatoes in it; the colour comes from the ancho chili.  True, it’s not very white, but who wants to eat white chili anyway?    

1 large ancho chili, split and deseeded*

2 t vegetable oil

650 g ground turkey

1 onion, diced

1 green pepper, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

227 g mushrooms, sliced

1 t salt

1 T chili powder

1 t cumin

1 t oregano

¼ t cayenne pepper

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 c chicken stock

2 - 540 ml cans white kidney beans, drained and rinsed.

1 T lime juice

Sour cream and chopped cilantro to serve (optional)

Lightly toast the ancho chili halves in a dry skillet over medium-low heat until heated through, and colour changes slightly.  Put the chili into a bowl and pour over recently-boiled water just to cover.  Cover with plate and put aside for twenty minutes. 

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat; add turkey, breaking up with spoon.  Continue cooking until liquid has evaporated, and cooking sound has changed from bubbling to sizzling.

Add onion, green pepper, celery, garlic, mushrooms and salt.  When mushrooms begin to release their liquid, add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne and black pepper.  Cook, stirring regularly, until cooking sound once again changes to a sizzle.

Remove chili from water and discard water.  Put chili into a blender, along with the chicken stock and half of the beans.  Blend until smooth.  Pour mixture into Dutch oven and stir well.  Add lime juice.

Bring to a boil; reduce to medium low.  Cook, uncovered, until mixture reduces and thickens (about an hour), stirring regularly.  Check seasoning.

Serve topped with sour cream and cilantro if desired.

Serves four.

* If you can’t find ancho chili, substitute a canned chipotle, very finely chopped, and exclude the cayenne.

Cuban Beans & Rice

Cuba is one of my favourite places in the world.  It's rolling landscapes, warm people and stunning beaches are the reason we've visited no fewer than ten times, and we aim to continue doing so.

Food in Cuba often gets a bad rap, but we've always enjoyed it thoroughly.  Black beans and rice (or Moros y Cristianos as it's called in Cuba) is a staple food found throughout Latin America.  It's no small wonder this dish is so popular - inexpensive, highly nutritious (beans and rice combined are a complete protein) and satisfyingly filling.

Here's my version, which in my opinion, tastes accurately authentic.

1 T vegetable oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 small bell pepper, diced (red, green, or combination)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 c converted rice

1 19 oz can black beans, undrained

1-1/3 c chicken stock or water

3/4 t cumin

1/2 t oregano

1/2 t salt

1 bay leaf

In medium saucepan over medium-low heat, add oil, followed by the onion, bell pepper and garlic.  Saute until soft.

Add the rice, beans, stock or water, cumin, oregano, salt and bay leaf.  Stir well.  Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low.  Cook for 20 minutes undisturbed.  Remove from heat, and allow to sit for ten minutes.  Fluff with fork and serve.   

A Midwinter's Recharge: Split Pea Soup

Let's face it, this winter has absolutely sucked.  Everyone's had enough, and spring can't come soon enough. Until then, here's a comforting hug by way of the kitchen.

This is the soup I make most often.  I usually use the simmering liquid from either a cottage roll or smoked picnic shoulder as the base, but I've also made it using store-bought chicken stock.

This makes a substantial amount, but it freezes very well.

4 litres ham stock or chicken stock
1 stalk celery, diced, plus some leaves, chopped, if you have them
1 carrot, peeled & diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 bay leaf
2 lb green or yellow dried split peas
Diced ham (optional)
Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Bring the stock to a boil.  Add remaining ingredients, excluding salt.  Reduce heat to medium-low, partially covered.  Cook, stirring regularly, for two hours, or until the large majority of the peas have disintegrated. Taste and adjust seasonings; remove bay leaf.  Thin mixture if necessary using additional stock or water.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Poor Man’s Cassoulet

I love beans; they’re my desert island food.  Very few foods are so nutrient-packed that you can actually live off them (although you may not be the most pleasant person to be around).

