Two Black Bean Dishes..."kill two birds with one stone"

 

I'm so sorry to disappoint all of you with my simple dishes and not making ooey-gooey cupcakes, cakes, and super rich dishes, so I decided at least the things that I do make are healthy, and delicious...that is if you like black beans!
The one thing, or maybe two things you might have noticed since I started my Weight Watchers diet program, is that I'm concentrating more on making things look attractive, and improve on my photos, as well!

Remember that huge container of black beans? well, I made another big pot of black beans from dried black beans.
This first one is a delicious CUBAN BLACK BEANS, and the second one coming up, is my BLACK BEANS PAPAYA SALSA...I decided to "kill two birds with one stone"...I'm sure you've heard the meaning before!

Not my own photo...courtesy of National Geography

Realistically speaking...who would want to kill these beautiful Rainbow bee-eaters? The term killing two birds with one stone is "performing two tasks at the same time" has been mentioned that it originated from the Japanese, the Chinese, the Romans, and from a Greek Mythology! Well, they all can call it their own, but this famous Idiom Definition is referred by Hobbes, in 1841, in England. According to Hobbes, it was to "satisfy two arguments with one answer." It is almost impossible to kill two birds with one stone, unless they are sitting close together as these lovely birds!

My second bean dish is BLACK BEAN PAPAYA SALSA...a very nice, refreshing salsa that is perfect as a side dish with BBQ or just have around as a great snack to satisfy the in-between meals hunger!

Love this refreshing salsa, and so easy to make. I will post both recipes for you, and for the next post I will try to keep it on the sweet side by making a yummy dessert of some sorts!

Vegan Avocado-Tomato Toasts...for #greenslove

Not too long ago, my 5 year old grandson Luca, asked me what my favorite color is...and I answered "green." He immediately answered back, "no, you can't have that for your favorite color; that's my favorite color!"...well, I just laughed about that, which he did not think it was funny, and told him...then we must have the same "likes"...since he would translate "taste" if I would have said that, to FOOD!

"Green is the color of nature, fertility, life. Grass green is the most restful color. Green symbolizes self-respect and well being. Green is the color of balance. It also means learning, growth and harmony. Green is a safe color, if you don't know what color to use anywhere use green.

Green is favored by well balanced people. Green symbolizes the master healer and the life force. It often symbolizes money. It was believed green was healing for the eyes. Egyptians wore green eyeliner. Green eye shades are still used. You should eat raw green foods for good health. Friday is the day of green. Green jade is a sacred stone of Asia."

Oh, yes...FOOD...who would want to turn down glorious fresh, and green vegetables, especially when you have a "hum drum" just everyday kind of dish, wouldn't a nice bright green salad brighten up a dreary, or otherwise too rich of a dish, yearning for something fresh, and green? That's my kind of dish, anytime. a nice dish of fresh baby green spinach salad with red onions, sliced mushrooms and topped with a simple red wine vinaigrette...a side of fresh cucumber salad with cherry tomatoes, and a simple extra virgin olive oil, and fresh lime topping, or fresh green beans, steamed to perfection, still crunchy and to preserve the bright green color, just rinse it in cold water and throw some ice cubes on it!

The list goes on-and-on, and I'm not even mentioning the health benefits of the GREENS. We can probably all hear our mothers saying: "eat your vegetables!"...as boring as it seemed in our childhood days, we all benefited from that in our adulthood...so, may I remind you to EAT YOUR VEGETABLES?...It's so good for you...the fresher, the greener; the better!
I was so inspired by this healthy, simple, and totally delicious vegan open-face sandwich, and after a short trip to my local Whole Foods market I got some specialty items, and a few organic vegetables. I wanted to make a salad with avocado, and organic sprouts, organic tomatoes, but instead, I decided to try this sandwich from the fresh ingredients only because I bought a loaf of their amazing San Francisco Sourdough bread...get this; a whole entire beautiful round loaf of bread for only $3.99. I could not have baked a better loaf of sourdough bread myself. So here's the recipe!

