Smoky Coconut-Lime Black Bean & Brown Rice Soup

It was a gorgeous fall day here last Friday and my daughter and I enjoyed the sunshine, cool breezes, the sound of acorns falling from the sky, the feel of crunching leaves under our feet, and richer aromas in the kitchen. Below is the perfect picture of our leisurely afternoon--Theraflu (for me) and our shared acorn stash.

I saw this on Pinterest and in case anyone needs any more reasons to love fall--here you go!

(courtesy of tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com) 

And one of my favorite things about about fall is: It's SOUP weather! I tried making a new soup that I wanted to share. More than half the soups I make have some sort of tomato base and I wanted to try a black bean soup that was different and thought of coconut milk. It ended up being delicious and even my 2 year old ate it. My husband called it 'CLEAN-tasting.' But, I call it complex. It is smoky, sweet, salty, tangy, tart, creamy, and spicy all in one. You can taste the lime, the garlic, the coconut, the cilantro, and the chipotle. Layers of flavor! Hope you enjoy it!

SMOKY COCONUT-LIME BLACK BEAN & BROWN RICE SOUP

Makes 4-6 servings

• 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. minced chipotle chile in adobo sauce (I used 1 chili & added a bit of extra 'sauce' from the can)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or about 4 Trader Joe's frozen cilantro cubes)
• 2 (15 1/2 oz) cans black beans, UN-drained
• 1 (15 oz) can light (reduced-fat) coconut milk
• 1 lime--for zest & juice
• 1 cup cooked brown rice (or white if you prefer)
• Salt & pepper, to taste (smoked salt preferred if you have it)
• Water
• 1 SMALL squirt of agave nectar (OPTIONAL)*

In a large pot over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onion, garlic, cumin, chile, and cilantro. Saute for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 cup of water and reduce heat to low. Continue to saute onions for about 10 more minutes or until softened.

Pour beans AND their liquid in with the onions. Add the coconut milk. Add about 1 1/2 -2 cups more of water. Bring up the heat to high until the soup boils. Once it boils, reduce heat to medium-low and let it simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the lime zest and lime juice and mix.

Measure out about 1 cup of bean/soup mixture and puree until smooth. Return the bean puree to the soup (to thicken) and add the cooked rice. Stir the soup. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.

Serve warm.

Ladle out the soup into bowls and serve with sour cream or plain, Greek yogurt, and more lime wedges. We even tried it with avocado slices and tortilla chips--it was awesome!

*(Mine tasted just the tiniest bit bitter--which I am guessing was from the chile --but who, knows? And so I added a little bit of agave nectar and the soup was elevated to WONDERFUL. I can't figure out why, but it really just MADE IT. I've done that before for soups when they taste slightly bitter or salty and it just works. You can skip this step if you want.)

Octane Energy Bars

I've been dragging lately...my energy level is down because of this ridiculous heat. So, I blame the heat for my unproductivity--unfortunately, it's one of the busiest times of the year for me. I could either do this:

Or...try something healthier. After having my mother in law visit recently to help us out (my husband had his 4th weekend home since 2011 started this weekend), I was inspired by her energy and pulled out an energy bar recipe I've been meaning to try since college (yes, since COLLEGE). It was featured in the local paper outside of Chattanooga, TN. I didn't name them 'Octane Energy Bars'--so I realize the term 'octane' doesn't scientifically apply. It's been a while since chemistry has been on my radar, but according to Wikipedia (no, it's not my only source!), 'By the mid-nineties, the phrase [octane] was commonly being used as an intensifier and has apparently found a place in modern English vernacular.'  Now, let's hope these bars act like rocket fuel. I've adapted the recipe to suit my needs and make it somewhat easier to follow directions after some trial and error.

Am I ever glad that I made these!!! These energy bars are absolutely phenomenal. WAY better than your grocery store granola bars. Decently healthy recipe, in fact. The only other time I used brown rice syrup was for the crunchy brown rice crispy espresso nut bars from Heidi Swanson (she calls them 'Big Sur' power bars). I really like cooking with it now! It's not cheap though...you can find it Whole Foods or online--Heidi Swanson says that it doesn't give you that jolt of sweetness that other sweeteners do and has a more rounded flavor. The bars are chewy, sweet, nutty, and sort of creamy.

