Spicy Black Beans with Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower

Summer is here; the deck furniture has been unearthed, the garden planted, and a few gin and tonic’s have been consumed. We’re ready to spend time on the deck with the neighbors and catch up after the long and very strange winter. 

 This year’s garden experiment is patty pan squash and onions. We decided that as much as we love cauliflower and broccoli they take up a lot of space with little return so we’ll leave that to the larger farms and we’ll support them at the farmers market. 

I found this recipe at Rebel Recipes and with just a couple minor tweaks (because either we didn’t have the ingredients or didn’t care for them) it’s the same. 

The blend of cumin, paprika and turmeric provides a rich base of flavors for the cauliflower and compliments the rustic flavor of the beans. For those of you who are purists and want to make your own beans (either in the instant pot or the old fashioned way), I say have at it. Semi retirement has given me more time to do the things I love. Sometimes I choose to start from scratch and others I choose to speed up the process so I can get back to my garden or what ever project I’m working on. 

Ingredients:

For the Cauliflower; 

1 medium head of cauliflower chopped into florets

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Big pinch sea salt

Black pepper

Big pinch chilli flakes

For the Black Beans; 

1 onion roughly chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic sliced

1 tsp Turmeric

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

10 cherry tomatoes sliced in half

1 can black beans – including the water

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

For the Cauliflower

Pre heat the oven to 350. Combine the oil and spices to a large bowl and mix well.

Add cauliflower and mix well. Place on a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and roast for 20 minutes. Remove from over, turn and continue to roast for an additional 20 minutes until the cauliflower is cooked and golden brown. Remove from the oven.

For the beans 

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and fry for 8-10 minutes until soft and browning. Add the garlic and and spices and fry for another minute or so. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook until softened - approx. 3 minutes. Add the black beans with their liquid and cover and simmer for 10 minutes

Combine the cauliflower with the black bean mixture, season and serve with flatbread. It was delicious and lucky for me I got the leftovers for lunch the next day!

Thanks for stopping by!

Twisted Tabbouleh

Emily’s deli is a little spot in Northeast Minneapolis that makes hands down the best tabbouleh in the city; the ingredients are fresh the seasonings spot on and the pita bread melts in your mouth - it’s worth the trip. 

A month ago I bought a bag of hemp hearts at Costco - which may or may not have been a good idea. I tried them in an overnight soaked “oats” kind of recipe - skip that; on salads - keep that and sprinkled like sesames seeds to finish off a dish - again keep. 

Hemp hearts may look little, but they contain 10 grams of plant-based protein and 12 grams of omega-3 and omega-6 per 30-gram serving (more than a comparable serving of flax or chia) so they are good for you and they have that nutty flavor I like. 

I had a tabbouleh craving and didn’t really have time for a trip to Emily’s so I did a quick search for a recipe. Knowing I didn’t have bulgar I decided to give hemp hearts a try as a substitute - definitely a good choice. 

I started with all the regular ingredients and simply replaced the bulgar with hemp hearts - done. 

Ingredients

1 cup Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts

1/2 cup diced onion

1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, quartered

1 cucumber, chopped into small bits (about 1 1/3 cup)

1 cup fresh mint, chopped

1 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 lemon, juiced

2 Tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Add all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine. Taste and add additional lemon juice, olive oil and pepper, if needed. Serve immediately or chill in the fridge until ready to serve. The tabbouleh may collect a little liquid as it sits, just give it a good stir if this happens.

Serve with pita bread - Nom nom nom. 

A 17 Ingredient Salad

Most people don’t count the number of ingredients in their salad but here we sometimes compete to see who can add the most ingredients. Honestly, the person who is better at foraging in the fridge and pantry usually wins. 

This is my first week of semi-retirement, I like it! Leaving work at 12:30 and then walking with my neighbor Shari is a great way to start the free afternoon. Right now we’re walking the trail that runs by our house but we’re thinking a tour or two around the lakes (after all we do live in a state that boasts “Land of 10,000 Lakes”) will be just the thing we need from time to time. 

I’ve also been working in the garden and have plans to get some of those closets and other areas cleaned out - that’s actually for winter, summer is a time for enjoying and I plan to do a lot of that now that I have time. Also looking forward to spending more time with friends and family and drinking a little wine :-)

Salads are a staple at our house and actually they were a staple when I was growing up. My mom was a fan of the protein, veggie and salad dinners and that’s obviously carried through in my life. Although there was one time as a teenager my mom asked me to make a salad and as teenagers do I stomped my foot and announced that if I had to make one more salad I was leaving home. That didn’t happen and in time I came to like them although the ones I make today do not contain iceberg lettuce, which as you know contains no nutritional value - it is good in tacos tho - it’s the crunch. 

One advantage to having more free time is that I can try more recipes - complicated as well as simple. In addition to the 17 ingredient salad I made last night, I made a chickpea salad with tatziki dressing and a salad with zucchini, asparagus and a lemon vinaigrette - all were delicious. 

