Refried Beans (or Bean Dip) - Instant Pot

Let me start off by saying that I typically do not soak my dry beans when cooking them in the Instant Pot. Why, you ask? 

When I first started using an Instant Pot four years ago, I wanted to test out the theory that dry beans don't need soaking before cooking in a pressure cooker. I have tested this so many times, I saw no need to soak ahead of time, because my time savings put the theoretical scale in favor of not soaking. And it seemed less fussy to deal with. 

When I needed to make bean dip for my daughter's graduation party, I decided to go ahead and pre-soak the pinto beans I was making, partly because they were going to be mashed up anyway. And also since I was making them for a crowd, I decided to soak them. It was also a good way to test out pre-soaking dry beans since I hadn't done it for awhile. I use the IP so much for beans, you could call it my Bean Pot! 

Refried Beans (or Bean Dip)

Pick through and rinse:

1 pound of pinto beans (or other beans of choice: black, kidney, red, etc.)

Soak with an adequate amount of water as the beans will double in size. I checked on my beans now and then and added water as needed. A good 8-12 hour soak should be good. Drain and rinse the soaked beans. Add fresh water to the beans in the Instant Pot inner pot, making sure the beans are covered. 

Then add the following to the beans and water:

1 Tablespoon oil (I used olive oil)

3/4 cup (more or less) chopped onion 

2 tablespoon minced garlic (maybe 4-5 cloves)

1 teaspoon mild chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon each - basil, oregano, cayenne pepper (any of these, or all, are optional)

1 teaspoon salt 

1 bay leaf (remove after cooking)

Cook everything together on pressure cook setting for 25 minutes* on the high setting. For easy work to mash later, I find that letting the beans come down naturally off of pressure is best. Remove bay leaf. When it was done, I just took a masher (like a potato masher) and mashed it right in the pot. Some beans can be left whole. 

Add: 

vegetable broth (as needed, if you need more liquid)

Beans will thicken as they cool and absorb more liquid, so having broth/stock handy is a great idea. Depending on how thin or thick you want the finished bean dish to be, you might be surprised at the amount of liquid they will absorb.

This is easily doubled in an 8 quart IP. It can even be tripled in a 10 quart IP, as I also have one and tested this myself. A 6 quart IP can easily accommodate the one pound recipe above. 

An immersion blender can be used, but I found no need with my potato masher. I have this Cutco potato masher in my kitchen with an old style handle. Tip: After using the masher, immediately rinse off your masher or immersion blender. You'll thank me later. 

 *You'll want to pressure cook for 35-40 minutes if not soaking the dry beans before cooking. Also make sure to add at least 6 cups of water for every pound of beans if not pre-soaking.

Optional: You can add a bell pepper to the cooking pot as well. (And/or a whole dried chili - remove before mashing the beans - chipotle maybe?) These additions can really give nice flavor! 

Tomato-Free Boston Baked Beans & an Impromptu Family Visit

(We are in the month of April in 2024. I am back dating this for 2020, because the first time I cooked this was on April 7, 2020.)

I had just gotten an Instant Pot secondhand. My son helped me find one. Yes, I am slow to the party. I wanted to make sure it was worth me buying another kitchen small appliance. I told myself I need to try cooking with it in the first week, or I might never use it. It could have been another item sitting on a shelf. This was going to be different. So try, I did.

I knew I wanted to cook up dried beans, without soaking, just because. Although I still recommend soaking beans, draining and then cooking with fresh water, which is better for digestion, I find I just put it off and use canned beans many times. 

Enter the Instant Pot. From the get go, I have been impressed. Never before had I ever learned to cook with a manual pressure cooker. The Instant Pot, an electric pressure cooker (slow cooker, etc), takes a lot of the guesswork out of it. I have no memory of my mother ever using a pressure cooker when I was growing up. 

I made sure to get some cookbooks from the library so I could learn from others. One particular book, written by Britt Brandon, called "The 'I Love My Instant Pot' Vegan Recipe Book" is chock full of such great recipes, that I suggest you go out and buy it! 

The recipe in her book is titled, "Boston-Style Baked Beans". The first time I tried it, I thought it would add a little flavor, more than the usual plain water cooked beans I make. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised to taste a familiar flavor from my childhood. 

My mother used to make beans along with cornbread. Her variation I had growing up used ham/salt pork, but no tomatoes. The canned, dark, overly-sweet baked beans in the store, are not what I remember at all growing up, other than a camping menu item. This recipe uses liquid smoke that I have found helpful to get those comfort flavors again after going meat free years ago.

The following is my take on Britt Brandon's recipe. I always get compliments on these. Keep in mind, I almost always double/big batch things like this. I use primarily an 8 quart Instant Pot as I find it the most versatile and useful for larger recipes. I happen to have the Ultra IP version. Read the notes below the recipe for my ingredient notes. Enjoy! 

Tomato-Free Boston Baked Beans - Big Batch 

(Want less than a big batch? You can cut this in half. But why? Cold leftovers make a great raw veggie dip!)

In your Instant Pot metal inner pot, combine the following 6 ingredients: 

2 pounds (about 4 1/2 cups) white beans (such as navy, cannellini, or great northern)

9 cups water 

1 whole bay leaf

1 Tablespoon refined coconut oil (optional) 

2 teaspoons salt 

2 teaspoons liquid smoke (Wright's brand preferred) (OR smoked paprika if you don't have liquid smoke)

Set to "pressure cook" for 40 minutes on high. Let release naturally, but if you need to, you can quick release after 10 minutes, once cook time has completed. 