Reasons to make these:

1. Your kids will love them.
2. They taste like a treat. You're forced to eat healthier.
3. It's a great snack when in a hurry.
4. They have a ton of fiber. At least the fat is a 'good fat.'

 Cons: You have to go to the health food store to buy the ingredients. If you saw how annoying it was to shop at my small Whole Foods,  you'd understand. But, it was worth it. Enjoy!


OCTANE ENERGY BARS

 Makes ~18-24 bars

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup crunchy grain cereal (I used crispy brown rice cereal, but you can use 'Rice Krispies'--just not 'puffed' rice cereal)
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1 1/2 cups dried apricots, chopped (I used 1 cup dried apricots + 1/2 cup dried cherries)
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 1/2 cup protein powder (I used vanilla-flavored soy protein powder)
• 1 tsp. butter or olive oil (I used Smart Balance spread)
• 3/4 cup brown rice syrup
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

 TIP: Get all your ingredients together and read through the entire directions because you need to move sort of quickly--it really helps.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9X13 inch pan and set aside.

Toast the first 3 ingredients (oats, cereal, sesame seeds) for about 10 minutes (I used a shallow edge-rimmed cookie sheet), stirring once, about halfway. Do NOT let the mixture brown. (You can turn your oven off at this point as you will no longer need it.)

Meanwhile, in a separate smaller bowl, mix the wheat germ with the protein powder and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, spoon in the toasted oat-cereal-sesame seed mixture. Mix in the dried fruits, trying to separate the pieces. Then, add the wheat germ-protein powder mixture to this and stir until incorporated as best you can.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter or heat oil, and add rice syrup until bubbly. Mix in the peanut butter and cinnamon (I just put all of these in a pan and heated them until they were incorporated, melted, and more liquid like).

Pour the liquid mixture over the dry ingredients and QUICKLY mix together and transfer to the 9X13 inch pan (Come clean moment: I had to use my hands to fully incorporate everything and it was much easier because it's not like mixing sticky rice crispy treats). Pat mixture with your hands to spread it out evenly.

Refrigerate the bars for at least 4 hours. Cut into about 24 bars and wrap each bar in wax paper.

Store in refrigerator.

Avocado Curry Over Brown Rice

Figured this would be a comforting meal and relatively healthy way to start the new year. When I first heard of this, I wasn't so sure....but then I remembered Thai meals where avocados were served with curry and rice. Well, this is an American version with milder flavors and it's absolutely delicious! And EASY & FAST! (key terms in our lives these days)

It calls for condensed mushroom soup, but if you would rather make your own (for reasons such as controlling the fat, chemicals, or, because it's cheaper or better for you...etc.,), here's one that looks good, but personally, I'd try this one because it's from my friend, Nancy's fantastic blog and everything I've made of hers has been good.

Hope you all enjoy this crunchy, creamy dinner. We served it with a salad of cucumber, heirloom tomatoes, and bell peppers.

AVOCADO CURRY OVER BROWN RICE
adapted from Patti Sommerville

Serves 3-4 (unless you want bigger portions in which case, this would serve 2-3)

4 green onions
1 Tbsp. light butter
1 (~10.5 oz) can reduced fat mushroom soup (Trader Joe's brand portabella package is fantastic!)
1/2-3/4 cup skim milk
1/8-1/4 tsp. curry powder
1 cup slivered almonds
1 avocado, sliced or diced
~4 cups cooked brown rice

Melt butter over medium-low heat and lightly brown the green onions. Mix in the mushroom soup, milk, and curry powder (we use closer to 3/4 cup milk and less than 1/4 tsp. curry powder). Cover and let simmer for a few minutes.

When ready to serve, add ~1 cup rice to each plate and then serve the the mushroom-onion sauce over the rice. Top each portion with slivered almonds and avocado.

Good & Easy Dinner: Crispy Mahi Mahi with Onions & Baked Tomato Rice (with Cheese)

This is a relatively fast, uncomplicated, and really delicious dinner. Including the cooking time, I would guess this meal took an hour before it was on the table. We served the baked rice and mahi mahi with steamed broccoli.

