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The New York Times is running a series of delicious-sounding recipes that feature one of my favorite foods - beans! All are either vegetarian or vegan and sound stupidly easy to make.

• Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
• Summer Pasta with Tomatoes and Chickpeas
• Soft Black Bean Tacos
• Summer Minestrone With Fresh Basil

The NYT also has a recipe for Clear Summer Borscht that I’ve been meaning to try. So much food, so little room in my stomach. Sigh!

If you don’t read MizFit, then now is the time to start. Today she has graciously allowed me to be Guest Chef on her site! Check it out for my tasty Indian Lentil Dal recipe, not to mention the loads of other tasty articles that MizFit has written. Hope to see you there!

Last May I featured Manjula’s Spinach Paratha recipe on the vegetarian carnival. Spinach parathas are an Indian flatbread stuffed with a spicy spinach filling. I finally had the opportunity to make these tonight and already I can’t wait to make them again. These tortilla-like parathas were surprisingly easy to make and I loved the cumin-spiked spinach. My only complaint is that I couldn’t get mine to puff up the way hers did in the video. This I blame on my lack of a cast iron skillet. I tried making a couple under the grill in the oven and they turned out more like pizza bases, but I still enjoyed them (this I did after putting out the fire that the grill set on some old cheese grease that was left in a pan - whoops).

After cooking the parathas, I put them in some foil and kept them warm in the oven. This had a bonus effect of softening the bread making them easier to fold up and wrap with yummy things like lentil dal with panch phoran. For you protein junkies, do you know what you get when combine the leguminous lentil with the whole wheat paratha? That’s right: a complete protein. Feast on that!

Manjula recommends serving parathas with yogurt and pickles, or filling them with cheese! Yum. Just like a quesedilla. Just don’t set fire to the grease.

For more paratha goodness, check out lolo’s Aloo Parathas at VeganYumYum!

Spinach Paratha [Manjula’s Kitchen]
Aloo Parathas [VeganYumYum]

If you’ve ever wanted to bake bread but were always too chicken to try, then please visit Jim Lahey’s article and give No Knead Bread a whirl. I’ve been baking bread this way for months and I swear it’s the best thing ever. Why? Because fresh homemade bread is like sliceable heaven. There is a certain beauty in its simplicity: water, salt, yeast and flour. That’s all it takes! This is whole, natural food, folks. No preservatives needed. All that hippy stuff aside, what really gets me baking are the flavor and the time. Jim Lahey’s recipe turns out a seriously delicious loaf of bread, and because there’s no kneading involved, it’s super quick to throw together (aside from the 18-hour rise time!).

I’ve made dozens of no knead bread loaves, and with each new attempt I usually try something new such as added seeds or different flour (I highly recommend Dove’s Organic Strong Wholemeal Flour). Last week I was feeling ambitious and went for a variation of the Seeded Sour loaf posted on Breadtopia.com. The loaf contains quinoa, millet, amaranth and poppy seeds, plus a bonus seed coating on the outside. I didn’t have sourdough starter so I used yeast. The resulting loaf had a nice texture and I discovered how much I love poppy seeds. The only think I’d skip next time is the amaranth in the seed topping - it was a little crunchy for my tastes. Otherwise, the seed topping is awesome and I think I’ll use it for all of my loaves because it makes it easy to get the dough out of the bowl.

To make sense of what I’m talking about, visit Breadtopia and check out their recipe and video. I highly recommend watching the video; I learned so much just by watching the baker handle the dough and manage the seeds. It also gave me extreme baker envy as he had all these useful tools like a dough scraper and a “proofing” bowl. The same page also contains three other no knead variations that might suit your fancy.

Tempting Textures: Quinoa, Amaranth, Poppy and Millet

Four-Seed No Knead Bread

30 grams rye flour
70 grams strong whole wheat bread flour
370 grams strong bread flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 1/2 tsp. quinoa
3 1/2 tsp. millet
2 Tbs. amaranth
1/2 Tbs. poppy seeds
1/4 tsp. yeast
350ml water
2 Tbs. yogurt

Seed Topping Ingredients:

1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 1/2 Tbs poppy seeds

Combine all dry ingredients (except the topping ingredients) and mix with the combined wet ingredients. Stir until the dough has the consistency of a shaggy ball, adding more water if necessary. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest in a warm place for at least 12 hours (and up to 24 hours. The dough is ready when it’s about double in size and spotted with big bubbles.

