my cooking this summer has been pretty lack-luster. after moving and settling in (which i feel is still happening somewhat), and trying to acclimate to a new life with a little babe, i've had zero mental space available to work/be creative/recipe develop. the mental block is so great at times i wonder what i'm doing, or if my creativity will ever come back. i know i've been saying this for months, but the cookbooks that have been coming out this past spring, and this summer have been what has been feeding me, both literally and figuratively.
the recipe here today comes from hetty mckinnon's, neighborhood. aside from the book's design, recipes, and photographs being completely gorgeous and refreshing, the central theme of neighborhood photos are so dear to my heart. as i said goodbye to our old neighborhood in brooklyn just over 3 months ago, i found myself revisiting it through the pages in hetty's book. my butcher shop on court street, the italian bakery i would frequent when i wanted to get my dad a treat, and my little local farmers market that i would hop over to on sunday mornings. it's all so familiar and heartening, as i have yet to find that neighborhood feel where we live now.
the book centers around the best things in life: food, family, and friendship with the backdrop of brooklyn. all the recipes are hearty salads that are plant-based, many of which are gluten free and vegan. the chapters of the book are organized by different places in the world: america, france, the mediterranean, asia, and australia. for dessert hetty invites some of friends to share recipes with us readers which just drives home that lovely community feel.
"no matter where you live in the world, it is the daily rituals of food that connect us." - hetty mckinnon
happy august, friends!
Chipotle Black Beans w/ Collard Greens, Avocado, and Chipotle-Lime Vinaigrette | gf & v
reprinted with permission from Neighborhood, by Hetty McKinnon
this salad is on the spicy side. since the dressing is quite fiery i halved the portion of chipotle pepper in the salad. hetty instructs you to chop the dressing ingredients, but i was short on time, and threw it all in a mini food processor which worked just as well i assume. because the salad is quite hefty, it works really well as a taco filling. i stuffed a tortilla with the salad and crumbled a veggie burger over and it was delicious ;)
| serves 4-6 |
- 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, very finely chopped
- 1/2 red, finely diced
- 1 dried chipotle chili, soaked in boiling water for 30 minutes, drained, and finely chopped
- one and one half 15 oz cans (500 g) black beans (about 2 cups)
- 1 bunch of collard greens (about 14oz; 400 g), stems removed and very finely sliced
- 2 large avocados (about 21 oz; 600 g), diced
- 1/2 cup squash seeds, toasted
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
- sea salt & black pepper
chipotle-lime vinaigrette
- 1 dried chipotle chili, soaked in boiling water for 30 minutes, drained, and finely chopped
- juice of 1 -2 limes
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon superfine sugar
- 1 garlic clove, very finely chopped
- sea salt & black pepper
substitutes
- black beans: red kidney beans
- collard greens: cavolo nero, kale
method
- heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. add the garlic, onion, and chipotle chili and cook for 2 minutes, then ass the black beans, along with a big pinch of salt, and toss well. continue to cook for 3-4 minutes until the beans are slightly crispy.
- to make the chipotle-lime vinaigrette, add the chopped chipotle chili to a bowl with most of the lime the juice, olive oil, cumin, sugar, and garlic. whisk together, adjusting the lime juice until you achieve your preferred acidity. season with salt and pepper to taste.
- combine the black beans, collard greens, and avocado. spoon over the chipotle-lime vinaigrette, season well with salt and pepper and toss everything together. to serve, scatter over the squash seeds and cilantro leaves.