Considering cassoulet’s origins are peasant, I’ve always been perplexed by the quantity and expense of the meats called for in modern-day recipes.  Surely, the dish began as a way of making a little meat go a long way.  Bearing that in mind, my cassoulet incorporates affordable meats, in modest quantities.  Think beans with meat, not meat with beans. 

You could easily start this a day or two before you serve it; the taste will only improve on standing. 

 

Brown separately in Dutch oven:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 lb Italian sausages

½ lb bacon, cut into lardons (cook until not quite crisp)

Remove meat, allow to cool, cover and refrigerate.  Discard excess fat.

To pot, add:

1 lb navy or great northern beans (soaked overnight & drained)

1-2 carrots, diced (depending on size)

2 stalks celery, diced

1 medium onion, diced

½ head garlic, peeled & chopped

½ c white wine

1 large bay leaf

1 t dried thyme

Chicken stock and/or water to cover

A few stalks parsley (lay on top of liquid)

Bake in a 325^o oven, covered, for 2-1/2 hours (check for doneness at the 2 hour mark), stirring at half time.  Remove parsley & bay leaf. 

Add:

398 ml can diced tomatoes

2 T tomato paste

1-1/2 t kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Bacon

Sausages, diagonally sliced

Chicken thighs, diced

You can stop at this point if you want to make this ahead of time.  Cover & refrigerate, then proceed with the next steps on the day you’re serving.

Bake, covered, in a 350^o oven for 1 hour. 

In food processor, combine:

2 slices bread

the remaining half a head of garlic, peeled

a small handful of parsley

Pulse until evenly combined.  Toss with:
3-4 T melted butter or olive oil until it's the texture of damp sand.

At the end of the hour, remove from oven and increase temperature to 400^o.  Sprinkle the top evenly with the crumbs.  Bake for 20 minutes, uncovered, until golden brown & crusty.  Allow to sit for ten minutes prior to serving.

Serves 6 to 8.

Falafel

Who doesn’t love a falafel?  They’re simple to make from scratch, and they’ll make your pocketbook smile.  They’re also extremely good for you; high in fibre and protein, and low in fat.  I’m not big on deep frying things, so I bake these instead.    

1 cup dried chick peas

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 T lemon juice

2 t cumin

1 t coriander

½ t turmeric

½ t dried mint (optional)

¼ t cayenne

½ t salt

Small handful cilantro, chopped

2 green onions, sliced

½ t baking powder

2 T flour

Soak the chick peas for 12 hours.  Strain (reserving 1/2 c of the soaking liquid), and put them into a food processor.  Add the garlic and lemon juice.  Process until mixture is fairly smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.  If it seems dry, add 1/4 c of the soaking liquid and process again; repeat if necessary.

Dump into a bowl and add remaining ingredients, stirring with a fork until everything is blended.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and put in fridge for two hours.

Preheat oven to 400^o F.  Shape into 6 medium or 12 small patties.  Place on a greased baking sheet, lightly brush a bit of vegetable oil over each, then turn over and repeat.

Bake for 20 minutes, turning over after 10 minutes.

Serve in pitas with tahini or tzatziki, and garnish with tomatoes and cucumbers.

Serves 3.



Edamame, Cucumber and Snow Pea Salad

This is good served with sushi, or with Chinese dumplings. 

1 cup shelled edamame, cooked

1 medium English cucumber, diced

8 oz / 227 g snow peas, de-threaded and sliced crosswise into 4 or 5 pieces

1 T minced chives (optional)

½ t sesame oil

2 T rice wine vinegar

6 T vegetable oil

1 t minced ginger

2 t sugar

1 t prepared hot mustard

Salt to taste

Combine the edamame, cucumber, snow peas and chives in a medium bowl.  Mix the dressing ingredients together with whisk and mix until emulsified.  Pour dressing over salad just before eating and toss gently to combine. 



Asian Rice and Beans: Azuki Fried Rice with Vegetables

Having purchased some azuki beans from my local bulk food store, they hung out in my cupboard until I figured out something out-of-the-ordinary to make with them.  The small, red azuki originates from East Asia, and I’m a big fan of fried rice, so why not Asian-style rice and beans? 

