Dinner - 15 Bean Soup

Today started off bleary, cloudy and grey. I decided that I was in the mood for homemade soup and freshly baked bread, but also realized that I would need to go to the store to pick up a few items to make both things happen. Since I don't drive, I took my trusty bicycle and was on my way. It started to drizzle just a little bit, but I made it to the store fine. I bought all I needed and headed back home -- and then it started to pour. It was raining cats and dogs, and I was riding my bike, getting soaked. Oh well. I made it home in one, soaking mess of a, piece and got to cooking. (And, can I just mention that as soon as I locked my bike up and was going inside, the rain stopped completely! I think the weather gods have a sense of humor. It became sunny and pleasant outside about an hour or so later)

I made "15 bean soup" and a garlic-herb-loaf. Both turned out delicious -- after a few mishaps. The recipe for the soup I got from my mother-in-law, who makes this soup and it is always so yummy! And the recipe for the bread I found online (click here), and it seemed easy enough and a good side to go with the soup.

A word of warning about the loaf recipe: I followed it with only one little mistake, which was accidentally adding about 1/2 tablespoon of baking soda, instead of 1 teaspoon, and I'm not sure whether or not this was to blame, but my loaf overflowed in the oven and spilled everywhere and consequently burned and made the whole house smell bad -_-  I suppose I should've listened to the voice in my head telling me that the loaf pan was also too full, and to realize it would rise in the oven, as the pan was filled to the brim with the dough, and just made two separate breads. Oh well, you live and you learn. I scraped off the burned bits and transferred the remaining un-cooked, un-burned dough into another pan, and it turned out just fine!

A few other adjustments to the recipe: I made my own buttermilk, by adding lemon juice to regular milk and letting it stand for a few minutes. Works like a charm! Also, for the herbs, I just used to same ones that the soup recipe called for. I suppose you could use whatever herbs you like best! Next time I think I will use rosemary, and a lot more garlic. Mmm!

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15-Bean Soup:

1 bag 15 bean soup mix

1 tbs vegetable oil

1 large red onion, chopped

3 large cloves garlic, minced

2 bunches chopped green onions

1 tsp dried basil, or 1 tbs fresh basil

1 tsp dried oregano, or 1 tbs fresh oregano

1 tsp dried thyme, or 1 tbs fresh thyme

1/2 tsp white pepper

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/8 to 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp salt

zest of 1 lemon or lime

1 tbs balsamic vinegar

2 qts vegetable stock or 2 qts water with 2 tbs vegetable stock base

1 can/box of diced tomatoes

Prepare beans according to package directions by soaking in water overnight or simmering them in water for an hour, draining the water and reserving the beans in a colander. Saute onions in oil for 5 to 8 minutes over medium heat til they are soft. Add minced garlic, scallions and all of the herbs and spices, including the zest, stir and heat through for about 2 minutes. Add vinegar and stir, then add beans, stock or water and base or plain water, cover pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat to simmer. Cover pot again and allow to simmer for 11/2 hours. . Check for level of liquid occasionally. Add additional stock or water if soup appears too thick for your taste. Check beans for tenderness. If not soft, cook at simmer for another 1/2 hour.

dinner - playing catch up!

WOW.

It's been awhile, eh?

I suppose I got caught up with post-fast-eating-in-daylight-stuff, and sort of forgot about this little thing. Well, I did still take photos of food! And isn't that the whole point of this blog anyway? :)

Here's to playing catch up for the past week or so:

Fried spicy tilapia, with rice and a curry sauce
 (with edamame, tri color bell peppers, and bamboo shoots!)

Frozen pizza with added toppings:
Broccoli, peppers, onion, black olives.
And a simple side salad.

Breaded chicken, kale with white beans & garlic, and roasted sweet potatoes.

"Sunday Night Dinner" -- growing up this was dinner every Sunday.
Fried potatoes, deviled eggs, and corn.

