Black Beans with Orange

I would like to extend a formal apology to cilantro. This bright, springy herb and I have been on the outs for most of my life.

My Mom loves cilantro, I mean, LOVES it. She'd probably sprinkle it on her pecan oatmeal in the morning if no one was watching. But every mention of the herb possibly coming within 10 feet of my (or my sister's) mouth generated quite the reactions. Never ones to over-exaggerate, we scrunched up our faces, faked barfing, and lay dead on the floor.  My sister and I also concocted a plan to pour bleach into Mom's cilantro plant, but we folded under pressure.

Violence is never the answer, people. Especially when you're ages 7 and 9.

But after timidly trying cilantro again at a Mexican tapas restaurant, I've realized I can handle it in small amounts.  It really does add a fresh flavor to the food. Cue Mark Bittman to the rescue: this black bean with orange recipe is fabulous. Pair it with rice and some tortilla shells, and you've got a quick, filling, and oh so cheap meal. So, cilantro, do we have a truce?

Black Beans with Orange     Serves: 2-3
1 15 oz. can black beans, undrained
1/2 T. ground cumin
1/4 cup water
Salt
Pepper
1 orange, well washed
1/2 T. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
1/4 cup dry red wine or orange juice
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
Sour cream, for garnish
1.) Put the canned beans and water in a pot over medium heat. Add the cumin and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Let mixture simmer.
2.) Meanwhile, halve the orange. Peel one half and add the peel to the beans, then divide the orange segments and set aside. Squeeze the juice from the other half into the pot.
3.) Put the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the peppers soften, or about 8 minutes. Add wine (or orange juice) and let it reduce for about 2-3 minutes.
4.) Add onion mixture to the beans. Stir together and adjust seasonings (I had to add more salt). Remove orange peel from the bean mixture. Garnish with reserved orange sections, cilantro, and a dollop of sour cream. Serve with rice or warm tortillas.

Cheesy Zucchini Linguine

Cheesy Zucchini Linguine. Sorry, but I couldn't resist the rhyme. It just rolls of the tongue so nicely. I feel it should have a place amongst the best of food rhymes, like Shake N' Bake or Peanut Butter Fluffer Nutter. 

Is that a real sandwich? Or something my equally rhyme-inclined Mom made up? Either way, peanut butter and marshmallow won't have you looking sallow.

Ricotta cheese and zucchini is another spectacular combination. This dish definitely qualifies as comfort food, and the liberal amount of black pepper adds a nice zip. And when I say liberal, I mean it. If we're talking politics here, black pepper would be lobbying for the "public option." But don't worry, this is food for all shades of the political spectrum.  It's cheesy and comforting, and the addition of zucchini is what I like to consider my contribution to a healthier society. God Bless America!

Cheesy Zucchini Linguine     Serves: 1

2 oz. dried linguine (makes about 1 cup cooked)

1/2 medium-sized zucchini, cut and quartered into bite-sized chunks

1/2 T. olive oil

1 T. white wine (optional)

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste (a large pinch recommended)

Dash of hot pepper flakes

2 T. ricotta cheese

1 T. parmesan cheese

1/4 cup reserved pasta water

Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

1.) Boil pasta in salted water according to package directions. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water.

2.) Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a separate saucepan over medium heat. Add zucchini and saute until tender and slightly brown, 6-8 minutes. Add wine, hot pepper flakes, and salt. Let cook for a minute or so.

3.) Add the cooked pasta to the pot with the zucchini. Reduce heat to low, then add in the reserved pasta water, ricotta, and parmesan cheese. Stir until well-combined. Pour into a serving dish and top with plenty of cracked black pepper and parsley.

adapted from: Italian Food Forever


ps- There won't be any new posts next week since I'll be on Spring Break-- by the way, it'll be very far from the stereotypical college spring break. No worries! 

Grilled Eggplant Pizza

For all you eggplant haters out there, please give it another shot. If you think it's nasty and bitter, no worries, I'll bet you just simply forgot one of the crucial Kitchen Commandments: Thou Shalt Salt Thy Eggplant. 


Other commandments include:
Thou Shalt Never Cook Pancakes over High Heat; and Thou Shalt Never Eat Cabbage and Beans for Three Days Straight without Expecting Severe Intestinal Discomfort.

