Cacahuates Oaxaqueños con Chile y Ajo (Oaxacan-Style Peanuts w/ Chile & Garlic)

About seven or eight years ago, my mom lived in a house with a pool.  The last house-with-a-pool that any one in my family has lived in since.  (She no longer lives there.  That seven or eight years ago was her last summer living there.)  So far.  Fingers crossed that that will change one day.  Soon.

The fourth of July from that year is one that sticks in my brain pretty insistently.  I'm sure it had alot to do with the fact that everybody's was at mom's that year.  My brother and sister.  My other sister and her kids.  Our whole crew plus mi suegro (father-in-law).  I think a few friends of the family even happened by.

Days spent in the pool are happy days.  I remember a Peanut Butter and ______ (fill in the blank: jam, honey, banana) assembly line.  Picnic table benches soaked by bums directly out of the water.  Cold lemonade.

My Legume Love Affair (MLLA) #45 {ROUNDUP}

I am so excited to bring you a post that is chock-full of delightful dishes piled high with a variety of fabulous legumes that were cooked up during the month of March.  I had a wonderful time hosting My Legume Love Affair #45 and was amazed by the sheer variety of legume-laced goodies that so many awesome bloggers cooked up this month.

Whether you want to start off your day with waffles or paani puri -- you can.  Go ahead and choose from soup, fritters, pasta, or salads for a sustaining and healthy lunch.  Maybe you're thirsty and want to cool off with a tasty beverage -- with or without alcohol?  You can do that.  We've got appetizers and tasty bites to get your juices flowing.  Entrees that contain meat or ones that are purely vegetarian...either way, they're packed with legumey goodness.  And don't forget the side dishes to complete your meal.  Maybe you want to try your hand at growing your own bean sprouts or making your own tofu?  Oh yeah.  Look no further.  And maybe your sweet tooth is just itching to be satisfied.  You can do that here, as well.  From America to Mexico to India to Turkey...and beyond.  You'll find a little bit of everything as you browse these fabulous selections sent in from around the globe.

Thank you Susan for allowing me to host this delicious monthly event and thanks to everybody who shared their delicious creations right here.  So, without further ado, I present to you.... My Legume Love Affair #45 - the roundup!

1 - 2 - 3 - 4
5 - 6 - 7 - 8
9 - 10 - 11 - 12

1 - Chez Cayenne - White Bean Waffles
2 - The Taste Space - Ethiopian Split Pea and Kabocha Squash Stew with Collards
3 - More than Burnt Toast - Braised Lamb Shanks w/ Garlic, Rosemary, and Cannellini Beans
4 - Fuss Free Flavours - Root Veg & Thai Lentil Coconut Soup
5 - Ruchikacooks - Parupusili & Morekozhambu (Lentil Vegetable Stir-Fry & Lentil Yogurt Gravy)
6 - Oh Taste n See... - Tuscan-style White Bean and Kale Stew 
7 - Stirring the Pot - Quick Chickpea Curry
8 - The Crispy Cook - Vanessa's Beans
9 - Tiffin Carrier Anticques - Punjabi Channa Masala / Punjabi Chole (Chickpeas w/ Onions & Tomatoes) 
10 - My Healthy Eating Habits - Homegrown Bean Sprouts
11 - Taste with the Eyes - Linguine w/ Smoky Avocado Sauce, Black Beans, and Lime
12 - Searching For Spice - Spicy Chickpea Fritters

13 - 14 - 15 - 16
17 - 18 - 19 - 20
21 - 22 - 23 - 24

13 - Panfusine - Gatte ke Pulao
14 - An Escape to Food - Edamame Tofu Soup w/ Leaf Mustard
15 - Sweet & Healthy Living - Coffee Blondies w/ Almonds & Mint Icing
16 - Yummy Food - Sambhar Sadam
17 - Tomato Blues - Dal Fritters (Paruppu Vadai)
18 - Paaka Shaale - Holige
19 - The Bean Bake Blog - Butternut Squash Bean Bake w/ Coconut
20 - girlichef - Cabbage & White Bean Soup w/ Italian Sausage
21 - Fuss Free Living - Vegetable Soup w/ Cannellini Beans
22 - Lisa's Kitchen - Chickpea Salad w/ Chat Masala, Mango, and Pomegranate Seeds
23 - girlichef - Tamarind Brandy Sour
24 - Ribbon's to Pasta's - Pav Bhaji Dosa

