Black Beans and Lemon Cookies

Tonight we had black beans over rice. Nothing too exciting, but the cookies we had for dessert were certainly worth writing about! The recipe was found here on Martha Stewart's Everyday Food. I followed the recipe exactly but didn't bother making the glaze and they were still lemony and delicious. They really were the most perfect cookie, for me anyway. I'm a fruit and nut kinda gal, hold the chocolate and give me some lemon zest any day and I'll be one happy camper.


Here's my recipe for simple black beans and rice:

1 lb. black beans
enough water to cover beans

1 onion
1 red bell pepper
2 stalks celery
2 cloves of garlic
1 shredded zucchini

2 tablespoon each lime and orange juice
handful cilantro
1 tablespoon cumin
salt and pepper to taste

First soak the beans for at least eight hours. I like to use my pressure cooker to cook the beans to save on time but you can do it however you like. While the beans are cooking chop all veggies and shred zucchini. Saute onion and celery in olive oil until onion is translucent. Add pepper, garlic and zucchini and cook for a few more minutes. When beans are done add veggies and lime and orange juice, cilantro, salt, pepper and cumin. Cook altogether for about 15 more minutes or until you feel the flavors have combined enough.

There has been lots of culinary goodies here lately, with Emile's birthday and Valentines day and also Mardi Gras you would think I'd have been here everyday with somthing yummy to eat, but as always life takes precedents and blogging takes a back seat, as it should. So here I am back and I am hungry and don't feel like being in the kitchen one bit!

Last night Adam made a DELICIOUS stir fry over noodles with fried tofu. I think I had three helpings! Today Avery made breakfast, frozen waffles. He ate five then threw up. Lovely, huh? Lunch came out of a box with a bunny on it, and dinner tonight was a compilation of what I had in the fridge and pantry thown together so that I could leave hubby with the three kids and go tp yoga (not something I do everyday!) Soooo... needless to say dinner tonight was so not blog worthy. I have ideas, oh yes I do. I just need a kitchen muse or something to get me in there.

I would like to leave you with this recipe. A Hummingbird cake that was delicious! I made this cake with lots of love for Emile's big third birthday party last Saturday. I almost had a complete avalanche while icing the darn thing, but it was gooood!

"The Best Quinoa Ever" part 2

Tonight called for rich and delicious Indian inspired goodness. So easy to whip up (that is if you don't ruin the rice as I did), and oh so yummy!!

Normally we serve this over brown basmati rice, but for some reason my rice cooker pooped out in the middle of cooking and became a soggy mush-so I resorted to the all so dependable quinoa.

You should have on hand:

1 Can Garbanzo beans

1Can coconut milk

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 carrots, chopped,

2 medium potatoes, cut into cubes

1 small can green chile's

1/4 cup water (or more to thin out the curry)

1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder

salt and pepper to taste

Juice of one lime

handful of chopped cilantro

Saute onion, celery and carrots in 1 tablespoon olive oil until softened. Add green chile's and potatoes and cook for 2 minutes more then add curry powder coconut milk and garbanzos.

Cover and cook down on medium heat until potatoes are done, stirring regularly and adding water until it is desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste, lime juice and chopped cilantro, serve over rice or quinoa and enjoy!

After dinner I thought I'd make rice pudding with the soggy rice. I got out the heavy whipping cream, whole milk, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar, put it all into a pot set to medium heat and went to change a diaper and when I came back I was met by a very scorched pudding.

Needless to say that rice was just not meant to be eaten tonight.

Who Dat!

Sunday morning coffee and beigneits in honor of the Siants awesome victory against the Cardinals, we couldn't resist a little celebratory brunch. I have to hand it to Cafe Dumonde in New Orleans for this little treat!