Tag: beans

Take the Chill Off with Chili

When it snows, it blizzards. You’d think the east coast had never seen the powdery white flakes before, based on the panicked reaction that the most recent storm brought bubbling to the surface. Just short of mass hysteria, it’s true, it was not entirely unwarranted. Just the next town over from me, a few miles away at most, streets remained unplowed and impassable for a full week after the sky suddenly dumped three feet of frozen raindrops. Times like these call for a fully stocked pantry and a good instinct for comfort cooking.

Though this cranberry chili, equal parts spicy, tangy, and savory, could very well be the story of this harrowing tale, there’s just one small catch: I wasn’t home. In a fluke that couldn’t have been better timed had I known the forecast four months in advance, I managed to perfectly miss all the commotion while partying it up in Germany. The landing may not have been smooth on the return flight, but there were no delays, no disasters, and no damages for me to deal with. “Lucky” doesn’t even begin to cover it.

Thus, my thick and warming stew of hearty beans was not made just for the occasion, but it very well could have been. Considering all of the additional flurries still threatening to darken our days, it’s a recipe that will undoubtedly see more good use before the winter is through.

Cranberries are clearly an odd-ball ingredient here, but suspend disbelief for just a moment and hear me out. Every fall and winter, when bags of the fresh bog berries are on sale, I snap up a handful and toss them in the freezer. Always on hand but rarely called for, they turned out to be the perfect addition to the complex layers of flavor in this classic stew. Adding both their signature tart flavor and incredible thickening powers, they pull the whole dish together, without overwhelming the palate. The combination of both beans and bulgur are sure to satisfy, and with a handful of scallions or vegan cheese to help it all go down, no one will walk away from the table unhappy, no matter the conditions outside.

Yield: Makes 8 – 10 Servings (And Freezes Well!)

Cranberry Chili

Cranberry Chili

Adding both their signature tart flavor and incredible thickening powers, cranberries pull this whole dish together, without overwhelming the palate. The combination of both beans and bulgur are sure to satisfy.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

Cranberry Chili

  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1 Medium Yellow Onion
  • 1 Small Carrot, Finely Diced
  • 2 Stalks Celery, Diced
  • 2 Cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
  • 1 Ounce Dried Mixed Mushrooms,* Roughly Chopped/Broken, Re-hydrated in Water and Drained
  • 12 Ounces (1 Bag) Fresh Cranberries
  • 1 Fresh Jalapeno Pepper, Finely Diced
  • 3 – 4 Tablespoons Chili Powder
  • 26.5 Ounce Aseptic Box Chopped Tomatoes
  • 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
  • 2 Tablespoons Dark Brown Sugar, Firmly Packed
  • 1 Cup Prepared Salsa**
  • 4 Cups Cooked Cranberry Beans (AKA Roman Beans) or Pinto beans
  • 1/2 Cup Coarse Bulgur
  • 1/2 Cup Water
  • Salt, to Taste

Optional Topping Suggestions:

  • Thinly Sliced Scallions
  • Finely Diced Red Onion
  • Hot Sauce
  • Shredded Vegan Cheese
  • Vegan Sour Cream or Plain Yogurt
  • Crushed Tortilla Chips

