vegan Archives - The Midnight Baker

Tomato Basil Pasta

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 23:00:15 +0000

Tomato basil pasta is a great way to use those end-of-season tomatoes.

Tomato Basil Pasta–What You Do With All Those Tomatoes

If you grow tomatoes in your garden, you know you always end up with some amount at the end of the season. When you’ve canned or frozen most of them, there’s still the last stragglers. Well, this tomato basil pasta is exactly the dish you want to use up what you have. Incidentally, it’s great off-season too.

This recipe also has the benefit of being totally vegan. It’s nice served with a bit of grated Parmesan or Romano but then it’s vegetarian instead of vegan. I love grated cheese with tomatoes and pasta, but I’ll tell you this–you don’t need the cheese.

Totally Vegan

Made as is, this meal is meatless and totally vegan. Don’t let that fool you–you won’t miss the meat here. It’s a good recipe to keep in your arsenal to make when you have vegan or vegetarian friends over for dinner. It’s also great for folks who want to go meatless a day or two each week because the cost of meat is skyrocketing. You don’t have to make this with the last of the home-grown tomatoes. Off season, make it with grape tomatoes you can get at your supermarket.

For the vegetarians in your list, this also works when served with grated cheese. The cheese adds a bit of oomph to the taste but it’s really good without it. I’m a cheese lover but I find it’s great without it.

Pasta

The best pasta shape for this is good old spaghetti. It just makes a nice presentation.

As an aside, if you also have a bumper crop of zucchini, why not make some “zoodles” with that. That way, this will be a very low-carb meal but satisfying nonetheless.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Tomato Basil Pasta

Use those end-of-season tomatoes

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pasta with tomatoes, using up end-of-season tomatoes

Servings: 2

Calories: 704kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

8 oz spaghetti style pasta uncooked
3 cups assorted tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic finely minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Pinch of sugar
1/4 cup basil roughly chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. add garlic, salt, pepper and sugar; stir well.
Add the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes rust and release their juices. Cook until the liquid is slightly reduced. Add the pasta and basil. Toss well. Serve immediately.
Serve with Parmesan or Romano cheese if desired. It’s still vegetarian with the cheese but no longer vegan.

Nutrition

The post Tomato Basil Pasta appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Marinated Bean Salad

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 09 Apr 2022 23:00:55 +0000

Marinated bean salad is one of those salads that can be a complete meal. Totally vegan but totally delicious.

Marinated Bean Salad–An All-Season Salad

When my neighbor saw this she said it reminds her of summer. She’s right there because this or my Mexican 3 bean salad is generally on my menu when I have cookouts on my deck.

But I tend to think of this marinated bean salad as an all-season treat. In fact, it is a meal in itself when you think about it. Beans are a great source of protein and also a wonderful source of fiber so it’s pretty filling. To top that off–if you could–it’s totally vegan. Therefore, it’s a great main course when you’re serving those who don’t eat meat.

Economical Salad

Perhaps one of the best things about this recipe is that it is very economical.

Face it, beans are cheap. With rising prices, we’re all trying to economize where we can. Pasta, rice and beans are some of the best money savers around. Many of us are cutting down on meat too because it’s very high in price at the moment. What better way to save than with this delicious bean concoction.

It calls for canned beans which a lot of us already have in our pantry to begin with. I used white (cannellini) and red kidney beans because they make a great presentation. But you can use any variety or a combination of such.

Marinade

Basically, the marinade or dressing is a vinaigrette.

One tip I picked up from watching numerous Julia Child shows is that the proportion of oil to vinegar is a highly personal choice. She said she preferred more olive oil to vinegar and/or lemon juice. I’m totally the opposite. Therefore I suggest you mix up the marinade first and taste it. Then you can adjust for your personal taste.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Marinated Bean Salad

Totally vegan and totally addictive

Prep Time10

Cook Time0

Course: Main/Side, Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: marinated kidney beans, mixed bean salad, salads using canned beans

Servings: 6

Calories: 305kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

30 oz cannellini beans 2 cans, drained and rinsed
15 oz dark red kidney beans 1 can, drained and rinsed

Bean Marinade:

1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tbs chopped fresh chives
1 tbs chopped fresh dill
1 clove garlic finely minced
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tbs finely chopped red onion
1/4 tsp sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place beans in a large bowl.
In a small bowl, mix all the marinade ingredients. Pour over beans and toss to coat.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Toss well before serving.
Will keep well for about 3 days so you can make this ahead.

