Simple but Savory Black Bean Soup

I decided I would take lots of photos for this recipe! This black bean soup is made from a recipe I adapted to my liking. Most of my recipes are old non-vegetarian or vegan recipes that I modify. This recipe can be made vegan simply, in fact, most black bean soup is vegan. This soup is only 215 calories minus the toppings you may pair it with.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Cans black beans (drained and rinsed well)
• 1 clove of garlic minced (see pictures)
• 1 tablespoon onion flakes, powder, or fresh chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cup Vegetable stock (if you omnivorous you may use beef or chicken broth as well, but it will add more calories, Vegetable broth is a flavorful healthy alternative for cooking, It is avalible at all grocers)
• Salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste (to taste is a term for how ever much you like, or would like to taste)
• Pinch of paprika
• Pinch of crushed red pepper
• a touch of tabasco or tapitio or your favorite taco sauce (OPTIONAL. I think the tabasco or tapitio adds a nice kick, not too much of a spice. I recommend it.)

GARNISH OPTIONS:

• croutons (vegan or regular)
• avocado slices
• a dollop of sour cream (vegan or regular)
• cheese (vegan or regular)

You can also use Anything else you think would taste good. Remember you can combined any number of those, if you want, all of them. The more toppings you add the more calories, but tiny bit of cheese and so forth will not kill you, live-a-little !

METHOD:

• Put one can of the black beans in a food processor or blender. Add the Garlic, Onion(powder,flakes,fresh cup), salt&pepper, 3/4 cup of vegetable stock(or whatever you use), paprika, crushed red pepper, and the taco sauce of your choice. Puree until smooth.
• Put this mixture into a medium pot, and add the remaining can of beans and the remaining 3/4 cup of vegetable stock. Heat over medium heat until it begains to bubble, then it is ready to serve.
• Add your toppings! Share it with your family! Keep it to yourself.. This recipe can easily be cut in half to make a single cup of soup for one person. I enjoy having tortilla chips on the side.

Simple Curry Over Rice

Remember : start rice before you start everything else, rice takes long.

You will need :
One medium sized potato
One can of garbanzo beans/ chickpeas
Veggie Oil
one clove of garlic
onion
Tomato Paste or soup
SPICES:
Cinnamon powder
Cumin
cayenne
F&E curry POWDER (yellow)

Dried, powdered ginger

Okay so,
Take the potato and chop it up to little chunks, not too small, you dont want them to cook out! Add the potatos to a steamer or boil them, leave until semi soft.
WHILE THE POTATOES ARE BOILING:
Add two table spoons oil to pan on medium heat (make sure pan has high sides)
while oil is heating dice up garlic and onion into fine, small parts, (make sure the garlic is so small it can cook away)
add the onion and garlic to oil, brown them,
now add the whole can of beans, even the juice! it's flavorful, stir around until mixed with onion and garlic, make sure beans get at least warm all the way through
Now add two to four table spoons of tomato paste or soup, stir in till throughly mixed.
Add potatos if they are soft enough! otherwise wait till they are semi soft,
NOW, add all the spices, spices are up to you but these are the measurements i use (i do not use exact measurements, cooking is an art not math)
Cinnamon: about one table spoon give or take
Cumin: two pitches
cayenne: how ever spicey you like
Curry Powder: Okay so at least two table spoons, then mix all together, wait two minutes and taste, if it is tasting good leave it, other wise add more curry, DO NOT ADD ANY MORE OF THE OTHER SPICES, curry powder is rich in spices,

Now let all cook together while stirring every so often until thickens,

If you have problems thickening the curry, add some flour.

REMEMBER! you can not directly add flour to hot foods/liquids. Mix a small amount of flour with small amount of water until it is entirely mixed. Then you can add it to the curry.

There are lots of asian spice sauces such as chile sauce and rooster sauce that can be added if you like a kick.