Instructions

  1. In a large stock pot, pour in the oil, swirling to coat the bottom of your vessel, and set over medium heat. Add in your onion, carrot, and celery, sauteing until softened and aromatic; about 5 minutes. Introduce the garlic next and continue cooking until the onions begin to look lightly golden brown. This should take between 7 – 10 more minutes, but you’re better off keeping an eye on it rather than timing it. Add a small pinch of salt if they begin threatening to stick.
  2. Toss in the re-hydrated mushrooms next, along with the cranberries and jalapeno. Turn down the heat to medium-low, and let the cranberries soften a bit. After a few minutes, use the back of your spoon or spatula to crush the berries against the side of the pan, helping to break them down and release their pectin. Give them about 10 minutes, more or less, to get acquainted.
  3. Starting with the lower amount of chili powder, sprinkle it in and stir well, incorporating it thoroughly with the other ingredients. Quickly add in the chopped tomatoes, liquid and all, to prevent those spices from burning. Scrape the bottom of the pan with your stirring utensil to properly deglaze and ensure that nothing is left sticking there. From that point, add in the rest of the ingredients except for the salt, taking care to first work the paste out so that it’s smoothly dissolved into the stew without any large blobs remaining.
  4. Cover, reduce the heat just slightly again to keep it at a low simmer, and the chili gently bubble away for about 30 additional minutes. Stir and check for consistency periodically. Near the end of the cooking time, adjust the amount of chili powder and salt to taste. When it’s properly thick and the bulgur is tender, you’re good to ladle it up and enjoy! Top as desired, or of course, feel free to just eat it straight.

Notes

*I used a combination of dried porcini, shiitake, black, and oyster mushrooms, but anything you’ve got will work just fine.

**Use your favorite! Ramp up the heat with a spicier choice or keep it more tame with mild salsa; it’s all good.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 249Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 403mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 13gSugar: 11gProtein: 12g
© Hannah Kaminsky
Cuisine: American / Category: Soups and Stews

Hannah (BitterSweet)32 Comments

Deconstructed and Reconstructed

Die-hard devotees may cry foul, but I happen to love seeing new renditions of classic dishes. The originals may stand the test of time, and retain their allure despite their newer, trendier counterparts, but times change and food changes with it. For example, falafel is a Middle Eastern staple that almost everyone can claim some sort of fondness for, but no one would want to eat it every day. If the palate fatigue doesn’t get to you, the heavy, greasiness of it all will. Though lusciously rich and filling, those golden fried orbs tend to sit in my stomach like leaden golf balls, encouraging naps soon after rather than resumed productivity- Not exactly the thing to take in for lunch on a work day. After spending one too many afternoons in a falafel-induced daze, I knew that this was one tried-and-true meal in need of some reinvention.

Baked or raw falafel is certainly a worthy consideration, but for days when there’s barely enough time to get dressed and run out the door in the morning, let alone get something into the oven or dehydrator, I have just the alternative.

Still bearing all of the vibrant flavors and key components of your standard fried falafel, my falafel-inspired salad is considerably lighter on the stomach, and easier on an over-scheduled day. No cooking required, just mix and enjoy. Best of all, this assembly is just as tasty warm as it is cold, so it’s perfect packed lunch fodder.  Highly satisfying and re-energizing, I daresay this more modern take on falafel has the edge on the competition… Should you crave that hand-held eating experience, you can even stuff it snugly into a pita, and enjoy it in a more “tradition” fashion!

Yield: Makes 4 - 5 Servings

Deconstructed Falafel Salad

Deconstructed Falafel Salad

Bearing all of the vibrant flavors and key components of your standard
fried falafel, my falafel-inspired salad is considerably lighter on the
stomach, and easier on an over-scheduled day. No cooking required, just
mix and enjoy. Best of all, this assembly is just as tasty warm as it
is cold, so it’s perfect packed lunch fodder.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

Deconstructed Falafel Salad:

  • 2 Cups Cooked Brown Rice
  • 1 15-Ounce Can Chickpeas
  • 1 Small Leek, Cleaned, Greens Removed and Thinly Sliced
  • 2 Cloves Roasted Garlic, Minced
  • 1/4 – 1/2 Cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
  • 1/4 – 1/2 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
  • 2 Teaspoons Ground Cumin
  • 2 Teaspoons Ground Coriander
  • 3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
  • 1 Tablespoon Flax Oil
  • Salt and Pepper, to Taste
  • 2 Tablespoons Sesame Seeds, Toasted

Instructions

  1. Preparation for this one couldn’t be simpler- Just toss everything
    together in a large bowl until the ingredients are well distributed and
    evenly coated in spice, and either heat and serve, or cover and stash it
    in the fridge until chilled. It will last up to 5 days refrigerated,
    so you can make this at on Monday and enjoy it throughout the work week
    with ease.