Raw Ingredients

1 small head of romaine lettuce

1 handful of spinach

1 stalk of kale

1 handful of snap peas - chopped

1/2 cup blueberries

1/4 cup raspberries

1/4 cup blackberries

2 T hemp hearts

1/2 cup chickpeas

1 tomato - chopped

1 avocado

2 green onions

Roasted Veggies

1/2 red onion - chopped

1 sweet potato  cubed

1/2 red pepper - chopped

1/2 yellow pepper - chopped 

4 ounces of mushrooms - quartered

Dressing

1/4 c olive oil

1/8 cup balsamic vinegar

juice from 1/2 lemon

2 - 3 garlic cloves minced

splash of agave, honey or maple syrup (I used maple syrup)

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Chop roasted veggies, toss with 1 T olive oil and spices (I used Penzy’s New Orleans). Roast for @ 30 minutes, turning half way. 

While veggies are roasting, chop all raw ingredients and place in a salad bowl and make dressing. When veggies are done, dress raw ingredients and serve, 

Here are a couple of photos of our other cooking adventures - some before end some after I semi-retired. 

Chickpea Salad and Tatziki dressing

Cauliflower Ravioli, spinach salad and french bread

A non-vegetarian day - Grilled salmon with  lemon,& garlic and grilled zucchini with green onion and lemon vinagrette

Thanks for stopping by!

A Cinco de Mayo Salad

Hooray, Hooray it’s the 5th of May - which means it’s Cinco de Mayo! I love Mexican food, I love the spices, the textures and of course the avocado. I have a friend who once said that she would order a dish simply because one of the ingredients was avocado - go figure. 

This weekend there were 2 events - the Kentucky Derby and Cinco de Mayo. I’ve never celebrated the Derby - perhaps next year but I am a fan of Cinco. 

On Saturday we cleaned up the gardens in the front and headed off to Menards to get new pots - because after 14 years, ours were hatched. I’m working on new colors but I needed pots that matched the maroon one we still had so I went with an awesome dark blue and dark teal - the combo looks great on the back deck - next up - flowers to put in them. I also made a delicious guacamole to celebrate the day.

In honor of Cinco de Mayo I made 2 dishes this weekend - first a simple guacamole and tonight we had a vegan taco salad. The “meat” was a combo of onions, spices, lentils and toasted walnuts - delicious. I added to it lettuce, cilantro, olives, corn and cherry tomatoes with a kick ass dressing - there were no leftovers - which isn’t a bad thing. 

Taco "meat"

1/2 cup chopped walnut pieces

3/4 cup uncooked brown lentils 

1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup chopped white onion

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons salsa (or vegetable broth, or water)

Rinse lentils then add to a medium sauce pot and cover with water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 25 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the walnuts. Toast for ~2 minutes, stirring often until walnuts are lightly browned and fragrant, taking care not to burn. Place the walnuts in a small bowl and set aside.

Add the oil to the same skillet along with the onion and spices. Cook for 5-6 minutes until onions are reduced and translucent but not browned. Add the cooked (or canned) lentils and walnut mixture along with the salsa or broth and cook another 2-3 minutes, gently mashing some of the lentils with the back of your spoon/spatula.

Season to taste, adding more salt/spice as needed.

Salad

1 small head of romaine lettuce - shredded

1 cup cherry tomatoes - quartered

1/4 bunch cilantro - chopped

1/4 - 1/2 cup kalamata olives - chopped (add more or less depending on taste)

1 cup corn - either fresh from cob or frozen - cooked

1 cup cucumber - chopped
1 mango - cubed

Avocado dressing:

1 avocado

1/4 cup olive oil

juice of 1 lime

3T water

cumin

salt and pepper

Place avocado, oil and lime juice in a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth. Add cumin salt and pepper to taste. If needed, add water 1 T at a time until you reach your desired consistency.

Combine all salad ingredients in a medium bowl, add taco meat and avocado dressing - enjoy!

Muffins - Top and Stump

Did you ever watch the Seinfeld episode where Elaine would only eat the muffin tops? Like most episodes it was odd but humorous - but to be honest she does have a point about the tops they are crunchy, explosive and delicious. 

We dodged the snow bullet this weekend - which I am very grateful for because I am so over the snow. I’ve been slowly uncovering some of the perennial gardens - not all of them and definitely have not been raking the yard. It’s too early and the bees and butterflies are not ready to come out yet - so hang in there. I know, I know we only have a short growing season in MN but we need the bees to pollenate our trees and other plants. 

I did make a trip to Menards to get some seeds for the garden, we’ll be planting, spinach, lettuce, kale, cilantro, parsley, and dill. There will of course be beets, beans, peas, squash (acorn, zucchini and patty pan). We’ll do plants - tomatoes, pumpkins, maybe onions, Japanese eggplant, peppers (green, red, ancho and poblano) and of course herbs in pots on the deck. Looking forward to another year of deliciousness. 

