Week 24 - Mexi-Bean Ensalada (Bean Salad)

 Mexi-Bean Ensalada (Bean Salad)

Week 24 of 52

Salad #3

This recipe is from the Pace Picante Sauce - 40th Anniversary Recipe Collection - A Treasury of Tex-Mex Cooking cookbook, published in 1987. One big difference in my recipe, is that it turned out I didn't have cumin in my kitchen, so I substituted chipotle powder. I also believe I should have used less of the chipotle seasoning; I think I doubled it and it was a little overpowering. The green beans were perfectly cooked (if I may say so) and I would make this again, but would try it with cumin as suggested. 

Ingredients:

1lb fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces (I "guesstimated" mine)

1/2 cup diced red onion (I used 1/2 of a red onion)

1 medium red or green pepper, diced (I used green, because the store I shopped at didn't have red)

1/2 cup picante sauce (Pace is suggested and is what I used, but it does not have to be Pace)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used canola oil)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin (I used 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder)

1 clove garlic, minced (I used 1 teaspoon minced garlic from a jar)

Directions:

In boiling water, cook green beans about 8-10 minutes, until they are crisp-tender (I cooked them for 10 minutes). In a large bowl, combine your diced onion and dice pepper. Add beans. Mix and add picante sauce, oil, salt, cumin and garlic. Stir until well combined. Chill for several hours, stirring every so often. Toss salad again before serving. Makes 6 to 8 servings. 

Mexi-Bean Ensalada

Week 1 - Gado-Gado

 Gado-Gado

Recipe 1 of 52 in 2022

Salad #1

    Recipe 1 of 52 in 2022 in my 52 recipes in 2022 self-challenge, is an Indonesian salad.  The recipe is included in Favorite Recipes of America - Salads. It was submitted for inclusion by "Mrs. Mort B. Brigadier, Officer's Wive's Club, Canal Zone, Rep of Panama". This 1968 cookbook is part of a set of four which were sold in a cute little 'box' sleeve/cover. I was lucky enough to find the entire set quite a number of years ago.  

    This recipe was a little bit of a pain, but would be easier if you prep the vegetables the day before or earlier in the day.  Although I said it felt like a pain, I am saying that, because I was making it after work and it felt like a lot. As I was preparing this recipe, I was skeptical of how I'd like the mixture of flavors, but I did end up really enjoying this salad dish.  I served my Gado-Gado over white rice, but this would be good by itself or brown rice.  Maybe even quinoa. All I know is that I'm going to take a dish over leftovers just by itself for lunch at work tomorrow, and I know I would definitely make this again. 

    The recipe makes about eight servings, depending on your serving size. 

Ingredients:

1 lb bean sprouts

1/2 lb cabbage, chopped

1/2 lb green beans, chopped

1 tsp salt

2 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp soy sauce (I used a dumpling sauce, which has soy sauce in it (I didn't have plain soy sauce) and it worked just fine as a substitute)

1 onion, sliced (I used a medium to large sized onion)

1 or 2 cloves of garlic, chopped and fried

1 tsp ground red pepper (I used a spicy red pepper mix by Ariel's Spices)

1/4 to 1/2 lb peanut butter (I used chunky; perfect for this recipe)

1 cucumber, sliced

1 bunch radishes sliced (I used about 8 radishes from a bag I had bought; I had to go to four stores to find radishes) 

2 hard boiled eggs, sliced

(optional) red chili pepper flakes 

Directions:

Remember to wash all of your vegetables before cooking. Parboil the bean sprouts, green beans and cabbage "in a small amount of water" for several minutes. I  used 3/4 to 1 cup water in the largest skillet I have.  3/4 cup water would be a good starting point if you try this recipe, and because of volume of the vegetables, using a large pot may work better for the par-boiling.  I used large kitchen tongs to carefully toss my ingredients, as they cooked down and it did work out just fine. If using a skillet, take care when you are par-boiling the vegetables. I did not measure how much time I par-boiled this mixture, but you'll want to cook them to where they are softened, but still have a bit of crunch.  When your vegetable are cooked, drain the vegetables and reserve the stock. Return the stock to your pan and stir in the salt, brown sugar, lemon juice, soy sauce, onion, garlic, red pepper and peanut butter. You need to make sure to cook the peanut butter down.  It will melt into the sauce. 

The original recipe says to layer the cabbage, beans, bean sprouts, cucumber and radishes in a salad bowl. This didn't sound right to me, so I used a large casserole dish. I spooned the cabbage, beans and bean sprouts mixture into the bottom, followed by a layer of my cucumber slices, then the radishes and finally the sliced egg.  The original recipe says to serve the peanut butter dressing with the salad. I did not. I poured it directly over top of the salad. And you know what? It was perfect.  Sprinkle with red chili pepper flakes for extra kick. 

Try this salad out and let me know what you think.  

A side view of Gado-Gado salad

Layered vegetable and sliced egg

Gado-Gado salad

Gado-Gado salad over rice

Green Beans with Garlic

Green Beans with Garlic 

    This is "spur of the moment" post.  I hadn't planned on talking about these green beans that I made.  Basically I had a bag of green beans, about a pound, which I had gotten on sale at a local Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market.  After washing my green beans, I cut the tips off both ends of the beans and put them into boiling water for a few minutes.  I wanted to partially cook them in water and finish in a skillet with garlic.  I didn't time how long I boiled them. I just cooked them until they were at texture which I liked.  They still had a bit of crispness as well as a nice, green color. 

    As the beans were cooking, I added a tablespoon or two of butter to my skillet and heated that up, adding about three cloves of minced garlic.  You can use margarine or cooking spray if you like. I stirred the garlic around for about three minutes, before draining the green beans and adding them to my skillet.  I simply just cooked the beans about four to five minutes with the garlic and butter.  I used Jane's Krazy Mixed-Up Salt instead of regular salt and pepper. This simple recipe would be good also without salt or a 'salt free' substitute.  

Ingredients:

Garlic to taste

Butter (approximately 2 tablespoons)

Green Beans

Salt & Pepper to taste