I am very picky about black bean soup.

I mean, really picky.

If a soup is going to have a bland (albeit, fiberful) magical fruit as its main ingredient, it had better have some rockin’ good flavors to go along with it.  And of course, all the better when it’s a little on the spicy side too!

So of course, I’m here to announce that I think I finally have my own favorite recipe tweaked and ready to share with le blogosphere.  If I do say so myself, I think it’s a good one.  Like, I-might-have-gone-back-for-thirds-”good”.  :)

But to those of you who get a little anxious about the word “spicy” even being in the title, have no fear.  You can easily add in the jalapeno and cayenne gradually to taste.  But for those of you who like a little kick, this one will bring it.  And, it can also happily be made vegetarian or vegan.

Definitely a keeper!

Spicy Black Bean Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 red or orange bell pepper, cored and chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• half a jalapeno, seeded and diced
• 2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
• 2 (15 oz.) cans black beans
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles (Rotel)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. chipotle powder
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne
• optional garnish: sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped bell peppers, shredded cheese, crumbled tortilla chips, diced avocados

Method:

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.  Add onion and cook for 3 minutes.  Add bell pepper, carrot, garlic and jalapeno, and continue cooking another 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent.  Add remaining eight ingredients (chicken broth through cayenne), and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and let soup simmer for at least 10 minutes.

You can either serve this soup as is, or use an immersion blender or a traditional blender (blending in small batches) to puree the soup.  Serve warm, and garnish with suggested ingredients if desired.

Ali’s Tip:

You could also make this in a slow-cooker!

Kansas City has a zillion amazing restaurants.  But one of my newest favorite is a healthy fast-food alternative restaurant called “Unforked“.  It is brilliant.

The owners/creators are actually the force behind Sheridan’s, one of my favorite local custard chains.  (And they happen to attend the church where I work — fun!)  But instead of your typical super-processed, deep-fried, zillion-calorie fast food restaurants, this place overflows with creative, fresh, and healthy options.  I can’t get enough of it — everything I have tried is amazing.  (Side note — I deeply hope this is what the majority of fast-food restaurants might look like in a decade!)

One of my new favorites there is their “Hale The Kale” salad.  It is made simply from fresh kale, Parmesan, bread crumbs, and a lemony olive oil dressing.  And it is utterly delicious! I had to admit that I had my doubts about so much fresh kale (I usually prefer adding my kale to pizzas, soups, or making kale chips).  But when the other ingredients were added, it tasted wonderfully fresh, light and flavorful!

So while we’re still in the midst of kale season, I decided to try it at home.  Decided to nix the breadcrumbs and add in some thyme, and loved it.  Hope you do too!

Lemon Parmesan Kale Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 cups chopped fresh kale
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• pinch of salt and freshly-ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup freshly-grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup toasted bread crumbs (optional)

Method:

In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, thyme, salt and pepper.  Add kale and Parmesan (and bread crumbs, if using), and toss until the kale is evenly coated.  Serve immediately.

Ali’s Tip:

This would also be great with some chopped/sliced fresh fruit added in, such as peaches, plums, apples, or blackberries.  It would also be delicious with some toasted pecans, almonds or walnuts added in.

Source:

Inspired by Unforked.

Allow me to introduce you to one of my all-time favorite side dishes.

I’m not kidding.  I make this one all. the. time.

It’s my favorite when I’m craving something salty and sweet.  It is uber-fast to prep.  It only calls for a few ingredients.  It is easily customizable to different seasonings to pair with your main course.  It’s pretty healthy.  And…it’s ridiculously delicious.

Have I convinced you yet?  (I think I’ve convinced myself.  Already hungry for the leftovers!)  :)

Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Onions Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 sweet potatoes, sliced into 1/8-inch thick coins
• 1 onion, quartered then cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable or canola oil
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt (or more or less to taste)
• lots of freshly ground black pepper
• optional: additional seasonings (see note below)

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Toss with a spoon until vegetables are evenly-coated.

Prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper, and spray with cooking spray.  Transfer vegetables to the baking sheet, and spread so that they are evenly spaced in a single layer.  (I crammed a few too many in the photo above, which doesn’t let them get quite as crispy.)  Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until onions begin to crisp and brown, and sweet potatoes are cooked through.

Ali’s Tip:

To be honest, even though I have seasoned these a zillion ways over the years, the classic salt-and-pepper combo is still my favorite.  But here are some other fun variations to choose from:

• toss with a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar (when tossing with the olive oil)
• toss with various seasonings before roasting
  • Italian seasonings (oregano, thyme, parsley, rosemary, etc.)
  • smoked paprika
  • chipotle and/or chile powder and cumin
• after roasting, top with…
  • chopped fresh parsley
  • toasted slivered almonds
  • freshly-grated Parmesan

This is definitely the recipe I have most looked forward to trying during “Zucchini Week”.  For any of you who don’t know, I am definitely not a natural eggplant-lover.  Even when it’s smothered in marinara and cheese in “eggplant parmesan”, I still have to remind myself I’m an adult, and persuade myself to give it a go each time that dish is served.

