Black Bean Salsa

This "salsa" is actually what I typically just call my black beans, since I prepare them this way every time I boil up a batch o' dried black beans. I've moved to the dried version in the past few months as a small way to save on my weekly grocery bill. Here's the conversions between canned and dry:

15-oz can beans = 1 1/2 cooked beans, drained
1 pound dry beans = 6 cups cooked beans, drained
1 pound dry beans = 2 cups dry beans
1 cup dry beans = 3 cups cooked beans, drained

I know this involves math, but I readily admit that my frugality wins out over my hatred of basic math. Therefore, let's analyze this a bit. One can of black beans will run you about $0.89 at the grocery store, while a pound of dried black beans goes for about $1.69. Since you get the equivalent of 4 cans of beans out of a one pound bag, that would make the dried beans the equivalent of $0.42 per can. Not much, but it adds up.

Since I personally had no idea what to do with dried black beans, and hence resorted to purchasing the canned version, here's the scoop. You'll need at least two hours; 12 hours is preferable. To make 3 cups of cooked black beans, take 1 cup of dried black beans and spread them out in a shallow dish (a 9x13 pan works well here, or even a pie dish). Sort through them and remove any beans that appear to be shriveled or not bean-like (odd shape, discolored, etc.). Put them in a saucepan big enough to accommodate them and some water should they triple in size (which they will). Add enough water to cover them by two inches. If you have 8-12 hours, let them soak in the saucepan (overnight is fine - this is the longer "soak" period). If you only have two hours, bring the beans to a boil, turn them off, cover them, and let them sit for an hour (the "soak" period). After the beans have either soaked 8-12 hours or boiled and soaked an hour, drain them and add new water to again cover them by two inches. Bring them up to a boil and then turn the heat down to low. Simmer the beans for about an hour, or until you try one and it smooshes against the top of your mouth. They are ready to use in a recipe, or you can refrigerate them for up to about a week, or freeze them for a couple of months.

This recipe is good as a dip for tortilla chips, or as a base for Black Bean Patties or Rice and Black Beans (recipes to come). The quantities mentioned are approximate; feel free to adjust as necessary to fit the amounts that suit your taste or that you have on hand.

Ingredients
3 cups cooked black beans, drained (or two cans of black beans...but why spend the money? Didn't you read my novel above about the cost effectiveness of dried beans?)
1 cup sweet onion, chopped
3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped (or 1 Tbsp dried cilantro)
2 Tbsp lime juice

salt to taste (kosher salt if you've got it - about 1 tsp)

Directions

Stir ingredients together in a bowl and refrigerate.

Peanut Butter

I know, I know...peanut butter is an ingredient, not a recipe. Today, I reconsidered this opinion. I've been on a mission recently to use up the random items that have been in my pantry for longer than I care to admit. Way in the back, I happened upon a huge canister of dry roasted peanuts from one of those warehouse stores. I'm not sure what ever made me think I could possibly utilize that many peanuts in my lifetime, but so goes the story of those types of places. The vast majority of products that I purchase there inevitably lead me scouring the internet for recipes in which to use them up (except for cheese, of course, which is the product that sends me to said warehouse store every three weeks...I know, a shame). In any event, I had a craving for peanut butter cup bars, but aforementioned pantry was all out of peanut butter. So began my search of the internet for directions on how to make peanut butter out of peanuts (it had to be possible, right?). It turned out to be way simpler than I had anticipated. Before I get started though, I must mention that having a food processor or a pretty phenomenal blender is crucial here.

Here goes...place whatever quantity of peanuts you need to use up into your food processor. Turn food processor on and let it run until the peanuts begin to dissolve into peanut butter. Add about a teaspoon of vegetable oil per cup of peanuts to thin it out, if necessary. If you like your peanut butter Jif-style, you probably will want to add a few teaspoons of sugar per cup of peanuts to sweeten it up. Taste test after each addition to see how you like it.

Really. It's that simple. Peanuts in a food processor. Crazy.

Grilled Honey-Soy Glazed Tofu with Toasted Coconut and Mango Salsa

Could be the longest name for a food, ever. But it deserves each and every adjective, as they all combine to make this dish a sweet-savory wonder! If you're vegan, you can swap out the honey with light corn syrup or any type of sugar you prefer (add some water, if necessary). The mango salsa that I used for my shrimp this past weekend went with this tofu so perfectly, I had to repeat it for this recipe. The original blog about the salsa is here.

