Spicy Bean Salad

Kaleidoscope dinner time again. Hmmmm, cooking dinner for a large family, not much time of my own for anything fancy, need to find something that can last in their fridge or freezer just in case of a family emergency. Enchiladas! One pan of cheese and one of chicken will give them some alternatives. Check. Rice. Check. Beans? This is where the plan fell apart. Personally, I’m soooooo tired of re-fried beans. If it was just for myself, I’d do a little black bean and tart queso fresco number. Perhaps my favorite “hearty” summer chip dip? It was time to try something new.

After perusing my favorite online haunts, I narrowed in on one that sounded like a winner both for taste and time. The original came from Karen Castle at www.allrecipes.com and is titled Mexican Bean Salad. Naturally, I altered it based on what was readily available (avocados on sale … yes!) and just my own personal preferences. But believe you me, that dressing is a total winner! It can best be described as a collision between a 3 bean salad dressing and your favorite Mexican spices that make you want to jump up and dance. Oh yeah, like that.

Without further adieu, here we go …

Ingredients:

• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 pimento pepper, chopped (optional)
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 3 avocados, diced
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 clove crushed garlic
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 dash hot pepper sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine beans, bell peppers, and red onion.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice, lemon juice, sugar, salt, garlic, cilantro, cumin, and black pepper. Season to taste with hot sauce and chili powder.
3. Pour olive oil dressing over vegetables; mix well. Gently fold in avocado. Chill thoroughly, and serve cold.

Notes:

• Do give this dish some time to chill. Chill is better than no chill. And, the density of the dish (geek alert!) means that the salad likes to retain its heat.
• Make enough for left overs. A healthy snack like this is perfect to stash in the fridge for snacking families.
• Those pimento peppers? Those are part of the local angle  cuz I had just picked some up from the vegetable stand and love them, but are not worth a trip to a specialty store just for this dish.
• Did you catch that? Yes, vegetable stand in December. That’s why we pay the big prices to live in California!

How Do We Know?

I know I’m not the only one with a story like this…. Yesterday, my husband told me there was a phone message from someone in Kaleidoscope. That is the cancer support organization that where I cook for families with cancer via the Krockpot Brigade. Immediately I thought, how sad that Mrs. M passed away; I think I’m scheduled to cook for them next week. The message was actually about a change in Thanksgiving plans. Hmmm, in my mind it all just didn’t match up. Something was wrong.

Later that evening I received word that indeed Mrs. M had passed away that day. I had only met her once, but quite clearly, I KNEW what had happened. What a lovely lady, and her husband proudly showed me example after example of her craft work, glowing with pride at his incredible wife.

How is it that we just know these things?

Baked Butternut Squash Risotto

This recipe comes from the Complete Outdoor Living Cookbook that I recently re-found right on my very own cookbook shelf. And while I do have a decent little collection, it sure pales in comparison to my friend Mrs L! You go girl!

Naturally, this recipe is located in the Autumn Main Courses section. I love butternut squash, but others in the family don’t share my appreciation. With this dish, I figured everyone could just get the bits that they like … rice or squash or both. When all was said and done, this was a bit sweeter than I had imagined, and I was the only one who actually liked it. And you know what that means … more left overs for the cook!

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

3 TBS olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 1/2 cups Arborio or other short grain white rice

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 cup grated Parmesan or aged Asiago cheese

ground pepper

Directions:

1.  Place the broth in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Adjust the heat to maintain a low simmer.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2.  In a large oven proof frying pan with a lid, warm the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the rice and squash and stir to coat with the oil.  Pour in the wine and stir until the liquid is absorbed.  Add 1/2 cup of the simmering broth and stir until it is absorbed.  Continue cooking, adding 1/2 cup broth at a time and stirring often until you have used and additional 1 1/2 cups broth.  Total cooking time from when you added the wine will be about 12 minutes.

3.  Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups broth and bring to a boil, stirring continually.  Remove from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese.  Cover and bake the risotto in the oven until tender, about 20 minutes.  Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup cheese, let stand, partially covered, for 5 minutes.  Season to taste with pepper and serve immediately.

