Nourishing Flourishing

So apparently I’m not easing into the season as smoothly as I thought I would…

I went and bought an ice cream maker at Goodwill for $3 a couple weekends ago.

And now… I think I have a problem. It’s called “ice cream.”

And I can’t stop making it.

This recipe uses just three ingredients. THREE.

The ice cream actually came into being on a rather cloudy, brisk day. It was the first time I’ve worn jeans out of necessity in months! But, I love Fall and all its cozy glory, so I celebrated by eating a bowl of this on the porch, all bundled up and content in my sweater.

It’s the little things.

Once we tasted this miracle, we were in awe. We started dreaming immediately about how we could find excuses to make it for any occasion. Can you imagine — a scoop with apple or pumpkin pie?! Oh. Oh. Oh oh oh. Just wait ’til those holidays roll around. It’s gonna be ice cream biznass time, all the time. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, don’t worry — you can try this using the Ziploc method that Lynnea so kindly shared on the Nourishing Flourishing Facebook page:

1 quart sized ziploc bag and 1 gallon sized ziploc bag are a great icecream maker. : ) put ice and salt in the big one, put you ingredients in the smaller one, zip the smaller one and place into the bigger one, zip it up and shake for 10 minutes. : D [thank you 2nd grade science!]

Thanks Lynnea! <3

I should be transparent, though, and say I haven’t tried it that way, so I’m not 100% sure it will work for this coconut milk base – but I would presume so. If that makes you nervous… I know — none of us like to have too many appliances. I don’t even own a real blender. Or a stand mixer. Or anything else considered normal and necessary. But this was a good purchase. Thrift stores abound with ice cream makers. In the less-than-five-dollar range. After all, those poor ice cream makers need a home to make memories in. Put them to their joyful labor, and enjoy the benefits year-round. Ice cream is for any time of year. Especially this cinnamon kind. Oh. My. Word.

It might not look like much, but this is honestly one of the best things I have ever tasted.

Seriously.

Cinnamon Coconut Milk Ice Cream

This is the perfect harmony of creamy, cold, and refreshing, with the warmth, comfort, and sweetness of cinnamon. Imagine a snickerdoodle in smooth, frozen ice cream form. (I’m drooling just typing this…)

Ingredients:

1 14 oz. can coconut milk (light or full fat…though full fat is going to taste even better)
1/3 C agave (or honey)
1 TB ground cinnamon

Recipe:
1) Mix coconut milk, agave, and cinnamon in a bowl, and process according to ice cream maker’s instructions.
2) Freeze for an hour or two so it can firm up completely.

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It was amazing. We kept taking spoonfuls out of the freezer when the other wasn’t watching… And finally we just sat down and at it together straight out of the container. I got the idea to try this flavor largely from that ice cream shop I worked at in high school – which also inspired the lime and mango ice creams of last month. Apparently, eating ice cream all day that summer really affected me? I promise, though — this is the last ice cream recipe for a while. (I hope I can keep that promise…!)

It’s another very busy week here for us, but for some reason I am just brimming with gratitude. There’s something about autumn that slows and simplifies things for me. I regain perspective — in little glimmers — but those glimmers are so rich. P.S. …It might really just be my delight that pumpkins are back in season… WOOHOO! Brace yaself.

What’s something you’re thankful for today?

I’m thankful that I live close to mountains, wake up next to my best friend every morning, and don’t eat (and thus get sick from) gluten anymore. Also, baby pigs. Also, scarves. Also, you. <3.

So I had the privilege to meet dear, sweet blog reader Brenda before she moved away — but I got the most adorable text message from her yesterday saying she made the baked beans (one of my most popular recipes) and loved them, and when the heck am I going to post more recipes?! Well, she said it a lot cuter and nicer than that. <3 Sure, I’ve been super busy, but y’know, the time has come!