Breaded chicken & asparagus, with mashed potatoes.

fast dinner - couscous & salmon

A flavorful grilled salmon fillet served with couscous and crispy, fried brussel sprouts. Also, a homemade lemon-dill sauce. Super delicious!

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Tonight is the second to last day of Fasting, and I must confess: I am so ready for this Fast to be over. This year it seems to have only gotten harder for me, and I am looking forward to enjoying food in daylight again! Especially since the weather has been absolutely BEAUTIFUL lately, and all I want to do is eat ice cream outside in the sunshine... :)

fast dinner - quesadillas

Quesadillas: cheese, chicken, green bell pepper, onion, garlic, spices!
Top with: sour cream, and black bean salsa.
Yumz.

fast dinner - smash burger

Yum, yum, yum, and YUM.

I love smash burger. It's a "fast food" place, but so much better than any regular fast food place I know. They use good, fresh ingredients, and their burgers (and chicken sandwiches!) are amazing!

We went there to break our fast a bit early on account of going to see a play at the school husband teaches at. 

I had a crispy chicken sandwich with Ranch dressing, bacon, avocado, tomato, and lettuce. YUMMM. Husband had a burger with cheese, bacon, a fried egg, lettuce, and tomato. We also shared a side of french fries and a vanilla milk shake. It was so delicious!

fast dinner - crab cake burger

Crab cake burger or crab cake sandwich? Either way = delicious!

Funnily enough, I'm not the biggest fan of the flavor of crab, but in these sandwiches it tastes super good!

I topped mine with homemade chipotle mayo (recipe here), onion, grape tomatoes, pickles, and lettuce -- (wish we had some hot banana peppers to go with it too). YUMZ. And I also made some oven fries to go with it (recipe here), from both regular & sweet potatoes.

fast dinner - chicken & potatoes

I made breaded chicken breast, but we were out of flour and only had a few eggs left (that I'm saving for breakfast), so I ended up using sour cream instead of those, as well as Panko breadcrumbs and some spices. Turned out really tasty!

I also made a little "potpourri" of roasted sweet potatoes, regular yellow potatoes, and some brussel sprouts. YUM.

fast dinner - peanut chicken 2

Mmmm!
Peanut chicken deliciousness.... with some naan bread....... and an awesome salad. That's all one needs to be happy after a day of fasting.

fast dinner - thai noodle soup 2

Oh yes! This is really one of my favorite foods, ever!

Buy some cheap Ramen noodles and dress them up with delicious Thai curry and coconut milk as well as shrimp, green bell pepper, bean sprouts, and green apple. Super easy, suuuperrr yummy!

fast dinner - pizza & mango salad

before....

after!

mmmmmango salad

delicious dinner

 Which do you prefer? Store bought, or homemade pizza? Even though I have featured frozen pizza on the blog before, I definitely prefer homemade -- and when I say homemade, I mean crust and all. And that's what was for dinner tonight.

You might be intimidated with the idea of making your own pizza crust from scratch (I know I was the first time I attempted it), but not to worry! I found a recipe (here) that is so simple and easy, and only takes about 15 minutes to make!

As for toppings: you can do whatever your little heart desires. We usually stick to veggies, with the occasional chicken or tuna (is that weird? My favorite pizza used to be one with tuna and shrimp!). Tonight I topped the pizza with tomato sauce, a layer of cheese, lots of garlic, mushrooms, green bell pepper, onion, broccoli, a few grape tomatoes, more garlic, and more cheese. Also a little shake of red pepper flakes and some Italian seasoning. So delicious!

I also made one of out other favorite salads (see? not always with the strawberry one...) - Mango & Goat Cheese salad. Oh goodness! The restaurant I used to work at served a salad like this called "Nirvana", and I must say eating it is very heavenly. The main ingredients are listed in the name, but you could add other yummy things that you like.

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Mango & Goat Cheese Salad:

lettuce

mango

goat cheese

almonds (sliced)

Cut mango into small, bite size pieces. Crumble goat cheese. Lightly fry the almonds. Toss everything together and dress with your favorite balsamic vinaigrette.

