Make-Ahead Bean Salad

Make Ahead Bean Salad

After a crazy few weeks, I'm settling in to routine. I think know I do better when I have a routine to follow. Particularly when it comes to choosing my meals. It is so incredibly easy to slip off the healthy food wagon and make less wise choices. Sometimes because I'm tired and I want the quickest food I can grab. Sometimes because I'm lazy and don't want to cook. Sometimes because dessert sounds like the best thing I can think of!

But for one more time I'm trying to do better. That usually means keeping ready to eat things in my refrigerator. Like this bean salad. I love bean salads and there are a few in the recipe index here on the blog. This one is a little different. Most of the ones I make call for sugar in the marinade. Sometimes not much but there is always some. 

Unlike those, this salad has no sugar. Not even sweet pickles! I used dill pickle salad cubes along with some of the pickle juice and vinegar for the marinade. The first taste was good, but I'm sure it well be even better after it sits in the refrigerator for several hours. By dinner time it's going to be the perfect side dish.

Using canned beans makes this so quick to put together. And beans are high in fiber and protein. Both fiber and protein are good for keeping you from getting hungry 20 minutes after you eat—like I do when I've grabbed fast food. 

In keeping with my jazz journey, this recipe also involves improv. There are so many similarities between cooking and playing music. Improv is a big one. I had a recipe as my starting place. Then I changed things around because of when I had (and didn't have) in my kitchen. You have my permission to do the same thing.

Here is the original recipe. My "improv" changes follow.

MAKE-AHEAD BEAN SALAD

1 (15-oz) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed

1 (15-oz) can light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup chopped cucumber

1 cup diced grape tomatoes

1 cup diced orange bell pepper

1/2 cup scallions

1/2 cup dill pickle salad cubes

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons dill pickle juice

2 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all ingredients. Can serve chilled or at room temperature.

How easy is that? Here are my adjustments. 

• I used a red bell pepper because that's what I had. The orange pepper would add another color to the mix. That would be a nice visual, but the taste is the same.
• I didn't have scallions so I added some minced onion. Close enough.
• No fresh parsley here either. I used a good sprinkle of parsley flakes. Fresh would definitely be best, but you do what you have to do.
• How could I be out of white vinegar? I'm never out of that. But I was today. Apple cider vinegar was close enough.

See? No major changes. No need to dash to the store for a missing ingredient. This is close enough.

Same as with recipe variations, the most interesting music is full of variations, too. Learning how to put the pieces together is excellent brain exercise. I'm learning to play Misty right now—and all the fun embellishments and fills that I've always wanted to understand,.

And just to show that I really am getting back to my routine, the knitting has been pulled out, too! You can't play piano and cook all of the time. 

 

Do The Can Can!

After I shared the easy spiffed up Jiffy cornbread recipe, you were probably expecting some real cooking coming from my kitchen. Well, that hasn't happened yet.  I'm still in quick and simple mode. Too many other fun things to do.

We had family here for several days for the long Presidents Day weekend. Little Sister (who is now 13) sang a solo at our church while they were here visiting. They headed home on Tuesday. And came right back on Thursday to see Itzhak Perlman in concert. He was as good as when we saw him perform 20 years ago. A true master of his instrument. A legend. I'm so glad the granddaughters got to see him.

Daddy-O and I stayed in town for the night and had a wonderful get-away. The morning after the concert we visited the SC Upcountry History Museum. And I finally made it to the music museum located next door to the history museum. Oh my goodness! It was a little treasure box. 

I even got to play the wonderful Steinway grand and the Flemish harpsichord that were on display. 

Why on earth had I waited so long to see this museum? It's not all keyboard instruments. There is quite a collection of world music instruments on another level. We made our way home just as it started to rain. And we stopped at a favorite lunch spot as we got closer to the farm. So much good food at each meal.

While we ate lunch, I announced that dinner was cancelled! We had enjoyed a wonderful pre-concert dinner the evening before, a lovely breakfast at the hotel (complete with white tablecloths and stemmed glassware), plus our delicious lunch. Daddy-O said a bowl of cereal would be fine. Then when it was time to actually do something for dinner at home we remembered that we were out of milk. I had used the last to make a chicken pie for the Lenten luncheon at our church on Wednesday. 

