Monday 15 August 2011

Belleau Kitchen Random Recipe Challenge: Back to Basics


This month Dom over at Belleau Kitchen asked us to go back to basics....to randomly select a cookbook and then randomly select a recipe...no theme...just random.  Poor (but lucky) Dom is in kitchen reno-land this month...but still managing to serve up some pretty brilliant dishes (not so sure about the baked risotto though!).  

Our kitchen here in Edinburgh is such a breath of fresh air compared to the box I was cooking in in Chelmsford, there is counter space, there is floor space, there are drawers...heck there is even a table! I don't know how I'll ever cope with an itty bitty kitchen again (let's hope I never have to).  

This month I well and truly played by the rules...randomly selecting the Canadian Basics Cookbook (randomly fitting the Basics theme)...and letting the cookbook do the recipe selecting for me (the spine is well and truly broken)...

Black Bean Soup 


Simple to make if you can find tinned black beans, which I couldn't...but I did find them dried and soaked and cooked those up...and once that fiasco was over it really was just a case of sautéing some onion, carrot, celery and garlic with ground cumin, chilli flakes...adding in the cooked beans and some stock...simmering and then whizzing up.  

Totally back to basics!

Addendum: Regarding the baked risotto comment...I've tried Dom's recipes before with great success and it is my own sheer need to stir risottos that has lead to panic attacks just with the thought of a baked risotto...this is my cross to bear...mine and mine alone. 

9 comments:

  1. We love black bean soup, and your's sounds delicious! I should enter Dom's challenge this month!

    I can't wait to see Dom's kitchen! I'm sure it will be beautiful! I hope you get to keep your big kitchen too! There's nothing like counter space! I wish I had more!!!

    Have a great week!

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  2. what's wrong with my baked risotto?!?!... i'll have you know that 2 of my readers baked it already and i've had nothing but positive feedback... try before you critique my dear!... and now onto netter things... this soup looks fab... and well done for persisting with the dried beans I would have given up... thanks so much for taking part you grumpy baked risotto hater!... :0)

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  3. OBaCS...you should enter Dom's challenge! The soup was really good...better the second day actually... :)

    Dom...oh now now...you know it is purely my need to stir that makes me question the baked risotto...nothing against you...I feel like I might need an addendum or I might turn off all MY Dom loving readers!! A pleasure to participate, as always! :)

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  4. I have never had black beans - definitely something I need to add to my repertoire as this soup looks fab!

    I'm a baked risotto convert I'm afraid...BUT I would say that the texture of baked risotto is, I find, more akin to paella than risotto proper (not that I've tried the recipe in question).

    Sx

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  5. I love that on the month we turn back to basics, your random recipe generator selects a basics book! Very appropriate- and with this most-unlike-August weather we've been having this soup looks perfectly timely and tasty too!

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  6. Victoria What a superb soup! I'm with you on risotto, I remember Delia doing a baked risotto, but I just couldn't manage it..I do love to stir things up!

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  7. That is certainly an interesting sounding soup. Perfect for this autumnal weather we seem to be getting already.

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  8. S...black bean soup is really popular in North America...I love it...and it must be healthy seeing as there isn't really anything much in it!

    Kate...I had a little giggle to myslef when i randomly selected a basics book!

    A Trifle...thanks, it was yummy! I agree...there is something so satisfying about stirring!

    Chele...interesting it is! :)

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  9. This is an intriguing recipe - I have never had anything like this before.

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