Spicy Black Bean (Hummus) Dip

I had a bag full of fresh, organic jalepeno and wanted to make a spicy dip with them. Since black beans go so well with jalepeno, I created a cross between hummus and bean dip that is rather yummy. I started out making a single batch but it tasted so good that I ended up doing a double batch (which by the way tasted even better the next day after it had time to chill). The instructions below are for a single batch. 

In a food processor blend the following and chill to serve: 

- 1 can (drained) black beans (I used organic, low sodium)

- 3 green jalepeno (seeds and spine removed)

- 2 to 3 teaspoons of lemon juice

- 3/4 to 1 tablespoon of crushed garlic

- 2 to 3 of shakes of coarse ground pepper

-  2.5 to 3 heaping tablespoons of tahini 

- somewhere around 2 to 3 teaspoons of extra coarse sea salt (add more to taste)

- 5 or so good shakes of cumin

- 5 or so good shakes of paprika

- 1 or 2 tablespoons of olive oil

- 4 to 6 shakes of chipotle hot sauce (This really depends on your level of spice tolerance; you may want to blend and add until you get to the level of spice you like. I like the Bufalo brand pictured above and it contains no traces of actual buffalo. This stuff also tastes great in guacamole.)

My husband begged me to add this to my blog so I wouldn't forget the ingredients. I hope you find it as tasty as he does. 

The dip tastes great with the new veggie chips from Trader Joes. 

Black Bean Burgers

In a food processor toss in the following (Blend mixture until there are no chunks):

1/2 an onion
1 can of black beans (drain all liquids first)
1 or 2 hot peppers
1 or 2 hefty scoops of garlic
toss in a few handfuls of walnuts


In a bowl (stir until everything is mixed together):
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
a few shakes of cumin
a few shakes of taco seasoning
a few shakes of paprika
rolled oats (quick cooking) - this is the binding element, so you'll need to add more if the burger is too thin to form into a burger)
flax seeds

Add wet contents to the dry contents, mix thoroughly.
Stir in frozen corn for an added flavor.
Form into patties.

You can either bake or fry patties.

TIP: Top with salsa, vegan sour cream and sliced avocado.

Easy Cooking: Tortilla Soup

I made this recipe by guessing what should be in vegan tortilla soup. I never made the non-vegan version, but the challenge wasn't hard at all. In fact, this is so easy to make that when I need a meal made in 20 min and have the hankering for something hot and spicy this is the recipe I like to whip up.

Tortilla Soup

Ingredients
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 can no fat refried beans
1 can vegetable broth
pepper
1 sweet onion (med)/(green onions work great too - I'd use two)
1 stalk of celery (optional - tastes fine without it, but if you have it on hand, toss it in)
2 heaping spoonfuls of crushed garlic
1 heaping spoon full of salsa
a few shakes of hot sauce
a few shakes of chipotle Tabasco
a few shakes of red pepper flakes
a few shakes of oregano
a few shakes of paprika
2 heaping spoonfuls of chili powder
tortilla chips - for topping
fake chicken cut up into pieces (1 bag)
1 3/4 cups frozen or fresh sweet corn
1 avocado for topping - sliced thin
cubed faux cheese (for topping) - fake Monterey jack with jalapeños

In food processor blend: (if you don't have one - get one, otherwise, you'll have more of a chunky soup.....if chunky is your thing - go for it)
diced tomatoes with green chilies
sweet onion
celery
crushed garlic
salsa
hot sauce
chipotle Tabasco
chili powder
paprika

In a large soup pot:
On medium heat start cooking the blended mixture along with vegetable broth.
Add oregano, pepper and red pepper flakes
Cook thoroughly.
Add refried beans and stir to mix until creamy
Dice fake chicken into 1 inch long pieces - add to soup along with corn
Increase heat and cover. Allow for mixture to boil but not a rolling boil.

Serve:
Ladle soup into deep soup bowls. Arrange sliced avocadoes, tortilla chips and fake cheese on top.

Optional: If you have a can of black beans around, throw those in too (while the soup is cooking). They'll give your soups more substance if you want more of a hearty soup.

Optional: If you're a spice freak, toss a couple of hot peppers into the food processor, sans the seeds unless you're a masochist.

Keep in mind - most of the flavoring stuff is optional. Once I was out of garlic and it came out fine. As long as you cook it with love in your heart, you're golden.