Home  |  Chili & Stews  |  Pot Pies & Pasta  |  Soups  |  Vegetables  |  Desserts

Recipes from: The Internet.

1.  Buckwheat groats are available toasted and untoasted. Cooking times are the same.

2.  Quinoa should be well rinsed in a fine strainer for 2 - 3 minutes to remove the saponens, (a natural, protective coating which will give a bitter flavor if not rinsed off)

3.  Short grain brown rice is sometimes labeled sweet, glutinous, or sticky brown rice.

4.  Teff can be enjoyed raw as well as cooked. Sprinkle it on salads or over cooked cereals to increase fiber and nutrition.

5.  Bulgur wheat can be soaked in warm water to cover by 1" for 1 hour and used in raw salads.

Begin by washing beans and discarding any that are discolored or badly formed. Check for debris in the package such as small rocks or twigs and discard them. Beans cook more quickly and their digestibility benefits with soaking in water to cover by about 3" for 8 hours or overnight. Discard the soak water and cook the beans in fresh water.

Some bean cookery aficionado’s feel that salt and seasonings added during the cooking tends to make beans cook more slowly. Since beans require lengthy cooking, we recommend adding salt and seasonings during the last few minutes and find they absorb flavor quite readily.

There are other factors that contribute to the length of cooking, such as, hard water and beans that have been dried for a long period of time. For some of the longer cooking beans we have found that soaking 24 hours and changing the soak water 2 or 3 times hastens the cooking time.

Many people are concerned with the reputation that beans have for causing flatulence. Starting your bean ventures with small amounts helps to increase your body's enzyme production gradually. Soaking and cooking the beans thoroughly helps to break down the complex sugars (oligosaccharides), which challenge our digestive systems.

Some herbs that help the digestion of beans can be added during the cooking process. These include bay leaf, cumin, and winter or summer savory, fresh epazote (available in Hispanic markets). Many people from India maintain the tradition of chewing on dried fennel seeds or drinking a cup of fennel tea at the end of a legume meal to aid the digestion.

QUICK-SOAK METHOD: When time is limited, you can wash and pick over beans and put them into a stockpot with water to cover by 3". Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes to remove toxins. Then cover and allow beans to soak for 1 hour. Discard soak water, add fresh water, and cook until tender.

As a general rule of thumb, 1 cup of dried beans will yield about 2 1/2 - 3 cups of cooked beans.

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

2 tablespoons lite soy sauce

1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce or to taste

2/3 cup of barley

2/3 cup of wild rice

10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed (broccoli works, too)

2 tablespoons Italian herbs

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2-teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup small white beans, precooked or canned

pinch of crushed red pepper to taste

Directions:

Bring two cups of water to a boil. Stir in the soy sauce and hot sauce, then the grains. Bring back to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer, covered, for 45 minutes or so, until it reaches the texture you enjoy most.

If the mood strikes while the barley and rice are cooking, you could sauté a bit of fresh garlic and onion to add in when the grains are cooked instead of using garlic powder. When the grains are done, take off the heat, add in the rest of the ingredients except the red pepper and mix well. Place in serving dish and sprinkle hot pepper over the top.  Serves: 2 or 3

Ingredients:

Adzuki beans

1 can stewed tomatoes

tomato paste

1 onion

salsa

tobasco sauce

soft taco shells

lettuce

tomato

grated vegan cheese (optional)

Directions:

Soak Adzuki beans overnight. Boil for 10 minutes prior to use and drain. In a saucepan, sauté onion in butter/oil until soft. Then add beans, stewed tomatoes, splash of tomato paste, and dash of tobasco sauce. Heat for ten minutes over low heat. Serve in Taco shells and garnish with cheese, lettuce, and tomato.  Serves: 6

Ingredients:

About 8 fresh mushrooms

1 large onion

1 tin of baked beans

1/2 a tin of pealed tomatoes

a few tablespoons of 'Newman's sauce'

1/2 a cup of grated vegan cheese

Directions:

Fry the onions (diced ) and then the mushrooms (sliced) on medium heat in a non-stick pan until cooked. Add chopped tomatoes and sauté lightly. Add full tin of baked beans and Newman's sauce. Simmer for a few minutes and add cheese (optional). Serve on whole meal toast.  Serves: 2

Ingredients:

2 cups of navy beans (I use a 1# bag and put the extra in soup)

1 onion, sliced thin

1-tablespoon peanut oil

1/2-teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dry vegan mustard

2 tablespoons dark molasses

1/2 of an 8 oz. bottle of barbeque sauce

Directions:

Soak the beans in cold water over night. Next day drain off, rinse and simmer in fresh cold water until the skins begin to burst. Slice 2/3 of an onion into the bottom of a lidded bean crock if you have one otherwise use a covered casserole. Stuff the crock 1/2 full with simmered, drained beans. Slice in the rest of the onion and finish filling the crock with beans. Drizzle the peanut oil over the beans.

