03.06.08: Black bnz and encore salad

We like black bnz and we cannot lie: She threw together the black bnz with avo and piled 'em on top of the brown-basmati-and-wild-rice mix, then set the rather well-chilled salad from last nite (with last-minute addition of sundried tomatoes) on the side for a little raw food action, you dig?

SHE SAYS: Better than the last batch - less thyme-y, and more fresh corianderish. Tasty and filling...have you ever noticed how avocado changes flavour when it's hot? When I stir it into the bnz, it loses the egg-yolky flavour and develops something else - hard to say what, I just think of it as hot avo flavour. Salad didn't suffer from its sojourn in the fridge - all was still crispy and juicy.

HE SAYS: Dug in with abandon to the big bowl of happiness. A good batch full of the creamy, herby taste we long for. Licked the spoon good. Maybe we should make this a recurring staple? No, too good and satisfying, we don't want to spoil ourselves. Let's just save it for special occasions, huh. Oh no you didn't!

10.06.08: Black bnz and Jiffy muffins

In true Southern style, She rustled up some sweet cornbread right out of the box to complement the newfangled black bnz with avo, plus a salad with His favourite raw veg and some artichoke hearts. Getting all fancy, now, she added a small can of Niblets and some (gasp) fresh chilies to the cornbread batter. Finding the cupboard bare of chipotle paste, She sprinkled in a tsp of some kind of smoky mystery powder long ago decanted into a nice jar (possibly adobo powder, but too red) instead. Result!

HE SAYS: The black beans were delish, flavoursome and extremely satisfying. I'm so glad we had our friends bring back some Jiffy cornbread mix from the free world. It was spesh-el, with the chillies and corn givin' some power in the taste department, I was in 'eaven (again). Too bad the artichokes tasted like crap and had a metallic, artificial sweetener aftertaste as the salad had a lot of potential with the inclusion of the radishes.

SHE SAYS: This batch of black bnz was the best since the original recipe revamp: deeply savoury, not too heat-hot, and just enough smokiness. I also reduced the thyme and oregano to 1/2 tsp and added a bit more sage. Loving on the Jiffy muffins, bad for us tho' they may be: the diced chilies and corn kernels added welcome texture to the sweet fluff. Salad was unremarkable except for an odd lack of taste to the artichokes.

30.08.08: Scrambled eggs with chorizo, black bnz, and fennel salad

This was a lot easier than it looks: We already had the black bnz and corn-studded polenta from Thu nite, and it doesn't take much to throw chorizo and eggs in the pan. Meanwhile, a bulb of fennel finely sliced, fresh pea shoots, and tomatoes carried off a lime and peanut oil dressing without a whisper of complaint.

HE SAYS: Chorizo, black bnz and scrambled eggs make good comfort food with the polenta bringing all the elements together. I luv me some crunchy fennel and enjoyed the subtle hint of aniseed in the salad, especially mixed with the lime dressing. Easy-peasy and tasty, this fast slow-food was light on the washin' up to too. Now that's what I call a meal deal.

SHE SAYS: I love chorizo - that salty, fatty, paprika flavour can tango with my tastebuds anytime. why can't it be as good for you as, say, beetroot? But anyway. Salad countered all that cleany with crunch and fiber, while the beans and polenta, which only improved in the fridge, gave everything a smooth-goin' herby twist.

06.08.08: Black bnz with moz and tomato salad

He whipped up yet another batch of those good ol' black bnz, this time with polenta and paired it off with a salad of tomatoes, avo, radishes and some moz for good measure.

HE SAYS: The bnz were up to scruff tonight and came thru on the herby and smoky front, a big bag of coriander was used to full effect, every stalk and leaf was rounded up and accounted for. I added some parmesan cheese to the grits just for kicks but the added flava was mostly hidden by the mound o' bnz. The salad was a hot and cool affair with the moz, avo and tomatoes providing the cooling quality and the radishes and wasabi lime dressing delivering the mustardy intense heat (which went straight up my nose and ignited my tear ducts). Thus, I proceeded to cry like a baby (tears of joy, people. Tears of joy).

