black bean and guacamole sandwich

mood: redolent
listening to: orbital :: never/wonky

this is a really simple and healthy dish to make. i was looking around for something different and found this recipe online, but they referred to this as 'torta' which doesn't really make sense as this preparation uses a baguette and the majority of places say that a torta is a circular bread that is not similar to bread. anyhoo, enough of this breadology 101. this recipe takes about 20 minutes to make from start to finish and can be used as a simple snack or as part of a meal. this dish can be served warm or cold and i, of course, added in some of my own ingredients to jazz it up.

Ingredients: 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed 1/8 cup of salsa 1 serrano pepper, diced i tsp of ground cumin 1/4 cup of minced cilantro 3 gloves of garlic, minced

1/4 small onion, diced 1 avocado, pitted 1 lime, cut in half and juiced 1 baguette, cut in quarters 2 cups of shredded cabbage

Preparation:
- first, canned black beans contain a lot of sodium, so to reduce this, run the beans under water.
- in a medium size bowl, mash the black beans, salsa, pepper, cumin and garlic together.
- in a separate bowl, mash the avocado, lime juice, cilantro and onion together.
- remove the soft bread from the bread pieces.
- if you choose, you can warm up the black bean mixture or you can spread it directly on one side of the bread. spread the guacamole mixture on the other side.
- lay some of the shredded cabbage on top and put the sandwich together and enjoy.

the ingredients in the recipe are enough for 4 sandwiches.

cilantro and garlic infused salsa

mood: catalytical
listening to: meat beat manifesto :: luminol/mnemonic

the slacker in me has come out again, but this time it was due to a lack of creativity. i couldn't think of anything to make and nothing sounded inspiring. there are a ton of recipes that i've wanted to try out that my father is quite the proficient master at, but i needed to know a little more about the creation process. finally, i have some insight into a fantastic one and i'm re-purposing it, courtesy of pops.

this salsa is not for the meek... it's easy to make, inspires creativity and is fully customizable to your tastes!

Ingredients: 2 cans, tomatoes 2 bunches of green onion, sliced 1.5 bunches of cilantro, sliced 8 large garlic cloves, sliced	8 thai chilis, sliced lemon juice chili powder salt

Preparation:
- after all vegetables are sliced, begin to mince tomatoes by hand in a large bowl, leave juice in can.
- add in cilantro, green onions, garlic and chilis, mix ingredients together by hand.
- add lemon juice, salt and chili powder to taste

costa rican gallo pinto (rice and beans)

mood: galvanized
listening to: front line assembly :: angriff/release/pressure wave

so it's been a long while since i've posted anything and since i'd even cooked anything. bit of lost inspiration, coupled with summertime activities and some travel and accounted for the massive timesuck. it's like a vortex where time just spirals away... but none the less, on a recent trip to costa rica, i was introduced to a new and beautful treat by the name of lizano. if you've heard of this stuff, you know what i'm talking about it. it's got a nice tangy zesty flavor that's not spicy and it just gives everything a little added kick. i've officially dubbed this as the national condiment of costa rica.

and with this loveliness comes a new and extremely easy dish to make. the costa rican's call this "gallo pinto," but we know it better as rice and beans. they literally eat it for all meals of the day and i totally understand why. it's delicious... even when i make it. it doesn't take a lot and it's a real easy dish to make.

Ingredients: 1 green pepper, diced 1 red pepper, diced 6 green onion stalks, sliced 4 large garlic cloves, minced 1 can, black beans 2 cups, cooked brown rice cilantro

1 tsp, ground fennel 1 tsp of salt 1/2 tsp, cumin dashes of worcestershire sauce 2 tsps, hot sauce 6 tbsp, lizano sauce canola oil

Preparation:
- cook 2 cups of brown rice and set aside.
- heat canola oil in a skillet on medium heat and adding peppers and onions. stir until soft then add the fennel, cumin and garlic.
- add in beans, undrained, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and 2 tbsps of lizano sauce and stir on medium.
- transfer bean/pepper mixture into a large pot and add in rice and mix. add 4 tbsp of lizano and salt, as desired.
- sprinkle cilantro leaves on top and serve.

mexi-turkey pasta salad

mood: asphyxiated
listening to: the blood of heroes :: chains/salute to the jugger

as i've been working on different culinary masterpieces and some not-so-masterpieces, i realized that almost everything if not all of the things that i've posted here have been warm recipes. well, i decided to change things up with a recipe that could be either warm or cold, but personally... it takes a lot better cold. this is meant to be an appetizer and something to be shared by many people. it's easy, rather quick and can be adjusted to your particular fancy.