Coating the eggplant slices with salt, then letting it sit for at least 30 minutes, coaxes the unpleasant bitterness out of the otherwise pretty purple veggie. Eggplant is also known as "poor man's meat", thereby making it perfect for a collegiate budget. It's filling and tasty, and grilled on a pizza? Oh, yeah. Look out pepperoni, there's a new topping in town.

Grilled Eggplant Pizza       Serves: 1
1/3 of a large eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch-thick rounds
1 pita
Olive oil
1/4 cup marinara sauce
3 T. ricotta cheese
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 T. parmesan cheese
Chopped fresh parsley or basil, to top
1.) Salt eggplant slices, place in a colander, and let drain for a minimum of 30 minutes. Gently rinse off salt and pat dry with a paper towel.
2.)Add a drizzle of olive oil to a grill pan (or medium-sized skillet) over medium-high heat. Add eggplant and grill until tender, about 5-8 minutes. Remove the eggplant and grill the pita bread until the bottom is toasted. Transfer to a plate.
3.) Spread grilled side of the pita bread with marinara. Top with the eggplant, spoonfuls of ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan cheeses. Return to the grill pan, cover, and cook until the cheeses melt. Sprinkle with parsley or basil.

Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Feta and Slaw

This recipe, my friends, is the stuff college students' dreams are made of. Why?
1.) It's dirt cheap.
2.) It takes about 10 minutes to prepare.
3.) It's crazy delicious. And I mean crazy in a good way. Like Lady Gaga crazy.

Actually, Lady Gaga may be a fitting description for these tacos. The ingredients sound a bit strange at first (lime juice, feta cheese, and hot sauce?), but somehow they work-- sorta like Gaga's infamous hairbow. Or her Kermit the Frog dress.

Can I get at least 1/16th of her self-confidence?

I'll admit, I wasn't sure what to think of this recipe. I saw it on Smitten Kitchen and figured I wouldn't be out too much cash if it was a flop. Or, if we're still speaking in pop star terms, a "Britney Spears." *Zing!*
But believe me, it was far from a disaster. Rather, it was like a party of flavors. A very economical party, I might add, where the ingredients flaunt their price tags and have a smashing good time. So pull a totally Lady Gaga move and dare to try out these unique tacos. It won't end in a Bad Romance...ok, I'm done.

Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Feta and Slaw      Serves: 2-3
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained
1 t. ground cumin
5 t. olive oil, divided
Juice of 1 lime
1 1/2 cups coleslaw mix OR shredded cabbage
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley OR cilantro
feta cheese
flour tortillas
hot sauce (and I'm not making this optional! It's a crucial flavor)
1.) Place beans and cumin in small bowl and partially mash. Season with salt and pepper.
2.) Mix 2 t. olive oil and juice the lime in medium-sized bowl. Add coleslaw, green onions, and parsley. Toss and season with salt and pepper.
3.) Heat 1 t. olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tortillas in a single layer. Spoon bean mixture onto each tortilla and cook 1 minute. Fold tacos in half and cook until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Fill tacos with feta and slaw. Serve with hot sauce.

adapted from: Smitten Kitchen

Shrimp Tikka Masala

I was introduced to indian food not long ago, and now I'm completely hooked. My favorite dish (for now) is tikka masala. Granted, tikka masala is for the "Born to be Mild" crowd of newbies to indian cuisine, but hey, you've gotta start somewhere, right?

I'd never tried indian food before I came to college. This is most likely because every time someone mentioned "curry" around my Dad, he acted like he'd just seen a clogged toilet, a festering wound, and a Lifetime movie all at the same time. Intense, man.

It's pretty common for students to "experiment" and "rebel" in college. What's my big rebellion? I finally tried indian food,  bought curry powder, and then had the audacity to purchase some garam masala. It's a slippery slope, folks.

Most tikka masala recipes call for chicken, but I got this one from Martha Stewart, who's obviously an indian cuisine authority. I don't question Martha. If she wants shrimp, well by golly that's the protein I'll be eating. The recipe came together really quickly, especially by using pre-cooked shrimp. If you've never tried indian food before, start with this one. You'll be a convert.