Ingredients
firm tofu, cut into strips
1 T. sesame oil
2 t. soy sauce
2 t. honey
salt, to taste (kosher if you've got it)
coconut (about 1/4 of a bag)
mango salsa

Directions
Mix the sesame oil, soy sauce, honey, and salt, adjusting the amounts until it takes sweet and/or salty enough for you. I like all of my food on the salty side and am therefore a poor judge, but you probably want to at least add a light coat of salt to the tofu prior to grilling them. Coat you indoor grill pan with cooking spray, turn it on medium-high, and let it heat up until a drop of water sizzles off within three seconds. Toss the tofu on in there, being sure to have only one layer of tofu onthe grill at a time so the tofu gets a bit of a char on it. While the tofu is grilling, glaze it liberally with the honey-soy glaze.

After all of the tofu is grilled, spread the coconut in a thin layer on a cookie sheet and toast them up for 7-9 minutes in a 350-degree oven. Place them on a plate, and layer the tofu on top of them. Serve with mango salsa on the side. Here's a photo of my plate, but the photo does not do the dish justice. I'll be sure to get my camera out before I start eating the food next time!

Mango Salsa

This salsa is more of a fruit-based salsa that goes well with seafood, or really anything grilled (possibly tofu, or for you meat-eaters, maybe a honey-soy glazed chicken?). I usually serve it with some simple grilled coconut shrimp. For that recipe, go here.

Ingredients:
mango (frozen is fine)
green onions
red pepper
cilantro
lime juice
salt (kosher, if you have it)

Directions:
Dice the mango and the red pepper, using a ratio of about 2:1 (apparently that ratio's pretty handy for this recipe). Slice some green onion, on the diagonal if you're feeling fancy, and add them into the mango/red pepper combo. Mince the cilantro and add it in, and finally add lime juice and salt to taste. As a guide, start with about 2-3 teaspoons of lime juice and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of salt for about 2 c. of salsa, and add to taste. If you splurged on actual limes to obtain your lime juice, zest them prior to juicing them and throw some of that in as well.

Jerk Barbeque Tofu

I made this for the first time today, and it is excellent with the Cajun Rice & Beans with Mango Salsa dish posted yesterday (if I knew how to link you directly to it here, I would. Tips are always welcome!). It also adds a bit more protein to that dish, which is helpful for keeping you feeling full.

Approximate preparation time: 15 minutes

Ingredients
1-2 Tbsp. vegetable or olive oil
1 container tofu, cubed
1-2 tsp. salt
3-4 Tbsp. Jerk Barbeque sauce (I used one by Walkerswood, which can be found in caribbean food stores)

Directions
Pour the veggie oil into a saucepan and place over high heat for a minute or so to heat. Dump the tofu into the saucepan and add the salt to taste. Be careful that the oil doesn't splatter and burn you; don't worry, it'll calm down after a few seconds. Pan-fry for several minutes (maybe 6-8?), until the tofu becomes light brownish. Be sure to move it around a bit so that it doesn't burn. Add the barbeque sauce and continue saute-ing until it is cooked through (about another 2 minutes).

Cajun Rice & Beans with Mango Salsa

This recipe is one of my recent faves. It's actually a vegan recipe, but I didn't even realize it was vegan until my wonderful hubbie pointed it out to me (come to think of it, I'm actually not sure about the Lipton's mix). I think it's fabulous, but he thinks it's a bit too "veggie." To each his own, as they say...and I say, more for me!

Approximate cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
For the rice mixture:
Lipton's Red Beans and Rice mix (I know, not too creative a start for a fabulous recipe!)
1/2 large red onion
1/2 lb. frozen peas
1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

For the mango salsa:
1 mango
1/4 red onion
1 small can chopped pineapple
1 tsp. dried cilantro
2 plum tomatoes
approximately 1 tsp. salt, to taste
approximately 2 tsp. sugar, to taste

Directions
Make the Lipton Red Beans and Rice according to the package directions. While the water and butter begin to cook, start the chopping. Dice the onion, the mango, and the tomatoes into smallish pieces. Finely dice the chipotle pepper(s).

At this point, the rice and beans should be about halfway cooked. Add the chipotle peppers and 2/3 of the chopped onion to the rice and then let that all keep simmering while you prepare the salsa. Combine the first five salsa ingredients and stir. Add the salt and sugar little by little, until it tastes good.

The rice and beans should be about done by now. Add the frozen peas, and voila! Serve the rice and beans with the mango salso on the side.