salsa
BRAISED PINTO BEANS WITH SWISS CHARD AND TOMATO SALSA
10/12/12 14:23
BRAISED PINTO BEANS WITH SWISS CHARD AND TOMATO SALSA
Lately I have noticed that even though my weekly food shop tends to fit into fewer and fewer bags the amount I pay for my groceries remains suspiciously about the same. My fridge doesn't seem to be overflowing anymore either. Yes, food prices have gone up, and it is uncomfortably noticeable. There is a good thing to this. I buy less, plan more and waste less.
There are many healthy and good for the wallet foods. My favourite low cost food must be the fibre and protein rich beans. Tinned beans are a good buy but dried beans are a true bargain. You get an even better deal if you can bulk buy. Beans are a great store cupboard ingredient and a real must in any veggie kitchen.
I admit it is much quicker to open a tin, and I do always have some in the pantry, but cooking your own is kind of a meditative process. You can add herbs and aromatic vegetables, cook them just the way you want them. You may not get the uniform consistency of tinned beans but home cooked beans soak up flavours that you cook them with. Yum! A little planning goes a long way, it is always best to soak beans over night, this makes them easier (and quicker) to cook. I am a great believer in having a rough menu plan, have the basics sorted and adjust depending what else is in the vegetable drawer (or the weekly veg box).
My pinto beans were soaking and gorgeous bunch of Swiss chard was lurking in my vegetable drawer. Together, with fabulous tomato salsa, they came together as a very nutritious and comforting dish.
BRAISED PINTO BEANS WITH SWISS CHARD AND TOMATO SALSA
I have used parsley in my salsa to keep with the flavours in the beans, coriander will be great too.
Serves 4
beans
225g (1 cup) dried pinto beans, soaked overnight
large sprig of rosemary
2 bay leaves
3 garlic cloves, peeled left whole
1 stick of celery, cut into 3 pieces
1 small bunch of parsley, stalks included (you can tie it with a string to make it easier to fish out later)
1 medium onion, halved, leaving the root intact
2 tsp stock powder ( I use Marigold vegan powder)
1 large bunch of Swiss chard
tomato salsa
1 small red onion (about 1/4 cup), finely chopped
1/2 - 1 chilli, finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped ( I like to deseed and skin my tomatoes)
pinch of salt
juice of 1 lime
small bunch of parsley or coriander
Lately I have noticed that even though my weekly food shop tends to fit into fewer and fewer bags the amount I pay for my groceries remains suspiciously about the same. My fridge doesn't seem to be overflowing anymore either. Yes, food prices have gone up, and it is uncomfortably noticeable. There is a good thing to this. I buy less, plan more and waste less.
There are many healthy and good for the wallet foods. My favourite low cost food must be the fibre and protein rich beans. Tinned beans are a good buy but dried beans are a true bargain. You get an even better deal if you can bulk buy. Beans are a great store cupboard ingredient and a real must in any veggie kitchen.
I admit it is much quicker to open a tin, and I do always have some in the pantry, but cooking your own is kind of a meditative process. You can add herbs and aromatic vegetables, cook them just the way you want them. You may not get the uniform consistency of tinned beans but home cooked beans soak up flavours that you cook them with. Yum! A little planning goes a long way, it is always best to soak beans over night, this makes them easier (and quicker) to cook. I am a great believer in having a rough menu plan, have the basics sorted and adjust depending what else is in the vegetable drawer (or the weekly veg box).
My pinto beans were soaking and gorgeous bunch of Swiss chard was lurking in my vegetable drawer. Together, with fabulous tomato salsa, they came together as a very nutritious and comforting dish.
BRAISED PINTO BEANS WITH SWISS CHARD AND TOMATO SALSA
I have used parsley in my salsa to keep with the flavours in the beans, coriander will be great too.
Serves 4
beans
225g (1 cup) dried pinto beans, soaked overnight
large sprig of rosemary
2 bay leaves
3 garlic cloves, peeled left whole
1 stick of celery, cut into 3 pieces
1 small bunch of parsley, stalks included (you can tie it with a string to make it easier to fish out later)
1 medium onion, halved, leaving the root intact
2 tsp stock powder ( I use Marigold vegan powder)
1 large bunch of Swiss chard
tomato salsa
1 small red onion (about 1/4 cup), finely chopped
1/2 - 1 chilli, finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped ( I like to deseed and skin my tomatoes)
pinch of salt
juice of 1 lime
small bunch of parsley or coriander
- Drain your pre-soaked beans, place them into a large stock pot. Add 1.25l (5 cups) of water. Add rosemary, bay leaves, garlic, celery, parsley and onion.
- Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 1 hour or until the beans are soft. (Start checking the beans after 40min).
- When the beans are soft fish out the onions, vegetables and herbs. Strain the beans reserving 250ml (1 cup) of the liquid.
- Return the beans and 1 cup of liquid back into the stock pot.
- Separate the thick white stalks from the leaves of the Swiss chart. Cut the stalks into bite size pieces. Add them to the beans and bring it all to a gentle simmer. Cook for 5 min.
- Next shred the green leaves and add to the beans. Cook for further 5 min.
- To make the salsa, mix all salsa ingredients in a bowl and let rest for at least 30min. It is best to make it ahead, the flavours will come together. I make it just as I start cooking the beans.
- Serve a bowl of beans and chard topped with the zesty pasta. Brown rice, quinoa or good wholemeal bread are all great accompaniments.
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ROASTED TOMATILLO SALSA
29/08/12 22:24
ROASTED TOMATILLO SALSA
Some people get excited by the latest gadgets on the market or the latest Twilight saga movie. I get excited by food. I have been known to jump with excitement in ethnic food shops when I stumbled upon a tin of full medames or a pack of green tea noodles. I know my husband is dreading that my meeting with a friend tomorrow is in a cafe adjacent to a health food shop. He knows I shall return with yet another interesting ingredient (or two or three...).
No surprise that I nearly bursted with excitement when I found out Riverford was now offering a tomatillo salsa kit with their veg box delivery. The first time I had tomatillo salsa was in a restaurant in the USA and fell in love with it. Some tastes are hard to forget. Couple years ago I discovered a fantastic local Mexican shop Otomi where I buy my jars of tomatillo salsa. They do taste great but tend to contain a bit too much salt. Now armed with fresh tomatillos I finally have the opportunity to make my own.
My tomatillo kit arrived yesterday, there were tomatillos (of course), fresh coriander, red onions, garlic, green chillies and a lovely juicy lime. There is nothing more satisfying than having a bowl of beautiful tangy spiciness ready to be used as a dip or sauce after just minutes of preparation. Tonight we used the salsa on top of some refried bean tacos and I am already excited about finishing the rest tomorrow. Avocado wrap with tomatillo salsa sounds just divine. Or dip for some homemade tortilla chips? Black bean burgers? How about tofu scramble? Or I may just have to take my spoon to it....Yum.
Somehow I think I should order another tomatillo kit for next week....
ROASTED TOMATILLO SALSA
Makes about 2 cups
ingredients
400g (just under a pound) of tomatillos
1 medium (I had 2 small) red onion
1 -2 green chillies (serrano or jalapenos are great)
squeeze of lime
a bunch of coriander (cilantro)
method
Some people get excited by the latest gadgets on the market or the latest Twilight saga movie. I get excited by food. I have been known to jump with excitement in ethnic food shops when I stumbled upon a tin of full medames or a pack of green tea noodles. I know my husband is dreading that my meeting with a friend tomorrow is in a cafe adjacent to a health food shop. He knows I shall return with yet another interesting ingredient (or two or three...).
No surprise that I nearly bursted with excitement when I found out Riverford was now offering a tomatillo salsa kit with their veg box delivery. The first time I had tomatillo salsa was in a restaurant in the USA and fell in love with it. Some tastes are hard to forget. Couple years ago I discovered a fantastic local Mexican shop Otomi where I buy my jars of tomatillo salsa. They do taste great but tend to contain a bit too much salt. Now armed with fresh tomatillos I finally have the opportunity to make my own.
My tomatillo kit arrived yesterday, there were tomatillos (of course), fresh coriander, red onions, garlic, green chillies and a lovely juicy lime. There is nothing more satisfying than having a bowl of beautiful tangy spiciness ready to be used as a dip or sauce after just minutes of preparation. Tonight we used the salsa on top of some refried bean tacos and I am already excited about finishing the rest tomorrow. Avocado wrap with tomatillo salsa sounds just divine. Or dip for some homemade tortilla chips? Black bean burgers? How about tofu scramble? Or I may just have to take my spoon to it....Yum.
Somehow I think I should order another tomatillo kit for next week....
ROASTED TOMATILLO SALSA
Makes about 2 cups
ingredients
400g (just under a pound) of tomatillos
1 medium (I had 2 small) red onion
1 -2 green chillies (serrano or jalapenos are great)
squeeze of lime
a bunch of coriander (cilantro)
method
- First remove the papery outer skins from the tomatillos. Wash the tomatillos.
- Pierce each tomatillo with a tip of your knife and put them on a aluminium foil lined baking tray.