Nutrition

The post Marinated Bean Salad appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Cashew Cabbage

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 09 Jan 2022 00:00:08 +0000

Celebrate “Veganuary” with this delicious and totally vegan cashew cabbage.

Cashew Cabbage For Veganuary

Since I don’t think the word “celebrate” fits here I won’t use it. As I am understanding it, Veganuary is where you swap out some meals containing meat for vegan options.

This is a wonderful idea because you get to try new things and you just may find out you like them. As for me, I love all food and if you saw me in the flesh it’d be very apparent. So if you throw most any food my way, I’m sure to eat it. And for the record there’s some vegetarian/vegan dishes I’m crazy about.

Here you are substituting cashews for any meat. And yes, you can add some meat to this for those days you just feel like it or want to use up any leftovers. But trust me here, this tastes awesome with the cashews. The nutty flavor is perfect and you won’t miss the meat. Honest.

Love Egg Rolls?

Then you are bound to love this cashew cabbage. It tastes just like egg roll filling. In fact, if ever you make egg rolls use this recipe. I’ll tell you I was pretty surprised when I first made this. I adapted this recipe from one I found on Facebook that was posted by Just A Pinch. The original contained some ingredients I didn’t have on hand and didn’t think would “go” with the other ingredients. Therefore, I just kept to the basics. Had no fresh mushrooms on hand so I used canned button ones–haters can leave these out.

Shredding And Cutting

Truthfully, I find using a chef’s knife to shred cabbage a heck of a lot easier than any other home method, but if you have access to a commercial slicing machine like they have in the deli, use that.

When it comes to the carrot and making matchsticks, again I find using the knife more efficient, This can be done in a food processor but then you have all those parts to clean.

Just an FYI but when this dish is done, taste it. I used low-sodium soy sauce and didn’t add any salt because of the salt on the cashews. I haven’t been much into salt since my late husband’s heart surgery where he had to eat a reduced-sodium diet, but this needed a pinch of salt for my taste and maybe yours too. You can use regular soy sauce too–I will in future,

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Cashew Cabbage

Just like egg roll filling but vegan

Prep Time25

Cook Time15

Course: Main, Main Course, Main/Side, vegetarian dishes

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: cashew cabbage, egg roll filling, vegan meals with cashews

Servings: 4

Calories: 345kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 tbs oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
1 carrot and cut into matchsticks
2 ribs celery thinly sliced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup cashews
1/4 cup white wine
1/3 cup soy sauce low-sodium preferred
1 1/2 lbs shredded cabbage
2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat a large deep skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery and carrot. Stir fry for about 5 minutes.
Next add the mushrooms and cashews and stir fry for 3 minutes.
Add the wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic powder and cabbage. Toss to blend then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the cabbage is wilted.

Notes

Based on 4 servings as a main course

Nutrition

The post Cashew Cabbage appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Chunky Tomato Soup

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 00:00:10 +0000

Chunky tomato soup is quite possibly the best tomato soup you’ll ever eat. Quick cooking and easy.

Chunky Tomato Soup Tastes Like You Fussed

One taste of this soup will convince you that a great-tasting soup isn’t a lot of work.

When I first tasted this, it reminded me of pizza so I like to call it “pizza in a bowl,” but that might be misleading. However, if you don’t want to make pizza or go out for it, this might satisfy the craving.

This is also a soup you can make with common pantry items you likely have on hand. That’s a big plus in my book and you’ll definitely want to keep it in mind when you have unexpected guests–and who doesn’t during the holidays?

Easily Made Vegan

The soup is vegetarian–for those who include some dairy so there’s no substitutions necessary.

However, it’s easily converted to a vegan dish. The substitutions are easy; nut or oat milk can replace the cow’s milk. As for the croutons, you can always forego them but I understand the quality of vegan cheeses now is quite good. I’ve also heard that nutritional yeast is widely used by vegans to substitute for Parmesan. Of course, vegetable stock can replace the chicken. So this soup is quite versatile and can be served to practically anyone with some minor changes.

And if that isn’t all, it’s probably pretty light on calories too if you’re watching them.

Soup & Sandwich?

By all means! Especially if you’re serving people with larger appetites. For me now, a bowl of this soup suffices for a dinner. That wasn’t the case years ago though, so with guys and younger folks, a sandwich is probably necessary.

What is traditional with tomato soup–grilled cheese of course. With this soup I’d make a fancy grilled cheese made with mozzarella. Now it’d be more like pizza!

