After my last few posts of cakes, muffins and cookies, I figured I better post a salad. I made this for dinner the other night because I wanted to use up the yams lingering around my vegetable drawer. Truth be told, I was wondering why I had yams when it was nearly June. But then I remembered I’ve been eating asparagus like it’s been going out of style (well, it is a short growing season), hence the lingering yams. So when I spied a can of black beans in my cupboard, this salad idea was born. It’s a potato salad that strays from the norm and it’s a very, very good thing.

It’s a long weekend here in Canada so why not celebrate with a potato salad. It’s perfect picnic, barbeque or friendly gathering eats and this one is especially nice because it’s not the usual mayo-laden stuff. The roasted sweet potatoes give a good sweetness (so much so that I didn’t add any honey or sweetener in the dressing) and I tossed in some frozen corn to roast up as well. I kept the vinaigrette a bit zingy with lots of lime juice and garlic. Cumin, chili powder and chili flakes (plus a splash of hot sauce) add heat, but it won’t burn your face off. I think people get scared with seeing a lot of chili powder in a recipe, but it’s a blend of several different components (usually garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, and oregano) so I don’t find it all that spicy. But if you’re a bit heat-shy, add the amount you feel comfortable with.

My husband and I ate this up as a main-dish salad, but it would work perfectly as a side for a summer bbq. It’s so much more delicious than I would have imagined and we both went back for seconds. I’m already wondering if I should throw some more yams into my grocery basket along with the asparagus! Yams may not scream spring & summer, but this salad helps transform into the perfect vegetable for nice warm days.

And don’t forget to add a sprinkle of feta cheese before serving! It compliments this dish so well.

southwest potato salad
If you don’t have Old Bay, leave it out (or add in a touch of paprika & celery salt). But ever since I discovered how great it went with a black bean salad, I like to add it in. Old Bay, it’s not just for seafood!

3 yams, diced
1 T vegetable oil
1 T chili powder
1/2 t chili flakes (or cayenne)
1 T ground cumin

1 c frozen corn

1/4 c minced red onion
1 can of black beans, rinsed & drained

1/4 c vegetable oil
juice of 2 limes
2 cloves garlic, minced
a splash of red wine vinegar (optional)
1/2 t Old Bay seasoning
1/2 t ground cumin
pinch of salt & a good grind of black pepper
a few spashes of hot sauce

crumbled feta cheese & cilantro, optional

Preheat oven to 400F. In a large bowl, combine the diced yams with the oil, chili powder, cumin and chili flakes. Dump out evenly onto a prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, add corn into the same bowl and toss to gather up any of the remaining spice & oil. Remove yams from oven and toss for even cooking, adding in the corn. Bake for another 15 minutes.

In a large serving bowl, add in the black beans and red onion. Combine the remaining ingredients into a small jar and shake until well mixed. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Remove the corn and yams from the oven and add into the bean mixture. Pour over dressing and toss the salad well. Serve immediately (though I’m sure it’s delicious cold too). Serves 4 meal-sized portions.

Possibly related posts:

• hot damn & hell yeah: curried sweet potato salad with cranberries & pecans
• boot-strapped: mexican-spiced roasted mushrooms & yams

It’s been a while since I’ve made some veggie burgers, but when faced with a major cupboard clean-up, coming up with recipes from meager beginnings is a fun challenge. I had a small amount of red lentils in my cupboard and instead of packing them and moving and then unpacking them into our new apartment, I decided to use them up, stat.

The great benefit of red lentils is that they cook up quick. Once they boiled up soft, I drained them and then got to work coming up with some good flavours. Curry always goes well with lentils, so I sauteed some curry paste with onions, garlic and mushrooms until fragrant. I tossed in a few shakes of worcestershire sauce because that to me always smells like burgers for some reason (childhood memory, most likely!) Wheat germ lent some bulk and I used an egg to bind the mixture together. I decided to bake them instead of frying them, figuring the less jostling about, the better. I’m always worried when shaping and cooking veggie burgers that they’ll crack and fall apart, but luckily, these held together well. Look ma, no cracks!

Can you tell that those burgers up there came out of the fridge? Yeah, they’re chilly, but they reheated well. I added on some extra cheese for extra melty happiness. Extra cheese? Always a good call.