Notes:

* This was my first risotto and I found it very easy.

*  Do bother to use a decent parmesan cheese here and not that pre-grated stuff in a bag.

*  I didn’t bother to actually measure those 1/2 cup additions of broth, figuring that my ladle held about that much liquid.

40 Clove Garlic Chicken

Its been awhile since this dish has come out of my kitchen, and I really don’t know why. After making the 40 clove garlic chicken again, it is definitely going back into the rotation.

Knowing that this Kaleidoscope dinner would be like cooking for a crowd, with my family of 4 plus a friend staying the night, and the other family with 6, 4 of them being teens. We needed some serious protein portions! I picked up 2 whole chickens from the store and went to work. Its been quite a few years now since I finally sat myself down and mastered breaking down the bird, but I must admit it is one useful skill! The time involved is minimal, once you know where to look for the correct joints to sever, everyone ends up with a cut of chicken they like, and if I’m into it, I get some “free” homemade chicken broth from the carcass. If you haven’t yet mastered this skill, do give it a try …. you’ll be quite proud of yourself when you do! Ok, you can wimp out and use breasts, thighs, whatever you find already cut for you, but you’ll also have to carry the guilt of not having given it a go yourself.

Forty clove chicken is one of those wonderful dishes where you end up with both chicken and a nice cream-less creamy sauce all from one pan. Fewer dishes! Yes! Don’t let the garlic frighten you away. It bakes right along with the chicken and mellows into a light flavor.

Ingredients:

1 chicken, cut into legs, thighs, and breasts, with breasts cut in half

40 cloves garlic, very coarsely chopped

1 cup white wine

1 tsp rosemary

1 tsp tarragon

salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Sprinkle salt and pepper on each side of the chicken pieces, and pat in place.

3. Spread chicken pieces out in a roasting pan, allowing a bit of room between each piece. Add garlic, distributing evenly across the roasting pan. Add wine, rosemary and tarragon.

4. Cover lightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes, turning chicken half way through. Chicken should be 170 degrees. Transfer chicken to the serving plate.

5. Using a fork or potato masher, gently smash the garlic pieces and stir to incorporate with the pan juices and wine. It should look like a slightly lumpy gravy when you finish. Pour over chicken and serve.

Notes:

* Personally, I love the flavor of tarragon in this dish. Other than that, if you don’t have rosemary, go ahead and substitute some other similar herb that happens to be in your pantry.

* Cutting each breast in half makes each piece more even in size which is important when cooking it all for the same amount of time. Another benefit: portion control.

* This is not the time to peel all of that garlic! Buy the kind that has already been peeled. And you don’t need to get all particular and count out the garlic cloves. Just pour a whole bunch of cloves on your cutting board, give them a few quick chops and toss them on the chicken.

* I was amused to see how many You Tube videos show how to cut up a chicken!  It truly never occurred to me to film myself breaking down a bird and sharing it with the world.  Time to expand my goals!

Fall Salad with Pear, Toasted Walnuts, and Gorgonzola

Yes, it has taken quite awhile to get these recipes posted.  Know how March and April are just crazy for tax accountants?  Well, its like that in October for my job.  Sigh. Here we go ….

This is a perfect Fall salad, with the sweetness of the pears, salty and savory flavors from the Gorgonzola, and the toasty crunch of the walnuts.  If you’re looking for a nice salad that you can toss together earlier in the day and dress at the last minute, this is a beauty.  Just one more reason it is perfect for a Kaleidoscope dinner. 

Ingredients:

butter lettuce or red leaf lettuce, torn into pieces

1 pear, cored and diced

1/3 cup walnuts roughly chopped

Gorgonzola

2 TBS olive oil

1 TBS wine vinegar

1 TBS grainy mustard

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.  Toast walnuts in the oven or in a skillet on the stove until just darkening.

2.  Lightly mix the lettuce, pear, and walnuts in a serving bowl.

3.  Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper.  Gently pour dressing over the salad and mix.

4.  Sprinkle lightly with crumbled Gorgonzola cheese.

Notes:

* Select a nice deep green lettuce for this salad.  Don’t use iceberg or those anemic looking hearts of romaine here; crunch from lettuce just doesn’t belong here.