---------------------------------------------------------------

When the IP pressure has come down and you can open it again, set the IP to "sauté" and "less" or low. Then add the following ingredients and simmer without the lid for another 10 minutes or more to get the consistency you like. We like ours a little soupy, nice and soft. Stir often.*

1 large onion, diced (about 1 cup)

2 Tablespoons prepared mustard (OR 2 teaspoons dry mustard)

2 Tablespoons evaporated cane juice/turbinado sugar (or maple syrup)

2 teaspoons molasses

*Another method is to simply add everything in all at once and pressure cook for the first 40 minutes amount. Then only to thicken it, would you add any sauté time, making sure to stir often. 

Notes about a few of the ingredients:

Oil: You do not need to add any oil, and for a while, I didn't. Now I find a little makes it feel more like I remember. You can use what you like for oil if you decide to include it. 

Salt: The is one time that I don't use my own Seasoned Salt. It would introduce too many other flavor notes, already taken care of by the other ingredients. I wanted to have it fairly predictable with the familiar flavor I was looking for. I used Himalayan salt, but whatever salt you like is fine.

Liquid Smoke: I prefer Wright's brand as I find the ingredients to be natural with nothing added for color, or salt. I just want the smoke flavor and in a glass bottle, the way I prefer. I used hickory liquid smoke, but Wright's also makes a mesquite and applewood flavor. The Wright's hickory and mesquite are non-gmo. They are all gluten free, without added salt or soy or vinegar. 

Onion: I like a good red onion, but any would suffice. The original recipe called for a specific measuring cup amount. I find that I will use a whole onion, no matter what. If I need less at a time, I will use a smaller onion. Do what works for you. Red, yellow, or white onion are good (green/spring onion not so much). 

Mustard: Use whatever you have on hand. The last time I made these, I happened to have a prepared stone ground dijon mustard. 

Sweetener: Use what you have. I would steer away from honey as it would change the flavor too much. I usually use a dry sweetener as listed. Maple syrup works, but adds another flavor too, not as much as honey would though. 

Molasses: And this is why these are called Boston Baked Beans. The history of this recipe will tell you more about why it needs to have molasses. Check it out sometime. I use a run-of-the-mill, locally sourced molasses from my local bulk food store bottled in a pint jar. You may ask about Blackstrap, but this is not the time to use it, in my opinion. 

A memory for this recipe (I am publishing this in 2024, so the rest of this memory will make sense... 

Monday, April 8, 2024. Many of you will know that this date (4/8/2024) was the solar eclipse and many in our area had watch parties because we were in the area of totality across our state. The night before, my aunt and uncle from out of state, called to ask if my dad was willing to host them for one night so they could enjoy the eclipse from his property. The duration of the eclipse would start about 2 pm and end about 4:30pm, with the totality (darkness) from about 3:14-3:17 pm. They drove early in the morning to get here. They arrived about five minutes after 2 that Monday afternoon, because of the eclipse traffic (in this area, most schools called off for the day). We enjoyed the afternoon and evening chats with them as my dad is also our next door neighbor. We were glad to have a great day weather wise, to take it in together with them. We snapped photos of the eclipse and family selfie photos to remember our day by. 

I realized that although we had just gotten back from a trip that Sunday, we would need to make a supper plan. I really hadn't gotten much in the way of groceries just yet, but my son was here to help. He's a cook in his own right and he offered to help. He saw we had volunteer collard greens growing in my (not yet cleaned up) garden the previous year. He also suggested we pick a few dandelions for the meal. I was up for it. We pulled out the grill on our Breeo fire pit (we love this thing!). I had a Victoria cast iron wok that he pulled out and prepared. He cooked the collards with some onions, and seasoned them nicely. Then the (cleaned and washed) dandelions went in, simply made and gave a taste for everyone to try. We supplemented with some kale and spinach mix sautéed up. Red skinned potatoes were oiled, salted (Herbamare herbed salt) and wrapped in foil (one of the rare times I use foil) to be baked on the grill next to the cast iron wok. We brought out some extra seasonings if anyone wanted any. 

We had a feast! Earlier in the day, I put on this recipe of beans in the house, knowing we needed some for the coming week anyway - next time I would try cooking them over the fire! Let me tell you it was the best way to eat these beans and the day was perfect. We sat, talked and ate until sunset around 8 pm or later. 

An impromptu visit for my dad, his sister and brother-in-law, my aunt and uncle (a couple I always love to talk to and visit) .... turned out to be a great day. My daughter was home, my son pulled in right before they arrived and my husband came after his work day just in time to get our fire started and join us to make our supper outside. What a wonderful fireside meal to end the day of the solar eclipse... and lovely memories to remember. We even had two sunsets, both of which we spent outside in the nice 70℉ day. 

Main Dish Sauté - Thanksgiving 2017

This is what we enjoyed today as a main dish for our Thanksgiving meal. Everyone really liked it. I'm sorry to say I don't have exact measurements to give you, but I will try my best to tell you what went into the dish. This is one of those check-the-pantry-and-see-what-you-end-up-with dishes. Turned out wonderfully!

