Spicy black bean dip

Spicy Black bean dip

-1.5 cups black bean soaked over night (cook according to the directions on package) or 2 cans of     black beans boiled for 10 minutes
-1 tablespoon chili powder
-1 teaspoon cumin
-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
-salt and pepper
-2 onions
-2 scallions
-2 cloves of garlic
-1/3 cup of red wine
-1 tablespoon tamari (soya sauce)
-2 tablespoon olive oil
-1 cup of water or beef/veggie broth
-juice of 1 lime

-cook black beans (1-2 hours depending on if soaked overnight).  In a frying pan add the spices on medium heat.  Allow the spices to heat up and it enhances the flavour, cook for about 5 minutes.  Spices should be hot and a little steam rising.  Place in a bowl to cool.  Add olive oil to frying pan and add the onions, scallions, garlic and allow them to cook until soft, add the red wine and tamari and allow them to further cook, about 10 minutes on low heat to have fluid to reduce.  Add the beans, spices, water/broth and the juice of the lime.  Allow to simmer together for about 20 minutes.  Add salt and pepper.  Blend or mash and serve.  You can top with salsa, avocados, cheese, sour cream.  Serve with corn chips, pitas or veggies.

(not the best picture, but the dip is tasty)

Black Bean Soup

It has been a rainy few days here in Toronto, hurricane sandy has rolled through here bringing rain and cold weather.  Perfect for soup.

Black bean Soup

-2 large onions chopped
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-1 can of diced tomatoes
-1 cup white wine
-4 cups of chicken broth
-1 sweet potato diced
-1 potato diced
-1 can black beans
-1 tablespoon chili powder
-1 pinch of chili flakes
-1/2 teaspoon pepper
-dash of salt
-dash of cumin
-1/2 teaspoon oregano
-1/2 teaspoon thyme
-fresh lime and cilantro before you eat and cheddar cheese grated

In a sauce pan on medium heat add the oil and start to cook the onions, one the onions are cooked, add the wine, tomatoes, chicken broth, potato, sweet potatoes, chili powder, black beans (washed well) and the spices.  Allow it to simmer on medium low heat for about 40 minutes and then as you serve add grated cheese, squeeze in lime and add cilantro.

Sesame Lime Peanut Lotus root Bean Sprout salad with Udon Noodles

This salad is filled with amazing flavours, all unique, but balance each other, the sesame seeds, zest of lime, maple syrup for sweetness and peanut butter.  Crunchy with the bean sprouts, lotus root, celery and carrots.  Every colour of the rainbow in this dish.

Sesame Lime Peanut Lotus root Bean Sprout salad with Udon Noodles

-sesame seeds and raw peanuts

-1 tablespoon sesame oil
-Lotus root 1 sectioned, peeled and slices
-1 piece of ginger chopped (about 1 inch by 1 inch)
-1 tablespoons tamari soya sauce
-udon noodles
-4 green onions

-in a frying pan pan fry peanuts and sesame seeds.  Set aside to cool.  In the same frying pan add the sesame oil and the lotus root, I chopped it into smaller bite size pieces.  allow to cook until dark on both sides, add the chopped ginger, tamari soya sauce and water to cover the lotus root.  Allow to cook down then add the ready to go udon noodles, I also chopped so they would be bite size. Add the green onions closer to end.  Once everything is coated with flavour, set aside to cool, there should be no liquid in the pan.

-3 cups of bean sprouts
-1 carrot cut up like match sticks
-2 ribs of celery chopped
-1/2 purple onion
-1/2 red pepper
-zest of 1 lime
-the roasted sesame seeds and peanuts

-in a large bowl place all these ingredients, once the lotus root is cooled add to salad.

Dressing

-3 tablespoons peanut butter
-1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
-juice of 1 lime
-2 tablespoons sesame oil
-1 teaspoon rice vinegar
-1 tablespoon maple syrup
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
-1 teaspoon tamari soya sauce

mix all together and spread over salad.

Mango Salsa

Was talking to my friend this morning about food...Jae this is for you...


This is my mom's recipe and is one of my favourites.  She would have gotten from either Chatelaine or Canadian Living, it may have been modified and possible been changed to suit her and my needs.


Mango Salsa


1 small mango
1/2 fresh lime
1 cup fresh pineapple coarsely chopped 
1/2 small red pepper coarsely
1/ cup finely chopped cilantro
2 green onions thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon hot chili flakes.  (for less spicy I use chili powder,or for spicier I add fresh red chili peppers) 
pinch of salt


start by peeling and dicing mango, squeeze lime over mango.  Then add all the rest of the ingredients.  I serve this with anything...amazing with lamb, fish, chicken, pork.


This is an old picture, just wanted to show what the salsa looks like.