Black Bean Spread with Lime and Cilantro from Cooking Light

3 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbls fresh lime juice
1 1/2 Tbls extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can black beans, undrained
Cilantro spring (optional)

With food processor running, drop garlic through food chute; process until minced.  Add fresh cilantro and next 5 ingredients (through undrained beans), and process until smooth.  Garnish with cliantro sprig, if desired.

Wholesome Fall Muffuns

1 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup wheat bran (I have used oat bran and it works great too)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup canned pure pumpkin
2 eggs
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, wheat bran, granulated sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Fold the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture just until combined.  Divide the batter among the lined muffin cups (about 1/3 cup each) and bake until a wooden pick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

womansday.com/October 2013 - Lydia Smyth

Vegetable Soup

I found this original recipe online but without any meat.  It was posted as a “Magic Weight Loss Soup”. . .   Which makes sense because it consists of nothing but vegetables.  The bonus is that it is really, really good in spite of being very healthy.   

Beef*

2 cans chicken broth

3 cups V-8 Juice

2 cans Italian diced tomatoes

1 small onion

2 cloves minced garlic

1 package sliced mushrooms

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

1 zucchini, diced

1 yellow squash, diced

2 cups fresh or frozen green beans

2 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

3-4 cups shredded cabbage

1 tsp. Italian Seasoning

1 tsp. thyme

Salt and Pepper

*I use whatever I have on hand. . .  Sometimes a small roast or a steak, cut up; not a lot, just enough to enhance the flavor.   The original recipe didn't call for any meat at all, but if I have it, I add it because it adds a nice flavor. 

Instructions:

1.       In a large frying pan, brown meat

2.      Add onions, carrots and mushrooms for about 5 minutes.

3.      In a large crock pot, combine sautéed garlic and vegetables with the remaining ingredients.  Cook on high for 2-3 hours, or until vegetables are cooked.

Flan

I confess, I love flan and I have tried many recipes!  I found this one in a magazine my mother-in-law had.   It has a great texture which is, in my opinion, the most difficult part of making flan.  Instead of the loaf pan, I usually make it in individual serving size ramekins.  

Serves 8-10

2/3 cup  sugar

2 large eggs plus 5 large yolks

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (12-oz.) can evaporated milk

½ cup whole milk

1 ½ tablespoons vanilla extract

½ tsp. salt

∎ Stir together sugar and ¼ cup water in medium heavy saucepan until sugar is completely moistened.  Bring to boil over medium-high heat, 3 to 5 minutes, and cook, without stirring, until mixture begins to turn golden, another 1-2 minutes.  Gently swirling pan, continue to cook until sugar is color of peanut butter, 1-2 minutes.  Remove from heat and swirl pan until sugar is reddish amber and fragrant, 15-20 seconds.  Carefully swirl in 2 tablespoons warm tap water until incorporated; mixture will bubble and steam.  Pour caramel into 8 ½ by 4 ½ inch loaf pan; do not scrape out saucepan.  Set loaf pan aside.

∎ Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees.  Line bottom of 13 x 9 inch baking pan with dish towel, folding towel to fit smoothly, and set aside.  Bring 2 quarts water to boil. 

3. Whisk eggs and yolks in large bowl until combined.  Add sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, whole milk, vanilla, and salt and whisk until incorporated.  Strain mixture through fine mish strainer into prepared loaf pan.

∎ Cover loaf pan tightly with aluminum foil and place in prepared baking pan.  Place baking pan in oven and carefully pour all of boiling water into pan.  Bake until center of custard jiggles slightly when shaken and custard registers 180 degrees, 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hours.  Remove foil and leave custard in water bath until loaf pan has cooled completely.  Remove loaf pan from water bath, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and chill overnight or up to 4 days.

∎ To unmold, slide paring knife around edges of pan.  Invert serving platter on top of pan and turn pan and platter over.  When flan is released, remove loan pan.  Using rubber spatula, scrape residual caramel onto flan.  Slice and serve.  (Leftover flan may be covered loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 4 days)

Cajun Crab Soup

1 onion, chopped                         1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. diced garlic                          ½ tsp. pepper

½ cup unsalted butter                  ½ tsp. thyme

¼ cup flour                                       ¼ tsp. cayenne

2 cups chicken broth                    2 cups cream or canned milk

2 cups clam juice                           1 lb. crab or imitation

1 10 oz. frozen white corn                                 crab

Sauté onion & garlic in butter until onion is tender.  Whisk in flour.  Simmer for 2 minutes.  Pour in broth and clam juice, corn, seasonings.  Simmer 15 minutes – Add cream & crab.  Heat through

Black Beans

Quick and Easy Black Beans 

This is good with Sweet Pork Burritos 

2 Cans Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1 T olive oil
2/3 C diced onion
2-3 garlic cloves, pressed or finely minced
1 C chicken broth (or 1 C water + 1 t chicken bullion)
1/4 t cumin
1/4 t coriander
1/4 t oregano
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 lime

In a saucepan on the stove, heat the olive oil to med-high heat. Saute onions for about 3 minutes or until they just start to become translucent. Add garlic and saute abut 30 seconds more. Add beans, broth, and remaining seasonings and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and simmer for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. When they are done cooking, remove from heat and add in a few squeezes of fresh lime juice. Then use the back of a spoon or rubber spatula so smoosh (yes, that's a technical culinary term) some of the beans. You don't want to pulverize them, but you want to take a bunch of good smooshes so that some of the beans are smashed, which will thicken the sauce. I like mine on the thicker side so I smoosh quite a bit. They will thicken more upon standing.

If you want a more soupy consistency, just add a little more broth.

Blackened Chicken with Avocado Salsa

Blackened Chicken with Avocado Salsa

4 Skinless, boneless chicken breasts

2 tsp. blackening seasoning mix*

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. rice vinegar

2 tbsp. olive oil

¾ tsp. ground cumin

1/8 tsp. salt

Dash ground black pepper

1 avocado, chopped fine

2/3 cup  mango chopped fine

1 sweet pepper, chopped fine (optional)

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

* I use Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning

Preheat oven to 375*.  Lightly sprinkle both sides of chicken breasts with blackening seasoning.  In large oven-proof skillet, brown chicken well in the 1 tbsp. olive oil, turning once.  Bake in pre-heated oven for about 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.

Meanwhile, for salsa, whisk rice vinegar, 2 tbsp. olive oil, cumin, salt, and black pepper.  Stir in avocado, papaya or mango, sweet pepper and cilantro.  Serve with chicken.  If desired, garnish with cilantro leaves.  Makes 4 servings. 

Serve with black beans and sour cream, if desired.