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Best Black Bean Chili

October 22, 2013

A while back I was checking out recipes on various food blogs and I stumbled into this really delicious black bean chili recipe on Kaylyn’s Kitchen blog. The recipe comes from Fine Cooking magazine. I liked the idea that Kaylyn used lean ground beef and simmered the chili for a few hours. I did just as she suggested and the chili turned out to be so delicious I now make it on a regular basis.

All the ingredients should be easy to find in your grocery store with one exception. I buy Hatch ground red chile powder from The Chile Shop (Santa Fe, NM) directly from their store. This particular chile is mild and earthy. It doesn’t give off any heat but adds a wonderful rich chile flavor to the dishes you use it in, such as this black bean chili and also adovada sauce. If you buy chile powder at your grocery store look for one that is pure mild chile powder without any other added ingredients. Otherwise give the folks at The Chile Shop a call. You’ll be happy you did.

We often grill burritos stuffed with black bean chili, sopa de arroz and extra sharp cheddar. If you’ve never had a grilled burrito, give it a try. It takes just a few minutes on the gas grill and is a nice change from your typical soft burrito.

Best Black Bean Chili

Adapted from Kaylyn’s Kitchen Blog & Fine Cooking Magazine

Makes 8 1/2 cups

Ingredients

4 cans black beans

1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes

2 (or more) diced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (I scrape out the seeds)

1 – 2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound lean ground beef (I use ground sirloin)

1 medium onion, finely diced

5 tablespoons Hatch mild chile powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 14.5 oz. can beef broth

1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation

Drain 3 cans black beans into a colander and rinse well, until no more foam appears. Set aside.

In a food processor, puree 1 can of undrained black beans with the diced tomatoes and their liquid along with the chipotle peppers. Process for about 30 seconds, or until the mixture is fairly smooth. Taste the bean mixture and add more chipotle peppers if you want it to be a bit spicier. Set aside.

In the bottom of a heavy soup pot (I use a 5 1/2 quart Le Creuset Dutch oven) heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and brown beef, using the back of a turner to break it into small pieces. Remove beef to a bowl, add a bit more olive oil to the pot and the diced onions. Lower the heat a little and cook the onions until they are softened but not starting to brown. Add the chile powder and cumin and sauté about 30 seconds.

Add the beef broth, browned ground beef, pureed bean mixture, tomato paste and salt and pepper. Stir to combine and simmer for 1 hour on very low heat.

Add the reserved drained beans to the pot and continue to simmer for 1/2 hour. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

The chili is delicious served with cornbread or stuffed in a flour tortilla with a bit of cheese. Here in Hawaii, we like to serve chili over a steaming bowl of hot rice.

Chicken, Dinner, Mexican, Recipes

Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa

October 17, 2013

My folder of “must try” recipes is bulging at the seams. I tear out pages of recipes from my food magazines and print out recipes from the internet determined to make them “one day soon.” Some day, I’ll get to those recipes, I’m sure of it! I’ll bet many of you can relate to this eccentricity of mine. This enchilada recipe never made it to that folder. After reading it I was determined to make it for dinner right away.

Pretty tomatillos hidden under their papery husks.

Roasted tomatillos, jalapeño, garlic and onions.

Velouté with tomatillo chile salsa.

These El Grande corn tortillas measured 7 inches across and worked perfectly.

Place a scoop of chicken-enchilada mix in each tortilla, roll them up and place seam side down. The original recipe from Tyler Florence calls for flour tortillas but we used large corn tortillas instead.

The scent of roasted tomatillos, corn tortillas and cheese filled the air while they were baking. Once they were done we finally had the chance to sit down and enjoy the enchiladas. The verdict – these are the best chicken enchiladas we have ever had. Since we hadn’t invited any of our friends over on this particular evening, we had leftovers for the next couple of days. The enchiladas were out of this world!

Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa

Adapted from Tyler Florence’s recipe

Makes 8 large enchiladas

Ingredients

Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa:

1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, husked and rinsed

1 white onion, peeled and cut into thick slices

4 medium garlic cloves, peeled

2 jalapeños, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

juice of 1/2 lime

Enchiladas:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 medium onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups chicken stock (store-bought is fine)

chopped cilantro

1 deli roasted chicken, boned and shredded

salt and pepper

8 large corn tortillas

1/2 pound Monterey jack or extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Preparation

For the salsa:

Broil the tomatillos, onion, garlic and jalapeños for approximately 10 minutes. Watch carefully so they don’t burn. Transfer the roasted vegetables and any juices on the bottom of the pan to a food processor. Add the cumin, salt, cilantro, and lime juice and pulse mixture until well combined but still a bit chunky.

Enchiladas:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and caramelized, about 5 – 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin then cook for another minute. Sprinkle on the flour and stir to ensure the flour doesn’t burn then gradually add the chicken stock to make a velouté. Continue stirring over a low simmer until the flour cooks and the liquid thickens. Turn off the heat, add 1 cup of the roasted tomatillo chile salsa, and some additional fresh chopped cilantro and fold in the shredded chicken. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To prepare the corn tortillas – the traditional method is to briefly fry them in oil in a skillet until pliable. Cook’s Illustrated has developed a method that is faster and uses considerably less oil. The tortillas are arranged on a cookie sheet and lightly sprayed on both sides with cooking oil (Pam). They are then baked in a 400 degree oven for about 4 minutes. When done, let them cool and they are ready to be filled and rolled. Do not skip this step. It keeps the tortillas intact during the baking process.