Oh, and see that mayo on the side? That was one of my biggest discoveries. One, it’s homemade, and two, it was really, really easy to make! Not only that, but it kicked store-bought mayo to the curb. Delicious! My easy mayonnaise recipe follows below.

elsewhere: I’m getting behind this week, because there are 2 awesome recipes over at Poppytalk for you to catch up on. First, let me introduce you to shrimp and grits because those two are quite a delicious pair. And then finally, there is some spicy orange peel tofu to keep your dinner plate hopping.

curried red lentil & mushroom burgers
If you want to make these gluten-free, look for a g/f worcestershire sauce – Lea & Perrins is g/f in the US, but not in Canada. And use g/f bread crumbs instead of wheat germ. If you want these vegetarian, Annie’s makes a good vegan worcestershire sauce. Or leave it out.)

1 c red lentils
1 t olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 t red pepper flakes
1 1/2 c mushrooms, diced
1/4 t salt
1 t worcestershire sauce
1 T curry paste
1 egg
3/4 c – 1 c wheat germ or g/f bread crumbs
sliced strong cheddar as a topping (optional, but delicious)

In a medium-sized pot, boil water and add in lentils. Cover and turn down heat to medium-low. When soft, about 15 minutes or so, drain really, really well & set aside.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add in onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Stir around until they get soft and fragrant. Add in mushrooms, salt and worcestershire sauce and let that all melt together. Stir in curry paste until well combined.

In a medium-sized bowl, add in lentils and mushroom mixture and stir until blended. Add in egg, letting that get mixed into everything before pouring in the wheat germ or g/f bread crumbs. Blend and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400F. Brush a cookie sheet with a thin layer of oil. Form patties out of lentil mixture – I just made a large golf ball sized ball in my hand and then flattened it with my other palm before placing it on the cookie sheet. I then smoothed out any cracks along the sides of the patties before churning out my next one. Bake for 10-15 minutes and then flip carefully with a spatula – these were actually much less delicate than I had feared (phew!). Add a slice of cheese to the flipped side, if desired and bake for another 5 minutes until golden and cheese is melted.

Serve on a bun (or rye toast like I did) with a good schmear of dijon, homemade mayonnaise, sliced pickles, arugula and a dollop of ketchup. Makes 6 patties.

homemade basic mayonnaise
1 egg yolk
pinch of salt
1 t lemon juice
1/2 c mild tasting oil

In a tall plastic glass (it came with my immersion blender), add in the yolk, salt and lemon juice. Mix well using your immersion blender and then ever so slowly, pour in the oil – you want a slow, steady and thin stream. I used just under 1/2 cup of oil. When it looks like mayo, stop blending. Makes about a 1/3 cup of mayo.

Possibly related posts:

• curry in a hurry: curried red lentil stew with chickpeas and rainbow chard
• curried apple & lentil dal

Last weekend, I was still in pantry cleaning mode. I spied a jar of dried pinto beans and decided to put them to boil – no soaking required since the beans themselves were pretty fresh. Some more pantry digging revealed a jar of green lentils, so I began thinking about lentil chili. Initially, this Mollie Katzen recipe caught my eye but in her write up, she mentions barbeque, and that made me long for those sticky sweet baked beans and my mind was instantly over chili.

Sorry, chili.

I remembered a post from Tara at Seven Spoons earlier this year called Lentils Like Baked Beans. Yes! My inspiration and dinner was now more than just a glimmer. The original recipe calls for those quick-to-cook orange lentils and bacon, but I used what I had on hand and the resulting dish was fantastic. While I love recipes that call for ketchup (no, seriously, I do!), I was out, so I used some tomato passata along with a whole host of spices that came to mind: allspice, clove, cinnamon, chipotle, nutmeg, chili powder. It was a heady brew tamed by maple syrup and molasses and it was delicious.

For me, I have strong memories of baked beans. My mom would make a gigantic pot full of sweet baked beans studded with bacon in the winter. However, I didn’t discriminate and I even loved the kind from a can, though never the kind in tomato sauce. Only “Quebec-style” maple syrup sweetened please! That sweet liquor and those pillowy beans tasted so good over un-toasted white bread spread thickly with cold butter. That was a very happy lunch indeed.