Give the counter top and your hands a generous sprinkle of flour. Turn the dough onto the counter. Pull the dough at either end to form a strip. Fold this strip into thirds (like a business letter). Give the dough a quarter turn and fold in thirds again. I’ll refer to these folds as “seams”, i.e., “right now your dough is on the counter, seam side up.” Cover with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

Oil a large bowl with olive oil. Add the seed topping ingredients in the bowl and swish the bowl around until the inside is covered in seeds. Put the dough ball into the bowl seam side down. Cover with the plastic wrap and let sit for 2-3 hours. The dough is ready when it has more than doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When the dough is ready, remove the HOT pot and pour in a bit of olive oil. Swirl it around so that oil covers the entire inside of the pot. Now, take the bowl containing the dough and quickly turn it upside down over the pot so that the dough falls in seam side up. Cover the pot with a lid and bake for 40 minutes. Then remove the lid and bake another 5 or so minutes, until the loaf is browned and the seeds are toasted. Cool on a rack at least 45 minutes before slicing.

No Knead Recipe Variations
No knead Bread - Jim Lahey’s original recipe

You may already know that I’m bonkers for Bircher muesli. This week, I continue to spread the word over at Diets In Review. Check out the post for a little history lesson and a tasty recipe.

Here’s a snip:

In 1900, Bircher invented the now famous “muesli cereal”. His original recipe is vastly different from the sugar-coated, toasted muesli we typically find in the grocery store today. Instead, Bircher combined soaked oats, fruit and nuts with grated apple and lemon juice to create a naturally sweet breakfast cereal designed to energize and heal the body.

For any raw foodies in the audience, be aware that rolled oats aren’t raw (they are usually steamed before packaging). However, you can sub sprouted buckwheat or whole oat groats for a totally raw breakfast treat.

Read on for the recipe…

Veggie Breakfast Bircher Muesli [Diets in Review]

It’s no secret that I’m a dal fanatic. Rich in protein, low in fat, and very high in flavor, dal is one of nature’s perfect foods. It’s quick and easy to make and tastes like a dream. I didn’t think it could get any better than this, but Susan proved me wrong with her recipe for Cauliflower Dal with Panch Phoran. I love the way she describes this dish:

Sometimes a recipe comes along that’s so spectacular that you feel compelled to climb your way up to the top of the nearest alp and sing like Julie Andrews, giddy and overflowing with such love for the world that the power of your emotions threatens to send you skidding down the mountain on the backside of your lederhosen.

I can’t say I was singing, exactly, but the dal did make me extremely happy. The secret is in the Bengali spice blend called “panch phoran” (also spelled panch phoron and panch puran).

Panch Phoran is easy enough to make from spices readily available at most grocery stores. Simply mix equal parts of fenugreek, mustard seeds, onion seed, fennel seeds and cumin seeds. Make a big batch because I guarantee you’ll be using it again.

Here is a simplified version of Susan’s recipe. I’ve subbed the cauliflower with spinach and use tinned tomatoes instead of fresh.

Red Lentil Dal with Panch Phoran

Serves 6

250 grams red lentils (masoor dal)
4 cups water
1 teaspoon turmeric
olive oil
1 tablespoon panch phoran
10-20 curry leaves
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp minced ginger
400g tinned diced tomatoes
pinch of chili flakes (optional)
salt to taste
1 cup chopped spinach

Combine the red lentils, water and turmeric in a pot. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until the dal is tender, about 20-30 minutes.

While the dal cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the panch phoran and curry leaves. As soon as the seeds start to pop, add the onion, garlic and ginger. Cook until the onion is soft (it should not brown). Add the tomatoes, cooked lentils, chili and salt. Cook for at least 10 minutes to allow the flavors to bend. Shortly before serving, add the chopped spinach and cook until the spinach is wilted.

Serve hot with basmati rice.

One of the best things about living in London is the theatre. There are dozens of shows to choose from every night of the week, from grand big-budget productions to small-scale acts performed in cozy local playhouses. The best part is the price - even the big shows can cost less than £20 if you don’t mind sitting amongst the gods. Recently, I’ve been taking advantage of this and indulging in one of my top-secret guilty pleasures: musicals. A few months ago I saw Wicked (loved it) and last Thursday I took Tim to see Hairspray (liked it). In both cases I paid less than £20 for my ticket and snuck in some homemade popcorn and bottled water to cut costs even further.

There’s something wonderful and nostalgic about munching on salty popcorn in a dark theatre while watching an old dude in polyester fondle the fake boobies of a fat man in drag, all the while singing “you’re like a stinky old cheese babe / just gettin riper with age.” It got me thinking about how sad it is that popcorn has developed a horrible reputation for being a fat-laden butter bomb. Without the grease and the fake cheese, popcorn is actually a pretty healthy snack choice. It’s a natural, whole food and if you air pop it with one of those cool air-popping gizmos, two cups of popcorn has just 61 Calories and 2.4g fiber. Best of all, you can augment your popcorn with whatever tasty seasonings you like, such as salt, pepper, or my favorite, cayenne pepper.