Ingredients: 16 oz. of fusilli pasta 1 tbsp, olive oil 1.25 lbs, ground turkey taco seasoning mix 24 oz. jar of salsa 8 oz. bottle of ranch dressing

1 green pepper, sliced 1 red pepper, sliced 8 green onions, chopped 4 jalapeno peppers, sliced sm. can of black olives, sliced 8 oz. of cheddar cheese

Preparation:
- in large pot, add 12 cups of water, olive oil and bring to a bowl on med-high heat; when boiling, add in fusilli and cook pasta till malleable
- in a separate pan, brown turkey meat and drain; add in taco seasoning mix; set aside and let cool
- in a large bowl, mix together salsa, ranch dressing, green onions, green/red/jalapeno peppers, cheddar cheese and olives
- when pasta is ready, drain and put pasta under cold water
- stuff cheese mixture into shells and set aside
- in large bowl or pan, mix together salsa mixture, turkey meat and pasta
- cover and place in refrigerator for an hour before serving

low-carb turkey tacos

mood: dissectional
listening to: russian circles :: enter/new macabre

the slacker in me took over again, although this time, it wasn't completely my fault! this work thing keeps getting in the way and it removes every ounce of motivation or energy that i normally have and pushes me in the direction of the kitchen. also, i hadn't found anything that sounded the least bit exciting and i couldn't come up with any alterations of old favorites and so the blog went unattended.

but... i had a stroke of genius this weekend with the extra time off. initially, this was to be a low-carb version of tacos, but as the recipe began to take shape, it began to resemble more of a mexican version of chinese lettuce wraps. either way, they are good and this is a meal that could be a dinner or a tangy appetizer.

Ingredients: canola oil ginger, minced lg garlic clove, diced cracked peppercorns 4 green onions, chopped 2 jalapenos, chopped red pepper, chopped turmeric, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp 1 lb ground turkey

taco seasoning ground coriander, 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp 1 cup water 3 tbsp worcestershire sauce 2 tbsp white vinegar splashes of hot sauce lettuce guacamole salsa

Preparation:
- in large pan, add canola oil and sauteé ginger, garlic, onions, both peppers, turmeric and paprika for 3-4 minutes on medium-high heat
- remove and set aside
- cook ground turkey till meat is whitish color
- add seasoning, coriander, garam masala, worcestershire sauce and vinegar
- add water and hot sauce to desired preference, so that all seasoning is mixed thoroughly
- peel layers off lettuce head and cut to desired size
- add meat, guacamole and salsa

i don't know which one sounds more appealing, but if you have a thought... let me know, i'm open to changing up titles

roasted red pepper bisque

mood: satiated
listening to: isis :: hall of the dead/ghost key

it's cold outside and what's better on a cold afternoon or evening than soup! i've been feeling inspired to find a soup to make for the past 2 weeks, but nothing sounded intriguing. i didn't want to make something that you could pour out of a campbell's can, but also didn't want to make something that would take forever and a day... i mean, come on... it's soup! i came across this recipe and realized the alteration opportunities that i had to make this even more magnificent. the original called for chicken broth, which i've never found to be that tasty, so i substituted tomato paste and heavy whipping cream. this one is easy for all y'all that are being blanketed by snow.

Ingredients:
2 16 oz. jars of roasted red peppers
1 6 oz can of tomato paste
2 large garlic cloves
ginger
salt
dried basil
dried oregano
cumin ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Preparation:
- drain red peppers and put in food processor or blender
- blend until smooth, add in garlic and ginger
- in a large saucepan, mix red pepper mixture with tomato paste and heavy whipping cream
- add in salt, pepper, basil and oregano to taste

if you want to add in shrimp or other vegetables, you can add them in here and serve it with some french bread

chili con maharaja

my masterpiece of choice for the week is an old favorite and something that everyone will have fun making.

chili was on the plate or in the bowl rather and the timing couldn't have been more perfect with the superbowl having just passed.

this recipe has undergone many transformations and iterations in my many years of creating the treasured treat, but i'm confident that this is the best that has ever turned out.

Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef 6 habanero and chili sausage links 4 green onions 1 green pepper 1 red pepper 1 yellow pepper 2 cans of red beans 2 tomato sauce cans (10 oz) 3 cloves of garlic 1 chili seasoning powder packet

fresh garlic ground cardamom pinch of salt ground cumin seed chili powder worcestershire sauce tabasco sauce lemon juice rice vinegar canola oil

Preparation:
- Brown ground beef and add chili seasoning powder; when complete put in large pot
- slice sausage and brown to liking; add to pot when complete
- heat canola oil, add chopped up garlic and ginger; add vegetables and sautee for a few minutes, then add to pot
- place pot on low-medium heat, add beans, tomato sauce and have fun adding all the extras in to your desire
- cook on low heat for 10-20 minutes, covering and stirring regularly

when finished, serve and enjoy... cheers to beers!