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Chunky Tomato Soup

Tomato soup is a perennial favorite

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Course: Main, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chunky tomato soup, quick tomato soup, tomato soup from canned tomatoes

Servings: 4

Calories: 419kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 tbs vegetable oil
1 medium onion chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
2 tbs flour
1/2 cup milk
28 oz petite diced tomatoes 1 large can, don't drain
28 oz crushed tomatoes 1 large can, don't drain
1 tso dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
14 oz chicken stock or vegetable stock

Parmesan Croutons

2 cups white bread cubes
4 tbs olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook until soft. Add flour; cook and stir until moist. Gradually add milk, cooking and stirring about 2 minutes or until smooth and bubbly
Stir in crushed and petite diced tomatoes, basil, oregano and stock. Cover and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes. Stir frequently and do not allow mixture to boil.
To make croutons, toss bread cubes with olive oil and grated cheese. Spread onto baking sheet and place into a preheated oven at 350F/180C. Bake until croutons are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Top soup with crouton.

Nutrition

The post Chunky Tomato Soup appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Creamy Orzo Risotto

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 25 May 2021 23:00:35 +0000

Serve this creamy orzo risotto as a side or as a main dish. Delicious either way.

Versatile Orzo

Creamy orzo risotto is one of those recipes that prove how versatile this pasta truly is.

There’s just so many ways to use it. Since you had to buy some if you wanted to make my shrimp and zucchini with orzo, then here’s a way to use up what you bought!

If you haven’t used it, orzo is shaped like rice grains. In fact it’s used lots of times to stand in for rice. Mostly I use it in one-dish meals to add a bit of bulk and extend the meal. It’s texture is unlike rice in as much as it has a very silky texture and as a result, adds a nice textural component to those one-pot meals.

Easily Made Vegan

This orzo risotto uses milk, chicken stock and cheese. You can easily substitute vegetable stock and then it becomes vegetarian for those who include dairy in their diets.

However, it can easily be made vegan with further substitutions. Of course it stands to reason that you’d also use vegetable stock in place of the chicken. You can substitute one of the many plant-based milks for the regular kind. Personally, I think almond milk would be a terrific choice. As for the cheese, I know there’s many now on the market which are plant based. How good they melt, I can’t say. However, they should taste fine, even if they don’t melt. And another option is just to leave them out; the risotto will taste perfectly fine even without them.

Spinach: Fresh Or Frozen

Anyone who has hung around my site for any length of time knows I am a big advocate of fresh.

It’s no different in this recipe when it comes to the spinach. My choice is pre-washed organic baby spinach mainly because it can be used straight from the bag. You can, of course, use frozen. Because frozen is already wilted, just halve the amount of the fresh. Make sure you measure it after you’ve squeezed the water out of it. But I truthfully don’t measure it. I just toss in what looks about right. And don’t feel constrained to using less. If you love spinach, throw in as much as you like and make it the main ingredient–especially if you want more veggie than pasta.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Creamy Spinach & Orzo Risotto

Serve it as a side or a main dish.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Course: Main/Side, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy risotto, orzo side dishes, risotto using orzo, using orzo pasta, vegan risotto

Servings: 6

Calories: 463kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 tbs olive oil
1 small yellow onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 lb dried orzo pasta about 2 1/2 cups
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
2 cups whole milk
2 cups packed baby spinach coarsely chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
Salt & pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat until shimmering.
Add the onion and sauté until softened and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and orzo, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Stir in the broth and milk and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is al dente and most of the liquid is absorbed and has formed a creamy sauce, about 10 minutes. (If the orzo isn’t completely cooked once this has happened, you can add another splash or two of broth to the pot and continue to simmer until it has.)
Stir in the spinach and grated cheeses until the spinach has just wilted and the cheese melts, about 1 minute.
Taste and and add salt & pepper if necessary

Nutrition

The post Creamy Orzo Risotto appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Jamaican Coconut Rice

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 14 Apr 2020 23:00:39 +0000

You won’t miss the meat if you serve this Jamaican coconut rice for dinner. And the best part is it’s very inexpensive.

Jamaican Coconut Rice: Budget Meal

Coconut rice is a meal for these times.

With so many people now unemployed because of the virus and waiting to sign up for their unemployment benefits, money is definitely tight. The only way you can reign in expenses is on food.

While we’re on the subject, many items are hard to get as well. Jamaican coconut rice is usually served with chicken as a side dish. Well, chicken is one of those near-impossible things to get now.