SHE SAYS: The black bean reformation continues to deliver the down-homey yet fabulously fresh delight one needs to repair the damages of the day's living. Agree with Him that the parmesan indulgence was somewhat subdued, but added a note of richness nonetheless. Loving the wasabi dressing, but do think the v. subtle charm of fresh moz is overwhlemed by the shouty tongue-pleaser.

01.07.08: Black bnz

She put on the pinny, pulled out the pot, cooked up the beans, and served 'em up hot. Special guest star in the salad: green tiger stripe tomatoes from M&S, which have been MIA for some time now.

SHE SAYS: Well, I don't know quite what happened tonite, but even sfter the blending the bnz were kind of tastless! I kept sprinking in salt, then called in the cavalry: Chipotle Tabasco. [Suddenly while typing and glancing ruefully towards spice shelf, I realise that I put in paprika instead of my mystery smoky powder! So funny, I truly didn't catch on at the time and was completely mystified by the weak waving of the flavour flag by the coriander and cumin...] tiger tomatoes were not as good as I recall either. Still, with a littel doctorng here and there it was a satisfying if not stellar meal.

HE SAYS: Even though the taste quotient was not on par with most recent efforts this was still a fulfilling dish by anyone's standards. I suppose since we are spoilt by out of this world, to-die-for black beans, I cannot proclaim my luv for all things black and bean-like this time but am not put off for life. The black bnz will raise from the ashes and rule supreme next week I'm sure and since the salad was so terrific with both my fav ingredients, namely the oh so crunchy 'n peppery radishes and the oh so vinegary, sweet and citrusy beetroot, who cares?

05.04.08: Brunch for dinner

She rolled up her sleeves, tied on the pinny, and set to work assembling this cheerful plate o' brunchish vittles: new and improved black beans adorned with avo, pan-fried polenta, balsamic cherry tomatoes, fried eggs (sunny-side for him, over hard for her), and your basic pear-n-mixed-leaves salad.

SHE SAYS: The polenta took rather a long time to brown, but it was such a treat. When you put a bit of fried egg, a touch of tangy tomato, a scoop of herby beans and a nice chunk of polenta all on one fork, you are on the verge of tastebud heaven! (If I do say so myself.) The beans were a revelation: no tomatoes, no store-bought sauces, just lots of herbs and the ever-present primo chicken broth. I'm not sure what possessed me to rethink the whole thing, but I do I think I've finally arrived at the best-ever black bnz recipe, so it's worth sharing. See below, and if you like it, please click the little Bite This fork and vote for it!

HE SAYS: The new black bean variation was supremo, m-m-mmm, just like ya mamma's, could've-eaten-them-by-themselves good. Polenta was very nice with a little hint of parmesan cheese in the mix and grilled to a golden brown. Oh, and it also aided the mopping up duty for my eggs, which is always a plus. The tomatoes in balsamic were sweetly, tartly bliss and since the new beans forgo any hint of that veg, it delightfully offset the herby saltiness of the rest of the plate. Salad was raised to another level by probably the best pear I've EVER tasted EVER! Praise the Lord.

Herby Black Bnz
Ingredients

I bunch green onions
Tbl olive oil
2.5 Tbl cumin (yes, that much!)
1 Tbl chipotle paste (edit)

3 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 pint (400 ml) chicken stock
1 heaped tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp dried oregano (edit)

1/2 tsp dried thyme (edit)

good handful fresh coriander (cilantro), roughly chopped, stems incl
few pinches kosher salt
avocado

Directions

Chop the green onions, white and green bits.
Heat oil over med heat in a heavy-based saucepan or pot and saute the onions for a couple of minutes.
Add the cumin and stir in to toast the spice, then add the chipotle paste (edit).