Truth is, the BFF Manfriend has been doing 90% of the cooking lately, while I’ve been scrambling. And I don’t mean eggs. In fact, this meal was inspired by the man himself. And his version actually might have been better. Also a true story. I know that you might think, Hey, this has two recipes, it can’t be fast or easy! But I promise – it’s simple, delicious, and can be thrown together in probably fifteen — tops twenty — minutes. I say this with confidence because yesterday I ran to the store down the street, and when I came back, the BFF Manfriend announced dinner was ready. Um. Yes? And you thought the mango heart was sweet.

This the perfect recipe if you (or a generous friend — thanks Ann!) have an abundance of tomatoes from your garden, getting way too ripe on your counter.

The tomatoes are strained of their seeds/juice, cooked down with a little olive oil, and seasoned as a tomato should be — with only salt, pepper, and oregano. The reserved juice and seeds aren’t wasted, though — they are added to lend some piquancy to the other layer of the meal — cooked black beans, which are seasoned with just some salt, pepper, cumin, and a touch of oregano.

Here’s what it looks like when those tomaters are all good and squeezed:

After mashing or blending the bean mixture (the Husband smashes; I blend [lazy]), you spread them on a slice of GF bread, and dollop on a spoonful of Succulent Tomato Topping. With salad on the side, this is an efficient (read: fast), high-protein, nutritious, vegan, and totally delicious meal. I like to think of it as “Grad School Gourmet” — cheap, but with a touch of class. I mean, I used “piquancy” to describe it. That’s not only a GRE word, it’s definitely made the rounds in fine cooking magazines…

NOTE: You do not have to include the strained tomato juices/seeds; feel free to omit the step of adding it to the beans and just dispose of it.

Simple, Succulent Tomato Topping

Ingredients
1.5 TB extra virgin olive oil
5 small to medium-sized tomatoes
1/2 t salt
1/2 t coarse ground pepper
1 TB oregano

Recipe
1) Quarter tomatoes and remove seed pulp/juice (you can just squeeze them or run your fingertip along the seed line to remove). Reserve juice in a separate container.
2) Coarsely chop tomatoes.
3) Warm olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high, and add tomatoes, salt, pepper, and oregano.
4) Stir occasionally to keep from sticking; allow tomatoes to cook down (5-10 minutes).
5) Turn off heat, and, using a spoon or spatula, drain liquid into the container with the other tomato seed pulp/juice. Taste, add more seasoning if necessary.

Makes about 1/2 cup, depending on the size of the tomatoes. It should be enough for about 4 large slices of bread.

Classed-Up Quick Bean Spread

Ingredients
Reserved tomato juice/seeds from recipe above
1 1/4 C prepared black beans (= 1 14.5 oz can, rinsed and drained)
1 1/2 TB cumin
1/2 t salt
1/2 t coarse ground pepper
1/2 t oregano

Recipe
1) Combine all ingredients in a shallow bowl and mash until combined — OR — place all in a blender and process until desired texture — OR — combine in a bowl and use an immersion blender until desired texture. Taste and adjust spicing accordingly.
2) Spread or pour (depending on consistency) over toast, and cover with Simple Succulent Tomato Topping.

Makes about 1 – 1 1/4 cups — enough to top 4 large slices of bread.

Mmm… Bean-y Bruschetta.

Like I said in the note above, the beans will be thicker if you add less (or no) juice. Also, as always, play with the spicing to your preference! These recipes are so simple that the real gem here is just the method; it’s amazing how easy it can be to just put a little bit of a different spin on something traditional, and end up with deliciousness. This felt like comfort food gone… adult.

What surprise meal successes have you had lately?

Yep.

I went there.

I so went there.

We are all probably wanting relief right now, yes? Dog days indeed. Truth be told, if I would have had tequila on hand, I probably would have thrown it in there too. Margarita ice cream? Shoot. It’s 100 flippin’ degrees out — don’t mind if I do!