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Tanja's Balsamic Vinaigrette:

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

(lemon juice)

salt

pepper

garlic powder

I don't have exact measurements for the ingredients, because I always just "eyeball" it. But I do it kind of like this: Start with the oil, using about as much as you'll want of the finished dressing. Add about a fourth the amount of balsamic, and an eight the amount of lemon juice, if using. Add a few shakes of all the spices, and mix. Taste testing is key here! :)

fast dinner - leftovers

The Fast is not a good time to hoard leftovers in your fridge, since you don't eat lunch (or other afternoon snacks) and most of it doesn't get eaten. Well, at least it's like that in this house. But how do you make sure food doesn't just sit and go bad? You have a leftover dinner party!! Haha!

Tonight I pulled out all of the leftovers we had hanging around in the fridge and served it buffet style.  We had chili, gallo pinto, pasta, other kind of pasta, quiche, and other kind of quiche. I also made our favorite strawberry salad (surprise, surprise! You sick of hearing about it yet?) as a nice, fresh side.

Can you guess which plate is mine and which is husband's? :)

( psssst. top one is husband's, bottom one is mine :)

fast dinner - fish tacos

who here likes fish tacos? i know we do! it's been quite a long time since we had them last (i know this since they haven't made an appearance on the blog yet), but they are definitely a favorite around here! the first time i ever tried them was at the restaurant i used to work at - i instantly fell in love. 

did i mention that they are ridiculously easy to make! you just need some fish (we like tilapia) and lots of spices to make it super tasty, crunchy taco shells, and whatever toppings you like. traditionally one eats fish tacos topped with cabbage, which is delicious, but in a pinch lettuce is fine too! that's what we had today along with: onion, tomatoes, and my homemade chipotle mayo. superb!


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tanja's homemade chipotle mayo:

mayo

lemon juice

black pepper

paprika

chili powder

red pepper flakes

mix all of the above together, let sit in the fridge for awhile for the flavors to meld together, then enjoy!!

fast dinner - chili con carne

i was feeling like making some chili, so i did! i've never made it myself, but i remember enjoying at as a kid when my dad made it. turns out, it's fairly simple to make! i used a few recipes as guides (click here and here), but kind of just went with it for most of the dish.

the only things i would change is adding much more spices than i did - i thought i added enough, but it hardly had a kick to it. i would also add less tomato paste, because it tasted a bit too "tomato-y" for my preference.

 i served the chili with cheese and a dollop of sour cream, with a side of fried potatoes, and some baby carrots for freshness and crunch.

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chili con carne ~ tanja style:
ground beef (1/2 lbs)
onion (chopped)
garlic (finely chopped)
kidney beans (1 can)
diced tomatoes (1 can)
tomato paste (1 tbsp)
cumin
chili powder
red pepper flakes
salt
black pepper

fry onions until translucent, then add garlic and cook a few more minutes. separately fry ground beef with spices until fully browned. add these together in big pot, then add in beans, diced tomatoes and tomato paste, as well as LOTS of spices! (you think you put in enough? ADD MORE. you want it to have kick to it.) let simmer for about 20 minutes. serve with grated cheese and some sour cream (it'll calm down the spiciness) - enjoy!

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fried potatoes:
potatoes
butter
salt

slice potatoes as thin as you can (this is the secret to the deliciousness!). add to frying pan with copious amounts of butter and a dash of salt. let fry on medium-low heat for a good long time (30 min or so), adding more butter if needed. they should be soft in the middle and nice & crispy on the sides. enjoy!

fast dinner - gallo pinto 2

as you might remember, if you've been following along this blog from the beginning, i made a dish similar to this one way back when once before :) (click here)

husband spent 12 days in nicaragua in january of 2010, and came back from that trip filled with new experiences and learnings, as well as new favorite foods! including gallo pinto, a.k.a. black beans and rice, and fried plantains.

tonight for our fast breaking dinner i made the gallo pinto, fried plantains (that unfortunately must have been old, because they were hard and not so tasty..), grilled chicken breast, and just some sliced tomato and onion. muy bueno!