Stir in the beans, then add the broth and all of the herbs.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer until most of the liquid is gone.
Add salt to taste, then puree about half of the beans with a hand blender (easiest!) or food processor. This is essential to release the flavours, so don't give in to the temptation to skip this step. ;o)
Serve with slice sof avocado on top.
I paired this with pan-fried polenta, fried eggs, and balsamic tomatoes, and it was positively dreamy. I've been tweaking my black bean recipe for at least four years and this is the best combination yet!

16.07.08: Black bnz and polenta

Got a sense of deja-vu? Yeh, you right. But this time He made the bnz, sliced the avo, and stirred up the polenta, then tossed together a salad starring Sweetfire beetroot and Jersey jewel tomatoes.

HE SAYS: Apart from stabbing myself in the hand as I tried to de-stone the avo, my first attempt at the new-wave bnz was a success. The herbs were herby and the spice was just right. The polenta could of been a little more porridge-like but I ain't complaining to the chef (I'm no masochist in the kitchen, however it seems). The salad was a double beetroot bill with thin raw slices and thick chunks of sweetfire pitting their wits against the stubbornly delish tomato bits.

SHE SAYS: His first batch of the herbalicious black bnz went down a treat - the thick consistency and coriander flavour were spot-on. Repeat performance by polenta drew more rave reviews - I think we can now say it's the standard starch for the dish. Salad was refreshing enough and decent filler.

24.12.08: Black bnz and a pomeflowertini

He decided to make the Eve a little more festive with the purchase of some pomegranate-elderflower cordial for an after-dinner drinx mixer, resulting in the aforementioned pome-flower-tini (cordial, vodka, pom seeds). Purty, innit?

And She was more than happy to make black bnz for Christmas Eve complete with the usual polenta and avo accompaniment. Salad of pear, radish and soft leaves contributed to the celebratory atmosphere.

SHE SAYS: A good spicy batch of bnz, and this time the polenta came out thick and plain, just the way We like it. always good to have something easy and delicious in your pocket for the evening before a big holiday...though I daresay he had it less easy, bzzy as he was with a special b-day project for Moi in the kitchen...

HE SAYS: Nish batch o' bnz. They were very herby and aromatic yet again and the polenta demonstrated the best consistency we've had, not too solid and not too mushy. The pear added the shweet to the radishes' salt, and so all was well in the salad kingdom.

30.07.08: Black bnz

He rolled up his sleeves and tackled the black bnz once again, this time with rice, plus an extra portion of bnz and proportional increases in spices and herbs. Strawberry, beetroot and mango salad stood jealous guard nearby.

SHE SAYS: This week's beany episode had more kick and plenty of flav, with good creamy consistency holding steady. The salad, though front-loaded with fruit, escaped being overly sweet with the vegetable-y beetroot and peppery watercress keeping order.

HE SAYS: Since I increased the bean quotient I also increased the herbs to good effect, can you have too much cilantro? Answer: No, fool! As She says, the bnz were more spicy this go-round and needed no extra hot sauce (although I couldn't resist sprinkling over just a little anyway). The salad was another sweet red affair with some mango thrown in for a more orange hue and good measure. The balsamic vinegar came out the cupboard and poured itself after spying the strawberries lying there undressed.

19.08.08: Black bnz with grilled corn palenta and salad

She took the new fave of black bnz 'n' polenta one step further towards gourmet by grilling a few ears of corn and slicing the roasty kernels into the mix. The usual avo accompaniment was green with envy (heh, I say, heh). The remains of last nite's salad fluffed up with more leaves, the last few grilled asparagus, radishes and a couple of big o' strawberries had to wait their turn.

HE SAYS: She did a great job grilling the corn to add a new dimension to the polenta, nearly like corn grits which I luv. The bnz were also more then up to par: smokey and herbie, very nish yes. The salad's strawberries tasted great with the leftover grilled asparagus from last night.

