Black Beans and Roasted Potato Bowl

My husband's job requires him to have dinner meetings from time to time.   On nights when he is at one of these dinners, I am the only one here to deal with dinner time, or what my friend and I call "the witching hour".  If you have young children, or have had a toddler you will completely understand what I mean.  If not, here is what the witching hour is: Somewhere between 4 and 6pm babies/ toddlers/ kids seems to get louder, crankier, more hyper, more demanding than at any other time of the day.  This is the time of day the toddler is getting into EVERYTHING- climbing on things, emptying my cabinets, stealing crayons and attempting to write on stuff  ( like walls).  When Daddy is here he  keeps the little one entertained while I make dinner.  When he's not here, I need quick easy meals that require very little attention.  We still have to eat a healthy dinner after all!
A few weeks ago I came up with this easy dish on the fly.  I had black beans in my cabinet, fresh potatoes from the farmers market in my fridge, and a spice cabinet full of spices to play with.  So I put it all together and made a really tasty, filling, easy dinner for myself and my oldest daughter. The middle one and little one had chicken tenders (don't judge), some of the potatoes, and veggies.  I didn't know it would turn out so good so I didn't take pictures.  When I made this again a few nights ago I made sure I had my camera on hand.  With the help of my 8 year old we recreated this delicious meal (with a few changes and a lot more spice).

Black Beans and Roasted Potato Bowl

Ingredients:

• 4-6 medium white potatoes- diced
• 1 can black beans
• Olive Oil
• 1 can Rotel Tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 jalapeno diced (remove seeds for less heat)
• 1/2 red onion- diced
• juice of 1half of a  lime
• 1 teaspoon Hot Mexican Chili Powder
• 1 teaspoon Cumin
• Trader Joes South African Smoke Seasoning (optional)

Preheat your oven to 430F. Spray your cooking sheet with your favorite cooking spray.  Dice your potatoes, toss with olive oil and seasonings of you choice.  Roast in the oven until done. (I usually broil mine for the last few minutes to help crisp them.)

This is the best seasoning blend ever!  If you haven't tried it ( and you live near a Trader Joes) you really must try this!  It's awesome on just about anything.

While the potatoes are roasting: Saute your onions until they are slightly softened.  Add your jalapeno and cook for about 2 minutes.  Add your drained and rinsed black beans, tomatoes, lime juice and your seasonings. Let simmer until the liquid is mostly gone.

If you don't have canned tomatoes, you can use fresh diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, or even some salsa.  

Serve the black beans over the roasted potatoes. 

This recipe was really pretty spicy.  The first time I made this I did not use the jalapeno so it was a lot milder ( and I ended up adding sirarcha ).  It's totally your preference as to how hot you want it. I love it with the potatoes instead of  rice because it makes it so much heartier and more filling.  Plus if you season your potatoes you get even more flavor.

After I made it I realized this was a totally gluten free, vegan meal. It's actually free of most allergens. While this version is vegan, I think I may try it with a fried egg on top one of these days.  

"Extending the Table" with Curried Peas and Potatoes

As I mentioned in a previous post, my husband and I are working our way through a special cookbook called "Extending the Table". We found this gem of a book at Ten Thousand Villages, which is a store that sells fair trade, handmade products from countries all over the world. The proceeds from the sales of the products always go back to the artisan and the village it came from. My favorite item from the store is a pendant in the shape of a Peace Dove. It is made from bomb shell casings that are found all over the countryside in Cambodia. The word Peace is engraved on it in both English and Khmer. I keep it on my key chain (since I use them several times a day) as a constant reminder of how truly blessed and lucky I am to raise my daughters in a peaceful nation, and to not complain about the small unimportant things because I really don't have a reason to complain, even on my bad days.

On one of our visits to the store I came across this cookbook. I really liked the messages of this book- More with Less and generous hospitality. More with Less started with another cookbook put together by Doris Janzen Longacre in 1976 in response to the world food crisis. She compiled recipes that encouraged people to look at how they ate and reduce how much food they used and wasted in meals. The other message is about sharing what you have, regardless of how little you do or don't have. There are stories throughout the book of families sharing their meal with missionaries, even though they barely have enough for themselves.

The beauty of these recipes is that they do not use a ton of ingredients, nor are they difficult to prepare. They usually come from villages where Kitchen Aid and Cuisinart don't exist. The ingredients are basic, and if it is something that is not common in the States (or Canada), the author has listed a substitute.

This week's recipe is Curried Peas with Potatoes from India.

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Oil
2 1/2 teaspoon ginger root, chopped
2 1/2 teaspoon garlic, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/8-1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (Cayenne pepper)
3 medium tomatoes, chopped OR 2 cups canned tomatoes
1 1/2 Tablespoon cilantro OR 1 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1-2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
3/4 cup water
3 cup frozen peas
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala


Directions:
1.In a medium saucepan, (I used my cast iron pot) heat the 2 tablespoons of oil. Add and saute the 2.5 teaspoons of ginger root, 2.5 teaspoons of garlic, 1/2 cup of onion, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.


2.When the onions are brown, add 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, and the 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper.

