All in beans

Autumn Medley Salad

Sarah
beans, figs, greens, super food, vitamins

I eat a salad every single day, usually for lunch and sometimes for dinner. This ritual is part of who I am, and I cannot live without it. My day just doesn't feel complete without some dark, leafy greens.

When we eat a variation of the same thing every day, things can get boring pretty quickly. Many people ask me, Don't you get tired of lettuce all the time? Oh, how I wish they could see the kinds of salads I prepare for myself! The thing is, though, I do have to keep it interesting in order to keep wanting salad every day. It's a darn good thing I'm so passionate about what can be done with lettuce.

This medley is a tangible representation of everything I love about where we are right now. The last few figs are turning violet, our pear tree is wildly abundant, fresh sage literally tastes like warm colors, and, well, goat cheese goes with everything (I like to think). In short, this salad = Autumn. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Autumn Medley Salad // serves 1

mixed greens 1 ripe pear, cored and chopped 3-4 ripe figs, quartered 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas 4 kalamata olives, sliced 1/4 cup shelled pistachios goat cheese to taste 2 leaves fresh sage, chopped (to make about 1 teaspoon) freshly ground black pepper To prepare: Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Toss with your favorite dijon-balsamic vinaigrette. To make mine, whisk two parts olive oil with one part balsamic vinegar, a bit of honey, and one teaspoon of dijon mustard. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

I'll Have It To-Go, Please: PFB Number Six

Sarah
Project Food Blog, Yogurt, beans, cooking with yogurt
Let's take a trip.

At this point, it doesn't matter where we're going. That's up to you.

All I'm concerned with is what we're going to eat along the way.

For this challenge, I wanted to employ a casual, eat-with-your-hands mentality. We're bringing back the rustic theme and giving it a little south-of-the-border flair. The menu items for this gourmet meal-to-go travel extremely well. They are easy, quick to prepare, and simple, although the flavors are quite the opposite. As usual, I looked for inspiration in the out-of-the-ordinary. I wanted to combine elements that you wouldn't immediately put together, but become surprisingly wonderful friends on your palate. The other requirement is that they had to remain intact in a cooler. Stay tuned for recipes in the next post!

For our main dish on this trip, we have some Black Bean Falafel with a Spicy Dill Greek Yogurt dip. Greek yogurt is wonderful for this. It is smooth, creamy and tangy, and so much healthier than sour cream. With subtle spice, it compliments the earthy cumin in the black bean falafel, while at the same time cooling the fire in your mouth.

Next up: Our side is a Smashed Pea Guacamole with Cilantro, Ginger and Lime. The peas are so fantastic! They give the guac amazing color and really unique texture. Somehow, this guac tasted more creamy to me than usual. It is pretty unique all around, actually, because the fresh ginger takes it up a notch. This is the most interesting guacamole you will ever taste. Another plus: Did you know that green peas are the only source of protein from a fresh vegetable? Normally, we can't call guacamole 'high in protein', but green peas have almost 6 grams per cup. Serve this side with some blue corn tortilla chips.

Our on-the-go dessert and beverage is a Goat's Milk Mexican-Spiced Hot Cocoa with Cinnamon-Sugar Tortilla Crisps for dipping. A rich and creamy cup of hot chocolate is especially necessary with this currently gloomy Bay Area weather. These two elements are wonderful by themselves, but when dunked in your steaming mug, the tortilla crisps are entirely different. Also, I might say that using goat's milk is essential here. It provided a tangy backdrop to balance the richness of the chocolate and the depth of flavor from almond extract and spice.

Transfer everything to individual tupperware containers. The tortilla crisps will be fine in a ziploc bag and the cocoa fares well in a thermos or two.

If you want to use an ice pack, I suggest placing it next to the yogurt dip and guacamole and far away from the hot cocoa. The only utensils you will need for this meal are your hands,

the blue corn chips,

and toothpicks!

Pack it all into your cooler (thanks Foodbuzz!):

And be on your way! Whether you're tailgating, hiking, having a picnic, watching football with friends, or traveling great distances...

Whether by car, by bus, by train or by bike...

I wish you safe travels, wherever the road may take you.

3 Bean Chili with 2 secret ingredients and 1 large wound

Sarah
beans, chili, dinner

To relieve my dad of household duties one night last week, I set out to make a hearty vegetarian chili with cornbread for dinner (to which he was very grateful). I was intrigued by this particular recipe because it uses both fresh orange juice and cocoa powder! This may seem unusual, as it did to me at first, but let me assure you that the results are pretty fantastic. My evening of rainbows and unicorns was abruptly jarred while doing the dishes, however. A small plate slipped out of my hands into the sink, shattered, and all of a sudden blood was everywhere. It happened so fast that I was left staring in shock for a few seconds at my throbbing hand, thinking to myself how I'd never bled that fast or that much before. I thought it would be appropriate at this point to reach for a cloth and mop myself up. And then go in search of gauze and tape. I still don't know how, excactly, the plate sliced me on its way down. Perhaps I never will. I guess the moral of the story is: This chili is great. So great, in fact, that I'd do the night all over again, bloody hand and all. It was worth it just to see my dad relaxed for a whole evening! Spicy 3 Bean Chili with Orange, Cocoa, and Cinnamon 3 Tbsp olive oil 2 cups chopped onions 3 cloves garlic, minced 4 tsp. chili powder 4 tsp. cumin 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 tsp. thyme 1/4 tsp. paprika 1 can each: black beans, kidney beans, white navy beans 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice juice from 1/2 orange 15 ounces vegetable broth chopped fresh cilantro 1. Heat olive oil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute 5 minutes. Mix in garlic and spices, cooking until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add beans, tomatoes, and orange juice, stirring to combine. Add veggie broth and stir. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes to let flavors combine. Stir in chopped cilantro and serve!