This pot wasn’t enriched with bacon but I had some lean sliced deli ham and it almost seemed to melt away in the end, leaving only it’s smoky flavour (in a very good way, I assure you). However, you can easily turn this dish vegan or vegetarian by using vegetable stock for the chicken and replacing the ham with some smoky paprika instead. It was a trick I always did when I was vegetarian and it worked like a charm. And sometimes I’d chop in a tofu dog for a true beans & weenies remembrance!

elsewhere: Over at Poppytalk, I go all pink & magical with some blood orange, ginger and lime juice. Refreshing & suitable for a Valentine’s Day breakfast. And, don’t forget to vote for this blog as Best Canadian Blog at the 2012 Bloggies. Voting ends on February 19th & I’d love your votes! Okay, enough groveling for now :)

sticky baked lentils & pinto beans
(adapted from Seven Spoons)

This amount of dried pintos made close to 3 cups of cooked beans. This recipe uses 2 cups of cooked pinto beans, so save the remaining beans for another use.
1 c dry pinto beans
2 bay leaves

1 c dried green or brown lentils

1 T olive oil
1/2 small onion, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
1 green pepper, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c diced ham
1/2 c passata (strained, pureed tomatoes)
1/2 c chicken stock
1/4 c maple syrup
2 T molasses
2 T powdered mustard
1 T cider vinegar
1 T chili powder
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t chipotle powder
1/8 t freshly ground allspice
1/8 t freshly ground cloves
1/8 t freshly ground nutmeg
salt & pepper, to taste

1. Early in the day or the day before, cook your dried pinto beans. You do not need to soak these if your beans aren’t old. Bring water, beans and bay leaf to a boil and then simmer over med-low heat for an hour. Add more water if needed. Simmer over low for another 30 minutes until beans are tender but still retain their shape and have a bit of a bite (ie. not mushy). Drain.

2. Preheat oven to 350F.

3. Cook lentils in 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20-30 minutes or until tender but with bite. Drain.

4. Meanwhile, add oil to an oven proof pot over med-high heat, adding in onion, celery and green peppers. Heat until soft, stirring occasionally. Add in garlic and ham and cook for another 5 minutes. Add in all of the lentils and about 2 cups of the cooked pinto beans – you’ll probably have more pinto beans left over for another dish. Pour in the remaining ingredients and turn down the heat to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasonings. It is at this point where you should make it as you like it. Need more sweet? More vinegar? More heat? Adjust! Let it simmer, thicken and bubble for 10 minutes and then pop the whole thing in the oven, covered, for 40 minutes.

Possibly related posts:

• the magical fruit: pineapple baked beans
• lentils with fennel, kale & sausage

January is a weird month for me. It starts off well – I’m inspired, positivity is seeping from my pores, I’m attacking new projects, I’m getting shit done. Then I stumble, I wipe myself off and am back at it, but there’s something amiss. My confidence is shaken and before I know it, I can’t quite remember what I was fighting for. What was making me tick for those couple of weeks? Where did that drive come from? Can I get it back? Please?

Maybe the days of endless grey skies and rain might have something to do with it. Or maybe it’s just that my body is saying relax, chill, take it easy. Have a beer, go out with friends, watch 3 episodes of Luther all in a row. And make a good dinner. A cozy dinner that feels like a warm blanket of niceness. A dinnertime hug. This smoked tofu and vegetable pot pie is just what your body needs.

I know, the ingredient list looks long and probably seems complicated. Think of it as a stir fry (easy, right?) with a biscuit top. No pie dough skills required. The vegetables are what I had on hand at the time, though you could certainly change things up to suit your own vegetable drawer. I used frozen organic butternut squash, peas and corn to make things super simple. I had fresh green beans on hand, but the frozen kind would be equally good. Don’t stress! The vegetables and tofu bathe in a lovely cream sauce which is simply that a sprinkle of flour and some vegetable stock and almond milk. Done and done!