Remember how I said in my last post that I worked in a local ice cream shop in high school? Yeahhh… about that. Lime ice cream (not with bright green, fake lime flavoring — real lime zest and juice) was how I gained a few extra pounds that summer… But seriously, can you blame me?! This version is a healthy, vegan take on that indulgence. It’s just three simple, delicious, whole-food ingredients. What else could possibly be more refreshing than cold, creamy, lime on these last sweltering days of summer when you feel like you’ve been trapped in the armpit of Hades? It has just enough tart and zing to perk your tastebuds and your mood. (That was way cheesier than I meant it to be. Forgive me.)

Plus, once you share the three magical ingredients, it will make everyone around you start singing and dancing to this song in the kitchen (at least…if you’re a member of my family, apparently):

It’s okay if you drop your spoon (perhaps in a garden as you take photos…ahem), or are simply in a hurry — just get that ice cream in your mouth, friend.

You know you want to go there too. So do it. Go there. And don’t look back.

Ingredients:
2 cans coconut milk
1/2 C agave or honey
2 fresh limes

Recipe:

1) Zest limes.
2) Mix coconut milk, sweetener, zest, and juice of both limes in a large bowl. Taste, and adjust sweetness if desired.
3) Process according to instructions included with ice cream maker.

Um… Do you see those flecks of green? That is deliciousness, otherwise known as lime zest. If you can eat graham crackers (or know how to make a GF version), this would be an a-m-a-z-i-n-g Key Lime pie substitute. I’m drooling on my keyboard so… This just got awkward.

How are you staying cool?

We made two different kinds of vegan ice cream this weekend.

I know. We might have a problem. But hear me out!

Please see the following list for really good justifications reasons:

1) When were visiting my parents for a few days this weekend, I knew I wanted to get as much use out of this limited-time nectar-of-the-gods-making appliance (–> that we don’t have) as I could while we had the chance. (We are grad students, on a grad student budget — did I mention that 8000 times already?).
2) It is like the 5th circle of Hades hot outside right now.
3) The maker was my grandma’s, and holds some special memories in it’s adorable wooden frame.
4) The last time I made ice cream was with my grandma and this maker. It was a simple coconut milk base sweetened with agave, but G-Funk couldn’t get over how awesome it was that we used no dairy or refined sugar. She was crazy about such a neat new treat, one that I could take part in no less! (She was devastated that I couldn’t eat like most people.)
5) You know what? Coconut milk ice cream tastes better to me than dairy ever did. And I do what I please.

Psst: that is indeed a Trader Joe’s can from one of my ridiculous cross-country pilgrimages.

So… I used to not like mango. Seriously. But when I was in high school, I worked at a local ice cream shop (now out of business, God rest its soul) and while I didn’t get a discount, I did get the freedom to eat as much I wanted while on the clock. Anyway, one of the unique flavors was mango, and I was so convinced it would make me gag I didn’t even try it for months. Then one day, my life changed. Enter Mango. Hence, this classy, healthy, vegan, dairy-free, super-simple-with-no-nasty-high-fructose-corn-syrup-and-who-knows-what-else-flavoring version! It’s not even sweetened with refined sugar. Whaaa?

Bam! Deliciousness.

Ingredients:
1 16 oz can coconut milk (I used TJ’s light, but ten bucks says a the full-fat stuff has better flavor)
1 fresh mango (about 1 1/2 cups cubed; you could probably sub frozen mango chunks)
1/3 C honey, agave, or equivalent other sweetener

Recipe:
1) In food processor or blender, puree mango with sweetener until as smooth as possible.
2) Add coconut milk to puree and blend.
3) Follow directions on ice cream maker, then freeze.

You could easily adjust the sweetener based on how ripe your mango is – perhaps you’ll need more, perhaps less. The joy is that you can taste your mix before dumping it into the ice cream maker.

Actually… who am I kidding? The joy is in eating this stuff!

And licking the beater…

This is my shame/surprise face as I give proof of my ghetto-fabulousness over the sink.

After being found, enjoy properly, with garnish:

I took these photos as it was raining outside my folks’ house. ‘Twas a challenge with all that cloud cover and dripping! Nevertheless, the recipe needed to be shared. Immediately. So. Yeah. Borrow an ice cream maker if you don’t have one, or check out thrift stores. We saw about 90 in the Florida Goodwill when we were down there in July!