Linking to: #greenslove @ cake duchess

Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage
Thursday Favorite Things @ Katherines Corner


Vegan Avocado-Tomato Toasts
inspired, and adapted from: WholeLiving.com

4 slices Rustic bread toasted
2 avocados peeled and sliced
1 ripe tomato cut into slices
(I used 2 slices, saved the rest for salad)
a handful of organic sprouts
(I used organic clover sprouts)
1 lime cut into wedges
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt
extra virgin olive oil, for drizzle

Top toasted bread with avocado slices, some sprouts
salt and pepper and squeeze with some lime, and drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on it, lightly. Top with the tomato slice and some more salt and pepper, and drizzle some additional extra virgin olive oil on it, and top it with some extra sprouts. Have some extra slices, or wedges of lime!
This is a very satisfying sandwich, high in high in calories, carbs, protein, low in cholesterol, and and you get the "good" fats; also, I did the math with my WW calculator, and it came to a high point: 12

note: not to worry for the high point of a single slice of a very healthy and delicious sandwich, it is very filling, highly satisfying, and is a well accepted Weight Watchers choice,  from my vegan choice addition!

...and now, click over to some more interesting facts, and #greenslove photos...and for the winner of the LENOX candy dish giveaway!

Chocolate-Banana Frozen Pops...and Giveaway

I've been wanting to make something with all the Dove chocolate products that my daughter Lora received from the Dove people, to try out their products. She shared some with me, but every time I get the chocolate cravings, I just nibble on the silk and smooth Dove chocolate pieces, and little nuggets...even though some are for baking. They are incredibly rich, creamy and so amazingly delicious!

As far as I'm concerned, when you get the craving for chocolates, Dove, or Godiva chocolates are the only ones that can satisfy your craving...although Godiva has not come up with their product to bake with, but Dove, has...it should be available in the supermarkets by now. I really wanted to melt these little chocolate silky nuggets to dip them into strawberries, but I did not have the large ones, so I settled for nice, not too ripe banana pieces. I've seen the "store bought" simple chocolate covered frozen bananas that a friend of mine boasts about...nothing compares to the cute little pop sized ones dipped into melted down chocolate pieces, and sprinkle them with the confetti sprinkles, and pop them in the freezer. I could not wait for them to freeze and grabbed my camera to take the photos, while I had some sunshine streaming into my condo!
BTW-It's been 2 months now since I started my Weight Watchers program...and have lost 13 lbs. which averages out to about 1.6 lbs a week...gaining 2 lbs during the weekend, and losing it again the following week, plus 1 more!
So, there you have it...who says you cannot enjoy a chocolate Banana frozen pop, or two...to satisfy your sweet tooth? They are 5 points each...just be cautious!

As a way of thanking all of you...my friends, I have this beautiful authentic LENOX candy dish to give you, as a giveaway for all your kind words, and support for not just the last 2 months, but for the nearly 2 years of supporting my blog, which I so reluctantly wanted to do!
The LENOX candy dish is 4 inches in diameter, the original pretty simple beige, with the gold trimming, and little heart shaped design around the dish. Isn't this a pretty photo I took, with the reflection of the heart shape in the sunlight? The dish is about less than 3 inches tall!
Better yet...as you know my blog is not just about "good food", but "good thrift finds"...and I was totally blown away when I found this gorgeous little candy dish at my local Goodwill...it was just staring at me, or me staring at it, when I saw it sitting on the shelf, I immediately recognized that it's a LENOX. My hand was shaking to see the price on the back...$4.99...seriously! There is not a mark, or any kind of flaws on this beautiful dish. It retails, at least $40.00 if not more; I'm sure of that! This is the original style, and color.

Again...same rules apply: Just make sure you follow my blog...that's all! My FRIEND CONNECT Google list was totally taken off by Google, so that means I lost 112 additional followers. I specifically asked a few new followers to please follow me on my existing follow list, after I followed them back...well, I'm hoping they will do so, because I am -112 followers, as of the first of March!

