Black Bean Rice Bowl

I copied this out of a magazine while I was getting my hair done - tweaked it a bit to make it my own and the end result was delicious.

You will need:

• 1 c. rice
• 2 c. vegetable broth
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. coriander
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tbsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp. chili flakes
• 1/2 c. red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 3/4 c. frozen corn
• 1 tbsp. lime juice
• 1 avocado
• 1 plum tomato, chopped
• 1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
• Vegetable oil

Cook rice in vegetable broth and set aside.  Heat vegetable oil and stir in onion, garlic and chili flakes.  Add beans and corn and 1 cup of water.   Boil until almost no liquid remains. 

Mix avocado, tomato and lime juice. 

Top rice with bean mixture and serve with avocado/tomato mixture. 

Lentil Chili Pie with Corn Bread Crust

This was an experiment, but it turned out quite nicely.

Stew:

You will need:

• 1 large onion, chopped
• vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 tsp. chili flakes
• 2 tbsp. chili powder
• 2 tbsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. thyme
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 can lentils, drained and rinsed
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 2 peppers, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
•  1 jalapeno, chopped
• Salt and pepper

Corn Bread Topping:

• 1 cup corn flour
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 3 tbsp. vegetable oil

Blend dry ingredients into a bowl.  Stir in wet ingredients just until everything is combined.  Spoon topping over stew and bake at 400F for 30 minutes. 
Cook onion, garlic, jalapeno and chili flakes in vegetable oil. Add spices until they become fragrant.  Stir in lentils, and tomatoes.  Simmer for 40 minutes.  Add peppers and celery and simmer for another 15 minutes.   Add salt and pepper to taste.  Put stew in a casserole dish.

Strawberry Shortcake

Rach decided she was in the mood for strawberry shortcake.

You will need:

• 1 package of strawberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Whipping cream
• 1 1/2 gluten-free flour mix
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. xanthan gum
• 1 tsp. guar gum
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. shortening
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg white

Wash and removed the stems from strawberries.  Slice into 1/4" slices.  Put into a bowl and add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sugar and mix.  Set aside for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine dry ingredients and cut up shortening until it's the size of small pesa.  Add milk and egg white and blend well.  Form dough into 3/4 inch thick circles and 2 inches across.  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

Spoon strawberries over each shortcake and top with whipping cream.

Mandarine Orange Kidney Bean Salad

This was me being in the mood for something different. It's a little on the sweet side, so next time I think I will cut the sugar in half.  But, it was still very nice as a change.

You will need:

• 1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can mandarin oranges, drained
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup poppy seed dressing
• 2 tbsp. sugar

Combine kidney beans, mandarin oranges, celery, dressing and sugar in a bowl.  Stir, cover and chill over night.  

Avacado Goat Cheese Dip

Rach found this recipe on the internet.  This turned out quite nicely, but it is very rich.

You will need:

• 3 avocados
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3 tbsp. lime juice
• 4 ounces of cream cheese
• 4 ounces of goat cheese

In a bowl mash avocados.  Add garlic, cumin, salt, lime juice, cream cheese and goat cheese. Add more salt it necessary.

Serve with corn chips.  

Black Bean Avocado Salad

This was another super fast dinner on a hot night.  I love it when dinner is made in 5 minutes or less.

You will need:

• 1/4 olive oil
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup sweet onion, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 avocado, peeled and chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed

In a serving bowl mix olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and salt and pepper.  Add black beans, onions, red pepper, garlic and avocado.  Toss to combine. 

Broccoli Salad

Rach and I sort of just made this up based on a recipe a neighbour gave me.  It turned out really good.

You will need:

• 1 bunch broccoli, washed and cut into small flowerettes
• 1 jar of Renee's Greek salad dressing
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta
• 1 cup trail mix
• 1/3 sweet onion, chopped
• salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.  That's it.