OK, well, there's my generic beans which I use for beans-and-rice, various mexican-ish dishes, etc. Saute an onion in a little oil, add 2-3 cups of dry beans (red beans, black beans, pinto beans), cover with water and cook until cooked (might take a couple of hours but you can leave it on a low burner on a weekend afternoon and it's no bother). When the beans are edibly soft, add stuff to taste: crushed tomatoes, ground cumin, dry oregano, chili flakes or hot sauce or whatever. Don't add the tomatoes earlier or they'll slow down the beans cooking. Cook for another 15 mins or so to blend flavours. You can use the resulting bean mess for all kinds of things, the easiest of which is beans and rice.
Turkish lentil soup: Put a cup or so of red lentils and a few cups of veg stock in a medium saucepan and simmer. Meanwhile, saute an onion and some garlic in a little oil in a big pot. Add 1 can diced tomatoes, 1/2 cup bulgur wheat, 1/2 bunch of chopped parsley and mix it around a bit til the bulgur soaks up the tomato liquid. By this time your lentils should be heading towards done. Upend the whole lentil/stock mess into the big pot. Add water if it seems thicker than you like your soup. Add some fresh or dried rosemary. Cooking until the lentils are thoroughly disintegrated and everything is soupy. Squeeze fresh lemon juice into it and add salt to taste (I usually find it needs a couple of pinches). Great served with pita bread and a green salad.
Cannelini bean and veg pasta: I like this one in summer, when the zucchinis are at their best. You want 1 can white cannelini beans, 1 can tomatoes, and about 3 small to medium sized zucchinis, cut in quarters lengthways then diced. Saute onion and garlic in oil, throw in beans and tomato and zucchini, add herbs (fresh oregano is great, dried is fine), serve over pasta.
Veg minestrone: you need good veg stock with a lot of body and deep flavour, like one of the commercial fake beef stocks, or one you've made yourself with browned/roasted vegies and mushrooms. Saute onion and garlic, add stock, crushed tomatoes, a cup or so of cooked beans (canned is OK but cooked from dry is better), and as many chopped vegies as you like. I use a mix of whatever's good at the farmer's market, and I love putting in kale cut into ribbons. Add the firmer vegies first and save the kale til the end. Also, add italian herbs like oregano or a blend if you have it. Towards the end, throw in a cup of macaroni/elbow noodles and cook til done.
Chickpea tagine: 1 can chickpeas, diced butternut squash, diced waxy potato, whatever else seems good in the root vegetable line. Make sure you've got some onions in there -- I like the little baby sized ones for this use. Put in an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with moroccan spice blend. Mix a can of crushed tomatoes and a cup of veg stock together and pour over (this should spread the spices around). Cover and bake at 350F for an hour. Serve with couscous.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2009-05-11 10:04 pm (UTC)Turkish lentil soup: Put a cup or so of red lentils and a few cups of veg stock in a medium saucepan and simmer. Meanwhile, saute an onion and some garlic in a little oil in a big pot. Add 1 can diced tomatoes, 1/2 cup bulgur wheat, 1/2 bunch of chopped parsley and mix it around a bit til the bulgur soaks up the tomato liquid. By this time your lentils should be heading towards done. Upend the whole lentil/stock mess into the big pot. Add water if it seems thicker than you like your soup. Add some fresh or dried rosemary. Cooking until the lentils are thoroughly disintegrated and everything is soupy. Squeeze fresh lemon juice into it and add salt to taste (I usually find it needs a couple of pinches). Great served with pita bread and a green salad.
Cannelini bean and veg pasta: I like this one in summer, when the zucchinis are at their best. You want 1 can white cannelini beans, 1 can tomatoes, and about 3 small to medium sized zucchinis, cut in quarters lengthways then diced. Saute onion and garlic in oil, throw in beans and tomato and zucchini, add herbs (fresh oregano is great, dried is fine), serve over pasta.
Veg minestrone: you need good veg stock with a lot of body and deep flavour, like one of the commercial fake beef stocks, or one you've made yourself with browned/roasted vegies and mushrooms. Saute onion and garlic, add stock, crushed tomatoes, a cup or so of cooked beans (canned is OK but cooked from dry is better), and as many chopped vegies as you like. I use a mix of whatever's good at the farmer's market, and I love putting in kale cut into ribbons. Add the firmer vegies first and save the kale til the end. Also, add italian herbs like oregano or a blend if you have it. Towards the end, throw in a cup of macaroni/elbow noodles and cook til done.
Chickpea tagine: 1 can chickpeas, diced butternut squash, diced waxy potato, whatever else seems good in the root vegetable line. Make sure you've got some onions in there -- I like the little baby sized ones for this use. Put in an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with moroccan spice blend. Mix a can of crushed tomatoes and a cup of veg stock together and pour over (this should spread the spices around). Cover and bake at 350F for an hour. Serve with couscous.