Tag Archives: black beans

May 8, 2013 · 9:06 am

recipe hall of fame

recipe.hall

When you live with your boyfriend, cooking dinner is a normal part of everyday routine. Obviously you both need to eat, and obviously you’re going to eat together if you both happen to be home from work at a common hour. Sure, there are days when you are both exhausted and run down and the best idea ever includes a takeout menu, the couch, and something dramatic via netflix. Naturally. But cooking together, creating meals from scratch, working alongside one another is one of the best things you can do as a couple. If I were a relationship therapist, that’s the piece of advice I’d give most frequently: cook together.

Color me corny, but I genuinely look forward to cooking dinner with my boyfriend every night. Coming up with new recipes, trying fancy ingredients, or even just adding a bottle of wine into the mix can make a random Tuesday night feel like a date night. And after all, one of the reasons I started this blog to begin with was to share the recipes we came up with to fit both of our tastes, vegetarian and non-vegetarian alike.

Almost four years of co-habitation later though, and we definitely have our favorites. There are meals we’ll make at least once a week, if not more. But we’ve made a lot of dinners. Almost four years of living together equals 1,460 days, and if we stay in and cook approximately 85% of the time, that’s 1,241 dinners. And who says that art girls are bad at math?

So as a tribute to those one thousand plus meals, I decided to compile a list of my favorites. And a link to the recipes. Obvi.

Taco Salad:

recipe.taco.salad

Falafel:

recipe.falafel

Pasta w/ Chicken or Tofu in a Pumpkin Cream Sauce:

 

 

pumpkin_pasta

Pizza, Two-Ways:

pizza

Salad w/ Tofu, Egg, and Avocado:

bigsalad

Veggie or Sausage Fritatta w/ Herbed Potatoes:

veggie

Reader Question: What meal(s) do you find yourself cooking frequently?

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August 13, 2012 · 2:09 pm

back from vaca!

After all the writing I’ve been doing this summer, it feels downright wrong to leave my blog unattended for a full week. Dear blog, I apologize. I’ve been in the Outer Banks for the past week, and it was the perfect combination of relaxation, sunshine, sand, and ocean. It’s weird because this trip has always been in the backs of our minds as the “end” of the summer, and throughout the past few months, I tried to look forward to it without rushing it away. But it came and went and now there’s just a couple of weeks until the school year begins again. Where did summer go?

Regardless, the past week was fabulous. We stayed in a house that had incredible views from all angles.

You really can’t beat sitting outside on a deck or porch and looking out over clear sky and water. There’s nothing quite like it.

I spent most of my time reading- in fact, I tore through Emily Giffin’s new novel in one day. Maybe there’s something about reading near the ocean that makes you read faster?

Boyfriend & I cooked a lot on this trip- I never view cooking as a chore so it’s part of the fun. One of our favorite things to make is taco salad, so we decided to have a big family dinner of taco salads one night. Instead of usual salsa, I made a tropical version with mango and citrus. Recipe? Of course.

Makes 6 big salads

You will need…

  • 2 large mangos, peeled and diced
  • 2 small onions, diced
  • 1 and 1/2 cans of black beans (15 oz), rinsed and drained
  • 2 limes
  • 1 large red bell pepper, diced
  • salt, pepper
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 2 tbsp chili powder
  • 4 tbsp chopped cilantro
  • 2 heads of lettuce, shredded
  • 3 tomatoes, diced
  • 5 or 6 avocados
  • pre-cooked turkey meat crumbles and/or vegetarian meat crumbles
  • shredded cheese (optional)
  • sour cream (optional)

Method…

To make the black bean mango salsa:

  1. In a large bowl, combine diced mango, one small diced onion, diced red bell pepper, and cans of black beans. Stir vigorously to combine, then add juice of one lime, salt, pepper, 1 tsp of cumin, 1 tbsp chili powder and 2 tbsp chopped cilantro. Stir to combine. Adjust seasoning as necessary, and then chill, covered, for 30 minutes – 1 hour.