I will use my Random.org number generator, on Wednesday, March 7, 2012 to determine the winner.
The giveaway entry will end on Tuesday, March 6, 2012 at 11:00pm EST. I will ship to any country, outside of the U.S....isn't that great? You will love this little dish, as much as I do, but I have a lot of pretty things, and DO find just as much in my search for great "thrift finds"

...and now, for the recipe!

Sweet Potatoes with Vegetarian-Vegan Black Bean Chili

As I mentioned to you in the near past, that we have vegetarian, and vegan meals at least 3, 4 times a week, seafood once a week, and the weekend is pretty "iffy"...never knowing what we're going to eat. That's where I get in trouble with my WW points system, even though I'm allowed extra points, every weekend I gain back at least 2 or 3 pounds; then, start again on Monday, and it takes an entire week to lose those extra pounds, and struggling to lose another pound or two. So, this is the "lifestyle". As long as I'm on track and know what's taking place, I'm more conscious of it!

This dish is the ultimate vegetarian...vegan, if you don't top the chili with the Lebni (kefir/yogurt)...but I must confess that Lebni is so creamy, tangy, thick, and the perfect topping to tame the hot and spicy flavor of this gorgeous chili topped baked sweet potato! I don't claim to be a recipe developer, or a food stylist, but then, I am a professionally trained chef, for decades now... which I never talk about, but I do mention it on the bottom of my  "about me" section. I guarantee, that you haven't seen a chili assembled like this, but there are plenty of sweet potato chili recipes out there. This way, you have the best of both...baked sweet potato, cooked black beans, and separately cooked spicy vegetables, all assembled...with LOVE!

I totally went off the original subject that I want to post about...oh yes! The Red Gold Tomato Giveaway winner!
As you can see these beautiful spicy vegetables that are still simmering, and steaming (you could actually see the steam)...they are made with the Red Gold Tomato Diced Tomato Chili Ready tomatoes.

Here's the tricky part. I did calculate the winner on my handy little Random.Org widget, and wouldn't you know who came up as #14 winner? Wendy @ The Weekend Gourmet. She specifically asked me not to include her, since she also hosted a giveaway last year, and this year, she had the opportunity to visit the Red Gold Tomato plant in person...you can read about her fabulous trip on her blog!

Next, the generator picked my Hungarian food blogger friend, Erzsi @ Troll a Konnyhamban...so sorry, but only U.S. and Canada are eligible....that was # 7...so now, I didn't want to spin the numbers again, that's how I went to the next number, which is # 8...Claudia @ What's Cookin' Italian Style!

Congratulations, Claudia...I will get in touch with you by e-mail...to get your address, so I can send it to Red Gold, and they will ship your giveaway package to you, directly!

Linking to: Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage
                Thursday Favorite Things @ Katherines Corner

Sweet Potatoes with Vegetarian-Vegan Black Bean Chili
my own recipe

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 medium onion chopped
3 cloves of garlic chopped
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1-14 1/2 to 16 ounce can diced tomatoes with juices
(I used Red Gold diced tomatoes, Chili Ready)
1 15- to 16 ounce can black beans, rinsed, and drained
( I made a large pot of black dried beans, the day before, and used 2 cups of it, rinsed and drained)
3 small yellow crookneck squash diced 
1 Tablespoon minced seeded if you like, jalapeno chili
4 lime wedges

Plain nonfat, Lebni, our sour cream (optional)
Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Pierce sweet potatoes with a fork, and wrap them separately in foil paper. Place sweet potatoes in baking dish and bake until tender, about 1 hr. 15 minutes.




Note: the day before, make a large batch of dried black beans, and refrigerate in large plastic container, to make at least 3 different meals out of it, or just season it to make a side dish chili, or black bean soup. This is optional, you can use a good quality canned beans for this recipe, as well!

