"Everyday Cooking"- Mango and Black bean Salad

Still on track ladies!!!  Yes....trying to eat salad everyday! Like I mentioned in the previous posts, I am trying to eat 'right' and get back to pre- pregnancy weight. Let me tell ya.....it's a longg way though!
This salad is a 'left over' special.Like 'M' jokes: I am the queen of making something out of nothing...or more so leftovers!
I usually buy canned Black beans.It is my pantry staple.I use them to make quesadillas, black bean burgers etc.
Black Bean Burger:
http://my-kitchens-aroma.blogspot.com/2009/10/everyday-cooking-black-bean-burger.html
Black Beans and Corn Quesadillas:
http://my-kitchens-aroma.blogspot.com/2009/09/everyday-cooking-black-bean-and-corn.html

So since I had some beans left over from the quesadillas, I had the Feta cheese tub since last week ....viola..this salad came into being! The combination is more like mexican.....where they use lot of black beans, mangoes in the cooking...So here's how to put it together...

Ingredients:
Greens of your choice: Romaine lettuce, Spinach, Iceberg lettuce,Arugula,Radicchio,Red Cabbage etc
1/2 Semi Ripe Mango Cubed
Cooked black beans rubbed with salt and chili powder
Toasted Croutons
Feta cheese
Salt
Black Pepper
Dressing: I used none.The combination of Mango,feta and flavored black beans gave the salad enough flavor.Also I realized that Mango tastes good with Black pepper....it really goes well together.
Method:
1) Wash and cut the greens, drain well
2) Mix all the above ingredients in proportion that suits your taste.
3) Done!

 

Enjoy Guilt Free!

"Everyday Cooking"- Black Bean Burger

Couple weeks ago,when I visited my friend 'P', she had made these Black bean patties. I have eaten 'Guiltless black bean' burger @ Chili's...but what 'P' had made were far more tastier and probably healthier than the ones at Chilis! Even 'E' enjoyed it....and asked for more.

So I got the recipe from 'P' and last night,made these for dinner. What I liked about these was, they were actually a 'complete' meal in themselves...black beans,rice and veggies. If you want you could have it with bread or just eat as 'Patties'.....they tasted delicious!

'P' said she got the recipe from Martha Stewart's cooking DVD.

Here is the recipe in 'P's words:

Oil - 1 tbsp
1 Medium Onion
1 Medium Red Pepper
Garlic Clove - 3 - 4 No (finely minced/grated)
Turmeric pwdr - 1/4 tsp
Cumin pwdr - 1/2 - 1 tsp
Ketchup - 2 tbsp
Chinese Chili Sauce - 1 tsp (Actual recipe calls for Tabasco sauce)
When it all comes together, remove from flame. Let cool.

In a blender: Just pulse
Cooked Rice - 1 C
Cooked Black Bean - 1.5 C
Sauteed veggies
Pulse to combine

To the pulsed mixture add - 2C - Freshly prepared White Bread Crumbs.
Salt as per taste.

Form Patties & shallow fry.

Variations:
The only variations I made were:
1) I added 1tbsp chopped cilantro to the mixture
2) Used leftover rice(actually basmati 'jeera rice')
3) Used store bought seasoned bread crumbs.
4) Used 1/2 red pepper and 1/2 green pepper ( just because I did not have one whole red pepper)
5) I added 1/4 tsp black pepper

"Everyday Cooking"- Black bean and Corn Quesadilla

Had a rough start to the day.'M' usually leaves for work at 6.45 am on Thursdays. 'E' and me sleep till a little later.But today 'E' decides to wake up even before 'M' leaves for work.So obviously I have to wake up early and start the day....
Then.....after the daily chores,I decide to try out this 'Rava Dhokla' for a Potluck party on friday.But...the rava:soda ratio was all messed up and..so was my dhokla....all brown colored and tasting like 'soda'. Cancelled the plans of making this for the party, and started to work towards making lunch. Had planned to make 'Wheat dosas' with grated carrots..and eat it with leftover curries in the fridge..and mint-coriander chutney.But the 'unlucky' streak continued..and my mint-coriander chutney was... bitter..strong tasting....too minty.....not good :(
On top of everything..'E' was in a special mischievous mood today.He spilled one box of juice all over himself, stuck play- doh balls all over the furniture,wanted to play with scissors (!),wanted me to pick him up all the time....and muchhhhh moreeee....
Anyways...
Good part though...was I got a little better at photographing food!( That's what I think!).I took this picture of the 'Black Bean Corn Quesadillas' this morning,between all the craziness...and I believe it came out good! This quesadilla is based on the flavor/tastes of the 'flatbread' we had at the farmers market the other day.I tried it out and it came out really good.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Black beans,boiled (I used canned,drained) and seasoned with salt,chili powder,cumin coriander powder
1/2 cup corn(frozen,thawed in microwave) seasoned with salt and pepper
1/2 cup Tomato salsa (recipe follows)
1 cup Pepper jack cheese shredded/Mexican blend chesse
4 Spinach/Corn/Wheat Tortillas
1 tbsp Cilantro chopped
Olive oil to warm and crisp the quesadillas.
For Salsa:
3-4 ripe tomatoes boiled,peeled and crushed OR 1 can of crushed tomatoes
1tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic chopped finely
1 tbsp onion chopped
1/4 tsp cumin coriander powder
1/4tsp sugar
salt,pepper,chili powder to taste
Method:
Salsa:
1) In a pan,heat 1 tsp oil,add crushed garlic and onions.Fry for 1 min
2) Add the crushed tomatoes, salt, sugar, chili powder,pepper,cumin-coriander powder and heat for 2-3 mins.Turn off heat.
Quesadilla assembly:
1) Spread about 1-2 tsp salsa on the tortilla.
2) Add 2 tsp black beans, 2tsp corn, 1/4 tsp cilantro,1tbsp pepper jack cheese and fold into half.( Semicircle)
3) Warm on a heated flat pan by brushing olive oil on both sides
4) Warm till the cheese melts and the tortilla gets golden brown marks.
5) Serve hot with sour cream or salsa.

Note:
1) Quesadillas can be made with various different fillings like fried Onions+Mushrooms/ fried broccoli/ green peppers/just cheese/Chicken etc
2) Cheese-I personally like the pepper jack cheese due to its spicy taste
3) Instead of corn tortillas,I have also made them with regular whole wheat 'chapatis'.(I usually make them for 'E').They taste pretty good too!