Years ago – let’s be real, here – decades ago, when I read the Moosewood cookbook cover to cover, I would spy the words “smoked tofu” in a recipe and wanted to know more. But somehow, back then, I couldn’t easily find it in my local markets. But now, smoked tofu is quite commonplace and I’m surprised that this is my first time using it. And, yes, it’s as good as I imagined. If you don’t have smoked tofu on hand, try adding some smoked paprika or chipotle powder instead. I’m not the sort of person to have a bottle of liquid smoke on hand, but I’m sure that would work too. The smokiness here is fantastic and really helps to elevate this dish into super-fantastico territory. So pick some up at your local market.

elsewhere: Need a wholesome treat? What about a golden apple cake that makes January a happier little place. Go get the simple recipe over at Poppytalk.

smoked tofu & vegetable pot pie
When I made this, I had some extra biscuit dough leftover which is always a nice surprise. You could bake it up alongside the pot pie, or save it for the next day’s breakfast.

1 T olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t sea salt
1/4 t crushed red chilies
1 pkg smoked firm tofu, diced into 1″ cubes
1 stalk celery, diced
1 carrot, sliced/diced
1 c mushrooms, sliced
1/2 t dried oregano
1/2 c fresh green beans, cut into 1″ pieces
1 c cooked butternut squash, diced (frozen is fine)
1 T sodium-reduced soy sauce
1 t sriracha (optional)
2 T flour
3/4 c vegetable stock
1/2 c almond milk (any dairy or non-dairy is fine)
1/4 c frozen peas
1/4 c frozen corn

biscuit topping:
1 c all-purpose flour
3/4 c whole wheat flour
4 t baking powder
1 t sugar
1 t dried parsley
1/2 t salt
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 c butter, cubed (earth balance or other vegan butter)
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese or daiya (vegan cheese)
1 c almond milk (any dairy or non-dairy is fine)

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat and add in onions, garlic, salt and chilies. Let everything sweat for a bit and then add in the cubed tofu, celery, carrots, green beans, oregano and mushrooms. Sprinkle with the dried oregano.

Let saute for 10 minutes and then add in the butternut squash, soy sauce, sriracha (if using) and sprinkle with flour. Stir until flour coats everything. Pour in the stock and milk and let things thicken, stirring occasionally. Stir in the peas and corn and then pour mixture into a deep oven-proof dish. Set aside.

Meanwhile, prepare your biscuit dough. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, salt, sugar, parsley, salt and garlic powder. Add in the butter work it in with your fingers until it’s blended in with the flour and looks like oats. Stir in the cheese until well mixed and then pour in the milk, stirring lightly with a wooden spoon.

Turn out onto a floured surface and roll out until your dough is about 1 inch thick. Trim dough to the size of your dish and gently place on top of your tofu & veg filled oven-proof dish. Alternately, just drop spoonfuls of dough onto the top of the mixture and pop it in the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until biscuit topping is golden brown and the mixture is bubbling.

Possibly related posts:

• the secret of great tofu: green beans & tofu in a thai coconut sauce
• c’mon spring, let’s get on with it! chicken pot pie with cheddar-biscuit topping

Usually the transition into a new year brings a bit of stress. Maybe I set my goals and expectations too high or maybe I just feed off the stress of others. But not this year. I made a couple simple goals and one of them – to be a better hugger – already got in some practice-time through December. And yeah, about that hugging goal, I’m totally serious. Truth is, I’m a wimpy hugger and I really noticed how lacking I was in the hugging department when I visited my friend in Montreal. After we had met up, he sent me off with a big ol’ bear hug and it made me feel pretty great. It’s amazing how a hug can really make someone else feel good. So I told myself that I’m going to quit giving out namby-pamby tentative hugs to my friends and instead deliver good, hearty and heart-felt hugs. We’ll see how it goes.

A hug makes you feel warm and loved and happy and I think this meal does the same. This dal uses red lentils which cook up in a hurry into a soft and tender bite. There’s curry involved along with a bit of sriracha because I like heat. But there’s also some diced apples to nudge in some mellow sweetness. I added in fennel because I had some lying about my vegetable crisper, but you could sub in something as common as celery, broccoli or cauliflower. I even think some greens like spinach, kale or chard would be good here too. There’s no fuss involved and it’s an easy enough meal to make on a busy weeknight. See, it’s like a nice hug for your insides and it’s a good a place to start as any.

elsewhere: Yup, I love year-end recaps and over at Poppytalk, I list my top 12 favorite recipes that have appeared over on Poppytalk through 2011! Take a peek and check out my favorite recipes.

