Black Bean Soup with Cornbread Dumplings

Black beans soup is eaten on the regular around here. Not always the same way but pretty much. Why screw with a good thing you know?

Now soup with dumplings. This is not (yet) a regular thing but I was making the usual blacken soup and planing on making corn bread to go with (in a pan) , when I had a moment of clarity and realized that I should just make the corn bread into dumplings and not have to deal with baking and another pan to clean. Duh. Why don’t I do this more often?

And that is it. A black bean soup, nice and thick, with light fluffy cornbread dumplings cooked in one pot. Quick, easy and all sorts of delicious. Can’t complain about that.

Now let’s get to the soup and dumplings!

The stuff. For the soup there are bLackbeans, and onion, spices, a carrot, garlic, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar. For dumplings we have flour, baking powder, salt, oil, and plant milk. Salt and pepper too.

Start by dicing up the carrot and onion and mincing the garlic.

Dump all that you diced into a big pot, along with the spices, some salt and pepper, and about 1/2 cup of water. Place on stove and cook down on medium heat until the onion is becoming translucent and the whole pot is starting to smell fragrant.

Now add in beans and tomato paste and about 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil then turn down to medium an cook for about 20-30 minutes.

Soup. Cooked and all taste but one more little step.

Remove a third of the soup and blend until smooth and then add it back it.

Dumplings. Mix dry together then add in oil and milk. Mix together unit incorporated.

While soup is still on medium heat, scoop the dumping mixture right into the soup.

Place a loose side on top of pot ans let the dumplings cook util list and fluffy which will take about 15-20 minutes.

Cornbread dumplings looking all nice in the soup.

Then you eat it. Add some avocado on top of you want. Avocado is always a good idea.

-C

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Black Bean Soup with Cornbread Dumplings

feeds 3-4

• 3 cups cooked black beans (or 2 16 oz cans)

• 1 large onion

• 1 good sized carrot

• 3-4 cloves garlic

• 1 teaspoon chill powder

• 1 tablespoon cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or none if you don’t like the spice)

• 1 tablespoon maple cider vineger

• 1/3 cup tomato paste

• 5 cups water

• salt and pepper

  Dumplings

• 3/4 cup all purpose flour

• 1/4 cup corn meal

• 3/4 cup plant milk

• 2 tablespoon neutral oil

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Start by dicing up the carrot and onion into small pieces. Mince the garlic and then place the garlic, onion, and carrot into a large pot with the cumin, chili powder, and red pepper flakes, a good pinch of salt and pepper, and about 1/2 a cup of water. Place pot on stove on a medium low heat and sweat the mixture for about 10-15 minutes or until fragrant and the onions are slightly translucent.

Add in the tomato paste, beans , and 5 cups water. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium heat and let cook for about1/2 hour. Once soup has cooked down a bit and tastes delicious, remove form heat and carefully transfer 1/3 of the soup to a blender or jar (if using a hand blander) and blend until smooth. Add the blend soup back to the pot and turn the heat back on to medium low. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Now make dumpling mixture. Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl then add in the oil and milk and mix until incorporated. Scoops the dumping mixture into the soup while the soup then place a lid loosely on the pot. Cook for another 15-20 minutes or unit the dumplings are nice a n fluffy.

And when they are done, remove lid, tun the heat off, and paddle soup and dumplings into bowl. Eat. Add sliced avocado for a little more yum.

Tomato Basil and White Bean Orzo Pasta Salad

Another heatwave. I tell you what, If I never live through another 90 + degree day, it will be too soon.

What to eat during a heat wave? Well maybe you don’t care and have air conditioning in your kitchen so you cook whatever. I don’t have air conditioning and after a few days of boiling temps, there is no freaking way I am turning on the oven. I can barely turn on the stove top to boil water, but I did, I boiled water, I just did it early in the morning before the temperatures starting rising again. (A pro tip for you.) That is one of the great things about pasta salad, you can make the pasta ahead of time. You can even make the whole salad in the morning and then you don’t have to do a damn thing when it comes to dinner besides lifting a fork to your face, which I know can be a feat when all you want to do is melt, or slap at something, but still.

This pasta salad, well it is not you everyday pasta salad. It has beans, fresh basil, and a dressing that is made by blending up the most delicious seasonal tomatoes until rich and creamy and dumped all over the orzos. . It is probably going to be the best tasting pasta salad you will ever eat. The thing is, you really need to make it soon because sure you can get tomatoes all year round but don’t do that. Do yourself a favor and make it now while the tomatoes are plentiful and at their peak of deliciousness. And also you don’t have wait for a heatwave to make it. This is a good meal to have at the ready all throughout tomato season, and just in case, a heat wave.

