Quinoa and Bean Summer Salad

(recipe from The Kinfolk Table by Nathan Williams)

1 cup quinoa
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Sea salt
2 cups water
One 16-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
One 16-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, chopped
1 cucumber, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper

Rinse the quinoa under cold running water in a fine-mesh sieve until the water runs clear.  Heat 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add the quinoa and 1/2 tsp. salt and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes or until beginning to dry and turn golden.  Add the water and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes, until all of the water has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender.  Fluff the quinoa with a fork and transfer to a salad bowl.  Cool completely.

Add the black beans, chickpeas, bell pepper, cucumber, vinegar, lemon juice, and remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil and toss to combine.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Spicy Black Beans and Rice

(I don't know where this recipe is from...)

One 6oz. jar sun-dried tomatoes (I used an 8oz. jar)
1 large white onion, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
Two 15oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
One 15oz. can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped (I did not drain these)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cilantro sprigs

4 servings basmati rice
1/2 cup hulled pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup golden raisins


Pour 1 Tbsp. oil from the sun-dried tomatoes (I used several Tbsp.) into a large skillet.  Chop the sun-dried tomatoes and set aside.

Sautee onion and jalapeno in the skillet over medium heat until onions are translucent.  Stir in beans, canned tomatoes (I also added all of the juice from the can), salt and sun-dried tomatoes.  Reduce heat to low.  Simmer for 10 minutes.  Garnish with cilantro.

Fold seeds and raisins into rice, and serve with beans.

(These are not really that spicy - especially if you de-seed the jalapenos.  The various tomatoes and the seeds and raisins in the rice make this dish seem really luxurious.)

White Bean and Tomato Salad

(recipe from Real Simple magazine)

Two 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (I used navy beans)
1 small tomato, diced
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. minced fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme)
1/2 tsp. salt
olive oil

Combine all ingredients and drizzle with the olive oil.

(It does not get much more simple than this!  Easy summer salad recipe, good for parties.  Nice served with salad greens.)

Carrot, Dill & White Bean Salad

(recipe from 101cookbooks.com)

1/4 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. fine grain salt
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots

more olive oil for cooking (or ghee) - (I used coconut oil)
2 cups sliced carrots, cut 1/4-inch thick on deep bias
3 cups cooked white beans
scant 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
2 Tbsp. brown sugar (or honey)
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Combine olive oil, lemon juice, salt and shallots in a small bowl.  Stir and set aside.

In your largest skillet over medium-high heat, toss the carrots with a splash of olive oil or a spoonful of ghee.  Let them cook in a single layer - they'll give off a bit of water at first.  Keep cooking, tossing gently every three or four minutes until the carrots are deeply browned.  All told, about twelve minutes.

Add the beans and dill to the skillet and cook for another five minutes, or until the beans are well heated through.  If you are using beans that weren't canned, you can allow them to brown a bit as well (just cook a bit longer, and stir less frequently) - they can handle this in a way that most canned beans can't.  If you need to add a bit more olive oil to the pan, do so.

Place the contents of the skillet in a large mixing bowl, sprinkle with the brown sugar and pour the lemon-shallot mixture over the top.  Toss gently.  Let sit for ten minutes.  Toss gently once again, taste and adjust with more salt or sugar or lemon juice if needed to balance the flavors.  Serve warm or at room temperature and finish by sprinkling with the almonds just before serving.

(Comes together easily.  Tangy and hearty.  I enjoyed eating this salad over arugula accompanied with some sliced avocado.)

White Bean and Kale Soup with "Sausage"

(adaption of a recipe from Whole Foods Market)

Serves 8 to 10.

8 cups vegetable broth
1 package Gimme Lean vegetarian sausage, sliced
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
salt & pepper to taste
7 cups cooked white beans (cannellini, navy, or great northern)
1 bunch kale, stems and tough ribs removed, leaves roughly chopped

Heat 1/4 cup broth in a large pot over medium heat.  Add sausage slices and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and sausage is just browned, about 10 minutes.  Add onions, salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 10 minutes more.  (Add a generous splash of broth to the pot if the onions begin to stick.)

Meanwhile, put 3 cups beans and 2 cups broth into a blender and puree until smooth; set aside.  Add remaining broth to sausage mixture in pot and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits.  Add kale, reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until wilted and softened, about 5 minutes.  Uncover, add remaining 4 cups beans, bean puree, salt and pepper and simmer until hot throughout, about 5 minutes more.

Vegetable and Brown Rice Soup

(recipe modified from a chicken and rice soup recipe from Whole Foods Market)

8 cups vegetable broth
1 medium onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cups water
1 cup long-grain brown rice
6 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 small can white beans
1 bay leaf
1 bunch kale, thick stems removed and leaves thinly sliced

In a large pot over medium-high heat, bring 1/2 cup broth to a simmer.  Add onion, carrots, and celery and cook about 8 minutes, or until onion is translucent, stirring occasionally.  Add remaining 7 1/2 cups broth, water, rice, mushrooms, and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook about 35 minutes or until rice is tender.  Remove bay leaf and stir in kale and beans.  Continue cooking just until kale is wilted and tender, and beans are heated through, 3 to 5 minutes.

(So good!  And easily adjusted to include whatever veggies may be on hand.)

Cynthia's Chili

(recipe from Christina Cooks)

This was a macrobiotic recipe for chili that I added all manner of nightshade vegetables to, with good result.  Also, I doubled everything listed below to create a huge pot of chili:

1-inch piece kombu
1/2 cup each cooked pinto beans and kidney beans
1/2 cup each winter squash, carrot, onion, and celery - large dice
1 cup millet
soy sauce
generous pinch cumin powder
1-2 tsp. chili powder
water or vegetable broth

Place kombu in the bottom of a soup pot.  Layer the onion, celery, squash, carrot, millet, and beans.  Add the cumin and chili powders.  Add water or broth to cover all ingredients and sprinkle lightly with soy sauce.  Cover, bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 35 minutes, until millet becomes creamy and chili takes on a thick, "meaty" texture.

At this point, I added two chopped tomatoes, about a cup of tomato puree, and about two Tbsp. of tomato paste.  I also added two jalapeno chilis, chopped and mostly seeded.  I also threw in some cilantro.  Then I simmered it some more.

(I made this 10/29/11 for "Soup Night" with Joann and Alison.  It snowed!  We avoided Meghan and Tim's Halloween party and instead watched Love, Actually.  We enjoyed this chili with some red wine and crusty bread - it was tasty!  Leaving some of the jalapeno seeds in gave it a little kick, which was nice.)

White Beans with Persillade (Garlic & Parsley)

(recipe from a magazine, not sure which one)

Serves 6-8.

Soak 2 c. flageolet or navy beans in a large bowl of water to cover for at least 4 hours at room temperature (or overnight in the refrigerator). Drain. Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a large heavy-bottom pot over medium heat. Add 1 whole, peeled, large yellow onion and brown on all sides, about 15 minutes. Add the beans and water to cover by about 1 inch. Reduce the heat to low, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook until beans are tender, about an hour or two. Serve garnished with a mixture of 1/4 c. finely chopped fresh parsley and 2 peeled, finely chopped, large garlic cloves.

(These beans are the bomb! Yes, the onion just sits whole in the middle of the beans. But when all is cooked, just cut the onion apart and mix in. The whole thing is creamy deliciousness. Reminds me of the white bean appetizer at Nodding Head, Colleen - remember?)