15 Bean and Greens Soup

What are you doing today, first weekend of a new year and all.

Me, I am doing what I do every weekend. Clean and make soup! And a few stupid annoying things that I won’t get into…( I hate having to deal with phone shit!)

Anyway lets talk about soup, the best food in the world. You might not think that yourself, and that is just fine, but me, I could, and do, eat soup just about every day (seriously, and I have years of blogging to prove it). It is just so good, well, most soups. Some soups are not good and that is when I do not eat them and nor should you.

This soup just so happens to be a good New Years omen.. Someone just told me beans and greens are good luck to eat at the beginning of a new year so I guess we are in luck. But tell me this, shouldn't I be freaking winning lotteries and shit with the amount of beans and greens I eat all year long? I mean seriously. But back to this soup. A basic 15 bean (or however many types of beans) soup situation. Cooked with a few but delicious veggies, some good spices, a little tomato, and served up whenever it is done and whenever you feel like eating it. A great soup to pop onto the stove, blast the tunes, get into a cleaning grove and basically ignore, and come back to it whenever you are feeling hungry. I mean, what better then to finish off a crazy deep clean and organize of all the closets plus wiping down every single surface in the house (including all the baseboard and window trim) and scrubbing toilets, then with a big ass bowl of warm beans and greens soup. This. This is a good day to me. And don’t say that you wouldn't love it too…but in case you wouldn’t don’t at me and you do you.

Now to the lucky beans and greens soup and maybe some New Years cleaning (or however you want to send your time!)

The stuff. A 15 bean mixture that has been soaking in water overnight, tomato puree, a carrot and and onion, parsnip and celeriac, a couple cloves of garlic, a bunch of collard greens, spices (cumin, paprika, chili powder, red pepper, oregano, and ginger), apple cider vinegar, and salt and pepper.

Basically the only work needed done, to dice it all up. Small dice the onion, carrot, parsnip and celeriac, mince the garlic, and then thinly shill up the collard greens.

Toss it all into a big pot with the spices and a cup or so of water and place on medium heat to start to cook.

Once veggies have become fragrant and are slightly tender, dump in the soaked beans!

Add water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a medium heat and pop a lid on it. Let cook for about an hour.

And once the beans become tender, dump in the vinegar and tomato puree. Mix it all up, add another cup or so water, and keep in cooking

Soup, with all the beans, DONE. And so so good.

And basically you jest serve it up whenever you want and eat it. Bread makes a great accompaniment.

Happy New Year!

-C

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15 Bean and Greens Soup

• 2 cups dried bean mixture (can use any number of bean mixture that you want) that has been soaking for a least a few hours but overnight is good

• 2 teaspoons cumin

• 1 teaspoon each paprika, chili powder, ginger, oregano

• 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

• a medium onion

• 2-3 cloves garlic

• 2 1/2-3 cups total of small diced carrot, celeriac, and or parsnip

• a small bunch of collard greens (or kale)

• 1 1/2 cups tomato puree

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• salt and pepper

• 7-9 cups water

Start by small dicing up the onion, mincing that garlic, and small dicing up the carrot, celeriac, and parsnip. Dump it all into a large heavy bottom pot along with about a cup of water and all the spiced. Cut the collard greens into thin strips and toss those in too. Put on stove on medium heat and cook for 7-10 minutes or until it comes fragrant and the veggies seems to be tender. Dump in presoaked beans and 6-7 cups water (make sure beans are fully submerged) and bring whole pot to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a medium heat and place cover on pot. Cook for an hour or so and then add in the tomato puree and vinegar. Add in another cup or two of water and cook for another 1/2 hour to 45 minutes (longer if you want. You can cook and set on simmer and leave on stove for a few hours. Just add more water when needed and stir occasionally) or until all the beans are tender and completely cooked. Season with salt and pepper and then serve.

Left overs should be stored in fridge for a week or so or can be frozen for a few months.

Spinach and Mushroom Lentil Bake

A week out to the big holiday!