However…

When I saw that Adrianna from “A Cozy Kitchen” had posted a “zucchini parmesan” recipe recently, I got pretty excited.  Clearly, I love my zuc.  So the idea of it being substituted for the dreaded purple fruit in this yummy Italian dish sounded tooooootally up my alley.  So tonight I gave it a go.  Took a shortcut and used my favorite marinara sauce from Trader Joe’s (although I love this homeade recipe), sliced up a block of Mozzarella cheese, and then grated the heck out of a block of Parmesan….and voila!  My first attempt at “Zucchini Parmesan” was a whopping success!

As expected, I absolutely loved the substitution of zucchini for the eggplant.  It was the perfect texture, and the flavor blended perfectly with the marinara and cheese.  I also must say it was pretty cute — loved all of those little zucchini bites!  I would say, however, that fresh Parmesan is key for this recipe.  So if you can, find a block of cheese to grate, rather than buying a tub of the pre-grated stuff.

Definitely a fun, delicious, and crowd-pleasing recipe that I am bookmarking to make again soon!  (And hooray for another chance to…um…avoid eggplant!)

Zucchini Parmesan Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2-3 zucchini, ends trimmed, sliced into 1/3″ discs
• coarse salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
• 1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
• vegetable or canola oil
• 2/3 cup of your favorite tomato sauce
• 1 large ball or block fresh mozzarella (about 4 1/2 ounces)
• small handful of basil leaves, roughly torn
• 1 cup freshly-grated Parmesan (about 3 ounces)

Method:

Sprinkle slices of zucchini with a small pinch of coarse salt and freshly-cracked black pepper on each side.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, lightly dredge the zucchini slices in the flour, tapping them on the side of the bowl to shake off excess flour. Heat 1/4″ oil in a large skillet over high heat. When a pinch of flour sizzles on contact, add the zucchini slices in a single layer, turn the heat to medium-high and cook for about one and a half minutes on each side or until dark golden brown. Transfer the zucchini to paper towels to drain.  Repeat in batches until all of your zucchini it is cooked, adding more oil as necessary.

In a 13″ x 9″ baking dish (or oven-proof skillet), arrange as many slices of zucchini as can fit snugly in a single layer. Top each slice with a small spoonful of tomato sauce, a few small pieces of torn mozzarella, a bit of basil and a dusting of parmesan.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cheese has melted and begun to turn a golden color.  Remove from oven, and garnish with additional torn basil.  Serve immediately.

Ali’s Tip:

Feel free to add a pepperoni (or some mini-pepperonis) to these!  Just layer them on top of the zucchini, underneath the marinara.  And continue with the directions for cooking.  They will taste like little pepperoni pizzas!

Source: Adapted from A Cozy Kitchen.

For the third recipe in “Zucchini Week”, I did a little experimenting.  I often toss a handful or two of spinach in my soups, but happened to have a big bunch of fresh arugula in the fridge.  So I decided to see how it would taste in a soup!  Paired with some of my endless zucchini, plus a can of white beans (I went for the fiber instead of potatoes!), it actually turned out great!

The flavor of the sauteed zucchini, onions and garlic paired wonderfully with the fresh, peppery arugula.  And while I added in an extra bay leaf and thyme for seasoning, you could really season it any number of ways.

Definitely a fun, fresh, and very green (literally!) soup for the end of summer.  Enjoy!

Zucchini, Arugula & White Bean Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• half an onion, diced
• 1 zucchini, ends removed and diced
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 can white beans, drained (I used Great Northern)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme (or about 1/2 tsp. dried thyme)
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2-3 cups baby arugula
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Method:

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add garlic, onion and zucchini, and saute for 5-6 minutes or until onions are translucent and zucchini is slightly browned.  Add chicken broth, white beans, bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Then reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for at least 10 minutes.  Add arugula and continue cooking for another 3 minutes.  Then puree the soup either using an immersion blender, or if you use a blender, blend the soup in 2 batches (be careful with the heat!).  Return to saucepan and season with salt and pepper as needed.  Serve drizzled with extra olive oil, cream, and/or sprinkled with Parmesan.

Ali’s Tip:

You could season this soup a number of different ways!  More italian seasonings (basil, rosemary, etc.) would also be fun.  Or you could go the smoked paprika route.

Also feel free to substitute a soft cheese (feta, goat, etc.) in place of the Parmesan.  And if you top it with the soft cheese and swirl it gently with a spoon or fork, it can create beautiful white swirls!