Shrimp Tikka Masala   Serves: 2
1 T. neutral oil
1/2 large onion
1.5 T. grated ginger
1 T. tomato paste
1 t. garam masala
1/4 t. chili powder
1/2 cup water
10 medium-sized shrimp
2 T. plain yogurt
Chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
Cooked rice
Pita or Naan bread 

1. In a heavy pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook gently until golden, about 20 minutes, then add the ginger, tomato paste, chili powder, and garam masala. Add a little oil if necessary to allow the ingredients to blend into a thick-yet-runny consistency, and cook until the flavors have begun to marry and are very fragrant, 3-4 minutes.

2. Add the water and stir until the mixture is smooth, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and cook gently over medium heat until they are just cooked through, about 4 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and stir in yogurt. Top with fresh parsley or cilantro and serve with rice and pita.

Honey Muffins

 I want to give a personal shout out to the bee population. I admit, you bees sure do scare the crap out of me when buzzing within a ten (okay, ...twenty) foot parameter of me. But, man. You've got a heck of a product.  And a very, very fat queen who apparently gets a lot of action. Ah, the mysteries of the animal kingdom.

I got the base muffin from Three Many Cooks, which is an excellent website to help one procrastinate from large amounts of homework. It's also great for filling up large Word documents with recipes to try-- of which I forget the name I saved the document under, forever plunging the file into the deep abyss of my Mac. RIP.

But this is one recipe I happened to save since it was simple, quick, and sounded incredibly delicious. Triple threat. The honey adds just the right amount of sweetness that's perfect for a quick breakfast or even to serve with dinner. Also, "honey muffin" is so cutesy-- serve them to your designated honey muffin. Or, if you're lacking a honey muffin, eat 'em all yourself, baby!

PS- Word of advice: If you're just a "muffin tops" kind of person, don't try and donate the stumps to a homeless shelter. Just ask Elaine from Seinfeld.

Honey Muffins     Makes: 6 muffins
1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 T. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1/2 cup sugar
4 T. butter, softened
1 egg
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1 T. honey
1.) Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix flour, baking powder, soda, and salt in medium bowl. In a separate bowl, stir honey and yogurt together.
2.) Beat butter and sugar with mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, then alternating 1/3 at a time, add dry ingredients and yogurt/ honey combination. Mix until smooth.
3.) Spray muffin tin with non-stick spray. Fill muffin cups with batter-- each cup will be almost full. Bake about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Buttery Tomato Sauce

Crushed tomatoes, onion, butter. That's it. Not a drop of olive oil in sight for this tomato sauce recipe. I was skeptical at first, thinking it was too good to be true. I was also contemplating whether Paula Deen had a hand in this situation-- tomato butter sauce? Prime ground for conspiracy theories, people.  But after reading so many rave reviews on popular food blogs like Smitten Kitchen and Amateur Gourmet, I couldn't resist trying it out.

The result? Well, consider this my official ciao to jarred tomato sauce. This recipe tastes fantastic on its own. I had no temptation whatsoever to tack on any herbs or parmesan cheese. And that's saying something, 'cause my fingers are exceptionally dexterous when it comes to the parsley/ parmesan sprinkling action.

The butter is what makes the sauce so special. It reminded me of my younger years when all I wanted for dinner was spaghetti and butter. Country Crock, to be exact. You don't even have to mince the onion. Just throw it in the pot and let it sweat out flavor like it's exercising to a Richard Simmons video. My crushed tomatoes already had salt in them, so I only had to add a small pinch to the sauce. Overall, this is an embarrassingly simple recipe with amazing flavor-- and cheap, to boot. Deen's got it right: it's all about the butter, baby.

Buttery Tomato Sauce      Serves: 2-3
1 (14.5) oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/2 large onion
2.5 T. butter
Salt (if needed)
1.) Add tomatoes, onion, and butter into a medium-sized stockpot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce heat to medium-low. Let sauce bubble for about 20 minutes, or until you see shiny butter globules at the surface. (You may have to cover the pot...my white tank-top took one for the team.)
2.) Remove onion, add salt if necessary, and serve with pasta.