Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Feta and Cabbage Slaw – (NOT) Bon Appétit

via Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Feta and Cabbage Slaw – Bon Appétit.

There are a bunch of clipped recipes in the cookbook holder by the stove.  This Bon Appétit recipe has been there since 2009, February 2009 to be exact.  We love this recipe for a quick and healthy meatless meal.  Earlier today I glanced at the recipe to make sure all ingredients were on hand because you always have at least one ingredient missing.  I just don’t want the missing ingredient to be missing after I start cooking.

Wait a minute!  This isn’t how I make this dish!  OK, full stop.  No more writing.  I will make my tacos tonight and then write the recipe down.

6:41 PM CST update

I’ve left the link to the original recipe.  I was right.  I make this dish differently than I did five years ago.  So here we go.  I also made some fresh guacamole and to be perfectly honest, the flavors are intense, the textures varied, and it…is…HEALTHY.

1 15-ounce can organic black beans, drained, rinsed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (maybe more)
3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil and 2 teaspoons canola oil
1 whole lime juiced, 1/4 lemon juiced

1/4 cup diced red onion, 1 clove garlic minced

pinch oregano, dash celery salt (trust me on this one)

2 cups organic green cabbage, thinly sliced
2 green onions, chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 white or yellow corn tortilla shells, crispy
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
Your favorite hot sauce or salsa

  1.  Drain and rinse the black beans, set aside.
  2. In a small saucepan, saute the onion and garlic until soft.  Add oregano, cumin, and garlic. Saute until the spices are fragrant.
  3. Add the well drained black beans.  Add lemon juice. Heat until warmed through.  Mash the beans with a spoon but leave it chunky.  Season with celery salt. Set aside.
  4. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the olive oil and juice of one lime.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Add a dash of sugar to cut the acidity if needed.
  5. Add the green onions, cilantro, and cabbage.  Mix well and set aside.

This recipe will make enough for 4-6 tacos.  If you need more servings, double the bean recipe and buy more taco shells. You will not need to double the cabbage slaw portion.  You’ll have plenty.

Construct your tacos.  Place some beans in the taco shell, followed by salsa, feta cheese, and slaw.  If you are using guacamole, put in on your taco last.

TIPS –

We recently discovered La Tiara authentic Mexican taco shells from Gladstone Missouri.  Yeah, I was thinking the same thing as you until I tried these shells.   Use fresh cabbage and not the bagged sliced slaw next to the bagged salads.  In a pinch, go ahead and use the bagged stuff.  But once you use fresh cabbage, you won’t go back to the bag version.  This taco recipe is perfect for a Meatless Monday.  May I suggest oven roasted sweet potatoes and corn for sides?

Going Greens: Edmond’s Upward Harvest lives the gospel of local, sustainable growing practices – News OK

via Going Greens: Edmond’s Upward Harvest lives the gospel of local, sustainable growing practices | News OK.

Upward Harvest Home.

I was at the market the other day and I saw potted plants strategically located throughout the fresh produce section.

Why is the grocery store selling plants?  Indoors, no less.

I really didn’t give it much more thought until I stumbled across this article in the local paper.

How cool is it to have an organic hydroponic farm in your town?  Read the article and check out the video.

Kind of makes the earthquakes bearable.

Sort of.

Regular Fish Consumption and Age-Related Brain Gray Matter Loss – American Journal of Preventive Medicine

via Regular Fish Consumption and Age-Related Brain Gray Matter Loss – American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Frozen fish sticks were a staple of my diet in childhood.  After growing up on seasoned breading, tons of ketchup, and imperceptible amounts of non-specific minced white fish I’m surprised I even eat fish at all.   Growing up in New Jersey was one hell of a ride.  Despite wanting to get the hell out of there as soon as I could, NJ still holds many positive memories.  Some of my favorite memories are about going to The Shore.  We didn’t go to the beach or the seashore.  We went to The Shore and where we ended up was defined by which exit on The Parkway.  And for you non-NJ readers I’m talking about the Garden State Parkway.

I didn’t get to The Shore as often as I would have liked.  But when I did make to Exit 117, then east on Routes 35 and 36, I would always find a local seafood restaurant.  After grabbing a table (you never got “seated” in the places I liked to visit) the first question was always the same:

What came in this morning?

Simply broiled, a little butter, a little lemon.  Doesn’t get any better than that.

I just hope I ate enough to have increased my gray matter volumes in the hippocampus, precuneus, posterior cingulate, and orbital frontal cortex.

Postscript

My family vacation every summer was at Exit 4B at the Admiral Motel.  Another story, another time.

 

Muesli Pancakes

This weekend I was cooking for one.  Cooking for one is fun because you get to make anything you want.  And if what you make is a disaster (not a bomb because “bomb” now means good) you toss it and never tell anyone else about your screw up.  I bought some organic muesli from Germany at the store.  I tasted it.  Muesli is one of those healthy foods that you have to do something with before you eat it.  Plain milk or soy milk won’t do it.  You need flavored yogurt or a sweet almond milk.

Or you make pancakes.

I have a guilty pleasure.  Leftover pancakes with peanut butter.

But this morning I have no guilt whatsoever.  I topped these pancakes with some fake butter, sliced bananas, and blueberries.

Memo to Kids:

This recipe is not one of your childhood pancake memories.  I just made it up this morning.

1 cup Muesli
1 cup quick oats

2 1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 beaten eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup 2% milk

  1. Combine milks, granola, and oats.  Refrigerate for one hour.
  2. Mix remaining ingredients and stir into the granola/oats mixture.
  3. Continue mixing until you have a smooth lumpy batter (yes you read that correctly).
  4. Preheat your griddle/pan to medium/high.  Watch this heat setting as you’ll likely have to lower the heat during the process.
  5. Scoop pancake batter onto your griddle.
  6. Flip when bubbles start forming on the sides.

 

The Tomato Plant – 07.29.14

IMG_0298

 

We harvested our first tomatoes from the plant.  They actually came off the plant several days ago but I couldn’t bring myself to eat them.

But tonight that all changed.

TACOS!  Simple, fast, yummy.

The big boy got cut up.  The little one was spared.

Update 08.04.14

I broke down and ate the little one yesterday.