17 Bean & Barley Soup

This mix of beans and grains are courtesy of Trader Joe's.  Their complimentary coffee and food samples always brings me back to their store, not to mention their tasty products. It's like a really casual healthy food store, and then some. There is only one thing that I can remember disliking that I purchased at Trader Joe's. It was a carrot ginger muffin made with oats. The kids refused to eat them and I can't remember if I had more than one.
Everything else has been spot on.  My family's favorite is the orange chicken, it comes frozen and you basically heat and serve. Nowadays we've forgone the chicken for some vegan friendly options like the 17 Bean and Barley Soup.  It comes as a 1 pound bag of dried beans and grains with the recipe on the back which is good.  I executed the recipe a little differently than suggested (which is the one you'll find below) and it worked out well. I only soaked the beans for about an hour and a half (the recipe says soaking is optional) and the beans took quite a bit longer to cook than directed, about 30-40 minutes longer to be exact. When the soup started drying out before the beans were done I added a bit more water and continued boiling.  Hearty, comforting, and well worth the wait.

17 Bean & Barley Soup

2 cups TJ's 17 Bean Barley Soup Mix
2-32 oz vegetable broth
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup carrot, chopped
1 cup bell pepper, chopped
1 tsp. dried basil
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
salt and pepper to taste

Soak beans overnight (optional) in large pot of water, then rinse and drain.  In a large pot, saute the onion, celery, carrot, pepper, basil and garlic in olive oil until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Pour in vegetable broth and beans and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to medium or medium-low and simmer covered for about 1 to 1 1/2 hour, until tender.  Be sure to occasionally check liquid  level and add more broth if necessary.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Makes about 8 hearty servings.

To quick soak dried beans: In a large saucepan, cover dried beans with triple their volume of cold water. Bring water to a boil, then lower heat and cook uncovered beans over moderate heat for 2 minutes.  Remove pan from heat and soak beans for 1 hour. Rinse and drain when ready to use.

Arepas

A traditional food of Colombia and Venezuela, arepas are a corn patty similar to a tortilla in shape but made with pre-cooked white cornmeal. Each country makes them in their own way, and even within each country there are variations.  The part of Colombia that my mom is from is known to make their arepas with shredded white cheese mixed into the dough and that is the way I grew up eating them. Crisp on the outside, soft yummy goodness on the inside!


Arepas are usually served at breakfast with eggs and cup of cafe con leche (coffee and milk) or hot chocolate.  For a hearty meal, they can be stuffed with more cheese, meats like ham or grilled steak or served with beans on the side. This weekend my mother-in-law (an arepa-making Nicaraguan) tried making a few without cheese for my husband and I. They turned out great! I felt the comforting embrace of a traditional breakfast minus the dairy.  With my coffee and vanilla soy, delicious!

Arepas


1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup pre-cooked white cornmeal, such as P.A.N. or Goya brand Masarepa


Pour water into a large bowl and add salt, stir to combine.  Add half of the cornmeal and stir immediately to avoid lumps.  Mix in the remaining cornmeal with your hands and lightly knead until it comes together into a soft dough.  Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.


Divide the dough evenly into 4-6 portions.  With lightly moistened hands, roll each portion into a ball and flatten using the palms of your hands to about 1/2" thick or less (however you prefer). As you flatten the dough, smooth out the edges with your fingertips.  


Lightly grease a cast iron griddle or skillet set on medium to medium-high using a paper towel moistened with vegetable oil. Place arepas on griddle and cook for 6-8 minutes on each side, careful not to burn.  Arepas should be light golden brown and crispy on the outside, soft in the center.  A little bit of charring  is ok.


Arepas should be eaten soon after they are made.  If you let them sit out for more than an hour they will get hard. If this happens you can revive them on the griddle or in a toaster oven.


Prepared dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Corn and Black Bean Salad

This is one of my favorite recipes and it is so easy to make.  My mother-in-law swears she will never eat beans from a can but had no complaints after eating this. Either she liked it or she was just being nice. (I like to think she enjoyed it)

One of the good things about this recipe is that it's easy to double or triple if you are feeding a crowd. My son had a couple of friends over this weekend so I figured burritos would be simple and everyone could make their own.  I made a huge batch of salad, a big pot of brown rice, set out the cheese (for the kids), hot sauce and it was a done deal.  Satisfaction guaranteed!

Another thing I like is that there are no tomatoes in this salad. The red you see in the picture are chopped red peppers which makes it satisfyingly crunchy. Besides adding it to a burrito, you can also eat it alone with chips or as a side dish.


Corn and Black Bean Salad

Makes 4 servings

1 can (approx. 15 oz.)  black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (approx. 15 oz.)  whole kernel corn, drained
1  medium red onion, diced
2 T  chopped fresh cilantro
1  red bell pepper, diced
2 T  fresh lime juice
1 T  vegetable oil
1/4 t  salt
1  jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced

Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving to let the flavors blend.