the brilliance of black beans

I don't discriminate against beans--I sincerely love them all. But if you twisted my arm (or, say, threatened to make me beanless for life), I'd have to confess that the black bean is my favorite.

Black Beauty, if you will.

I can't explain why I feel that way, but I do. Perhaps it's their unbounded versatility, or perhaps it's their hearty texture. Perhaps it's the way they turn the water purple when they're rehydrated from a dried state. I just don't know.


Although they make a fine accompaniment to almost any type of cuisine, I've found that they're rarely in the spotlight. The black bean deserves a little more recognition, folks! So here's my version of black bean soup, full of those glorious beans, sauteed veggies, and spice. Lots of spice. I love the texture created by pureeing the soup with my immersion blender, but that's an optional step.


Make it your own, but by all means, make it!

Black Bean Lover's Black Bean Soup
2 to 3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 cup onions, chopped
1 cup serrano peppers, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, chopped
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon fresh-cracked pepper
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups black beans, soaked, cooked, drained, rinsed, what-have-you
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with chiles, undrained
4 cups chicken stock or water

Heat oil in a large pot, add onions, peppers, and carrots, and cook on medium high, stirring often, until soft and starting to brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add the spices and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

Add the beans, tomatoes, and liquid. Cover and bring to a boil, then simmer with the lid barely cracked, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 60 minutes.

Purée with an immersion blender until the desired consistency is reached, or transfer about two-thirds of the soup in batches to a regular blender and purée, then return to the pot. Heat to desired temperature and devour.

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the classic

That's right, the classic. Like Frogger or Lord of the Flies. Like the Volkswagen Beetle or The Beatles. Classic--something of enduring interest.


I'm breaking out the tried and true peanut almond butter and jelly sandwich to remind those of you who haven't yet told me your favorite dish in which to use nut butter to hurry up and do so. There're five free jars of Barney Butter on the line here!

What, you want a recipe? Your wish is my command.

ABJ a la Grace
2 slices hearty, healthy whole wheat bread
2 large knife-scoops Barney Butter
2 massive dollops jelly, preferably of the apple cinnamon variety, but strawberry will do in a pinch

Slather Barney Butter on one slice of bread, and spread the jelly out on the other. Put the pieces of bread together such that the Barney Butter gives the jelly a big ol' smooch. Cut in half for easier consumption, and enjoy.

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whoopsidaisies!

That's what I said when this batch of bread came out of the oven...


...and that was putting it mildly.

Don't judge me too harshly, but I'm a sucker for "Notting Hill," and my favorite part (aside from the press conference scene at the end) is when the delightful Hugh Grant is attempting to shimmy over a gate and failing miserably. "Whoopsidaisies!" he says. It gets me every time.

Yes, this bread can only be classified as a big ol' "Whoopsidaisies!" Lesson learned: Don't use baking powder that's over three years old, and if you stubbornly insist on doing so, at least make sure you sift it.

Other mistakes: I didn't bake the bread long enough and shouldn't have spread the batter out into six mini loaves--the end result was more like a batch of way-too-moist and sticky rectangular hockey pucks.


I should've known that I was in for trouble when I had to dig my baking powder out with a knife. I foolishly soldiered on, though, not even pausing to break up the chipped-off clumps of the stuff. The result was the green, vomit-like growths you see above. They were scattered throughout my loaves, which had such potential--they were flavored with apple-blueberry baby food and speckled with dried blueberries.

I'll give you the recipe anyway, and maybe you'll have enough sense to use unexpired ingredients. The flavor wasn't bad at all, if you stayed far away from the parts tainted by the pesky baking powder. So I guess it wasn't a complete failure, and hey--at least Eb got a work-out. Speaking of sourdough, my big brother finally named his starter, cleverly dubbing it Barack Dough-bama. :)

Sourdough Blueberry Bread
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup apple-blueberry baby food
1 cup sourdough starter, at room temperature
1 cup dried blueberries, coated in flour

Preheat the oven to 350F. Generously grease or spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon into a small bowl.
In a larger bowl, whisk together the egg, vanilla, vegetable oil, apple-blueberry baby food, and starter. Add this wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Fold in the dried blueberries and pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, covering the loaf with foil during the last 10 minutes if necessary to prevent overbrowning. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

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"i love you, you love me...

...we're a happy family..."**


**I can't help it--that little ditty and the freaky purple creature that sings it always come to mind when I see the name "Barney."

Yes, the Barney Butter has returned, and in grand form. Not only is it being highlighted in some wonderfully-addictive fudge, but it's also about to make its way into the homes of five lucky readers.

Yes, blog friends, five people who comment on this post and tell me their favorite thing to make with nut butter will receive their very own jar of Barney Butter. I'll close the comments one week from today, on March 7th, and then use the random number generator to pick five winners.


