Black-Bean-and-Pumpkin Soup with Cinnamon and Ginger

I was hanging out with a friend in a second hand bookstore in Red Hook last weekend when my eyes fell upon a great find tucked away on a low shelf: the complete compilation of recipes made at Once Upon a Tart, the great little bake shop / cafe on Sullivan street, at the corner with Prince in Soho. Do you remember that place? Anyways, it was perfect timing, since I've been meaning to make more pies and quiches. This is the only recipe I've tried for the moment (I know, not a pie!), but the whole family loved it, and you've said how you guys are eating a lot of beans, so I thought I would share...

INGREDIENTS (makes 6 servings - will freeze well):

1 1/2 cups dried black beans, picked through, rinsed and soaked overnight
6 cups cold unsalted water (for simmering the beans)
1/2 big yellow onion, diced
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 pound plum tomatoes, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup canned or fresh pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar

PREPARATION:

Drain and rinse the soaked beans in a colander. Bring the water and the beans to a boil in a large soup pot over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about an our, until the beans are soft to the bite but not falling apart or splitting. Drain the beans in a colander.

Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil in a large soup pot over high heat, stirring frequently so that they don't stick to the bottom of the pan, until the onion begins to soften, 5 - 10 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and continue to saute, stirring occasionally, for about 10 more minutes, until the onion is tender and translucent.

Add the tomatoes, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and pepper to the soup pot, and saute until the tomatoes begin to break down and give off juinces, 5 - 10 minutes. Pour in the stock, pumpkin puree, vinegar and beans.

Bring the soup to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld. Remove the soup from the heat, separately puree 1/3 of the soup in order to give texture to the soup. Mix together and serve warm.

Easy Meatloaf with Rice Stuffing

Hi Talie, this is the meatloaf recipe that I told you about the other day. I would never have thought that I would ever post a mealoaf recipe for you, but the tuna loaf that I was setting out to make when we spoke didn't end up being that good, so I figured this was a real gem ;-)

INGREDIENTS (serves 4):

1 lb ground beef
3/4 c bread crumbs
1 8oz. can tomato sauce
1 c onion, finely chopped
1/4 c celery, finely chopped
1 egg
1/4 t thyme, dried
1/2 c rice, cooked
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
1/4 lb Italian sausage
2 oz. Swiss cheese, grated

PREPARATION:

Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, tomato sauce, onion, celery, eggs and thyme in a large bowl; mix well. Pat into a bundt pan, pressing meat against sides and center tube of pan to create a well for filling. Layer mushrooms, cheese, rice and sausage in the center of the meatloaf; press edges of meat mixtures over filling, sealing to cover completely.

Cook it in the oven on 350F for about half an hour, and then cover with aluminium foil and allow to stand 10 minutes before serving.

Mustard Mackerel "en Papillote"

I've been on the lookout for mackerel for a while and was thrilled to find some at Fairway this weekend. It's not in any danger (except for mackerel from the Mexican Gulf); it's not on the mercury-infested list and it isn't too expensive.

This is a great way of cooking mackerel: practically no dishes to wash, all the great benefits of mackerel, and the mustard balances out the strong taste of the mackerel.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4):

4 mackerels, cleaned
mustard ("moutarde de Dijon a l'ancienne", if possible)
4 tomatoes, washed and sliced
Herbs of Provence

PREPARATION:

Cut 4 big squares of aluminium paper or waxed paper, place half of the tomato slices in a row the size of your fish on each square and dust with the dried herbs of Provence.

Spread a lot of mustard on both sides of each mackerel (one to two tablespoons for each mackerel - don't hesitate to put on what looks like too much mustard), and place the fish on the tomatoes.

Dust the fish with the herbs of Provence and add the remaining tomato slices on top.

Close the "papillotes" and cook in the oven for approximately 30 minutes at 410F.

Serve with rice or vegetables.