Now to the pasta salad!

The stuff. Just picked tomatoes, some fresh basil, cooked navy beans, orzo pasta, olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, and salt and pepper.

Rough chop tomatoes into small pieces. Also peel and dice garlic into small pieces.

Place the tomatoes, garlic, and a good pinch of salt into a blender (I used a hand blender) and blend unit smooth. Add in the vinegar and oil and bend until the mixture starts to emulsify and becomes smooth and creamy.

Cook and strain pasta as instructed. Keep in on the al dente side.

Chop up basil into thin ribbons or whatever.

Then dump pasta into a large bowl. Add in cherry tomatoes ( I cut mine in half) and beans. Dump in half the sauce and mix around then mix in the chopped basil.

If you are eating it right away, add in the rest of the sauce. If you are keeping it for later, place pasta and sauce in fridge and a before you are planning on serving it mix in the remaining sauce.

Looks so good right! Season with salt and pepper to taste and then you know…

Grab a bowl and eat it. Probably should grab a from too, eating this with your hands might get messy.

Stay cool friends!

-C

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Tomato Basil and White Bean Orzo Pasta Salad

serves 2-3 as a meal or more as a side

• 2 cups dried orzo pasta (12 oz)

• 2 large heirloom tomatoes (about 2 cups chopped)

• 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes (or chopped tomatoes)

• 1/3 cup olive oil

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• 1 1/2 cups cooked and drained white beans ( I used navy but any white bean will do)

• 1 cup packed basil leaves

• 2 cloves garlic

• salt and pepper

Start with making the tomato dressing. Rough chop the 2 large tomatoes into smaller pieces and peel and chop garlic. Place the tomatoes in a blender (or a large jar if using a hand blender) with the garlic and a good pinch of salt and a little pepper. Blend until smooth. Add in the vinegar and oil and continue to blend until the mixture becomes thick and creamy. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed .

Prepare orzo pasta as instructed on package (make it al dente)

Grab basil and chop into smaller pieces.

Once orzo is cooked and drained, dump it into a large bowl. Add in the beans and cherry tomatoes (slice in half if they are on the large size) and pour in half if the tomato sauce. Mix unit incorporated. Toss in the basil.

Now if you are going to eat right away mix in remaining sauce. If you plan on refrigerating and eating later, save the remaining half of the sauce and mix it in right before serving.

Store left overs in fridge for up to 5 days.

Moroccan chickpeas and Carrots

It’s the time of year again, the few weeks time between winter veggies and spring veggies. Farm share is over, asparagus season is pretty much over. The greens, beans, and peas are still growing and the chest freezer is empty. I am living off greens and the few roots that I stashed in the fridge. Yeah I know I can just go buy veggies at the grocery store (the mr informed me…) but nothing is very good there right now either. Poor me right!

But what I do have and always have is carrots and I always have chickpeas. I also always have all the spices and I am never going to run out of raisins because well, Megan keeps giving me boxes and boxes of them.( I went from 5 lbs to like now having 10 lbs) so right here I got stuff to feed myself.

Moroccan chickpeas and carrots. The flavors are very similar to a Indian which I love so much. Cumin, ginger, cinnamon, coriander, and many more. A smokey sweetness that is oh so good. Add that to a big pile of cooked up chickpeas and carrots, sprinkled with raisins, and finished off with fresh parsley. I mean, doesn't that just sound splendid? (It does because it is.) This dish makes not having much in the way of fresh food tolerable. I made a big batch and ate it all day long because you can’t got wrong with carrots and chickpeas. No, no you can’t.

To the Moroccan chickpeas and carrots.

The stuff. Carrots, chickpeas, spice blend (cumin, ginger, coriander, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, clove), a small onion, raisins, garlic, fresh parley, and salt and pepper.

Start with mincing garlic and chopping th onion up into small pieces.

Toss it into a oven safe skillet, add about 1/2 cup water and set on medium heat to start to cook.

in the meantime, cut up carrots. Rounds about 1/2 inch thick.

once all the water evaporates from the onions, add in the spices and stir around. Let cook for a minute then add in about a 1/2 cup more of water.