But take heart; the “side dish” can become a main dish. It’s very nutritious too. In fact, the mainstay for protein in vegan and vegetarian diets is good old rice and beans.

Far from being bland, this rice and bean dish is loaded with flavor.

Hot Or Mild

You can spice things up here too. If you like a bit of zip–or a lot of it–in your food, this can fill the bill.

To spice things up, pop in a hot pepper (or part of one) in the liquid you cook the rice in. Traditionally, this is a habanero or scotch bonnet. But be careful with either of those–they are off-the-charts hot.

However, this rice is equally good when it’s mild. My personal preference is eating it without the hot pepper. To my taste, the flavors really sing without the heat and the pepper distracts from it’s great flavor.

Try it both ways to see how you like it.

Substitutions

As I mentioned before, some items are hard to get in stores now. And my mantra has always been use what you have on hand, Especially now.

The recipe calls for dark red kidney beans, but if you have light red, they work too. Cannellini beans are another good choice. The only ones I’d hesitate to substitute is black beans.

Jasmine rice is preferred, but use regular long-grain if that’s all you have. And as for the thyme, I always prefer using fresh because I have an indoor garden where I grow it. But the dry stuff is fine and use about 1/4 tsp. Add more if you want a fuller flavor.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Jamaican Coconut Rice

Rice so tasty it’s a main course

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Course: Dinner, Main Course, Main/Side, vegetarian dishes

Cuisine: Jamaican

Keyword: coconut rice, jamaican rice recipe, rice side dishes, vegan main course recipes

Servings: 4

Calories: 539kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

14 oz can coconut milk
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
3 fresh thyme sprigs
1 hot pepper optional
1 garlic clove crushed
1 cup long-grain white rice such as jasmine
15 oz can dark red kidney beans rinsed and drained

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Combine the first ingredients (through garlic) in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil. Stir in rice; reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook 20 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. Remove pan from heat; remove the thyme sprigs and garlic, and discard. Gently stir in the beans. Cover and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Traditionally, the pepper used is a scotch bonnet or habanero. I made this an optional ingredient.

If you don’t have fresh thyme, 1/4-1/2 tsp of the dried can be substituted. Always start with the lesser amount.

Nutrition

The post Jamaican Coconut Rice appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Red Lentil Soup

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 24 Nov 2019 00:00:40 +0000

This red lentil soup is so comforting on a chilly night.

Red Lentil Soup

Have you ever thought of using red lentils?

I have for a long time. The last time I went shopping and saw them, I decided to buy a bag even though I didn’t know exactly what I would do with them. A bit of impulse buying on my part.

Beans and legumes have always been a favorite of mine and I’ve made plenty of soups that use them over the years. However, even though I like regular lentil soup, there’s something about the color I find somewhat disagreeable. So it wasn’t that much of a brainstorm to substitute the red lentil for the grey one.

Vegetarian Or Vegan Too

The beauty of this red lentil soup is that it can easily be made “meatless” and totally vegan.

It should come as no surprise that even we omnivores enjoy vegan/vegetarian dishes. Personally, I enjoy all foods and have no intention of changing my diet, but I’ve noticed that a lot of peoples’ eating habits do change as we age. For instance, when I hit 50, I just didn’t want to eat meat every single day. It was surprising to learn that this was pretty common among similarly aged friends.

So, at times you don’t want to eat meat per se, the kielbasa can be left out. You might want to still use the chicken stock, but you don’t have to do that either. A good vegetable stock will work equally as well and with those substitutions, it becomes entirely vegan.

Whole Or Puree

This soup cooks pretty quickly so it can also be a quickie dinner–and there’s another choice too.

You can leave the lentils whole if you want a bit of chew factor involved and if you’re leaving out the kielbasa, this is probably a good choice. However, the soup may be pureed as well to make it smooth. I pureed it with my stick blender because it’s so easy to do. The choice, as they say, is up to you.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Red Lentil & Kielbasa Soup

Easy and comforting lentil soup.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Course: Dinner, Main, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: lentil soup recipe, quick soup recipes, red lentils, vegan soup recipe, vegetarian recipe

Servings: 8

Calories: 452kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 large onion chopped
4 cloves garlic crushed
1 tbs oil
4 cups chicken stock
3 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 sprig thyme
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
16 oz red lentils
16 oz chopped kielbasa

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes or until onion begins to get tender.
Add the stock and remaining ingredients except the kielbasa. Simmer for approximately 1 hour or until lentils are tender. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
Puree soup either in a conventional blender or with an immersion/stick blender.
Add the kielbasa and heat through.

