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Indigo Food Energy: Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

By Gwen Nyhus Stewart

Recipes

Black Bean Dip

1-19 oz. (540 mL) can black beans

1 med. ripe tomato, diced

1/4 cup (50 mL) jalapeno slices (pickled are best for this dip)

1/3 cup (75 mL) salsa

1/2 cup (125 mL) shredded cheddar cheese

1 bunch green onions - diced

low-fat sour cream

1 tbsp. (15 mL) cumin

1 tsp. (5 mL) chili powder

sea salt

Heat beans over the stove; add cumin, chili powder, and a healthy pinch of salt. Once the beans are heated through, move to an oven-safe bowl. Top with cheese. Use broiler setting in the oven to heat the cheese.

Once the cheese has melted, top with salsa, fresh tomatoes, jalapeno, and low-fat sour cream. Garnish with diced green onions. Serve immediately with tortilla chips. Serves 3-4, as an appetizer.

Black Bean Quesadillas

1 tbsp. (15 mL) vegetable oil

1 onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-15 oz. (444 mL) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

1/2 -10 oz. (296 mL) package frozen corn

12-12 inch (30 cm) flour tortillas

1 cup (250 mL) shredded Cheddar cheese

1/4 cup (50 mL) vegetable oil

Heat 1 tablespoon (15 mL) oil in a skillet over medium heat, and sauté the onion and garlic until soft. Mix in beans, bell pepper, tomatoes, and corn; cook until heated through.

Spread 6 tortillas with equal amounts of the bean and vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with equal amounts of the Cheddar cheese, and top with the remaining tortillas to form quesadillas.

Heat 1/4 cup (50 mL) oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place quesadillas in the skillet and cook, turning once, until cheese is melted and both sides are lightly browned.

Black Bean Patties

2 cups (500 mL) cooked black beans, drained and rinsed if you are using canned

1 cup (250 mL) cornmeal

1 tbsp. (15 mL) cumin

1 cup (250 mL) cooked brown rice

1 cup (250 mL) soymilk

The North American Indians made patties of black beans and cornmeal, cooking them over campfires. Brown rice has been added to give them more substance, though the Native Americans on the plains would have used wild rice. For a main dish, you can make or buy a mushroom gravy to serve over the patties, serving with a green vegetable and salad. Uncooked patties can be wrapped in wax paper and frozen, then for a quick meal you can defrost and fry or grill. This is a nice way to use up leftover rice or beans, but you can also cook some for the occasion. For breakfast, you can serve with warm maple syrup.

Cool the beans and rice, if you have just cooked them. Combine all the ingredients well. Add more cornmeal as needed to form a stiff dough. Form into patties. Add corn oil to a frying pan and fry, or grill over charcoal.

Cooking black beans: put 1 cup (250 mL) dry black beans in 3 cups (750 mL) water and store overnight (a quart (1.2 L) canning jar works well for this.) Bring to a boil in fresh water and simmer around 40 minutes.

Cooking brown rice: place 1 cup (250 mL) brown rice in 2 1/2 cups (625 mL) water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until water has disappeared, about 35 minutes. Let the rice rest with cover on an additional 10 minutes.

Black Bean Salsa

1-16 oz. (473 mL) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1-12 oz. (336 mL) jar, mild or medium Mexican style salsa

1/4 cup (50 mL) fresh cilantro, minced

1/4 tsp. (1 mL) cumin

2 tbsp. (30 mL) lime juice, freshly squeezed

Roughly chop beans in food processor. Don’t purée them. Stir in remaining ingredients. Serve immediately or possibly chill overnight. Serve with corn chips or raw vegetables. Makes 3 cups (750 mL).

Black Beans with Lime

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 scallions, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced

sea salt, to taste

freshly ground black pepper

2-19 oz. (540 mL) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 tsp. (5 mL) chili powder

1 tbsp. (15 mL) fresh lime juice

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add white part of scallions, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until softened, about 3 minutes.

Add beans, chili powder, and 1/4 cup (50 mL) water. Cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in lime juice; season with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with green part of scallions

*You can also slightly mash the beans with a potato masher. It makes a nice rich consistency.

See Indigo Coloured Foods in the Plants, Food Colours, & Recipes section of this web site, and http://www.gwenshealinggarden.ca/Recipes.htm for additional information about the healing properties of indigo, phytonutrients, and recipes.

(See The Healing Garden: A Place Of Peace Chapter 7, Colour and Healing Energy, page 63 – 64 for more information about what the colour indigo means and Chapter 8, Colour Energy, Plants, and Recipes pages 84 - 86 for information about using indigo in the garden and recipes.)

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