Bring on the Beans!

Trying to think of something different for lunch, my husband decided that I should make a black bean salad. I had Mexican on the mind, so it has a bit of Latino flair. I made a huge batch and we have been happily bringing it in our tupers all week long. This would be a great dish for bbqs or pot lucks as well. Make sure you take it out of the fridge to let it come to room temp before enjoying! This would also be great with some addition of avocado, jicama, and/or mango!

Black Bean Fiesta Salad

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can chick peas, rinsed and drained
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 red or green pepper, diced
1/2-3/4 cup frozen corn
1 diced tomato (or handful of cherry/grape tomatoes)
1/2 of jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, diced very fine
2 scallions, green and white parts sliced thin
1 handful cilantro, chopped

Dressing:
juice of 1 lime
zest of that lime (just from 1 half or so)
2 tsp cumin
dash cumin whole seeds
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

1. Add beans, all veggies and herbs to large bowl. Mix gently to combine.

2. In small dish, make dressing. Add lime juice, zest and then spices. Whisk in olive oil until thick and combined. Season to taste.

3. Pour desired amount on bean salad. I actually had some of this dressing to save in the fridge because I didn't want it too wet.

Mini Chocolate Attack

These are the first souffles I have ever had the guts to attempt. I was drawn to the recipe as they contain no flour (thus gluten free) and they can easily be made ahead and just popped into the oven after the guests arrive. There are several steps but it is worth every bite!


Chocolate Espresso Mini Souffles
from fine cooking
serves 2 (easily doubled)

1 oz. (2 Tbs.) unsalted butter, cut into pieces; more for the ramekins
Granulated sugar for dusting
1 Tbs. dark rum, brandy, or water
1/2 tsp. espresso powder or instant coffee granules
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
Pinch table salt
1 large egg, separated and at room temperature
1 oz. (1/4 cup) confectioners' sugar

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Directions:

Lightly butter two 6-oz. ramekins and dust with granulated sugar, tapping out excess. Set the ramekins on a small baking sheet.

Stir together the liquor or water and the espresso powder. Set aside and stir occasionally until the coffee is dissolved. Melt the chocolate and butter in a medium metal bowl over a pan of simmering water or in a microwave. Remove from the heat and whisk until glossy and smooth. Stir in the coffee mixture and the salt. Whisk in the egg yolk. Add about one-third of the confectioners' sugar and whisk until well blended and smooth. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat the egg white with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until it's very foamy and they're just beginning to hold soft peaks. Increase the speed to high and gradually sprinkle in the remaining confectioners' sugar. Continue beating until the peaks are firm and glossy. Spoon about one-quarter of the beaten whites into the chocolate mixture and whisk until blended. Add the remaining whites and gently fold them in until just blended. Pour evenly into prepared ramekins (the mixture will almost completely fill the ramekins). If you want to bake the soufflés within 24 hours, refrigerate them. (To refrigerate: Chill for about 30 minutes, and then cover in plastic and return to the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.) If you want to hold them for longer, freeze them according to the make-ahead tips below.

Heat the oven to 400°F. Unwrap the ramekins, set them on a baking sheet, and bake until they're puffed and risen about 1 inch above the ramekin, 15 minutes. The top will still be slightly sunken in the center; consider it a place to pop in a few berries or a dollop of whipped cream. Remove the soufflés from the oven and serve immediately.

Index of Recipes

Breakfast
Banana Bread Oatmeal
Maple Almond Granola
Quinoa Muffins

Spinach, Sausage and Potato Breakfast Casserole

Baked Pumpkin Steel Cut Oatmeal

Baked Oatmeal with Fruit

Double Coconut Granola

Sweet Stuff
Chocolate Chip Cookies-Gluten Free
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Light Carrot Cake
Mini Chocolate Espresso Souffles
Peach Blueberry Pie
Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes with Ginger Cream Frosting

Lemon Almond Tart

Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream with Chocolate Covered Almonds

Appetizers, Snacks and Drinks
Apple Snack
Chickpea Nibble
Crab Dip
Hummus
Quinoa Muffins
Chai Tea
Iced Coffee

