Green Beans With Corn

After a long hiatus, I dipped back into my Indian cookbook by Balkejar et al. to create a dish for a family medicine potluck. I wanted to make something that wasn't carbohydrate-full, like most of the fare for potlucks. This dish, while having its problems, certainly fit well into the rest of the foods presented and got eaten entirely, although no one commented on it to me. Overall I found it rather too strong and wished that the flavors of the ginger and the garlic were less overpowering, although admittedly the combination was rather interesting. In the future I might half the amount of the spices (as well as the salt-- too much), or substitute a smaller amount of powdered ginger and garlic salt for the actual ginger and garlic. I used fresh green beans, which are my current favorite fresh vegetable, and cooked for the same amount of time with nice effect. The green beans were cooked but still a bit crunchy at the end, just how the Robber would like them. I also omitted the red chile, and seeing as how it was spicy enough without it, didn't feel the loss. Furthermore, I found the kidney beans somewhat superfluous. Like all recipes like these, the proportions are probably best played with to find something most satisfactory to you, but following the original recipe will yield a tasty-- if strong--vegetable product.

Ingredients:

1 tsp. oil
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 medium red onion, diced
1/3 cup frozen corn kernels
1/4 cup canned red kidney beans, drained
6 oz. frozen green beans
1 fresh red chile, seeded and diced
1 garlic clove, chopped
1-inch piece fresh ginger root, finely chopped
1 T. chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp. salt
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced, to garnish

Directions:

1) Heat the oil in a karahi, wok, or heavy pan for about 30 seconds, then add the mustard seeds and onion. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.

2) Add the corn, red kidney beans, and green beans. Stir-fry for 3-5 minutes.

3) Add the red chile, chopped garlic and ginger, cilantro, and salt and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.

4) Remove the pan from the heat. Transfer the vegetables to a serving dish and garnish with the diced tomato.

Nutritional Notes

Serves 4-- per serving:
84 cal energy
3.44 g fat
0.50 g saturated fat
11.13 g carbohydrate
2.70 g fiber

Peppery Bean Salad

From the Best Ever Indian Cookbook by Baljekar et al.

Ingredients:

15 oz. can red kidney beans
15 oz. can black-eyed peas
15 oz. can chickpeas
1/4 red bell pepper
1/4 green bell pepper
6 radishes
1 T. chopped scallion

1 tsp. ground cumin
1 T. ketchup
2 T. olive oil
1 T. white wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce

Directions:

1) Drain the red kidney beans, black-eyed peas, and chickpeas and rinse under cold running water. Shake off the excess water and put them in a large bowl.

2) Core, seed, and chop the bell peppers. Trim the radishes and slice thinly. Add the bell peppers, radishes, and scallion in the bowl.

3) Make the dressing. Mix together the cumin, ketchup, oil, vinegar, and garlic in a small bowl. Add a little salt and hot pepper sauce to taste and stir again thoroughly.

4) Pour the dressing over the salad and mix. Cover the salad and chill for at least 1 hour before serving garnished with the sliced scallion.


Notes:

For the salad I used 1 15 oz. can black beans instead of black eyed peas, used 1 whole red and 1 whole green pepper for extra vegetables and omitted the radishes.

For the dressing I omitted the ketchip and hot pepper sauce and added in chili powder and lemon juice to taste.

Robber and I both agree this would be delicious when served along with some hot cornbread.

Nutty Salad

From The Best Ever Indian Cookbook by Baljekar et. al.

I started making this salad and looked into the bowl dejectedly. "This will never make enough!" I thought to myself. "I think I will double it." "Heck," I thought, "I will triple it!"

A few minutes later when I had a huge entire pot full of salad, I realized that after marrying the Robber my life will never be the same. I have already forgotten how to cook for myself.

It is now one week later and I still have a half-pot of salad left.

Ingredients for the salad:

5 ounce can red kidney beans, drained
1 medium onion, cut into 12 rings
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 medium yellow squash, sliced
2/3 C pasta shells, cooked
1/2 C cashew nuts
1/4 C peanuts
fresh cilantro and lime wedges, to garnish

Ingredients for the dressing:

4 ounces low-fat ricotta cheese
2 T. plain low-fat yogurt
1 fresh green chile, chopped
1 T. chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp. crushed dried red chiles
1 T. lemon juice

Directions:

1. Drain the kidney beans. Arrange them with the onion rings, kidney beans, zucchini slices, and pasta in a salad dish and sprinkle the cashew nuts and peanuts over the top.

2. In a separate bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, yogurt, green chile, fresh cilantro, and salt. Beat well using a for until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. You may find it easier to add the cilantro leaves a few at a time and mix in to let their flavor permeate the mixture and ensure the resulting dressing is smooth in texture.

3. Sprinkle the crushed peppercorns, red chiles, and lemon juice over the dressing. Garnish the salad with fresh cilantro and lime wedges and serve with the dressing.

Serves 4.

Nutritional notes from the book, per portion:

Energy 199 cal
Fat 11.6 g
Saturated Fat 2.63 g
Carbohydrates 15.2 g
Fiber 2.9 g

Black Bean and Butternut Squash Burritos

First inspired by a trip to the Moosewood last fall, this was my second go around with these burritos and I am a big fan. I made 15 of them last night, we ate 10, and I'm freezing the remaining 5 for a future date. They are very hearty and filling while managing to feel exceptionally healthy when you are eating them. What an awesome find.

From Epicurious: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Black-Bean-and-Vegetable-Wraps-5926

Ingredients: (my modifications are in parentheses)

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil --(peanut oil as needed)
2 large garlic cloves, minced --(omitted)
1 cup diced red bell pepper --(chopped up one whole pepper)
1 cup diced yellow bell pepper --(chopped up one whole pepper plus a whole orange pepper)
1 cup 1/2-inch pieces zucchini --(chopped up three zucchinis)
1 cup 1/2-inch pieces peeled butternut squash --(maybe three cups? a lot)
1 cup chopped red onion --(chopped one whole onion)
2 teaspoons ground cumin --(to flavor)
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained --(1 16 oz. can + 1 16 oz. can red kidney beans)
1 cup (packed) grated hot pepper Monterey Jack cheese --(grated a whole medium sized chunk)

4 9- to 10-inch-diameter flour tortillas (burrito size) --(15 tortillas)
4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro --(lots)

Directions:

1) Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and stir 30 seconds. Add bell peppers, zucchini, squash, and onion and sauté until crisp-tender, about 8 minutes. (I sauteed the squash separately and then pureed it in the blender with a little left over pumpkin). Mix in cumin (plus salt, pepper, and other spices) and sauté until vegetables are tender, about 2 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper. Place beans in large bowl; mash coarsely with fork (I didn't mash my beans, just the squash.) Mix in vegetables and cheese.

2) Place tortillas on work surface. Spoon a generous 1/3rd cup of filling down center of each. Sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon cilantro. Roll up tortillas, enclosing filling. Arrange wraps, seam side down, on baking sheet. (Can be made 1 hour ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

3) Preheat oven to 350°F. Cover wraps with foil. Bake until filling is just heated through, about 10 minutes. Cut each wrap into 2 or 3 sections.

Rooftop Couscous

A couscous I dreamed up using what Jane had lying around in her Manhattan apartment:

Cook some couscous. (Jane did this, I didn't watch how much she put in.)

Saute some chopped carrot in olive oil, after a while add in chopped onion and minced garlic. Right before they are done, add in blanched or sliced almonds until oiled and barely browned.

Chop raisins. Drain and rinse red kidney beans.

Mix everything together with the couscous, seasoning with salt, cumin, nutmeg, and ginger. Delicious!