Fast Vegan Chili

Adapted from Minimalist Baker- 5-ingredient Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili

Onion
2 sweet potatoes, cubed
16oz jar salsa
15oz can black beans, rinsed
2c. broth
2 c. water
Desired spices- 1-2T. chili powder, 1T. cumin, 1/2 t. cinnamon

Can saute onion, if time and desired.  Dump everything else in, stir, and simmer until potatoes are cooked.  Or dump into the crockpot on low until ready to eat.

Toppings: avocado, red onion, tortilla chips, lime

Fast Bars

Adapted from Genius Kitchen- No-Bake Rice Krispies Peanut Butter Granola Bars

 Melt on stove or in the microwave:
1c. peanut butter
1c. honey
1c. brown sugar

Mix
3 c. Rice Krispies
3 c. Quick Oats
2t. vanilla
sprinkle of Kosher salt

Pour melted peanut butter mixture over the cereal mixture and stir.  Press into a 9 by 13 pan. Sprinkle toppings over and press down.  (Chocolate chips!)  Put in fridge. 

Freezer Meal Chickpea Stew

THIS meal caught my eye on a Buzzfeed listicle.  We made it for a freezer meal get-together and it was a winner.  Everyone loved it.

1 yellow onion, diced
1 T. oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t. cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, coriander, ground cloves
salt, to taste
1 t. ginger
1 red chili
15 oz diced tomatoes
15 oz chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 large sweet potato, peeled and 1in. chunks
15 oz light coconut milk

Jasmine rice, to serve with


In skillet, heat oil and onion for 3-4 minutes.
Add garlic, chili, ginger and spices.  Heat.
Add all other ingredients. Simmer for 30 to 50 minutes.  (Taste after 20 minutes to see if you want more spices added.  Maybe even some cayenne pepper.)

Let cool. Package in gallon freezer bags.
We also packaged a cup of Jasmine rice in a small ziplock bag to freeze along side the dish so everything would be together when this meal was needed.

To reheat, thaw in fridge overnight and warm on stove.  Serve over cooked rice with a  parsley garnish, if on hand.

Noodles with Baby Shrimp

Another recipe from Favorite Brand Name Incredibly Easy Gluten-Free Recipes.

Little Miss on her 4th bowl of "more noodles."

This one, especially the noodles, was a huge hit at lunch today.

1 package (3 3/4 oz) cellophane noodles
3 green onions
1 Tbs vegetable oil
1 package (16 oz) frozen mixed vegetables (such as cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots)
1 cup vegetable broth (I used seafood broth)
8 oz cooked frozen baby shrimp
1 Tbsp gluten-free soy sauce
2 tsp dark sesame oil
1/4 tsp black pepper

1 Place noodles in large bowl.  Cover with boiling water; let soak 10-15 minutes or just until softened.  Drain noodles.  Cut noodles into 5-6 inch pieces; set aside.  Cut green onion into 1 inch pieces.

2 Heat wok or large skillet over high heat about 1 minute or until hot.  Drizzle vegetable oil into wok; heat 30 seconds.  Add green onions; stir-fry 1 minute.  Add mixed vegetables; stir-fry 2 minutes.  Add broth; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low; cover and cook 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

3 Add shrimp to wok; cook just until thawed.  Stir in noodles, soy sauce, sesame oil and pepper; stir-fry until heated through.

1 cup of broth is A LOT of broth.  It made it sort of like fishing for noodles and veggies.  I would aim for, maybe, 1/2 a cup next time.

Flourless Fried Chicken Tenders

Another recipe from Favorite Brand Name Incredibly Easy Gluten-Free Recipes.

1 1/2 cups chickpea flour
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
3/4 cup water plus 2-4 Tbsp
Oil for frying
1 pound chicken tenders
Curry Mayo Dipping Sauce (optional)

1 Sift chickpea flour into medium bowl.  Stir in Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and ground red pepper.  Gradually whisk in 3/4 cup water to make smooth batter.  Whisk in additional water by Tbsp if needed until batter in consistency of heavy cream.

