Friday, February 24, 2012

BLACK BEAN SOUP WITH CHILI, COCONUT MILK AND LIME

Sorry, no picture with this soup... Just use your imagination.  Despite less-than-pretty looks, this soup is delicious and very easy to make.

BLACK BEAN SOUP WITH CHILI, COCONUT MILK AND LIME.  Serves about 6.
Source: "Vegetable Soups From Deborah Madison's Kitchen"
*  2 tablespoons olive oil
*  1 small onion, finely diced
*  1-1/2 teaspoon toasted ground cumin seeds (I substitute cardamom.)
*  1 teaspoon ground chipotle chile, or minced chipolte in adobo, to taste)
*  1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish
*  2 (15-1/2 oz.) cans of black beans
*  1 (15 oz.) can coconut milk
*  Sea salt
*  Juice of 1 or 2 limes, to taste (or juice and zest of one lime)
     Heat the oil in a wide soup pot, then add the onion, cumin/cardamom, chile and cilantro and cook over medium heat, stirring every so often, for about 5 minutes.  Add 1/2 cup water, lower the heat and continue cooking until onion is soft, almost 12 minutes in all.
     Pour in the beans and their liquid, 2-1/2 cups water and the coconut milk.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
     Puree a cup or so of the beans and return it to the soup.  Or puree all of the beans if you prefer a smooth soup.)  Season with salt and stir in the lime.  Serve garnished with a pinch of chopped cilantro.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

SHOPPER'S GUIDE TO PESTICIDES IN PRODUCE

We all like to save money but when it comes to health, I'm as careful as possible with what I consume.  The following popular fresh fruits and vegetables are consistently the most contaminated with pesticides, and are best if organic:

*  Bell Peppers
*  Celery
*  Cherries
*  Grapes (imported)
*  Nectarines
*  Peaches
*  Pears
*  Potatoes
*  Red Raspberries
*  Spinach
*  Strawberries

The following list contains fruits and vegetables that have the least amount of pesticides:

*  Asparagus
*  Avocados
*  Bananas
*  Broccoli
*  Cauliflower
*  Sweet Corn
*  Kiwi
*  Mangos
*  Onions
*  Papaya
*  Pineapples
*  Sweet Peas