Monday, January 23, 2012
While I have a black bean soup in my blog archives from long ago (with ugly picture to prove it), I’ve never posted a black bean soup using dried beans. When I received a pound of black beans with my Whole Foods Market Pantry Staples challenge (my giveaway has ended but it’s not too late to enter their sweepstakes!) I knew it was time to make a soup again I’ve made once before, but hadn’t blogged.
It’s pretty lame that I don’t cook with dried beans very often. I like the fact that there’s less waste in the packaging than canned beans, for one thing. And I also like that they don’t have the added sodium. With the help of a slow-cooker, the dried beans in this recipe can cook without having to pre-soak, rinse, or require watching. This is a soup I can prep pretty quickly, and then just forget about it. It also gave me a chance to use my new immersion blender again! I prefer more blended beans than the original recipe calls for, so I’ve adapted the recipe below to my preferences. I like that this black bean soup has a completely different method of prep & cooking, and also a different flavor than the other soup in my blog. This one uses canned chipotle peppers for added depth of smokiness & heat. While I’m sure the Toasted Crema Deb of Smitten Kitchen included in her post is fabulous, I’ve admittedly never made it. I just dollop mine with a touch of sour cream, and sometimes add in sliced avocado if I’ve got it on hand. It’s great on a cold winter day!
I’m submitting this post to Branny Boils Over’s Souper Bowl. I had the pleasure of meeting Branny at BlogHerFood ’11 in Atlanta, and she’s just as nice, sweet, and funny in person as she is on her blog and twitter. One thing about Branny is, she LOVES animals. Her Souper Bowl is all about raising money for her favorite charity ASPCA. I’m dedicating this post to my fur child, Jesse. He’s only been in our lives a little over a year, but we can’t remember what we did without him. Yes, I had a little more time in the mornings, and I didn’t lay on the floor to get a tennis ball out from under the bed or couch 3x a day, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love to see his face light up & him leap into the air when we say the magic words “wanna go for a ride” or even better “wanna go to the park”. I may find it a bit annoying when I’m trying to type a blog post, and he keeps putting his toy on my keyboard so he can fetch, but he makes up for it when he snuggles up next to me (as he is right now). And best of all, on those late nights when I arrive home from work the same time Nathan is leaving for work, around 2 am, I invite him onto the bed so I still have someone to snuggle with.
Just like the black bean soup, my dark doggy is hard to photograph! And please ignore the dirty window. I can wash the window, and it looks like that again in >24 hours. Homeboy takes his self-appointed role of neighborhood watch VERY seriously.
It’s not too late to join her Souper Bowl, you have until Jan 31st. Head over to her blog for more info.
Chipotle Black Bean Soup
Yield: 6 servings
The instructions on the cooking of the beans has varying times. Deb's were done in 2 hours 45 minutes, mine were done in more like 4 hours. The original recipe called for 6 hours. I suggest checking yours after 3 hours, but plan for more cooking time if necessary.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium-size red onions, chopped
1 medium-size red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium-size green bell pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 16-ounce package dried black beans
1 tablespoon chopped chipotle chiles from a can (use less if you prefer less heat)
7 cups hot water (tap water is fine)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Optional toppings:
sour cream
greek yogurt
crema or creme fraiche
avocado
Directions:
Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and both bell peppers and sauté until beginning to brown, about eight minutes. Add garlic and cumin; stir one minute. Transfer mixture to 6-quart slow cooker. Add beans and chipotles, then 7 cups hot water. Cover and cook on high until beans are very tender, about 3 hours, but longer if necessary. [See note up top.]
Transfer four cups bean mixture to blender; puree until smooth. Return puree to remaining soup in slow cooker. Stir in lime juice, salt, and pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste. Ladle soup into bowls. Serve with desired toppings.
Per serving: calories, 314; total fat, 4 g; saturated fat, 1 g; cholesterol, 1 mg; fiber, 18 g
Thursday, January 19, 2012
While I believe it’s really important to have pantry staples for preparing healthy meals. I also believe in the importance of having a baking pantry stocked! Some things I try to always keep on hand include:
all purpose flour
white whole wheat flour
bread flour
rolled oats
sugar
baking soda
baking powder
cocoa powder
fleur de sel
cream of tarter
vanilla
vegetable/canola oil
peanut butter
chocolate/butterscotch/white chocolate chips
walnuts & pecans
spices such as cinnamon, ginger, cloves, etc
eggs
butter
With this list, I can usually make a long list of desserts when the mood strikes. And this is important because the mood strikes at least once a week!