Facts about the Butter of Barney:
-made in an almond-only facility--those with allergies can rest easy
-no stirring or refrigeration is necessary
-its health benefits far outweigh those of peanut butter, as it has less than half the saturated fat and more fiber, calcium, iron, magnesium and vitamin E

So tell me, what's your favorite nut-butter-containing recipe? Here are some from Barney Butter, and here's one of mine:

Butterscotch Fudge
1/2 cup butter
1 cup Barney Butter
1 bag (11 oz.) butterscotch chips
1 bag (10.5 oz.) mini marshmallows

In a large bowl, microwave the butter and Barney Butter until melted. Stir in the chips and mix until they melt, microwaving more as needed. Fold in the marshmallows and stir until coated. Dump into a greased or lined 9×9 pan, and put into the refrigerator until set.

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coriander, turmeric, cumin, fennel

Curry. How do I put this delicately?


It turns my stomach. It makes my nose wrinkle in disgust. I'm just not crazy about it.

I can honestly say that I wasn't giving the flavor of curry a fair chance until this latest round of Taste & Create (XVI). (I'm stubborn like that.) I was fortunate enough to be paired with the hostess herself, Nicole of For the Love of Food. Folks, this gal has been blogging since 2003, so you can only imagine how many stellar posts and recipes are contained within her blog.

I went all the way back to 2007 and found an interesting post about Curry Apple & Carrot Soup. I was intrigued because Nicole confessed to not particularly caring for curry until she tried this soup. So, if anything was going to bring curry around for me, this would probably be it.


I gave it a shot. I made it a bit thicker than she did and added some red pepper flakes just for fun. It's creamy, kinda sweet, and the curry flavor that I was so afraid of wasn't overwhelming at all. Although I'm certainly not gonna become curry's #1 fan any time soon, I'm glad I gave it a shot and found that it's really not as bad as I thought.

What else did I find? Fluffy buttermilk biscuits, homemade ketchup, and a hearty black-eyed pea stew. And that's just naming a few. Simply put, Nicole, you do good work.

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peanut butter, shmeanut butter

...give me the Barney Butter!


I think it's a pretty safe assumption that the majority of folks in the good ol' US of A have had a Rice Krispies Treat at some point in their lives. The quality I like best about them (aside from their chewiness, sweetness, and hey--vitamin enrichment) is their versatility. There are many twists and alterations one can make to the recipe.

Believe it or not, I decided to get creative. What can I say--I had a whim. I think my inspiration came from the Barney Butter I received thanks to Sandy of 4 Reluctant Entertainers. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the product, it's a completely peanut-free almond butter, which is a blessing for lovers of nut butters in this trying time of peanut butter crisis.


Another contributing factor to my epiphany was the new Banana Nut Cheerios I had bought and rejected (unfortunately, they just didn't do it for me). Bearing in mind that bananas and peanut butter make a darn good combination, I decided to make my treats with those Banana Nut Cheerios, using Barney Butter in lieu of regular butter, and with freeze-dried banana dices mixed in.


I was completely and wholly satisfied with my creation. There was just a hint of the almond butter, a tinge of banana, sweetness and chewiness from the marshmallows, and a fabulous crunch from the cereal. If bananas and nut butter aren't your thing, I encourage you to make up your own fantastic combination--the possibilities are endless!

Banana Nut Bars
6 cups Banana Nut Cheerios
1 cup freeze-dried banana dices
4 tablespoons Barney Butter
1 10.5-oz bag marshmallows

In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the Barney Butter and marshmallows for 1 minute; stir. Continue heating at 15 second intervals until the mixture is smooth. Dump in the cereal and banana dices and stir until well-coated. Using a buttered spatula, evenly press the mixture into a 13x9-inch pan lined with wax paper. Let cool and cut into squares.

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puttin' on the pounds

My Mamboni says that people just don't make real, bonafide pound cake often enough anymore. I think she has taken it upon herself to make up for that lack of pound cake because it's a treat she makes often (and quite well, if I do say so myself)
.
Pound cake pleases me most when it's a)slathered in strawberries and whipped cream, or b)subtly flavored with coconut. Mammy's latest version was made with lemon extract and a light glaze. Look at its moist, buttery goodness:


Delicious. However, if push comes to shove, I must say that I still prefer apple pie.

Mamster's Lemon Pound Cake
Makes 2 9x5 loaves or 1 Bundt cake

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3 cups sugar
• 5 eggs, well-beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325F. Butter and flour two 9x5-inch loaf pans, a tube pan, or a Bundt pan. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter, shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat well. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk. Stir in the lemon extract.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s) and bake 1 hour for the loaves or 75 minutes for the cakes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cake(s) cool in the pan(s).

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