2 Meanwhile, add oil to large heavy skillet or Dutch oven to 3/4-inch depth.  Heat over medium-high heat until drop of batter placed in oil sizzles (350 degrees).

3 Pat chicken pieces dry.  Dip chicken into batter with tongs; let excess fall back into bowl.  Ease chicken gently into oil; fry 2-3 minutes per side until slightly browned and chicken is cooked through.  Fry in batches; do not crowd pan.

4 Drain chicken on paper towels.  Serve warm with Curry Mayo Dipping Sauce, if desired.

Dipping Sauce:  Combine 1/2 cup mayo, 1/4 cup sour cream, and 1/2 tsp curry powder.  Stir in 2 Tbsp cilantro.


I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour.  Its main ingredient is garbanzo beans (another name for chickpeas).
I think this recipe could have used more red pepper.  Maybe 1/4 tsp?
I made the dipping sauce but did not add the sour cream just in-case my gluten and dairy intolerant family member wanted to try it.  He did not and I wish I had added the sour cream.  Might add it tomorrow for the leftover strips.
I obviously do not fry food very often.  All three Young Men joined me in the kitchen to see and hear the "bubbles."
They, well, 2 out of 3, enjoyed the strips with BBQ sauce.
The picture of the strips at the top was the first batch.  Later batches were more golden colored.  Probably, should have let the oil heat up another minute or two.

Italian-Style Shepherd's Pie

From Favorite Brand Name Incredibly Easy Gluten-Free Recipes

1 pound poatoes, peeled and quartered
2-3 Tbsp. milk  (I used raw cow's milk.  You could use broth or milk of choice.)
3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound ground beef
1 chopped onion (about 1/2 cup)
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp fennel seeds, finely crushed
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
2 cups diced yellow summer squash
1 can (about 14 oz) chunky tomatoes
1 cup frozen corn
1/3 cup tomato paste

1 Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine potatoes and enough water to cover in medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Boil, uncovered, 20-25 minutes or until tender; drain.  Mash potatoes, adding enough milk to read desired consistency.  Stir in Parmesan cheese.  Set aside.

2 Brown beef and onion in large skillet over medium-high heat 6-8 minutes, stirring to break up meat.  Drain fat.  Stir in Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, and red pepper.  Add squash, tomatoes, corn, and tomato paste; mix well.  Spoon mixture into 2-quart casserole.  Spoon potatoes over top.

3 Bake 20-25 minutes or until meat mixture is bubbly.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Triple-Play Chocolate Cake

My mom, the amazing grandma and mom that she is, got me a cookbook for my birthday called Learning to Bake Allergen-Free A Crash Course For Busy Parents on Baking without Wheat, Gluten, Dairy, Eggs, Soy or Nuts.  She, also, got me some xanthan gum.
Thankfully, my birthday is 5 days before my youngest's.  So, I got to try out a cake recipe today for his 4th birthday and it was a success!  So, much so that there are only 10 pieces of a 9x13 cake left.

2 1/2 cups gluten-free flour blend (I used Bob's Red Mill flour blend)
1/2 tsp xanthan gum (leave out if your flour blend contains xanthan gum)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
4 Tbsp shortening
1 cup allergen-free chocolate chips
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (I used homemade)
1 cup flaxseed gel (equal to 4 eggs) (I used 4 eggs)
2 cups chocolate milk (I used raw cow's milk)
2 tsp vanilla extract

1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 9x13 pan with cooking oil.
2 Mix the flour, xanthan gum (if needed), sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.  Set it aside.
3 Melt the shortening and the chocolate chips together in a small bowl.  Stir these two ingredients together thoroughly.
4 Combine the applesauce, flaxseed gel, milk, and vanilla together in a large bowl, with a mixer on medium-low speed, about 1 minute.
5 Add the chocolate and shortening mixture and blend for 1 more minute.
6 Gradually, add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients.  Blend completely.
7 Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
8 Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Greek Style Salmon

This was dinner tonight.  As I mentioned with the previous recipe, we are in the process of going gluten-free.
Another mom I know, who has, "Been there.  Done that."  Lent me a cookbook called Favorite Brand Name Incredibly Easy Gluten-Free Recipes.  This is another recipe from this cookbook.