SHE SAYS: The added steps - overseeing the roasting and stripping of the corn - tired me out a bit, but the result has almost convinced me it's worthwhile. I savoured the bits of crunch and added flavour along with the thick texture, hot spice and herby kick of the bnz, though the polenta still needed a dab of marge to come to life. The crispiness and variety of the salad helped my tummy turn away from thoughts of another main-plate helping - but only just.

28.08.08: Black bnz

He whizzed up the herby black bnz, added some corn kernels and a little aged cheddar to the polenta, and artfully arranged the avo on top. Salad of pear, toms, and M&S beetroot got all sweet and fresh with us.

HE SAYS: Lovely velvety blk bnz again. This time even more delish with the added corn and incy bit o' cheese added to the polenta, bringing the flava to new heights. The beetroot in the salad was nice and juicy, so much so, that it created a crimson hue to all other salad fixin's and a red ring round me chops. Mmmm...

SHE SAYS: The bnz were herby and savoury enough but not hugely oomphy. Like him, I shook up a little chipotle Tabasco to liven up the proceedings. I couldn't taste the cheese or marge in the polenta, but the corn was an excellent crispety addition, even without the cob-fresh roasting of yore.

26.06.08: Black bnz

Herb heaven: nothing like the coriander- and cumin-packed black bnz spooned over brown basmati and wild rice, topped with avo and (this time) a dollop of creme fraiche. Salad of chopped lemon-and-garlic marinated olives, Apetina, whole radishes, Jersey jewel tomatoes and watercress appears to be yearning to jump into the bean bowl to mix up the ultimate taste extravaganza.

HE SAYS: Though the beanz were up to their usual great standard I thought the créme fraiche detracted from the intense flava and I quickly regretted the generous helping I spooned into my bowl. I have to hand it to the M&S fresh (ish) stock which once again helped the rice and also the beanz reach their potential yummy-ness despite the créme debacle. The radishes made their farewell appearance for this week in the salad bowl with Apetina playing a blinding set as their support act.

SHE SAYS: What can I say, I've seem to have hit on the recipe for magic bnz. Addition of even more fresh coriander than usual - two big handfuls, with stems, roughly chopped - may have turned up the mmm volume even higher this time. The creme fraiche was gilding the lily, we only tried it b/c it was left over from the risotto. Salad was salty and cool, with good satisfying crunch from the remaining radishes. I think salad is as filling as bread, as part of a meal, even when it's not spiked with cheese and olives...

10.07.08: Black bnz with polenta

She was out of rice, but She still made it nice...maybe even nicer. The now-classic black bnz stirred it up with the quickety polenta and some chunky avo. The now-familiar Jersey jewel tomatoes and even-more-familiar Sweetfire beetroot stepped up to the salad role.

HE SAYS: Loved the polenta substituting for rice big time. Made the dish creamier and less bulky. Rice is extremely expensive at the mo', so this is an all round fantastic accidental discovery. You can't beat the beet in the salad either, espesh' with a helping of those tomatoes thrown in.

SHE SAYS: I just couldn't face a last-minute run for rice, and anyway we've been pretty rice-heavy lately. How happy I am, tho', that the cupful of polenta in the cupboard called out my name and begged to be stirred up with some chicken broth and marge, toot-sweet. (Really.) It gave the bnz a creamy texture and a slightly grassy flavour - most pleasant. Salad was okay, did its job of filling in the corners.

16.11.08: Breakfast 4 dinner

She put on her pinny and served up some brekky in the evening. On the plate were: pork n' apple chipolatas, black bnz, plum tomato and balsamic vinegar salsa, cheddar cheese omelet, plain bagel and a fig and carrot mixed leaf salad.

HE SAYS: Always somewhat of a treat to do a great switcheroo with the meals. The tomato salsa thang was incredible, very tangy and morish. The blk beans were from a box of dried flakes that we brought over from our trip to the States. They were pretty good, a little soupy, but next time we'll add less water and all will be right with the world.