Cucumber Limeade

Entrees
Polenta Mock-sagna
Stir-Fried Portobellos with Ginger-Oyster Sauce
Sweet Potato and Cashew Korma over Coconut Rice
Pad Thai
The Best Pesto
Autumn Harvest Squash
Greek Inspired Salmon Patties
Savory Stuffed Pumpkin
Braised Brisket With 36 Cloves of Garlic
Cornmeal-Crusted Tilapia Salad
Jerk Chicken with Coconut Plantains and Carrot Slaw
Frenchie's Tall Order Short Ribs

Eggs in A Nest

Slow Cooked Moroccan Lamb Stew

Fried Black Rice and Ginger Tofu and Spinach
Summer Squash Three Cheese Enchiladas Casserole

Vegetarian and Fish
Spinach and Tomato Smothered Tilapia
Radish and Cucumber Sandwiches
Sweet Potato and Cashew Korma over Coconut Rice
Stir-Fried Portobellos with Ginger-Oyster Sauce
Couscous Garbanzo Salad
Roasted Eggplant Soup
Nutty Quinoa Salad
Autumn Harvest Squash
Black Bean Fiesta Salad
Greek Inspired Salmon PattiesMoroccan Spiced Quinoa and Chickpea Salad
Savory Stuffed Pumpkin
Cornmeal-Crusted Tilapia Salad
Beet, Blue Cheese and Spinach Salad

Salmon Salad Bento Box

Quinoa Patties

Eggs in A Nest

Curried Vegetable and Chickpea Stew

Fried Black Rice and Ginger Tofu and Spinach

Cuban Black Bean Patties
Quinoa Salad with Apples, Walnuts and a lot of other stuff
Summer Squash Three Cheese Enchiladas Casserole

Soups, Sandwiches and Salads
Borscht
Chickpea Chard and Tomato Stew (with sausage)
Indian Tomato Lentil
Cold Avocado Soup
Radish and Cucumber Sandwiches
Roasted Asparagus Soup with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Parmesan Croutons
Grilled Chicken and Tapenade Sandwiches
Couscous Garbanzo Salad
Roasted Eggplant Soup
Nutty Quinoa Salad
Parsnip, Apple, and Sage SoupAsian Chicken Salad
Black Bean Fiesta Salad
Moroccan Spiced Quinoa and Chickpea Salad
Beet, Blue Cheese and Spinach Salad
Quinoa Salad with Apples, Walnuts and a lot of other stuff
Meyer Lemon Radicchio Salad

Sides
Sweet Potato Fries with Maple Dip
Pineapple Rice
Savory Stuffed Pumpkin
Carrot Slaw

Casserole of Late Fall Greens

Grilled Yams with Spicy Cilantro Sauce
Meyer Lemon Radicchio Salad

Lunch Box
Crisp Tofu with Crudites and Sesame Ginger Dipping Sauce
Couscous Garbanzo Salad
Moroccan Spiced Quinoa and Chickpea Salad
Beet, Blue Cheese and Spinach Salad

Salmon Salad Bento Box

Quinoa Patties
Quinoa Salad with Apples, Walnuts and a lot of other stuff

My Chocolate Chips Come In!

Just tried my luck with a gluten free recipe for chocolate chip cookies. Let me tell you, these taste just like the real thing. Soft, chewy, delicious. Just don't taste the batter, it has a very metallic taste that seems to disappear when you cook them. Whoever said that gluten free baked goods had to be a step down from the real stuff hasn't tasted these yet!

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
from 125 Best Gluten Free Recipes
by Washburn and Butts

1 cup sorghum flour
2/3 cup whole bean flour (I used fava/garbanzo bean flour)
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup shortening (I did 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup shortening)
1 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Combine all flours,tapioca starch, baking soda, salt, xanthun gum in medium bowl. Whisk well.
2. In large separate bowl, cream shortening/butter and brown sugar with electric mixer. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in dry ingredients until combined. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts by hand. Let batter stand for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350. I did a test run of one cookie to see if there was enough flour. It came out a little flat, and I like my cookies puffy and chewy. I added a bit more flour to the batter and the next batch had risen a bit more.
4. Drop by tablespoons on greased baking sheet (I prefer parchment). Bake for 8-10 minutes or until set. Remove and place on baking sheet.

