Using dry beans

Dry beans used to scare me & seemed like a lot of work until I learned this simple method for preparing them in the crockpot.

Rinse & sort beans. Add dry beans to crockpot & cover with enough water to rise 2 inches above beans. Cover & cook on low 6-8 hours depending on size of the bean. Drain with a slotted spoon. I place beans in freezer bags & freeze in 1 ½ cup portion (equal to one can). If you lay them flat, they barely take up any space.

* Note, kidney beans contain a toxin that must be boiled to release it. Boil kidney beans 10 minutes before adding to slow cooker.

Benefits of using dry beans:

- Can control the amount of salt added (I don’t use any)

- Saves money, 1 bag of dry produces up to 6 cans worth of cooked

- Even cheaper if you buy dry beans from the bulk bins

- Cause less gas than canned beans

Tips for reducing gassiness of beans:

- Take the extra step to soak beans overnight before adding to slow cooker. Change soak water a couple of times.

- Add a 2 inch piece of kombu, a dried seaweed, to slow cooker during cooking. It does not give the beans a sea taste, but acts as a sponge to soak up some of the gas causing properties. It can be found at natural market, Asian markets, and maybe even the Asian section of some grocery stores.

Here’s what it looks like….

White Bean & Artichoke Salad

First, I love the new camera+ app for my phone. Makes my food look extra delicious. Was very pleased by a compliment that this looked like something a restaurant would serve.

This bean salad recipe is adapted from a cookbook I got for Christmas, Color Me Vegan by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. It’s a great recipe to use a bunch of herbs & packs a lot of flavor.

Seen here served with roasted roma tomatoes & garlic. I loved the cold bean salad alongside the warm tomatoes.

2 cans white beans, rinsed & drained

1 can artichoke hearts, drained & coarsely chopped

1/3 cup kalamata olives, finely chopped

1 small red onion, finely chopped

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

¼ cup chopped mint leaves

¼ cup chopped basil

1/8 cup olive oil

¼ red wine or balsamic vinegar

Fresh ground pepper to taste

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients. Toss to coat. Cover & chill for at least an hour to let flavors mix, stirring occasionally.

New Years Eve party food w/recipes

Went to a good friends’ for NYE as usual. This year they added an appetizer contest. Of course I would have brought food anyway to ensure there was plenty for me to eat, but I wanted to win!

Here is what I brought:

Cucumber Rounds with Rummy Hummus (recipe below)

Watermelon Jello Shots

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars (recipe below)

Proud to say the cookie bars won me a great movie themed basket J

Cucumber Rounds with Rummy Hummus

Source: Tipsy Vegan cookbook

1 (14-ounce) can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained thoroughly
1 canned chipotle pepper, stemmed if necessary, with a teaspoon of the adobo sauce from can
1 large garlic clove, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white rum (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
1 large English (seedless) cucumber
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted in a dry skillet just until golden brown

In a medium bowl, place the chickpeas, chipotles, garlic, lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, white rum, cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Puree with an immersion blender, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, about 2 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. Or use a standing blender.

Use a vegetable peeler to peel the cucumber skin lengthwise at 1/4-inch intervals to create a striped pattern around the circumference of the cucumber and slice it crosswise into 1/4-inch rounds. If the cucumber skin is tough, peel the entire cucumber. Arrange the cucumber discs on a platter.

To assemble, just before serving, lightly salt the cucumber rounds. Top each round with a generous teaspoon of hummus. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Source: www.Ohladycakes.com

1/2 c. vegan butter (my favorite brand if Earth Balance as it is not hydrogenated)
1 c. cane sugar
2 tsp molasses
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c. pumpkin puree
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 c. unbleached flour*
1/2 c. whole wheat flour*
1/4 c. vegan mini chocolate chips (QFC brand is vegan friendly as well as some others that aren’t marketed as vegan, just read the label)

Preheat oven to 325˚F. Line an 8x8 metal baking pan with parchment paper; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, sugar, molasses, vanilla extract and pumpkin puree. Sift in the pumpkin pie spice, salt, baking soda and flours; mix with a wooden spoon until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Press dough into the prepared baking pan and level with an offset spatula. Bake at 325˚F for 26-28 minutes.

* I was out of whole wheat flour so I used 1 ½ cup all purpose.