 

We were too tired to want to go out again. Then I remembered an old busy day standby that was a favorite when our girls were school age. I usually made it when Daddy-O was away, so he didn't remember this. But he liked it well enough to choose this again for lunch today! I don't even have a name for the recipe. Suggestions???

Supper was on the table in 15 minutes.

CHILI FLAVORED BEANS  

1 can pinto beans, drained & rinsed

1 can light red kidney beans, drained & rinsed

1 can black beans, drained & rinsed

1 can corn, drained (I like shoepeg corn)

1 can diced tomatoes

*enough red enchilada sauce to reach the consistency you want (I used about 2/3 of the can)

1 teaspoon chili powder

Mix everything in a large pot and brung to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes.

That's it! While that was simmering I heated one of those "ready in 90 seconds" bags of jasmine rice. We spooned the beans over the rice and topped with shredded cheese and sour cream.

*I have never used enchilada sauce to make this but it definitely need more liquid. The canned diced tomatoes have much less liquid than a can of whole tomatoes like I used years ago. I was out of tomato sauce which was the first thing I thought of. Tomato juice would be a reasonable choice. But all I found in the pantry was the enchilada sauce. And it couldn't have been better.

Same thing with the beans. You could use other varieties of beans. I happen to like this combination because of three different shaped and colors. But if I had been out of one of those, I would have used another kind. We are too far from town to make extra trips to the grocery store. You learn to adapt.

 

Trying Hard To Get Back On Track

Chickpea Salad

We have been working like crazy at the lake cabin trying to wind up a project before family comes to stay. It's one of those projects that has taken way too long. (Is there any other kind?) What started as a plumbing repair grew to become a bathroom redo. And as long as we were putting down a new floor there, I decided we ought to replace the kitchen floor also.

But it's done. At least THEIR work is done. The clean up job, however, belongs to us. You know how sawdust goes everywhere when the sawing is inside. What a mess. And this is a summer cabin, too, so it's unoccupied for the winter. That meant we needed a massive cleaning. While we were deep into to washing and wiping every single thing there, I kept finding things that needed to be replaced. I made more than one trip to into town to buy kitchen and bathroom things.

When I'm on that kind of schedule, I tend to grab whatever is easy for lunch. PB&J. Crackers and pimento cheese. Or, I'll make an even worse choice and head to a drive thru. And since at that point, I'm tired and starving, it's easy to talk myself into chicken strips and fries. Or a milkshake. I always tell myself when I'm that tired that I deserve a treat. 

Starting today I hope to have a better plan. My first choice for meals would be the fresh, healthy foods that we all should be eating. I really do like those foods. But it takes time to make them. I have to remind myself that it actually takes longer for me to drive to Bojangles and back home. But my mind can play tricks!

I saw a recipe for a chickpea salad this week and I wanted to stir it up to have in the fridge. I took great liberties with the recipe. I added celery because I love celery. I swapped out the olive oil and used canola because olive oil gets solid when refrigerated. I used red wine vinegar instead of lemon juice because I wanted a little more zip. And after Daddy-O tasted it and was less than enthused, I added a teaspoon of sugar. He also tasted it the minute I mixed it up. It does needs to chill and let the flavors blend. Even then, I doubt he will like this as much as I do.

So here is my completely rewritten recipe. It took me about 10 minutes to mix it up. And it's ready and waiting for a quick lunch. And it might also be a side dish tonight. 

CHICKPEA SALAD

1 (15-oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 

1 English cucumber, quartered lengthwise and sliced

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (I may have used more)

1/4 cup diced red onion

1/2 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

Mix all ingredients together and chill before serving.  

Makes a little more than 5 cups. 

My friend Linda and I are always on the lookout for WW friendly recipes, so I sent this to her a few minutes ago. It calculated to 1 WW point (on my plan) for a 1 cup serving. She texted back in minutes that chickpeas are one of the few foods she doesn't care for. I think that any canned bean would work—cannellini or black beans would be good choices. And if you decided to double or triple the recipe, you could surely use a mix of beans. 

So for the next few days at least, I have no excuse for making bad food choices. At least if I DO decide I need a treat it will only be one treat!

NOTE TO SELF: Keep the "good" foods on hand and ready to eat. Then I'm less likely to give in to temptation.

Book Club On The Porch (No Book Involved)

Old friends are the best friends. We had so much fun yesterday. My book club girls came to the lake for an afternoon visit and supper. We take turns doing supper for our regular gatherings and usually a couple of us share duties.  But I told them that for this one time, I'd do it all. They just needed to drive down. Luckily our lake house is only about 25 minutes away from town.