Even my (extremely picky and super-tasting) dad enjoyed a bowl…

= Winning.

I had to laugh when I saw how many other bloggers had the same thought this week — ice cream! Must be August, eh? If you are looking for more tropical vegan ice cream ideas, check out Elana Amsterdam’s recent post on a vegan Pina Colada ice cream. It looks so refreshing! She also has a list of links for other bloggers who are sharing this same brain for cold, sweet, dairy-free yummology

What flavor are you craving? (We have one more to share!)

So our friends Quincy and Emily were kind enough to offer us their CSA share from the farm this week while they were gone (we have a garden instead of the CSA this year). Q and E knew we were missing having so many beets around to make one of our summer and fall favorites…borscht. This is a delicious way to use up those bumper crops of beets and other random vegetables you just don’t know what to do about. We hadn’t cooked with beets at all before borscht.. we love beets now, even in all their earthiness. All because of borscht. Borscht!!!

We first learned about borscht — a beet-based, beautifully purple or crimson colored soup — when we were volunteering at a summer camp for children who are adopted from Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and Russia. This “heritage camp” (click here for more information on this fantastic organization) is for the whole family, and offers opportunities for these kiddos (and their siblings) to learn more about the culture of their birth countries through activities, art, dance, music, stories, performances, and food. The BFF Manfriend and I had the privilege of being counselors with the same heritage group both summers — Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia (it was scheduling coincidence, as there are other groups each week — Africa, Latin America, China, etc.). Anywho, it was during this time that we got to meet some great kids, and try out some unique REECA cuisine, borscht being the highlight.

The recipe below– made by the BFF Manfriend himself — is for a more “Russian” style borscht, I suppose, although it lacks the potato element that is very popular because I can’t really eat white potatoes. It is also vegan, whereas some places prefer to add some meat. Like all food, it varies by region. (Ben Hogue, what is it like in Ukraine?)

Here is what you need to know about borscht:
1) IT IS INSANELY CHEAP ECONOMICAL TO MAKE!
2) You can substitute just about any vegetable for whatever you have on hand.
3) Borscht is best served cool or at room temperature. Seriously. Promise.

This was actually the first recipe my husband ever made completely on his own — no recipe, no advice, nothing. Pure creativity. This is a huge milestone, because the man used to be afraid to boil water without a recipe… almost seriously. Over time, he has become an amazing cook! The number one most important factor? Hint: not skill…

Confidence — along with openness and adventure. He learned that you just have to be willing to take the risk of making mistakes, because you can usually correct them anyway. Not sure what [insert spice/ingredient here] will do to your pot of something? Shake-a shake-a shake-a, and taste along the way. Play around! Enjoy the process! Good things happen:

This recipe will yield half of what the BFF Manfriend usually makes in our big stockpot. What can I say? He’s a domestic divinity. [applause]

Ingredients:
1/2 onion, chopped (we use red)
1/2 head of garlic, chopped (yes, as in the cloves in a bunch — not just one clove)
4 beets (ours were smallish)
4 C water
2 carrots, sliced
1/2 bunch chard, chopped or ripped into pieces (~ 6 leafs and stalks — the stalks are great for soup!)
2 yellow squash (or zucchini, or a mix)
1/2 Tb salt (you might want to use less)
1/2 Tb ground pepper (use less if you don’t like spice)
1 tsp oregano

Recipe:
1) In the bottom of a large pot, saute chopped onions and garlic in a tablespoon or two of olive oil on medium. When soft, add chopped beets. Sprinkle a little salt on mixture.
2) Add remaining ingredients, except for squash. Let reach a soft boil.
3) Turn heat down, and add squash. Let simmer until desired texture.

My Husband likes to boil his vegetables to a near-mush when he makes soup sometimes, so I have left it somewhat ambiguous how to tell when the soup is ready. Do what you will! But if you do anything, eat it lukewarm, at the very least : )

Have you tried borscht? Are you intrigued?