Thanksgiving Main Dish Sauté

Mix the following together in a bowl: 

about 2 cups cooked Kidney Beans, rinsed & drained, mashed some (or another dark bean)

1 can young Jackfruit in salty brine, drained & mashed

about 10 dried Shiitake Mushrooms, rehydrated in hot water, drained & chopped                  

    (save broth from soaking mushrooms for this recipe later)

about 10 halves Sun-Dried Tomatoes, rehydrated in hot water, drained & chopped

about 1/4 cup Gari (fermented cassava root, dried & granulated), or 1/4 cup rolled oats

about 1 Tablespoon Tamari/Soy Sauce 

1 teaspoon Porcini Mushroom powder (can be optional)

about 2 Tablespoons Dried Minced Onion

2 Tablespoons coconut oil (or similar)

2 cloves garlic, minced
(about 1/2 teaspoon sage would be lovely here, but I was out! )

Add in as much broth from the shiitake mushrooms as you need to make it somewhat dry, but still moist, as if you could make burgers/patties from it. If it's too dry, use a vegetable broth or water (be careful not to make this dish too salty). If it's too wet, opt to use more oats (or even breadcrumbs if not gluten free, or another starchy food that soaks up liquid). 

To a large skillet, add coconut oil, on medium heat. Add in garlic, minced. Sauté for a couple of minutes, then add the bean mixture to the pan and heat through, turning frequently, about 10 minutes until hot. 

Since we ate this a few hours later, I let the mixture cool and then put it into a loaf pan and refrigerated it until we went to my parent's home. I then reheated it in their oven while other things were baking. I didn't try to get it out in one loaf. Instead we spooned it onto our plates from the baking pan. 

Our menu for today's meal:

Vegan Main Dish Sauté (recipe above)

Homegrown creamed corn, baked

Shelled edamame 

Roasted garlic (one whole bulb per person!)

Roasted Roots (potatoes, onions, carrots), my chef son's specialty dish

Pumpkin spice cake with black walnuts

Red Red from Ghana (Black-Eyed Peas with Plantains)

I have so many foods I miss from Ghana. It's hard to believe we've been back for almost 6 1/2 years now. This meal took us right back. My husband loved this meal and it was his usual lunch on school days. It was easily his favorite and most frequent meal in Ghana.

Named "Red Red" for a couple of reasons. When we asked why it was named this way in Ghana, they would tell us that the ripe plantains are called red and from the red palm oil. When I was checking on the name online, I came up with many recipes that included tomatoes in them. Since we don't recall tomatoes being part of the dish we remember, I opted to go middle road with some tomato paste for flavor. Tomato paste is used very frequently in Ghana. Also, traditionally the plantains are unhealthily deep fried. We opted to bake them, and didn't notice much of a difference. They were perfectly sweet and soft on their own, to compliment the beans.

There are a couple of ingredients in this meal that made it difficult to make this meal authentic until recently when we found some gari, made from cassava. One other ingredient was the red palm oil, harvested from palm oil trees.

My husband says it's a keeper. We all loved it. Enjoy!

Red Red (Black-Eyed Peas with Plantains) 

In a large skillet, heat:
1/4 cup red palm oil

Add and cook until soft:
2 medium onions, sliced
1 inch ginger, peeled and chopped (optional, but lends an authentic flavor)
5 cloves garlic, pressed and chopped

Add and let cook for a couple of minutes:
1 teaspoon curry powder
red pepper (to taste, or use the chili and onion condiment below)
1 Tablespoons tomato paste
salt to taste

Finally add, and let simmer:
4-6 cups cooked black-eyed peas (save the cooking liquid)
(This is about what you get when you cook up 1 pound dry beans)
bean cooking water for thinning the stew to almost soupy

Meanwhile, prepare the baked plantains:

6-8 very ripe (preferably at least 1/2 black/yellow) plantains, washed, peeled, cut into about 1 inch sections

Arrange the peeled and sliced ripe plantains on a baking sheet in single layer.
Bake at 350 F until done (softened), about 30-45 minutes.

Serve up the Red Red with some slices of baked plantain. Making sure there is liquid for the gari to sprinkle on and soak up, enjoy as a meal.

Optional:
Process fresh red chili pepper in a mortar and pestle, adding some salt. Stir in some thinly sliced red onion (more typical in Ghana, but you may use any kind of onion for this). Put on the table to serve alongside as a condiment.

Black Bean Soup

This recipe was given to me by a friend. We've enjoyed it on a few occasions and it's worth mentioning. It's an easy, basic recipe. Enjoy!

Black Bean Soup

Sauté together in bottom of a soup pot:
1 Tablespoon oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
1 small red pepper, chopped (I used light green/yellow)

Stir in with vegetables:
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoons ground cumin
pinch red pepper or chipotle powder

Add in:
4 cups vegetable broth
3 1/2 cups cooked black beans
1-2 cups grape tomatoes, cut in half (or use other diced tomatoes)
seasoning to taste

Bring to boil. Take off heat and let sit for a few minutes. Serve as is, or opt to puree part or all of the soup. I left the soup as is for photo above. 