Now add in the carrots, the chickpeas (with liquid) and the raisins. Bring the liquid to a boil then transfer the skillet to the oven. Cook for about 25 minutes.

While the stuff is in oven, rough chop up parsley.

And once the carrots are tender, remove form oven, let cool for a few minutes, then mix in all the fresh parsley and season to taste with. salt and pepper

Grab a bow and a fork and do it…Eat.

-C

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Moroccan chickpeas and Carrots

• 1 lb of carrots

• 1 can chickpeas with liquid

• 1/3 cup raisins

• 1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and ground coriander

• 1 teaspoon each cumin and ground ginger

• 1/8 teaspoon ground clove or allspice

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1 small onioin

• I bunch parsley

• water

• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mince up garlic and chop up onion into small pieces. Place into a oven safe skillet and stick skillet on stove on medium heat. Add about 1/2 cup of water to the skillet and start to cook down the onions.

Clean carrots and cut them into 1/2 inch rounds. (Peel if you want but I don’t so..)

Once water have evaporated from skillet add in all the spices along with a pinch of salt. Let cook for a minute then add in about 1 cup of water. Also add in the cut up carrots, the chickpeas and liquid (or 2 cups cooked chickpeas and 1/2 more cup water), and the raisins. Mix around and bring the liquid to a boil. Once boiling, transfer skillet to the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until carrots are tender.

Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Rough chop the parsley then toss it in. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Eat.

Creamy Lemon Chickpea Asparagus Pasta

When asparagus is in season, do you also find yourself buying pounds and pounds of it and eating it with everything? Well that is me and I think I do it because one, I only eat asparagus when it is in season which is now and only for a little while so I eat it when I can. And two, there is not a whole heck of a lot in season right now so asparagus it is until other stuff starts growing. Oh and three. I really freaking love it so you know, theres that.

This is just a quick pasta dinner situation that involves the fine spring time asparagus. Nothing fussy, takes all of 15 minutes to make and fills you up all happy like. Its creamy from sunflower butter, lemony from lemon, and full of protein from the chickpeas because we all love chickpeas. All of it is tossed together and tastes fantastic in your mouth like all food going Ito your mouth should.

Now to the pasta.

The stuff. Asparagus, chickpeas, angle hair pasta, sunflower butter, a couple cloves garlic, a lemon, soy sauce, and black pepper.

Grab asparagus and cut of the woody ends then cut the stalks into smaller pieces.

Place the cut ap asparagus onto a sheet pan along with the chickpeas. You can toss with a little oil if you want.. I didn’t.

Cook up pasta. You know what to do.

Then mince up the garlic and zest the lemon .

Once pasta is cooked (air on the side of al dente) strain the pasta but reserve about 1 1/2 cups of the starchy liquid.

Once asparagus ans chickpeas are cooked, remove from oven.

Once the pasta is out of pot, make the sauce. Add garlic and a teaspoon of oil to pot along with a splash or water. Cook for a few minutes until it get fragrant then add in the sunflower seed butter, soy and about a 1/4 cup pasta water. Mix around until it forms a paste then add in another 1/2 cup of pasta water to thin it out.

Add in the cooked pastas and toss until evenly coasted with the sauce.

Then dump pasta into a big bowl. Dump the cooked asparagus and chickpeas into the pasta and toss around.

And all is left is for you to grab a couple bowls and pile it in and eat.

Simple.

-C

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creamy Lemon Chickpea asparagus Pasta

serves 2-3 people

• 1/2 pound long noodle pasta (I used angle hair)

• 1/4 cup sunflower butter or tahini

• 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (drained from liquid)

• 3/4 pound of asparagus

• 1 lemon

• 2 gloves garlic

• 1- 1 1/2 cups water (use water from pasta)

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• black pepper

Preheat oven to 425

Grab asparagus and remove any woody ends of the stalks. Cut the stalks into smaller pieces anut 1- 1 1/2 inches long. Place on a baking sheet along with the drained chick peas. If you want, toss around in a teaspoon or so of olive oil. I did not and did not miss it. Place baking sheet into hot oven. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the asparagus is cooked to your liking. The chick peas are done when the asparagus is done.

While the asparagus and chickpeas are roasting, make pasta. Boil water and cook the pasta for the amount of time the it takes (check package). Once cooked, stain pasta from pot but reserve about 1 1/2 cups of the starchy water.

And mince up the garlic and zest the lemon.