- Place the tomatillos under a grill (broiler), grill about 2 min, turn over and grill for another 2-3 min. The skin will start blistering and tomatillos should soften. Take care not to burn them. Let the tomatillos cool down.
- In a food processor chop the onion and the seeded chilli (chillies) pepper.
- Next add the tomatillos, coriander and a squeeze of lime (to taste). Season with salt if you wish.
- Serve at room temperature
MAGIC ONIONS AND KACHUMBER
12/08/12 14:29
MAGIC ONIONS AND KACHUMBER
It would be hard to imagine cooking without onions. They are a based of so many dishes lending great flavour but there is so much more to the humble onion. We are constantly bombarded with the latest exotic superfoods like goji berries, macca powder, chlorella... the onion may look rather ordinary and unimportant.
Onions are one of my food superheros. They may not be trendy and exotic but they rightly deserve their superfood label. Onion cell walls contain alliinase, the enzyme that is released by chopping or crushing. The alliinase than catalyses the release of organosulfurs, hence the sulfuric acid smell and tears when we chop onions. The onion uses this as a protection agains herbivores. These chemicals are what makes onions so special.
The above mentioned compounds are what makes onions such a great cancer fighting food. Dr Fuhrman in his book Super Immunity (a must read!!!) states that “epidemiological studies have found increased consumption of allium vegetables is associated with lower risk of cancer at all common sites.” The numbers he mentions are staggering, just 80g portion of onions 7 times a week has provided these stats:
56% reduction in colon cancer
73% reduction of ovarian cancer
88% reduction in esophageal cancer
71% reduction in prostate cancer
50% reduction in stomach cancer.
Amazing right?
Onions are not just a cancer fighter, they have antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties. They are rich in chromium that helps to balance blood sugar. Onions are the richest dietary source of quercetin (not in white onions) which may just reduce your hay fever or asthma symptoms, but can also raise the good HDL cholesterol and ward off blood clots.
The best thing about onions? Apart from being delicious they are cheap as chips and very available (no excuse!). I know that not everybody likes to eat them raw but in this Indian recipe they mellow out while they meld with all the other flavours creating a delicious salad/salsa/relish type concoction. Serve it traditionally with curry but is fab with veggie burgers, burritos or even on top of a veggie chille.
KACHUMBER
ingredients
1 large tomato
2 red onions (medium) or 1 large
1/2 cucumber
pinch of salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
juice of half a lime
2 Tbs coriander leaves
method
It would be hard to imagine cooking without onions. They are a based of so many dishes lending great flavour but there is so much more to the humble onion. We are constantly bombarded with the latest exotic superfoods like goji berries, macca powder, chlorella... the onion may look rather ordinary and unimportant.
Onions are one of my food superheros. They may not be trendy and exotic but they rightly deserve their superfood label. Onion cell walls contain alliinase, the enzyme that is released by chopping or crushing. The alliinase than catalyses the release of organosulfurs, hence the sulfuric acid smell and tears when we chop onions. The onion uses this as a protection agains herbivores. These chemicals are what makes onions so special.
The above mentioned compounds are what makes onions such a great cancer fighting food. Dr Fuhrman in his book Super Immunity (a must read!!!) states that “epidemiological studies have found increased consumption of allium vegetables is associated with lower risk of cancer at all common sites.” The numbers he mentions are staggering, just 80g portion of onions 7 times a week has provided these stats:
56% reduction in colon cancer
73% reduction of ovarian cancer
88% reduction in esophageal cancer
71% reduction in prostate cancer
50% reduction in stomach cancer.
Amazing right?
Onions are not just a cancer fighter, they have antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties. They are rich in chromium that helps to balance blood sugar. Onions are the richest dietary source of quercetin (not in white onions) which may just reduce your hay fever or asthma symptoms, but can also raise the good HDL cholesterol and ward off blood clots.
The best thing about onions? Apart from being delicious they are cheap as chips and very available (no excuse!). I know that not everybody likes to eat them raw but in this Indian recipe they mellow out while they meld with all the other flavours creating a delicious salad/salsa/relish type concoction. Serve it traditionally with curry but is fab with veggie burgers, burritos or even on top of a veggie chille.
KACHUMBER
ingredients
1 large tomato
2 red onions (medium) or 1 large
1/2 cucumber
pinch of salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
juice of half a lime
2 Tbs coriander leaves
method
- Deseed the tomato and chop quite fine (think salsa). Put it into a medium bowl.
- Next chop the onion and cucumber into roughly the same size pieces as your tomato.
- Add the salt, cayenne pepper, lime juice and coriander leaves (I like to leave these whole).
- Rest in the fridge for half an hour for the flavours to develop. Bring to a room temperature before serving.