Optional toppings to serve with soup:
fresh tomatoes, diced
salsa
cooked and cooled brown rice
fresh chopped cilantro

Split Pea Soup

 I remember when I first "went" vegetarian back in 1996. I didn't know what to do with recipes like split pea soup. Why? What was I going to do for the ham or bacon flavor? It seems almost laughable now, but it was a real challenge for me at the time. I love split pea soup. Over the years, I've tried other things like "bac'uns" (soy tvp based vegetarian "bacon" bits) - which we loved, and I couldn't see how we'd live without, to liquid hickory smoke. But I've come across something that redefines good split pea soup...Yes, in my opinion.

Two words: chipotle pepper or smoked paprika. Ok, maybe four, but who's counting? If you like a little spicy on the side, use a whole chipotle pepper as a "floater" in the soup, like you would use a whole bay leaf. The only people that are going to get a spicy bite are those actually eating the pepper. My daughter had her bowl minus the chipotle pepper and didn't think it was spicy at all. But my husband, son and I all enjoyed a little spice from breaking up the chipotle pepper in our bowls. So good. Next time, I'm going to put at least two peppers in the soup. If you want it smokey without the spice, try adding smoked paprika powder instead. Now you're talking!

Feel free to puree the soup, but I like to skip this step, leaving it stand just the way it is. My son likes to have it chunky this way. Hey, with fewer dishes, I won't complain. =)

Split Pea Soup

 

 

1 pound split peas, sorted and rinsed

3 quarts water (more for thinner soup)

5 carrots, chopped

3 onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 - 2 dried whole chipotle peppers (a smoked jalapeno pepper)

1/2 teaspoon ground celery seed

1 teaspoon dried basil or 1 Tablespoon fresh basil

1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

a little freshly ground black pepper (1/4 teaspoon maybe?), to taste

 

optional:

1 potato, diced

1/2 cup other veggies on hand, as desired

1 bay leaf

 

Start by getting your water and split peas going to a boil on the stove in a good sized kettle (I used my 5 quart "dutch oven" pot). When it has reached a boil, turn down to medium heat. Meanwhile, chop up the carrots, onions, garlic and celery and add to the soup pot as you go. "Float" the dried chipotle pepper in the soup like you would a bay leaf (which would be added here too, if you want to use a bay leaf). Make sure to leave the chipotle pepper whole, unless you want the entire soup pot to be spicy!

 

Cook at least 30 minutes, test to check if split peas are soft and add more time if needed. If you like pureed split pea soup, here's the place to do it, before adding the herbs. Turn down to a simmer, add the seasonings, salt and ground pepper. Cook another 5 minutes, then turn heat off. Remove and reserve the chipotle pepper (discard the bay leaf, if using). Move off the hot burner and serve. Add bits of the chipotle pepper to the bowls of those that request their soup a bit spicy.

 

This can easily be done in a crock pot on low for 4-6 hours. Add seasonings in the last 30 minutes.

 

We enjoyed this with homegrown cherry tomatoes and sliced avocado on the side. Afterward, we rinsed our bowls out for some homemade vegan ice cream for dessert! Oooo...Aaaah! Recipe coming soon.



My Pantry List

This is in response to a long overdue post I had promised my cousin (I didn't forget!). In thinking about what I stock in my pantry, I realize that it changes with the seasons and various discounts I find. I include what I usually have on hand in fresh produce as well. We try to eat a lot of raw foods, so you'll see that reflected here.

Greens are listed separately because they are so important. I rotate the greens for breakfast smoothies, but I always try to keep salad lettuces on hand for other meals. I don't usually have all these greens at the same time. Right now we are still using kale (Lacinto and Red Curly) and Swiss Chard from our garden.

Following is a general list that you should feel free to adapt to your situation. These are what I thought of today (I will try to update as I think of others). I rarely have all these things at the same time. I buy as I can and try to watch what is in season and on sale. Please see additional notes at the bottom of the post.

Seeds and Nuts

• Almonds (for homemade almond butter)
• Sunflower Seeds
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Sesame Seeds & Tahini (sesame seed butter)
• Walnuts
• Pecans
• Hemp
• Chia
• Flax (dark and light)
• Cashews
• Coconut, shredded (unsweetened)
• Seeds for Sprouting (alfalfa, mung bean, etc.)

Grains

• Brown Rice
• Wheat/Rye/Spelt Berries (to grind fresh into flour)
• Rolled Oats (Old Fashioned)
• Popcorn (kernels for popping)
• Quinoa
• Whole Organic Corn (for grinding into cornmeal)
• Millet

Legumes, Dried (organic preferred when sprouting legumes)

• Split Peas
• Lentils
• Black Beans
• Pinto Beans
• Garbanzo Beans (Chick Peas)

Vegetables

• Carrots
• Onions (and Green Onions)
• Sweet Potatoes
• Cabbage
• Celery
• Garlic
• Tomatoes (fresh and sun-dried organic)
• Bell Peppers 
• Hot Peppers (fresh and dried)
• Ginger Root
• Winter Squash (Butternut, Acorn, Pumpkin)
• Peas (frozen)
• Sweet Corn (frozen)
• Broccoli
• Beets
• Cucumbers
• Zucchini

Greens

• Romaine
• Leafy Lettuces
• Spinach (fresh and frozen)
• Mixed greens
• Kale
• Collard Greens
• Swiss Chard
• Dried Teas: Peppermint, Spearmint, Chamomile
• Fresh Herbs: Parsley, Cilantro, Basil, etc.