Notes

Omit the kielbasa and use vegetable stock for a vegan soup.

Nutrition

The post Red Lentil Soup appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Greek-Style Potatoes

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 04 May 2019 23:00:54 +0000

Your family will love these Greek-style potatoes which are a Mediterranean favorite. Surprise, they’re vegan too!

Greek Potatoes Are Simple And Delicious

I’ll say it again. Simple is usually the most delicious way.

These potatoes are no exception. I’m sure you have everything you need to make these right in your cupboard. These Greek-style potatoes make an excellent side dish, but they’re so good you can eat them all by themselves as a vegan meal!

I happened on this by accident really. A friend who is of Greek extraction and a wonderful baker, posted this recipe on her Facebook page. I say “by accident” because most of her recipes are for yeast breads and cakes and I don’t make many of them. I usually scroll by them, however, this one caught my eye because I love potatoes and they looked really yummy.

Semolina: The Secret

The yummy secret in these potatoes is the teeny bit of semolina flour you use. If you don’t know what that is, it’s the basis of polenta. OK, if you don’t know what polenta is don’t worry. You can find semolina either in the baking aisle, by the Italian products and in the organic section (Bob’s Red Mill is one brand). Bob’s is loose in the bag but some brands vacuum seal it and it’s a solid brick (that becomes free-flowing when you break the seal). Now, you don’t use much so I’d say ask a friend or neighbor if they have some. Otherwise you’ll have a lot left over. You can freeze it so all is not lost and there are other recipes that use it–like polenta!!!

Lemon, Olive Oil And Herbs

Most Mediterranean countries make good use of lemons, olive oil and aromatic herbs. And the Greeks are no exception.

The lemon provides a really nice vague acidic touch that blends very nicely with the oregano. Don’t be put off by the amount of oregano–it really tastes very nice.

And of course, there’s olive oil. It may seem like a lot, but it’s necessary here because you are using very floury potatoes. In the US, you can use either russet or Idaho. If you’re in the UK/EU, maris pipers or King Edwards are a good choice.

Lastly, I highly recommend using a non-stick baking sheet or baking pan for these, despite the amount of oil.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Greek-Style Potatoes

Add a Mediterranean flair to ordinary potatoes

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 10

Total Time1 14

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: potatoes

Servings: 6

Calories: 420kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

6 large russet potatoes
1 tbs semolina

Seasoning Sauce:

3/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup water
1 tbs oregano
Juice of 2 lemons
3 cloves garlic pressed or very finely minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a large roasting pan or large baking pan with non-stick spray
Peel potatoes and cut into wedges about 1/4-inch thick. Lay potatoes in a single layer on prepared pan.
Mix all of the seasoning sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Pour evenly over potatoes in pan and toss gently to coat.
Sprinkle with HALF of the semolina. Bake for 40 minutes or until potatoes begin to get golden and crunchy on top.
Carefully turn potato wedges and sprinkle with remaining semolina. Bake 20-30 minutes longer or until golden and crunchy on the top side.

Video

Nutrition

The post Greek-Style Potatoes appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Chili Garlic Dry Fried Beans

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 23 Oct 2018 23:00:19 +0000

These dry-fried green beans in a chili garlic sauce can be a complete meatless meal!

Popular Buffet Item

These dry-fried green beans are a popular dish at lots of Asian buffets. If you love them you can make them at home. They’re very easy!

The reason these are such a hit is that the green beans get an intense flavor when the water “dries” out of them. That’s achieved by deep frying them and is known as dry frying. It doesn’t take tons of oil to do this either. Maybe about a half inch or so in a 10-inch deep skillet is the proper amount. Also, if you fry at the correct temperature, no food will get greasy.

Another bonus here is that the water-soluble vitamins are not lost due to the method of cooking. But the main thing is, these are simply delicious!

Control The Heat

This is another of my recipes that uses chili garlic sauce. You will find this in the Asian section of your supermarket, but if you can’t find it there, I provided a link to where you can buy it. This is also used in my Bang Bang Shrimp with Pasta recipe. It’s got a kick, but it tastes really great.

If you like things really hot then up the ante with the chili garlic sauce. I used about a teaspoon of it to approximately a pound of fresh green beans. It tasted, to me, perfectly balanced with that amount. However, I caution to start small here because you can always add more.

Use Fresh–It Matters

Obviously canned green beans are out for this and funny enough, I would stay away from frozen whole beans too. The reason is that frozen beans are first blanched so there’s a considerable amount of excess water in those. Remember, you are deep frying these and the less splatter (and burns and mess from splattering oil) the better.

