Black Beans

do not have to come from a can.

And if you have freshly made roasted tomato salsa, they'll taste that much better.

It's really not much more work to make your own beans than it is to open a can. And while that may be convenient, it will never be as flavourful as beans that are slowly simmered in broth with carefully selected seasonings.

And by carefully selected, I mean yanked from the fridge.

Tinned beans are usually made with water and way too much salt. Making them yourself lets you control the sodium and boost up the flavour.

AKA Turn down the suck and turn up the good

Best Black Beans

What you need:

• about 3 cups of chicken broth
• about 1 cup of salsa (or, tomatoes, onions, chiles, etc to make one cup)
• about 1 c black beans
• about 1 lime

What you gotta do:

Put it all in the crock pot.

Broth, then salsa, then beans.

Cook it on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4.

I never soak my beans first because I really want the colour that they give to the liquid. 

I squeeze in the lime juice at the end for a bit of brightness in the flavour.

Scoop out what you need to go on the side of your fabulous chicken dinner. Okay, it was just a bit of chicken breast chopped and sauteed with cayenne and lime juice, and a "salad" of lettuce with salsa and cheese on top, but hey! when you put it all together on the plate with the beans... it turns into a fabulous chicken dinner!

The rest of the beans... I left them in the crock pot, added some leftover rice and a bit of shredded chicken and called it soup!

You could also mash them up a bit for an awesome burrito filling.

Or, just eat them with a spoon.

I love beans. It's a little weird how much I do, but, well, look who's talking here.

What food do you love?

Caprese on a Stick

Admit it.  Most of you read the title and the voice in your head instantly switched to Jose Jalapeño.  As it happens, there are no jalapeños in this recipe.  It’s really just a traditional caprese salad turned into a delicious, cute, and easy to make, hors d'oeuvre. 

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Cherry tomatoes
• Mozzarella cheese
• Fresh basil leaves
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 1 Tablespoon mustard
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• pinch of garlic powder
• pinch of onion powder
• 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Toothpicks

These cute little balls of fresh mozzarella are the perfect size for putting on a toothpick.  If you can’t find them, though, you can just cut any mozzarella into small cubes. 

Now, the idea for this recipe came to me from my mom, but I’m pretty sure she got it from a member of her bridge club.  (Yes, I know it's a bit of a cliché, but my mom really is in a bridge club.)  That being said, I’ve never actually seen the original version, but thank you to whichever bridge lady it was who unknowingly inspired this recipe and blog post.  Here’s my take on what sounded like a fabulous idea. 

Slice your cherry tomatoes in half.  I had to get mine from the grocery store, so I bought 2 different colors.  If you can get some from your garden or local farmer’s market, it will be even better, no matter what color they are.

Slide one half of a tomato onto a toothpick.

Next, put the toothpick through a basil leaf, at one end or the other. 

On goes a piece of cheese.

Then slide on the other end of the basil so the leaf is wrapped around the cheese, and follow it with the other half of the tomato. 

Repeat.  As you’ll see, the yellow tomatoes were a little bigger, so for those, I used some mozzarella cheese that I cut into small cubes.  Aren’t they cute? 

That would be fabulous just as it is, but I thought they’d be even better dipped in a lovely balsamic vinaigrette.  Sure, you can get one in a bottle, but it’s so simple to make, I don’t know why you would.  Everything is better homemade.  Into a small bowl put your honey, mustard, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and balsamic vinegar.  I only had regular yellow mustard on hand, but if you have Dijon or whole grain mustard, it would probably be even better.

Whisk all that together. 

Continue whisking as you slowly drizzle in the olive oil. 

As you whisk the mixture will thicken slightly, and you’ll know it’s ready.  See, I told you it was simple.  Now just pour it into a little bowl. 

And dip away! 

I guarantee you’ll close your eyes and let out a long ‘Mmmmm” as your taste buds take in the smooth tang of the balsamic, the creamy saltiness of the cheese, the juicy sweetness of the tomatoes, and the bittersweet anise flavor of the basil.  I don’t know how something so simple can possibly be so amazingly alluring to the senses, but it is. 

What’s your favorite thing to do with tomatoes?