Recipes From the Root Cellar_ 270 Fresh Ways to Enjoy Winter Vegetables - Andrea Chesman [83]
Variation: Vegetarian New England Baked Beans
Omit the bacon. Add 1 tablespoon liquid smoke in step 2 and proceed as above.
Spicy-Sweet Barbecued Beans
Serves 4–6
Smoky, sweet, and hot, these beans are a terrific vegetarian baked bean, great to serve with coleslaw and cornbread, or as a vegetarian alternative to pulled pork.
2 cups dried pinto or kidney beans, soaked overnight and drained
6 cups water
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1½ cups unseasoned tomato sauce, or 1 (15-ounce) can
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons minced chipotle canned in adobo sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 Combine the beans with the water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat slightly and boil gently, covered, for 1 to 1½ hours, until the beans are completely tender. Do not undercook; the beans will not soften once they are combined with the tomato sauce.
2 Preheat the oven to 300°F.
3 Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beans to a bean pot or covered casserole dish. Add the onion, garlic, tomato purée, brown sugar, chipotles, and soy sauce.
4 Cover and bake for 2 to 3 hours, until the sauce is a nice thick consistency. If necessary, uncover during the last 30 minutes to reduce the cooking liquid. Serve hot.
Variation: Quick Spicy Sweet Barbecued Beans
Substitute three 15-ounce cans of pinto or red kidney beans, drained and rinsed, for the dried beans and water. Begin with step 3.
Refried Pinto Beans
Serves 6–8
Although decent (not great) refried beans are available in cans, homemade is always better (and less expensive), as this recipe amply proves. It is very important to cook the beans until they are meltingly tender — a state that would be overcooked for most other recipes.
2 cups dried pinto, kidney, black, or red beans, soaked overnight and drained
8 cups water
3 tablespoons safflower, sunflower, or extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ cup minced chipotle canned in adobo sauce, or 1 (4-ounce) can chopped roasted chilis, drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Combine the beans with the water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the beans are very, very tender, 1½ to 2 hours.
2 Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, chili powder, and cumin, and sauté until the onion is soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beans to the skillet, adding about ½ cup of the cooking liquid at the same time. Mash the beans with the back of your spoon or a potato masher, adding more cooking liquid as needed to achieve a creamy consistency. Keep stirring until creamy. Stir in the chipotles and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm.
Kitchen Note: The recipe makes enough refried beans to fill about eight large burritos, allowing about ½ cup of refried beans per tortilla, but why stop there? Refried beans can be layered with corn torillas, salsa, and cheese to make a “Mexican lasagna”; mixed with cheese and heated to make a dip for corn chips; used as a nacho topping, a thickener for chili, a side dish …
Curried Dahl
Serves 4–6
Whenever I make a curry and I’m not sure the dish will stretch far enough, or if my guests include vegetarians, I fall back on this simple dish. It can be made with red lentils or yellow split peas, also known as channa dahl.
2 cups red lentils or yellow split peas
6 cups water
1 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
3 tablespoons safflower, peanut, sunflower, or canola oil
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
Hot cooked rice, for serving
1 Combine the lentils, water, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and boil gently,