If you've been here long, you know that at this point in my life, I cook easy meals. I like home cooked food, but I am not looking for complicated recipes. This supper was so easy to make. But it would have been harder to transport to Linda's house because it involved two slow cookers and seven pints of ice cream. It was a good choice for a night they were coming to me.

I thought of all sorts of desserts I could make for us. But homemade dessert didn't happen. I bought seven pints of Jeni's ice cream. I had picked up a little box of tasting spoons at the grocery store a few weeks ago. And after supper we had an ice cream tasting. These good ladies had never heard of Jeni's ice cream. It's a special treat. And a major indulgence! It's not available everywhere, but I can find it at Publix and Whole Foods. That makes me happy because years ago it was nearly impossible to buy. Unless you lived in Columbus, OH.

My original thought for supper was to make these same fillings and use soft tortillas. My brilliant daughter Jessica pointed out that it would be less messy if we made "bowls." Of course, she was right. 

Miss Doris asked if I would put all of our supper recipes here in one post. They have all been on the blog before but she said she would like to have them together. Here is our menu:

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When the ladies got here, I knew we would be visiting on the porch for a while, so I fixed a tray of nibbles. Apple and pear slices, bought cheese crisps and I made a double batch of these nuts. The nuts are the easiest thing ever.

TOASTED MAPLE PECANS

1 cup pecan halves

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Salt

Pepper, optional

Preheat oven to 375º. Line a sheet pan (I used a quarter sheet pan) with parchment paper. 

Pour maple syrup over nuts in a small bowl and stir to coat. Spread in a single layer on a sheet pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper if using.

Toast nuts for 10 minutes then stir. Toast for another 2 minutes and taste them. Toast for another 2 minutes if needed. (Mine took the whole 14 minutes.) Let them cool before serving. Store in an airtight container.

Toasting pecans is a judgement call—they need to come out of the oven just before they are crisp because they will crisp up as they cool. 

~~~~~

We have been making this recipes for years. I've used plain salsa. Salsa with corn and beans. It's your choice. But do choose a salsa you like. Different brands have different flavors.

SALSA CHICKEN (slow cooker)

3 or 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 jar salsa (I used a 24-oz jar of black bean & corn salsa)
2 teaspoons (I just sprinkled some over) homemade fajita seasoning 
          OR 1 packet taco seasoning

Put a thin layer of salsa into bottom of crockpot. Place chicken breasts in a plastic bag, add fajita (taco) seasoning and shake to coat breasts. Put chicken into crockpot and cover with remaining salsa. Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours. Remove chicken and shred with two forks. Put shredded chicken back into crockpot and mix with salsa.

~~~~~

Another easy, much used recipe. I made this on the stovetop, then put it in a smaller crockpot to keep warn until we ate. I quibbled about how much to make for six of us and ended up doubling the recipe. Needless to say, I'll be eating beans and rice the rest of the week. I think I could have used 3 cans of beans and the appropriate amounts of everything else and it would have been just right.

CUBAN BLACK BEANS

2 teaspoons olive oil
1-1/2  cup chopped red onion
1 red bell pepper, diced
1-1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 (15-oz) cans black beans
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped red onion for serving
I lime, cut into wedges
cooked brown rice

Heat oil in a large nonstick skilled over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 6-7 minutes. Add garlic, cumin and oregano, stirring to mix. Cook another 30 seconds. Stir in beans (with their liquid) and water. Simmer for 5-10 minutes to let flavors blend. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar.

