Avocado, Chick Pea and Green Been Salad **********

Back in my vegetarian days I used to cook a lot of Hare Krishna meals.  Kurma Das produced many western style meals based on ISKCON culinary philosophy.  One of my all time favorites and still is, is this refreshing salad.  I still prepare it for most Xmas dinners.

My original Kurma Das cook book (right) is frayed and soiled from over use, so I thought I would digitize it for prosperity.

Avocados combine well with cheese and beans. Dressed and served in lettuce leaves, this salad is substantial and tasty.

PREP TIME: 10 minutes    YIELD:  8 persons    RATED: 10/10

 Ingredients

2 teaspoons (10 ml) chopped fresh coriander leaves
¹/₂ teaspoon (1 ml) black pepper
1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
1 large Iceberg, Cos, or Mignonette lettuce
2 large ripe avocados, peeled and cut into 1¹/₂ cm (³/₄-inch) cubes
1 cup (250 ml) cooked and chilled green beans chopped into 2¹/₂ cm (1-inch) sections
1 cup (250 ml) cooked and chilled kidney beans
1 cup (250 ml) cooked and chilled chickpeas
1 cup (250 ml) cubed cheddar cheese
¹/₂ cup (125 ml) chopped green pepper
¹/₄ cup (60 ml) chopped pimiento (baby red peppers in brine or oil)
²/₃ cup (165 ml) olive oil
²/₃ cup (165 ml) fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons (60 ml) honey
2 teaspoons (10 ml) chopped fresh parsley

Method

1. Combine the avocados, beans, chickpeas, cheese, green pepper, and pimientos in a bowl.
2. Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, half the parsley, coriander, black pepper, and salt.
3. Fold the dressing carefully into the bean and avocado mixture. Serve individual portions of salad on lettuce leaves and garnish with the remaining chopped parsley.

Source:  Great Vegetarian Dishes 

Variations on a theme:  Avocado and Bean Salad in Lettuce Baskets  (Kid Freindly)

Linguine, Potato, Green Bean and Basil Pesto**********

This is a cheap and quick "peasant" style meal with the unusual combination of pasta and potato, making it a filling and hearty meal.  Great after a long day with  a bottle of your favorite.  If possible, I don't peel spuds as much of the nutrition is in the skin.

Serves 4:     Preparation time 15 mins:     Cooking time 25 mins

Trimming and slicing the beans is the time consumer here.

Ingredients:-

    4 Liters of salted water
    1- 2 large potatos diced
    350 g green beans, trimmed and sliced lengthwise
    500 g dried linguine or trenette
    190 ml basil pesto
    knob of butter
    1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan

Method:-

    Bring salted water to boil in a pot.
    Add the potato first and simmer for 12 minutes.
    Add the beans 5 minutes after the potato, to continue to simmer for 7 minutes.  (Total of 12 mins)
    Add the pasta to cook according to packet directions, bring to boil and then simmer until al dente.
    (Total approx 23 mins)
    Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of cooking water.
    Put half the pesto in a large bowl.
    Add the cooking water, potatoes, beans and pasta, and the butter, and toss well.
    Spoon the rest of the pesto on top, sprinkle with parmesan, lightly toss and serve immediately.

Inspired by the recipe from SBS:- Trenette with pesto, potato and green beans

Vegetable Tagine

I love this dish.  It is quite  versatile and is amicable to a " kitchen sink" mix.  I often double the recipe and using it as a simmer sauce for tagines or poaching.  The image on the left is just such a doubling "kitchen sink".

So here is the "normal" recipe with the simmer sauce version at the end:-.

Serves 6 stand alone.    Preparation time 25 minutes.  Cooking time approx 40 minutes.

Ingredients:-

1 Tbs coriander seedsi
1 Tbs cumin seeds
1 Tbs caraway seeds
1 tsp - 2 tsp Harissa mix or paste:  Optional for extra zap!
1 Tbs olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 large brown onions (400g), finely chopped
2 tsp sweet paprika
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper
1 Tbs tomato paste or
2 cups (500ml) water
800g diced tomatoes (un-drained, if canned)
600g pumpkin, chopped coarsely
8 (240g) yellow squash, quartered:
200g baby green beans, trimmed and halved
300g chick peas, cooked (or canned, drained and rinsed).

Method:-

Crush coriander, cumin, and caraway seeds in a mortar and pestle.
Heat oil in large pan, cook garlic and onion, stirring often until onion soften.
Add crushed seeds (and Harisa Paste), paprika, salt, pepper and ginger and cook until fragrant.
Add tomato paste, water, tomatoes and pumpkin and bring to boil
Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
Stir in squash, beans and chick peas and simmer covered until squash is tender.

Server over couscous or rice.

My simmer sauce alternative makes about 8 liters, which can be jarred, frozen etc...

To make my famous simmer sauce, I omit the tomato paste, squash and green beans; double everything else above and use tomato puree, zucchini and eggplant as well; and simmer it down a little so that the pumpkin is almost  gone.

Simmer Sauce Ingredients:-

2 Tbs coriander seeds
2 Tbs cumin seeds
2 Tbs caraway seeds
2 tsp - 3 tsp Harissa mix or paste:  Optional for extra zap!
2 Tbs olive oil
6 cloves of garlic, crushed
4 large brown onions (400g), finely chopped
4 tsp sweet paprika
4 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
700ml (680g) of tomato puree if doubling for a simmer sauce.
4 cups (500ml) water
1.6kg diced tomatoes (un-drained, if canned)
1.2 kg pumpkin, chopped coarsely
2 zucchini and
1 eggplant
600g chick peas, cooked (or canned, drained and rinsed).

Simmer Sauce Method:-

Crush coriander, cumin, and caraway seeds in a mortar and pestle.
Heat oil in large pan, cook garlic and onion, stirring often until onion soften.
Add crushed seeds (and Harissa Paste), paprika, salt, pepper and ginger and cook until fragrant.
Add tomato puree, water, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant and pumpkin and bring to boil
Reduce heat to slow simmer for 45 - 60 minutes or until pumpkin is almost gone.
Stir in chick peas and simmer covered until peas are tender.

Tonight, I did the simmer sauce, making 8 litres of sauce and then used approx 2 liters with 1 kg of chump chops, which I seared for a few minutes each side and then "targined" for 40 minutes on low simmer.  Delicious!  Enough for 3 of us and an additional serve for my aging mum.  The remainder of the sauce, I will refrigerate, share and take down south to Denmark...