Make the salad:

  1. When you are ready to assemble your salads, make your guacamole first. Peel, pit, and smash avocados in a bowl. Combine with half of the remaining diced onion. Season with salt, pepper, juice of one lime, and the remaining cumin, chili powder, and cilantro. Stir to combine, and adjust seasoning as necessary.
  2. Assemble your salads by plating the chopped/shredded lettuce and topping with diced tomatoes, onions, turkey crumbles or veggie crumbles, guac, and mango salsa. Add shredded cheese and/or sour cream if desired.

Yuuuuuum. By the sea.

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June 23, 2012 · 4:38 pm

Heat Wave & Veggie Chili

It is officially summer here in Boston! And to kick it off, we’ve had a crazy heat wave the past couple of days. It was tempting to spend the day inside yesterday, watching trashy tv and relishing in the air conditioning, but I forced myself towards some kind of productivity. I packed up my laptop, went to Starbucks, and started working on some new things for this blog. It’s a work in progress, but I’m slowly trying to add more features to this site to transition into more of a “lifestyle” blog. There will be recipes, of course. Oh there will be recipes.

However, today it was too hot to cook anything. Breakfast consisted of a tried-and-true staple in our kitchen: greek yogurt & fruit.

My favorite Chobani flavor is apple- it tastes like apple pie! Boyfriend prefers pineapple. One of my favorite things about greek yogurt is that it can be used in so many recipes to save calories and fat, and it adds protein to boot! Check this out:

Honestly, this stuff is a godsend.

So far, summer has consisted of holding auditions for the show I am directing, lougin’ poolside, and…

…our very first New England Revolution game! Boyfriend and I drove down to Foxboro on a spur-of-the-moment date night last weekend. This is technically not my first pro soccer rodeo; growing up, my brother was a hardcore soccer player so I was dragged to many games, tournaments, etc. Going to a sports game is a lot more fun when you are in your 20′s and are with your significant other. Not to mention the fact that Patriot Place has a ton of shopping and cute restaurants. Having drinks and dinner on a rooftop bar before heading over to the game? Pretty awesome.

Another thing that this summer has consisted of is…shopping. That said, I’ve put myself on a shopping hiatus because I’ve run out of room to store things in our closet. I am not allowing myself to purchase any more items of clothing – or jewelry – until I donate some clothes and re-organize.

But I did need a last hurrah…

I was torn between these two dresses the other day. I probably should have purchased both, but I ended up with the one on the right. But now I am done. Fin. Finis. Finito. My side of the closet is going to be spotless before I shop again. I swear.

At any rate, before the heat wave, there was vegetarian chili. Every once in a while, when it’s time to go grocery shopping, I like to make an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink chili. It’s a great way to use up produce that is on the verge of spoiling. My secret ingredient for chili = dark chocolate. That may sound weird, but hear me out. There’s something about the combination of all that heat from the chili powder and cayenne plus the bitter-sweet taste of dark chocolate. Plus, dark chocolate is a great way to thicken your chili if it’s a bit too watery. Just don’t go overboard, or else you may end up with a dessert.

Veggie “Everything but the kitchen sink” Chili

Serves 2, with leftovers

You will need…

  • olive oil
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 sweet potato, peeled, and diced
  • 1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
  • 1 can pinto beans, rinsed & drained
  • 1 can diced tomatoes, rinsed & drained
  • 1 – 2 tbsp chopped dark chocolate
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup veggie broth/stock
  • 1/2 cup frozen corn
  • salt, pepper
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 – 2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • pinch red pepper flakes

Method…

  1. In a large pot, heat olive oil over med heat. Add onion, pepper, sweet potato, and cook for approx 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
  2. Add beans, tomatoes, and tomato paste. Stir to combine ingredients. Add dark chocolate, veggie broth, corn, and spices. Stir to mix.
  3. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook approx 30 – 45 minutes, stirring every once in a while. (Note- the longer this cooks, the better it tastes.)
  4. Taste, and adjust spices as need be. Top with shredded cheese or sour cream, if desired. Enjoy!

 

Coming up…a fun little craft project for a hot summer day!