Mix salt, dry mustard and molasses in a cup of hot water and pour it over the beans. Dilute 1/2 jar of barbeque sauce with an equal amount of water and pour it into the crock until it covers the top beans. Save the rest to add as the beans cook to keep them moist. Bake at 300 for 6 to 8 hours. As the beans bake, keep adding diluted barbeque sauce so they stay covered until the last hour. Do not add liquids during the last hour, but keep the beans covered. Use the left over beans and their cooking juice as a base for soup.  Serves: 20

Balsamic Bean Salad

Ingredients:

1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed

1 can black beans, rinsed

1 can red beans, rinsed

1/2 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives, sliced

1/2 cup black olives, sliced (kalamata are good)

1 small leek, chopped

1/2 med. red onion, chopped

1/2-cup pepperoncinis, chopped

1/2 tablespoon white vinegar

1 - 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1-tablespoon olive oil

dash salt

lots of fresh cracked pepper

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together. You can serve it immediately, but it's very tasty after being in the fridge for a couple of hours.  Serves: 8

Corn and Black Bean Salad

Ingredients:

1 lb frozen corn kernels

2 cans black beans, drained but not rinsed

1 medium red pepper, chopped fine (about 1-1/4c)

1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1c)

1 bunch cilantro, chopped fine (about 1/4c packed) (sub. parsley)

2-tablespoon vegetable oil

1-tablespoon balsamic vinegar (sub. rice or regular vinegar)

1-teaspoon salt (or less, if you wish)

1-tablespoon cumin

1/2-teaspoon chili powder

1/2-teaspoon coriander (optional)

ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Flecked with bright red peppers and lively green cilantro, this medley of sweet corn and beans is a crowd-pleaser. Cumin gives it a Mexican flavor while the vinegar lends a bright edge. You can easily substitute other fresh vegetables you have on hand or vary the spices to suit your own taste. This salad keeps very well refrigerated for up to a week. An excellent lunch alternative.

Mix corn, black beans, red pepper, onion, and cilantro together in a medium serving bowl. In a smaller bowl, stir together oil, vinegar, salt, cumin, chile powder, and coriander thoroughly. Drizzle dressing over vegetables and mix well to incorporate. Let stand 5 minutes then serve, or chill in refrigerator until serving time. For an extra twist, squeeze the juice of one lime over the salad and serve with extra lime wedges. Also, add one finely minced jalapeno pepper for some heat.  Serves: 8-10 

Jamaican Rice and Beans

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic

1 stalk scallion (green onion), if not 1/2 white onion

1 vegetarian bouillon

1 scotch bonnet pepper (or any pepper )

salt to taste

1 cup Red Kidney Beans

2 cups Brown (white can be used)

2 oz. dried coconut milk

Directions:

Boil the peas in water until tender. Add water, coconut milk, rice and all seasonings. Be sure when adding the water that it covers the rice by 1 inch. (this will ensure that there is enough liquid to cook the rice). Bring to a boil then immediately turn down to a simmer until rice is soft.  Serves: 8

Green Beans with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Ingredients:

1 lb fresh green beans

1 med onion

3 oz sun-dried tomatoes chopped

1 tablespoon roasted chopped garlic

2-tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

Sauté onions and garlic in olive till onions clear in large skillet, add green beans, and sun dried tomatoes and salt and pepper. Add enough water to cover bottom of pan. Cook until desired doneness.  Serves: 4

Tasty Mexican Pinto Beans

Ingredients:

2 cups pinto beans

3 dried ancho peppers

1/2-cup fresh cilantro

1 medium onion

2 cloves garlic

Cumin

Tiny dash of cinnamon

Jalapeno or habanera pepper (optional)

Directions:

1.  Soak the beans for 6 hours.

2.  Chop and sauté the onion and garlic in a large pot.

3.  Drain the beans and put in the pot, covering with water.

4.  Add the dried peppers, whole (take out stems later).  Cook partially uncovered for 1 1/2 hours, until beans are very soft.  Let most of the water cook off, consistency should be thick.

5.  Towards the end of cooking, add cilantro, some cumin, and a tiny (1/4 tsp) dash of cinnamon. If you like heat, add a hot pepper at the beginning of the process.  Serve with tomatilla salsa and corn tortillas for a cheap and tasty lunch.  Serves: 12

Barley and Shitake Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

1-Cup Barley

2 Handfuls dry Shitake Mushrooms

6 Cups Water

5 Large Cloves Garlic

1 Stick Celery

1/4 cup Sherry

1/4-cup low sodium Soy Sauce

Directions:

Bring 5 cups water to a boil. Add Dry Mushroom. Let soak an hour. While you let the mushrooms soak, slice the celery into 1/4-inch pieces. In a small pot, boil 1 cup water. Add the peeled garlic cloves and chopped celery and boil until tender, around 15 minutes. Pour the garlic, celery, and boil water into a blender. Blend until smooth.  After the mushrooms are done soaking, remove from the water, squeezing out the excess liquid. KEEP THE SOAK WATER. Bring the soak water to a boil and add 1-cup barley. Dice the Shitake mushrooms. Add mushrooms, blended celery/garlic liquid, 1/4-cup sherry, and 1/4-cup soy sauce to the pot with the barley. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer covered until the barley is tender, around an hour and a half. You may need to add more liquid as the barley will continue to soak it up.  Serve hot with freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Serves: 6