Even if you don’t have an air-popper, you can do like I do and make it on the stove (see recipe below). “But what about Microwave popcorn?” you ask. Like many things that come out of a factory, microwave popcorn is riddled with controversy. There’s some evidence that the bags used for microwave popcorn contain a carcinogenic acid, and the EPA is studying potential bad things associated with the fake butter used to flavor “buttered” microwave popcorn. I say it’s best to stick with whole foods, even if (or especially if) one of those foods is real butter tossed with natural, unadulterated popcorn.

Stove-Top Popcorn Recipe

Makes 2 quarts

• 3 Tablespoons peanut, grapeseed, or other high smoke point oil
• 1/3 cup of organic or non-GMO popcorn kernels
• salt and seasonings to taste

Heat the oil in a 3-quart saucepan on medium high heat. Put 3 popcorn kernels into the oil and cover the pan. When the kernels pop, add the remaining popcorn kernels in an even layer. Cover, remove from heat and count 30 seconds. Return the pan to the heat. The popcorn should begin popping soon, and all at once. Once the popping starts gently shake the pan by moving it back and forth over the burner. When the popping slows to several seconds between pops, remove it from the heat, add salt and seasonings, and serve.

Is low fat popcorn a healthy snack? [World’s Healthiest Foods]

Photo courtesy of Biggie*

“Tamagoyaki, the slightly sweet rolled Japanese omelette, is a standby protein item for bentos. It tastes great at room temperature, is fairly easy to make, and is cheap too” says maki of Just Bento. Tamagoyaki is usally made with a special pan, but maki shows you how to do it yourself with one egg and a frying pan.

1 egg tamagoyaki (Japanese omelette)

The sun is finally out and the park is aglow as Londoners everywhere take to their shorts and give their pasty white legs a double dose of the ol’ Vitamin D. While the lucky lads with gardens flock to their barbecues, I turned to the soup pot and a recipe I’ve been meaning to try: Susan’s Spicy Collards and Black-eyed Pea Soup.

I didn’t have collards or black-eyed peas, so I improvised with chard and mixed beans. Susan’s recipe calls for hot sauce, cayenne AND chipotle pepper. Yes, this is one spicy meatball (sans meat). I skipped the hot sauce and went easy on the cayenne for a subtle heat. The result? Freakin’ amazing, man. The tomato paste makes everything uber-rich and delicious. Tim and I mmm’d and aah’d as we ate. This is more of a chili than a soup, and I was glad I decided to serve it with vegan cornbread.

Oh by the way, cooking this soup requires very few brain cells. And it’s fast and nutritious to boot.

And one more thing, the recipe estimates the true amount of beans and greens I actually used. Add more or less of these ingredients to suit your mood. I can also see carrots being good in this.

Spicy Greens and Beans

2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups of cooked beans
4 cups chopped chard, spinach, or other leafy green
1 teaspoon oregano
1 16-ounce can tomatoes
2 cups veggie broth
pinch of cayenne
1/2 teaspoon chipotle pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
salt to taste
water as needed

Heat the oil in a big pot. Add onions and cook on a low heat until onions are soft, not brown. Add the celery, bell pepper and garlic and cook for another 3 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.

Add everything else. Put in more water if you want it more soupy. Bring to a boil and then simmer for at least 25 minutes to let all of the flavors mingle.

Serve with brown rice or cornbread.

In keeping with this week’s continuing bout of physical and technological plague, I am still to tired too be original. So here’s another popular recipe from mi madre. If you’re looking for something interesting to do with green beans, I highly recommend this savory dish. And according to mom, so does my daddy-o:

Steve LOVES my smokey green beans… I’m so proud of the flavors in this simple dish. He gives it a 10+, high praise for Steve. John Thorne would be proud of me, Monica. I followed some principles in the slow, patient approach to cooking… that is, let it brown and use those precious flavor-infused tidbits to bring richness to the taste.

Smokey Green Beans

2-3 cups fresh green beans, cleaned and snapped in half
1 ripe tomato chopped, skin, seeds and all
1/2 large onion, sliced vertically into long strips
1 potato, boiled but firm, chopped in 1/2″ pieces (leave the skin on)
1/2 - 1 teaspoon liquid smoke, original recipe
canola spray
garlic salt, to taste
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
water
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste

Use a non-stick large frying pan. Spray with canola spray. Over a rather high heat, add the green beans. Let them sit and form blackened places before turning. Cook this way about two minutes and add the onion. Keep adding spray as needed. Let them brown without cooking through. Add the tomato, seasonings and potato. Cook another few minutes then add some water, scraping up all the browned bits that are so full of flavor. Cover and let the mixture “sweat” awhile. When the pan dries out, add more water and scrape up those delicious browned bits. The tomato will break down into a saucelike texture. The potato will start to release some soft bits which will thicken the “gravy” as you add water. Adjust the seasonings. Green beans should be tender, onions almost carmelized, and potato still in chunks. Put in serving container. Add a bit more water to the frying pan, to loosen the last of the flavorful bits and pour over the green beans and serve. Mmmmmmmm…