Fruits

• Lemons
• Apples
• Bananas
• Berries (frozen)
• Raisins, organic
• Dates (Pitted and also Medjool)
• Avocados

Sea Vegetables (Seaweed)

• Nori (for "sushi" wraps)
• Kombu (makes beans more digestible)
• Wakame (for miso soup)
• Kelp, powdered (in my Spices list)

Sweeteners

• Honey (local)
• Maple Syrup (local)
• Green Stevia, powdered (in my Spices list)

Oils and other condiments:

• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Nama Shoyu (raw soy sauce) or Coconut Aminos
• Olive Oil, extra virgin, organic
• Coconut Oil, extra virgin, organic
• Mustard
• Salt (we like "Real Salt")
• Vegetarian Formula Nutritional Yeast
• Miso
• Carob Powder
• Homemade Vanilla Extract (recipe coming soon)
• Dried Herbs and Spices

Occasionally:

• Pasta
• Tofu/Tempeh
• Tomato paste
• Yeast (for baking bread)
• Arrowroot (for thickening)
• Figs
• Home canned tomatoes
• Mushrooms (fresh and dried)
• White Potatoes
• Pineapple
• Young Coconuts
• Other fruits in season
• Other vegetables in season

I go to discount stores and find other foods that we can enjoy periodically. Sometimes I'm able to find things that I normally use at a much better price, but selection may be very spotty. I find that if I check in now and then at places I'm going by anyway, I can sometimes get a very good deal. My standard is buying ripe bananas (with brown spots - I use them for smoothies) at a deep discount for only 19 cents per pound at a local grocery store I frequent. Sometimes there are even organic bananas marked down for the same price. Keep an eye out for deals and marked down produce. We buy a lot of it and it pays to check.

Note about wheat/gluten and soy: We have been eating wheat free for about one year now. I don't stock any wheat, rye, spelt, wheat based pastas, or yeast (not wheat, but I wouldn't use it anyway) because of this. I include it here to show what you may need if you use wheat/gluten based products. We also eat very little soy, but do include it occasionally (I never use TVP or soy oil). Because of these two reasons, I never buy pre-made meat analogs, as it seems that 99% of these products contain one or both, wheat and soy.

I try to include recipes on this blog that give you alternatives to pre-packaged (read: marketed to vegetarians) "alternatives" out there. Vegetarian offerings in stores have come a long way in the last 20 years. There is still so much to be desired if you consider the sensitivities and allergies that people have these days. Making things yourself tastes better when it's homemade and it's usually cheaper, but not always. At least you know what's in your food this way!

I hope this list gives you an idea of how I do things at our house. Your list may look very different than mine. Make it yours.

Hummus Dip

Just recently my daughter and I attended a "Keepers at Home" group that we are part of through involvement with our local homeschooling group (and co-op).  The mothers take turns each month teaching useful skills to the girls to "keep" their future homes. It is a privilege and honor to do this. And it's fun to participate with your daughter and learn something fun like making a quick and colorful scarf by using hand knitting! =)

Recently I was able to take a turn doing what I love. I had an evening of making, tasting and learning all about simple healthy vegan foods. The girls watched as I made some things and talked about the foods. Then they also got their hands into it by making some things with me. And who can forget the tasting! We sampled a few things that I know they won't forget. And I mean that in a good way! =)

Our evening included making (and eating!) hummus. The following recipe is the one I followed (and improvised with). It can be found at simplyrecipes.com. You can also use this as a spread or salad dressing for any number of things. This is a nice creamy dressing that replaces the ever present ranch style dressings/dips that are always around at potlucks. Take some of this hummus along with some raw veggies, next time you are invited for a potluck meal! =)

Hummus

2 garlic cloves, mashed and minced
2 15-oz cans (about 3 to 3 1/2 cups) garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
2/3 cup of tahini
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt
ground cumin, to taste (my addition - optional)

In a food processor, combine the garlic, garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, 1/2 cup water, and olive oil. Process until smooth. Add salt (and cumin, if using), starting at a half a teaspoon, to taste. Makes about 3 cups. Add more water, a little at a time, if it's thicker than you like.

Serve with sliced up vegetables. We used sliced cucumber to taste test, the evening I did this for the group. You can use: zucchini, cucumber, carrots (try slicing these on the bias for longer, bigger dippers), bell peppers (any color), thinly sliced raw sweet potato, celery (I love celery this way!), jicama, broccoli, cauliflower, grape tomatoes, etc.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus: add a small amount (1 to 2 tablespoons) of roasted red peppers to food processor along with salt. Start with a small amount, tasting and adding more if desired.

This hummus can also be used as a spread on breads for sandwiches...with some veggies, makes a great sandwich! Thin with water, as desired, for a nice salad dressing.

Flavor it how you like, with any number of your own variations. There are so many things you can do with hummus. Be creative and have fun.

Tip: If you use warm beans, you may find the hummus to come out smoother.

Veggie Stuffed Bell Peppers

We had a dinner tonight that I just had to write about. Normally I am not a stuffed pepper sort of person. I really don't like green peppers all that much. But a recent bunch of discounted green peppers at the store the other day prompted me to look through my recipes once again.

I have a recipe that I improvised from like crazy (as usual!) and I love the result. So here is my version, gluten and grain free, in fact.

