Monday, April 26, 2010

Aduki Bean Chilli

Soup of the Day


Mixed Bean Chilli Soup

My girls loved this, used it as they would chilli made with mince or ground beef. Yes, we had it on Wednesday and we had chowder this week too.

To cook adzuki beans:
Soak overnight (in fridge) 1 cup adzuki beans and 5 cups water.
Cook with 1 dried chilli and 1 teasp of salt and 1 teaspoon sugar for about 40 mins
Remove chilli, drain (reserve liquid) and blitz adding some reserved liquid for thick paste
Add to cooking ingredients below and mix in properly.

Ingredients
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped
125g button mushrooms, sliced (much more- about ½ paper bag)
1/4 tsp chilli powder, or to taste
1 tsp ground cumin
400g can Butter beans (don’t drain juice OK)
400g can chopped tomatoes (whole tomatoes mashed)
600ml tomato juice (not needed)
300ml vegetable stock
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (not needed)

TO SERVE: 4 tbsp half-fat crème fraîche, try also Corn Chips
fresh coriander sprigs (not needed)

Preparation method
1, Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, garlic and peppers and fry them gently, stirring constantly, for 2–3 minutes until softened. Add the mushrooms, chilli powder and ground cumin and cook gently, stirring, for about 30 seconds

2, Tip the mixed pulses and tomatoes into the saucepan. Add the tomato juice, stock and chopped coriander. Stir well, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat. Partially cover the pan with a lid and simmer gently for 20 minutes until all the vegetables are tender.

3, Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each portion with 1 tbsp of crème fraîche and some coriander sprigs.

Recipe adapted from here. They use: Canned mixed pulses contain soya, pinto, black-eye, red kidney and aduki beans, and chickpeas.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Menu Musings

Campbell's Soup I: Black Bean, c.1968


In 1968 I could have been eating this soup. I love black bean soup, but sadly it was never sold here.

I was going to post a picture of Old Mother Hubbard, but that was very depressing, a dusty looking wooden cupboard.

So here is my pic, of black turtle beans, for those Australians who haven't seen them. They make everything black, but I love them!

Still Life with Red Chili Peppers and Black Beans


Still using the things we have on hand for the base for each recipe. Hopefully next fortnight will be easier. However, the recipes have been lovely so far.

Tuesday ~ Pea & Ham Soup with Kranskys
Wednesday ~ Black eyed Beans/Peas & Vegetable Soup
Thursday ~ Pea Fritters & perhaps Chickpea Salad with Yoghurt Dressing
Friday ~ Chinese Egg Noodles
Saturday ~ Mixed Bean Chilli Soup Aduki Bean Chilli recipe on this blog soon
Sunday ~ Nachos with pinto beans or Pinto Beans with Chorizo & wraps
Monday ~ Fish with red or green curry from a can
Tuesday ~ Red & Black Lentil Soup by Tobie Puttock using French Style Lentils
Wednesday ~ Seafood Chowder I'm using canned prawns this particular time
Thursday ~ Mexican Macaroni Cheese
Friday ~ Wombuk & Mushroom Chow Mein I'm using egg noodles
Saturday ~ Italian Soup with Cheesy Damper (uses Kraft Cheddar)
Sunday ~ Pasta e Fagioli
Monday ~ Pumpkin & Split Pea Soup

Swap recipes:
Chilli Bean Casserole with Herby Dumplings
Roast Pumpkin & Black Lentil Soup

Possible Baking:
Polenta Cake with Citrus Syrup (I need eggs)

Successful recipes from last week:
Lucy's Adzuki Croquettes & Spicy Sesame Sauce

Interesting recipes:
Gula Melaka with Lychees
Hot Pot Soup with Basil Dumplings (uses kranskys)
Hearty Chicken Soup

The big question is, is aduki bean chilli a legitimate use for aduki beans? It seems so, going on this recipe called Mixed Bean Chilli Soup. We tried it last night, and yes, yummy.

A little more strange until I have tried it, aduki bean feijoada, Adzuki Bean & Cabbage Stew, I like feijoada, so I am curious. Going on what happened with the Mixed Bean Chilli Soup, yes it is like feijoada. Sour cream would have gone with it very nicely.

Anyway, I liked the cans of mixed pulses in the first recipe. They include soya, pinto, black-eye, red kidney and aduki beans, and chickpeas. They are available in the UK. It is used in this minestrone soup. It went well as a minestrone too. Aduki beans seem very versatile, for Italian, like black beans from the south and beyond, Japanese and like chilli, similar story to the black beans.

Friday, April 16, 2010

$21 Challenge Explained

I thought I had put this video on my blog before. But it doesn't look like it.

Friday, April 9, 2010

Mung Bean Soup

Dried Beans Including Red Kidney, Pinto, Mung, Black Turtle, Aduki and Haricot Beans


Above is red kidney, pinto, mung (green), black turtle, aduki and haricot beans.