25 - 26 - 27 - 28
29 - 30 - 31 - 32
33 - 34 - 35 - 36

25 - The Bean Bake Blog - Cauliflower-Salsa Bean Bake and Dip
26 - La Cocina de Leslie - Agua de Tamarindo
27 - Ribbon's to Pasta's - Flavored Paani Puri
28 - A Little Bit of Everything - Double Chocolate Brownies
29 - A Homemaker's Diary - Narkel Ghugni (Yellow Peas Curry w/ Coconut)
30 - The Healthy Beehive - Chickpeas and Spinch in Coconut Milk
31 - Sweet Life - Pozole de Frijol
32 - Food Mazaa - Chana Palak
33 - Eats Well with Others - Shepherd's Pie with Chard-Lentil Filling
34 - girlichef - Homemade Tofu
35 - Ribbon's to Pasta's - Usal Poha
36 - The Well-Seasoned Cook - Mercimekli Afyon Böreği (Turkish Lentil Mini Pies)

Thanks so much for ALL of the delicious submissions you sent in this month.  I could make a month's worth of food just trying all of these amazing dishes.  Breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and snacks!

Now on to the last order of business - the WINNER of the random drawing.  I numbered all of the entries in the order they were received (minus previous winners and those who don't qualify) and entered them into random dot org.  The winner of both the The Complete Book of Pasta - Cook's Illustrated and the Hurst Bean Box is Kim from Stirring the Pot.  CONGRATULATIONS Kim!  Susan will be contacting you via email to work out all of the details!

MLLA's creator Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook will be hosting at her place in April, so send your legume-lover's dishes her way!

Tamarind Brandy Sour

Leslie and I?  We're talking TAMARINDOS today.  Tamarinds (or tamarindo en español) are legumes that  grow on trees that can get to be as tall as 80 feet high.  Each tamarind pod contains a soft pulp that surrounds hard seeds.  The pulp is edible and acidic and ranges from sour to sweet.  It grows in warm, tropical climates and is used to make refreshing beverages, candies and ices, and even used as a savory ingredient in pickled dishes, meat or fish dishes, or condiments like Worcestershire sauce.

Seared Bean Sprouts w/ Beef and Sesame Orange Sauce {the Food Matters project}

I'm pretty sure this winter will go down as one of the strangest, weather-wise, in Northwestern Indiana.  We didn't have very much snow.  A couple of good days, but that's about it.  Not a single snow day for the kiddos.  We've had lots of rain.  Recently some crazy wind and storms...fortunately tornadoes have passed us by, but completely ravaged some Indiana towns to the South.  I kid you not, we even had a couple of days when it threatened to hit 70.  Degrees.  Fahrenheit.  Strange.  

I believe it was this past Thursday when it hit 68°.  Yeah.  That was March 1st.  The next day it rained and it rained and it rained.  And I made a big bean-sprouty meal for dinner.  To celebrate the rain.

Okay, not really.  I do love rain.  But I'm not the kind of girl that celebrates with bean sprouts.

I just happened to be planning this meal in honor of today's The Food Matters Project choice: Seared Bean Sprouts w/ Beef & Sesame Orange Sauce chosen by Dominica of Food Wine Love.

In addition to the bean sprouts and beef, I decided to add a good heaping handful of both julienned carrots and snow peas.  I was feeling the need to add extra veggies.  Plus, I almost tripled the beef to keep up with the full pound of bean sprouts in the dish.  Overall, I thought this dish was decent...but not memorable.  The "sauce" was more of a watery pool at the bottom of the bowl, so I scooped everything out of the wok and whisked in a little slurry...just to add a little body to the sauce.  Surprisingly, what I thought actually "made" this meal?  The toasted sesame seeds.  They added a deep, nutty finish.  Dimension.

I wound up eating it over rice, though I think soba noodles would have been a good accompaniment, as well. And honestly, the kids...all three of them...didn't care for it.  Hubs thought it was okay, like myself.  I can honestly say this is the first non-memorable Bitty-inspired dish I've ever made.  It was bound to happen one day...

So. Two days ago- rain.  Today- snow.  Two days from now- predicted 54 and sunny.  Strange days, I say.

This post is part of the Food Matters project: hosted by Dominica of Wine Food Love this week (where you can see the original Mark Bittman recipe).

My Legume Love Affair (MLLA) #45 {Event Announcement}

I'm so excited to announce that I will be hosting My Legume Love Affair (MLLA) an event created by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook this month.  MLLA has been going strong since 2008 and this is the 45th edition - how amazing is that!?


This event is all about celebrating the amazing variety of legumes out there.  We're not only talking the vast assortment of beans, pulses, and lentils - but also the ones you may not automatically think of like peanuts, tamarind, fenugreek, and carob.  You can use fresh or dried or the sometimes edible pods that contain the seeds and products derived from those like tofu or besan.  These are all examples of the type of legumes that are accepted in this event, but the list is not limiting.  This is not to be confused with the French term legumes, which can mean any vegetable at all. 