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add diced bell pepper and shopped onions and saute until golden, about 10 minutes. Add minced garlic and stir mixture 2 minutes. Stir in chili powder and ground cumin, then the diced yellow squash. tomatoes.Reduce heat to low, and cook for about 15 minutes, adding about 1/4 cup of water if it's needed.
Add diced tomatoes with their juices, and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes...not longer, to keep the diced pieces whole.

Heat the black beans separately in a small saucepan. You can add an extra can of beans, or the fresh cooked beans to make sure you have enough. Important: in order to spice up the beans, take a small portion from the spicy veggies, and stir them into the beans.


Arrange 1 sweet potato on each of 4 plates. Split potatoes open; mash slightly. Spoon some black beans in center of each. top with the spicy vegetables, and squeeze lime juice over.

Top with Lebni, Greek yogurt, or sour cream (optional)
 

This is an amazing healthy, colorful, and filling dish.
I figured out the WW points value, which is 7 points.
Even if you're not a vegetarian, you will love this!
Enjoy!












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Chick- Peas in Chunky Tomato Sauce...and Red Gold Giveaway

I'm truly happy to announce to you, that I have the most amazing 100 % all natural tomatoes to have had the privilege of trying, almost exactly one year ago, when I won the beautiful giveaway pack, from my friend Wendy, @ Weekend Gourmet.

I did not even know that our local Publix Supermarket in West Palm Beach carries the Red Gold tomatoes, when I suddenly discovered it, yesterday! More importantly, I got my "six pack" ...no, I don't mean a six pack "abs"...not even nearly, or my six pack of "beer"...although beer would go nice with my Chick- Peas in Chunky Tomato Sauce, made with the Red Gold Tomatoes, that I received the "six pack" of different 6 type of their wonderful tomatoes.

I must tell you, that this is a truly Vegan dish, made with dried chickpeas (garbanzo) that have been soaked, and slowly cooked till it became just the right crunchiness on the outside, and al-dente on the inside, and the tomato stew, slowly cooked with Red Gold Crushed Tomatoes, and combined with Red Gold Stewed Tomatoes, that looked and smelled absolutely fresh, ruby red, and "heavenly"! Served over Israeli Couscous, an you've got yourself a satisfying Vegan/Vegetarian dish, or a side dish with any type of meat, if you prefer it that way! The best part...I get to share these "six pack" of tomatoes with the winner of this giveaway!

 I think it's always helpful to learn about the nice people, behind their products, so I wanted to share this with you...read on!

We are tomato people…people who grew up where tomatoes grow best - Tomato Country.
Red Gold began as a family business in 1942. Sixty-some years and three generations later, we still concentrate on growing tomatoes and using them to make over a hundred different products. Day in and day out, we pursue our mission, “To produce the freshest, best-tasting tomato products in the world.”
We harvest our well-tended fields at the moment when tomatoes are at their ripest, and carefully treat those tomatoes with the respect they deserve until they're tightly sealed and on their way to you.
You might be surprised how passionate we can be about tomatoes.
Learn more about Red Gold and our people

Now you can understand a little better...so let's get on with the recipe, and the giveaway. All you need to do is to follow my blog...if you haven't already...no facebook, foodbuzz, twitter, Pinterest, Bloglovin, required to follow, since I'm the worst active blogger in all those. Can't even remember when I tweeted about something, but I will for sure tweet about RED GOLD Tomatoes!...and indeed, it's worth its weight in GOLD. Couldn't have come up with a better name for these amazing 100% natural tomatoes; and by now, all of you who know me from comments, know that I am sincere about my feeling of things, and this is one of them!
Cristy, at Red Gold contacted me by e-mail if I would like to participate in this giveaway, and you couldn't get me fast enough to say YES!

Please leave a comment, and mention what you would like to prepare with Red Gold Tomatoes...I will post all the six types that I received, and certainly there are a lot more products...this are just six, of the many!

