Aunt Tracy’s Bean Bowl

 A revamped version of my favorite bean salad, Aunt Bebe’s Bean Bowl.  Of course my Walmart had no wax beans (too fancy for Walmart?) which the original recipe calls for. I substituted canned beets and was pleasantly surprised! I could eat this stuff by the bowlful. 

• 1 can green beans
• 1 can kidney beans
• I can lima beans
• 1 can chick peas
• 1 can sliced beets
• 1 sweet onion sliced very thin
• 1/3 C sugar
• 1/3 C red wine vinegar
• 1/3 C vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Dissolve sugar in vinegar over low heat. Add oil, salt and pepper. Pour warm dressing over onions and bring to room temp. Add drained and rinsed beans. Salad is better the next day when it has had some time to marinate. 

Roasted Beet and Potato Soup

Look what's tucked away safe and sound in my freezer. Such a unique combo of foods and flavors! My little garden produced about a dozen beets and I was tempted to either roast them for salads or throw them in my juicer, but instead decided to 'preserve' them for fall in the form of soup. And what a beautiful soup this is! Check out that color. Pure PINK! And please notice that this soup is to be served with tiny roasted potato 'croutons.' Such a fun idea.

Here's the recipe from Deliciously Ella blog. Potatoes, beets, cumin, lemon, coconut milk, and one of my favorite secret ingredients: coriander.

Here's another look at this delicious soup.

Beet Mango Smoothie

Day 7: Focus on a nutrient

Gotta be honest and say I'm too lazy to learn about the nutrients in a beet. I know for a fact that they are packed with all the good vitamins and minerals and fiber that we're supposed to be eating every day. I figure, if you're eating a variety of foods, and every color of food, and lots of water and carbs and protein, you're good for the day.

"Where do you get your protein?" is the question that vegans all deal with. The first time I was asked this, I was sitting in a room full of people I had not seen since college - a reunion of sorts. They found is odd (or interesting? ) that I eat a vegan diet. When they questioned my protein intake, I admit that I stumbled in responding. I vaguely said, "Oh, beans and tofu." Lame. The room was completely silent, everyone was nodding as if now they totally understood a vegan diet, and I felt that I did no service to my new way of eating.

What I should have said is that the Standard American Diet is so chocked full of protein that many people actually suffer from protein related diseases! Have you actually ever heard of a vegetarian or vegan suffering from protein deficiency? No, I didn't think so. There is plenty of protein in a vegan diet, including beets! Yes, a beet has protein. Plus, plant protein is easier to digest and because it comes in a handy vegetable, you also get the bonus of all that glorious fiber. No fiber in animal products - not an ounce. Plenty of protein in plants.

Next time someone asks me where I get my protein, of course I'll say beans and tofu. I'll also state the there's great sources of protein in all kinds of plants. Hey, did you guys know, for example, that a gorilla eats only plants. They seem to get plenty of protein! :) 

And don't forget about all those beautiful professional football players that are vegan. I bet they eat beets. 

Two Soups: Borscht and Coconut Curry Red Lentil

I received a subscription to Chickpea magazine for Christmas and I also treated myself to all the back issues. It’s a beautiful publication, full of gorgeous photos and recipes. It’s the type of magazine that you keep for years to read and re-read every page. This perfect White Zucchini Pizza comes from the Summer 2012 issue. I am a pizza snob, and I know a great pizza when I see one. This one is more than great. You must try it, even you non-vegans out there.

From the Winter 2012 issue, I recently made Borsch; never in a million years would I have dreamed of making it, but the color in the photo tempted me. I wanted to serve it at my St. Patrick’s Day party, but it wasn’t party-worthy in my opinion. The flavor was very thin and mild, which surprised me considering how many zillions of ingredients were in it. Also, if you want to know the truth  - let’s really bond, here – it went s.t.r.a.i.g.h.t. through me…. definitely NOT party-worthy! “Tracy, may I use your bathroom?” “Yes, me too?” Ah, but, that COLOR!

And since soup season is not over up here in Michigan, I also made this excellent Coconut Curry Red Lentil. I loved it, but I wish I had made it thinner. It was a bit too thick for my taste. What I am trying to imitate is the soup I had at Seva Restaurant in Ann Arbor. Why do restaurants always have such great and ‘secret’ ingredients??

And then I was messing around and decided to puree some it: 

 “Tastes like baby food,” said the family."

