Punk Rock BEANS!

What's more punk rock than beans? NOTHING!

I grafted today's recipe from a rather unusual little cook book I picked up last time I was in Portland, SOY, NOT "OI!" is an awesome little recipe book/punk zine filled with enough awesomely tasty recipes and vegan anarchy that it has become one of my favorite cook books!

AND I just found out you can buy yourself one right here:

It's a couple bucks more than I paid for it, but hey you don't have to drive all the way to Portland, Oregon!

Sure it's easy to buy cans of beans for a dollar or two but save up and buy a BIG bag of dry beans and you will be living! This recipe is way tastier than those canned beans you're used to and not much harder either!

INGREDIENTS:
-2 cups of dry pinto beans
-1 Can of tomato Paste (or half a can of tomato sauce)
-1 Onion
OPTIONAL:
-Mushrooms
-Bell peppers
-Tomatoes
-(Serve with:) 2 cups of rice (cooked)

As with all beans you start with scratch you're going to need to soak them in water and let it sit there for at least 8 hours if not over night (just remember to do it the night before or first thing in the morning) Just fill the pan with water and let it sit. Add some salt and pepper here too so that it can soften the beans a bit. If you can check on it once in a while and just add water if the beans end up above water (they like to absorb quite a bit of water) Easy so far...

flash forward 8 hours and then I drain the nasty bean water and strain the beans under a cold tap!

Next fill the pan up again with fresh water, and bring to a boil! AND add a couple drips of olive oil!

As your waiting for it to boil you can start cutting the onions (and mushrooms if you want them)And then when the beans boil you can take the heat down to a medium temp and throw in the chopped goodies!

Next you're gonna wanna let that boil for like an hour and half!
Keep adding water as needed (but if you keep it covered while its cooking it seems to require less added water)

After the beans are all soft and nice you can drain whatever water's left and then thow them back on the heat and add your tomato paste (and tomatoes if you got um) and here's where you can spice to your taste... salt, pepper, chili, a bit of curry powder and some paprika seems like a nice combo, but see what works for you!

now let it cook like this stirring occasionally until the beans are all globby and beautiful :)

now just throw it over some rice or just have it straight! and ENJOY!

Happy Eating!

Vegetarian Pasta That Will Blow Your Mind!

...because of how simple yet amazing it is!

This is the perfect recipe for so many occasions, because it looks impressive, doesn't take too long, its super simple, and it really doesn't take that many ingredients!

First up Your ingredients her bellow:



Here's what I used but you can kinda mix and mach and sub what you want, have some fun with it!
-1 Box of rotini pasta noodles
-2 Bellpeppers (I only really like yellow)
-1 Large Onion (or two smaller ones)
~5-6 White Mushrooms
-1/2 Bag of Mixed Vegetables (from the freezer section of your local market)
-1 Jar (or can) of your favorite pre-made pasta sauce
-Some Olive Oil
OPTIONALS
-Broccoli (I planned on adding it but mine went bad too quickly!)
-tablespoon or so of Balsamic Vinegar
-Some Garlic (to taste)

WARNING As pictured here this makes A LOT OF PASTA. That's pretty much how I do it, I like to bust this one out when I have company over and then I have plenty left to eat leftovers for the next few days! Feel free to half everything you see here and just end up with enough for a couple people.


OKAY LETS GET STARTED:

First off you're gonna need two pans and two free burners on your stove for this one...



Smaller pan is gonna be for the sauce to cook in and the larger one is for cookin' your noodles!

First off fill the larger pan with just under 3/4s full and put it on high until it boils.
Once it Boils put the whole box of noodles in (keep in mind this makes A LOT) and add some olive oil and salt to ensure the noodles cook all the way through and keep on stirring once in a while so the noodles don't get stuck together or to the pan (they do seem enjoy each other's company a little too much)



Now in the smaller pan... Throw a couple of dabs of Olive oil in there and chop your onion(s) and add to the pan.



Let this cook for a little while at medium heat till the onions are almost looking transparent and smelling delicious.

WHILE the onions are cooking, is the perfect time to chop your mushrooms and bell peppers....





When the onions look good add the chopped Mushrooms and bell peppers...