1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1 3/4 cups (1 can) diced tomatoes, drained
6 black olives, coarsely chopped
4 green olives, coarsely chopped
3 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 Tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 pound salmon fillets

1 Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add tomatoes, olives, lemon juice, parsley, capers, garlic, and pepper.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently.
2 Cook tomato mixture 5 minutes or until reduced by about one third, stirring occasionally.
3 Rinse salmon and pat dry with paper towels.  Push sauce to one side of skillet.  Add salmon to skillet; spoon sauce over salmon.  Cover and cook 15 minutes or until salmon begins to flake when tested with fork.

I would in the future, serve this with couscous or something....some years later, I served it with a rice and quinoa mix. I, also, added Feta to the top.

Quinoa & Shrimp Salad

We have been busy going gluten-free at our house.  Which has reduced me to tears multiple times in the last few weeks and causes tension in my back every time I think about setting foot in my kitchen.  So, sad when a favorite hobby turns into a horrible nightmare.
A friend, who has gluten tolerance issues in her own home, lent me a cookbook called: Favorite Brand Name Incredibly Easy Gluten-Free Recipes.  I, greatly, appreciate all the pictures in this cookbook.  As well as finding a second recipe that uses quinoa that my husband approves of.


1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1 bag (12 oz) frozen cooked baby shrimp, thawed and well drained
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 Tbsp capers
2 Tbsp finely chopped green onion
3 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1/8 tsp black pepper

1 Place quinoa in strainer.  Rinse well under cold water.  Bring water and 1/4 tsp salt to boil in medium saucepan over hight heat.  Stir in quinoa.  Cover; resuce heat to low.  Simmer 12 to 14 minutes or until quinoa is tender and water is absorbed.  Cool to room temp.

2 Combine quinoa, shrimp, tomatoes, basil, capers and green onion in large bowl.  Combine oil, lemon juice, lemon peel, pepper and remaining 1/4 tsp salt in small bowl.  Pour over salad.  Toss gently to mix well.

Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potatoes

This recipe was discovered on Nick's website.  However, I don't want to loose it since it is the first quinoa recipe I ever made and it was well received by both myself and my husband.  And, it falls into the category of things that my youngest can eat.

Quinoa Salad

Yield: Serves 6-8.

Prep Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients:

2 Cups dried quinoa, rinsed
2 large sweet potatoes, cubed and blanched (or sub 1 medium butternut or acorn squash, halfed, roasted and cubed)
1 Cup dried cranberries (you can use raisins, cherries, mango, whatever)
1 Cup pumpkin seeds (you can use sunflower seeds)
1/2 Cup olive oil
1/4 Cup red wine vinegar
Juice from one lemon
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Teaspoon paprika (optional)
Salt and pepper

Cook quinoa per package instructions.  I purchase it bulk.  So, it is a two parts water to one part quinoa ratio.  All quinoa says to rinse thoroughly.  However, I do not own a strainer with small enough wholes.  I tried using a coffee filter, but that was to fine.  So, rinsing does not occur in my world for quinoa.

First, stick your sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and poke a few holes in them with a fork. Bake them at 350 degrees for about 50-60 minutes until they’re very tender.
By the way this is the same process I used for both the butternut squash and the acorn squash. Just chop them in half, poke some holes in the skin, and bake them for 50-60 minutes.
Let your potatoes cool for a few minutes after they come out of the oven and then peel and slice them into about 1/2 inch strips.  (Nick's instructions.)  Cube the strips.

Then, you mix everything together.
Mix the quinoa, sweet potatoes, cranberries, and seeds.
Mix your dressing up and pour over your quinoa mixture.  Toss to coat.  The dressing should be on the less is more side, not standing in the bottom of the bowl.

