Friday, February 8, 2008

Rainbow Black Bean Salad Recipe

Ingredients
1 cup dried black beans
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 medium red onion, diced
1 large green pepper, diced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 cup corn kernels
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cooking Instructions
1. Place the beans in a colander and rinse with cold water. Pick over the beans to remove any stones. Place the beans in a clean pot, cover with fresh cold water and soak for at least 4 hours or overnight. Drain.

2. In a large pot, combine the beans, onion quarters, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, cumin, coriander and cayenne pepper with 2 quarts of water and bring to a boil.

3. Reduce heat and simmer until the beans are tender, about 1 hour.

4. Drain the liquid from the beans and remove the onions, garlic and bay leaf.

5. Combine the black beans, red onion, green and red pepper and corn in a large bowl. In a separate bowl mix the lime juice, vinegar and oil. Pour over the beans and vegetables and toss to combine.

6. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding additional cayenne pepper if you want the salad spicier.

This recipe serves: 4
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour

Rainbow Black Bean Salad Recipe [Recipe by FoodFit]

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Silky Carrot and Ginger Soup







Ingredient List

1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1/2 small onion or 2 shallots, chopped
1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
3/4 lb. carrots, peeled, trimmed and chopped (1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 tsp. light brown sugar
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 to 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 Tbs. white rice
Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
2 Tbs. thick yogurt for garnish
1 Tbs. slivered mint leaves, optional

Directions
1. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté, stirring often, 3 to 5 minutes, until translucent. Add ginger and carrots, and cook, stirring, 5 minutes more. Add sugar, and cook, stirring, 1 minute more; add orange juice; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring bottom of pan with wooden spoon to deglaze. Cook until liquid reduces by about half, about 3 minutes.

2. Add broth and rice, and bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper, reduce heat to low, cover and cook about 30 minutes, or until carrots are very tender.

3. Put mixture in food processor (or in blender in batches), and purée until smooth. Adjust seasonings to taste. Heat through, garnish with dollop of yogurt and a sprinkle of mint leaves and serve. Serves 2 to 3.

Silky Carrot and Ginger Soup [via: Vegetarian Times]