tomato-apple dal
2 T coconut oil
1 onion, finely diced
1/2 c fennel bulb, finely diced
2 apples, finely diced
2 T fresh ginger, minced
pinch of salt
2 T curry paste
2 c red lentils
2 c diced tomatoes
3 c water
Sriracha or your favorite hot sauce, to taste
1/4 c yogurt (optional)

In a large heavy pot, melt coconut oil over medium-high heat and add in onions, fennel, apples and ginger along with a pinch of salt. Stir occasionally until everything starts to get a little soft. Add in the curry paste and lentils and stir around until the lentils start to glisten. Turn down heat and add in the tomato puree and water, stirring so everything is combined. Put the lid on the saucepan and let simmer over low heat for 20 minutes until everything is soft. If it’s too dry for your liking, add in a bit of water. Stir in yogurt (if using) and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over rice.

Possibly related posts:

• curried apple & lentil dal
• warm up with winter squash, red lentil & tofu curry

Last night I had cooked up a pot of chickpeas, drained them and put them in the fridge. I had no immediate plans but figured I’d use them in a soup or stew sometime in the next few days. But then lunchtime rolled around and I was getting a hankering for some good eats. Ages ago, I had bookmarked a chickpea sandwich recipe on Smitten Kitchen and when I gave it a look over, any questions about what to eat were solved. A smashed chickpea salad sandwich coming up!

The recipe is really a cinch to prepare and it’s got a serious case of tangy with all that lemon and caper business going on. But it’s also got some creamy mayo in there too to help smooth things out a little. The original recipe calls for olive oil instead of mayo but I was all out because I only get my olive oil from Tosi & Co, the oldest Italian market in Chinatown and the shop been closed for about a week now. It makes me nervous to think about it and I’m crossing my fingers that it opens again soon! But I loved how much that dollop of mayo did for this salad. I added in capers instead of black olives, though I think that would be a great choice too. But the biggest bonus for me is the juice of a whole lemon. I used a rather juicy lemon and I loved the super lemony sucker punch it gave, but feel free to tone it down to just a half lemon if you’ve got timid taste buds.

I made sandwiches for me and Cornelius on rye toast and I couldn’t get enough, so I made another. This is a bit of a drippy sandwich, so I even licked my plate. I have no manners, but I sure can appreciate a good sandwich. Yeah, this is the good stuff. So good, next time, I’ll forget about the bread and just eat it as is, salad-style. Alone. And happy.

elsewhere: This week I go ball-istic over at Poppytalk and make a recipe for veggie balls. They’re great! Also, you have to make this creamy asian veggie slaw that converts slaw haters. It’s delicious and I make it often. Enjoy!

tangy lemon smashed chickpea salad
(adapted from Smitten Kitchen)
1 c chickpeas
1/4 c finely diced red onion
1/2 green pepper, finely diced
1 lemon, juiced (though you might just want to use half a lemon if you aren’t so into the tangy like I am)
2 T chopped fresh parsley
1 T good mayo (vegan mayo if that’s your thing)
1 t capers, finely chopped
1/4 t flakey sea salt
a few shakes of your favorite hot sauce

In a medium bowl, dump in your chickpeas and use a potato masher to smash your chickpeas. This shouldn’t be hummus texture here – just smashed with some whole chickpeas and a lot of roughly chopped ones. Stir in the red onion, pepper, parsley, capers, lemon juice and the remaining ingredients. Taste & adjust seasoning if needed. Serve on toasted bread or crusty rolls or just eat as is, salad-style. Makes 4 servings.

Possibly related posts:

• eat hungrily: chickpea & romaine salad with lemon-parmesan vinaigrette
• lemon, parmesan & chickpea cabbage salad

Something about fall pulls me into soup. Home feels more homey with a stock pot of something nutritious and wholesome simmering on the stove – it’s the comfort factor and the ease in how a meal can come together. This past week was a busy one. When you run a business or two, a simple pot of soup available for a quick meal is a bit of a lifesaver. This soup is hearty and flavourful one despite its humble ingredients.

Earlier this week, I figured I’d make soup with some random greens from our CSA that I desperately needed to use up before the new share arrived. Carrots, onion, garlic, no problem. The cupboard revealed a bit of barley which would be perfect, but when I went looking for lentils or chickpeas, I was all out. A small jar of green split peas would have to do. Luckily, everything worked out deliciously – though if you don’t have split peas, please feel free to substitute in some french green lentils (du puy) or toss in a drained can of chickpeas when you add in the greens.

barley, split pea & greens soup
If the barley & split peas you are using are old, they will take longer to cook. Mine were pretty old, so if you are using new grains/legumes, please adjust the cooking time.

