Bean Salad

1 15-oz can each of Pinto, Garbanzo, Black, and Red Beans, drained and rinsed
1 Red, Orange, Yellow, and Green Bell Pepper, washed, cored, seeded and diced
3 Jalapeno Peppers, washed, cored and diced (Optional if you can't take the heat)
2 15-oz cans of petite diced tomatoes, drained (reserve the tomato juice for other uses)
1/2 Red Onion, diced
6 large cloves of Garlic, minced or pressed
1 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar (I use raw, unpasteurized)
1 or 2 teaspoons of salt
A good grinding of Black Pepper Corns over the whole thing, optional
Dash of Tabasco brand original hot sauce, optional
2 cups of Cilantro, chopped-stir in 1 hour before serving
1/2 cup of REAL Olive oil, *leave out till just before serving

Combine all but the last two ingredients.  Let marinate for 24 hours.  Add remaining ingredients 1 hour prior to serving and let rest at room temperature.  Or keep it refrigerated and eat off of it for days.  Makes 8 servings, 350 calories.

The best part is if you are taking it for a work lunch it does not need to be refrigerated if you are eating it that day, or heated up ever. And surprisingly enough you will not get tired of it even if you eat it every day for lunch.

If you are so inclined, you may cook your own beans. An overnight soak in water with 1 teaspoon of salt before cooking produces the best results. Whenever I cook beans for another recipe I just reserve 1 1/2 - 2 cups of cooked, drained, and rinsed beans in the freezer for later use.  A quick rinse under hot water will thaw and separate the beans quickly.

It's also great to take to parties because it's Vegan, and doesn't have to be kept warm or cold. Keep the Cilantro separate because a surprising number of people don't like it.

Bean Salad for Health and Detoxification:

Beans are great. They are high in fiber, healthy carbohydrates and proteins, and low in fat with no saturated fats. Brightly colored peppers are full of anti-oxidants and nutrients as well as fiber. Cilantro is a great heavy metal detox for your liver. Garlic and Onions are full of anti-oxidants but also have anti-bacterial/anti-viral properties. And both are known to improve circulation and lower blood pressure, and garlic is a known cholesterol fighter. Raw, unpasteurized Apple Cider Vinegar is a great detoxifier and total body cleanser. Eating bean salad daily or multiple times a week for any meal is a great way to keep your body happy and healthy.

I have used Flax oil in the past, 1 Tablespoon per serving. Flax oil is high in Omega Fatty Acids and is a great intestinal toner.

Smokey Black Bean Chili

4 cups Cooked Black Beans, drained
1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
2 T. Bacon Fat
1 large yellow onion
Green and Yellow Bell Peppers
1 T. cumin
1 T. oregano
2 chipotles in adobo sauce, blitzed
1 teaspoon Salt

Saute onions in bacon fat until translucent or browned, add tomatoes and remaining ingredients.  As it was I had to add a little water because my diced tomatoes weren't very juicy.  Bring to a simmer.  Let simmer about 30 minutes.  I thought the flavor was good.  It didn't taste too much like chipotles, it had a good heat, but it seemed thin.  I think this would be best served with sour cream to round out the flavor.

Hot and Smoky Pinto Beans

1 lb pinto beans, cooked according to directions, drained and rinsed
1 quart (32 oz.) jar, can, or fresh diced tomatoes
2-4 chipotles peppers in adobo sauce (look in the Mexican section of your grocery)
1 large onion
2 Tablespoons animal fat:  Butter, Bacon fat, etc.

In a large pot, saute the onion in the fat over medium high heat until slightly brown.  In a blender or food processor blitz the tomatoes with the peppers.  Pour the tomato and pepper puree into the stock pot.  Add the beans and bring to a slow simmer.  Done.

Serve with cheese or sour cream to cut the heat, or eat them plain.  I did not add any salt because I add 1 teaspoon of salt to the soak/cook water for the beans, and my homemade diced tomatoes have 1 teaspoon per jar, and the adobo chipotles also have salt added.

If you want more of a baked bean taste, definitely use bacon fat (just cook a few slices in the pot before adding the onions), and add 1/4 cup or more of honey, molasses, or brown sugar to the tomato puree.

And in case you didn't know, chipotles peppers are just smoked jalapenos.

Texas Caviar

This recipe is similar to my every day Bean Salad recipe, but with only Black-eyed peas and red wine vinegar instead of unpasteurized apple cider vinegar.  And you eat it with chips.

3 cups black-eyed peas, cooked, drained
1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup red wine vinegar 

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup of finely diced tomatoes fresh or canned (if canned, drained and squeezed of juice)
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and finely diced

2 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped
Dash hot sauce, such as Tabasco 

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Tortilla chips, for serving

Combine all ingredients except Olive oil and Cilantro.  Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours to let the flavors mingle.  1 hour before serving set out and combing oil and Cilantro.  Serve with chips.

