Yummy Saturday.

Graylan just stopped by! It is always good to see Graylan. He's on his way to LA.

Also, I made some soup and some bread. I would like to share with you what was made, because it was good.

Curried Bean Soup

1 1/2 c. dry beans/grains mix (I used 1 c. Trader Joe's 17-Bean Soup Mix and 1/2 c. kidney beans)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. or so each of red pepper flakes, curry powder, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne pepper
1 28-oz. can chopped tomatoes, not drained
salt to taste
water to cover

Precook the dry beans any way you want--I did the lazy, cheater method of bringing them to a boil then simmering for awhile, but traditionally, you'd soak them overnight then cook them, etc. If you are extra lazy, you could just use canned beans. Normally I would, too, but I had this dry stuff to use up.

Saute the onion and garlic with olive oil in a large pot. Add red pepper flakes and saute a little more. Mix in other spices. Add cooked (or partially cooked) beans, tomatoes, and water. Stir, bring to a boil, then let it simmer forever until the beans are fully cooked. Salt to your liking.

Lemon-Rosemary Polenta Bread

Going off this recipe for vegan cornbread, I devised this strange alternative.

Preheat oven to 400'F and grease an 8-inch round pan.

Mix together:
1/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 c. dry polenta
1/4 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Add:
1 c. water or soymilk (including the juice of one lemon, optional)
1/4 c. oil
1 Tbsp. cornstarch dissolved into 1 Tbsp. water

Then mix in:
1 stem fresh rosemary, chopped (do NOT use dried herbs)
zest of 1 lemon

Pour resulting batter into prepared pan and bake until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean (approximately 25 minutes).

The bread should hold together admirably well, all things considered, though it may be delicate, so handle gently.