*  Go easy with the cheese.  Remember, this is about balance.  If there is too much cheese, it gets a mushy feeling when you eat it, and that is not the goal here.

*  For mixing salad dressings, I actually just pour all of the ingredients into a small canning jar, screw on the lid, and shake ‘er on up.  Easy and kinda fun!

Kaleidoscope Dinners

One of the most satisfying groups that I participate in is Kaleidoscope. This started as small support group, started by a strong woman whom I’ve known for years and admire greatly, who happens to be a cancer survivor, to reach out to other people and families dealing with cancer. They have quite a few areas of support, and mine is the Krockpot Brigade. Once or twice a month I cook dinner for a family with a family member who is dealing with cancer.

The Krockpot Brigade dinners always take a little more planning than a family dinner. For one, our family tends to eat pretty late by American standards, so delivering a complete meal at 5:30 or 6:00 means a change in my afternoon schedule. I always want to make something super tasty, but know that others’ idea of super tasty may not match mine. And most importantly, while the family likely plans to have this meal for their dinner that night, cancer doesn’t tend to follow those plans. This meal may sit in the fridge or freezer for quite awhile.

For the meal I prepared this week, I looked to the recently discovered gem the Complete Outdoor Living Cookbook. The menu (recipes to follow):

• Fall Salad with Pear, Toasted Walnuts, and Gorgonzola

• 40 Clove Garlic Chicken

• Butternut Squash Risotto

• Spiced Pear Cake

Kaleidoscope Organic Garden (Italian Beef Sandwiches)

The most amazing organic garden in town is the Kaleidoscope organic garden with food grown for the purpose of supplying healthy meals for families dealing with the ravages of cancer. The garden is located behind a church in our small town and is completely maintained by volunteers. Kaleidoscope is a local organization started by an amazing educator who retired early after several bouts with cancer. It started small, with the sharing of Bags of Hope with people recently diagnosed with cancer. The organization blossomed with love and support of the Methodist Church. While I do not attend that church, I do love to cook! A friend told me about the Kaleidoscope krockpot brigade bringing one meal a week to people dealing with cancer to feed their families. Wow! On my end, this is a perfect way to contribute to my community.

As with so many volunteer ventures, I receive more than I could ever give. I’ve cooked for a family with a teenager going through many rounds of chemo. Some evenings, she would be smiling and full of energy while sporting the colorful headwrap of the day. Another evening the mother expressed her gratitude for the large meals she could stretch over several dinners as she told me about the recent week her daughter was in the hospital with the flu and staring a stack of unpaid bills on the counter. I’ve cooked for a well known local educator who’s work has filtered down with positive effect on my own children. I’ve cooked for a family whose children I’ve known for years through my own kids. Each time I prepare a meal, I realized how fortunate I am to be able to share my love of cooking and provide a healthy meal, and a offer night off from cooking, for a wonderful family.

So, yesterday I visited the Kaleidoscope garden and harvested some sweet tomatoes, onions, scallions, and bell peppers to include with the Italian beef sandwiches and salad for a local family.

Italian Beef Sandwiches

• 3 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
• 1 (5 pound) rump roast

Toppings:

• provolone cheese, slices
• Tomato, bell pepper, and onion thinly sliced and sauteed for 5 minutes.

Directions:

1. Dump everything except the meat into a slow cooker and stir. (If you don’t have one or two of the dry herbs on hand, just omit them.)

2. Add roast and cook on low for 10 hours.

3. Take out the meat, pull it into strings / chunks with a fork.

4. Lay out buns on a baking sheet, cut side up, and broil for just under 1 minute, until toasted.

5. Heap the bottom of each bun with beef and cover with one slice of cheese. Return the bun bottoms only to the broiler for another minute. Always keep a close eye on anything you are broiling.

6. Top with tomato / bell pepper / onion mix, cover with the bun top and enjoy. If you are a lover of messy sandwiches, go ahead and spoon some of the broth from the slow cooker on that sandwich for a wonderful treat.