The chipolata snausages never let us down, and as always they were tasty but We did miss the maple syrup which is their perfect accompaniment. The omelet was good and cheesy and best eaten in combination with the bagel, so I tried to construct a breakfast sandwich by towering all the ingredients on top of one another but feared a collapse. Quickly rethought my plans and carried out a controlled demolition, eating each ingredient one by one. Luckily no one was harmed.

SHE SAYS: Aah, yum. Brekky really is the perfect dinner, esp when there are apple-packed, sage-kissed chipolatas to be had. I slathered the sweet-tang tomato salsa (just tomatoes and balsamic vinegar cooked down in the pan after the sausages) all over my bagel slice and took it slow. Agree with Him about the bnz - will do better next time, but still amazed by how nice they are. I wouldn't consider them a replacement for my aromatic black bnz, but they make a great snack or quickie side dish. Ashamed to say I was too full for salad and had to have mine next day!

20.05.08: Black bnz and salad greenz

Lovely legumes: She stirred up a batch of the newstyle black bnz and threw together a salad of faux-feta Apetina cheese, sundried tomatoes, and the new Peppery Mustard salad from Tesco.

SHE SAYS: Good balance of salty, herby, and hot-spiced, in creamy spoonfuls - it all = mmm. Quite impressed with the new salad leaves, it's not just the same old stuff repackaged, as I feared it might be; the mustard leaves (mixed with spinach and baby red oak) did have a distinctive bitter taste offset by a soft texture.

HE SAYS: Luv me some of dem beans. I do enjoy this way of doing the black beans over the old, much more subtly flavoursome, I had seconds naturally. The salad, with tonight's featured special guests was also dynamite!

26.12.08: Quorn, black bnz, red cabbage, and baked butternut squash

Can you believe we cooked at all the day after Christmas? We're saving the considerable turkey leftovers for something special, you'll see. So on with the dinner show: She heated up some leftover balck bnz and another container o' red cabbage, panfried some lemon-pepper quorn escalopes, and baked a butternut squash with a touch of maple syrup.

Squash seeds toasted with sage, celery salt, black pepper and oregano made a fine snacky accompaniment, while a dutiful salad of radish and leaves held upt he raw food portion of the programme.

SHE SAYS: Wow. That was some seriously bland butternut, even though it got a typical treatment of olive oil, maple syrup and salt 'n' pepper. Puzzling. Bnz had a good second outing, at least, and the red cabbage did its usual sugar 'n' spice number with a touch of the tart about it. Can't help but love crunchy chickeny quorn, and the seasoned squash seeds almost made up for their ho-hum counterpart.

HE SAYS: Yes, a shame about the squash, I think skinning and cubing it before roasting it delivers better results. Other then that, all was good: the bnz retained their herbiness, the red cabbage flexed its sweet, vinegary muscle and the quorn added the crunch to the plate. The salad was a plain palate-cleansing affair but it was the squash seeds that were too fantastic to describe in a few words, so I won't even attempt it.

24.10.08: Mother's, Austin, TX

His mole enchilada plate

Following in the footsteps of His intrepid trip once again, the digestive duo decided to keep it local and step out to the nearby veggie restaurant of choice: Mother's. Both ordered enchiladas: the mole variety for Him, the spinach-mushroom variety for Her. For dessert, She ordered the Mexican vanilla ice cream with two spoons, and He didn't mind helping to finish the bowl one bit.

Her spinach-mushroom enchilada plate

SHE SAYS: My low-key enchiladas might actually be my fave Austin dinner - I needed a little brown rice and plainness to offset all the richness by now. My enchiladas were plump with spinach and mushrooms, with a hearty topping of jack cheese and a chipotle sauce that was more tangy and less smokey than expected, but still good. My riesling was a bad choice of vino (a sweeter one), but the ensuing relaxation added to the mellow enjoyment overall.

