The Pig and I

And now... what you actually came here for: 1 cup cooked black beans* 1 cup cooked navy beans 1 cup cooked small red beans 1 8.75-ounce can corn, drained 1 jalepeno, deseeded and diced 1 stalk diced celery 4 tablespoons sliced scallion Mix together, add dressing, stir well and eat. Dressing: .5 cup chopped cilantro 5 drop tabasco 4 drops Worcestershire sauce .5 teaspoon each: ground coriander seed, paprika, chili powder, dry mustard, salt .25 cup lime juice .5 cup vegetable oil Whisk together. *I don't ever buy canned beans, and I cooked my black beans (only the black; I just cooked the others normally) with a splash of rose water and a bay leaf. Feel free to buy canned and use those instead.

1.5 cup whole milk .34 cup sugar 1 tablespoon rose water 3 cardamom pods pinch fresh nutmeg 1 allspice berry .25 teaspoon vanilla 1.75 cups cooked, long-grain rice .25 cup each: chopped dates, raisins Heat milk, sugar, rose water, cadamom, nutmeg, allspice and vanilla until sugar is dissolved. Add rice and simmer until thick, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 5 minutes before it's done, remove the cardamom and allspice. Stir frequently once raisins are added. Top w/ freshly grated nutmeg.

Lentils: 3 cups water 1 2"-piece cinnamon stick 1 bay leaf .75 cup red lentils .25 cup split green peas salt and pepper to taste 2 teaspoons lime juice 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro sumac to taste (optional) Add cinnamon, bay leaf and water to a pot. Bring to a boil. Add lentils and peas, stir well. Lower heat, cover and allow to simmer for 30 minutes or until tender, uncovering occasionally to stir. If any water remains, leave covered for a few minutes and it will soak in. Add salt, pepper, lime, cilantro and sumac. Put on a plate and top with roasted vegetables. Serves 4. Roasted Vegetables: 4 red potatoes, quartered 4 baby beets, peeled and quartered 6 large brussel sprouts, halved 2-3 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon onion or shallot powder salt and pepper to taste .5 teaspoon coriander powder 1 teaspoon dried lemon peel Preheat oven to 400F. Combine all ingredients in a casserole dish or baking sheet. Bake 30-45 minutes or until beets and potatoes a...

It's no secret I love Peeps. I have no illusions about their "food" status (not food). But I love them, regardless. Some junk foods are just... good. I have seen a Peep car, Peep-killing websites, all sorts of Peep things. This takes the cake. I want this book.

.5 cup red quinoa .5 cup white quinoa .25 minced red onion .5 cup diced marinated artichoke crowns or hearts .5 cup minced palm hearts .25 cup diced fresh tomatoes 1 cup diced fresh broccoli 2 tablespoons roasted garlic 1 – 6 ounce can black Spanish olives, roughly chopped 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper .5 teaspoon cumin .25 teaspoon celery seed .25 cup lemon juice .125 cup red wine vinegar .5 cup hemp seed oil (or olive oil) 1 tablespoon honey Cook quinoa according to package directions and cool. When cooled, add onion, artichoke, palm hear, tomato, broccoli, garlic and olives. Set aside. Whisk together remaining ingredients. Toss into salad. Serves 8.

I got home from class today, and didn't really feel like making anything (or sifting through left-overs). And then I remembered I'd planned to make a salade nicoise at some point in the next week or so. Today sounded like a good day. For those who don't know what a salade nicoise is here's quick description (unfortunately, there was very little left by the time I remembered I have a camera): Salad greens, hard boiled egg, nicoise olives, tuna, anchovies (I forgot P likes anchovies too, so I left them out), raw vegetables, olive oil. Most restaurants also include steamed or blanched green beans. Mine was also a variance from the traditional, but no less tasty. In short, it's a protein-rich salad that can be tossed together in just a few moments if you'd like, or you can spend time cooking the tuna and making it fancier. This to me is really a pantry meal, since I tend to have a lot of pickled and jarred foods laying around for lazy days. You use what's in...

Shrimp Scampi 1 tablespoon salt 7 cloves garlic, finely minced 4 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons lemon juice ¼ cup white wine ½ pound shelled, deveined shrimp Sprinkle half of salt on a cutting board. Top with garlic. Sprinkle remaining salt on top of salt. Press garlic with the flat part of knife repeatedly until it's paste. Heat a small skillet. Add butter, lemon, wine, garlic and salt to skillet. Bring to a boil. When boiling, add shrimp. Allow sauce to reduce (approximately 8 minutes). Serves 2.