Red Gold Petite Diced Tomatoes

Red Gold Diced Tomatoes Chili Ready

Red Gold Petite Diced Tomatoes, with Green Chilies

Red Gold Tomato Sauce

My favorites:
Red Gold Crushed Tomatoes

Red Gold Stewed Tomatoes








You've got till Monday, Feb. 27, 2012 @ 11:00PM Eastern Standard Time to enter, and I will announce the winner on Tuesday... just make sure you are following my blog...I will be sure to follow you back as well on your blog.
I will use Random generated number for the winner! Sorry, only U.S. and Canada are eligible for the giveaway!

Paula Deen's Banana Nut Bread...and Awards

If you're feeling sluggish in the mid-afternoon, here's a very nice "pick me up" ...a slice of Banana Nut Bread, and a cold glass of organic low-fat milk. Of course, you can substitute it for a nice steaming cup of tea, or coffee...the choice is yours!

You"re probably wondering why I chose Paula Deen...the "queen of fatty foods" ...
Is it because it's FAT TUESDAY?...would that be appropriate for someone who is still on the Weight Watchers program?...or just recently finding out that she has type 2 diabetes, that she had for three years already, and we just found out!

It's really true, that we don't have to cook like that, with all the butter and fat, she is not encouraging us to cook that way, but it certainly is very tempting to try those recipes. I have found an easier method...just cut down on the fat, and make it a lighter version!

I found a super great thrift find, recently, at Goodwill. Paula Deen's first cookbook, before she became a famous food network star. It was copyrighted in 1997. The price, as you can see it was $1.29 soft cover book, filled with her early famous recipes. She owned a small restaurant at the time, in Savannah Georgia, with her two sons working there. Very cozy, simple, and down-home good Southern foods. I was really impressed with the Banana Bread recipe, and would like to share it with you. As far as for points value...it has to be at least 3 points pr slice...compared to 2 points with the WW Banana Bread, which I will also make soon. I lightened it up a bit, but I must admit, this was an incredible Banana Bread, enjoyed by all!

Linking to: Full Plate Thursday, @Miz Helen's Country Cottage
                Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop, @Katherines Corner
                Food Photography @Crisp Photoworks

Banana Nut Bread
The Lady and Sons, by Paula Deen

1/2 cup Crisco shortening
(I used 1/3 cup vegetable oil)
1 cup sugar (I used 3/4 cup)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt (I used 1/2 teaspoon)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs beaten
3 ripe bananas mashed
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream shortening and sugar. (whisk oil, and sugar, if you're using oil.) Stir together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and add to creamed mixture.

Add remaining ingredients; mix well.

Pour into a well greased pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.
( I baked mine for 30 minutes on 350 degrees, and lowered the temperature to 325, for an additional 25 minutes.)

Rajma...and WW Corn Bread

Just recently, I was browsing through some food blogs of friends that I haven't visited for a while, and my eyes
got caught on a simple spicy bean dish...an Indian spicy vegetarian chili that inspired me so much...
knowing that I had all the spices, and it's a Weight Watchers approved dish, as well, plus the fact that I truly love, spicy foods!
When something really inspires me that someone makes, I usually leave a comment saying that "I would love to try this"..."I'm going to make this"..."I'm bookmarking it to print and copy the recipe"...how many of us say these over and over again?...only to just put it aside and forget about it! Nancy, and her husband Veejay are the authors of the Kitchen Gypsies, and I mentioned to my friend Nancy, that I would like to make this dish, and I actually did, in my slow cooker...a huge pot of it! So thanks for the inspiration, Nancy!

 Do visit their blog for the recipe, and browse through for some amazing authentic Indian, and American cuisine, that they have to offer.
Points per serving with rice: 10

Linking to: Cookbook Sundays @ Couscous-Consciosness

When I get inspired about a recipe...especially if I have the ingredients on hand, I could hardly wait to "jump" on it to make it, especially when it doesn't require an electric mixer, or a long time for preparation, and baking time. I can honestly say that this Weight Watchers Corn Bread recipe is the BEST by far, and guilt free light, super moist, and delicious of any corn bread or corn muffins I have made. It's pure, and simple...no butter, no fat, or oil added, just pure buttermilk!