To serve, spoon beans over brown rice and sprinkle with chopped onion. Squeeze a lime wedge over each serving.

~~~~~

I will be forever grateful to Al Roker from The Today Show. I started following him on Instagram during the pandemic and discovered he posts what he cooks for dinner most days. And those meals very often include "pasta cooked brown rice." Just a hash tag. I finally thought I'd see if I could find out what he meant. Google was all I needed. And I have not cooked brown rice another way since then.

PASTA COOKED BROWN RICE

brown rice (amount isn't critical, but I typically use 1-1/2 cups)

water

Bring a big pot of water to a boil.

Rinse uncooked brown rice. 

Stir rice into boiling water. 

Let boil 30-35 minutes. Drain into colander. (Make sure the holes are small enough to not lose the rice.) Put the rice back into the empty hot pot. Put a lid on it, pull off the heat, and let it stand for 10 minutes to steam. 

To finish the menu, I had chopped red onion, diced tomatoes, sliced avocado, and lime wedges for toppings. And we opened a bag of blue corn chips. If you count WW points (purple plan,) that is nearly a 0 point meal if you skip the avocado. And I am certainly not talking about the Jeni's ice cream!!!

If anyone is curious, our seven ice cream flavors were 

• Lemon & Blueberries Parfait
• Boston Cream Pie
• Blackout Chocolate
• Savannah Buttercream Mint
• Gooey Butter Cake
• Brambleberry Crisp
• Sweet Cream Biscuits & Peach Jam

Which was the favorite? Hands down, it was which ever one we were had in our mouth. They are all that good.

FYI, you can order Jeni's and have it shipped to you. Mommy and J-Daddy have done this and she says it arrived frozen. But it's way cheaper to buy it at the store!

 

Blog Housekeeping

CUBAN BLACK BEANS and BROWN RICE

❋ You're getting a bonus blog post this week, plus a recipe. I've been doing a little blog housekeeping. First I want to take a minute to thank all of you readers for visiting here. As I've told you before, for some technical reason I can't fix, I cannot reply to any of your comments. And that makes me sad. But please know that I read every one of them. I LOVE reading them. And I feel like I know you now. 

To the frequent commenters, Barb, Chloe and Jane, I like to think you've found something useful here. To those who sometimes respond by email—Mellie, Becky, GoodnightGram, and another Jane—I am so happy that you stay in touch. And then there are those who let me know they've read this via text message from time to time...Mary, Missy, Angie, Betsy, Carol, Kathie, Teresa, Tally & Whit, Ann and Joanne. I DO know you! And it delights me that you keep coming back. 

You know the danger of naming names is missing someone. I'm sure I did. Know that all readers are appreciated...whether you comment or not. 

❋ More blog bonus info....don't forget to use those foods you've stashed in the freezer. Right now the feeling is that those frozen meats and casseroles are a safety net if something becomes hard to find at the store. Surely we have passed through the worst of that, haven't we?

Just remember that unlike money in a saving account that (very) slowly grows if you don't touch it, frozen food does not get better with time. If packaged properly most things are good for quite a while—but not indefinitely. Remember to use that food. How sad it is to find something pushed to the back of the freezer and forgotten. (Sometimes I keep a freezer inventory. I should all the time.)

Last night I made Cuban black beans and rice for me. Daddy-O likes meat. Surely there was something stashed deep in the freezer for him. I found Italian beef that needed to be eaten. (It was quite the international dinner, wasn't it?) We both ate the rice along with roasted veggies. And we were both happy. The beans were crazy easy and delicious. I'm looking forward to the leftovers.

CUBAN BLACK BEANS

2 teaspoons olive oil
1-1/2  cup chopped red onion
1 red bell pepper, diced
1-1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 (15-oz) cans black beans
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped red onion for serving
I lime, cut into wedges
cooked brown rice

Heat oil in a large nonstick skilled over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 6-7 minutes. Add garlic, cumin and oregano, stirring to mix. Cook another 30 seconds. Stir in beans (with their liquid) and water. Simmer for 5-10 minutes to let flavors blend. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar.

To serve, spoon beans over brown rice and sprinkle with chopped onion. Squeeze a lime wedge over each serving.


❋ Did you notice? Our new granddaughter (4 months old now) finally has a blog name. I had thought maybe I could shift the other names around and let her become Baby Girl and find a new name for granddaughter #3. When I happened to mention that to that particular granddaughter (6 years old now) she instantly protested! "NO! I'M Baby Girl. I like that name." To be honest I had no clue she was even aware of this blog. But then she constantly surprises me.

So here on the blog this newest baby girl will be called "Little Lady." That's pretty close to what her parents often call her. Glad I took my time with this. The problem, like most problems do if you're patient, solved itself!