I'm not a huge fan of rice dishes, but this may be my absolute favorite rice dish. It uses risotto rice (Arborio), but you don't have to sit in front of a stove, stirring for 30+ minutes. I had a little trouble finding Arborio rice, but a big grocery store should have it. It may just cost a little more than the regular rice. The grains look almost pearl-like and it cooks up creamy.

The rice calls for 1 cup Pecorino Romano. 1) I think that may be too much cheese, so I halved it. 2) I don't have Pecorino Romano on hand. So, Parmesan, Asiago, Grana Padano or any Pecorino cheese will substitute just fine. I used some Grana Padano brought over to the states from our dear friends in Italy.

What dish to use? I used a small dutch oven-9 inches by 9 inches by 3 inches. The recipe writer had used an oval dish roughly 12 inches by 6 inches. Just about any oven-safe pot will do.

BAKED RICE WITH TOMATO AND PECORINO ROMANO

Inspired by Patricia Wells' Trattoria.

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 cup Arborio rice

2 cups chicken stock (you can use water if you don't have stock, but be sure to season the rice well before putting it in the oven)

1 cup cooked tomato sauce (I used the leftover tomatoes from this recipe from previous post & added a little extra water)

1//2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano (or any substitute mentioned above)

Salt & pepper, to taste

For Topping:

2-3 Tbsp. Parmigiano Reggiano

2 to 3 Tbsp. parsley, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large pan, heat the olive oil and then add the rice. Stir the rice for about a minute, until it is coated in oil.

Add the chicken stock and tomato sauce and cook over medium high heat until the mixture comes to a simmer. (If you've used water, you may want to add a bit of salt or pepper.)

Let simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Add half the Pecorino Romano (1/4 cup) and stir.

Pour the rice mixture into a large baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining Pecorino Romano (1/4 cup). If your dish has a lid, cover it or cover the dish with aluminum foil.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes. After about 30 minutes, check on your rice just to be sure that it hasn't dried out. When the rice is done, it will be creamy, but not soup or too dry.

When the rice is done, take it out of the oven and let it cool for a minute or two. Sprinkle with the Parmigiano Reggiano and the parsley and then serve.
Note: This dish will serve 3 to 4 people.



CRISPY ROASTED MAHI MAHI WITH ONIONS

This fish was so easy, fast, and delicious. My mom used to make fish like this, but would use a whole fish, take out the middle, and fill it with onions and mayo. I loved the flavor but it was way too rich.. I think the recipe called for 1 cup mayo!!! I think the flavor/creaminess is wonderful, but 2 Tbsp. was absolutely plenty and if you use grapeseed Vegenaise, you can at least know it's heart-healthy & egg-free.

Panko breadcrumbs are Japanese, and in my opinion, retain crunch much more so than regular breadcrumbs. You don't have to go to an Asian market to find them these days...you should be able to find them in your grocery store. I know Whole Foods & Fresh Market carries these breadcrumbs. Some people make them at home, I don't have the interest/time (yet-ha!).

This may be my favorite way to eat Mahi Mahi from now on--love it! Tart, crispy, salty....perfect.

ROASTED MAHI MAHI WITH ONIONS

4 small-medium sized fillets, roughly 2 lbs. (I used frozen with great success)

juice of one lemon

1/4 tsp. garlic salt (approx.)

Pepper, to taste (approx 1/4 tsp. as well)

2 Tbsp. good mayonnaise or sour cream (I used Vegenaise & it was so amazing)

1/4-1/3 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs (approx.)

1/4 cup, or less, fried onions if you have them (optional, but incredibly worth it)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Line a baking pan or baking dish with aluminum foil (makes clean up a breeze).

Rinse fish (if fresh) and put in a baking dish. Or just lay the frozen fillets down on the dish/sheet.

Mix lemon juice, mayonnaise, salt & pepper, and chopped onions (including the fried onions, if you are using them). Spread this mixture on the fish fillets.

Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and bake at 425 for 25 minutes, or until center of fish is opaque.

Serves 4.

Hope you guys enjoy this!