Hunkering down; storm food

I wasn’t a girl scout but that doesn’t stop me from stocking my larder.  Call it my survival nature, or maybe it is simply an excuse to get into the kitchen, but am impending blizzard gets me cooking ahead.  Looks like the storm will be worse at the coast but those strong winds and the sopping weight on the power lines will likely knock our power out …so I have been busy.  We are fortunate to have a gas cook top so re-heating is a snap.

Last night in preparation I started soaking a bag of black beans in covered cold water.  This morning very early I rinsed them and put them into a crock pot on high with more water filled to about 2″ above them.  By noon they were done and squishy.  My daughter and I decided that they should be a creamy Black Bean Soup.  Here is how I made it:

In a large pot I sautéed on very medium-low heat for about 30 minutes until the onions became translucent and are just starting to brown:

• 1 1/2 medium-sized yellow onions, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup good olive oil (this is the “creamy” part)
• 6 cloves of garlic finely chopped, added in the last 5 minutes

I then added the drained beans (saving the liquid) and smashed them into the pot with a potato masher.  I added most of the liquid back in to it until it all combined to give me the “right” consistency, for me somewhere between salad dressing and pudding.  Then I seasoned it with:

• around 1 tsp Applewood smoked sea salt to taste.  If you don’t have this then substitute with a little liquid smoke and kosher salt.

Simmer for 1 hour until all flavors are completely blended.  Serve with a dollop of greek yogurt or sour cream.

To go with this soup we decided that a corn bread would be perfect.  Quick use the power before it goes out!  This recipe is a variation on my variation on my variation to get it closer and closer to healthy while still feeling decadent and rich like the original sour cream and buttery version.

Creamy Corn Bread

In a medium-sized mixing bowl combine all ingredients in this order whisking/stirring as you add them.

• 7 T. melted unsalted butter
• 2 or more T. chipotle flavored olive oil
• 1/2 cup agave or maple syrup or a combination of both
• 4 beaten eggs
• 1 cup thawed frozen corn kernels
• 7/8 cup non-fat greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup grated jack cheese
• 2 cups corn flour
• 2 T. baking powder
• 1 tsp salt

Scoop out and smooth into a buttered 9″ x 9″ glass baking pan.  Bake at 325 degrees for 55 minutes.  Let cool slightly before slicing.  How do you eat your corn bread?  New England style with maple syrup?  Western style drenched in butter?  I think this recipe is plenty moist without the need for either.

Enjoy!  Jane

As always, feel free to share these original recipes.  All copy rights, though, are reserved by me and recipes may not be reproduced without my permission.