I think kids love how unique the color is.

(Add more water or [almond/rice] milk to get a pink hue!)

P.S. Sorry my photos are lacking quality lately… Someone please buy me a DSLR. I pay in doughballs and dessert hummus! : D

If you have a garden, or know anyone who does, then you probably know what I mean when I talk about “zucchini monsters” and “squash bats.” Bats as in the baseball variety, not the animal. As in… “My summer squash is out of control and taking over my garden and growing to the size of baseball bats before I can even get to it!” Yep. That’s what’s happening ’round here. We are frantically harvesting summer squash and passing it off to just about anyone who will take it. We have a tiny plot, but we still had seven chock-full grocery bags last week. We keep showing up at all our friends’ doors with bags and bundles of the yellow gourds. Every day. Sometimes twice a day, if we’re feeling frisky. Our friends hate us. They are probably preparing to hold a No More Summer Squash protest at our little community garden plot tomorrow.

Good thing it’s completely — and I do mean completely — covered with squash plant tentacles, ready to intimidate and/or devour anyone who gets too close to all those little yellow babies it can’t stop popping out.

Anyway, as a result of this total domination of our garden, we’ve had to stretch our creative muscles. Hence, this deliciously gluten-free, vegan, high protein, and healthy spin on potato latkes. I considered spicing ‘em up more, but frankly they taste like an explosive collision of Awesome and Garden Vegetables. So. They didn’t need it. The pancakes (for lack of a better term) are crisp on the outside, and succulent on the inside. Yes, I just used “succulent” to reference vegetables. These are quite versatile, and would be perfect for a meal anytime of day! Especially if, you know…you have 100 lbs of summer squash to eat through in one week.

Keep a look out for more posts on cooking seasonally, and especially what to do with all those oppressively high-yielding crops.

Ingredients:
2 C grated summer squash (I used yellow, but you could try zucchini —  if zucchini, I’d add an extra Tb or two of chickpea flour and squeeze out all the excess moisture you can!)
1/4 C grated carrots
1/4 C chopped/chiffonaded fresh spinach
1/4 C diced red onion
1/2 C chickpea (garbanzo) flour (you may need a dash more)
1/2 t salt
1/2 t oregano
pepper to taste
dash of cayenne (if desired)
2 Tb extra virgin olive oil

Recipe:
1) After squash is grated, wring out excess water (you can press it through a cauldron, or pat it with paper towels, etc.) — don’t omit this, or they might turn out too soggy.
2) Mix all vegetables and spices in a medium sized bowl.
3) Mix in chickpea flour. Allow chickpea flour to absorb the vegetables’ moisture for about 5 minutes.
4) Heat ~1-2 Tb oil in a large frying pan or skillet over medium heat.
5) Drop squash mix by rounded (table)spoon into skillet, flattening and shaping with spoon.
6) After roughly 1-2 minutes, use a spatula to carefully flip each pancake.
7) Once both sides are browned, remove, add more oil if needed, and repeat until all the batter is gone.

The BFF Manfriend and our good buddy Dan came home from their lunch not too long after I made these. And so ended the existence of the squash pancakes. Also, so began the story of my husband asking me to make these for dinner every night this week.

Somehow, I think we’ll be able to swing that.

(The recipe, not the squash bat… [<-- that one was for you, Dad.])

Featured in Slightly Indulgent Tuesday at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free.

Do you have a garden? A CSA?

An overly “generous” neighbor who can’t stop bringing you yellow squash? (I knocked and knocked — where were you?! P.S. I have more squash!)

What abundance of seasonal produce is taking over your kitchen?

When I used to go out for sushi on a semi-normal basis, my favorite part wasn’t necessarily the sushi… It was the complementary salad that some of the restaurants I frequented would offer. More specifically, it was the ridiculously delicious peanut dressing that was dolloped on the lettuce leaves. However… the whole “mayo” and “high fructose corny syrup” and “preservative” thang was sort of a turn-off.