Recommended Products

Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. I have experience with all of these companies and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I make if you decide to buy something through my links.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

5

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 282Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 289mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 10gSugar: 4gProtein: 10g
© Hannah Kaminsky
Cuisine: Israeli / Category: Salads and Sides

Hannah (BitterSweet)45 Comments

The Impulse Buy

After walking for at least a few hours too long, it was like a little oasis in a concrete desert, where the quiet streets suddenly opened up and came to life. Bombarded by unidentifiable but delicious cooking aromas, colors and shapes of exotic produce, and people hustling about like busy worker bees in their hive, the Naschmarkt is no hum-drum little farmer’s market. Boasting fruits and vegetables that I had only seen in photos and videos previously, it’s truly a foodie paradise.

Easily entertained by just your average grocery expedition, I could have easily spent hours examining the seemingly endless lines of stalls, each hawking something different and unique, but not all members of our pack felt the same way, to say the least. Giving me the evil eye at every turn, my sister looked ready to bite my head off if I dragged her to yet another stand of boring old vegetables. Bored, tired, and without the same culinary inclinations as myself, she would have easily chosen to be just about anywhere else on the planet at that moment. I had to be hasty about this if I wanted any peace for the rest of the journey across Europe- And it is a pretty big place, after all.

So of all things, from the amazing array of rare edibles, it should figure that my impulse buy was of perhaps one of the least spectacular offerings; Beans. Yes, just dried beans.

But if you take one look at these beauties, you might just understand why. Speckled with black polka dots across their vibrant purple skins, I had never seen anything like them, nor did I even know what they were. Labeled as “Käfer Bohnen,” my most basic understanding of German cooking words only allowed me to understand that they were in fact ____ Beans. Enlightening, no? But I grabbed a bag of them anyway, planning to do more research once they were safely home.

Surprisingly little information about the käfer bohnen exists, but I could at least discern that it translates roughly to “beetle bean,” and cooks in about 1 – 2 hours after soaking. Good enough for me! Sadly, they do lose some of their violet hue after such a long, hot bath, but it’s a sacrifice worth making. Creamy on the inside but still possessing a firm bite, they are truly delightful little legumes.

To highlight this unique bean, I decided to pair them with blanched green beans, very lightly cooked so that they retain their crispness, and dressed simply in a German/Austrian-inspired vinaigrette. Other large, flat beans like broad beans or fava beans could probably make a fine substitute, but I will be quite sad when my little souvenir is all used up.

Yield: Serves 4 – 6 as a Side Dish

Bohnen Salat (Austrian Bean Salad)

Bohnen Salat (Austrian Bean Salad)

Highlighting a unique foodie find, the "beetle bean" is paired with blanched green beans, very lightly cooked so that they retain their crispness, and dressed simply in a German/Austrian-inspired vinaigrette.

Cook Time 2 hours
Additional Time 3 hours
Total Time 5 hours

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup Dry Beetle Beans (or Fava Beans, Broad Beans, or Butter Beans), Soaked Overnight
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 3/4 Pound Fresh Green Beans
  • 1/2 Medium Red Onion, Thinly Sliced
  • 1/2 Cup White Vinegar
  • 1/4 Cup Mild Vegetable Oil
  • 2 Cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Dried Dill
  • 1 Tablespoon Light Agave Nectar
  • Salt and Pepper, to Taste

Instructions

  1. First things first, get a big pot of water on the stove and bring it to a boil. Add in your soaked beans and bay leaf, and cook until tender but not splitting apart, about 1 – 2 hours depending on what bean you choose and how old they are. To save water, I blanched my green beans right in the same pot.
  2. Once the beans are just about done, add in the cleaned and trimmed green beans, and let them cook for just 2 – 3 minutes, until bright green. Drain and quickly plunge the beans into ice water to stop the cooking and preserve the color of the green beans. Discard the bay leaf, and toss in the sliced onion.
  3. To make the dressing, simply whisk together all of the remaining ingredients and pour them over the beans.
  4. Toss gently to coat, cover, and refrigerate for at least 3 – 4 hours before serving so that the flavors can meld. There will be a lot of excess dressing at the bottom of the bowl, but don’t cut back- It helps to cover more of the goods while they sit. Just drain the salad slightly before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 204Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 282mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 5gSugar: 8gProtein: 5g

All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimates.