Here's where I like to add some sea salt and crushed pepper to your liking (you can also add the chopped garlic right now) :D



And when the mushrooms are looking darker and mushier (cooked basically) and the onions are now fully transparent it's time to add the MIXED VEGETABLES!



Throw them on top and let the frozen veggies become not-so-frozen veggies!



And while this is going on you can switch back to the larger pan (that hopefully you've been stirring!) and the noodles should look all cooked and yummy now, looking hopefully somewhat like this... (takes only about 12-15 minutes of cooking to get to this point depending on how hot you're cooking them at)



Turn off the burner for the larger pan and then strain the noodles under a cold-tap and then throw the noodles back into the pan for a few to cool down, while we go back and finish up the sauce!



Okay stir in your now sweaty veggies and it show start to be smelling REALLY good now!



You can season the (soon to be) sauce to your hearts content now! I like to add a lot of pepper, some thyme, oregano and a tiny bit of basil.

Now you can add the pasta sauce and just step back and let all the ingredients cook together making some serious magic happen. Stir occasionally and season again to taste. should only take 4-10 minutes.



And I think just adding a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar really seals the whole deal...





Then when everything looks yummy and delicious and you cant wait anymore...



...add the entire smaller sauce pan to the bigger pan of noodles that's just chillin. Gently stir (this is where I always make a big mess!)



AND SERVE IMMEDIATELY!!



You won't even know what hit you! I MADE THIS? Just try not to look as shocked as you company, the best chefs are never surprised with their own creations amazing-ness (or so it seems)

Happy Eating!

5 - The easiest meal you'll make all week!

Taco salad is one of the few meals my mom used to make when she was short on time AND I absolutely LOVED it!





Now that I'm a vegetarian I find myself still short on time (imagine that!) and still loving Taco Salad! (woot!) So here ya go it's the easiest/tastiest thing you're gonna make all week!


Here's your ingredient list! Should be pretty self explanatory...


Start by laying out a layer of tortilla chips (like I said, EASY.)


Next plant your bed of greens, tomatoes and onions


Here's my meat substitute (sorry about the lame photo) but it's a soy based completely vegan ground beef substitute that I get at either Safeway (vons!), Trader Joes, or Whole foods for just a couple of bucks! Here's the site for the product I use but there's lots of other ones that other companies offer too!


Heat the soy meat in a pan or nuke it for a few seconds in the microwave! This stuff is great I don't even add anything to its just wonderful out of the package! In fact, don't tell my little brothers but this is what my parents (who aren't vegetarians) use when they make tacos back home just cause it's so easy and tastes so great!


Top it off with Salsa or Ranch to your taste and olé! Enjoy!

(I'm using a Mango Salsa from TJ's that I got from a friend so that's what gives it the pretty yellow color and if you want this vegan don't add the ranch! easy enough!)
:)

3 - Green Shadow, Water Weight All Over Me~

So I'm sure you have had the mornings where you wake up and you feel dead tired from the previous nights activities...



For some of you this might be a daily occurrence but for me it's definitely a once in a blue moon type deal. But often the expression of the morning is "oh my god I can't believe I drank/ate that" and these are the mornings I re-establish that just want to eat healthy for the rest of my life ;)Best way to start is with a tall glass of water and a healthy salad! And today I'm going to talk about my favorite salad topping... QUINOA.




I'm sure a lot of you have no idea what quinoa (KEEN-WA) is, so It's time for me to enlighten you. Quinoa is a grain-like seed originating from South America that the Ancient Incas worshiped as a sacred crop (and for good reason!) I love quinoa and use it on next to everything from salads to veggie burgers! You can pick it up at your local health food store (i.e. whole foods) and to prepare it you pretty much treat it like you would rice. You have to first wash the grains with cold water then put them on the stove with 1 and 1/2 cups of water for every cup of quinoa (and one cup goes a long way!) first bring it to a boil then let simmer for about twenty minutes. Let the quinoa stand for a few minutes then fluff it with a fork and then you're done! Super simple and great to add to just about anything (expecially a salad!)




In case your wondering my salad contains fresh greens (from the farmer's market!) some red onion, tomatoes, Italian dressing, pickles (to vary the texture?)and probably more quinoa than I should have but... (what the hey this is a quinoa post right?)



Serve it with some herbal lemongrass tea and you'll be back up to full speed again in no time! :)