There are times when I value expediency over wholesomeness. Busy season is in full swing at work leaving little time for elaborate, time-consuming dished. I do realize that the words "quick" and "stew" don't belong together but what makes this dish quick is the use of canned pinto beans instead of dried beans which need to be soacked overnight and take much long to cook than canned beans. Shortcuts are necessary at times and I am not afraid to use them especially when work gets busy.
Sometimes I don't know how recipe ideas come to me. It starts with one ingredient and the rest sort of naturally follow. On my way home one Saturday, I was wondering what to cook that night. A recipe with zucchini and chick peas from the famous blog Chocolate & Zucchini came to mind and I liked the idea of zucchini but not the rest of it. Zucchini goes well with scallion and dill and I figured smoked salmon would make a nice addition.
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You've probably heard that butter makes everything taste better. Well, garlic is the other ingredient that makes everything taste better. Except possibly chocolate cake. No garlic in chocolate cake! That should be the first rule of baking.
However, I'm not writing about chocolate cake. It's not that I don't like cake. If anything, I like cake a bit too much. Cake will be the focus of a future post, I promise. This post is about a bean dip that got lots of mmm...so yummy reviews from friends and family. Beans and garlic go well together. Bean loves garlic. Garlic loves bean. |
I am the Queen of wastefulness when it comes to food. Believe me, it’s not something I am proud of. It just so happens that my eyes are bigger than my stomach and I overestimate the number of times I can cook in a week. However, in these difficult times, as increasingly more people are unable to feed their families and have to rely on food stamps, I feel my habit is somewhat indecent. According to the New York Times, the number of food stamp recipients has climbed by 10 million in the past two years. This program now feeds 1 in 8 Americans and, worst of all, nearly 1 in 4 children. This is horrible!
Have I told you about my latest crush? It's the sweet potato. Shhh! Don’t tell the sweet potato! I don’t know what it is about this root vegetable that caused me to fall head over heels. Is it the pretty orange color? Is it the sweet, wholesome taste? Is it the nutrients it is packed with? Well, who knows, love is irrational. It just happened.
Speaking of nutrients, I cannot help myself and absolutely have to mention them. You see, sweet potatoes are a “power food". Rich in fiber but with less carbohydrates than the white potato, sweet potatoes contribute to healthy gums, strong connective tissue and help heal wounds. Key nutrients include beta-carotene, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, vitamins C, B6 and B3. (From Prescription for Dietary Wellness by Phyllis A Balch). Yes, eat up, eat up!