How to participate in MLLA #45:

1. Share a dish featuring a legume(s).  Note the term featuring - a spoonful or soupicon does not qualify*.   Recipes from all diets, courses, and cultures are welcome.  
2. Multiple recipes are permitted but limited to 10 per participant (only one submission will be counted towards the random prize drawing**).  Entries may be linked to other events.  Recipes from archives can be accepted ONLY if updated and reposted as current. 
3. You MUST include a link to this announcement post and to Susan's host line-up in any post submitted.  Use of logo is optional, but always appreciated.
4. Recipes from those who do not blog are accepted and eligible to win a prize.
5. Email your qualifying entries to me at: girlichef (at) yahoo (dot) com and include:

                     ~Your name
                     ~Your blog's name
                     ~Your location (for prize drawing**, will not be shared)
                     ~The name of your dish and the permalink to the specific post you're submitting
                     ~Attach a photo of any size (this may be resized by me depending roundup format)
                     ~Indicate "MLLA" in the subject line

    Deadline for submissions are: March 31, 2012 (11:59 pm, Eastern)


*except when using a very potent legume when only a small amount is required to flavor a dish such as fenugreek or tamarind.  When in doubt, feel free to ask.

**The following prizes will be awarded to one winner via random drawing:

•  The Complete Book of Pasta - Cook's Illustrated. This prize is offered by Susan without influence at her expense, and she will also absorb worldwide shipping charges.  F.T.C. Notice: Susan does not receive any compensation from Amazon. 

• Hurst Bean Box - A case of six bags of the winner's choice of Hurst Bean products, suitable for every diet, sponsored by Hurst Bean. (Due to shipping restrictions, this prize can only be awarded if the winner is a U.S. resident.) F.T.C. Notice: In May 2010, Susan, at her request, received two Hurst Bean complimentary products which are not available for purchase in her local markets. Susan does not generally accept free products from Hurst Bean nor is she financially compensated by them.

•  Drawing Structure - If the winner is a U.S. resident, she/he will be the recipient of both Prizes 1 and 2 above.  In the event that an international winner is drawn, a second drawing will be conducted from the U.S. pool of entrants to ensure that the Hurst Prize is awarded every month.  In these instances, the international winner will receive the book, and the U.S. winner will receive the Hurst Prize. 

If you don't receive an answer to your submission email or a comment on your post within two days of sending me the email, please contact me again (in case your submission was lost somewhere in cyberspace).   Submissions that do not meet the qualifications listed in this post will not qualify and will not be included in the roundup.  Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns regarding this event.

I look forward to your submissions.  Watch for the roundup to be posted during the first week in April.

*SEE THE MLLA #45 ROUNDUP HERE*

Tuscan White Bean Soup ...for Food 'n Flix

To yearn for the sun.  The whole film leaves me yearning for the Tuscan Sun...not just Bramasole (although, that's a big part of it).  When Frances attends a "gay"cation in place of her pregnant best friend in order to lighten the weight of her recent divorce, she winds up buying a villa and staying in Italy.  The name of the villa is Bramasole, which means "to yearn for the sun."  It is a bit broken down and in need of renovations inside and out (coincidentally, so is she)...but with time, hard work, friends, love, family...it returns to its former splendor.  No.  It shines in a renewed splendor better than it ever was.  With stories of friendship, love, family, and friends wound throughout...not to mention food and cooking scenes that warm my heart and make me "yearn"...I never tire of watching Under the Tuscan Sun, a film based on the book by the same name which contains (some of) the real-life adventures of Frances Mayes.  (I actually adore all of her books...I recommend checking them out if you're not familiar with her work.) Sound girly?  Well, I've never been ashamed of my love for chick-flicks.  Stories of loss and renewal with laughter, a few tears...and some gorgeous guys...always brighten up my rainy days.  As does a good bowl of soup.  This particular bowl is garlicky, creamy, and laced with sunny herbs...total comfort that satisfies that yearning...warming me from my insides out.  Happy food to brighten even the dreariest of days.

Tuscan White Bean Soup

adapted from The Stinking Rose

serves 4-6

2 (14 oz.) cans Cannellini beans (or 2 c. dried - cooked, liquid reserved)

7 roasted garlic cloves

3 Tbs. olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

1 (14.5 oz.) can fire-roasted, diced tomatoes w/ juice

~1 Tbs. minced, fresh rosemary

~1 Tbs. minced fresh thyme

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Balsamic vinegar

Put ¾ of the beans in the jar of a blender with their liquid and the roasted garlic.  Pulse until the beans are blended but still a bit chunky, adding more of the liquid (or water) if needed to keep them moving.  