Do you want to know something funny? I love lettuce — I will eat it like an apple right off the head, I will chomp on leaves like a rabbit, I will eat a salad without any dressing at all. And I’ll like it. I am not a dressing person… But I also know that I am a freak little different than most people. And since I want to serve healthy food to the people I love, I realize that I’m a lot more persuasive when I serve my veggies with a little somethin’ somethin’ to drench them in. I’m no fool, folks — I am fully cognizant that my friend Joshua comes over to our place to eat solely for the honey mustard poppyseed dressing. Hey, I’m just glad he’s eating a fresh vegetable… those bachelors like to get a little reliant on smoothies and breakfast burritos, from what I hear… (<3 you Joshua!)

When a lovely reader named Brenda asked if I could please post some more dressings (apparently she, too, is hooked on the honey mustard poppyseed), and preferably ones that don’t require a blender, I was more than delighted to oblige. So, here is the first in hopefully a string of successful vegetable-disguising-or-complementing-depending-on-your-perspective dressings! I served an unfortunately water-ed down version of this with the cucumber-wrapped salads (apparently I have sushi on the brain lately, eh?), along with another dressing yet to be published. I tweaked this by eliminating the added water altogether and voila! Perfection. It’s now gone after just one sitting between the Husband and myself. Yes, we like to eat.

The best part? You probably already have all the ingredients, and it takes about 2 minutes total to get everything together, poured, and whipped up. Win!

Ingredients:
1/4 C peanut butter
2 Tb agave
1.5 Tb lemon or lime juice (fresh)
1 Tb apple cider vinegar
2 tsp gluten-free tamari (you can sub soy sauce if you eat gluten)

Recipe(ish):
1) Mix all ingredients in a bowl or small glass mason jar. Cover and store in the fridge.

Wow. One step. That’s pretty easy, yes? Not to mention it is crazy healthy! This dressing has a protein punch thanks to the peanut butter, which I don’t think any other variety of salad dressing can boast. It’s also versatile; it would be delicious as a sauce to toss with stir-fry, or pour over whole grains like millet or brown rice (my BFF Manfriend will be coating his pasta with this from now on), or in a number of other delicious scenarios. (Personally, I’ll be eating the salad I just made for these photos. It’s 8am, but I don’t care. It’s awesome. So. Yeah.)

Go nuts with the possibilities! (No pun intended; peanuts are legumes, not nuts…hehe.)

In other news, this weekend, I will be staying up in the mountains with my mom’s side of the family. We get the chance to celebrate my grandma (I called her G-Funk, and yes, she was adorable and loved it) and her life, which ended early this spring. Even though I am saying my final goodbye to one of my best friends (I mean that sincerely), and it will feel strange to be savoring all the things she loved without her, I am so thankful that we get to be together in one of her favorite places, and enjoy nature just as she would have.

What are you doing this weekend?

Have you ever tried the awesomesauce that sushi places serve on salads?

I’m not the first person to make an avocado-based vegan “ice cream” or frozen pudding. I realize this! (And if you or someone you know about has a fantastic vegan ice cream/mousse recipe, please leave a link in the comments for others to enjoy; I’m honestly not even sure where I first encountered the idea years ago, as it’s become so ubiquitous!) But, the interesting twist is that I hadn’t intended to make this in the first place; it was the byproduct of a failed attempt to create something else. Hopefully later this week I can show you a (not-failed) finished product of my original goal… This is still smooth, sweet, and totally delectable. In the meantime, here is a happy accident; similar to ice cream, this creamy treat is perfect for the dog days of summer.

Or, you know…whenever you want chocolate.

Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado
1/4 C + 1 Tb cocoa powder
1/4 C agave nectar
1 t vanilla extract
4 Tb unsweetened almond milk (I used vanilla)

Recipe:
1) Throw all ingredients into a blender or food processor and mix until smooth, scraping down sides as needed.
2) Pour/spoon into glass container and place, covered, in freezer for about 5-8 hours. (I used a champagne flute for added classiness…or because it’s what would fit in my overstuffed freezer.)
3) Remove when it is fully frozen (which admittedly, takes a while), and devour!