How are you doing? Are you making all the cookies and cakes and all the things? Are you getting all the cookies and cakes and things given to you? And are you eating all the cookies and cakes and things?

That is cool because that is what is suppose to go down right now. But one thing we all need to do is make sure we are eating some decent food (not cookies and cakes and things) as well.

Like lentils with some veggies. You really can’t go wrong with lentils because they are the best and don’t you dare say otherwise. This bake here is packed with lentils, mushrooms and spinach, is creamy and crispy, hearty and warming, and tastes so freaking good. A no fuss, easy peasy meal that can be thrown together fast and when you are eating it, you are feeling good. And once you start eating it, you probably won’t be able to stop (that was me anyway…)

So make yourself something nice to go along with all the cookies, cakes, and things. You need it.

To the lentils!

The stuff. Red and green lentils, a few big mushrooms, a couple handfuls of spinach, an onion, crushed tomatoes. dill, thyme, sage, and red pepper flakes, chick pea flour, a couple cloves or garlic, water, oil, and and pepper.

Start with the lentils. Just dump them all into a pot with the water. Place on stove and bring a boil.

Now chop up onion into small bits, mince garlic, and slice the mushrooms thinly and in half.

Add a splash of oil to a large oven safe skillet and place on stove on medium heat. Once skillet is hot, add in the garlic, onions, and mushroom. Start to cook, adding in all the spices once they start to sizzle. Cook until the onion starts to become fragrant and translucent and fragrant and the mushrooms are slightly browned.

Once the lentils come to a boil, let cook for another minute or two then remove from heat. (If there is a bunch of foam on top of pot, just scape it off.) Add in the chickpea flour, the tomatoes, and all the spinach. Season with sat and pepper too.

Dump the lentil mixture into the skillet with the mushrooms and onion and mix everything all around until its all incorporated. Level off top and then stick the whole thing into the oven. Bake covered for 30 minutes then remove cover, give the whole thing a (careful, it is hot) good stir, re-level off the tope, and keep baking for another 30-35 minutes or until the top of the lentils are nice and crispy ans the inside is nice an creamy.

The crispy top lentils are everything.

Scoop into bowls, add some fresh chopped something of another if you want ( I had fresh dill and parsley) and eat away.

What is not pictured here is the yellow mustard I had in waiting. Mustard on this… AMAZING!

-C

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Spinach and Mushroom Lentil Bake

feed 3-5 people

• 3/4 cup each red and green lentils (or 1 1/2 cups of either)

• 1 cup crushed or diced tomatoes

• 1 small onion

• 2 cloves garlic

• 2 tablespoons chickpea flour (can sub with cornmeal or oat flour)

• 1 teaspoon each dried sage, thyme, and dill

• 2 large handfuls spinach (about 3 cups)

• 2-3 large white or cramini mushrooms (about 1 1/2 chopped)

• 2 1/2 cups water

• splash of olive oil

• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400

Dump lentils into a pot with the water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, let cook for a minutes or two then remove from heat. If there is a bunch of foam on top, just scrap it off. Mix in the chickpea flour, tomatoes, and spinach. Season with salt and pepper

While lentils are cooking, chop onion into small pieces, slice mushrooms in half, then the halves into thin pieces and mince garlic. Place a large oven safe skillet on stove on medium heat. Add a small splash or oil and once heated, dump the onion, garlic, and mushrooms to the hot skillet. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the mushrooms start to brown and the onions and garlic are fragrant. Add in the spiced and stir around.

Take skillet off heat and carefully dump in the lentils mixture and mix around with the mushroom and onions. (if you don’t have a large enough oven safe skillet just dump it all into a casserole dish) Level off mixture and place in the oven, covered for 1 hour, removing cover 1/2 way through and giving he whole mixture a mix ad re- leveling it off.

Once baked and nice and crispy (the longer you bake it, the crispier it gets) remove from oven and serve immediately. Toss some fresh dil and parsley on top if you have it. Also mustard as a condiment goes amazingly with this!

Lentil Flour Zucchini Pancakes

To know me is to know that I eat a shit load of lentils. And not just one kind, I eat them all, in all the ways, all day, everyday. Vegetables and lentils. That is my truth.

