Blue Cayenne

This salad is a stunner.

Couscous laced with black beans, corn, red pepper, green onions and dressed in a lime juice and olive oil dressing… How could that not be wonderful?

And, did I mention that it is fast to make? It can be on your table in 35 minutes, although I like to leave it to marinate in the lime juice dressing longer. The salad can be served at room temperature or chilled.

This recipe is adapted from one I found on the Allrecipes site. I used to love Allrecipes but, alas, the site has undergone a major remake in recent months and lost its way.

Recipe: Black Bean and Couscous Salad

1 C. uncooked couscous
1 1/4 C. vegetable broth
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
3 T. fresh lime juice
1 t. red wine vinegar
1/2 t. ground cumin
6-8 chopped green onions
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 to 1/2 C. chopped fresh cilantro
1 C. corn kernels
2 15-ounce cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Stir couscous into boiling broth. Cover, remove from heat and let couscous sit until you have prepared the rest of the ingredients (at least 5 minutes).

Combine olive oil, cumin, red wine vinegar and lime juice in a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Add green onions, red pepper, cilantro, corn and beans and toss to coat. I used my hands to be sure the mixture is thoroughly mixed. Add couscous to the bowl of vegetables and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. I think this salad is at its best at room temperature where you can enjoy the flavor of the olive oil in the dressing, but it can also be served chilled. You can also drizzle a bit of olive oil on the salad at serving time or spritz a bit more lime juice on the salad.

I sprinkled a pinch of whole cumin seeds on my salad and garnished it with cilantro sprigs and slices of beautiful fresh tomatoes I bought at this week’s Farmers Market.

Here is the link to the AllRecipes site: Allrecipes Black Bean and Couscous Salad

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Comfort food.

For me it’s macaroni salad.

For as long as I can remember, when the going gets tough, I’ve turned to macaroni salad. Tax time. Macaroni salad. Doctor’s appointment. Macaroni salad.  Starting a cooking blog.  Macaroni salad. You get the picture.

This is an adaptation of a recipe from the first cookbook I ever owned–The New Good Housekeeping Cookbook (1963 edition). My book is pretty dog-eared at this point but remains a treasured go-to cooking resource.

Here is my version of Good Housekeeping’s Best-Ever Macaroni Salad:

Recipe: Macaroni Salad

4 Cups cooked elbow macaroni (1/2 pound uncooked)
1 Cup mayonnaise
2 T. white vinegar
2 t. prepared mustard
1/2 t. celery seeds
1 1/2 to 2 t. salt
1/8 t. freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 Cups sliced celery
1/2 Cup sliced green onions
1/4 Cups sliced radishes
2 T. chopped parsley
1/4 Cup chopped roasted red peppers (or more to your taste)
1/4 Cup chopped (or whole) black olives (or more to your taste)
1 Cup grated cheddar or cheddar-jack cheese

Directions: Boil elbow macaroni in water until it is al dente. Drain. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk mayonnaise, vinegar, celery seed, salt, pepper and mustard together. Add celery, green onions, radishes, parsley, chopped red peppers, black olives and grated cheese.Fold in cooked elbow macaroni. Adjust seasonings. Refrigerate until macaroni salad is well-chilled. I sprinkle a bit of paprika on the salad just before serving.Enjoy.

I’m really taken by the beauty and good taste of Rancho Gordo brand heirloom dried beans.

Here is a recipe from their site–a take on the classic Tuscan soup called Ribollita.

I used Rancho Gordo’s Mother Stallard beans and substituted baby spinach for the kale in the wonderful garlicky pesto that you spoon on top of the soup just before serving. This is a hearty soup that makes a meal by itself. This soup cooks quickly but is far better on the second day when the flavors have had time to blend. The link to the recipe appears below.

Enjoy.

http://www.ranchogordo.com/pages/cranberry-bean-and-cabbage-soup-with-kale-pesto