A super easy supper I make is yellow rice (we like vigo brand) topped w canned black beans I’ve added garlic/cumin/oregano to and pickled onions. Served w whatever veg you like (on easy nights, probably arugula from a bag & call it salad or a frozen green veg)
I have a vitamix blender (I got an older model at Costco for under $300) and a cuisinart food processor. I honestly have a hard time seeing needing to replace either. I’ve had both for many years and they’re both workhorses.
This exactly. I have the same brands food processor and blender too. I actually have my parents' 30 year old cuisinart food processor. Works perfectly.
My brother has a blendtec and loves it for smoothies. Another option, I don't think those are much cheaper than vitamix though.
Our blender is about a 20 year old Warring with only 2 settings, so that probably isn't what you are looking for. I'm mostly here to get black bean recipes from everyone else because I also love black beans.
I forget who asked, but I used my food processor to shred things, mostly cheese (I buy big blocks at Costco and shred it myself because I feel like it better than pre-shredded kinds), and also carrots. It also makes fast work of potatoes if you need uniform slices (and celery and carrots). And it's good for chopping up onions if you don't care what they look like.
And making pasta dough. The America's test kitchen recipe comes together in about a minute once you turn it on. I have another herbed pasta recipe I make that uses both the blender for wet ingredients and then the food processor to knead the dough.
I have a Ninja. It came with the regular blender cup, smoothie cups (which I have since lost), and the food processor attachment. I don't use it daily, but use it often enough and it works well for my needs. I think that if I was using it more frequently I might upgrade to a Vitamix, but the Ninja does well enough for our purposes.
I don't really have any great black bean-centric recipes because my family doesn't care for them that much. However, I do use them as a topping on my sheet pan nachos, and they are always included whenever I make any kind of taco/burrito bowl. Though, I do love me a good black bean soup and will usually make at least one batch a year and then freeze the leftovers.
What do people use food processors for? We have a nutibullet blender for smoothies (which works really well btw) and an immersion blender that we use for sauces and soups. I think I bought a food processor a few years ago, but have no idea what I would use it for. I'm sure there's something obvious that I'm missing, but don't think I've used it in 2+ years.
We use black beans mainly in soup, chili and Mexican dishes. I love lentil soup and could eat chick peas every day (but I know you don't like those). Smitten kitchen has some good bean recipes too.
Salsa, guacamole, hummus, pesto, hollandaise. Finely chopping up nuts or breadcrumbs. Things that are too thick for the blender or that I want to leave slightly chunky or just need a little extra power. But then, I'm down to just a smoothie blender because the food processor works so well and is so much easier to clean. Oh, and I also have an immersion blender.
No! The Cuisinart food processor we own (7 cup) does not work for smoothies! OMG! Thwre are no rubber gaskets where the lid attaches. Raspberry banana smoothie went all over our white cabinets and my face. I had a handful of raspberries, a banana, and some almond milk in there. First time using the food processor with liquid. Never again.
Are you sure yours didn't come with a seal for the lid? Mine has a seal that is removable for washing. I forgot to put it back on once, and the same thing happened where stuff flew out all over the kitchen.
No! The Cuisinart food processor we own (7 cup) does not work for smoothies! OMG! Thwre are no rubber gaskets where the lid attaches. Raspberry banana smoothie went all over our white cabinets and my face. I had a handful of raspberries, a banana, and some almond milk in there. First time using the food processor with liquid. Never again.
Are you sure yours didn't come with a seal for the lid? Mine has a seal that is removable for washing. I forgot to put it back on once, and the same thing happened where stuff flew out all over the kitchen.
I just pulled up the details for my food processor and I don't see rubber rings or gaskets sealing the lid or the portal/tube at the top. But... I did just notice that about 2 inches from the bottom of the chopping compartment there's a line that says "no liquids beyond this point". This is probably why I am successful making tomato purees, but had an explosion when I used a lot of almond milk in my smoothie yesterday. The smoothie was on the thin side as it was bananas and raspberries.
Our blender is about a 20 year old Warring with only 2 settings, so that probably isn't what you are looking for.
This is what we have. I've been with DS for 15 yrs and he had it for a good few years before meeting me. 2 settings, heavy, and could use some new gaskets. It always leaks a little bit from the base where the blade screws on, and I don't find that it chops ice as finely as I would like. Ugh, I hate replacing things that we already own. Especially when what have is considered good quality. I'm feeling so torn.
We have this Ninja blender and love it. H uses it often for smoothies. In the summer, he also makes his own slushies with it (ice, water, and a drink packet... recently he's been using the lemon lime Liquid IV packets).
Post by steamboat185 on Oct 23, 2020 9:05:24 GMT -5
We have the ninja blender with the food processor and cups. I really like it and use the pieces often enough.
As for recipes here are two I love. One black bean and one lentil. I tend to forget about lentils, but they are really good. minimalistbaker.com/1-pot-vegan-barbacoa/
Post by basilosaurus on Oct 24, 2020 5:37:30 GMT -5
Owing to my caribbean and miami roots, I put black beans in a lot of things. I make a Cuban inspired dish. Mash half the beans, leave the rest whole, simmer with lots of cumin, onion, garlic, bay leaf.
I put them in my enchilada casserole, usually in lieu of chicken. You're right they can go in nearly everything Mexican.
And I know you said you don't like chickpeas, but I mix them in with couscous, veg, feta, and curry powder and occasionally white raisins. Sounds odd, but it works, like pineapple fried rice works. Have you tried making chickpeas from dried instead of canned? You might like the texture more.
Lentils cook quickly, so they're good to have around. Red lentils make for a really good soup that's a staple in some parts of India . I don't have an online recipe as mine's from a book, but masoor dal is the name of the dish. Red lentils turn to mush pretty quickly which is the goal with the dal. It makes a full meal in about 30 minutes.
Post by basilosaurus on Oct 24, 2020 9:18:47 GMT -5
Oh, on the blender, I haven't had one in probably over 15 years. Gramma gave me one for adult drinks before I was 21. She forgot the change in drinking age
I think my plent my immersion has taken most. But before that I used other tools.