BLACK BEAN SOUP AND CORNBREAD

I just finished eating my soup and cornbread by the fire on this gorgeous autumn evening.  What a blessing to live where we do, healthy and safe.  

     I used up my last egg last night making a giant chocolate chip cookie - 12 inches of cookie!  So rather than making cornbread the way I usually do, I had to come up with a no egg version.  I really liked it even though it was a bit crumblier than the regular one.  The crumbs were kind of nice the way they crumbled into the soup, making it nice and thick.  

BLACK BEAN SOUP with Red Pepper and Cilantro

2 cups dry organic black beans, soaked at least 6 hours and cooked until soft

6 cups organic vegetable or chicken stock

2 Tbsp e.v olive oil

1 onion, diced

3 stalks organic celery, chopped

1 organic red pepper, chopped

4 cloves organic garlic, chopped

1 organic jalapeno pepper, chopped

1 can organic tomatoes

2 Tbsp ground organic cumin

2 tsp organic ground coriander

1 Tbsp organic dry oregano

1 organic bay leaf

3-4 tsp sea salt or to taste

pepper

2 Tbsp organic molasses

2 Tbsp maple syrup

fresh organic cilantro

organic sour cream

Method:  Saute the onion and celery in the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat until they soften.  Add the jalapeno, red pepper, garlic and spices and saute another minute or so. Add the tomatoes, stock, beans, salt, molasses, maple syrup and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour.  At this point, puree some or all of the soup.  Check consistency, you want the soup to be thickened but not too thick.  If still to watery, simmer until it reaches desired consistency.  Blend half of the soup with a stick blender and check for saltiness and adjust accordingly.  Serve with some fresh cilantro and a dollop of sour cream.

APPLE CIDER CORNBREAD

1 3/4 cup organic cornmeal (if using Speerville Mills cornmeal, grind in a coffee grinder for a bit to make it finer)

1 cup organic whole wheat flour

1/2 cup organic unbleached flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

6 Tbsp organic butter, melted

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 cup organic whole milk

3/4 cup organic apple cider

1/2 tsp sea salt

Method:  Preheat oven to 350*.  Oil a large cast iron skillet.  Place the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Combine all of the wet ingredients except the butter in another bowl.  Add the wet to the dry and then stir in the melted butter.  Pour the batter into the greased pan and bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.