Easy Black Beans to take you through the week
With all the toppings, turned into soup, snuggled up next to breakfast tacos
A day late
That’s the theme of having a baby. Everything gets done a day late. But it’s here! And it’s good! Last week I craved cozy and simple. It was rainy. I wanted something that I could cook once and make the backbone of the whole week. I’ve also been working through a box of Rancho Gordo beans that I got a few weeks ago. Black beans simmered with lots of aromatics and a beautiful pasture raised pork bone. I had a job that was really close to this amazing butcher, The Meat Hook, in Williamsburg Brooklyn. They specialize in meat from animals that are raised the right way, and not far from NYC. I asked my assistant to hop over there, during a break, for some pork bones to simmer with my beans. What I got was perfect! A big leg bone, all the meat scraped off and I think it cost $4? It gave each bean that back note of rich meatiness with no meat!
All week long
A big bowl of the beans + sour cream + avocado + cilantro + onions
Pureed into a creamy soup (doesn't even need any additions!) topped with more of the above toppings
Alongside my favorite dinner: Breakfast tacos
And of course for the MiniMouth who just LOVES beans
Want to make this?!
The recipe and lots of ideas on what to eat them with will go out to subscribers later today. If you’re not subscribed, you can click that button below and in return you’ll not only receive this recipe but access to all the subscriber only recipes from the past and of course each week to come.
What I’m Loving This Week:
Migas Eggs: My friend Jenny Rosenstrach (who has an amazing vegetarian cookbook coming out this month, more to come on that) turned me onto Migas Tacos. All it is, is you crush up tortilla chips into your scrambled eggs as you're making them. It’s a great use for all those broken chips at the bottom of the bag. And when cooked with the eggs, the chip texture is that amazing sweet spot between soft and crunchy. Sometimes I put it on a tortilla with the fixings and sometimes I just eat my scrambled eggs solo like this. Try it! …. And of course they are delicious with some black beans!
Quiche: Remember quiche? Quiche is like that sweater that you find every few years in the back of your closet and think “I should wear this more. It’s classic and looks so good on me”. I’ve been making it a lot lately. There's a million good recipes out there for it. I like Martha’s pie crust and The Kitchn has a good quiche tutorial. I follow a 4 eggs > 1.5 cup dairy ratio. And beyond that the sky's the limit for fillings. Last week I made caramelized onion + pea + thyme + aged gouda. This week I’m thinking Ramp + Broccoli + Pea + insert some cheese.
Meditation: Yeah, annoying suggestion, I know haha. We all know it’s good for us and we should do more of it. Like drinking more water. It’s SO hard. Maybe it’s not that hard for some of you, but I find it one of the most challenging tasks. But the annoying part is that it works. Right now I’m into using mantras to keep me focused. Like breathe in “I am”, breath out “here now”. I also think being physically comfortable is a key to success: i.e. Cozy clothing and a pillow behind my back to give me some support. Also, meditation apps can be SUPER helpful, I like Calm and Insight Timer. As I’m typing this, I’m thinking “I need to find time today to practice what I preach” :)
Here’s to a Calm, Cozy and Semi-Collected week XO Liv
… P.S. I think it’s worth noting that I don’t copy edit these newsletter with that much scrutiny. I write them in one sitting and then I do a quick spell check for any egregious errors. Copy editing has never been a strong suit and frankly it’s my least favorite part of this process. So you may find mistakes, my grammar is not perfect. But it’s the only way I can fit it in every week and also I think through this more casual tone you can read this while hearing my voice. I’m so so overwhelmed by all the support and feedback from readers. It’s been a really fun and fulfilling forum for me, so THANK YOU!