❋ I've spent the better part of my morning catching the recipe index up. I discovered that I had not added a new recipe in months. The index is not the most efficient, I'll admit. But it does work. The other option to find a recipe is to use the search box (the little rectangle with the magnifying glass) at the left top of each blog post.

For all I've said we've done nothing for a long time, going back through four months of blogs prove otherwise. Even thought we have been in stay-at-home mode, it looked like a lot of living happened during that time. That made me smile. It also proved how short my memory is. I had forgotten about several of the recipes. And it's only been weeks since I made them!

❋ And the final bonus blog info today....do as I say, not as I do. At least a million times I've written, "Be sure to label and date food before you put it into the freezer." But this one snuck by me.

I have absolutely no idea what this is or how long it's been in the freezer. It's thawing now, so all will be revealed soon. This one is headed for the trash, though. It could be years old. Don't let this happen to you.


Stay healthy, people!

Recipes For Safe Keeping

Smoky Beans & Sweet Potato

During our extended stay-at-home time I have expanded the list of people I follow on Instagram.  Before, it was mostly knitters I've met at assorted knitting retreats in different states, family and a few hotels where we stayed in Ireland. (It's still mostly knitters. I love keeping up with them.) Keeping the list small felt safe. And small made it easy to keep up. 

But times change. I've added Ina Garten. She is doing quarantine cooking. Joanna Gaines is new on my list. Remember the Cheese Tortellini soup I made after watching her do it? I'm now following Sir Patrick Stewart as he reads a sonnet a day. But my most recent addition is one I've really enjoyed. I've been following Jamie Oliver as he cooks at home, sometimes assisted by his children. And sometimes his children DO the cooking! We made banana ice cream this weekend just like Jamie's chilldren Buddy and Petal made it. Yum!

Jamie doesn't give recipes, he just cooks for his family. And as he cooks, he explains what he is doing. And suggests other ingredients you can use if you don't have what he does. Just watch what he does, then do something similar. We should all get more comfortable cooking basic food without needing uber-specific directions. 

I watched him make this meatless meals and it will stay on my own cooking list for a long time. So different. So delicious. So easy. Once you've sorted out the British terms. I find trying to figure out the British-ness of his cooking entertaining. 

I'm writing it down here, so I can remember what I did for another time. You can watch Jamie make this here. I had to convert the temperature from Celsius to Fahrenheit. (180º C is 356º F) And I can honestly say I have never ever heard of "tomato passata." Looked that up, too. Closest thing here in the US, at least in my small town, is tomato puree. It's on the shelf next to the tomato sauce and tomato paste. But it is different from either of those. I also left out the fresh herbs because I had none. The one substitution you shouldn't make is using regular paprika instead of the smoked version. That's the basis of the flavor for this dish. FYI, the chili beans are next to the baked beans in the store.

SMOKY BEANS & SWEET POTATOES

2 or 3 small to medium sweet potatoes, well scrubbed

salt & pepper

olive oil

smoked paprika

about 1 cup chopped onion (red or white)

4 cloves garlic, sliced

2 (15-oz) cans mixed chili beans, with liquid (mild or spicy)

1 (10-oz) can tomato puree

small flour tortillas

sour cream

crumbled feta

Preheat oven to 350º. 

Halve the potatoes lengthwise. Season with salt & pepper. Rub with a little olive oil. Sprinkle with smoked paprika and rub all over. Set aside.

In an oven proof skillet, heat a little olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook about 5 minutes, until getting tender. Add garlic and stir. Cook 1 minute. Sprinkle generously with smoked paprika and stir. Cook for 1 minute. Pour in both cans of beans and tomato puree. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil.

Put pan of beans on the lower rack of oven. Place potatoes cut side down directly on rack above beans.  Bake for 45 minutes, until potatoes are done.

To serve, warm tortillas. Spread sour cream on each tortilla. Spoon beans and a potato over that. Add another small spoon of beans on top of potato. Sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese.

I put a couple of potato halves and a hearty helping of beans in a single serve freezer dish. Fingers crossed this is another one that will thaw and heat well. Can't imagine that it won't but I never know until I try.

Spinach Bacon Salad

And while I'm saving recipes here for me to use later, I'll add this spinach salad I made a few weeks ago for dinner. Served it with our favorite bourbon marinated pork tenderloin and a baked sweet potato. The two of us ate every bite of the salad. Then I made it again at Jessica's while I was there a few days on Mimi duty.