I made these on a night our neighbor invited us over for dinner. He said not to bring anything, but I insisted on bringing dessert. I cut some of these before they had cooled completely so the ones I shared at his gathering were a bit messy! If you let these cool completely, you’ll get clean sharp edges. No matter how you slice them, you’ll end up with a delicious bar cookie! These combine the taste of an oatmeal cookie, with a thick layer of fudgey goodness. I’m a tad bit embarrassed to admit this, but we brought about half the pan to his house, and left the other half at home. All the ones we brought over were eaten, which meant we still had half a pan to ourselves. I said “I’ll probably bring these to work to unload the rest of them.” Umm… after eating them for two more days, we decided they were just too delicious to share. So Nathan & I finished off the rest all on our own in a week’s time! hehehe
Chewy Oatmeal Fudge Bars
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups oats
2 cups chocolate chips
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk (15 oz.)
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts (optional, walnuts or pecans) *I did not use
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325. Grease and flour a 9×13 pan. (Or you could line with parchment paper.)
In a large bowl sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In large mixing bowl, beat together softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time and beat until combined. Add vanilla and mix well.
Slowly add the sifted flour mixture and mix until combined. Stir in oatmeal.
Gently spread 2/3 crust into bottom of prepared pan. Reserve the rest for topping.
Make the filling:
Over Medium-Low heat, melt together chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, 2 tablespoons butter, and salt. Stir until smooth. Remove mixture from heat and stir in vanilla and nuts if using.
Evenly pour filling mixture onto crust but keeping filling about a 1/4 inch away from side of pan so it does not stick to side while baking. (The pan I used was nonstick and brand new, so even the chocolate that got on the edge did not cause a problem. If you chose to use parchment paper, chocolate on the edges probably wouldn't cause an issue either.) Evenly dollup top of filling with remaining oat mixture. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until topping is light brown and fudge layer set but not solid. Don’t overbake these bars or they can become dry.
Cool in pan on rack until set before cutting. Can chill to set faster. Keep stored in airtight container.
Sorry I got so picture happy, I had a really hard time deciding which photo to use! *sigh*
Saturday, January 14, 2012
After the smoothie, the next thing I made from my Whole Foods Market pantry staples was actually a dessert. But I think I’d rather post this healthy, filling dinner first. I used the lentils and a can of diced tomatoes from my pantry staples. It certainly hit the spot during this cold, wintery time of year. This meal definitely fulfilled my “eat more vegetables” mission. And I loved that I was able to cook a healthy vegetable & lentil dish where the meat was more of an accent. I was very worried about Nathan liking it. When I told him dinner included lentils he said “Lentils, I’m not eating that.” (He was kidding, for the most part.) Which is why I changed the flavor profile entirely from the original recipe to a blend of spices I knew he would be more into. During the meal he commented it was really good!
I was really excited that lentils were a part of the pantry staples I received from Whole Foods Market. They are something I enjoy eating, but don’t cook often enough. I’ve really only made this Curried Lentil Soup, Lentil & Couscous Salad, and Red Lentil Vegetable Soup in the past. That’s my entire lentil repertoire. So it makes me happy to add another staple dish into my lentil rotation. The ingredients in this are very similar to the Red Lentil Vegetable Soup I love, but the curry, red pepper flakes, and chicken sausage make it a completely different meal. It may be the post-holiday health kick, but I find it funny I’m posting a lentil recipe in January, which means now 3 out of 4 lentil dishes on my blog were posted in the month of January! I hereby proclaim January “Lentil Month”, even if just on Erin’s Food Files. ;)
Sunday is the LAST day to enter my giveaway for a $50 Whole Foods Market gift card, so if you haven’t already, skeedaddle on over there and comment. But it’s not too late to enter Whole Foods Market’s pantry staples giveaway, you have until January 31st to enter. Just head on over to their blog for more info!