Spicy Pork Chop Casserole

I am writing this recipe as written in the cookbook Incredibly Easy Gluten-Free Recipes.  However, when I made it, I doubled the recipe and used a 9x13 casserole dish.  I, also, had purchased a pork loin at the grocery store on sale in the last week and had sectioned it into 3 pound sections before freezing.  I sliced the  3 pound pork loin into 9 pork chops and put 8 of the 9 on top of the casserole.  The 9th, I pan fried and then put in the oven in a separate container for my husband's dinner.
I used Italian  diced tomatoes.
Additionally, I would like to thank Laura Poe for lending me the cookbook.  As we are new to gluten-free, it has been a blessing to have her encouragement.

Nonstick cooking spray
2 cups frozen corn
2 cups frozen diced hash brown potatoes
1 can (about 14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, drained
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp olive oil
4 boneless pork loin chops (about 3 oz each), cut about 3/4 inch think
1/4 tsp black pepper (I used more and I used fresh ground)
1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (optional - I didn't use)

1- Preheat over to 375 degrees.  Lightly spray 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
2- Lightly spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray.  Add corn, cook and stir over medium-high heat about 5 minutes or until corn begins to brown.  Add potatoes; cook and stir about 5 minutes or until potatoes begin to brown.  Add tomatoes, chili powder, oregano, cumin and red pepper flakes; stir until blended.  Transfer corn mixture to prepared dish.
3- Add oil and pork chops to skillet.  Cook over medium-high heat until browned on one side.  Place browned side up on top of corn mixture in baking dish.  Sprinkle with black pepper.  Bake, uncovered, 20 minutes or until meat is barely pink in center (160 degrees F).  Sprinkle with cheese, if desired.  Let stand 2-3 minutes before serving. 
Makes 4 servings.

Salsa for Canning

I am copy and pasting this recipe.

10 lbs tomatoes, chopped
6 medium onions, chopped
3 cups bell peppers (any kind), chopped
12 jalapeno peppers, chopped and seeded
5 chili peppers, chopped and seeded (this will make it spicy or milder, depending on the peppers you choose)
10 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 1/3 cups white vinegar
1/4 cup salt
2 tsp pepper
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp cumin
2 tbsp lime juice
3 cans tomato paste (the bigger cans, not the tiny ones)

Combine all ingredients except tomato paste in a large stock pot. Simmer approximately 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomato paste and mix well. Simmer another 20 minutes or so. At this point, I take out about half of the salsa, blend it smooth in the blender and then return it to the pot, but you can leave it chunky if you prefer. Ladle into hot jars leaving 1/4" headspace. Cap and process 15 minutes in a water bath canner. Remove jars and let cool.

This recipe makes approximately 15 pints.

I followed directions from here for getting the jars,  tomatoes, and finished product ready. 

The main tips I used were:
1) Use Roma tomatoes for salsa.

2) Place a few tomatoes at a time in boiling water, for 30-45 seconds.  Pull out and submerge in ice water.  Skins will slide right off.

3) Run jars through the dishwasher on the sanitize cycle.  (Our dishwasher does not have a sanitize cycle.  So, I used the pots and pans cycle and put it on heated water and dry.)

4) Bathe the jars in boiling water for 20 minutes.  (I aimed to have the jars covered with water, but my pans aren't big enough for the taller jars.)

5) I covered my towels after the bath to keep them from draft overnight.  All my jars were sealed in the a.m.

Stuffed Pepper Soup

We have been gone and this morning we were home and the weather was cool.  So, we picked all the good stuff out of our garden.  I could not bring myself to freeze all of it and, did I mention, the weather is cool.  So, the logical conclusion is...SOUP!

 

So, after looking on-line for a recipe, twice because my youngest takes great humor in closing my tabs or clicking on and opening ads.  I came across this recipe and proceeded to follow it very loosely, which for me is NEVER done with a new recipe.  But, did get great reviews from my husband.  :-)
So, after reading the recipe, I decided to start by browning my hamburger because I do not want all that grease in my finished soup which would be added if I added my raw hamburger to my veggies.
After browning the hamburger, while it was draining, I sweated my veggies.  These are the veggies at the beginning of cooking.