Crockpot Couscous

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon dried onion flakes

2 carrots chopped

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can garbanzos drained

1 veggie bullion cube

1 tablespoon diced garlic

1/4-teaspoon nutmeg

1/4-teaspoon cinnamon

1-teaspoon cumin

1/2-teaspoon turmeric

1/4-cup raisins

1 1/2 cups cooked couscous

Directions:

Put all ingredients except for couscous into the crock-pot. I usually spray the crock-pot with Pam, so the mixture doesn’t stick. Cover and put on the high setting for 3 hours. After 3 hours, stir the mixture, shut off the crock-pot, and then add the cooked couscous. Let set for 10 minutes.  Serves: 4-6

Sagada Vegetable Fried Rice

Ingredients:

1 medium sized bowl of steamed rice, left to dry out a bit

1/2 head of cabbage, chopped into blunt squares

2 carrots, chopped

a handful of string beans, chopped

garlic salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper to taste

1-tablespoon vegetable oil.

2 red onions chopped coarsely

1/2 cup of water to simmer the vegetables with

1-tablespoon curry powder

Directions:

The recipe is taken from an old recipe in the mountain provinces of the Philippines.

Sauté the red onions in 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil. Add the cabbage, carrots and string beans with the garlic salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper.  Add 1/2 cup of water to allow the vegetables to simmer and soften for five minutes.  Once the veggies are partially cooked, add the rice and let it soak in the flavors and juices of the herbs and vegetables.  Lastly, add the curry powder for a spicier taste.  Serve hot with fried rice.  Serves: 5

Spanish Rice

Ingredients:

1-cup long grain rice

1 8oz. can tomato sauce

3/4-cup water

1/4-cup salsa

1 clove garlic

1 small onion

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Brown rice in a large skillet with the onion and garlic. Then add rest of ingredients. Bring to a boil and cover. Turn stove to low and simmer for 25 min. If you use brown rice you will need more water.  Very easy and good. A staple at our house with Mexican food.

Lebanese Tabouli

Ingredients:

1 cucumber, diced

several roma tomatoes, diced (remove seeds if your not lazy)

Parsley, finely chopped 1/2 to 3/4 cup

1/2-cup Bulgar wheat

1 or 2 green onion(s)

Lemon juice

Olive oil

allspice (optional)

cinnamon (optional)

salt

Directions:

The Middle Eastern dish Tabouli uses Bulgar wheat.  It's an excellent hot day side dish. Pour hot water over the Bulgar and let soak until soft and most of the water has been absorbed. Mix the diced veggies by hand then add the Bulgar and mix some more. add lemon juice and olive oil to get the right flavor and consistency. Add the spice(s) and salt and mix a bit more. Refrigerate, eat and enjoy.

Tabouli

Ingredients:

1-cup fine bulgur wheat

3 bunches Italian parsley

3 medium tomatoes

1 large bunch scallions

1 and a half lemons juiced

1/2 cup olive oil or to taste

salt and pepper black) to taste

garden mint (quarter bunch)

Directions:

Rinse bulgur with cold water and discard water. Add half of the lemon juice to Bulgar. Finely chop parsley leaves and mint. Chop scallions and tomatoes into small pieces. Mix all ingredients and let sit for an hour in refrigerator. Serve with crisp romaine lettuce leaves.  Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups long grain white rice

8 ounces tomatoes, roughly chopped with the skin on

1/2 small onion, roughly chopped

1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped

1/3-cup olive oil

3 1/2 cups un-chicken broth

1/2 medium carrot, cut into 1/4-inch dice (Optional)

1/2 zucchini, cut into 3/8-inch dice (Optional)

3/4-teaspoon salt (Optional)

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the rice with enough very hot tap water to cover. Stir and let sit for about 10 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water, and drain again, shaking thoroughly. In a blender, combine the tomatoes, onion, and garlic and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the container as necessary. Set aside.

In a large heavy saucepan, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice turns a light golden color, about 10 minutes. Do not let it scorch. Add the tomato puree and fry, scraping the bottom of the pan to stop the mixture from sticking, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Add the un-chicken broth, carrots, and zucchini. Stir in the salt and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook the rice uncovered and undisturbed until almost all of the broth has evaporated and little air holes form in the surface. Cover the top of the pan with a towel and the lid, reduce the heat to very low, and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat and let rest for 10 minutes more, so that the rice can absorb the steam and swell. Just before serving, turn the rice over from the bottom so that the juices are redistributed.  Serves: 6

Copyright 2021 lunaticsinge.com - All Rights Reserved