We had this soup tonight. I admit I was putting off cooking the mung beans that I have had for ages dried in the pantry. This soup had a better texture than lentil soup. Similar, but nicer and seemed very healthy. We used vegetables we also didn't want to deal with. Absolutely delicious. Good way to use up marrow and beetroot from the garden. Don't be put off by the spices. You can't taste them, they just do something to the ordinary vegetables and make the whole thing work. The recipe comes from this blog and has been adapted.


Mung Bean and Vegetable Soup

Rinse the mung beans under cold running water. Soak overnight, mung beans, (1 ½ cups mung beans well covered with water) the beans swell to about 2 ½ times volume. Soak in fridge in warmer temps.

1 cup dried mung beans
1 to 2 cups chopped vegetables
(used 2 beetroot cubed small,
small celery chopped,
3 garlic chopped small,
2 small onions chopped roughly,
Piece of Japanese radish, chopped small,

2 pieces of large zucchini chopped into smallish cubes…all vegetables fried in oil in batches

In order of cooking times, starting with onions and garlic cooked with spices

Water will need to be added depending on quantity of vegetables and how thick you want the soup to be

1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

Drain and rinse the soaked beans and add to a medium saucepan. Cover with 3 cups of fresh cold water and bring to a boil and cover. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until the beans are soft, stirring occasionally.

Season with salt to taste, and serve hot or warm. Serves 4.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

All Out of Lentils

Pantry, Green Gables Home, Prince Edward Island, Canada


This picture is called Pantry, Green Gables Home, Prince Edward Island, Canada.

Monday sees some left over bacon that we made into soup Cabbage, Bacon & Potato Soup

A bit rough this menu, but also a pantry challenge. We had some things left over from last week, which is amazing really. Probably something to do with the gifted turkey and having left overs again after going back to a five person family this Monday after our son went back to the city after his break. I may buy mince and small amount of steak for the Japanese pancakes and the canned corn, eggs and ham, or go through the menu again and fine tune it.

Tuesday ~ Tuna Casserole
Wednesday ~ Left-overs
Thursday ~ Spaghetti Bolognaise
Friday ~ Mince Chow Mein
Saturday ~ Possibly Mediterranean Grilled Polenta with fish & salad
Sunday ~ Red Onion & Green Pea Fritters with Braised Beans needs fresh tomatoes & lemon juice or wombuk salad
Monday ~ Japanese Pancakes (uses cabbage)
Tuesday ~ Cabbage with Split Peas if not having chow mein and Japanese pancakes or Spaghetti with Tuna Sauce
Wednesday ~ Mushroom & Caper Pasta
Thursday ~ Mung Bean and Vegetable Soup
Friday ~ Tomato & Borlotti Bean Soup
Saturday ~ Possibly Noodle Omelettes uses canned corn, eggs & 100g ham or cauliflower
Sunday ~ Lucy's Adzuki Croquettes & Spicy Sesame Sauce
Monday ~ Spicy Azuki Bean Risotto

Swap recipes: Greek Bean & Silverbeet Stew
Italian Vegetable and White Bean Soup
Sweet & Sour Fish Sticks & Rice

Have tabouli mix for salad if we have a tomato in the garden.

Successes from last week:

Red Onion & Green Pea Fritters
Lentil Burgers with Tahini Sauce
Asian Bean Cakes
Pistou Soup

All very nice.

Interesting recipes: Spaghetti with Garlic Butter, Bacon and Prawns
Roasted Chipolatas with Creamy Polenta
Spaghetti with Tuna, Peas & Borlotti Beans
Sausages with Lentils & Polenta
Vegetable Slice with Asparagus Salad

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

SBS Podcasts : Podcasts: Gourmet-farmer

I was visiting Renata at Sunnyside Farm Fun today. She has a post there about Gourmet Farmer, which you can visit here. I thought I would dig around to find the show she recommended and have a look. I found it is about Sydney food critic named Matthew Evans, now based in country Tasmania.

SBS Podcasts : Podcasts: Gourmet-farmer

Posted using ShareThis

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Thankful



I found this song while doing my Thankful Thursday post on my other blog, I looked it up on the ads while doing the post. Lovely song.

Furthering Independence Skills



I was interested in this video because it reminded me of an episode of Gillian McKeith's You Are What You Eat where the lady had to get a friend to write the names on the vegetables for her.  I have the video on this blog somewhere.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Avoiding Buying Meat Menu

Plate of Fresh Mushroom Sauce in Phyllo Pastry


I am avoiding buying meat so I don't have to go shopping at my usual place 50 minutes away. I may have a small shop when I go to the regional centre, I have to go there the day after to have a dressmakers fitting for my daughter. I will order the fruit and vegetables online as usual in two days time and make up a basics shopping list. I figure vegetarian is cheaper than meat. I'm trying to give myself a good base to start paying bills. I have used items I found in the pantry in my plan. Even some silverbeet in the garden.