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gallo pinto:

rice

can of black beans (preferably spicy)

cook rice as usual. heat beans up separately. if you are using plain beans, this would be a good time to add tons of spices to them. once rice is done, combine the beans with it, and enjoy! super simple and tasty! :)

(is this really even a "recipe"? :D )

fast dinner - burgers and fries

(( today marks the first day of the Baha'i Fast that will last for the next 19 days. husband and i enjoyed a wonderful breakfast this morning before sunrise: fried eggs, bacon, fried mashed potatoes, and an english muffin for husband, a bagel for me. also, orange juice, tea, and water. yumz! no photo though, because it was early and i wanted to just eat, haha!

so for the next 19 days i will be documenting our dinners, a.k.a. Fast breaking meals :) i hope you enjoy! and i hope i don't make you too hungry, if you're in a different timezone! ))

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delicious! homemade oven fries, and burgers with cheddar and mushrooms. we like going out for burgers (mmm, smash burger mmm), but it's also amazingly easy and yummy to make them at home. 

we usually like to add a little something to them, like bacon, or a fried egg, or avocado, or anything else we have hanging around. tonight we added some fried mushrooms and cheddar cheese, along with the regular tomato and onion, mayonnaise and ketchup.

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homemade oven fries:

potatoes

olive oil

salt

pepper

garlic powder

rosemary

peel potatoes, if needed, and slice into wedges. put in bowl and mix with oil and spices. place on cooking sheet in oven of 375F for about 30 minutes, until fries are golden on tips and sides. enjoy with some mayo!

dinner - cashew shrimp curry

last night i went back to some delicious thai-inspired food! i added something a little special into the mix tonight, in the form of dried mango and cashews! double deliciousness. 

and for your entertainment and cooking pleasure, i'm adding a photo of the ingredients used along with a written recipe :)

thai curry with shrimp and cashews:

shrimp

onion

garlic

bell pepper (i used frozen, but fresh is also good)

thai yellow curry sauce (mine is from trader joe's, but anything you have is good, or you can make your own curry sauce with extra coconut milk + spices)

coconut milk

cashews

dried mango

cook up some rice while preparing the sauce.

slice onions and add to wok with some oil to fry. after a few minutes add chopped garlic, bell peppers, and shrimp. let sauté for a few more minutes. add your curry sauce and coconut milk - add more of each, depending on required consistency. put a lid on and let simmer so as to make sure the shrimp will cook. at the end, add cashew nuts and finely julienned mango, let simmer for a few minutes. serve over rice. garnish with a few more cashews, and apple or cilantro, if you have some. enjoy!

dinner - breaded chicken

tonight, again, was a little bit of a "what's in the fridge and needs to be used" kind of night for dinner. we ended up with breaded chicken breast, roasted regular & sweet potatoes, corn on the cob, and just some sliced tomato sprinkled with salt & pepper.

the chicken was delicious as were the potatoes, but unfortunately the corn was previously frozen and i think i overcooked it. oh well. :)

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breaded chicken breast:

chicken breast

flour

egg

bread crumbs (i used both regular and panko)

+ additional spices, if you like

cut chicken into thinner pieces or flatten with meat mallet. cover in flour (you can mix the additional spices with the flour), then egg, and lastly with bread crumbs. fry with vegetable oil on medium heat until golden brown on both sides. place on paper towels to drain excess oil. serve warm and enjoy!

and if you click here, you will find my recipe for roasting potatoes!

dinner - tilapia & mash

( it was a busy weekend and we were visiting husband's parents house. no photos, but believe me: the food was gooooooood all weekend long! :)

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i had a wonderful day today hanging out with one of my dearest friends, and she stayed for dinner. i made a little hodge podge of "what's in the fridge and what needs to be used", and came up with fried tilapia filets, mashed potatoes, blanched & sautéed kale, and our favorite strawberry salad! i think everyone was happy :)

dinner - HOUSEWARMING PARTY

(picture and text heavy post!)

