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cynthia lair - feeding the young athlete

8/28/12
Dear Cynthia and The Cookus Gang:
Just made the Mediterranean Quinoa Salad again, first time this summer-- it continues to utterly amaze and delight! My mom loved it! My four yr old and 18 month old loved it! Happy and healthy dinner was had by all. Thank you so much!
Jen

8/27/12
Hi, I wanted to let you know that I just did the Danskin Triathlon (my first such event), and I took Lime Boost in my water bottles. It was great.
Jami

7/29/12
I printed this a year ago, but finally got around to trying it (Gays Mini Pot Roast). I was afraid of all the steps and thought my 8 quart le Creuset pan would be too big. I took the plunge and boy am I ever glad I did!! This was amazing!!! I used dried herbs since that's what I had and it still turned out amazing. I used fingerling potatoes cut up and I used a few extra parsnips. It was soooo good!! I think you are the best Cynthia!!!! You give me SUCH confidence in the kitchen. I am almost 40 and finally gaining some self esteem in the kitchen - THANKS TO YOU!!!
Rebekah

7/23/12
This is simply delicious. (Bourbon BBQ Shrimp) Words overheard at dinner tonight from my hubby and two kids in regard to this dish: stellar, amazing, the best shrimp, and soooo good. Thanks for another winner recipe! (Oh, and I served this cornbread; it was a great match.)
Hillary

6/14/12
Cookus Interruptus - you guys are a hilarious team! You really pulled out all the stops to give Ms. Selengut a warm welcome. I love what you guys do x
Tui

6/13/12
That was killer. (Hoppin' John) Made with andouille sausage, cheesy corn grits and braised bok choy and kale from the garden. Everyone loved it, and my 3 year old cleaned her plate, much to my delight! Did wish I had a nice blob of sour cream, though...
Stephanie

3/8/12
Chinese Vegetable Fried Brown Rice:
WOW - I want that for breakfast, too! (I am talking about the stir fry people!)One of the funniest interruptions yet! Have to share this one with my mom...
Heather

1/5/12
Firstly, this looks delicious and amazing and I can't wait to try it. (Chicken and Kabocha with Chocolate Enchilada Sauce). Secondly, Matt completely cracks me up in this. Cynthia makes a great foil to his craziness. Well-done!
Kymberlee

12/11/11
My 2 year old daughter and I watched this video before making our own. We went into the kitchen, popped the Mochica into the oven, and next thing I know she is stretching on the ground with her feet in the air. Then, biting into the finished product she says, 'come here little sizzler!'. I was in fits laughing. Thanks for great recipes and great fun.
Stephanie

11/29/11
So, I've said it before and I'll say it again...my 5-year old daughter LOVES this soup. Tonight she had 2 bowls full with olive tapenade on top. And when I was packing up the little bit that was leftover, she asked that I save it for her to eat tomorrow, The recipes says this serves 6-8, but in our family it barely feeds 4. We can't get enough of it.
Anna

10/25/11
you guys are silly but it helped me to keep watching.
Rob

1/25/12
I find that everything here "speaks" to my instincts. Everything I see here just feels intuitive to me. Maybe it's because we're in the same camp, or maybe also because the "loose pattern" of philosophies you've woven together here fits so well for so many of us. Thank you!
Jennifer

9/18/11
As a newbie to whole foods and anything that isn't meat and potatoes...your recipes and fun way that you give lessons really are making the transition to healthy eating easy. Thank you so much!
Raquel

7/17/11

you guys are BRILLIANT with your videos. The entertainment value opens up the floodgates of people who want to watch and (inadvertently) learn from you about the wonders of whole foods. I use them in our kids' cooking classes all the time. Lots of laughs and learning! "Who doesn't like applesauce? I'll tell you who, freaks and crazy people!" We love Jane!"

Marirose

5/19/11

My 2 year old LOVES this soup (Yaki Soba). She scoops the broth with her little spoon and picks up every last bit of tofu, bok choy, and mushroom with unbridled enthusiasm. I love your recipes and best of all my family does too! Thank you!

