Today I made the most ridiculous black bean patties just fooling around...

I hate canned beans. They taste like a can, and it kind of feels like cheating. However, sometimes I have difficulties making the dried ones (i.e. I burn them).

At Veronica's suggestion, I was attempting to make black beans in the crock pot for the first time to see if they would come out right, so I just threw a serving size in with some water, a little bit of broth and cumin and left it on high for a few hours while I did other things, checking occasionally to make sure it was not burning.

When I was done, I wanted black bean burgers, so I mashed up the beans and liquid and added an egg and chipotle chili powder. It was a bit too runny, so I put in a couple of tablespoons of bread crumbs, then decided to add the little bit of cheddar that was left in the bag.

I sprayed the frying pan and dumped it into the pan like a pancake but thicker, then cooked it as I would cook a pancake.

Served this with a little bit of taco sauce and sour cream. Wow.

I will never get a cold again without making this soup...

Chicken Soup... Our whole lives people have touted this as the miracle cure to the common cold... Well, I am convinced this one is. It cures congestion, anyway... And why? Because it's awesomely spicy, of course!

To make the broth, I boiled a 1 pound package of chicken and removed the chicken from the water, then poured about 4 cups of water in a saucepan. You can also use packaged broth, but I've found this works better for this particular soup because I like to start without the salt.

Ingredients

4 cups broth or boiled chicken water
1/3-1/2 head of cabbage, chopped into small pieces
1-2 tbsp soy or Bragg sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp chili oil
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp sriracha sauce (hot pepper paste)
1 tbsp chili garlic sauce
1 tbsp dried or minced ginger
1/2 chicken breast, shredded
Optional : 1/4 tsp Szechuan peppercorns, ground

Directions

Boil the broth and cabbage together for 10-15 minutes.
Reduce heat and slowly stir in the seasonings one by one, tasting to decide if you like that quantity.
Keep in mind that each ingredient will make it a bit spicier so don't add too much of any one.
Add chicken, simmer for a few more minutes and serve.

Enjoy your clear sinuses!

Makes 2-3 servings, depending on how much you want...