#bubblenets

[bubblenets]

hot diggity shit i am GOOD at this

[bubblenets]

Brazil-adjacent beans

i really can't call this feijoada, but let's say that's this dish's grandma.

1 can black beans

1/4 onion (frozen works well! and easy)

4 garlic cloves (i use minced garlic)

1 tsp paprika

pinch of chili or smoked paprika

1/2 tsp cumin

250 ml passata

250 ml water

1 bay leaf

salt to taste

fry onion, garlic, bay leaf, cumin, paprika and  chili/smoked paprika.

when the onions are starting to be cooked, add the passata and let reduce for a few minutes on low heat.

add the beans, water, and salt and simmer 40 minutes, stirring frequently.

when it's nearly done, smash the beans just a little to make it creamy, and serve with rice.

admittedly i used a cheeky can of kidney beans because that's what i had, but black beans are better if you can.

[bubblenets]

something......... is Happening

[bubblenets]

low energy cooking equipment

as someone whose battery never charges above 37%, i make extensive use of kitchen appliances and consider them my excellent robot friends.

dishwasher: essential for me. even if there isn't space for a full sized one in your kitchen, a small countertop one might be an option.

toaster oven: great for baking or roasting in small quantities, often a much better way to reheat than microwaving for things that would go soggy, can be safer for inattentive types if you use the timer that makes it switch off automatically

microwave: obviously great for heating leftovers or microwave meals etc, but also a great cooking tool. a simple microwave steamer allows you to cook vegetables faster than on the stove, while retaining more nutrients, a better flavor, and a better texture if you get the timing right. and once you know how long any given vegetable needs in your particular microwave, it's foolproof. can also 'bake' potatoes or sweet potatoes - they don't caramelize like in the oven but it's so easy and almost as good.

food processor: chopping is for chumps. may also blend things into puree or liquid for you.

rice cooker: i love rice and i love making it with no effort in a way that's impossible to screw up as long as you get the proportions right. fancier models have features like a timer that allows you to load up ingredients in advance and tell it when you want it to be ready, or a porridge mode that can make congee or steel cut oats with no effort.

instant pot: i got one recently but haven't explored this much yet. but based on how useful slow cookers (also a good option for throw it in and come back later style cooking) are for low energy cooking, i think this will be great. it's an electric pressure cooker with various other functions, easy to throw things in and go.

[bubblenets]

oven pancake!!

[bubblenets]

you can just! make a tiny bread pudding in your microwave!!

[bubblenets]

@runekiss inspired me to make a version of omurice!

[bubblenets]

well this post was SUPPOSED to be about me making delicious BBQ chicken and jamaican-style rice and peas BUT since instacart decided to deliver me....... all of the ingredients except the rice and the chicken........ this is now a post about how instacart sucks!

like. i knew they were evil. and, as with Amazon, i am too disabled to get my self righteous jollies pretending it is possible or helpful to avoid personally investing in Evil companies. i can't get all my groceries myself so unfortunately i need delivery whether or not the only available options are evil.

that said, can anyone recommend a US grocery delivery service that's actually reliable? i have tried instacart, peapod, jet, and maybe others i don't even remember. each one had such significant problems i decided to move on, but i have yet to find one that can do its most basic job reliably.