Vegan – Vegetarian

A great day for soup: Quick and Easy Black Bean Soup

~ The Blind Guy Cooks ~ Leave a comment

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I’m not opposed to taking a few shortcuts now and then in the kitchen. Especially when it comes to dried beans and lentils which can take forever to prepare. Here is a quick and easy black bean soup recipe that hit the spot on this cold, dreary evening. This soup can easily be made vegetarian by replacing the chicken broth with vegetable broth.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
3 tablespoons chili powder
½ teaspoon oregano
1 C Chicken or vegetable broth
3 cans (15 ounces each) Black Beans
Black pepper
Salsa
Shredded cheese
Fresh herb, like basil

Directions

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook about five minutes then stir in cumin, chili powder and oregano and continue cooking until onions are translucent. Add chicken broth. Puree one can of black beans, add to pot. Add second can of black beans (do not puree). Drain and rinse last can of black beans and add to pot (do not puree).

Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes stirring often. Add black pepper to taste.

Top with salsa, shredded cheese and fresh herb.

Tomato Salad — Exceptionally Quick… Exceptionally Good

~ The Blind Guy Cooks ~ Leave a comment

I arrived home very late tonight so it was a quick meal of pasta with the left over Pesto di Noce from Monday night. Susan and I were still just a little hungry after the pasta so she suggested that I cut up some tomatoes and drizzle some olive oil over them. That smart young lady got me thinking. Why not chiffonade some basil and mix that in too. In less than five minutes we had a delicious tomato salad.

Here’s all there is to it:

Cut up in somewhat large chunks your favorite tomatoes. I used Romas as that is what I had. I wish I could say they were fresh from my garden but July’s tempest did my tomatoes in. Chiffonade some basil and sprinkle it on top. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over the basil and tomato. Sprinkle a little kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. A little shredded Parmesan and there you go; a tasty tomato salad!

Eating well doesn’t have to take a lot of time or money… Which reminds me, are you taking Slow Food USA’s $5 Challenge September 17?

Not your mother’s eggplant Parmesan

~ The Blind Guy Cooks ~ Leave a comment

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I remember the first time I ever had eggplant. It was at my Aunt Bertha’s. I was probably about seven at the time and I really wasn’t too impressed with the idea of eating this purple oblong thing. That is until I tried it. It was surprisingly good.

Tonight I made Eggplant Parmesan; a ubiquitous use of eggplant. It was a toss-up between that or ratatouille and I figured the former would be a little more successful.

Susan claims this was the best eggplant Parmesan she has ever eaten.

Here is what I did:

Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients

2 medium eggplants
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
½ cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
1 cup shredded provolone cheese

Directions

1. BREAD EGGPLANT. Cut two ¾-inch planks lengthwise from center of each eggplant and cut remaining eggplant into ½-inch dice. Place flour in shallow dish. Beat eggs in second shallow dish. Combine bread crumbs, ¼ cup Parmesan, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in third shallow dish. One at a time, coat eggplant slices lightly with flour, dip them in egg, and dredge in bread-crumb mixture, pressing to adhere. Transfer to wire rack set inside rimmed baking sheet and let sit 5 minutes.

2. COOK EGGPLANT. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Heat ½ cup oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook eggplant slices until lightly browned, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to wire rack set inside baking sheet and bake until eggplant is tender and deep golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

3. MAKE SAUCE. Meanwhile, pour off oil and wipe out skillet with paper towels. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chopped eggplant and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in remaining oil, garlic, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 -seconds. Add tomatoes and reduce heat to medium. Simmer until eggplant is tender and sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper; cover and keep warm.

4. ASSEMBLE. Combine remaining Parmesan and provolone in medium bowl. Top browned eggplant slices with cheese mixture and bake until cheese is melted, about 3 minutes. Transfer half of sauce to platter and top with eggplant slices. Spoon remaining sauce over eggplant. You may also serve with a thin spaghetti. If you do, plate spaghetti and then top with sauce, eggplant slices and remaining sauce.