Now, as with pretty much all my recipes and methods, you can adjust this pretty easily. One avocado might be smaller or larger than another, so if you want to gradually add the agave as you make it, certainly do so. You all know that I am a proud supporter of “tasting along the way,” yes? Yes. And if you haven’t played with this green fruit outside of guacamole, and are wondering what is wrong with me…. Try it. You can’t taste it. At all. Fo rizzy.

Healthy-sneaky win!

Have you tried avocados in dessert before?

Featured in Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free.

Oh, hey. Just bought you a ticket to Yum Town. Ready to board?

(Awkward silence.)

Sorry. But seriously. This is beyond words. Still, I am rarely without words, even if something lies far outside the bounds of them. (= I am really annoying.) So let me attempt to explain this to you. Did you know the secret to awesome baked beans is mustard? Yes. Many of you suggested I make this dish in a GF and vegan reconstruction for Memorial Day BBQs. I must admit, I was thinking the same thing. I tried making baked beans the other day by starting with tomato paste. No dice. Too tomato-y. If I have a fail in the kitchen, for some reason it seems like a statement about the state of my life more generally. Bad batch of baked beans = Katie is the worst thing ever and has no purpose. Yep. That’s why I need to write posts like my Think This, Not That series… I am a crazy=pants. So, anyway. I (wo)manned-up, and put my big girl apron on. I tried to summon all my baked bean wisdom and experiences. There was a lot of bacon in that zone, so I tried to go a little deeper… There has to be a (non-meat) secret ingredient, right? I remembered my mom always casually just squeezing half a bottle of mustard into her baked beans. Wait, I thought. Wait just a second. I know what I’m doing wrong here. I’m trying too hard to do this on my own. Think back. Use The Force.

What now, Baked Beans? I will slay you. And no pork necessary. Suckahhh.

Ingredients:
1 can (about 1 1/2 C) cooked white beans (I used Great Northern, but Cannelini or even Pinto would work too)
1/2 C water
extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion (I always use red, but do whatever)
1 large or 2 medium sized cloves garlic
2 Tb ketchup (I strongly suggest this awesome agave-sweetened kind by Organicville. It’s rocked my condiment-loving-world.)
2 Tb yellow mustard (prepared — not the powder)
2 Tb molasses
1/2 t paprika
1/4 t garlic powder
salt, pepper, cayenne

Recipe:
1) Chop onions and add them to a stovetop pan with olive oil (I used about 1 Tb evoo) over medium heat.
2) Dice garlic, and add to onion. Sprinkle both with salt, and cook until almost caramelized (browned).
3) You should have a crust of residue from the caramelizing; add just a splash (2-3 Tb?) of water to “deglaze.” Remove from heat.
4) Add rinsed, cooked beans and sprinkle with salt (important to salt the beans, especially after they’ve been rinsed). Set aside.
5) In an 8×8 pyrex baking dish, mix remaining ingredients (I added just a sprinkle of cayenne — feel free to omit).
6) Add beans, onions, and garlic.
7) Place in a preheated 350* oven. Let cook until a nice little pseudo-crust has formed on top (~20/30 minutes?), and remove.

Yum Town arrival.

I will be the first to say I think these are even better if they sit overnight in the fridge. Aren’t most things? Especially beans. Also, my husband thinks this dish would be additionally awesome with a higher ratio of beans — feel free to add more, of course! I like mine either way.

Edited to Add: Also, I would strongly recommend doubling, tripling, or quadrupling this recipe. It’s ridiculous. One person already made this and said: “Dude…those baked beans were out of control good. Only thing I would do differently is double the recipe!” So. Take the wonderful Hilary Tina’s advice. She knows what she’s talking about. : )

I was aiming for a flavor similar to the Busch’s of old, but I think I might actually prefer some extra mustard for tang. The wonderful part of this dish is that you can easily adapt it even after it comes out of the oven. Try a taste. Not zingy enough? Add more mustard. Not sweet enough? Add a glop more molasses and/or ketchup. It’s a beautiful thing, this dish. A beautiful, tasty thing.