Indian Spiced Lentils with Chicken Sausage
Yield: 4 servings
I served mine with whole wheat pita bread, but naan would have been awesome as well. I enjoyed having something to "sop up" a bit of the small amount of liquid. Plus it tones down the heat for me, as I can't handle nearly as much heat as Nathan can.
Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
2 cloves of minced garlic
3 links fully cooked chicken sausage, sliced (such as Johnsonville Chicken Sausages, which I'm always seeing coupons for)
about 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (I added nearly a full teaspoon because Nathan likes the heat)
1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup dry lentils
14oz can diced tomatoes
3/4 cup water
5 oz fresh spinach, roughly chopped
Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook for about 5-8 minutes, until softened. Add garlic, chicken sausage, crushed red pepper, cumin, curry powder, salt & pepper and saute 1-2 minutes more. Add the lentils, canned tomatoes, and water, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add spinach and cook 10 minutes more, until spinach is wilted and lentils are tender.
*DISCLOSURE: Whole Foods Market – Franklin, TN provided me with my pantry staples in exchange for promoting their giveaway. They also provided me with a $50 gift card to giveaway to one of my readers.*
Monday, January 9, 2012
As the new year rolls around, a lot of people try to make resolutions to eat healthier. As I mentioned in my last post, I realized mid-December that my vegetable intake was not what it should be. Ever since then I’ve been trying to make an effort to eat a more balanced diet. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not “on a diet”, I’m just trying to eat more than just peanut butter sandwiches every day!
I was really excited when Michael from Whole Foods Market in Franklin, TN contacted me about their Pantry Staples Giveaway. They too want to inspire you to eat healthier, and they want to show you that it can be affordable. They have compiled a huge list of groceries priced at about $50, that are great pantry staples. These are things I agree are important to have on hand at all times, because when combined with a couple fresh ingredients, you can get a healthy meal. To see a list of the ingredients, and to enter to win one of the “Pantry Staples for a Year”, head on over to the Whole Foods Blog.
These are all the pantry staples you can get at Whole Foods for around $50. Looks like a lot of great beginnings for healthy meals!
That’s not all, I was also offered the chance to to do a giveaway for my readers as well! One lucky winner will win a $50 gift card to Whole Foods! All you have to do to enter my giveaway is tell me “What pantry staple do you always keep on hand?” While it doesn’t qualify for any extra entries, they would LOVE to hear from you on Whole Foods Market – Franklin Facebook Page. Head on over there and leave them the same comment about what pantry staple you always keep on hand.
Not sure if you can tell what everything is from my photo, but one of the pantry staples is almond milk. I used to be really good about keeping almond milk on hand to make smoothies. I liked that it was lower in calories than regular milk, and for some reason I just prefer it’s taste in smoothies. Somewhere along the way I got out of the smoothie habit. But for Christmas I received an immersion blender, and I’ve been inspired to put it to good use. I have a can of chocolate protein powder on hand, and some really ripe bananas I froze, and a bit of leftover canned pumpkin. It might seem like a weird combo, but it actually worked great! I’m glad I’ve been inspired to get back on the smoothie train, as this was nutritious and filling!
I plan on blogging more of the meals I make with my pantry staples, and I’ve already got a great start. (Recipes coming soon!) But please, feel free to provide me with ideas or suggestions of what to make with some of these ingredients. :)
FINE PRINT FOR MY GIVEAWAY: Must be a legal resident of the US or Canada (except in Quebec, where it is void) age 18 or older to participate. Employees of Whole Foods Market, Inc., are not eligible. Void where prohibited. Giveaway ends Sunday, January 15th at 10pm CST. One entry per person. You must answer the question in a comment, and provide an email address to win. The winner will be notified via email, and has 48 hours to respond, or another winner will be chosen.
Chocolate Pumpkin Banana Smoothie
Yield: 1 smoothie
Total Time: 5 min
The pumpkin I really just threw in because I had it leftover in the fridge. It's flavor addition was pretty subtle, but I like the healthy vitamins it added!
Ingredients:
8 oz almond milk
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1 frozen banana
1/4 cup pumpkin
ice cubes as needed
Directions:
Combine ingredients in a blender, or use an immersion blender. Blend until smooth, adding ice as needed.
