Get to know Rip Esselstyn

Rip Esselstyn... Author of The Engine 2 Diet: The Texas Firefighter's 28-Day Save-Your-Life Plan that Lowers Cholesterol and Burns Away the Pounds

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Three Bean Chili...Two Thumbs Up

Three Bean Vegetarian Chili

From the Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library: Beans & Rice

This recipe has been edited to be more family friendly. Now, not unlike a movie that has likewise been edited for family friendliness, it is perhaps more fit for small children.

Serves: 6 (I, of course, tripled the recipe to allow for a larger crowd and leftovers)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup dried pinto beans

3/4 cup dried red beans

3/4 cup dried black beans

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 extra large "costco sized" yellow onion, or 3 smaller yellow onions, chopped

1 fresh jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

6 large cloves garlic, minced (I used 1 rounded tablespoon bottled minced garlic)

2 tablespoons chili powder (the original recipe called for 6 tablespoons)

3/4 tablespoon cumin (the original recipe called for 2 1/2 tablespoons)

3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

4 cans (14.5 oz each) petite diced tomatoes

3 yellow onions ( I used 3 extra large "costco sized" yellow onions for the triple recipe)

*this recipe is still under construction

How to make a meal out of Salsa...

I will get to that, but first let me give a little back ground and explain how to make it...

After spending a considerable amount of time preparing amazingly delicious food with some latino friends, I have come to appreciate the value of Jalapeno Peppers. Where as I almost never used them, and was in fact sort of afraid of them, I now like to make sure that I always have them on hand when I am making any kind of salsa.

The other day I did a demonstration on how to make salsa for a group of young women. We made a basic Pico de Gallo first. They all tried it and liked it. We then proceeded to add a variety of different ingredients and they continued sampling as we went along. I let them make suggestions about what it might need more of, and what we should put in next, etc. They loved it all and pretty much cleaned up everything that we made. It was a lot of fun for me and I think they liked it too, as several of them have since made it themselves.

I did not specify any amounts. Just ingredients, as everyones preferences are different and what you have on hand to make it will vary from day to day.

Pico de Gallo

Roma Tomatoes, Chopped

White onions (or Oso Sweet, or Vidalia or whatever sweet onions you can find), Chopped

Cilantro, chopped

Fresh lime juice (if you do not have fresh lime, you can also use a little bottled lime or lemon juice, or of course fresh lemon)

Jalepeno Pepper, finely minced (remove the seeds and white membrane from inside. I actually like to use latex gloves to handle the peppers, because no matter how many times I wash my hands, it seems the chemicals from the peppers stay on my skin and for about the 12 - 24 hours I burn my eyes if I rub them with my fingers, and I always forget...)

Salt

Pepper

Expanded version

Try adding some of the following:

Canned Black Beans (rinsed and drained)

Canned whole kernel corn

Chopped red bell pepper (or green or yellow or orange)

Avocado (chop a little bigger that other ingredients, and stir in gently)

Or, make it a fruit salsa, by adding either diced mango, or diced peaches or both.

My sister in law does this and then adds a little bit of jalapeno jelly. Nice touch.

OK FRIENDS... so this is how you turn the salsa into a meal...It is kind of like "Nail Broth" in that you need a few other ingredients.

Idea #1 Taco Salad

Ingredients:

Brown Rice, (left over works fine, I always make extra. Just warm in microwave)

Black Beans, rinsed and drained, and then warmed in a pot with a little vegetable broth (I make this with a little "Superior Touch Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base" mixed with water. Follow instructions on jar.)

Romaine Lettuce, Chopped (I like to mix in gourmet spring mix lettuce, especially if it contains some arugula. You never know exactly what the mix will contain and in what proportions. Nice but not necessary.)

Pico De Gallo Salsa, simple, or with any combination of the additional ingredients.

Tortilla Chips, everyone can crush their own and sprinkle on top.

Ranch Salad Dressing, home made from a "Hidden Valley Ranch" packet, or bottled.

We just put out all of the ingredients and let people build their own. some of us put down a nest of lettuce first and then top with rice and beans. Others prefer the reverse. (Just my observation) My entire family thanks me when I make this relatively simple meal. It is fresh and satisfying. Also, because I do not mix the ingredients to serve, I store all left overs separately and then people come along for the next day or so and make more for themselves. This works great for hungry college students who happen to be home for lunch and ravenous boys just home from high school.

Idea #2 Really Simple Tacos

Ingredients:

*Corn Tortillas, as fresh as possible.

Avocado, sliced and ripened to perfection, if you don't mind...

Pico de Gallo Salsa, for this recipe it is nice if it includes some of the extras, like beans, etc.

Instructions: I'll explain later.....

* For some strange reason, my family prefers the really small tortillas like they use at the "street taco" stands. I have been picking them up at local latino markets.

Mud beans...

Every once in a while my mother would make a lentil soup for our family....I always thought it was pretty good, but my older sister greatly disliked it and called it "mud beans". After this poor first impression, I am relatively sure that she herself has never prepared anything out of lentils in all the years that she has cooked for her own family. The following lentil dish, "Dal Soup" is so good that it might make a lentil lover out of my sister yet. I will have to get back to you on that.

