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The dinner, held in the beautiful loft-inspired kitchen known as The Third Space, started with the passing of trays of cheddar puffs with tomato jam and Parmesan shortbreads with fig jam. Chef Caitlin then demonstrated how to make her Black Bean Soup made with Greek yogurt and garnished with popcorn (recipe follows). A salad of peaches and green salad with toasted cumin dressing followed. We then sampled two main dishes: Roasted Chicken served atop of Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Arugula Pesto with aged cheese and Cheddar Grits Cakes with Shredded Beef And Red Eye Gravy using aged cheeses. A 3-course dessert round completed our evening with Chocolate Yogurt Cupcakes topped with Orange Marscapone Icing, Georgia Peach Preserve Sundaes, and Oatmeal cookies with homemade Horchata. And, if that wasn’t enough to convince us how amazing a low-lactose diet can truly be, Chef Caitlin made lactose-free hot chocolate and eggnog for the road!
The creamy Blender Black Bean Soup is incredibly easy to make and makes a delicious vegetarian, low-lactose dish:
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2 15-oz. cans reduced-sodium black beans
½ cup Greek yogurt, plain
3/4 cup reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1 teaspoon coriander
½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne
Juice of 1 lime
2 cups popcorn, air popped, no butter
Kosher salt
Drain the black beans and add them along with yogurt, broth, spices and lime juice to the blender. Blend all the ingredients together until smooth.
Heat the black bean puree on the stovetop or in the microwave to the desired temperature. Serve the soup garnished with a handful of popcorn and one last squeeze of fresh lime on top to serve. This soup makes a wonderful appetizer served in shot glasses and again garnished with popcorn or freshly chopped cilantro.
Special thanks to the Cooking with Caitlin team and the wonderful folks from SUDIA for a lovely evening of learning and food!