Once the veggies were tender, they looked like the picture above, I put the hamburger in.

I, then, added the rice and began adding tomatoes.  I'm not really sure how much tomato is in there.  I just kept pulverizing and adding till I thought it looked good.

So, here is my version of the recipe...

1 onion chopped
3 stalks celery chopped
4 small bell peppers chopped
1 pound hamburger browned
Garlic (Definitely used more than a clove)
1/2 cup white rice (uncooked)
Tomatoes
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp sugar (I will probably use less next time)
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Cinnamon

Brown your hamburger and drain.
While your hamburger is draining, put your onion, bell pepper, celery, and fresh chopped garlic in your soup pan.  (I used some of the hamburger grease that remained in the pan to sweat my veggies.  Or, you can use a little cooking oil.)
Let veggies cook until they are soft.
Put hamburger back in the pan.
Add rice, water, tomatoes, sugar, salt, and pepper.  Put a lid on it and let it cook till the rice is tender, roughly 45 minutes.  Watch it and stir it occasionally.  If it is looking like there isn't enough liquid, add more tomatoes.
Taste the soup at this point to make sure you like it.  You can add more salt, pepper, sugar.  When it is to your liking and the rice is cooked and a good sprinkle of cinnamon.  Stir and serve.  (I served with saltines because I thought it might need a little extra salt but didn't want to risk screwing up the goodness I already had going by adding to much salt.)

Beef Fried Rice

•  1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 3 cups cold cooked rice
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions

• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Pour eggs into skillet. As eggs set, lift edges, letting uncooked portion flow underneath. When eggs are completely cooked, remove to a plate; set aside.
• In the same skillet, cook beef and onions over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Stir the rice, bean sprouts and cilantro. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients until blended; stir into skillet. Chop egg into small pieces; stir into skillet and heat through. Yield: 4 servings.

On facebook, I am a member of a group called Food & Cheer.  One of the ladies in the group posted this recipe a week or so ago.  I made it for dinner Friday night.  Before I had even taken a bite, my husband was raving about how good it was.  I, also, took it to our church's potluck today.  Where my father-in-law requested the recipe.

Yogurt

IT WORKS!!! Oh my gosh. It actually works, is easy and tastes good.

HERE and HERE are two of the many recipes I read.

So I have seen how to make yogurt on multiple blogs but I was so scared to try it. I had a fear of it smelling like spoiled milk and in my mind it seemed so complicated. Finally, I gave in and tried it after I saw the stack of 32 oz yogurt containers piling up under the sink. Two 32oz yogurts every week.

32oz of yogurt costs $3.50
1/2 gallon of whole organic milk costs $3.50+ $1.50 worth of honey, starter and vanilla

I was persuaded by the price to try it.


Ingredients
1/2 gallon whole milk (1% to whole is fine)
1/2 cup starter (I use just plain yogurt with live active cultures.)
1/2 cup honey (or other sweetener)
1 T vanilla (optional)


Put 1/2 gallon of milk in the crockpot on low for 2 1/2 hours.

Turn the crockpot off and let sit for 2 1/2 hours.

Whisk together a cup of yogurt from the crockpot, 1/2 of plain yogurt starter, 1/2 cup honey and 1 T vanilla. Add back to the crockpot and whisk together.

Wrap the crockpot in a beach towel and place in a cool oven overnight. (8+ hours. The oven is to keep it the same temperature, safe from drafts.)

Pull it out and YOU HAVE YOGURT in the morning!
It is amazing. Almost as cool as making bread.

One of my children likes to drink it with a straw. Put if you want it thicker you can put a coffee filter at the bottom of a strainer to let the whey drain. (See link given above.)

There are videos to watch on YouTube if you are nervous too. I think, it is worth it!

Pizza Sauce WITHOUT TOMATOES!!!

LOOK at that beautiful pizza. Pizza crust made with whole wheat flour and topped almond cheese.

