Black-and-White Chili

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 T. oil
• 1 T. chili powder
• 2 t. cumin
• 1/8 t. ground red pepper
• 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 1 15.5 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 15 oz. can hominy, rinsed and drained
• 1 c. chicken broth
• 1/4 c. cilantro
• 1/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Cook onion, bell pepper, and garlic in oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until tender, 10 minutes.

Stir in chili powder, cumin, and ground red pepper.  Add tomatoes, black beans, hominy and broth; cook 10 minutes.  Stir in cilantro.  Sprinkle each serving with 1 T. cheddar cheese.

Serves 6 (1 c.).

VERDICT:  Easy, easy, easy.  And not bad, despite some minor substitutions on my part (water for broth, yellow pepper for green, no cheese).  Keep.

Raisin-Apple Bread Pudding

• 1 pound bakery white or challah bread, crusts removed, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 cup (6 ounces) golden raisins, plumped in hot water for 15 minutes
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups whole milk
• 2 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 6 minutes, until crisp. Transfer to a bowl and add the apple and raisins.

Generously butter either a 9×13-inch deep baking dish or six 8-ounce ramekins. If using ramekins, set them on the baking sheet.

In a medium bowl, using a handheld electric mixer or whisk, beat the eggs with the sugar. Beat in the ground spices, vanilla and salt.

In a medium saucepan, heat the milk with the molasses until just warm to the touch. Gradually beat the warm milk into the egg mixture, scraping the bottom and side of the bowl.

Spread bread mixture out in your large baking dish, or distribute it among ramekins. Pour the custard over the bread mixture, nudging the bread around a bit to make sure it soaks all of the pieces. Let stand for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the almonds on top. Bake in the center of the oven for about 40 minutes, until puffed and set, with the tops lightly browned. Let the bread pudding(s) rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.

VERDICT:  To be completely fair, I didn't do almost anything according to the recipe.  I wanted to use up some wheat sandwich bread, so I did.  I also didn't have whole milk, so I added some melted butter to skim and used that.  I also didn't have molasses, so I used maple syrup.  I used two apples and didn't peel them.  I also used a mix of golden and dark raisins.  Still, it was really good, both warm and cold, so keep.  

Herby Potato, Green Bean, and Tuna Salad

• 6 ounces baby potatoes 
• 6 ounces haricots verts or green beans
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 2 tablespoons unsalted chicken stock
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 niçoise olives, pitted and chopped
• 1 (4.5-ounce) jar sustainable albacore tuna in oil (such as Wild Planet), drained and chunked

Place potatoes in a medium saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; cook 7 minutes or until almost tender. Add beans; cook 3 minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain and place in a medium bowl.

Combine juice and next 10 ingredients (through olives), stirring with a whisk. Drizzle half of dressing over potato mixture; toss to coat. Top with tuna. Reserve remaining dressing to drizzle on greens before serving.

For THE FOODIE BENTO add…

• 2 cups gourmet salad greens
• 1/2 cup grape tomatoes
• 2 multigrain, seeded flatbread crackers (such as Back to Nature)
• 1 hard-cooked large egg, quartered
• 2 tablespoons dark chocolate–covered espresso beans

Serves 2; 493 calories.

VERDICT:  I don't eat tuna, so I threw in some leftover chickpeas instead.  Maybe that dragged it down, but I think the overpowering dressing and instantly brown green beans would have doomed it anyway.  It gets some bonus points for using tomatoes from the garden with other seasonally appropriate vegetables, but still a toss.

Classic From the Vault: Easy Refrigerator Pickles

• 6 c. thinly sliced cucumbers
• 2 c. thinly sliced onions
• 1 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 1/2 c. vinegar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp mustard seed
• 1/2 tsp celery seed
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric

In a glass or crockery bow, alternately layer the sliced cucumbers and onions.  In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, vinegar, salt, mustard seed, celery seed, and ground turmeric; bring mixture to boiling, stirring just until sugar is dissolved.  Pour vinegar mixture atop cucumber-onion mixture; cool slightly.  Cover tightly, refrigerate pickles at least 24 hours before serving.  Store up to one month in refrigerator.

VERDICT:  Perfect--the standard to which all other pickles must be compared.

White Bean and Spinach Tacos

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 1/2 cups vertically sliced onion
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 3/8 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 8 cups bagged prewashed spinach (about 5 1/2 ounces)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped tomato
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 sliced jalapeño pepper
• 12 corn tortillas
• 2 ounces queso fresco, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add sliced onion, and sauté 5 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add garlic to pan; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in beans and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook 1 minute. Add spinach to pan; cook 1 minute or until spinach wilts and beans are thoroughly heated.

Combine tomato, chopped onion, cilantro, lime juice, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and jalapeño in a small bowl. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Arrange 1/3 cup bean mixture in center of each tortilla. Top each taco with 3 tablespoons tomato mixture and about 1 tablespoon cheese. 

Serves 4 (3 tacos); 337 calories.

VERDICT:  Pretty bland--I really couldn't taste the filling at all.  Toss in favor of throwing some black beans and feta in a tortilla.

Farro Salad with Creamy Feta

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 1/2 cups precooked whole-grain farro
• 1 cup chopped tomato
• 1 cup cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 cup organic canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 (6-inch) whole-wheat pita
• Cooking spray
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 cup 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened (about 1/4 cup)
• 1.5 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/3 cup)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add farro; toss gently to combine.

Combine tomato and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a medium bowl. Let stand 10 minutes. Add tomato mixture to farro mixture; toss gently to combine.

Split pita into 2 rounds; cut each round into 6 wedges. Lightly coat pita with cooking spray; sprinkle with paprika. Arrange pita wedges on a baking sheet; bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until crisp.

Combine yogurt, 2 tablespoons water, cream cheese, and feta, stirring with a whisk. Serve with farro salad and pita chips.

Serves 4 (1 1/4 c. salad, 2 T. yogurt, 3 pita chips); 377 calories.

VERDICT:  A winner!  Tastes good, not hard, uses at-hand ingredients, good for you.  We used oregano from our garden, tomatoes from Katrina's, and cucumber and parsley from the farmer's market.  The creamy feta is essential; we skipped the pita crisps and didn't miss them.  Keep.