Veggie Stuffed Bell Peppers

3 (medium to large) green peppers
1 cup frozen corn (thawed)
1 cup mixed frozen vegetables (ours had corn, peas, green beans, & carrots)
1-2 cups cooked beans (I used chick peas)
1 cup your favorite fresh salsa (or more, as needed)
a few dashes hot sauce (optional)
6 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
dried oregano, to garnish

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

First, wash and cut in half, through the stem, the green peppers, trimming out the seeds and white ribs. In a pot, boil some water to quick cook (blanch) the peppers for about 5 minutes. Remove, drain and set aside into a baking dish when cooked.

Mix the corn, veggies, and beans together. Now you are ready to assemble. Making sure the blanched peppers are laying on their sides, open side up, stuff with the veggie & bean mix. Then, layer each with the fresh salsa (mixed with the optional hot sauce). Next, a tablespoon of nutritional yeast goes on top of each pepper half. To garnish, I put dried oregano on top (like I do with homemade pizza). Put into oven for 20-30 minutes until heated through.

Makes 6 servings as a side dish, 3 as a main dish. I made double the recipe and it fit my 9"x13" casserole nicely.

Black Bean Chipotle Chili

A recent chili "cook-off" got me thinking about posting a chili recipe. I made some changes to one at Fatfree Vegan Kitchen. It has a rich, deep, dark color that looks and tastes wonderful. To make prep quick, use canned versions of the tomatoes, tomato sauce and beans.

This large recipe makes almost 4 quarts. Great for freezing ahead. As is, this recipe is mild enough while still giving a spicy heat. Instead of chili powder to give this soup its classic flavor, it relies on the real deal, a smoky chipotle pepper. If you want to cook in even more spicy heat, add another chipotle pepper to the recipe and enjoy.

Black Bean Chipotle Chili 

1 dried chipotle pepper, soaked with 3/4 cup water, pureed in blender
2 Tablespoons grapeseed oil/coconut oil
2 medium onions, chopped
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow (or red or orange) bell pepper, chopped
2 cups diced tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes with chiles
2 cups tomato sauce
6 cups cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons paprika (or smoked paprika)
4 teaspoons carob powder, mixed with 1/2 cup hot water
2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
1/4 cup raisins, soaked & pureed with 1 cup water
1/2 c. cornmeal, mixed with 1/4 cup water (optional thickener)

During the making of this chili, I was using my blender for a bit of the prep. You'll notice that the dried chipotle pepper and the raisins will need pureed (separately). Keep your blender (or personal blender handy for these two steps. A bowl and whisk will be helpful for the carob powder and optional cornmeal (also mixed separately). Because of these steps, I added water during cooking time (rinsing the blender and other containers, etc), so there is an option to add in a little cornmeal toward the end if you so desire. If you like a little more liquid in your chili, feel free to leave the cornmeal out.

Remove the stem (if still attached) from the dried pepper before soaking and proceed to soak and prep the pepper as stated, then set aside. Prepare the raisins as well at this time.

In a large pot, saute the onion in oil. When softened, add the garlic and bell pepper, then cook a few more minutes. Add the chili pepper puree, tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, corn, and spices (except the carob, salt and raisins). Bring to a simmer.

In a small bowl, prepare the carob powder. Add it to the chili. Taste for seasonings and add salt to taste. Add raisin puree. You may add the optional cornmeal at this time, stirring the soup as you add it.  Cook for another 30 minutes or more at a low simmer, stirring occasionally.

In With the New...Polenta and Tamale Casserole

Often what a cook needs is some new inspiration. I know that I get into cooking ruts and end up making the same stuff over and over. When I see that, then I try to reorganize my thinking and look at some cookbook from the library or recipes already in my collection that I've never tried.

So I've looked up a recipe a friend sent me once a couple years ago (Thanks, Wendy!). It was for something else, but the filling looked good for something I was making. I've made casseroles up and they are usually good. This one is a keeper. Tamale Casserole to the rescue.

First though, you need to cook up some cornmeal as follows:

Polenta

2 cups ground yellow cornmeal
5 cups water (divided)

Put 4 cups of the water into a large saucepan (the higher the sides the better) and bring to a boil. While waiting for the water to boil, take the other 1 cup of water and combine it with the 2 cups of cornmeal mixing well and set aside (this helps to keep from getting lumpy polenta). When boiling, add the cornmeal carefully to the boiling water and whisk together until well mixed. Stir constantly. You will need to have a wooden spoon on hand for mixing once it gets thick and harder to stir. Cook until thick.

For the Tamale Casserole, you will need most or all of the recipe above. If you have extra, you can pour it into a loaf pan, cool and chill. Use this to make corn mush, by slicing (once firm) and pan fry.

Tamale Casserole

1 batch polenta recipe (above)

Saute together in small amount of oil:
2 small or 1 large onion, chopped
4 cups black beans, drained of liquid (or other beans)
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Add:
2 cups salsa

Take bean/salsa mixture and put into a 9x13 in. ungreased casserole and top with the prepared warm polenta, smoothing out all over. Put into oven at 350 degrees F for about 20-30 minutes.

Toppings to have on the side:
shredded lettuce
vegan mayo/sour cream (if the salsa is a little on the spicy side)
nutritional yeast
hot sauce

Enjoy! I know we did!

Honey Mustard Chickpeas

This recipe has been a favorite of our family. I've made it like the basic recipe here or added vegetables to our liking or according to what I had on hand at the time to fill it out a bit more. Some of you may recognize this as a non-vegetarian recipe in the More With Less cookbook.