If you want to eliminate some of the prep, you can buy the pre-washed, pre-stringed whole beans that come in the bags. Just make sure to dry them off well with paper towels before frying. I used bulk fresh green beans from the produce counter. I did have to trim and de-string them, but they were on sale so…

This side dish can also double as a main course. It has chopped peanuts in it so it is a complete meal if you feel like going meatless or are serving vegans or vegetarians. Obviously, if you or any family member has a peanut allergy, you don’t have to put them in. They’d taste great without them too.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Chili Garlic Dry-Fried Green Beans

These dry-fried green beans in a chili garlic sauce can be a complete meatless meal!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: dry-fried, green beans, meatless meal

Servings: 4

Calories: 129kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 lb fresh green beans trimmed and de-stringed
2 tbs minced fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic minced
3-4 green onions scallions, chopped (reserve some for garnish)
1 tsp chili garlic sauce
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
1 tbs oil for stir frying
oil for deep frying

Instructions

Heat about 1/2-inch of oil in a large skillet. The oil is the right temperature if a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds.
Pat any excess moisture off the green beans and add them carefully to the hot oil. Stir occasionally until the beans start to brown and look crisp. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and when it begins to shimmer, add the ginger, garlic and chili garlic sauce; stir to combine.
Add the green beans, most of the green onion and the peanuts. Toss to combine and heat the green beans through.
Serve immediately and top with remaining chopped green onion.

Notes

A little soy sauce can be used as a condiment, but don't add it during the cooking. Add it as you would salt and pepper at the table.

Nutritional information is estimated and shows slightly less than actual, because it doesn't account for the oil for frying.

Nutrition

*Post contains affiliate links

The post Chili Garlic Dry Fried Beans appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Mexican Three-Bean Salad

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 21 Jul 2018 23:00:19 +0000

Simple Mexican style bean salad that’s a complete meatless meal!

Simple Yet Stunning

If you’re looking for a salad that will really wow your guests or family, look no further than this Mexican bean salad!

It’s also a great option for a main dish if you are having company that doesn’t eat meat.

The colors are mouthwatering so this really can be the centerpiece of any meal.

Easy To Make

At first glance, you may think this is complicated to prepare, but it’s not!

The hardest thing here is opening the cans of beans! Of course, all canned beans have to be well rinsed and drained. Therefore, I suggest you begin preparation about one hour before you plan to serve the salad. The colander can be set either in the sink or on the draining board so it drains well and doesn’t get in your way.

Other than that, the only other prep work you have is a bit of chopping and defrosting. I might add at this point that you can vary the amounts of anything in the salad itself to suit your individual taste. For instance, I’m not a big lover of cilantro but recognize it’s needed for a special flavor. I tend to go light on it, but if you love it, add more!

The same applies to the dressing. Again, I’m not a lover of cumin but the dressing needs that flavor. Add more of anything if you like it. Just don’t alter the oil/acid amounts.

Your Choice Of Beans

I love the color combination you get with the variety of beans used in this salad. To me, color is very important for food because the more vibrant it looks, the more appealing it is to eat.

But that doesn’t mean you cannot substitute one bean variety for your favorite. If I were to substitute anything here, I’d switch out the cannellini beans for garbanzo beans (aka chick peas) because I really love them. Doing that would also give more depth to the shapes and textures–another thing that’s pleasing to the eye and palate!

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Mexican Three-Bean Salad

Three-Bean salad is a simple Mexican style bean salad that’s a complete meatless meal!

Prep Time15

Total Time15

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: bean salad, three bean salad

Servings: 6 -8

Calories: 335kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

15 oz canned cannellini beans drained and rinsed
15 oz canned kidney beans drained and rinsed
15 oz canned black beans drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn kernels defrosted
3/4 cup red onion chopped
1/2 cup poblano peppers finely diced
1/2 cup red bell pepper finely diced
2 tbs chopped fresh parsley
1 tbs chopped fresh cilantro

Dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbs white wine vinegar
1 tbs lemon juice
1/8 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder
1 clove garlic minced
1 tbs sugar
1 Pinch salt
1 Pinch pepper

Instructions

Place the drained beans, corn, onion, peppers, parsley and cilantro in a large bowl.
Mix all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk it well; pour over bean mixture and toss to coat.
Chill until ready to serve.

Nutrition

The post Mexican Three-Bean Salad appeared first on The Midnight Baker.