© Hannah Kaminsky
Cuisine: German / Category: Salads and Sides

Hannah (BitterSweet)48 Comments

Cupcake Evolution

Although there are still some conflicting stories about how the ever-popular cupcake came about, it’s generally agreed that they got their name by the method they were made: One cup of butter, two cups of sugar, three cups of four, and so on, all in nice even cup-based measures. Eventually, it seems like younger generations that have become removed from the baking process only saw the product, and assumed that they were named because they were all baked in little cups, thus their small size and shape. These days, most people just think of cupcakes as miniature cakes, and not much more. If you ask me, the cupcake still has a bit more evolving to do, and the next step is pretty clear, isn’t it?

Naturally, it only makes sense that they become literal cups made out of cake!

Browsing through a quirky little junk store, a pile of silicon ice cube trays and various molds caught my eye, and I dug in, thinking of the adorable frozen shapes I might plop into cold drinks. However, it was the shot glass mold that grabbed my attention, and after confirming that it was oven safe up to about 500 degrees, I began scheming my grand cupcake plan.

Going with Asian flavors, I whipped up a quick matcha cupcake batter, pouring it into the molds and placing a sheet pan underneath just for insurance. As predicted, it did bubble up but not over, and so the mushroomed ends simply needed a trim once cooled. The tricky part came when it was time to remove them. Despite a liberal spray of cooking oil with flour, those cakes refused to loosen their grip on the silicon, and my first victim tore horrifically. Thinking on my toes, I tossed the remaining cups into the freezer, forgot about them for a few hours, and was able to take them out intact once fully frozen.


Filled to the brim with sweet adzuki bean mousse, the presentation was almost as good as the taste! This is one format that the frosting-lovers among us would adore, since the deep pocket allows for far more filling than any standard cupcake. While it may take a bit more effort to make, this latest evolution of the cupcake might be it’s most impressive yet. I won’t tell if you just use this mousse in any old cake though, since it’s far too good to be contained to just one type of baked good!

Yield: Makes About 2 1/2 Cups

Adzuki Bean Mousse

Adzuki Bean Mousse

Think beans can't become a decadent dessert? Think again! This mousse is rich and velvety, thanks to the earthy depth of sweet adzuki beans with the silky smoothness of tofu.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups Cooked Adzuki Beans
  • 5 Ounces (Half of a 10.9-Ounce Package) Firm Silken Tofu
  • 1/4 Cup Plain Soymilk
  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar, Packed
  • 2 Tablespoons Instant Clear Gel

Instructions

  1. Toss your cooked beans and tofu into a food processor or blender, and crank up the power. Once the mixture is mostly pureed and there are no more chunks of tofu remaining, add in the soymilk and vanilla, and pulse to combine.
  2. In a separate bowl, mix the sugar and instant clear gel, and slowly sift these dry ingredients into your machine while the motor is running.
  3. Once fully incorporated, continue blending for a minute or two to dissolve the sugar, scraping down the sides as needed, until the mixture feels mostly smooth and slightly thickened.
  4. Pipe into or on top of cupcakes, or eat with a spoon. Those beans make it much healthier than your average mousse, after all!

Recommended Products

Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. I have experience with all of these companies and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I make if you decide to buy something through my links.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

5

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 268Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 28mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 7gSugar: 19gProtein: 16g

All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimations.

© Hannah Kaminsky
Cuisine: Japanese / Category: Miscellaneous Desserts

 

Hannah (BitterSweet)66 Comments