Tuesday ~ Celery & Silverbeet Pie
Wednesday ~ Rice Noodle & Vegetable Salad (needs red capsicum)
Thursday ~ Microwave Tuna Mornay
Friday ~ Indian Styled Potato & Pea Curry
Saturday ~ Red Onion & Green Pea Fritters
Sunday ~ Creamy Lentil & Rice Dish uses unsprouted mung beans
Monday ~ Hearty Mung Bean & Tomato Soup
Tuesday ~ Mung Tamarind Dahl or Mung Bean and Vegetable Soup
Wednesday ~ Braised Beans, (uses green beans and dried lima beans)
Thursday ~ Cabbage with Split Peas
Friday ~ Mushroom & Caper Pasta
Saturday ~ Asian Bean Cakes
Sunday ~ Pistou Soup (uses four bean mix and pesto)
Monday ~ Lentil Burgers with Tahini Sauce
possibly Wombuk Salad with Sesame Dressing

In the end I saw frankfurters on special around $4 a kilo and we have all the ingredients for Fettucine Carbonara apart from bacon that I bought on special.

Frankonarra maybe twice (needs mushrooms), or Continental Frankfurter Bake.

Pantry Items Left:

Rice stick noodles
canneloni
hokkein
romano or borlotti beans
sweet & sour sauce

Swap recipes: Bean & Pumpkin Stew
Curried Lentil & Pumpkin Soup


Interesting recipes: Tuna & Broccoli Bread Bake
Sausages with Lentils & Feta (uses fennel pork sausages & puy lentils or French styled lentils)
Left over Sausage Chilli (uses beef sausages and four bean mix)

Recipe using four bean mix: Chicken Tacos

I was wondering if anyone thought that the $21 challenge is the Down Under version of a Pantry Challenge?

I was given a turkey, so have added in turkey to go with the wombuk salad. Also some turkey and coleslaw may be the go.

I saw this book in Myer. I usually don't go browsing for things. I accidently went into the book section to take a mobile phone call. Thought it looked very interesting. Also saw a book by Debbie Macomber which I thought was very interesting.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Better Weather for Soup

Basket of Brown Eggs


I bought an Australian Woman's Weekly today, actually my husband did. I wanted to get some ideas about fashion. I don't usually buy it, but it turned out to be handy. I am doing a pantry challenge and found the omelette recipe really good. I had already ordered my fruit and vegetables which I am not scimping on as they are run down, and they had a special on red capsicum, and I had bought the vermicelli noodles last time when I saw them in Coles.

We took pot luck with the meat when my husband bought the usual UHT milk boxes, our eucalyptus washing powder and the cheese. We buy these from the farmer's shop and needed some meat for tonight. It was good as all we have left until the fruit order comes is cabbage. Thursday is my actual shopping day.

Tuesday ~ Pies & Chips
Wednesday ~ Beef & Cabbage Stir Fry (beef mince) meat from IGA Curried Mince
Thursday ~ Left over fish fingers? with Tomato & Onion Salad with Tamarind
Friday ~ Vegetable Noodle Omelette (from AWW) uses bok choy, vermicelli noodles, red capsicum
Saturday ~ Lentil & Cauliflower Dahl or Curried Lentil & Pumpkin Soup
Sunday ~ Cabbage with Split Peas
Monday ~ Indian Cauliflower & Chickpea Curry
Tuesday ~ Green Lentil Soup
Wednesday ~ Potato & Egg Salad with Caper Dressing or Potato & Egg Salad
Thursday ~ Mushroom & Caper Pasta
Friday ~ Prawn & Pumpkin Paella
Saturday ~ Wombuk Salad with Sesame Dressing with Felafel
Sunday ~ Zucchini, Tomato & Chilli Rigatoni
Monday ~ Clam Chowder needs cream or Seafood Chowder,

Swap recipes: Bean & Pumpkin Stew
Potato & Cauliflower Curry
Indian Styled Potato & Pea Curry
Mexican Macaroni Cheese
Asian Bean Cakes
Rice Noodle & Vegetable Salad (needs red capsicum)

Left-overs: Noodle Frittata with Plum Sauce

Baking: Carrot Cakes without Cream Cheese Icing, Icing made with Coconut Cream

Interesting recipes:
Lentil Burgers with Tahini Sauce
Black-eyed Beans and Sausages with Tomato Sauce
Sausage & Cannellini Bean Frittata uses beef sausages

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Menu Planning, $21 Challenge, Simple Savings

I have been finding menu planning videos on Youtube. I came across one by a lady associated with simple savings, which I have heard of before, and the $21 challenge. One video I watched mentioned the Destitute Gourmet recipes. I went there and found one of my own secrets, saving money by using sausages as a main meat ingredient in recipes. It is great because I found some recipes that I can use myself. I like collecting sausage recipes.

Quick and Easy Sausage Carbonara

Chunky Sausage Bean Bake

Simple Savings Youtube Channel



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