And, now for a little side note about the Franklin Whole Foods Market. As you may have heard me mention before, I live in the heart of Nashville. There’s a perimeter of the city I very rarely leave, so I hadn’t ever made it over to the Franklin store, as I visit the Green Hills location because of proximity. As a Nashville food blogger I even got invited to a sneak preview before they opened, but I was out of town that day. Man, oh man, you Williamson Countians sure are lucky! Nathan & I were really impressed with the size & spaciousness of the store. Also, we loved the fact that they have a wine bar, and a growler refill station. At one point as I was shopping for extra ingredients I turned my head and Nathan had disappeared. Sure enough he wasn’t hard to find, I just headed towards the beer where he was sampling Lazy Magnolia’s limited Ginger Jaque, and he filled up a growler to enjoy. Also, I love that they have my favorite gelato in house, Bravo Gelato (remember when I got to go behind the scenes?). I couldn’t leave without some dessert, and HOLY COW that Sorghum + Gingersnap Gelato was so incredible! And, like the Green Hills store I’m used to, they too have cooking classes. Follow them on Twitter, or like them on Facebook for for info!
*DISCLOSURE: Whole Foods Market – Franklin, TN provided me with my pantry staples in exchange for promoting their giveaway. They also provided me with a $50 gift card to giveaway to one of my readers.*
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Sometime, mid to late December, in the midst of many cookies, candies, treats, and parties, I realized my veggie intake had gotten way too low for my liking. I’m normally a big fan of veggies, but especially since I’m eating for two, I want to provide BOTH our bodies with the nutrients vegetables can give. So, while this meal definitely falls under the “fugly” category, I’ve decided to blog it anyway.
Normally, whenever we eat a dinner with chicken thighs, Nathan will eat 2 thighs. As he’s said many times in the past, he just needs meat, and a lot of it, to feel full. With potatoes, cabbage, carrots, onion, and even an apple, this meal has plenty of vegetables and even a fruit! I loaded his plate up with lots of veggies, and put on one chicken thigh, fully expecting him to go back for more chicken. I was very surprised when he finished his plate and said “Thanks for dinner, that was really good. I’m full.” I think the bacon really adds so much flavor to this dish. The best way to eat a well rounded (non-vegetarian) meal in my opinion is with lots of flavor, lots of veggies, and a little bit of meat. Some people might shy away from bacon, or chicken thighs, because of the fat. While it’s true chicken thighs have more fat than breast, the flavor is so much better. Besides, the amount of meat we ate filled us up more than the same amount of white meat would have. It may not be the prettiest meal, but this one’s definitely a keeper!
Braised Chicken Thighs with Winter Vegetables
Yield: 4 servings
This recipe is from Everyday Food, by chef Floyd Cardoz, recent Top Chef winner. He suggested for added flavor, to marinate the chicken. Because I had time, and the ingredients, I did. I recommend it if you have the time too, but I'm sure this recipe will be fine without.
Ingredients:
Optional Marinade:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 sprigs rosemary
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 skinless chicken thighs (about 2 pounds), patted dry
coarse salt and ground pepper
3 slices bacon, diced medium
4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 sweet onion, such as Vidalia, cut into 3/4-inch wedges
1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 small Savoy cabbage, cored and thick ribs removed, cut into 1/2-by-2-inch strips
1 tart apple, such as Granny Smith or Mutsu, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Directions:
Optional Marinade: Combine marinade ingredients in medium container and whisk to combine. Add chicken and toss to coat. Cover, and refrigerate at least 1 hour, until ready to cook.
Preheat oven to 375°. In a large ovenproof pan, heat oil over medium- high. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook until browned on both sides, 8 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate. Reduce heat to medium, add bacon and garlic to pan, and cook until bacon fat is rendered, 5 minutes. Add onion, potato, and carrots; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to oven and bake 20 minutes.
Remove pan from oven and stir in cabbage, apple, red-pepper flakes, broth, and mustard. Add chicken, return to oven, and bake until cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes, stirring vegetables halfway through.
per serv: 418 cal; 17 g fat (5 g sat fat); 33 g protein; 32 g carb; 5 g fiber
adapted from the Jan/Feb issue of Everyday Food (not online at this point)
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