I usually use run-of-the-mill vegetables in fried rice, as it’s usually a dish I make on the spur of the moment.  If you plan ahead, you can incorporate a more exciting array of vegetables. 

1 cup brown or white rice, cooked and cooled

1 cup azuki beans, cooked and cooled

4 T peanut or canola oil

1 onion, diced

1 carrot, diced

2 stalks celery diced

1 bell pepper, diced

2 T oyster sauce mixed with 2 T hot water

1 t sesame oil

2 T soy sauce

2 eggs

¼ cup natural almonds, chopped

In a large Dutch oven, heat 1 T of the oil over medium-low heat.  Beat the eggs together, then pour them into the pan.  Cook for a minute or two until almost set, then turn over to cook the other side.  Remove to a cutting board, dice, and put into a small bowl.

In another tablespoon of oil, add the onion and carrots, and cook until both are tender.  Remove to another bowl.

In the remaining two tablespoons of oil, sauté the celery and bell pepper a minute or two, then add the rice.  Toss the rice in the oil to ensure it’s evenly coated, then add the onion and carrots, the oyster sauce mixture, sesame oil, and soy sauce.  Cover with lid, and allow rice to heat through.  Check on it every minute or so, mixing the rice each time.

In the meantime, microwave the cooked azuki beans until hot.  Once the rice is heated through, put the hot beans on top of the rice, followed by the diced eggs, and almonds.  Toss very gently as it’s very easy to crush the beans at this point.    

Serves four generously.



Cannellini Burgers

Cannellini are just white kidney beans, but cannellini sounds nicer and is fun to say.  Cannellini!

1 540ml/19 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 T lemon juice

1 egg

½ t turmeric

½ t cumin

1 t coriander

1/8 t cayenne pepper

¼ t salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 green onion, cut in half lengthwise then finely sliced

¼ c dry bread crumbs

2 T minced parsley or cilantro

Combine the beans, lemon juice and egg in a food processor and blend until smooth.  Scrape into bowl, and add remaining ingredients.  Mix with hands, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use.

Shape into two large patties or four smaller ones.  Preheat 1 T oil in a frying pan over medium heat until hot.  Add patties, lower heat to medium low, and fry until golden, approx. seven minutes.  Turn over and cook for another seven minutes.   

Serve these on pitas or buns with tzatziki or tahini, and garish with your choice of

cucumber, grated carrots, tomatoes, onions, alfalfa sprouts and hot peppers.

Serves 2.



Succotash!

Quick, easy and hearty; perfect served with roasted or grilled meats.  This will serve two generoulsy as a side dish, or three more conservatively.

1/3 cup frozen lima beans

1 can of corn, drained & rinsed

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

Butter

Salt & Pepper

Minced parsley

In a medium saucepan, bring a couple of cups of water to the boil.  Add the limas, cover, and simmer for five minutes or until the limas are tender.  Add the corn, cover, and leave for a couple of minutes, then add the bell pepper, cover, and let sit another minute.  Drain, turn back into the pot, and add butter, S & P and parsley to taste.  Serve immediately.



Kale, Bean & Smoked Sausage Soup

Soups can be one of the quickest things to throw together, and this one’s no exception. On top of being quick, it has the added benefit of being a complete meal in a bowl; you really don’t need anything else (other, perhaps, than a lovely piece of crusty bread…or two).

For 2 generous or 3 regular servings:

2-284ml/10 oz cans concentrated low-sodium chicken stock
2 cans water
1 540 ml/19 oz can white kidney beans, drained & rinsed
227g/½ lb smoked sausage of your choice, diced
Half a bunch of kale, washed, de-ribbed and torn into bite-size pieces

No order here, really. Combine everything in a medium sauce pan, bring to a boil and simmer until kale is tender, about 10 minutes.

Fancy it up as you may, with diced onion, minced garlic, bay leaf or what have you, but there’s something to be said for simplicity.