In a heavy saucepot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium and sauté onion until golden, ~5 minutes.  Stir in tomatoes, rosemary, thyme and salt and pepper to taste.  Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add remaining whole beans and simmer another 5 minutes.  Add blended bean and garlic mixture and stir to combine.  If soup seems too thick, add a bit of water (or cooking liquid).  Simmer for 10-15 minutes to allow flavors to combine.  

Ladle into warm bowls and drizzle with Balsamic, if desired.

 While I love a good drizzle of Balsamic over any bowl of bean soup, this soup is also wonderful with a big glob of pesto swirled in (instead of the vinegar...this is how The Stinking Rose serves theirs).

I am hosting Food 'n Flix this month, right here at girlichef.  You have until May 30 to watch the movie and cook up something inspired by it...then send it on over to me for the roundup!

I am also sharing this post with:
My Legume Love Affair is hosted by Smitha at Kannada Cuisine this month.

Agua de Tamarindo

Up until about 10 years or so ago, I didn't know much about the tamarindo (family Leguminosae).  Not much beyond a Jarritos bubbly beverage or a delicious, sour, hot, chewy candy that could be quite addictive.  My hubby on the other hand was quite familiar with that sticky fruit that surrounded pit-like seeds and lay enclosed in a hard, brownish pod.  Growing up, my suegra (mother-in-law) used to give him and his hermanos cut up pieces of tamarindo instead of candy.  To them it was like watching all the other kids in the neighborhood get an ice cream cone from the ice cream truck while he had to have a popsicle from his own freezer...like eating a "house burger" when all the other kids were eating Mc D's.  If only we had known then what we know now, huh?

 

Ha ha ha ha....okay...back to tamarindos.  Another thing mi suegra makes is Agua de Tamarindo.  Tamarind Water.  It is called Agua Fresca (fresh water) or sometimes an Agua Preparada (prepared water).  I'm definitely going to be making several kinds of Agua Frescas over the summer...they're so cooling and, well, fresh go figure.  This is mi suegras method for making Agua de Tamarindo...I've added in "amounts" for the ingredients, but they are really up to your own tastes.  Like most all of the seasoned home cooks in Mexico...and elsewhere, just fits my story to say Mexico...my MIL uses her hands and her eyes to measure.  I've given you the measurements I came up with while making it her way...

Agua de Tamarindo
from la cocina de mi suegra

~1/2 - 3/4 lb. tamarindo pods
~1 1/2 qts. water
~1/2 c. piloncillo, crushed  (if you don't have access to piloncillo, you can substitute brown sugar)

Begin by peeling the hard pod away from the sticky fruit inside.  Grab the stem-end and snap it.  There are strings that run the length of the pod...gripping the stem, pull down, releasing the strings from the fruit.  This will crack the pod on the way down.  Peel off what remains of the pod.  You will be left with a long, sticky tamarindo.  The bumps are the areas where there are seeds.  You do not need to remove the seeds now for making the Agua Fresca, but they do pop out pretty easily if you make a little slit in the side.  Or just take a bite off and slide it off in your mouth.  It's sour, but delicious! And you will be left with sticky fingers once all of your tamarindos are shelled.

Bring the water to a boil in a large, heavy pot.  Add the shelled fruit and the piloncillo.  Boil for a few minutes to dissolve the sugar and loosen the tamarindo from the seeds, then cover and turn off the heat.  Let the pot sit for 3 or 4 hours...or even overnight.

Remove the lid and stick in your clean hands and massage all that tamarindo pulp around...make sure it's mashed up good and that it's released from the seeds.  Strain it into a pitcher that holds at least 2 quarts.  Press on the pulp and seeds to make sure you get all that great flavor out.  If you don't like the cloudy sediment (which is delicious and harmless), then strain it again, but this time set a damp coffee filter inside your strainer to hold all the larger sediment.

Add enough cold water to make 2 quarts.  Taste and if you like it sweeter, stir in a bit more crushed piloncillo.  Mi suegra sometimes just makes the water initially w/out the piloncillo and sets a whole cone of it in the water while it's sitting...letting it dissolve as it will.  You can do it either way...whatever you like!

That's it! Serve it nice and cold.

I store and serve it in my favorite clay pot, but I wanted to give you a clearer view of it, too...so here it is, a little more visible.

This is my entry into My Legume Love Affair from Susan at The Well Seasoned Cook and hosted this month by Diana at A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa.



*I am also entering this in Recipe4Living's Summertime Sipper Contest (thanks Sophia!!)!

AND OF COURSE THIS IS MY REAL FOOD POST FOR TODAY...TWO FOR TUESDAYS!!