1 T coconut oil
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, diced
1 T cumin seeds, crushed
1 t aleppo pepper
1 pinch of sea salt
1/2 c barley
1/2 c green spit peas
6 c good stock (chicken or vegetable or a mix of both)
1/2 bunch each of swiss chard & kale, cut into thin ribbons
1/2 bunch baby spinach
1 t dried dill or 2 T chopped fresh dill

In a large pot, heat oil and add in onion until soft and fragrant. Add in the garlic, carrots, crushed cumin seeds, salt and pepper and stir around so everything gets coated and slick with spice and oil. Pour in the barley and spit peas along with the stock. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until it boils. Turn down heat to a simmer and cook until the barley and split peas are tender, about 45 minutes. Is it more stew-like that soup-like? Add more water or broth if you like. Add in greens and dill and let simmer for another 10 minutes and serve.

Possibly related posts:

• split pea & millet salad with lemon vinaigrette
• pee poop: easy green pea soup

As soon as we came back home from our NYC holiday, we picked up our first CSA share. As always, the first few CSA shares start small and then ramp up as the growing season really begins to take off. Our first couple shares looked something like this: tiny red and white potatoes, a wee bit of broccoli, chard and kale, a beet and turnip, or two, and lots of lettuce. We’ve got enough oak leaf and red leaf lettuce to make salads for days and I couldn’t be happier. These are our salad days and I’ve chosen to revel in our abundance.

Main dish salads are fine with me. I love to eat big raw salads when it’s too hot to cook. And while the rest of the country seems to be under this reported “heat dome”, the pacific north west seems to be just shy of its covering. It’s not hot here. In fact, it resembles a rainy spring April instead of a sweltering middle of summer July. But I’ve got salads to eat and I can crack open a cold beer and dig into my salad bowl and pretend that I’m in warmer climes. I pity those without imagination.

This taco salad is a cinch and it goes perfectly with a beer, if that’s how your summers roll by. Greens, freshly prepared salsa (or that “fresh” salsa from your local grocer works just fine here), sliced black olives, black beans, cucumbers and bright yellow peppers. If I had some fresh or decent frozen corn, I would have thrown some in. Add lots of lime juice, a bit of spice, and a handful of salty tortilla chips crumbled over top. I added avocados to my husband’s plate but skipped it on mine because I’m weird like that. Don’t worry, you don’t even need cheese or sour cream to muddy things up. Keep it light and bright, like the best summer of my mind.

taco salad
1 large head of lettuce (rinsed, dried & torn to bits)
1 can of black beans, drained & rinsed
1/2 cucumber, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1/4 can of sliced black olives, drained

1/2 c fresh salsa
1/4 c freshly squeezed lime juice (or about 1.5 – 2 limes)
1/4 c olive oil
1 t crushed aleppo peppers (or 1/4 t chili flakes)
1/2 t cumin
a few squirts of your favorite hot sauce

1 avocado, sliced
a few handfuls of tortilla chips

In a large bowl, toss together the first 5 ingredients. In a 2-cup measuring cup, mix together the next 6 ingredients and pour over the salad. Scatter avocado slices on top along with the crushed tortilla chips.

Possibly related posts:

• photographic evidence: mexican black bean & tortilla salad
• salad days: southwest bean & pasta salad

I have a back log of great meals to mention but this one jumped the queue. Not only is it delicious but it is one of those eating-out-of-the-pantry meals that come in handy. Last night I was tempted to order something in, but my husband – usually the first one to suggest delivery pizza – was the voice of reason. So we dug around and pulled out a can of chickpeas along with a can of diced tomatoes and a couple half-empty packages of pasta. Add an onion, some garlic and an interesting choice of spices and our meal was beginning to take shape.

What makes this dish really stand out is the cinnamon. Lately, I’ve been loving the combination of cinnamon with tomatoes – it adds a different twist and it really helps to make a simple, pantry meal come alive with flavour. There’s some chili powder in there to round things out and I threw in a stock cube because I really wanted to add in some chicken stock but I didn’t have any on hand. The stock cube along with the olive oil (more olive oil than I would normally add in), gave this meal richness.