I have three ways to prepare this dish: baking, stove top, or crockpot. See my vegetable variation below the basic recipe as follows. You can add tofu (bean curd) for another variation. Enjoy!

Honey Mustard Chickpeas

1/3 cup oil (I have used part coconut oil and part extra virgin olive oil)
1/3 cup honey (more or less, depending on how sweet you like it)
2 Tablespoons prepared mustard (any kind)
1 teaspoon salt or seasoned salt
1 teaspoon curry powder (or more)
4-5 cups cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained (reserve liquid)

Stir to combine all ingredients. Add liquid to almost cover chickpeas and any vegetables that you decide to add (see below). It can be reserved chickpea cooking liquid, veggie broth, pasta or potato cooking water, or any combination of these, etc. This will produce a nice liquid to keep everything moist. It works very well if you are serving the chickpeas with rice or other cooked whole grain, or pasta. You can use a slotted spoon and keep the extra liquid for another meal, however you like. The amount of liquid you had will decide how moist or dry this dish will be. You can find out what you like best. (Please comment how your family likes this dish.)

Recipe can be multiplied.

To bake:
Bake in 350 degree F oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Stove top:
Cook in medium size saucepan on medium low until heated through. If desired you can continue cooking on low for longer to allow flavors to blend.

Crockpot:
Heat on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 8-10 hours. The great thing about a crockpot is that your schedule can determine how long you cook this dish. It just needs to be heated through, but flavor is better with longer slower cooking.

Vegetable Variation

In addition to the chickpeas you can add vegetables. Using the vegetables you like in the amounts you like, will greatly enhance this dish. Some that we have used in the past (all or some of the following):

onions, sliced or chopped
cabbage, chopped
garlic, whole cloves or coarsely chopped
zucchini, chopped
bell peppers, chopped
green beans, cut into 1 inch lengths
carrots, shredded or chopped
celery, chopped

Though not necessary, sometimes when I add vegetables (especially onions and garlic), I saute them first in a skillet, using the oil in the original recipe, before adding to the other ingredients. Then proceed as usual. When adding 3 cups of vegetables or more, you may want to double your sauce ingredients (all but the chickpeas in the original recipe) for more flavor.

Another Indian tip I learned a few years ago while my husband was at seminary...When adding vegetables to saute, first heat the oil, then add your curry powder, stirring to cook a little, then add your onions, etc... to give it an even better flavor.

Quick Meal - Pasta Salad

Based on how my life has been lately, I need to have a quick meal idea handy. Although in ideal circumstances, I like to make things from scratch and always have the least processed foods to serve my family, lately I have kept some "convenience" foods like whole grain pasta, canned beans, and even (gasp!) minced garlic in a jar. =)

Today I made a pasta salad. This is what I had on hand: Whole wheat penne pasta, leftover cooked (long and slender) green beans, garlic, canned garbanzo beans (chick peas), carrot sticks, fresh broccoli, celery, 8-10 dried shitake mushrooms, and a small bottle of salad dressing (if I would've had onions, I would have added them too).

What I did:

Prepared the pasta in boiling water, drained and rinsed,
Cut the green beans up into shorter lengths,
Opened the jar on the garlic (see?=),
Drained and rinsed the canned beans,
Chopped the carrots,
Washed, trimmed, and blanched the broccoli in the boiling water before cooking the pasta, then drained and rinsed the broccoli,
Chopped up one stalk of celery finely,
Soaked, then sliced, the mushrooms.

Then I mixed everything together with the dressing. Chilled it until supper time. Then mixed once more before serving to mix the dressing again. If I hadn't had the bottled dressing, I would do the usual oil and vinegar (or lemon juice) and my homemade seasoned salt. I put the nutritional yeast on the table to top it off.

So for quick and convenient, this meal idea has saved the menu some days and helped use up those last bits of leftovers in the fridge. Even if the leftovers don't seem like much, a few beans here and some carrot sticks there give some nice color to a pasta salad.

Gumbo

Around here gardens are winding down. We recently had a relative bring us some okra, peppers, green onions and tomatoes along with some fresh green beans. I love okra and saw my chance to make some gumbo. If you've never had okra, it does take a little getting used to as far as the goo-iness. Don't use "woody" ones - ones that are a bit too ripe and hard (don't worry you'll know when you start cutting them).

Since we have an abundance of home frozen creamed sweet corn, I put in lots of corn, making sure it was thawed before adding it to the crock pot. I doubled the recipe for our large crock pot.

Here is a crock pot recipe for an easy meal:

Gumbo

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper, diced

3 whole cloves (like the spice, not garlic)

2 cups diced tomatoes

4 cups stock

1 cup lima beans

2 cups corn

1 1/2 cup sliced okra

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon allspice

Saute the onions, peppers, and cloves. Then remove cloves and put all the ingredients into the crock pot. Make sure everything is thawed and not frozen solid (like creamed sweet corn can be). Slow cook on high for 6 hours or 8-10 hours on low. Adjust seasonings as needed.

Making Tofu in an African Village

There is a woman who sells "soya" to us here in Ghana. We call them spicy tofu kebabs. She has been coming to our house to sell soya for a while now. I realized that I will miss her kebabs one day, so I asked her to show me how to make it myself. Although I don't have all the steps learned yet, I thought I would show you our family field trip to learn the art of making tofu - Ghana style.