3. Stir in the tomatoes and the cilantro or coriander (I used coriander).




4. Cook that for about 5 minutes, or until the liquid evaporates and then add the potato and water. If you use canned tomatoes, use less water- about a 1/4 cup.

5.Stir well, bringing it to a boil. After 10 minutes add the peas. Cook until the potatoes and peas are done. At this point I added the Garam Masala as well. I let it simmer on the stove for about 20 minutes on low.



Serve over rice as a main dish, or as a side to another curry meal. We had it as a meal, and it was quite filling.


My husband suggested that it would also be really good as a side with my South African Sweet and Sour Chicken .

"Kindness does not go rotten"
~Swahili proverb

Fancy Made Simple- Crab Cakes with Sauteed Kale & Tomatoes and Oven Potato Crisps

We first learned how to make crab cakes on a family vacation to the Outer Banks, NC. My husband's brother-in-law had just graduated from culinary school and taught us several incredible recipes the week we vacationed with them. One of our absolute favorites was his crab cakes. We make them quite often, and they are one of the most requested meals when we have people over or host a gathering.

I have to give credit where it is due: My husband is actually the one who has perfected these- it is his signature dish you could say. Like my pulled pork BBQ is mine, this is his. (No, the pork recipe has not been shared on the blog).

This is such a versatile dish- we have made mini crab cakes as appetizers for holiday gatherings, larger ones for sandwiches or to eat plain as a main dish with veggies on the side... the possibilities are truly endless. They are good anytime of year, for any sort of gathering.
For tonight we used Bumblebee canned lump crab meat. We always have some on hand and it works very well in this dish. Plus, it is much more affordable than getting lump crab meat from a fish market. However, during the summer and especially when we go to the beach, we buy fresh crab meat- and it is so good! But the canned works just as well.

Tonight, since we ate them as the main meat entree, we had sauteed kale with garlic and tomatoes, and oven baked potato crisps as our side dishes. I will share the recipes for the entire meal here in this post, and I will also post the kale recipe separate as a side dish.

Crab cakes: Ingredients: (Makes 4 crab cakes)
2 cans Bumblebee lump crab meat, drained
1/4 cup Panko Bread crumbs plus, more for dredging
1/4 cup Mayonnaise
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Vegetable oil for frying


**Sometimes we add in an egg (1 per 2 cans of crab meat) to help the mixture stay together better. We had just run out (our fresh egg pickup isn't until next week) but these can be made without egg. Great for those with egg allergies. If you are going use an egg, add it before the mayonnaise.**

Directions:
1.Drain crab meat and pour into a mixing bowl


2. Add about 1/4 cup of regular mayonnaise. (Our preferred brand for taste and texture is Hellmann's.)
You want the consistency to be moist, bordering on wet. The crab meat should all stick together, but not in a lumpy form.


3. Add in about 1/4 cup of the Panko Breadcrumbs, slowly stirring them in.


4. Add them until you reach a sticky consistency, where it is starting to lump up.


5. Add in the cayenne pepper- about 1/8 teaspoon. Add less if you don't like it too spicy, more if you want them hot.

David recommends adding the spice in with the mayonnaise, but you can add it at any point.

6.Add oil to either a cast iron skillet (recommended) or other heavy saute pan. It's important that it is a heavy pan because you need the oil to heat evenly and slowly. You want enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan, and have it about 1/4 of the depth of the crab cake patty.

DO NOT USE OLIVE OIL- It smokes at low temperatures.

7.Form the crab cakes into the patty size you desire.


and coat them in Panko Breadcrumbs:


8.Put the cakes into the warm oil and let brown on both sides.




9. Once browned on both sides, place in a oven safe baking pan and bake at about 400F for 5-10 minutes. I line the pan with foil for easy clean up.



We also make a sauce to go along with these:
Mayo, Grey Poupon Mustard, and 1 clove garlic, pressed.


No measurements, just equal parts.




Sauteed Kale with Garlic and Tomatoes:
Ingredients:
1/2 bag Kale
1 large tomato, chopped ( or you can use cherry tomatoes, I didn't have any)
3 cloves garlic, pressed
Extra Virgin Olive Oil- about 2 Tablespoons
Salt and Pepper to taste



Directions:
1. Blanch the kale before you saute it- I let it cook until it wilts.


2. Heat oil in a saute pan. Add garlic and tomatoes and cook until the garlic becomes fragrant- just a minute or two.


3. Add the wilted kale to the tomatoes and garlic. Mix well, and cook together for a few minutes.



Oven Baked Potato Crisps:
I wanted to use my new mandoline slicer tonight, so I decided to make oven potato crisps. These are super simple:
You just need:
3 russet potatoes, sliced thinly
cooking spray- to coat the pan
olive oil
spice(s) of your choice, I chose smoked paprika.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425F.
Line baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.
Toss potatoes with olive oil and place in single layer on sheet.


Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and the spice(s) of your choice. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until they are slightly browned and crispy.

For the last 5 minutes or so, broil them to get them crispy if needed.

All put together dinner tonight looked like this:


We paired tonight's dinner with a nice, chilled Reisling (if you like wine)

*Recipe adapted from Andy Parsons