In the now empty pot add in a teaspoon of oil, a splash of water, and the mince garlic. Cook on medium heat for a couple minutes just to soften the garlic up. Turn the heat off then add in the sunflower butter or tahini, the soy, the juice of the lemon and about 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water. Mix until completely incorporated and pasty. Add in another 1/2 cup of the pasta water to thin it out.

Add pasta to the sauce and toss until completely coated then dump it all into a big bowl. IF the sauce if to thick to toss with pasta, add in a little bit more starchy water to lose it up. Grab the roasted asparagus and chickpeas and toss them into pasta along with a teaspoon or so of the lemon zest. Top with freshly ground black pepper.

Now Eat.

Can be serves hot, room temperature, or cold.

Black Bean Burgers

It had been a while since I had made any type of bean burgers. Why? I don’t know. It is probably because I am like a little who plays with one toy for too long and get stick of it. But if I rotate the toys (the food), maybe take a few away for a while (eat what is in season), once I get back to it, well it is just the best. So yeah, just like a little. Huh?

Black bean burgers. These are super simple with not a whole heck of a lot going into them. I used to make these with a lot more veggies but the mr really seems to like them more with less. I’ve got it down to just beans, onion, oats, and spices. Simple but very effective in both taste and in texture. One of the things thatI love about these burgers is that they don’t completely crumble apart when you bite into them so if that is an issue you have with your burgers, welp, hopefully this recipe will solve that. And will solve any food boredom rut you might be in. And solve the issue of being hungry because obviously you are going to be at some point. Hence the bean burgers.

Now to the burgers!

The stuff. Black beans, oats, an onion and a couple cloves or garlic. Then there is ground flax seeds. cumin, chili powder, and paprika, apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, and salt and pepper.

Start by cutting up onion and rough chopping garlic.

Place it into a hot skillet with the spices and some water or oil. Cook on medium heat.

While the onions are sweating, blend up oats into a course oat flour.

And once onions and spices are fragrant and soften a bit, add in beans, tomato paste, and vinegar. Stir around and cook for a few minutes or until everything has melded together.

Dump the bean mixture and flax seed into food processor with oat flour and pulse until everything is incorporated and smooth(ish).

Scoop into a bowl and refrigerate so mixture has time to set up.

Once mixture is set, divided into 6 equal portions and place on a baking sheet (lined or greased). With wet fingers, pat down into patties then pop them into hot oven. Bake until browned and crispy.

And that is it. Now get to eating cause that is why you made them!

-C

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Black Bean Burgers

makes 6 burgers

• 2 cups cooked and strained black beans

• 1 small onion

• 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon cumin (higher amount if you really like cumin… ME!)

• 1 teaspoon chili powder

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1/2 heaping cup of old fashion oats

• 1 tablespoon flax meal

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 2 tablespoon tomato puree or paste

• salt and pepper

• Serving suggestions are Avocado, salsa, pickled onion on cornbread or regular bread or whatever!

Start by chopping up the onion into small pieces and slicing up the garlic (don’t mince) into a few small pieces. Place into a good sized skillet with the cumin, paprika, and chili powder, and a good splash or water or a little oil (I used water) and place on medium heat. Cook for a few minutes or until fragrant and onion has started to soften a bit.. Add a splash more water if it start to dry out to fast. Once slightly cooked, dump in beans, add tomato paste and vinegar and mix around. Keep on heat and cook for another 5 or so minutes until everything had melded together. Remove form heat and let cool for a few minutes.

In the meantime, place oats into a food processor and blend unit until it forms a course flour. It doesn’t need to be super fine and a few whole pieces is fine. Once bean mixture has cooled just a bit, dump into the food preocessor on top of oat flour. Add in the flax and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse until completely incorporated, stoping to scrap down sides if needed. Some chunks are fine and don’t blend more then it needs to be.

Once blended , scrap mixture into a bowl and place in fridge for 15 miutes- /2 hour so the mixture has time to set. (Can also be left in fridge (covered, for a few days)

Preheat oven to 400.

Once the mixture has been set up, scoop into 6 equal sized portionsl and place on a pan with parchment, a mat, or has been ightly oiled. With wet fingers, smoosh each ball into a patty. Place burgers into hot oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, flipping half way through. They are done when they are nice and brown and crunchy on both sides.

Once baked, remove form oven and eat them like you want. I suggest eating with salsa, avocado , pickled onions and if you want a bun, do a bun. I served mine with cornbread cause that is what I had and it was not hated at all.