Cowboy Candy or Candied Hot Peppers

Depending on the hotness of your peppers, you may want to use 1/2 lb to 3 lbs for this recipe

Hot Peppers
6 cups White Granulated Sugar
2 cups Apple Cider Vinegar

Cut the tops of the hot peppers and using a food processor, dice the peppers.  Bring the vinegar and sugar to a slow simmer and scrape in the peppers.  Let simmer, stirring regularly, till it boils to the jelly stage (it gets thick).  Ladle into jars.  Wipe jar rims and secure with lids and rings.  Let cool, and seal hopefully.  Refrigerate.  Makes 5 + cups, or plan on 2 1/2 pints.

Most excellent on top of cream cheese or Brie and served with crackers or bread.

Midnight Salsa

As a pre-teen/teen, one of my summertime rituals was to stay up later than anyone else and sneak into the garden after dark to pick ingredients for a late night salsa snack. Usually this snack was enjoyed while watching Dirty Dancing and/or Jack Horkheimer's "The Star Hustler" (later to be called "Star Gazer").

1 huge, ripe, juicy, flavorful tomato
1 fresh Jalapeno
1 small onion
salt
I don't think I liked Cilantro then, or we didn't grow it, but I might add some now if it hasn't all gone to seed by this point in the summer.

Chop everything into a bowl, mix and eat with tortilla chips. Commence watching the movie Dirty Dancing and "Keep Looking Up."

Toxic Dyp

This is a variation of Taco Dip that my friend Jenna and I perfected many years ago. In fact, it's so good we call it Toxic Dyp not just because of the wretched gas that emanates from your body after eating, but because you may be about to burst and there is probably another loaded chip on its way to your mouth. It's best to share this with others.

1 can of vegetarian re-fried Beans (15 oz)
1 container of all-natural reduced fat Sour Cream (16 oz)
1 packet of Taco Seasoning (MSG and Gluten Free)*
2 cans of petite diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies, drained and gently squeezed of extra juice.
1 jar of Kroger brand sliced Jalapenos, drained
2-3 handfuls of whole small black pitted Olives, sliced
2-3 cups of finely chopped Lettuce, green leaf or Iceberg
1 bag of finely shredded sharp Cheddar (8 oz)
4-6 green onions minced, white and green parts

Blend the Beans, Sour Cream, and Seasoning together and spread across the bottom of a 9x13 (Lasagna) dish. Layer the remaining ingredients in order starting with the Tomatoes and finishing with the Green Onions. Serve with corn chips. E N J O Y!!!

*Make your own Taco Seasoning!

1 Tablespoon Paprika or Chili powder
2 teaspoons ground Cumin
2 teaspoons garlic or onion powder, or a combo
1/4 teaspoon crushed Red Pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried Oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground Black Pepper

Pizza!

Since I am Gluten-Free I don’t usually eat pizza. Kinnickinnick brand makes an outstanding gluten-free crust that even gluten eaters will love. But making your own crust is also terribly easy (see recipe below, not gluten free). And making your own pizza at home is not only healthier, and cheaper, but fun. Everyone can make their own to suit. I did want to share with you all my tricks of the homemade pizza trade.

1. No matter what crust you use always pre-cook it especially if you make your own from scratch. With Kinnickinnick I put the frozen crust in the oven while it pre-heats and that seems to be enough.

2. Don’t use pre-made spaghetti sauce or tomato sauce. Instead get a can of tomato paste. In a mixing bowl combine equal parts of paste and water, add oregano, garlic powder, and salt to taste. Stir till smooth and use liberally. Also makes a great dipping sauce for crust, cheesy bread or breadsticks.

3. Always slice watery vegetables (peppers, mushrooms) thin, and use conservatively or your pizza will be soggy. And if you want crisp pepperoni put it on the very top.

4. I've had great results with combining shredded (low moisture part skim)mozerella, olive oil, oregano, salt, and pressed garlic. It's also great to pick up and eat so hopefully there'll be some left for the pizza. Of course whole-milk mozerella is amazing as well, but Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack if you like it spicy works really well.

5. And lastly, I am revealing to you a 6 topping combination that creates the best pizza you have ever eaten. 2 friends and I came up with this combination while trying to agree on a common pizza ground when ordering delivery. I have since made this pizza at home and was told by my dad that this may have been the best pizza he’s ever eaten. *Pepperoni, Sausage, pickled Jalapeno Pepper rings, pickled Banana Pepper rings, Mushrooms, and Green Olives* Of course personal tastes vary.

This is the most recent pizza dough we've been using with great success.  The recipe comes from Mother Earth News  February/March 2012 issue.

7 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon yeast
1 Tablespoon salt
3 1/2 cups warm water

This is a very sticky dough.  Makes 3 large crusts or 6 small.  We often take 1/3 of the dough right to the pizza pan, grease and let it rise on the pan before spreading it out and letting it rise again.  Sometimes I spread it out right away and let it rise just the once for about 30 minutes.  The rest of the dough will keep for up to 2 weeks, and gets a wonderfully tangy flavor the longer it stays in the fridge.

To bake, preheat the oven to 400, bake the crust for about 10 minutes prior to topping, then an additional 15-20 minutes with the toppings-till the cheese gets slightly brown and bubbly.

Otherwise, for one crust:

2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup of warm water