We’ve been on an orange kick lately - thanks to my friend Barb Gale who turned us on to Cara Cara oranges a few years ago, we’ve been hooked and last week Dan found a very large bag at Costco - just at the same time I came home with bananas and blueberries - needless to say we had too much. We managed to get through the oranges and most of the blueberries but the bananas started to spot before we could get to all of them. 

You might recall this happened recently and we ended up with banana bread, which is delicious, but I wanted to use up the rest of the blueberries because I bought strawberries yesterday - food around here is a balancing act believe me. 

When I started the baking project this morning I was not totally awake and horrified when I accidentally grabbed the cumin instead of the cinnamon and put it in the muffins - not to worry, I was able to get most of it out and added a bit of additional cinnamon - it was all good. You could also use either all white flour or 1/2 white and 1/2 whole wheat in the recipe below - I decided to give whole wheat a try. 

Ingredients

2 large eggs

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

2 medium-size, ripe bananas, mashed 

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 cup oats

1 cup + 2 Tbsp whole wheat flour

1 cup blueberries, frozen or fresh

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350. Use cupcake liners or spray a 12 muffin pan with cooking spray - set aside. 

In a large mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs until the yolks break apart.  Add in the yogurt, bananas, sugar, vanilla, baking soda, cinnamon, and oats mixing until smooth.

Spoon in the flour and gently stir it in until just combined. Toss the blueberries in 1 Tbsp of flour to prevent them from bleeding or sinking to the bottom of the muffins, and fold them into the batter.

Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups, filling almost to the top. Add a sprinkle of sugar, if desired.

Bake for 20 - 22 minutes, or until the tops of the muffins begin to turn golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for ~5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

A Favorite Banana Bread

Happy Sunday! For some of you it’s Easter, some Passover and for the rest of us it’s Sunday; a good day for baking and blogging. Spring has officially arrived in Minnesota - I know that because the deck furniture has been unearthed, the tulips are coming up and I’ve finally tossed the pine branches I used as holiday decorations in the yard waste container. 

We’ve been busy. First the lower level bathroom is finally done and as far as I’m concerned there isn’t anymore remodeling in my near or far future. We went to the MIA Art in Bloom, tried a new restaurant, and Movie Nights with our friends Gerd and Maria are finally back on the calendar. 

I’ve been told I make an amazing banana bread. I found this recipe decades ago and honestly there isn’t anything unusual with respect to ingredients it’s all in the prep. The key - don’t over mix the bananas - leave them chunky because if you don’t, you end up with banana flavored bread and it’s dry and well not my favorite. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter 

1 cup brown sugar - packed

2 eggs

3 medium bananas

1 3/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions:

Cream butter and sugar.  Beat in eggs, 1 at a time until blended.  Break bananas into chunks and add - do not over mix.  Add dry ingredients and stir until just moistened.  Pour into a greased bread pan, bake at 350 for approximately 1 hour. 

Whatever holiday you celebrate - enjoy! Thanks for stopping by.

An Untraditional - Traditional Dish

We’re Irish and a bunch of other stuff but mostly Irish. I spent many a dinner as a kid avoiding corned beef and cabbage - mainly due to the look, smell and taste. There were however, some traditions I could get on board with - Colcannon. 

Colcannon is traditionally made from mashed potatoes and kale (or cabbage), with milk or cream, butter, salt and pepper. Often eaten with ham or Irish bacon, it is a year-round staple food, although today it is usually eaten in Fall or Winter when kale is in season. As an aside, a Irish Halloween tradition is to serve colcannon with a ring and a thimble or small coins hidden in the dish.

We’ve passed St Paddy’s day by about a month but today’s wintery weather made me want comfort food. Generally, you won’t find a potato in our pantry - we don’t need the carbs and honestly they don’t have much taste, unless you top them with all those things one should stay away from. So tonight we tossed tradition out the window, hopped on the Cauliflower bandwagon and steamed, chopped and sautéed our way to a healthier version of Colcannon.

INGREDIENTS

1 medium head cauliflower, separated into florets

1/4 cup almond milk

4 tablespoons vegan buttery spread, divided

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 leek, trimmed, washed, and sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small bunch kale, cut into small pieces

1/3 cup water

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

salt & pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat broiler.

Beak cauliflower into florets and steam until fork tender - transfer to a food processor. Add almond milk a little at a time and 2 tablespoons buttery spread and pulse to a smooth, creamy puree.

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add leeks and cook for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Add garlic and cook another minute, or until fragrant. Add kale and toss to coat. Add water, cover and cook for 3-5 minutes. Remove cover and reduce heat to low, stirring occasionally. Cook for another 10-12 minutes, or until kale is tender. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Fold cauliflower puree into the kale mixture until combined. Transfer to a baking dish and make a small well in the center of the dish. Place under broiler for about five minutes, or until lightly browned on top. Place remaining buttery spread into the well. Serve immediately.

We served it with a forest mushroom soup and some fruit.