Quinoa Garbanzo Bean Broccoli salad

It's what's for dinner: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/216190/garlicky-quinoa-and-garbanzo-bean-salad/ along with broiled chicken breast that is marinating in lemon juice, pepper, and garlic.

Best Hummus Ever

Saving this link here. Enjoyed it with my sisters this summer. Hoping my future daughter in law who loves hummus will use it. :) http://minimalistbaker.com/best-ever-5-minute-microwave-hummus/

Winter Lentils

Lacking the change of seasons and the cold, short days of winter, I have slipped into finding other ways of enjoying the magic of the last months of the year, like wearing scarves over tank-tops, getting up early while it's still dark and cold, and serving almost nothing but hot food for our meals. Gone are the salads I used to crave and the cooling smoothies and iced coffee. I find myself cooking everything.

And, of course, going heavy on the spices and herbs.

This particular supper was a sudden inspiration on account of the general lack of food in my house these days, given my extreme laziness when it comes to shopping. I have bags of dried lentils, peas, beans, and rice stashed at the top of my cooking cupboard for emergencies like this. In my fridge I found nutmeggy boerewors, a jar of herb-loaded oil from used-up sundried tomatoes, two little cloves of garlic, in my potato basket I found one onion, and the two hideous tomatoes from my garden had finally ripened. Meal plan.

If I were to do this again, I would have to get more sundried tomatoes or else figure out what the herbs in that oil were. A recipe would look somewhat like this:

• 3 tablespoons oil (from a jar of sundried tomatoes if you have it)
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme, or more to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped sundried tomatoes
• 1 large fresh tomato, chopped
• 2 cups lentils
• water, to cover lentils
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• salt to taste
• 3 cups cooked white rice
• 1 package boerewors, grilled in the oven

In a large soup pan, heat the oil very hot, then sauté the onion, garlic, and thyme together. If your oil isn't flavored, you can probably add other herbs until it smells and tastes right. Toss in the tomatoes and sauté till tender. Add the lentils and fry till you hear constant popping and sizzling and the lentils take on a slightly browned look. Then cover with water and bring to a boil for five minutes. Turn the heat down to low and cover. Simmer till lentils are tender, about 40 minutes.

When the lentils are tender, the rice is prepared, and the boerewors are cooked, you can add the salt and nutmeg to the lentils and adjust the seasonings and liquid as necessary. You can top each bowl of lentils and rice with chopped boerewors or add the sausages directly to the lentils.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Seven Layer Mexican Dip

This recipe found when looking for a seven-layer dip I post here so we have it again as it is a hit, especially following Bible study. Leftovers the next day make a great meal. Following are my changes:

For 9 x 13 baking dish
1 large can refried beans
2 cans Fritos bean dip
4 ripe avocados turned into guacamole with lemon juice, fresh garlic, and cumin
1 pint sour cream
1 c mayo
1/4 c taco seasoning (or 2 pkgs)
1 # shredded Jack & Cheddar cheese
2 cans sliced black olives with jalapenos
3 chopped tomatoes
2 bunches chopped green onion

Mix refried beans and bean dip. Spread in bottom of dish.
Next spread guacamole dip.
Mix sour cream, mayo, and taco seasoning; spread.
Sprinkle with cheese.
Sprinkle with olives.
Sprinkle with tomatoes.
Sprinkle with green onions.

Aunt Marcia's Lentil-Feta salad

Got this recipe from my sister Marcia the same visit I learned the baked oatmeal. We took it to a church supper after that and were asked for the recipe over and over because it is that good. Posted here at Susan's request, after her pregnant reaction to Kilby's new lentil recipe. Enjoy!

Boil, then simmer 1 cup of dry lentils in 2-1/2 c water with 1 bay leaf and 1/2 t garlic, about 20 minutes till tender, but not mushy.

Drain and discard bay leaf. Cool.

Add:
1/2 c shredded carrots
1/2 c chopped tomato
1/2 c finely chopped onion
1/2 c chopped red bell pepper
3 T red wine vinegar
2 T water
1 T oil
1 t oregano
1 t cumin
1/8 t salt & pepper

Mix and chill.

Before serving, add 1/2 c crumbled feta cheese. Serve on lettuce or in pita.

Kilby's Breakfast Lentils

On Sat, Oct 23, 2010 at 11:12 AM, Kilby wrote:

So it's been super cold and I feel like I can't get warm, especially when breakfast is usually cereal, or if I want something more, a smoothie. I decided last night that this morning I would make a hot breakfast, but not something boring like eggs or oatmeal. It turned out one of the lowest calorie, highest fiber and protein breakfasts ever, and sooooooo yummy. I think it'll probably last me till a late lunch because it's so filling with stuff that burns for a long time.

1/2 c lentils
1 c water
pinch cumin
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t cardamom
dash salt
2 T honey
plain nonfat yogurt to top (optional)

I cooked the lentils with the spices (no salt) till they were tender by boiling for a couple minutes and then simmering on low, covered, for about half an hour. Most of the water was absorbed or evaporated by then. Afterwards I added salt to taste (I learned that salting lentils before they're fully cooked turns them tough) and then honey to taste. Then I topped it with a few spoonfuls of yogurt and mixed it all up. It was crazy good!

