Black Beans and Spinach

I'm so glad its still cold enough out there for soup to sound good. When you take away wheat, corn, soy, dairy and eggs, it seems like the easiest thing to make. This is one of my favorites. I've made it so many times this winter that Adam says, "this one again?" when I make it. Its cheap, tasty and takes minimal effort. What's not to like?

I like to use dried black beans for this because I think they add something lovely to the texture. If you don't have the time, or want to make this on the fly, canned beans are delicious as well.

• 1 cup dried black beans 
• 1 bunch spinach, chopped
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 T coriander
• 1 T cumin
• 1/4 t cinnamon
• 1 T minced garlic
• 1 T minced ginger

If you eat dairy or soy.... neither of which can I have this week or next....

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt added at the end

1. Soak beans overnight. Rinse, drain and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and simmer at medium heat until tender.
2. Saute oil, garlic and ginger and spices. Add tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Add beans and chopped spinach. If the beans are in quite a bit of water, you may wish to drain some off.
4. Stir in yogurt (if you're using it) and simmer until stew thickens. 

Potato Chickpea Curry

I was searching through my list of posts this morning because I thought I had drafted this last night. Apparently I'm going crazy because I most certainly did not, but I did find an old draft where I had written only this: 

 Environmental Degradation in the Tropics was hands-down the best class I took as an undergraduate at the University of Washington. I took the course one Summer after a long stretch in Costa Rica. It took my heart and tore it to pieces.

Its a bit dramatic, but absolutely true. Changed the way I feel about trade and tropical commodities forever. Don't even get me started on shrimp...

This post is actually about curry, not global environmental issues. Yesterday was my first official day on the elimination diet, and I went home early with a splitting headache due to inadequate caloric preparation for the day ahead of me. I went to Madison Market immediately and stocked up on some wheat, corn, gluten, dairy, soy and egg free essentials. Basically, ingredients for cooking up an allergen free storm. Whee. 

I found this one over at Meaty Vegan (and she found it over at Simply Recipes) I more or less paid attention to the recipe, tripled the spices as I tend to do, and ended up with something quite delicious. 

Saute together: 

• 1 T coconut oil
  
• 1 onion, diced
  
• 1 T ginger, minced
  
• 1 T cumin
  
• 1 T coriander
  
• 1 t cayenne 
  

To this add: 

• 1 large tin diced tomatoes
  
• 1 tin coconut milk
  
• 2 tins garbanzo beans, rinsed
  
• 1 sweet potato (I had one around, so threw it in - it was an awesome addition)
  
• About 10 small potatoes
  
• Chili's (the recipe called for anaheims seeded and diced - I couldn't get them at the store, so had to use diced green and it wasn't hot enough for my taste)
  

Add water as needed (about a cup) to have enough liquid to cover potatoes. Simmer until potatoes are soft, and serve over brown rice. Add salt to taste. 

Coconut Bunny

In honor of my last few days of life with flour, eggs and dairy, I have made cupcakes. The eggs have nothing to do with it actually, as I enjoy the challenge of vegan baked goods - and rarely make regular cupcakes these days. 

While I adore Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, I have fallen in love with a new basic chocolate cake recipe. I think it is superior. Adam disagrees. If you have the book, you should try them both and let me know what you think. The cake recipe was featured on Grist for Valentine's Day. I didn't have much luck with the frosting. Most likely because I failed to treat it as fudge and skimped on the boiling time. I ended up dipping the cupcakes - which was quite sexy and appropriate for Valentines day, but not at all what I was looking for in a frosting now - when I know I can't have real butter for a few weeks, if not forever if I discover I'm allergic to dairy! 

The cake: 

• 1 1/2 cups flour 
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 3/4 cup water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the wet ingredients. Mix the dry. Mix the wet into the dry. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until a fork comes out clean!

Now for the frosting. My mother's buttercream. I do alright with the vanilla, but I stand no chance next to my mom for making chocolate buttercream. She could make it with her eyes closed and it would be the most delicious frosting you've ever tasted. 

The frosting:

• 1 stick of butter, softened
• 1 box powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• a couple of teaspoons of milk (whatever kind you have) until the desired consistency is reached.

Mix and frost liberally!

When I lived with Emmy and Gus, we would occasionally make trips to Ballard for cupcakes. Our standard household order was as follows: Kate for Emmy, Triple Threat for Gus, and Coconut Bunny for Erin. In honor of my beloved Coconut Bunny, I've replicated (more or less) and topped these with delicious coconut! 

Incas

Peru

If a tree falls in the forest...

Sorry for the silence if anyone has been checking in (...I sort of doubt that anyone has) things have been busy, and I've been distracted by a secret personal finance blog of mine that has managed to get almost 3000 hits already from when I started it in the end of July (which I feel is pretty decent) and quite honestly, I haven't been cooking. 

Oh the shame!

I know. 

Its not like I haven't been cooking at all, just haven't been cooking new and interesting things. 

Despite my initial excitement about sewing, my pattern sits unopened in my stack of mail. Still.

I've started back at school, which is fantastic, but mostly to blame for this lack of cooking. I'm taking a policy class, Environmental Decision Analysis. Its challenging. More so than I initially expected. 

Adam and I will be moving one of these days...which will cause a little jump in my rent, which may, in turn, inspire me to cook once again in an effort to bring more lunches and eat out less. 

Dresses!

Lately, I have been crazy about dresses. Crazy in love with their ease and their comfort. Crazy determined to wear the ones that have been gathering dust in my closet. Crazy dreaming of laying around in the summer sun with bare feet and a dress on.


You can imagine my delight when stumbling upon this little gem of a website: http://www.dressaday.com/

A dress a day!

I am now madly searching vintage pattern sites for a mc calls 8858 and/or a simplicity 3875

Have I ever sewn an article of clothing in my life?

No!

Does it matter?

No!

To sewing dresses!

(or attempting to...)