I happily ate the leftovers for lunch today. Sadly, the only photos I have of this dish are of my lunchtime leftovers. So please don’t be put off my the shoddy pics – because this meal is fantastic. This is great topped with feta and I’m sure even better with fresh parsley or dill.

elsewhere: Looking for an easy muffin recipe? Try these yogurt berry muffins over at Poppytalk.

mediterranean tomato sauce with chickpeas
3 T olive oil
1/2 onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large can of diced tomatoes
a pinch of kosher salt & a good grind of black pepper
1 vegetable stock cube, crumbled
1 t mexican chili powder
1/4 t cinnamon
1 can of chickpeas, drained & rinsed
feta cheese (optional)

In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add in onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes until soft. Add in the tomatoes, crumbled stock cube, chili powder, salt, pepper, cinnamon and chickpeas. Let simmer until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Serve over pasta and sprinkle with feta cheese if desired.

Possibly related posts:

• my favorite tomato sauce (with onions & orange)
• keep it simple stupid: quick n’ easy rainbow chard & chickpeas over rice

It seems a bit foolish to whip up a big bowful of chili when spring is here. And that’s the wonderful thing about Vancouver – buds and blossoms begin to show their colours in February and by March and into April it’s a thing of beauty. Saturday morning we hopped on our bikes and went out for breakfast and the weather was incredible – no jackets required. And when I went for a run later that night, with every breath I seemed to inhale every fragrant flower within my neighbourhood. Spring is here.

And yet here I am posting about beans and yams – winter fare. When I went to the Asian grocer down the street yesterday, everyone was clamouring for the bags of pea shoots, yet I stood in line with an orange and some green onions. Oh well, spring will come into my cooking soon enough. It’s been a busy couple of weeks, work-wise, and I needed something comforting of the highest order. This chili set the bar. It’s sweet, spicy, smokey and hearty and utterly, perfectly, delicious.

I used dried vaquero beans from Rancho Gordo that I had purchased last June when we swung by their retail shop while on holiday. Some people might panic at the thought of using dried beans when cans just seem so easy – I know, I used to be like that too. But it’s quite simple, really. That morning, I soaked the beans on the counter just after I made my morning coffee. They sat covered in water, swelling up slowly, for a few hours. Then, I drained and rinsed them and threw the beans in a pot with water and a couple of dried bay leaves and let them simmer for about an hour until tender. I used some of the cooking water to cook the yams and carrots – just use less broth if you choose to go this route. And there’s no need to fear any “ill affects” to using the bean water, if you know what I mean.

Despite the relatively simple ingredients, the flavour of this chili is a knock-out. The orange juice and zest provide a citrus punch that brings out such a complex bite. The orange flavour also helps to cut through the almost dusky, smokey flavour from the chili powder and chipotle. I loved it and urge you not to skip the orange! As for the addition of yams, sweet potatoes can be subbed in here instead if that’s what you’ve got. However, I loved the bright orange colour from the yams and carrots and even the ribbons of orange zest. It’s nice when you’ve got a chili that you can eat with your eyes as well.

yam & bean orange-scented chili
(adapted from Bon Appétit)
1 T olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 t dried chili flakes
1 T ground cumin
1 T chili powder
1 t dried chipotle powder
1/2 t dried oregano
2 yams, diced in 1″ cubes
1 large carrot, diced
1-2 c vegetable broth
1 large tin of diced tomatoes (28oz)
2 c cooked vaquero beans (black or pinto beans would be good substitutes)
salt & pepper
juice & zest of 1 orange

sour cream & diced green onions, for topping

In a large sauce pan or pot, heat olive oil and saute the onions and garlic until wilted and just starting to turn golden. Add in the spices, along with the yam, carrot and stir until coated. Pour in enough broth to just cover the yams & carrots and let cook, covered for 10 minutes. Add in the tomatoes and beans and simmer uncovered over med-low heat until the liquids thicken, about 30 minutes. Add in the orange juice and zest and taste, adding salt and pepper. Let simmer for another 10 minutes before serving. Serve with sour cream and diced green onions.

Possibly related posts:

• the girl can’t help it: spicy winter squash soup with apples & orange scented gremolata
• smoky spicy bean chili & elsewhere…