Black Bean Soup

Friend of mine was telling me a story about her hubby's misadventures with some black bean soup the other day.  A few days later it was raining, and I didn't feel like cooking, so I decided to make some of my own.  This is the recipe I started with, then tweaked it based on personal taste and what I keep in my pantry.  You know, I honestly don't know why I bother buying cookbooks, since the food we eat never resembles the original recipe!  Inspiration, I suppose...

I often will cook a bag of dried beans, then freeze it in two-cup portions with some of the cooking water ladled over the top to prevent freezer burn.  Super easy, and super cheap.  This recipe is based on that.  You could use canned beans just as easily, as called for in the original recipe.

4 cups cooked black beans, with cooking water
1 can of petite diced tomatoes
1/2 t. Italian seasoning
1 t. ground black pepper
2 t. salt, more to taste if needed
2 cups chicken broth
2 T. taco sauce (as suggested in the original recipe, I used two packets of mild Taco Bell sauce.  Probably wasn't quite two tablespoons, I could have used one or two more.)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 broccoli stalk, peeled and chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped

Put all ingredients into a 4- or 5-quart crock pot.  Cook on low 8 - 10 hours.  Before serving, ladle half of the soup out into a blender.  Put the lid on, COVER WITH A TOWEL (this is very important to keep you from getting burned), and blend until smooth.  Pour back into the crock pot and stir. 

Serve with cornbread on the side.

Makes 4 servings (three if you're feeding this to a bean-loving toddler like mine!).

Slow Cooker Ham and Potato Soup

I made this up as a I went along this morning.  It turned out REALLY well, so I'd better get it written down while it's still fresh in my mind!  My hubby said he wished it was a little thicker, so next time I'll thicken it with a little cornstarch, but on the whole it was great.

2 c. cooked ham, cubed
3 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream (evaporated milk would work well, too - I just had the cream on hand)

Place all but the cheese and cream in a three-quart slow cooker.  Add water just to cover.  Cook on low 6 - 8 hours.  Using a potato masher, mash the soup to thicken slightly (don't do too much or your ham chunks will completely disintegrate).  Stir in cheese and cream.  Let cook 15 more minutes and serve.

We ate this with rolls and a green salad.  Very simple, very good!

Vegetable stew with chickpeas

This is one of those awesome meals for make-ahead, because it tastes better the longer it sits.  I found the original recipe in Organic Gardening magazine, and tweaked it a bit to use what I had on hand.  That recipe suggested that it be served over bulgur or couscous, but I liked it on its own with just some good bread and butter on the side.  Next time, I'm going to try it with white beans instead of chickpeas, because I prefer those and think their creaminess will go well with the vegetable textures.

Note that this is not someting I would serve to my picky eater - I made it because it sounded good to me, and will eat it for lunch for a few days.  It is VERY filling!

1 medium eggplant, cut in 1-inch chunks
4 T. olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced
1 bell pepper (I used orange), cut into wedges
2 small zucchini, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
1 t. paprika
1/2 t. turmeric
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 T. tomato paste (I used ketchup because I didn't have any tomato paste - turned out just fine)
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 15-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1 c. water
handful of fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
dash hot sauce, to taste
salt and pepper to taste

1.  In a large, nonstick deep-sided skillet or Dutch oven (I used my cast-iron chicken fryer), cook the eggplant in 1/2 of the olive oil over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown on all sides, 10 - 15 minutes.  Remove from pan and set aside.

2.  Put the rest of the oil in the pan, and cook onion, pepper, and zucchini until just starting to brown, about 10 minutes.  Add the paprika, turmeric, and garlic and cook an additional minute or two.  Add tomato paste and water, scraping the bottom of the pan to mix up the caramelized bits.  Add tomatoes, chickpeas, and eggplant, as well as salt and pepper to taste.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 - 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in cilantro, parsley, and hot sauce just before serving.