I haven't posted for a long time! My little man has been keeping me busy, and now I have a new one one on the way. I think I have convinced my mother and sister-in-law that they need to start posting here as well since I seem to have dropped the ball. In the meantime I have been inspired to post a yummy summer salad from Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. This recipe only takes 15 minutes if you have leftover quinoa. The authors suggest serving over lettuce leaves but that is too fancy for me.
Ingredients
1 mango, peeled and cut into small dice
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 cup chopped scallions (I used chives instead and put in less than a cup)
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (I added more but didn't measure)
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
lime juice to taste (my addition)
1-2 tablespoons agave (optional, my addition)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled
2 cups black beans (or 1 can, drained and rinsed)
Directions
Combine the mango, red pepper, scallions, and cilantro in a mixing bowl. Add the red wine vinegar, grapeseed oil, lime juice, agave, and salt, and stir to combine. Add the quinoa and stir until everything is well incorporated. Fold in the black beans. You can serve immediately or let it sit for a bit for the flavours to meld. This tastes good chilled and is even better at room temperature.
My mom makes the best baked beans. This is her recipe that she found in Feeding the Healthy Vegetarian Family by Ken Haedrich.
1 pound dried Great Northern beans
1/4 cup safflower oil
1 cup chopped onions
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup canned tomato puree
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)
freshly ground pepper to taste
Pick the beans over and rinse well. Put the beans in a large pot and cover with about 3 inches of water. Bring to a boil, then boil uncovered for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cover. Let the beans soak for an hour, then drain.
Cover the beans generously with fresh water and bring to a boil. Gently boil the beans, partially covered, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until the beans are tender but not mushy. Drain the beans, but this time don't discard the cooking water.
While the beans cook, heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onions, pepper, and celery and saute over medium-high heat for about 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic, saute for 15 seconds more, then remove the skillet from heat. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and get out a large shallow casserole dish.
Whisk together the remaining ingredients, adding 1 1/2 cups of the bean cooking water. Transfer the beans, sauteed vegetables, and tomato liquid to the casserole and stir gently to blend. Cover the casserole tightly with foil and bake the beans for 2 to 3 hours. Check the progress of the beans every hour, stirring then and checking on the level of the liquid; if it is getting too low, stir in a bit more bean water. When the beans are done, the liquid should be fairly thick and saucy. Serve hot.