A few years ago, I was at a birthday party for my boss, thrown by one of his good friends who also happens to be an outstanding cook.  But while I had every intention of saving my appetite for his world-famous Kansas City barbeque, pretty sure I completely blew it on the first appetizer — these incredible little stuffed mushrooms.

As the trays were passed around the patio, one by one you heard everyone murmer, “Oh my goodness — what is in these mushrooms?!?”  Surprisingly, John told us there were only two main ingredients — blue cheese and sun-dried tomato pesto.  (Although in addition to those tasty sun-dried tomatoes, this pesto was also made with walnuts and fresh sage.  Yum!)  John also smoked his stuffed mushrooms, which gave them an extra-amazing finish.

Alas, I don’t have a smoker, but made mine in the oven this week and they were still insanely delicious.  Also decided to top mine with a pinch of Panko to give them a slight breaded crunch.  So good, so easy, and so fast (especially if you have the red pesto made ahead of time!).  And as his party proved, they’re definitely a crowd-pleaser.  Thanks, John!!!

Blue Cheese & Red Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe

Ingredients:

Stuffed Mushroom Ingredients:

• 1 lb. cremini or button mushrooms
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomato pesto (see ingredients/recipe below)
• 1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Ingredients:

• 1 (24 ounce) jar of sun-dried tomatoes in oil
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled (or about 3 tsp. minced)
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1/3 cup fresh sage
• 8 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Method:

To Make The Stuffed Mushrooms:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, or preheat a smoker.

Carefully remove and discard the stems of the mushrooms, then clean with a damp cloth.  Fill mushroom cavity with sundried pesto (approx. 1/2 tsp.). Top with blue cheese crumbles, and a pinch of Panko.  Bake or smoke for about 15 minutes, until the cheese starts to melt and filling is warm.  Serve immediately.

To Make The Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto:

Place tomatoes, garlic, walnuts, sage, and Parmesan in a food processor, and pulse until blended.  Slowly stream in the olive oil, then season to taste with salt and pepper.  Use pesto immediately, or refrigerate for up to one week, or freeze.

Ali’s Tip:

These are also great with gorgonzola cheese!

As evidenced by the years of food photography on my blog, I think it’s safe to say that I’m a pretty big fan of color! Actually, I love color in all aspects of life — in my decorating, in gardening, in my cubicle (yes, I’m the only one at work who covered my gray cubicle walls in bright green fabric!), and of course, in my cooking.  :)

But of course in cooking, color also usually translates to extra nutrients!  So when I saw this recipe for “Purple Cabbage Salad with Edamame, Golden Raisins, & Smoked Almonds” in a recent issue of Vegetarian Times, I knew it was calling my name.  Sure enough, all of those delicious fresh veggies, plus the sweet fresh pineapple and crunchy smoked almonds (my favorite!) balanced each other perfectly.  And I loved the simple, fresh honey-lime sauce on top.  Definitely a wonderfully delicious and light (no cooking oils needed!) salad recipe that tastes as good as it looks!  :)

So if you need an extra dose of color in your life, I totally recommend giving this one a try!

Colorful Cabbage Salad Recipe
(Adapted from Vegetarian Times)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame
• 2 cups red cabbage, thinly sliced and roughly chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, cored and diced
• 1/2 orange bell pepper, cored and diced
• 1 cup fresh pineapple, diced
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 cup smoked almonds, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh mint, thinly sliced
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (about one juicy lime)
• 2 Tbsp. honey or agave nectar
• 1/4 tsp. chile-garlic sauce (optional)

Method:

Boil or steam edamame for about 10 minutes until cooked through. Drain and run under cold water to cool.

In the meantime, whisk together the honey, lime, and chili-garlic sauce until well-blended.

Prepare vegetables, and then mix together in a large bowl (adding in the edamame), and toss with the lime sauce.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Ali’s Tip:

Feel free to experiment with other dressings and/or herbs in this one.  I loved the burst of fresh mint, but imagine a cilantro twist would be excellent with this too!

I have to admit that I’ve never been a big fan of cauliflower.  Love its beautiful “look”, but have never been the one to crave it, or graze on it at a party.

However, cauliflower happens to be in season right now, and I’m on a mission to expand my produce repertoire this summer.  So I decided to give it a go by applying the solution that has worked for me with a few other vegetables — if in doubt, roast it!!

Low and behold, it was actually pretty good!  For those of you who are already cauli-fans, I imagine you’d especially like this one.  I followed the Barefoot Contessa’s recommendations and added in an entire head of roasted garlic, parsley, lemon juice and pine nuts — all of which I love — so it wasn’t a surprise that the dish ended up being full of great flavor.  And of course, roasting the cauliflower definitely did kick it up a notch in my book.  :)

Cheers to trying new things!

