Bean Tacos/Refried beans

I thought this recipe came from a vegetarian cookbook but after looking for it I discovered it must be an old family recipe from my dad.  I love it. It is much tastier than refried beans and uses a lot less fat. Here in Denmark (and even in Spain) I can’t buy fresh corn tortillas so I make them. Recipe to follow in a separate post. Homemade salsas are also a must for a good taco.

2 cups dry pinto and/or kidney beans (a large bottle 64 oz? cooked beans could work) I soaked the beans over night and then put them in the pressure cooker for 30 minutes with bay leaves.

• 1 large onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 small can chopped tomatoes (400 gr.)
• salt/pepper to taste
• 1 tsp oregano

Saute onion and garlic  in a pan until very well done. Add beans and smash them. I blend them in the Tmix.  Add tomatoes and spices. Mix. If it is a little thin continue to simmer and the water will boil off.

Top with cheese/beef, sour cream, salsa, lettuce.

Creamed Cauliflower Soup

Add cruitons for yummy factor

We really hadn’t decided what to make with the cauliflower yet when we wrote out the menu yesterday… but we figured we would find something– and we did! Creamed soups are really good, nutritious, and easy. They don’t require a lot of fat to be absolutely delicious. So, tonight’s version was as follows:

• 1 large onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 6 small carrots
• 2 stalks celery
• 1/2 large cauliflower
• 4 small/medium potatoes
• bean sprouts
• salt/pepper/curry powder
• 3-4 cups water
• feta cheese
• sharp cheddar or freshly grated parmessan to top

Saute the onion and garlic for 5-10 minutes until they are beginning to brown in 1 Tbs oil and 1 Tbs olive oil. Add the remaining ingredients in large chunks. Do Not Add Cheese (feta or cheddar yet!). When vegetables are cooked, add feta and vegetable mixture and puree in the Thermomix or in a blender until smooth. Adding other cheeses will just stick to the blender so I prefer to top the puree with them. If you need more liquid at this point add milk.

Top with homemade cruitons (by frying bread squares in olive oil and garlic) and a good aged cheese! YUM

Crock Pot Stuffing

Carlos couldn’t find chicken broth at the store he want to so he had to get creative. He bought a premade (not the concentrated stuff — this was already thinned so you could eat it) cream of mushroom soup mix which we dilute with a little more water. We also used a cup of vegetable bullion. It worked and came out really delicious. Doing the stuffing in the Crock pot is definitely the way to go because it stays so moist. 

Stuffing

• 2 cups finely chopped onions
• 2 cups finely chopped celery
• 1 small garlic cloves minced
• 1 apple, peeled
• 1 bay leaf, finely chopped/crumpled
• 1 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
• 3 cups liquid: 3/4 cup vegetable bullion, 2 cups dilute mushroom soup 
• 4 cups oven-baked bread pieces (I set mine out in pieces the night before and then baked them to make them until golden brown)
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1 egg, well beaten
• Salt to taste if desired
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• chopped walnuts if desired

Chop the onion, garlic and celery finely (t-mix made it easy) and saute in a pan. Add the sage, bay leaf and apple. Put the bread pieces in a large bowl and pour in the sauteed mixture, liquid, butter and salt and pepper and walnuts. Add the beaten egg last. Place in the crock pot and cook on high for 45 minutes-1 hour and then set on low for 4. Leave out enough stuffing for the bird and only stuff into the bird right before it goes in the oven.

Tofu-Meatballs

This is a really great recipe that gives tofu a lot more flavor but also has the benefits of eating soy and less meat. You could also make it with beef. We think it is pretty cool that you can hide the tofu this way!  It was easy and good. It is a great recipe to make in the t-mix. 

Steamed meatballs

Steamed tofu and pork meatballs

• 1 large onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/3 of a green pepper
• 8 oz tofu (250 grams)
• 8 oz ground beef/pork (250 grams)
• 1 egg
• 1 squirt soy sauce 
• salt
• 1-1.5 tablespoons flour
• 2-3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
• pepper
• herbs: nutmeg, basil, oregano, or others you like.

Chop the onion, pepper, and garlic finely in the t-mix for a few seconds. Add 1 teaspoon of oil and saute for a few minutes (8 in the t-mix). Add remaining ingredients and mix. The tofu will kinda disintegrate into the meat mixture. Form into approximately 1 inch meatballs and coat in breadcrumbs. Place in a pan to steam for 15-18 minutes. I Put it in the t-mix varoma and cooked it  while making tomato sauce. Its great to use the energy the t-mix is already producing. 

We ate it with pasta but you could also make an Asian soy/ginger/garlic sauce that i bet would be delicious. I’ll update other sauces next time I make make it.

A cooking applience for every occasion!The Pressure Cooker, Thermomix, and Crockpot!