Now...the black bnz. V. plain, not a hint of herb or spice. Perplexing, but I'm guessing here people expect to load on sauces for the requisite flava-flav. Texture v. good again, whole soft bean in slightly thickened sauciness.

The ice cream was an inspired choice, if I do say so m'self. I love vanilla, and the Mex version was a new one for me. Unlike Bourbon or French (same?), it had a honeyed depth (as He pointed out), rich without cloying.

Their Mexican vanilla ice cream

HE SAYS: This joint has a nice, relaxed vibe to it. The wait staff are v. attentive and friendly. The mole enchilada was again very tasty: the sauce was not too sweet and the cheese added to the gooey delish experience. The brown rice was pretty plain fare, but once mixed with the black bnz and cheese, transformed into veggie nirvana. The ice cream offering tasted very much of honey, and she informed me it was the flavour of the distinctive Mexican vanilla. You learn something new every day...

30.09.08: Black bnz and polenta with avo

She ushered September out the door with the now-traditional black bnz ladled over slightly buttered polenta with corn kernels, all topped with generous slices of avo. A sald of figs, rocha pear, radishes and - you guessed it - mixed leaves edged into the frame all fruity and fragrant, awaiting a light drizzle of Nigella's wasabi-lime.

SHE SAYS: Despite having to reduce the cumin by half due to low supply, this batch came out might tasty. Possibly the tbsp of chili powder, added for its cumin content, gave it a spice boost. Silky polenta with crispy corn kernels still makes this a treat of a supper, as opposed to a merely good one. Salad played all its roles - sweet, piquant, salty, crunchy, seedy - with admirable versatility.

HE SAYS: I think this batch was above par in the taste dept., smoky and intensely savoury tasting.The chilli powder seemed to work a treat, adding more depth of flava, and I didn't miss the missing cumin at all. The sweetcorn is really a great touch in the polenta and I would be upset if we suddenly had a corn shortage. Salad was another fruity affair, a little of everything I'd want in a cold dish of various mixtures served with a dressing of my choosing.

27.05.08: Black bnz and mango mozzarella salad

Mr Bean strikes again: She prepared the newfangled black bnz with typical avocado topping and a salad of peppery young mustard leaves, mango, and mozzarella.

HE SAYS: After quite an indulgent weekend food-wise it's nice to come home to a family staple, not quite bangers n' mash, but just as satisfying, methinks. This week's version was nice and spicy and herby too, what's not to like? Salad aided and abetted the main act's taste quotient with the mango and mozz steppin' up to the plate with taste.

SHE SAYS: Reliable, satisfying, and not too demanding to make - you gotta love it. Think I tossed in a little to much thyme or sumpin', was a little overwhelming, but still tasty, with just enough kick from the chipotle paste. Waitrose has been letting me down with their ripe 'n' ready avos lately - normally they're the very best, creamy, egg-yolky, and deep yellow; suddenly they're pale-lemon and less flavourful, with bruises. Mango right off the seed was peachy-coconutty, just like it should be.

05.03.08: Black bnz and beet-apple salad

He made the black bnz tonite, and, along with the usual add-ons of homemade salsa and avo, a treat dollop of creme fraiche left from Saturday nite took top honours. A crunchy salad of spinach, sweetfire beetroot, radish and...um...green apple rounded out the evening.

SHE SAYS: Beans were nicely flavoured, if a bit spicier than usual, and v. satisfying. Rice needed a little more cooking time. Adding the apple to the salad was an inspired touch, but I thought the different, fancy brand of beetroot we bought was not as good as the bog-standard one.

HE SAYS: Beans were pretty good, though a little too hot in my opinion, but the creme fraiche definitely helped cool them down a bit. I agree the rice was a little undercooked. Salad was simple, but the apple made it more tangy and interesting than usual.