Just look at the beautiful color, texture, and natural thickness of these healthy and delicious red kidney beans, soaked, and then cooked for several hours in the slow cooker! I served them over Thai Jasmin rice...amazing, spicy, and totally comforting and satisfying!

You can see the lines on the slow-cooker crock pot where it started to cook, cooking down and getting thicker.

The next day, I served it with my cornbread, which is a Weight Watchers recipe, that I will share with you.
I topped the Rajma with a generous spoonful of Lebni, which is a thick Middle Eastern Kefir, that can only be purchased in a Middle Eastern market, which we have here, locally, in West Palm Beach.






Recipe for the WW Cornbread...click on!

Strawberry Whipped Sensation...for your Valentine!

I can't help but keep thinking about the famous quotation..."A rose is a rose, is a rose"...some of you might have heard that famous quotation, by Gertrude Stein, part of a poem in 1913. Actually there is a meaning to the quote.
"Things are the way they are!"...yes, that is so true. The sooner we realize and understand how things are, we will understand what they are!

What I like to do is to see a recipe, especially one with a photo, and do my own spin on the final result. I can tell if the recipe will actually work out or not, and in this case, I totally did a different shape, form, but kept the ingredients... just added more strawberries, and crushed Oreo cookies to the crust! Even though I didn't make this cake for a "romantic significant other"...I did have plenty of raves from my wonderful family. How could you possibly resist the fresh strawberry mousse filling over the most favorite cookie crust, topped with America's all-time favorite Cool Whip topping, and surrounded by Dove heart shaped chocolate pieces!

A rose can say I love you and want you to be mine,

A rose can say I thank you for being so very kind,

A rose can say congratulations, whatever the occasion may be,
A rose can say I miss you and wish you were here with me,
A rose can say I'm sorry if I've hurt you in any way,
A rose can say get well soon, May God bless you today,
A rose can say I wish you happiness, and the best for you each day
A rose can say farewell when someone goes away,
A rose can say hello, I'm thinking of you today,
There's just so many wonderful things that a rose can say,
A rose can say goodbye when a love one is laid to rest,

No matter what there is to say, a rose can say it best. 

~Margie Drive

Linking to:#chocolatelove blog hop, @ Mis Pensamientos
http://mizhelenscountrycottage.blogspot.com/
                   http://katherinescorner.com/

                   Be my Valentine Challenge @Very Good Recipes

Strawberry Whipped Sensation

adapted from: Family Circle magazine, March 2003

4 cups fresh strawberries, divided

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tub 8 oz. Cool Whip Whipped Topping thawed, divided

8 Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, finely chopped

1 Tbsp. butter melted

Line 8x4 inch loaf pan with foil. Mash 2 cups of strawberries in large bowl. Stir in condensed milk, juice and 2 cups of the Cool Whip; pour into pan.

Top with combined chopped cookies and butter; press into mixture. Cover.

Freeze at least 6 hours.To serve, invert onto plate. Remove foil. Frost with remaining Cool Whip. Top with remaining strawberries, Makes 12 servings.

My version of making this cake: I used 16 cookies, and 2 Tbsp. of melted butter, put them in the food processor, and pressed the crushed cookies into a heart shaped springform pan. I filled it with the filling, and topped it with Cool Whip.

I carefully folded my crushed up strawberries into the sweetened condensed milk

Now fold in half of the Cool Whip whipped topping.

Now, cover with aluminum foil, and freeze up to 6 hrs.

Gabby wanted to decorate the cake...instead of using sliced strawberries, she used the most amazing Dove chocolate heart shapes, and just one strawberry on the top. Extra box of strawberries came in handy, to add some halved strawberries on the side, to enjoy!

Beautiful slice of heavenly Whipped Sensation!

This is dessert devoured...before dinner:D

Your MOMENT...YOUR DOVE...saved for last...yumm!









HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!
...with Love, to all my friends!