Susan and Leigh, lentils are not only high in protein and fiber, but super high in iron, and cheap! And this is a fun way to eat them, not your usual heavy, savory, rice-accompanied dish.

Okay bye!

Karen Gonzalez's "Zippy Dip"

Ingredients:

8 oz. softened cream cheese

8 oz. sour cream

1 pkg. dry taco mix

3-5 drops tobasco sauce

1/4 c. taco sauce

8 0z. shredded cheddar cheese

8 oz. shredded monterey jack cheese

1 can refried beans

Preheat oven to 325. Combine cream cheese and sour cream, then add beans, taco mix, tobasco, and taco sauce. Add 3/4 of each cheese, mix well and put into 9x13 greased baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake 30 minutes or until center is bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips.

Black Bean Enchiladas

Served to my hungry young family at the end of an eight-hour journey to visit my sister, Marcia, many years ago, this general recipe has become a favorite staple. Peter was dismayed when he heard that we were having them last night. "Why?" "Because there is never enough!"

2 cans drained black beans

1 pint sour cream

1 package or 1/4 c. taco seasoning

1 c salsa

1 c shredded cheddar

10--12 flour tortillas

Mix ingredients and place a large spoonful in the middle of each tortilla. Roll up tortilla and place in greased baking dish. Top tortillas with enchilada sauce. Bake at 350 for a half hour or until hot through and bubbly.

Serve with more cheese, sour cream, chopped ice berg, salsa, whatever!

Long ago I misplaced the paper on which my sister wrote the recipe. This is a general approximation of how I do it. Last night we made 22 tortillas full of 2 larger cans of black beans...

Refried Beans

Time to throw away the empty Goya pinto beans bag but not before copying off a recipe I want to try soon:

1/2 lb. dry pinto beans

4 slices bacon (or 1/2 c oil)

1 small onion, chopped

salt & pepper to taste

2 T crumbled fresh cheese or shredded mozzarella

Soak beans and drain. In large saucepan, combine beans and 4 c water. Cook until beans are tender. Add more water if necessary. Drain, reserving about 1/2 c liquid. Mash the beans. Adding as little of the liquid as necessary. Heat oil in a medium skillet. Stir in onion and cook until tender. Add beans, salt and pepper. Continue cooking until bean liquid starts to evaporate. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Serve with crumbled fresh cheese, or sprinkle with Mozzarella. Serves 4.

Cuban Black Beans recipe shamelessly harvested from Barbaranne Kelly's facebook

Black Beans, Cuban-Style

From Justo & Coleen Escobar

4 cans unseasoned Black Beans
4 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 link Chorizo Sausage, chopped
2 Onions, chopped
Garlic, (to taste) chopped
1 handful green Olives, chopped
½ can diced Tomatoes, drained

Heat the oil in a large skillet or dutch oven; add sausage and cook slowly to infuse the flavors of the sausage into the oil. Add onions, garlic and olives and cook until onions have softened. Add tomatoes and cook slowly until reduced. Add beans and simmer for 2-3 hours.

Serve right away with rice, or refrigerate overnight and warm in the oven the next day. The flavors only improve with time!

Santa Fe Chili

2 lbs. ground beef

1 med. onion chopped

2- 16 oz. cans kidney beans, rinsed

2- 15 oz. cans black beans, rinsed

2- 15 oz. cans pinto beans, rinsed

1- 11 oz. cans shoepeg corn

1- 14.5 oz. can whole tomatoes, diced

1- 10 oz. can diced tomatoes and green chilis

1- 11.5 oz. can V-8 juice

2 envelopes ranch salad dressing mix

2 envelopes taco seasoning

Combine in crock pot and simmer a long time. Serve with tortilla chips and sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese.

Liz Gilman (or was it Andy?!) made this for us during the heavy snows that surrounded Susan's wedding in Northfield and it is a new favorite! I've made it once since we got home. Still don't know what shoepeg corn is and used regular yellow corn, nor did I have v-8 juice when I made it, but it still turned out well.

Tinabina's Delicious Antipasto Salad

Yay! I found this recipe today when I looked for it, remembering Tina's very good pasta salad that she brought several years ago for a potluck.

1# package pasta, cooked, (she used Rotini, I used Penne)

1 15oz can garbanzo beans, rinsed, drained

3-1/2 oz. thinly sliced pepperoni, halved

1 can sliced sweet ripe olives, drained

1/2 c diced sweet red pepper

1/2 c diced green bell pepper

4 medium fresh mushrooms, sliced (I used an 8 oz. box today!)

2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

2 T minced fresh basil or 2 t dried basil

2 t salt

1-1/2 t minced fresh oregano or 1/2 t dried (used more cause I have a fresh plant growing, thanks to MikYoung)

1/2 t pepper

1/4 t cayenne pepper

1 c olive oil

2/3 c fresh lemon juice.

The recipe says to chill for 6 hours. We ate it almost still warm and it was still delicious.

Brenda Theune’s Longhorn Caviar

7 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced

1 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (15 oz.) can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed

2 Tbsp. Fresh chopped cilantro

3 Tbsp. Lime juice

½ tsp. Salt

½ tsp. Ground cumin

1 tsp. Olive oil

Stir together in a large bowl. Chill at least 30

minutes before serving.