i made hummus from scratch, from dried chickpeas! YUM YUM YUM

three different quiches: broccoli // mushroom & green pepper // bacon

salad with green apple, cranberries, and goat cheese. YUM

salad with strawberries, feta cheese, and almonds. YUM YUM

the dinner spread!!!!! OH YUM

where do i begin?! last night we finally had a big gathering at our new home, for the first time since we've moved here. we invited quite a few people and were blessed with the company of about 15 lovely souls. it was a wonderful evening and we ate so much delicious food!

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i had "slaved" in the kitchen all day to provide the party with:

appetizer - homemade hummus.

 i have never made hummus before, not even from canned chickpeas, but we had some dry ones and i wanted to give it a try! it was a fairly easy process, only a long one. this here (click) is the recipe i used as a guide for how long to soak & cook the beans, as well as a base for my ingredients, but in true "tanja-style" i didn't measure anything and just threw everything together hoping for the best. and, indeed, the best it turned out to be -- our friends who lived in egypt for a year loved the hummus! go me!

salad - strawberry-feta, & green apple-goat cheese.

we love yummy salads, so we decided to make two for the party. the first one i featured in an earlier post on the blog (click here), though this time we had good feta to add to it. and, as always, the dressing was the star of the salad! right along with the berries... and almonds... mmmmmm...

the second salad is based on one that we used to get at our favorite cuban restaurant and decided to recreate at home. the basics are: lettuce, green apple (or, i like to use pear), dried cranberries, and goat cheese. for the dressing i just make my own with balsamic vinaigrette, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic (either fresh or powder).

main course - broccoli // bacon // mushroom and green pepper -quiche.

one of my favorite things to make for big gatherings is quiche! it's quite simple to make and it can be made ahead of time and then reheated. for tonight i made three different kinds, starting with the usual broccoli-onion one, then one with bacon (oh, so bad but SO GOOD), and a mushroom & green bell pepper one.

funny story: the party was a potluck and we asked people to bring food, if they could. well, one person brought two quiches (!!) and one person brought a vegetable pot pie (!) - so, basically, we had a six quiche party :D

dessert - CAKE BALLS
(photos to come! we were too busy enjoying them to take pictures)

oh. my. goodness. 

that is all i can say for now. ;)

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other people brought the aforementioned quiches and vegetable pot pie, as well as some beef stew, and some gallo pinto (remember? click) for the dinner. for dessert we also had a chocolate mousse cake, and a swiss roll cake, as well as chocolate and tea and coffee.

it was amazing and i look forward to hosting people again and having dance parties in our back room with glow-in-the-dark bracelets! oh yeah!

dinner - sweet potatoes

i made dinner tonight using some of the ingredients we've had and been meaning to use for a while now AKA roasted sweet potatoes, fried garlic-chicken sausage, and kale with garlic and white beans.

i had a request from someone on facebook to start adding recipes to my blog posts. i usually just make things up and don't have exact measurements, but i promised i would at least list the ingredients and general methods i use, so you can get the idea.. :)

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oven roasted sweet potatoes:
(also works with regular potatoes as well as brussel sprouts)

pealed and cubed sweet potatoes
olive oil
garlic powder
rosemary
salt
pepper


toss everything together and place in oven safe dish. cook at 350F for about 30 minutes, or until potatoes are soft when you poke them with a sharp knife.

blanched and sauteed kale:

wash and cut/rip kale into bite size pieces. place in boiling water for 3 minutes, and immediately after immerse in ice cold water. drain, set aside and prepare the rest of the ingredients:

olive oil
chopped garlic
white beans (great northern)
salt
pepper

heat olive oil and add garlic to pan, but be sure not to brown the garlic (we want it to stay soft and yummy). add beans and spices. lastly, add blanched kale and toss to heat up. serve immediately, so as to not over cook the kale.

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please, let me know if you try any of these "recipes"! :)