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June 22, 2011 · 12:21 am

Citrus and Cilantro for Summer

To celebrate the beginning of the brightest season, here is a comeback post that tastes like citrus and spice. It’s been a while, but hopefully that is at least a little expected of a busy couple who essentially work opposite schedules. However, despite the constant whirlwind that comprises the life of a teacher/performer who is dating a photojournalist, we do manage to cook together multiple times a week. Time-management challenges, culinary challenges…you name it, we’ll ace it. But now that summer vacation has started, I have turned my attention back to drafting the proposal for this cookbook. I hope no one has stolen our idea yet.

Even though the weather has reached obscene temperatures that can only be described with overdramatic words like “scorcher” and “inferno”, we’re not afraid of some added heat in the kitchen. Summer brings some of the best flavors- lime, cilantro, cayenne, tropical fruit, smoked meat/tofu, etc. My favorite solution- crank the A/C, grab a glass of ice-cold sangria, and cook up a southwestern fiesta for dinner.

Cajun-Lime Marinated Chicken/Tofu (over black bean & corn salad) – Serves 2
(recipe follows)

photos © connorgleasonphotography

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September 8, 2010 · 10:26 pm

veggie burger wearing a sombrero

I’ve already explained that the boyfriend and I are serious tomato sauce snobs. Another food item that we can get a little snobby about? Veggie burgers. Now, before I explain, let me be clear – there’s nothing wrong with the frozen kind. This isn’t like the jarred sauce aversion – I’ve been known to throw a corn-and-bean-infused Boca Burger on the grill adjacent to the boyfriend’s steak (though, let’s face it, he does most of the  actual grilling.) But honestly, nothing beats a fat, oversized, jumbo veggie burger. There’s really no comparison. So lately, we’ve taken to making our own from scratch. They are surprisingly easy to make, and you can create a lot in one batch, ensuring veggie burgers for days.

But here’s the thing – you’ve gotta get a little adventurous with how you style your veggie burger, or else your dinners can get boring pretty quickly. Sure, veggie burgers taste good when placed on a (preferably whole wheat) bun with some kind of greens, tomato, and onion. Considering that both the boyfriend and I have a strong love of Mexican food, we decided to wrap up our veggie burgers in a tortilla and create a veggie burger quesadilla.

photos © connorgleasonphotography

One of the reasons I am always on board for cooking a Mexican-inspired meal is because I love avocados. I could probably eat avocados every day and not get tired of them. I suppose this isn’t necessarily a terrible thing, considering that avocados are good for you, and especially can be a great staple in a vegetarian diet. So on the side, we created an appetizer of homemade salsa and guacamole, served in a martini glass. It’s a guac-tail!

Recipes follow…

Continue reading →

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August 1, 2010 · 6:36 pm

the vegan bible

Reader C.F. asked, “What is your favorite vegan cookbook?“

There is one easy answer to that simple question: Veganomicon, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero. It is the mother of all vegan cookbooks, and features recipes such as curried carrot dip, chestnut lentil pate, apricot bbq tofu, lemongrass risotto…I could go on and on. The book features high-class, high-quality dishes that are 100% animal and cruelty free. Moskowitz & Romero tout their book as “recipes you wish you grew up with”, and describe their concoctions as “real and honest home cooking”.

Allow me to share with you one of my all-time favorite recipes from Veganomicon – one that is perfect for summertime. I first made this dish two years ago for my omni dad on Fathers day, and have since recreated it for Cinco de Mayo celebrations and other sunshine-soaked festivities.

Black Bean & Quinoa Salad (from Veganomicon)

You will need…

  • 1 mango, peeled and cut into a small dice
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced as small as you can get it
  • 1 cup chopped scallions
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • A few leaves of lettuce for garnish

Method…

  • Combine the mango, red bell pepper, scallions, and cilantro in a mixing bowl. Add the red wine vinegar, grapeseed oil, and salt, and stir to combine. Add the quinoa and stir until everything is well incorporated. Fold in the black beans.
  • You can serve immediately or let it sit for a bit for the flavors to meld. To serve, place a few leaves of lettuce on a plate and scoop some salad on top. This tastes good chilled and is even better at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Questions about veganizing meat dishes? Questions about vegan baking? Questions about anything in particular? Email cookingfortheotherhalf@yahoo.com – answers will be featured in posts to come.

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