This recipe is from Heidi at Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom.
She has great photos on her site of how to make this. Check out her other comments and suggestions too.

I found this recipe when my husband's aunt came over. I was planning on making pizza for dinner but she can not have tomatoes. This recipe is so good and could fool anyone that it is not make with tomatoes.

onion, chopped
garlic, chopped
1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
3 T lemon juice
1 T overflowing of balsamic vinegar
8 oz can beets, drained (save liquid)
15 oz pumpkin puree (NOT pie filling)
1/2 c veggie broth
1 t. salt
lots of pepper
1/2 c. fresh basil
2 T dried oregano
1 1/2 t. cornstarch +2T beet juice


Sautee onion and garlic until onion is translucent.
Add lemon juce and vinegar.
Simmer 5minutes.
Puree beets in blender. (Save the liquid.)
Add pureed beets, pumpkin, salt, pepper, basil and oregano to pan. Stir.
Whisk in broth.
Simmer 5 minutes. DO NOT OVERCOOK.
Whisk cornstarch with a little beet juice then put in hot pan.
Cook 1 more minute.
Taste to adjust any seasoning.

Another New Label- Gluten Free

I am adding a 'gluten free' label to the blog to help you find new recipes to try! Please, read notes I have added in the bottom for some recipes for special changes and feel free to comment changes of your own.

Curried Pork Tenderloin

Penzeys Spices 2011 catalog

2 1/2 lb pork tenderloin
2 t. oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
15 oz. can regular or light coconut milk
1/2 cup dried papaya, diced
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dried pineapple, diced
2 t. sweet curry powder
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. powdered ginger
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 T fresh chopped cilantro, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the tenderloin on all sides. Place the pork in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Add the onions to the skillet and cook over medium heat until translucent. Add the coconut milk, papaya, raisins, pineapple and spices and simmer for five minutes. Add the chicken stock and simmer for an additional minute. Pour over the tenderloin and place in the oven. Roast at 350 for 45 minutes. Let rest before carving. Slice and serve with the coconut-fruit sauce on the side. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

CROCKPOT: I didn't want to heat up the kitchen with the oven, so I simply followed the instructions then placed the meat and sauce in the crockpot on low for 8 hours. It turned out great!

I love the sweet fruit with the pork. And it looked beautiful served over rice.

Texas Caviar (Stick with me here)

15 oz red kidney beans (1 can or 2 cups cooked)
15 oz garbanzo beans
15 oz white northern beans
15 oz black beans
1 onion, finely chopped
1 lb. corn, cooked and chilled, 4-6 ears or roughly 3 cups
1 small bunch cilantro, chopped


Dressing

¼ cup olive oil
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. chili powder, cajun seasoning, or cayenne pepper
½ tsp. salt to taste
½ lime (juice of, 1-2 Tbsp.)


Cook all the beans and rinse well. If you are using canned beans, drain them well and rinse them. Combine them in a mixing bowl. Add the onion and cilantro and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the dressing ingredients and mix well. Add dressing to taste. The salad will absorb a lot of the dressing, so you may not want to add it all at once. Mix well, cover and chill overnight. Taste and add extra dressing if desired.


Serve as a side salad or as a salsa with chips. Enjoy


A serving is 1 cup and has 9 grams of protein.

Vegan Spinach Pesto

This is from the Penzey's catalog. I think, it needs a few additions; these will be indicated in para theses next to the recipe.

10 oz baby spinach (also basil)
2 T pine nuts or walnuts (both, and 4T each)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (1/4 to 1/2 cup Parmesan and/or Romano cheese)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 t. granulated garlic
water or olive oil as needed

Place the spinach, pine nuts, yeast and olive oil in a food processor or blender and pulse until well-blended, scraping the sides as needed. Add the water or more olive oil and pulse to reach your desired consistency.

Serve on freshly cooked pasta or spread on pizza dough and top with tomato slices.

This is a beautiful shade of green and a nice change up from a tomato based sauce. I don't think it is a pesto without the basil. I do like the nuts and they would be a nice garnish as well.