Nourishing Flourishing

So, I know I’m talking about beans quite bit lately… Beans in soup, beans in curry, beans in pizza, beans in crackers, beans in desserts… Who knows where beans will end up next?! (Don’t answer that…) Anyway, these ubiquitous little balls of protein are showing up just one more place today, before I lay them to rest (for a week, at least)…. Now I know this seems boring. Unfried Refried Beans? But hear me out: 1) This is the easiest recipe for beans ever. 2) It’s one of the healthiest things you can eat. 3) It’s insanely delicious. Better than the lard-infused kind my dad grew up with and reminisces about. My husband begs — begs — me to make these every week. And they’re so easy, I usually do. And every time, he takes a bite, closes his eyes, and gives me his Giada face:

Then he sings my the beans’ praises — because you know they’re simply the best.

(I just wish he would sing it with a horse next to him. While wearing high heeled booties. And a leotard. You go Tina.)

So. Trust me that these really are worth having more beans in your life, and on the blog. Speaking of the blog (and not fleeing it due to the prevalent bean-centric recipes), I have so many posts lined up for the next month that I am seriously excited to share. A few of you have already made awesome general and recipe requests; feel free to leave a comment, tweet, or email me if you have any in mind, too!

Ok. Wow. ADD runs strong in this family. –> The beans.
I used a mix of dried adzuki and black beans to make this batch, because it’s what I had on hand, but truly you can use whatever bean you like. Also, this is an excellent way to save money — dried beans are pretty much always cheaper than canned! You can make this on the stove instead of in a crockpot; just soak your beans the night before, and cook until very soft. Then follow steps 4-6. Simple simple.

Ingredients:
2 C dry beans
6 C water
2 t salt
2 t coarse ground pepper
7 cloves garlic, chopped (not too small)
2 Tb oregano
1 1/2 T cumin
1 t paprika
cayenne and extra salt to taste

Recipe:
1) Add everything to the crockpot.
2) Set to High.
3) Walk away for a few hours.
4) Once everything is nice and soft (beans break easily — mine took about 5 hours), pour out most of the excess water, reserve 1 cup of beans if you like it chunky, and transfer everything else to a blender or food processor. (Be careful — it’s hot!)
5) Add lots of salt (if you’re like me, at least). Whir it up to the consistency you like.
6) Pour into a bowl, and add reserved beans (if you like it chunky). Mix them in, mashing a little along the way.

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That’s it! Sometimes I find I like to add a few more sprinkles of spice at the end, just to give it extra pop. I ate mine with — what else? — more beans: my herbed chickpea crack-ers. I know, I have a problem. Please do something normal, like putting it in a burrito with non-bean complements… Oy.

Ok. No beans in sight for a while — promise! < 3
How do you eat your beans? Post requests?

Part of the Pennywise Platter Carnival

So my husband decided it would be funny to take pictures when I wasn’t paying attention. Here is the result (there’s a reason for me sharing this, bear with me)….[Note: I cannot be held responsible for the lack of quality of these photos ;  ) ]

Ok, film strip done. I find it ridiculous that I had no idea what was going on that entire time. Clearly, I need to pay better attention. Now, the point is this: it is insanely easy to make a fast, healthy, delicious lunch. I looked in the fridge, and just started putting things together! The key is to have healthy ingredients on hand. Here’s what my main dish was — it took about 3 minutes total to prepare (cook –> in my mouth):

- romaine lettuce
- leftover cooked white beans
- scrambled ethically sourced egg
- homemade salsa verde
– small amount of organic pepper jack cheese
- hot sauce (my weakness)

(I did eat other things alongside it that took no preparation, e.g., perhaps a scone?!)

So, thanks Husband for catching a moment in the life of Katie, and for reminding me that I never need to fret if I’m late — food finds a way to come together fast :  )

What’s your favorite “fast” meal to throw together in a rush?

Meet my little friend: the tomatillo.

Have you seen these before in the store, or at a farmer’s market, and cowered in fear? Or slowly backed away, hoping the intimidating, bizarre, foreign freak of the vegetable aisle didn’t catch you looking at it?

Fear not. Just like baby-making was a mysterious, frightening process we weren’t supposed to know about as kids, this salsa-making process turns out to be less complicated – and a lot more fun – than you anticipated.

…cough… (Sorry, Dad…)

Yes, beneath that weird, loose, papery skin is a green gem. It’s also a little sticky. But don’t let that deter you! All you need to make this seemingly intimidating, but beautifully simple sauce is a few ingredients. It’s a chance to be adventurous, but not “I-think-I’ll-take-up-naked-bull-running-in-Spain” adventurous. I’ll even help. Promise.

How to find a good tomatillo:
- make sure the papery husk is still green, and is not peeled
- firm
- not squishy, wet, brown, or yellow

Don’t freak out if you don’t really know what you’re doing in the market. Be sociable and ask someone, or just grab and hope. It’ll be fine. Also, if you are not used to heat, go with an Anaheim chili, and remove the seeds. (For help picking chilies, click here.)

Recipe (ish):
1 ½ – 2 lbs of tomatillos
1 large onion (I like red for kick)
3-6 garlic cloves, peeled
1-2 green chili peppers (Jalapeño, Anaheim, Serrano, etc.)
1 bunch cilantro
Salt + Pepper
Juice of ½ a lime

- Peel husks off tomatillos. They are sticky underneath; just run under some water.

– Cut your onion into fourths.
– Cut your chili in half, remove the seeds (if needed), and cut in half again.
– Place whole tomatillos, onion, chili, and whole peeled garlic cloves in a dry pan.
– Turn stove heat to medium. Let a little char develop on each, and flip, or stir.

- After you have some black on the other side, remove the pan from the burner.
- Get your blender out. You may want to let these cool, as the ingredients are steaming hot. I’m impatient, so I just go with it. I like to live dangerously.
– Throw in some tomatillos, garlic, and onion. Whir it up.

– Once ingredients are looking blended and chunky (your call on how chunky), throw in some cilantro. Whir it.

– Repeat this process until everything is…well, processed!
– Place the salsa in the pan. Stir in the lime juice.
– Salt and pepper to your taste. If you like, you can cook it on medium on the stove to blend the flavors.

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What these pictures lack in skill, the salsa verde totally makes up for in flavor. Trust me. You’ll forgive my lack of lighting when you taste it. We serve our tomatillo salsa verde with chips, eggs (–> the absolute best way), quesadillas, enchiladas, beans, burritos, on pizza, and as a soup (with some added ingredients).