Try not to eat them all at once! I baked off about half of the batter, and put the rest in wax paper, shaping into a log. I popped that in the freezer and now we can have slice and bake any time we want!

Cleanse Meal #3: Tila-Pious!

Well, the cleanse is over (thank God!), but I did want to go back and highlight
one delicious meal we had even given all of the restrictions.
Tilapia fish was on the "safe" list and neither of us had ever had it so we thought it was a good opportunity to give it a try. I knew we would have to infuse it with flavor and that it would probably be pretty boring on its own. After putting up a post on seriouseats.com, I got some great ideas from fellow tilapia eaters. After some small changes, this is what I came up with:

Spinach and Tomato Smothered Tilapia
serves 2

2 tilapia fillets (cod or another firm fish would also work well here)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 thinly sliced red onion
frozen or fresh spinach (I had some frozen in the freezer so I used about 3/4 a box, thawed, drained)
3-4 diced tomatoes
1/2 cup diced mushrooms (optional)
1 lemon
cumin
paprika
salt
pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In an oven safe pan, saute onions in olive oil until soft. Add garlic until fregrant. Add mushrooms and saute those up a little bit. Then put in spinach and stir to combine (or wilt fresh spinach). Season with salt and pepper. Add in chopped tomatoes and simmer until it comes together.
**BONUS: If you have any delicious Greek olives from the deli, add some brine to the sauce. This adds an unbelieveable flavor!!
3. Meanwhile, prep your fish by drizzling lemon juice on both sides and dusting with cumin, paprika and s & p.
4. Remove about 1/2 of the sauce and put in a bowl to the side. Nestle the fish fillets in, making sure there is some sauce on the bottom. Add the remaining sauce to cover the top of the fish. If it seems a little dry, you can add some water or chicken stock to moisten it a little bit.
5. Cover pan with foil and pop in oven. Cook for about 20-25 minutes or until fish is cooked through.

Serve with brown or white rice. Enjoy! I coudn't believe how much flavor this fish had. We will definitely will be making this again post-cleanse!

Cleanse Meal #2: Breakfast of Champs

One of the few things you can have for breakfast on the cleanse is oatmeal. Let me tell you, I love oatmeal but on day 3 I am ready for something a little different. Unfortunately our options are limited. I decided to take our cleanse oatmeal to another level this morning. Here is what I came up with:

Banana Bread Oatmeal
serves 3 or 4

1 1/2 cups steel cut oats
6 cups water
Dash salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
handful of toasted walnuts
a few generous tablespoons of pure maple syrup
vanilla almond milk (if desired)
1 banana, cut into little pieces

Bring water to a boil over stove. Add salt. While water is heating up, combine oats, cinnamon and ground ginger, mix until spices cover the oats. Add to water when it comes to a boil. Stir on high heat until oats start to come together, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Take off heat, add nutmeg. Dish out into serving bowls. Add a little almond milk, top with banana slices, nuts and maple syrup.

Cleanse Meal #1: Apple Snack

My husband and I are testing our will power and doing a 14 day colon cleanse. I know what you are thinking, stock up on the toilet paper and head for the bathroom. I am writing this on day #3 and so far so good. No fighting for the throne up to this point at least. Unlike other cleanses where you cannot eat any food (which I am against), this cleanse focuses on very healthy eating and some supplements and shakes to clean you out. As far as the diet goes, this meals no caffeine (no coffee!, sugar, baked goods, dairy, alcohol, red meats). Basically it is a ton of fruits, veggies, brown rice and legumes. Certainly puts my cooking skills to the test. Given that Dusty and I are constant snackers, this area can be challenging, given we don't feel like munching on a bunch of black beans at 10:00 at night. Here is a simple delicious snack I came up with last night. We will defiantly make this part of our regular diets.

Apple Snack
2 apples (I used Macintosh, tart green ones would be really good too)
All Natural peanut butter
Honey

Very easy. Core and cut apples into sections, put on plate. Put in a hunk of peanut butter in a bowl, a good squeeze of honey in another. Dip apple slices into both bowls. Enjoy!