Lentil flour. One more way to consume the mighty legume. Blended while dry into a fine powder, it takes the lentil to a whole other level. You can use the flour in all sorts of things like bread, soup, even in baked goods. it really is a great flour to have on hand, especially if you are hungry and want to toss something quick and easy, heathy, and delicious together like these here pancakes.

These pancakes. All they are made of is lentil flour and pureed up zucchini and onion. Now that might sound a little on the dull side, but trust me here, they are far from dull. They are freaking delicious. And better for it that they take like 10 minutes from start to finish to make. And no oven which is necessary these days with all the stupid hot weather.

Anyway. lentil zucchini pancakes. Give them a try. They will probably become your favorite.

To the lentil flour and zucchini pancakes!

The stuff. Dry green lentils, a zucchini, and onion, salt and pepper, and a splash of oil.

Te make lentil flour. Place dried lentils into a high speed blender and blend until it turns into a fine flour.

Once you have the flour made, cut up the zucchini and onion into chunks.

Drop into the blender and blend until pretty smooth.

Dump puree into bowl and top with some lentil flour.

Mix until completely combined. The batter should be kind of thic but still spoonable. Also, season with salt was pepper here.

Heat up a skillet with a splash of oil. Once hot, scoop spoonfuls of batter into pan and spread it evenly about 1/4 inch thick. Cook first side fr 4-6 minutes or until nice and brown then flip and cook the other side until done. Repeat until batter is gone.

Now eat your amazing delicious lentil zucchini pancakes. I served with fresh salsa, and I have also made tahini dip and used hummus to smear on them which was also freaking amazing, but you can serve with whatever floats your boat.

-C

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Lentil Flour Zucchini Pancakes

• 1 pound dry green lentils

• 1 large zucchini

• 1 onion

• salt and pepper

• splash of oil

Start with the by making the lentil flour. Place lentils into a high speed blender and blend until it has turned into a fine flour. You might need to stop the blender ever once in a while to move things around with a spoon (when it is turned off!). It should only take about a minute or so in a Vitamix, but maybe a few extra minutes if using a less powerful blender.

Once flour is achieved, dump into a jar with a lid. You probably won’t be using it all right now.

Now grab the zucchini and onion and cut into chunks. Place the chunks into the blender and blend until smooth.

Dump puree into a bowl. Add about 1 cup of lentil flour and stir. IF the batter is really loss, add in another 1/4 cup or more to get the batter to a thick but spreadable consistency (kind of like hummus). Season with salt and pepper.

Grab a skillet and place on medium heat with a splash of oil. Once skillet is heated place spoonfuls of the batter in and spread around until between 1/2-1/4 inch thick. Cook fist side for 4-6 minutes or until a nice golden brown then flip and cook the other for a few minutes until browed. Repeat until batter is gone.

Place cooked pancakes on a plate, grab a fork and some savory type condiment (hummus, salsa, tahini, cashew cream) and eat.

Chickpea Flour Onion Rings

I love me some onions, I mean I eat one everyday so I asked myself why the heck haven’t I made onion rings before? Probably because when I usually think onion rings, I think greasy and fried and that is not really my jam. But early in the week the lightbulb went off in my brain. I have been making a lot of stuff with bean flours lately and thought that chickpea flour would make an excellent batter for onions. And low and behold, I was right. Very very right.

These onion rings are so f-ing amazing. Sure they might not be the most traditional of onion ring but they are for sure just as good. A spicy crispy crunchy outer layer with a soft and creamy onion inside. Baked, not fried, and just really delightful. Easy to throw together and yeah, you got onion rings. I have made them twice this week already. Probably going to make them again tonight because why the hell not? They are simply a vegetable covered in bean. I should be eating them every day and you probably should be eating them everyday too.

Now to the onion rings!

The stuff. Onions (I used valida but any sweet variety will work) chickpea flour, spices (garlic, ginger, cumin, chili powder, paprika, and a pick or red pepper flakes), warm water, oil, and salt and pepper.