Heidi Denis

5/5/11
Keep up the great show! LOL...my kids watched 5 episodes today... my oldest loves Jane and keeps watching to see if she's going to get together with what's-his-name and my boys couldn't stop laughing at Darrell and they all want to know why they can't see Captin J.
Tomena Reed

3/19/11
I made this soup tonight and it was, by far, the best homemade soup we have ever had. 3 generations ate together, even my 5 and 2 year olds! Thank you from the bottom of our empty soup bowls!
Taylor Hope

I've been consistently cooking your meals for over a month, now, and I love all the recipes I've made. Even my husband loves them, which is amazing because, in the past, he's usually complained when I made 'healthy meals', calling them 'a snack'. Thanks for making it so enjoyable to eat healthy!
Erin Fields-Johnson

2/11/11
This is my 3rd recipe this week since Saturday night-it's only Monday! I'm hooked on your site. such great food and love the videos. Thanks to all!!!
Josie

1/13/11
Wow, what an amazing site. I made your fish tacos for dinner last night and my 13 yo commented on how good they were. In fact she said, Mom everything you've made from Cookus Interruptus has been good! Yes, delicious and easy!! Thank you so much
Ruby Cacchione

12/29/10
while watching this video (Be Bop Breakfast) my 7yr old daughter was totally perplexed that you would eat cooked greens for breakfast. (we do green smoothies, but my kids are pretty skeptical about other usage of greens) But after watching it through she asked if we could try it tomorrow! I think we are going to watch a few more videos!
Annie Moore

12/15/10
Pacific NW Magazine loves Cookus! Read the story by superfabulous Greg Atkinson.

10/29/10
Rosemary Red Soup: I make this soup for my birthday every year. It was the soup that got me to reconsider beets after hating them since birth. Now I love them, as long as they're fresh!
Anne

10/14/10
For my birthday last week, my friend helped me make the apple pie with butter crust. We couldn't stop congratulating our pie while we were eating it. It was delicious...and we had no hesitation about serving our daughter nice hefty slices. Thank you, Cynthia Lair. Your recipes make my life better every day.
Anna

10/8/10
I've been cooking from your website for the last few weeks, and every single recipe I've tried has turned out Incredible. Thank you so much for doing something like this! The videos make it very simple for a visual learner. I look forward to any new recipes you post :)
Susan

9/21/10
I just have to say, once again, how much I love your website. I've been a huge fan of the cookbook for years and the website makes it fresh. True story: my kids (5 and 2) and I will sit and watch your videos. My son, the 5 year old, loves them!
Hillary Mizia

9/10/10
Where have I been? I just now came across your site. I have never enjoyed looking at recipes as much as yours and had such a laugh plus great info. and learned something. You are ALL a kick. Thank you for being here, keep up the great work and info. There is nothing out here like you, what a joy. Must say, I watch you everyday. Thanks
val greene

"My 4-year-old son referred to it as 'the phenomenal noodle salad' and kept offering additional helpings to everyone at the table! I will definitely be making this again. :-)"
-Lindsey Parks
(see Asian Noodle Salad)

"Cooking for my family had become a chore. I was basically in a rut until I came across your site via the OCA. I have actually began enjoying cooking again. My kids are now even trying simple recipes on their own. I feel such a sense of satisfaction knowing I am preparing food that's nourishing and delicious. I have learned so much. Thank you, thank you :)"
-Kaylla

"I must tell you what an inspiration your blog and videos have been to me....and my kids. We love watching you and learning great tips."
-Laurene

Townsend Letter raves about Cynthia's book and Cookus Interruptus in October 09 issue!

Danny Jensen at Take Part loves Cookus Interruptus. Read about it!