Here’s what you need for Borscht:

4 beetroots

2 cabbage leaves

2 celery stalks

1 sour apple

1 carrot

Some parsley stalks

½ leek

8 peppercorns

6 allspice corns (I used dried)

2 cloves

2 garlic cloves – unpeeled

3 dried mushrooms

2 dried plums

2 t dried marjoram

¼ C black currant juice (I used pomegranate juice)

2 t red wine vinegar

Here’s what you do:

Wash all the veggies but don’t peel them. Grate beets in a food processor. Cut the apple in quarters and remove seeds. Put all ingredients except marjoram, juice and vinegar in a large pot. Cover with 3 liters of water. Cover the pot and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for one hour. When it’s done, add the marjoram and vinegar. Leave it alone for the night. ( I put mine in the cold garage)

Next morning, strain, heat, season with salt, pepper and juice. Serve piping hot. 

(printable recipe)

Coconut Curry Red Lentil Soup (adapted from Food.com website, Chef #437873)

Here’s what you need:

1 T olive oil

1 T hot curry or more to taste

½ t cinnamon

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 t fresh ginger, grated or minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 t salt

1 t sugar

1 small can tomato paste

7 C water

2 C Silk brand coconut milk

2 C red lentils

15 oz cooked chick peas (drained and rinsed)

1 T lime juice

Cilantro for garnish

Here’s what you do:

Warm the oil in a large pot. Add the curry and cinnamon and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Add the onions and cook another 2 minutes. Add the carrots, ginger, garlic, salt, sugar and tomato paste. Cook 2 more minutes. Pour in the water, coconut milk, lentils and chickpeas. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cook uncovered for about 25 minutes or until the lentils are very soft.  At the end, stir in the lime juice. 

(printable recipe)

Pink Food for your Valentine’s Menu

What is it? I’ll give you three guesses……

Raspberry sorbet with raisins (that’s what it looks like to me)

Whipped frosting with candied cherries (this is the ‘throw-away’  option)

Roasted beet hummus with roasted beets (you guessed correctly!)

So, I’m sitting peacefully at home a few weeks ago, scrolling through my email and I came across this recipe. It was posted on a fellow Michigan blogger’s page…..well, she no longer lives in Michigan, but that’s another story. (click here to see Noelle’s blog).  I love hummus in a big way and I love beets in a huge way, so I knew this was for me. I actually jumped up from my chair and made it that morning!

Luckily, I had these gorgeous beets in the garage. I was literally eating this by the spoonful. No time for a dainty chip. The added benefit for me was the extra roasted beets to put on as a garnish….they were as sweet as candy…. And that’s no exaggeration!

I ate a HUGE amount for lunch and then slathered it on a pizza crust with a little feta cheese for dinner. HEAVEN!!

Here’s what you need: (I changed the original recipe quite a bit; my changes are reflected here.)

1 C roasted beets

About ¼ C olive oil

Sea salt

2 cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

2 T tahini

3 cloves garlic, minced

¼ C lemon juice

¼ C water (or more as needed)

Here’s what you do:

Roast the beets: peel and cube them. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle salt. Roast in 375  degree oven until soft. Mine took about 30 minutes. Allow them to cool for a bit.

Place all ingredients in a high powdered blender or Cuisinart and blend until smooth and creamy. (Do you know the trick of dropping a whole clove of garlic in the Cuisinart while it is going? Do it before you add any other ingredient. This produces great minced garlic!) 

Three Short Vegetable Stories

(Drizzle a bit of olive oil, bake in 400 degree oven, turn once in a while.) 

Story #1 : Red Peppers (on drastic sale at the grocery store)

Cashier, “What in the world are you going to do with all those peppers?”

Bag Boy (he was actually a retired gentleman), “Yes, what do you do with those?”

Tracy, “I roast them and freeze them and put them in my food.”

Cashier, “Like what?”

Tracy, “Burritos, pizza, sauces, salsas, salads. I might come back and get more!”

(Remove skin and seeds, capture all the lovely juices for later, freeze on baking sheet. Place frozen baking sheet on a warm , wet dish cloth to melt the bottom. Use a metal spatula to chunk the peppers off. Freeze in bags. )

(Wrap them in foil and place in 400 degree oven till knife tender. Remove skins, slice, sprinkle with vinegar. Free advice: wear rubber gloves)

Story #2 : Beets from the farmers market

Farmer, “Want a bag of homegrown beets?”

Tracy, “Yes! We love them! I’ll roast them, sprinkle them with cider vinegar and serve them to my family.”

Story #3 : Weird Squash (which makes a great centerpiece)

Same farmer as in the beet story, “Would you like this squash for free?”

Tracy, “Absolutely! It’s Mother Nature’s Art!”