Garlic Roasted Cauliflower Recipe
(Adapted from Ina Garten)

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
• 1 head of garlic, cloves separated & unpeeled
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup finely-chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 2 Tbsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice

Method:

Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Bring a small pot of water to a boil and add the garlic cloves. Boil for 15 seconds; drain and peel the skins off.  Cut the largest cloves in half lengthwise.

On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the cauliflower with the garlic, 1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Spread into a single layer and roast, stirring twice, until the cauliflower is tender and the garlic is lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes.

Transfer the cauliflower to a large bowl with the garlic and pan juices. Add the remaining 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil, parsley, pine nuts, and lemon juice. Toss well and serve hot or warm. Serves 6.

Ali’s Tip:

To kick this up an extra notch, serve it with some freshly grated Parmesan.  Delish!

It’s the rare occasion when I crave fries.  Granted, I will enjoy them whenever they are served with a meal, but usually they’re just “ok”.

However…sweet potato fries are a totally different story.

Oh my goodness.  I’ll take a sweet + salty + savory combination anyday.  But when you add in the flavors of the wonderful spices, plus the oh-so-slight crisp around the edges, plus that deep, round sweet potato taste, I’m in heaven.  Absolutely love sweet potato fries!  And much more — I love roasting them in the oven at home.  It’s super-simple, and so much healthier than actually frying the “fries”.  :)

So if you’ve never made these at home, you should totally give it a try!  All it takes for a large batch is two sweet potatoes, and a few teaspoons of your favorite seasonings.  (Probably one of the most inexpensive sides you can make!)  Definitely a recipe everyone will enjoy!

Sweet Potato Fries Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, rinsed and dried
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tsp. coarse salt
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. freshly-cracked black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne (optional)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Carefully cut the potatoes into 1/4″ thin strips, or to your desired thickness and length.  Then place in a large bowl, and toss with the remaining ingredients (oil and spices) until potatoes are evenly coated.

Then spread out the potatoes evenly on a baking sheet prepared with parchment paper or silicone baking sheet.  (Try not to overcrowd the sheet, or have multiple layers of fries — you want them to be roasted, not steamed.)

Place in oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, turning the fries once or twice during that time to cook evenly.  (May take more or less time, depending on the size and thickness you cut the fries.)  Remove once the edges slightly begin to brown and fries begin to crisp.

Ali’s Tip:

I’m pretty sure I’ve never seasoned these the same way twice.  You can literally substitute in just about any of your favorite seasonings, or grated parmesan, or other fun oils.  Experiment away!

Last night my friend, David, hosted his first-annual “Tastes of the World” party.  Basically, it was a dream event for foodies!  A week beforehand, all of the guests drew a continent and a course (appetizer, main dish, dessert, etc.) from a hat, and then researched a corresponding recipe to make and share with everyone.

As you may have guessed, my continent was Africa.  And my course was actually “appetizer”, but after a quick search yielded few appetizer recipes online, I ended up going instead with African peanut soup.  I ironically had it a few years ago in a loft party just blocks from this one, and love any excuse to cook with peanut butter, so this seemed perfect.

This was a new recipe for me, but thankfully it turned out to be fantastic!  Loved the subtle peanut flavors, blended in with the vegetables and wonderful array of spices.  Everyone seemed to love it — even my friend who is anti-cilantro!  :)

So for anyone looking for a new and different hearty soup to try, I definitely recommend this one.  Also for any of you who are looking for a fun party theme idea, this was a blast!  I can honestly say I’ve never tried so many new and often unheard-of dishes all in one night.  The best part was hearing the stories and how-to from each brave cook — so fun.

Cheers to great food from all 7 continents!

West African Peanut Soup Recipe
(Adapted from Aliza Green)

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp. fresh minced ginger root (or 1 tsp. ground ginger)
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (or 2 cups fresh diced tomatoes)
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2″ cubes
• 3/4 cup roasted peanuts
• 6 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
• ½ cup peanut butter
• ½ bunch cilantro, leaves chopped
• salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Sauté the onion until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ginger, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, and cayenne. Sauté together 2 to 3 minutes to release their fragrance. Stir in the tomatoes and sweet potatoes, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally about 5 minutes to meld the flavors.

Add the stock and peanuts, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth.  (You could also do this in a blender or food processor — just be careful to blend in small batches and don’t burn yourself!)  Return the soup to the saucepan. Whisk in the peanut butter and chopped cilantro, season with salt and pepper and heat through.

Serve and garnish with additional chopped cilantro, crushed peanuts, and/or tomatoes if you’d like.

Ali’s Tip:

Some recipes also suggested drizzling in 1/4 tsp. sesame oil at the end.  I may try that next time — imagine it would add a nice touch!