"This has to be the best cooking show EVER!!! Besides being so funny, they make this type of cooking seem so approachable. Kudos on doing a great job!!!!"
-Cheryl

"I have been cooking more. I made some really good fried tofu, delicious soba noodles, Bok Choy (from the collard greens vid), Blanched red cabbage, fried rice, some thing else I can't remember, and almost every day for breakfast I eat either quinoa or steel cut oats. Not only that my knowledge on food has increased 10 fold. All thanks to you. xo"
-Joel

"Can I just say that your videos make me laugh my butt off? Is that ok? Did I mention I am totally by myself when I do this? Loooove you guys!"
sunbronzedbabe

"Besides providing amazing how-to recipes on whole, organic foods, you weave a gentle little funny-family story-line throughout that always leaves me wanting more. I forward your site to friends with the spoiler, "pssst, bet you can't watch just one!" There's just nothing like your program anywhere!"
Lynne Lillie

"What a really well conceived, and nicely organized website. Being gut-bustingly funny is an added bonus. Nice job, Fam."
Steven Lee

"I've been cooking uninterrupted for the past 3 days and I'm loving it. I watch the videos with my toddler then we cook our family meal together. It's lovely:) Thank you guys for a great book &website."
Yasmine

"Clean, easy to use, and informative, the videos get to the point, and on the plate, in 4 to 8 minutes..." Read the whole glowing blog post!
Maggie Dutton, Seattle Weekly

"Your steel cut oats recipe did change my life!"
Julie

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Printable version

Man-to-Man Chipotle Black Bean Stew

Serve this yummy stew over polenta or brown rice for a delicious, nutrient-rich meal. Mexican seasoning blends come in bulk or spice bottles at the grocery store. They are usually a combination of cumin, oregano, peppers and other spices that offer a Southwestern flavor to dishes. Muir Glen makes excellent fire-roasted organic canned chopped tomatoes with green chiles which are excellent in this recipe. From Feeding the Young Athlete (by Cynthia Lair; Readers to Eaters, 2012).

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons Mexican seasoning
1 cup dried black beans, soaked
1 dried chipotle chili
2 cups soup stock or water
1 - 2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes with green chiles
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
lime
sour cream

Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add onion, garlic, cumin, and Mexican seasoning and saut� until onions are soft. Drain soaking water off beans. Add soaked beans, chipotle chili and stock or water to onions and spices. Lock lid, raise heat and bring up to pressure. Once pressure is established, lower the heat to hold pressure steady and set timer for 30 minutes. The stew can also be simmered, not pressure-cooked, and it takes about 55-60 minutes.

Once the heat if off and the pressure has come down, open the lid. Add salt to taste. Add corn, tomatoes, and cilantro. Serve garnished with a squeeze of lime and sour cream dollop if desired.

Preparation time: 40 minutes
Makes 4 servings

CLICK HERE

18 Comments:

Martha Cagley
Funny and fun. I just click on to see what's for dinner!
August 27, 2008, 11:08 am

Brooke Kingston
Made this for Sunday supper and it got raves at our house! After the batch was pressure cooked, I pulled out some of the seasoned-but-not-too-spicy black beans for our toddler. He slurped them up! We tried the Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes with green chiles, it added a real depth to the stew. This was amazing, hearty and flavorful. Excellent! Thank you!
November 16, 2008, 7:19 pm

Cheri Falk
I was so glad to re-connect with Cynthia! I bought Feeding the Whole Family many many years ago when it was first published in Seattle and loaned it a few years ago and never got it back! Now I can enjoy this wonderful, creative website and revive some of my favorite recipes of Cynthia's!
January 23, 2009, 7:59 pm

mary arthars
looking forward to reading and using all your ideas. Our house's current favorite is pressed collards. Let me know if you'd like to try it. M
September 12, 2009, 12:01 pm

Jean Stangarone
Just purchased a pressure cooker, so now I have a new recipe to use. Your recipe called for 1 cup of black beans, but it looked like more in the video. Is that correct? Thanks so much.
November 29, 2009, 12:22 pm

Cynthia Lair
Hi Jean, You start with one cup DRY black beans. When they are soaked the 1 cups expands to 2-3 cups!
November 29, 2009, 2:01 pm