When we went to France we bought a pressure cooker! We have wanted one for a long time and finally we decided it was THE time! We cooked bean soup last night in about 30 minutes, which is way quicker than the conventional method. So, now we have three wonderful kitchen appliances. They are all good for different things and we (will) use all of them a lot.

ferocious 3

Some things to look at in a pressure cooker:

1. That the seal on the lid is attached to the lid (meaning it can’t come off).

2. Raquel (Carlos’s sister) helped us pick out a good one. She told us to be careful not to get a “tinny” one. You want a steel pan that is thick enough to keep the heat in. Thanks Raquel!

3. Raquel, my mother-in-law, and I all like the top that you screw into place. For some reason it cooks the food better. If you cant find that option and you have to get one that you lock the handle into place, make sure has a seal that attaches to the lid and can’t be taken off. That should make sure it is of good enough quality.

Thank you Raquel for helping us pick out a really good pressure cooker!

pressure cooker:)

Dinner Pitas

vegetable & beef pitas

The other day some friends invited us over for some delicious pitas. We compared them to burritos– they basically have the same ingredients– the only differences is that in Denmark it’s more expensive to buy tortillas than pitas. Besides it’s easier to eat a closed bread sandwich than an open ended burrito! You can see that the Greek pita has more influence in Europe just like the Mexican tortilla is more popular in the US.

So, this afternoon, I asked Carlos what we could eat for dinner. He usually doesn’t have any ideas, so I was delighted when he said pitas with feta cheese and some beef. I bought the ingredients organic beef and the meal was Delicious! We ate 3 each!

Dinner Pitas

• 1 onion (we used leeks because we ran out of onion)
• 2 medium garlic cloves
• 2-3 slices hot pepper (jalapeno)
• 1/2 green pepper
• 1/2 red pepper
• 1/2 zucchini
• 1.5 teaspoons Paprika, a pinch or two of cumin, salt and pepper to taste  
• 1 cup (250 gr) chopped canned tomatoes
• 1/2+ cup cooked garbanzo beans
• 150-200 gr. ground beef

You will also need:

• pita shells
• lettuce
• feta cheese

If using the Tmix you just have to chop the first 3 ingredients on 4 for a few seconds. Then add the others and leave at speed 2 and cook on varoma for the times recommended below.)

Saute the chopped onions, garlic, peppers and zucchini for about 10 minutes. After 5 minutes add the the chopped tomatoes. Add spices. Let cook for about 12 minutes. Add the cooked garbanzos and the ground beef. Cook until the meet is done between 8-10 minutes.

Stuff pita with feta cheese, lettuce and tomato. We also warmed the pita in toaster.  Be careful not to eat too much!

 

Bread

Yummy bread!

I have been putting off posting my bread recipe but my last 3 batches have turned out so well that I’m ready to do it. For years I made bread by hand but now I mix it in the t-mix! It’s a great machine!

First, I grind whole wheat berries in the t-mix. I grind them on speed 10 for 2 minutes. Grinding your own wheat is much healthier than buying wheat in the store. It conserves many more of its nutrients. If you do buy store bought, storing it at a low temperature in the fridge or freezer preserves more nutrients. After grinding the wheat emty it from the t-mix.

Bread dough

• 2 cups water
• 1 Tablespoon sugar/honey
• 1-2 Tablespoon oil
• 25 grams fresh yeast
• 2 cups whole wheat flour,
• 1 cup quick oats
• 2 1/2 cups white flour
• 1-2 teaspoons salt
• Optional: sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, or flax seeds.

Add water, sugar and oil. Heat to 37 degrees centigrade mixing on speed 3. Add yeast and mix for 3 seconds on speed 5. Add whole wheat flour and quick oats mix on speed 3 for 1 or 2 minutes. This gives the oats time to absorb the warm liquid and makes the dough really spongy. Add white flour and the salt on top. Mix for 4.5 minutes on the dough setting. The reason I add the salt so late is because it can kill the yeast if it has direct contact with it . In the last minute of the mixing cycle add any seeds you want. Scoop mixture out of mixing bowl (it helps to have either oiled or floured hands for this) into an oiled baking dish.  Let rise 45-60 minutes and put into an oven that is still heating to 190-200 degrees centigrade (about 385-400 F.).  Bake for about 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the bottom is hollow. This is a trick my father taught me. Thump the bottom, as if it were a watermelon! Basically it should be golden brown on bottom as well as on top.

Sarah enjoys the bread hot with honey and butter and Carlos likes it cooler with olive oil. Carlos always thought that eating hot bread wasn’t good for you. Carlos always heard, “pan caliente mata la gente” or “hot bread kills people”. Yet after 8 years with me he has concluded that its safe to eat hot, unless you eat it REALLY hot and in large quantities, jk.  After a bit more analysis he figured out that when you eat pizza you are eating hot bread and as everyone knows that is perfectly safe! Hope you enjoy the bread and let me know how yours turns out!