And this morning I boiled eggs to make it again. Then I couldn't remember where the recipe was. I had never printed it out. Absolutely could not remember where on the internet I found it. Thankfully Jessica's memory is better than mine. She said she thought it was from NY Times Cooking. (Yes. I caved and subscribed...another quarantine plunge.) And she was right. I now have a printed copy tucked in a cookbook. But in case I forget which one, I'll put the recipe here for safe keeping.

SPINACH BACON SALAD

1 (5-oz) container fresh baby spinach (trim off long stems)

1 hard cooked egg

3 sliced bacon, cooked crisp and drained

1/3 cup canola or corn oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic 

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup chopped parsley (I didn't have any)

Roughly chop the spinach. Coarsely chop the egg. Add both to a serving bowl. Crumble or chop bacon. Heat oil and bacon in a small skillet. Heat briefly and add vinegar. Bring to a boil and pour over spinach. Add the parsley. Toss and serve immediately.

Summer Salad Supper

Chickpea Salad in the center

A friend walked up to the deli counter just as they were scooping up my chicken salad. "Do you like that?" she asked. I told her that it wasn't as good as my own, but when I factored in I didn't have to make it or clean anything up, it was pretty darn good. Then I added some potato salad to my order, and finished my grocery shopping.

Just before supper time tonight I still wasn't sure what we were having. I had bought the deli salads to have on hand for lunches this week. Snap decision...we would have a salad supper. I did make one new salad recipe that I've wanted to try for a few weeks. I had everything here to do it, thanks to a friend who sent me home several days ago with garden tomatoes. 

This friend spearheads our church's "giving garden." She, along with a team of others, plant, work and harvest a vegetable garden right outside our church's backdoor. The produce primarily goes to our food pantry so that those in need of food will get some fresh vegetables in the summer. But there have been so many tomatoes that she could share the excess with others—including me.

This chickpea salad was quick to make and a healthy option. Nice to have in the fridge to put beside a sandwich. (It's 1 FreeStyle point for 1 cup if you're counting WW...if you make it like she's written the recipe.) 

Do you know how to seed a tomato? The easiest way is to cut off the stem end and cut a skinny slice of the other end. Cut the tomato in half crosswise. Then use your well-scrubbed fingers and push the seeds out of each section. It only takes minutes. Then you can dice the rest of the tomato. There are other ways. You can find them on Google.

This recipe is from Skinny Girl. Her website is loaded with lots of good recipes. My daughters and I have used many of them and count her as one of our reliable sources.

CHICKPEA SALAD

2-1/4 cups chopped cucumber. (I used the mini cukes and didn't peel)

1 cup diced, seeded tomato (about 1 medium)

1/4 cup diced red onion

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 

freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 (15-oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley (I only had dried, so sprinkled a little over)

Mix all ingredients well. Taste and adjust seasonings. Chill until time to serve.

Next time I think I'll use vinegar instead of lemon juice for a little more zip. Worth a try. And I did add a little more salt before I put the leftovers in the fridge. It was good just like the it's written, but you can jazz it up to suit you.

My cooking might be lagging behind because I am determined to finish this Mount Juliet Shawl. It was our Ireland retreat project. Not really a difficult pattern, but while I was not feeling well, it was really hard to concentrate. And I must have taken out nearly as much as I knitted because of mistakes. It was a really slow go. (I think the doctor could do a knitting test for me to see how sick I am!) Thankfully these last few days it's become much easier. The end is in sight. That means I'm feeling much better.

Summer sunrise out our back door.

Music Makers Dinner

Carol's Marinated Veggies

A few weeks ago, I was invited to a friend's house to sit in with a jam. It's a monthly jam session of all women who play old time music. I don't play old time music, but it sounded like fun. And I know how to listen and follow chords changes. And I know not to play too loudly when I don't know the music. Jam sessions are all about good manners. I told her I'd love to come.

I asked my friend to remind me when the time came. So she sent me three numbered reminders as the days counted down. It's been busy around here and those multiple reminders were appreciated. The day before the jam I got the final reminder. And I told her I planned to be there and asked if I should bring anything. She told me it was pot luck but not to worry. There was always plenty of food.

Now, it's not in my DNA to show up empty handed. I had just cooked a meal for my Monday night friends so I wanted something quick and easy to make for this musical gathering. Plus, my friend is vegan and I wanted something she could eat. Then I remembered a marinated vegetable salad that another friend is famous for. Quick to stir together. Vegan. (I think.) And it pretty much goes with anything. 