Kristina
We LOVE this recipe, and make it at least once a week In our pressure cooker. With dry beans it's all done in under 40min. I add a couple tablespoons of balsamic vinegar at the end. oh my god!
February 11, 2010, 10:40 pm

Amy Mendelblatt
If I don't have a pressure cooker? what then?
February 21, 2010, 3:16 pm

Cynthia Lair
Hi Amy, See recipe above. It gives alternative directions for simmering.
February 21, 2010, 4:44 pm

Rebecca
Have been wanting to make this for a while, finally made it tonight and it was amazing! My roommate loved it too. Instead of a dried chipotle chile, I used a canned chipotle chile, chopped it up and just added it to the stew. It turned out pretty spicy (should have seeded it first) but still good. Thanks for this great recipe! I'll be eating the leftovers tomorrow for breakfast with some huevos rancheros!
March 19, 2010, 6:36 pm

Julie Brittenham
We'll be using our new pressure cooker for the first time tonight! What do you think of adding some chopped sweet potatoes to this recipe? Will it change the cooking time or anything? I have some we need to use up and think this might be a good way to get our toddler to eat them. She loves black bean soup! Also, we were given our PC as a gift and it's a Presto Jiggle Top. Any special instructions needed? Thanks so much - you rock!!
September 1, 2010, 10:17 am

Cynthia Lair
HI Julie, Happy new pressure cooker! I think sweet potatoes would be nice in this. Won't change a thing. Put them in before bringing up the pressure. Haven't used a Presto Jiggle Top before but I'm sure it will be easy to operate.
September 1, 2010, 4:05 pm

Julie Lupo
Finally remembered to soak the beans so that we could try this dish! It was excellent. I have been looking for a recipe to replace the packaged black beans and rice that we often eat as we can no longer get our favorite brand, Mahatma, locally. While this has a very different flavor, it was terrific over brown rice and so much better for us! I simmered, but a pressure cooker is on my wishlist of kitchen equipment. Try it, you'll love it!
October 23, 2010, 8:04 am

mckenzie miller
I'm curious why your pressure cooking times are SO much longer than any other suggested times I've seen. The soaked black beans I typically make are done after 5 minutes after they come to pressure. It seems like they would completely lose their shape after 30 minutes. Not so? Thanks!
October 19, 2011, 6:46 pm

Cynthia Lair
For the larger beans I find that they are much easier to digest if they are cooked until one can easily mash the bean on the roof of the mouth with the tongue. Nice and tender, less gas. I have been cooking beans this way on my classes for over 20 years and we always get nice results. If you are getting good results using a different method, that is great.
October 20, 2011, 3:44 pm

angelitoo angelitoo
Probably it would be fine, but there are crock pot liners on the maerkt. (I think made by the Reynolds Wrap people) They're supposed to keep the crock pot clean. I used one once and everything started out just fine, but after a few hours, the bottom of the crock pot broke! I had to throw away the meal just before dinner! NOT COOL!!! I had the kind that you can pull the pot out for washing. It was fairly new and had no cracks before I started. Maybe I just had bad luck, but I don't recommend them to anyone!I would write to the company that made your crock pot and tell them that you love it and have used it so mcuh that the paint/glaze is wearing off. Who knows-they might just replace it for you to keep a customer happy. At least they would know if it was safe or not.
April 28, 2012, 10:41 pm

Lynne Harris
Hi Cynthia. We just got a new slow cooker, not a pressure cooker, and were wondering if we saute the onions can we just then throw all the other ingredients into the slow cooker? How long would you recommend we cook it for? Same as if we were simmering the stew?
December 28, 2012, 2:43 pm

Cynthia Lair
Hi Lynne, I'm embarrassed to tell you that I have little to no experience with a slow cooker. Your plan to saut� first seems right to me. Cooking time would be way longer (SLOW cooker). I'm guessing 3-4 hours. Let me know how it comes out!
December 30, 2012, 6:13 pm