Mix up the batter. All the spices get mix together with the chickpea flour. Add in the water and then mix unit completely combined and all batter like.

Cut onions into rings.

Dip the onions into the batter and place on a oiled baking sheet. Try not to overlap too much and use the insides of large rings to place the small ones!

Into the oven and out of the oven. Crispy, dark, and delicious!

Get those rings onto a plate while they are hot, grab some dipping sauce of choice (tahini for me) and eat.

Get into this.

-C

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Chickpea Flour Onion Rings

• 3/4 cup checkpea flour

• 1 teaspoon each cumin and chili powder

• 1/2 teaspoon each garlic, paprika and ground ginger

• pinch of red pepper flakes

• 2 medium sized valida onions (or whatever onions you have)

• 3/4 cup warm water

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• cracked pepper

• tablespoon or so of oil to oil baking sheet

Preheat oven to 425.

In a wide bottomed bowl mix together the chickpea flour. salt. and all the spices. Add in the warm water and mix until completely incorporated and smooth. You want the batter to coat the onions when dipped but not be overly thick. If you think it needs to thicken up a bit, add a tablespoon more chickpea flour. To thin it, just add a splash more water.

Grab onions and peel off papery skin then slice into 1/4-1/2 inch rounds. Take onion rings and dip them into the batter then place rings on a large oiled baking sheet. Try not to overlap to much and definitely place smaller rings inside bigger rings. Also use a second baking sheet if you need to.

Once rings are all battered, place in preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes, giving them a flip atfter about 25-30 minutes.

Once dark brown and crispy, remove from the oven. Place rings on a plate and eat. Dipping sauce recommendation is tahini but anything or nothing at all is also right.

ChickPeas and Peas

I am all about the quick meal. Sure I love me some kitchen time, but sometimes I just want good food good and fast. Chickpeas lightly sautéed, tossed with fresh green peas, thin pieces of raw onion, and tahini sauce. Sounds easy and so simple right? Well it is, simply freaking fantastic.

I am also thinking ahead to those summertime cookouts or when people are flowing through the house in need of food. This is a definite dish to bring to a cookout of potluck dinner situation. You know, when we can do those things safely again. Until then, I make it and eat it to my face. Now you should too.

To the chickpea and peas!

The stuff. Chickpeas, peas, an onion, some tahini, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, and a little oil. Also need a splash of chickpea waster or regular water. And pepper, if you want it.

Tahini, soy, vinegar, and a little bit of chickpea water. Stir until smooth and creamy.

Cut up onion, nice and thin like.

Now sauté chickpeas. Drain and rinse the beans and lightly coat a pan with oil. Toss chickpeas into pan on medium high heat and cook until they start to brown.

Once the chickpeas have somef dark color, toss in the peas and the onion. Mix it all tougher and turn heat off.

Dump it all into the bowl with the tahini sauce and mix it all together.

Add pepper, grab a fork, eat.

-C

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ChickPeas and Peas

Serves 1-4 people

• 2 1/2 cups (or one can) cooked chickpeas

• 2 cups fresh or frozen (and thawed) green peas

• 1 small onion

• 1/4 cup tahini

• 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar

• 1-2 tablespoon soy sauce/tamari/liquid aminos

• a couple teaspoons olive oil for pan

In a medium sized bowl mix together the tahini, lesser amount of soy, and vinegar. Stir until smooth, adding in a splash or chickpea or regular water to thin out until it is the consistency of heavy cream. Taste. If it needs more soy, add a little more in until it tastes right.

Grab the onion and slice it up, really thinly and into small pieces.

Place a large skiller on medium high heat on stove. Add in a couple teaspoons olive oil to coat. If the chickpeas are still in water, rinse and drain. Dump drained chickpeas into hot skillet and cook for about 5-7 minutes or until they start turn deep brown on some sides. Throw in the peas and the onions, turn heat off, and mix around. Let sit in hot pan for a minutes or two then dump it all into the bowl with the tahini sauce. Mix it all around, add some cracked pepper, then, eat.