Dal Soup - Dal is the name given to a delicious indian lentil dish

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil (the original recipe, called for butter here)

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 onion,chopped

1/4 tsp turmeric*

1/2 tsp garam masala* (sold in a small bottle with all the other spices at the grocery store. Not all stores have it. I found it at Target.)

1/8 tsp chili powder*

1/2 tsp ground cumin*

2 lb 4 oz canned, chopped tomatoes, drained (I always prefer "petite" diced tomatoes)

1 cup red lentils (I use brown lentils, because that is what can buy in bulk and so it costs alot less than buying a tiny little bag at the grocery store and they work just fine.)

2 tsp lemon juice

2 1/2 cups vegetable stock (I mix mine from the Better Than Boullion paste that comes in a short squatty bottle

1 can coconut milk (1 1/4 cups)

salt and pepper

chopped cilantro and lemon slices, to garnish

naan bread to serve

1 On medium, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and onion and stir fry, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Add the turmeric, garam masala, chili powder, and cumin and cook for a further 30 seconds.

2 Stir in the tomatoes, red lentils, lemon juice, vegetable stock, and coconut milk and bring to a boil.

3 Reduce the heat to low and simmer the soup, uncovered, for about 25-30 minuted, until the lentils are tender and cooked.

4 Season to taste with salt and pepper and ladle the soup into a warm tureen. Garnish with chopped cilantro and lemon slices and serve immediately with warm naan bread.

*I have changed this recipe a bit. The way that it has been written reflects all four spices cut to half their original amount. Because I have small children, I like to start out on the mild side and then add more later if I think it needs it.

Everyone Loves this Salad Dressing

Orange and Toasted Sesame Dressing

The original recipe for this came from Dr. Joel Fuhrmans book Eat to Live: The Revolutionary formula for fast and Sustained Weight Loss. I like the orange flavor slightly stronger so I mix my own "orange juice" from concentrate at a different ratio than is suggested on the can. Also, I prefer to end up with a larger quantity of the dressing to keep in the fridge for later, so I have multiplied the recipe by four. Look for the raw cashews and the unhulled sesame seeds in bulk at local health food stores such as Whole Foods. Stock up a bit so that you can make this recipe when ever you want.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup raw cashews

3/4 cup unhulled sesame seeds

3/4 cup orange juice concentrate (not diluted)

1 1/4 cup water

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet for 3 minutes, shaking the pan frequently. In a blender or Vita-Mix, combine 1/2 cup sesame seeds, the cashews, orange juice concentrate, water and vinegar.

Three simple salads to eat with this delicious dressing:

Orange Romaine Salad: chopped romaine, thinly sliced red onion, and diced oranges.

Tangerines are a nice substitute for the oranges.

Spinach and Mushroom Salad: self explanatory...again, add thinly sliced red onion

Spring Mix Lettuce, Tomatoes and cucumbers: I would add thinly sliced red onion to practically any vegetable salad.

What is "Kale" anyways?

This is what Wikipedia has to say about the nutritional value of Kale:

Kale is considered to be a highly nutritious vegetable with powerful antioxidant properties; kale is considered to be anti-inflammatory.^[1]

Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein,zeaxanthin, and reasonably rich in calcium.

Kale, as with broccoli and other brassicas, containssulforaphane (particularly when chopped or minced), a chemical believed to have potent anti-cancer properties.^{[citation needed]}Boiling decreases the level of the anti-cancer compounds; however, steaming, microwaving, or stir frying do not result in significant loss.^[2] Along with other brassica vegetables, kale is also a source of indole-3-carbinol, a chemical which boosts DNA repair in cells and appears to block the growth of cancer cells.^[3][4] Kale is also a good source of carotenoids.^[5]

Now I grow this hearty and beautiful plant in my vegetable garden, but a couple of years ago I didn't really know what Kale was. O.K., I knew that it was a vegetable, but what it looked like and what to do with it I hadn't a clue. After learning of its virtues, I decided to give it a try. So, I bought a big bunch of it and stuck it in the fridge where it stayed for a little while until my husband Bob found this really great recipe on the Food.com website. We loved it and have made it many times since. The last time I made it I used dried cherries in place of the raisins and I think I liked it even more. I have altered the process slightly, but it is basically the same recipe.

Green Kale with Raisins and Toasted Pine Nuts

Serves about 2 or 3

Ingredients:

1/4 Cup toasted pine nuts

3/4 lb green kale, washed, stems removed and chopped into 1-2 inch square pieces

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 cups water

4 cloves garlic, minced (if I am in a hurry, I used the bottled minced garlic)

1/3 cup raisins (or dried cherries)

Salt & Pepper

Directions:

1. To toast pine nuts, place them in a small to medium nonstick fry pan. Use medium heat and stir constantly until light golden brown. Remove from pan when they are how you like them so they do not continue browning. Set aside.

2. Bring water to boil in a skillet with a tight fitting lid. Add kale and cook for approximately 5 minutes or until the kale is just tender, a beautiful dark green. Drain and remove the Kale to another bowl and set aside.

3. Rinse out the skillet, dry, add olive oil and heat over low heat. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds, then and raisins and stir for another 30 seconds. The raisins should be slightly puffed.

4. Add kale back into the skillet with the garlic and raisins. Stir, season and saute on medium heat just until heated through so as to not over cook the kale.

5. Garnish with the pine nuts and serve.