(captions underneath each photo will explain the steps)

Here's the woman (with my daughter, Francesca, on her back) taking her soybeans, which have been soaking for 3 hours, out of one container and putting them in another.

She cleans, sorts, and drains them all at the same time this way.

Here we are walking to the grinder about 15 minutes away.

She carries them on her head to the grinder

(daughter on my back and son in the foreground to the left - photo taken by my husband).

The grinder with his machine. Up to the left you see the wires he touches together to start and stop the motor.

While the soybeans are getting ground, he adds water to make it go through easier. This is the first pass through. By the time it's finished it will have gone through about four times. She says this greatly depends on the grinder. Sometimes it only takes one time through.

The final product of the grinding process. The soybeans are now like a thick paste with added water.

Back at her house again, she has put them into her very large bowl. You can see better the consistency of the ground beans.

She stirs the ground soybeans with her hand as she adds water.

She fills it to the brim with water. The final amount shown here.

Close up (looks like a foamy "ocean," as my son put it).




One of her kettles she will use to squeeze out the milk from the bowl. She will eventually get two kettles full from this amount of soybeans.

She fills a large cotton sack with the ground soybean and water mixture, scooping it from the large bowl into the sack, on the edge of her kettle.

This next step proved to me how strong this woman is - here she squeezes the milk from the mixture through the fabric to get all the milk out.

She squeezes and squeezes, twists and squeezes some more...

...and when she can't get anymore from the soybean and water mix bowl, then she adds more water from another bowl to get even more out. I think I now know what the phrase "milking it for all it's worth" means now!

Her setup inside her house during this step. Front center is her original bowl of soybean and water mixture. She is squeezing the milk into her cooking kettle. The black bowl beside her holds more water to get more out of the sack. The smaller bowl diagonally opposite to her kettle is holding the dry pulp (okara) that is left after this step.

This step is time consuming. I liked getting photos of her hands at work.

Her kettle on the fire. She has a tripod type setup for support.

Another view.

She uses Epsom salts for the coagulant.

Mixing the coagulant with water.

Since putting the kettle on the fire, the milk has been cooking. During this entire time, we were asking questions and taking photos (I took over 100 total). Our children were playing in the courtyard that she shares with other close neighbors. My daughter here exploring. If you look closely, you can see in the background that she has a small version of her large kettle on a square brazier or cooker (uses charcoal). She has separated some milk out to make soy milk with it. All of this larger kettle and another will go into making the soybean curd (tofu). She makes this everyday for her family this way. She let us taste it - warm and sweetened with a little sugar - very delicious, like hot cocoa without the chocolate.

Her kettle has been cooking away for a while. Now it it is starting to foam up. This is what it looks like right before she adds the coagulant and water mixture.



She pours in the coagulant.



Another view.

One of the kettles that "settled down" after this step.

After about a minute on the fire after she adds the coagulant, a neighbor will help her take it off the fire. They use cloth threaded through the small handles and then carry it off careful not to touch the hot kettle.

Here the "meat" as she called it, rising to the top and the liquid is underneath. You can see it has pulled away from the sides of the kettle.

She scooped out one side to show how it looks (curds and whey).

Here are both kettles with another bowl waiting to help with the next step.

She scoops out some of the liquid to move it out of the way. She is putting it into the white bucket (pail) to the left in the photo.

The setup for this step. Similar to the squeezing out the milk earlier, she now is pressing the curds in another large cotton flour sack. This time it is for the final pressing of the tofu. She scoops from one kettle and then the other to combine them in her sack.

Auntie Akua hard at work.

Scooping some of the liquid from the bowl that has come through the sack.

She twists it closed.

She lets it rest a minute. It is very hot and steaming.

She is almost finished!

She presses more liquid out with a bowl so she won't burn her hands. That's a lot of tofu!

She positions it on her homemade press. The press is 2 cement blocks in the ground with a plastic tarp-like sack underneath the tofu. The tofu in a flour sack...

...a flat piece of wood on top to even out the weights she will place on top.

Placing two large stones on the flat piece of wood...

...and another to complete it.

The tofu will be pressed this way for two hours. From the start of the soak time for the soybeans until now it has been about 6 to 6 1/2 hours total.

Here my daughter plays with her youngest daughter in the courtyard.

Her family (with my daughter) with 4 of her 5 children in the doorway of her home. She provides for them as a single mother. Making tofu is what she does for a living.

I took all of the photos except the ones I'm in. My husband took this photo of us together. I felt a little like a journalist that day. Camera, pen and paper in hand taking notes. We really enjoyed it. She was very patient with us.



Later she brought me some of the finished tofu. I took photos of it for you to see the final outcome of her hard work. It is very firm and dense. Perfect for using in kebabs on the grill.

This is a photo of the "soya" as we buy it from her, ready made.

The steps you don't see are the preparation of the kebabs. She freezes the tofu, cubes it, then fries it in oil. She then skewers it and adds her seasoning. The seasoning consists of peanut powder (groundnut) from which the oil has been removed, roasted corn (maize) flour, and chili pepper and other seasonings from northern Ghana she tells us. She also adds small pieces of red onion between each piece of tofu. They are very good and spicy.

I hope you enjoyed the little tour. Makes me more thankful for those kebabs! =)