Really good beans and tortillas

This dish was totally inspired by little frozen bean and green chilli burritos. I decided I would have to recreate them. This isn't exactly a recreation, but it is amazingly yummy.

3c pinto beans, sorted and rinsed
1T nutritional yeast
1tsp dried oregano
1T salt
homemade flour tortillas  (I used this recipe)
salsa verde
onions, cillantro, diced tomatoes, or other toppings as desired

Put beans in a large pot with yeast and oregano and cover with about an inch of water. Bring to a boil and turn off heat. Cover and let soak about 1 hour. Return beans to a gentle boil, adding water if needed to keep barely covered. Simmer about 1 hour, until tender, stirring every 10-15 minutes. Add salt and stir. Serve on tortillas with salsa verde.

Note on tortillas: I found that if I did not cover the tortillas when letting them rest it was not necessary to flour the rolling pin or board. This is a huge time saver. Also there is no need to repeatedly divide the dough in half, just pinching off a large lump (perhaps 2 walnuts worth) at a time was sufficient.

carrot muffins

These muffins are very sweet, like cupcakes. When measuring the carrots, smash them into the measuring cup to eliminate empty space. The tops will deflate when cooling, giving a flat top.

3c cooked carrots
2c flour
1 1/2c sugar
1c oil
1T baking powder
1/4c water
1c raisins, optional

Preheat oven to 350. Blend carrots and oil in a blender or food processor until smooth, scraping down side frequently. Stir together flour, sugar and baking powder. Mix carrot puree into flour mixture. Stir in raisins, if desired. Bake in well oiled muffin pans for about 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with only a trace of the muffins. Allow to cool a few minutes before removing from pan. Makes about 21 muffins.

Two Cup Beans

These easy crock-pot beans are a great accompaniment to cornbread. Like many beans, they are even better the next day. Use a medium or mild salsa unless you want really, really hot beans.

2c pinto beans, sorted and rinsed
2c vegetable broth
2c water
2c salsa
2t dried oregano
2t cumin

Stir all ingredients together in a crock-pot. Cook on high 4 1/2 to 5 hours or until beans are soft and sauce begins to be thick Stir well and serve. Stir one or twice during cooking to avoid scorching.

Simple Thai Salad

A simple and easy salad to accompany a Thai, or other meal. I had mine today with Thai pot stickers and pad thai. As a testament to its greatness, it was eaten before I could take a picture. This salad is also a great way to use up the center of a head of lettuce after the outer leaves are used for sandwiches.

1/2 head iceberg lettuce (outer leaves removed ok)
1/4c chopped mint
1/3c sweet thai chilli sauce

Slice the lettuce into 1/2 inch (1cm) slices. Sprinkle with mint and drizzle with chilli sauce. Eat.

Utah Brownies

These simple and inexpensive brownies are the perfect mix of fudge and cake. I named them after another brownie I used to make in Utah, but have never been able to make again (the altitude must have contributed to the texture).

1 c flour
1c sugar
1/3c coco powder
1/2tsp baking powder
1/4tsp salt
1/2c oil
1/2c water
1/2tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix dry ingredients, then stir in wet. Place in greased 8x8 glass pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out only holding a crumb. Cook 15 minutes before cutting.

Easy No Salt Added Hummus

This easy low sodium recipe does not call for sesame seed paste, you could add a tablespoon if you wish.
1c dry chick peas
4c water
4T lemon juice
4 cloves garlic (or to taste)
2T olive oil

Put chick peas and water in crock-pot. Cook on high 3-4 hours until very soft. Put drained peas in food processor or blender along with remaining ingredients. Process until smooth. If necessary, thin with a little of the cooking water.

Almond Thumbprint Cookies

Fill this bite-sized treat with your favorite jam or jelly, or do without the jam for an exquisite almond cookie.

Thumbprint Cookies, the front with blackberry jam, the rear with plum jam.

1c shorting, vegan margarine, or your favorite solid fat
1c sugar
1/3c almond milk
2 1/2c flour
ground or finely chopped almonds (about 2/3c)
jam or jelly.

Cream fat and sugar together. Add almond milk and mix. Stir in flour and beat until smooth and dough clings together. Roll into  1 in. balls. Roll in ground almonds and place on cookie sheet. Press each ball down with your thumb, leaving a small impression. Fill impression with a small amount of jam. Bake at 350 for 14 minutes, or until bottom just begins to turn golden. Cool for a few minutes before removing from cookie sheet. Makes about 40.