Featured in Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.

Have a great (Memorial) day! What are you cookin’ up (activity-wise, and food-wise)?

After I posted about using lentils as an inexpensive, healthier, plant-based protein source, I received a comment asking if I had any recipes using lentils. Umm…no, actually. For some weird reason, despite cooking with lentils every week, I didn’t have a single recipe on here that features them! I needed to amend this quickly — it was embarrassing; my pride was at stake. What kind of non-animal eating recipe-making fool am I? Ok. Overly dramatic. But I have been wanting to make a vegetarian Manwich substitute for months, so this finally gave me the incentive. I had an idea of what my method would be, but I got scurred (<– scared, it’s how we spell it in the ghetto. Just fyi.). So I glanced at these two rockin’ recipes from Mama Pea and Post Punk Kitchen, then got overwhelmed, and finally just did what I always do — dumped in whatever the H I wanted. And you know what? It was awesome.

I know, it looks like a lot of ingredients. But it’s easy, and you can totally handle this. Trust. <3

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 t oregano
1/2 Tb basil
Homemade chili powder mix (recipe below — or use a couple Tb regular chili powder I suppose)
Pinch of cinnamon (literally — a pinch)
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
2 Tb regular mustard
3 Tb agave, honey, or 100% pure maple syrup
1/2 Tb apple cider vinegar
2 Tb (healthy) ketchup (I use Annie’s agave-sweetened)
A few dashes Chipotle Tabasco (or other hot sauce, if desired)
3 C cooked lentils (sprinkle with salt first) — I used French. Because…they were on sale.
salt + pepper to taste

Recipe:
1) Over medium heat, in a tablespoon or so of extra virgin olive oil, saute onion and garlic until onions are translucent and browning. Reduce heat to medium low.
2) Add oregano, basil, and chili powder, stir.
3) Add all remaining wet ingredients and stir. Add in lentils.
4) Let simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep from sticking.

Homemade Chili Powder Recipe:
1 Tb paprika
2 t cumin
2 t garlic powder
1 t onion powder
cayenne to preference

Mix to combine.

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So. Certainly this can be adapted endlessly to your tastes! For example, you might want to add a splash of barbeque sauce, or add extra lentils for a more “meaty” texture. You can sweeten it more than I did, or add extra mustard like the vinegar-lover in me wanted to. Everyone’s family probably had a different method, so adapt it to your memory’s content : )  Regardless, I strongly urge you to garnish your Sloppy, Vegan, ManGenderneutralwiches with fresh chopped onion. It’s a whole new level, folks. And it’s worth that extra 3 seconds of chop chop chopping. Trust me on this. I think these will become a frequent flyer (to our mouths) in this home. It was pretty stankin’ good, and easy. Oh, and healthy.

As if my very professional-looking photos weren’t convincing enough (and I know they were) [<-- joke], here are some nutrition stats for lentils to make you holla for daal…a. (If you didn’t get that, go here. Study up on your ethnic food, yo!)

- 1 cup = ~18g protein (!!!)
- High fiber
- Lowers cholesterol
- Blood sugar stabilizing (high fiber = no sugar overload)
- Pretty much crazy amazing for your heart all-around
- Excellent source of iron (w/out the cost + fat of red meat)
- Uber cheap (Oh, wait, not nutrition-oriented…nevertheless. Win.)
- Outrageously great percentage of daily molybdenum
- Fantastically folate-rich
- Mucho manganese
- Super awesome amount of phosphorous
- Packed with potassium

(See what happened there? Did you see it?)

And for your pleasure…because you know it’s the first thing you think of when I say Sloppy Joes:

FACT: I wanted to either be, or marry, Chris Farley when I grew up.

Yes. My parents worried about me.

Part of Pennywise Platter.

What’s your favorite no-meat dish?