I had no clue what kind of food these musicians would bring. It turns out it was an all salad night. My bowl of colorful veggies sat proudly in the lineup that included tabouli, chickpea salad, mixed greens and a delicious turnip salad. Turnips stood in for potatoes to make a low-carb salad.

After sharing a meal, we settled in for a night of music making. It's been quite a while since I have played like this. I was happy that I could keep up with these lively tunes. There was also a little singing. And a lot of fun. 

My dinner of assorted salads.

The last time I made this salad, I remember thinking maybe I could use less sugar in the marinade. I know I love how Carol makes it, so I texted her to ask if she used the 3/4 cup of sugar in the marinade. That's what the recipe called for. I told her that I think hers is always better than mine. Here is her reply:

Sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t. I don’t stick to recipes very well. I do drain and rinse all canned veggies. Use dark red kidney beans. Have been using small butter beans lately instead of edamame beans. Sometimes use canned corn.  I’m sure yours is just as good, though.

Daddy-O asked to taste this as I was packing up to leave. "You can make this for us anytime." Luckily for him, I brought back leftovers. 

CAROL'S MARINATED VEGGIES

1 (15.5 oz.) can light red kidney beans

1 (15.5 oz.) can black beans

1 (6.5 oz.) can mushroom stems & pieces

1 (8 oz.) can sliced water chestnuts (I cut into smaller pieces)

1 (2 oz. ) jar diced pimento

frozen white corn (amount about equal to the kidney beans)

frozen green peas (amount about equal to the kidney beans)

1 bag frozen shelled edamame beans, cooked according to package directions

1 rib celery, finely chopped, optional (I used this)

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2  to 3/4 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup)

1/2 teaspoon salt

Drain and rinse canned vegetables. Cook and cool edamame beans. In a large bowl, mix drained beans, pimento, mushrooms, and water chestnuts. 

Combine oil, vinegar, sugar and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. When cool, pour over vegetables and refrigerate. Vegetables will keep in refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Yes, you add the corn and peas frozen. No cooking. I did cut the slices of water chestnuts into smaller pieces. I'm sure if there is something that you don't like here, you can leave it out. 

Cold Weather Food

 

Yep. I'm posting this recipe again. It's the perfect after-the-holiday recipe. Chock full of vegetables. Easy to make. A welcome lunch after chasing cows through the field on a cold day.  It's Daddy-O approved. I really thought that maybe by now, he might decide he didn't care for this. He is a true meat lover. But this is the third time I've made this for him. And he still talked about how good it is. 

If you think your folks won't like the squash in the chili, look at the two photos above. The top photo is just after I mixed all of the ingredients together. That squash is all bright orange—it's like a challenge to the meat lovers out there. But look at the bottom photo. After an hour or so of simmering on the stove, it just looks like regular chili. If you don't tell what's in this one, I don't think anyone will figure it out.

I will tell you that if you use fresh squash, it might not disappear so completely. You can look at my photos (and more photos) from previous winters when I've made this. It all tasted good. But using the frozen vs fresh looks different. This was the first time I found the frozen squash at the store. It was in the organic section. Maybe I've never looked in the right place before. Opening that bag was much easier than peeling and chopping, but this chili is good enough that I'll deal with the fresh squash if I have to.

Daddy-O's question this time was, "What gives it the meaty flavor?" And I'm not sure. I think it's the cocoa mixed in with the other spices. It does have a little bit of a smoky taste. This time we sprinkled a little Monterey Jack cheese on top.

BLACK BEAN BUTTERNUT SQUASH CHILI

1 medium red onion, chopped
2 (14-oz.) cans diced tomatoes (one can had green peppers & onion)
2 (15.5-oz.) cans black beans (do not drain) 
1 (10-oz) bag frozen cubed butternut squash (or 2-3 cups fresh squash, peeled & cubed)
4 garlic cloves, minced (or 2 tsp of jarred minced garlic)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup water

Combine all ingredients in large pot. Bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer for 60-90 minutes, stirring occasionally. (You can also use your slow cooker  and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours.)

Taste the chili and if it's too acidic from the tomatoes, add a pinch of sugar.  I don't always think it needs it, but this time it did.

      Optional toppings: crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheese, sour cream


DUH! I just realized that I never put the 1 cup of water into the pot. It was good anyway! Now I want to make it again with the water and the frozen squash and see if there is much difference. Maybe one day I'll manage to not get distracted mid-recipe.