Knife-wielding Feminists

From Linda McCartney on Tour

1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp olive oil
juice of 2 limes (or one lemon)
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 tbsp coriander
1 clove garlic

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Serve with tortilla chips or vegetable sticks. If you want to use this as a spread (excellent on whole grain crackers or hefty toasted bread), use just one lime and/or reduce the olive oil a bit.

Cross-posted from my own new and shiny blog. I made these last week and they were fantastic.

Cabbage Rolls

Filling

• 1-1/2 pounds ground beef (or turkey)*
• 3/4 cup cooked rice**
• 1/2 cup finely chopped (or grated) onion
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1-2 ounces grated parmsesan or romano cheese

Sauce

• 1 cup V8***
• 1 big can whole tomatoes, chopped

For the top

• 1 container saurkraut, drained and rinced
• 1-2 oz sliced pepperoni (optional)

Drop cabbage leaves into boiling salted water; cover and cook for 3 minutes. Drain well. For filling, combine ground beef, rice, onion, egg, and salt, pepper, cheese, and milk. Mix well and divide into 12 portions. Place a portion into the center of each cabbage leaf. Roll leaf around filling. Place in a baking dish. Place saurkraut around the rolls. Pour V8 and tomatoes over the cabbage rolls, and scatter the pepperoni on top. Bake covered in a preheated 350° oven for one hour. Remove rolls and allow to rest for 30 minutes. (Cabbage rolls are actually much better the next day.)

* I used turkey

** I didn't have rice (!!), so I used uncooked quinoa, and it worked very well.

*** I prefer the low sodium

A new era of baking has come into being for me. A couple weeks ago, with the help of a friend who knows how, I made my very first yeast bread. It was cinnamon raisin bread, which I had been craving for weeks, but not buying on the grounds that it was too much of a luxury, and it was super yummy.

So tonight, I am making German rye bread. All by myself. I am so proud.

I posted this on my own (new! new!) blog, and have been thinking about them ever since. As I mention there, I learned only recently that they're apparently a regional thing. Bread and pepperoni, who'd have thought? Where I grew up, they were everywhere.

Pepperoni Rolls

1 lb Bread dough

1 T oregano

6 oz sliced pepperoni

8 oz shredded mozzarella (optional)

2 T oil

1/4 c flour

Grated parmesan

On a floured surface, roll out dough into 12" x 16" rectangle. Sprinkle oregano over dough. Spread with pepperoni and cheese. Starting with long side, roll up jelly-roll style. Cut into 12 rolls. Place on a 9" x 13" pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle rolls with parmesan cheese. Cover with plastic wrap that has also been sprayed. Let rise until double in size. Remove wrap. Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Grilled cheese and pickle sandwich. Yum.