Take a large baking dish (I used an 11 x 14 inch dish) and smear the bottom with some of the reserved tomatillo salsa. Place a small amount of the reserved salsa on a plate and coat each tortilla lightly on both sides. Put a scoop of the shredded chicken-enchilada mix on top of the tortilla followed by a sprinkle of shredded cheese. Fold the tortilla over the filling and roll like a cigar to enclose it. Place the tortilla seam side down in the baking dish and continue to do the same with the remaining tortillas. Finally pour over some of the salsa and top with the remaining cheese. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes until the cheese is bubbly. Garnish with cilantro and serve with the best Mexican rice – Sopa de Arroz. We drizzled John’s Tomatillo Jalapeño Hot Sauce on the plate.

Dinner, Pickles, Potato Salad, Recipes, Salad, Side Dishes, Vegetarian, Veggies

Dilly Potato Salad with Cucumber Pickles and Radishes

October 4, 2013

It is thought that radishes originated from China thousands of years ago. They belong to the mustard and cabbage family and are related to wasabi (horseradish). Many people love to snack on raw radishes which is a good thing since they are nutritious, and 1 cup of radishes has just 20 calories. In this recipe the radishes are thinly sliced and tossed into the potato salad along with homemade cucumber pickles. Their color and zingy flavor are lovely in this salad.

Thinly sliced Maui onion. Use a sweet onion if Maui onions are not available.

I can’t live without my “little Bennie” mandoline. It makes perfectly thin slices of cucumbers, radishes and onions in no time at all.

Dilly Potato Salad with Cucumber Pickles & Radishes

Serves 6

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/3 inch slices

3/4 pound Japanese or English cucumber, very thinly sliced

4 – 6 radishes, very thinly sliced

1/2 cup Maui or sweet onion, very thinly sliced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

5 tablespoons white vinegar

2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 cup mayonnaise, more or less (I use light mayonnaise)

Preparation

Combine vinegar and salt in a small bowl until salt dissolves. Place cucumber slices and 1 1/2 tablespoons dill in Ziploc bag. Add vinegar mixture, seal bag. Turn several times to coat. Refrigerate overnight, turning bag occasionally.

Pour cucumber mixture into a sieve set over a bowl. Drain at least 1 hour. Discard brine.

Cook the potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 6 – 7 minutes. Drain and cool potatoes completely. Place the potatoes in a large bowl and sprinkle generously with kosher salt and pepper. Add the drained cucumbers, onion, sliced radishes and remaining 1/2 tablespoon dill. Toss to blend. Stir in mayonnaise, then cover and refrigerate. The salad is best served the day it is made however it can be made one day in advance. Taste and adjust seasoning before serving. Garnish with sprigs of dill and whole radishes before serving (optional).

Dinner, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegetarian

Potato & Leek Gratin

September 16, 2013

Deborah Madison is a renowned vegetarian chef, teacher and author of 9 cookbooks. I bought Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone back in 1997 when it was first published and until this day it remains one of my favorite cookbooks. Her recipes are accessible and most of the ingredients can be easily found at your local grocery store.

Thinly sliced potatoes are simmered in milk, along with herbs, garlic and leeks until they are barely tender. A portion of the milk will be used in the gratin and the leftover milk, well flavored by the herbs, garlic and leeks and thickened with potato starch can be used as a soup base (I use the leftover milk in corn chowder).

Potatoes are layered and sprinkled with leeks, garlic, cheese, white pepper and nutmeg. A cup or so of the milk used to simmer the potatoes is added back into the gratin.

Potato & Leek Gratin

Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

Serves 6

Updated 1/16/16 – Increased cheese from 1 1/2 – 2 cups

Ingredients

1 garlic clove and butter for the dish

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced (I use my Benriner and make 1/8 inch thick slices)

4 cups milk (I use half whole and half 2% milk and save any leftovers to make corn chowder)

1 bay leaf

3 fresh thyme sprigs or 2 pinches dried

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 leeks, white parts only, thinly sliced

salt and freshly milled white pepper

nutmeg

2 cups grated cheese (The recipe calls for Gruyere and suggests variations such as Fontina or Cheddar)

2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Rub an 8 x 11 inch gratin dish with the garlic, then with butter, coating well.

Put the potatoes in a pot with the milk, bay leaf, thyme, sliced garlic, leeks and 2 teaspoons salt. Slowly bring to a boil, then simmer until the potatoes are barely tender but not to the point of falling apart (about 6 – 7 minutes). Discard the bay leaf and thyme. Drain the milk into a separate bowl.

Make a single layer of potatoes, scatter some of the leeks and garlic over the potatoes and season lightly with freshly ground white pepper, a little nutmeg, and cover lightly with cheese. Repeat until all the potatoes and cheese are used up, ending with a layer of cheese. Add enough milk to come up to the last layer of potatoes, about 1 – 1 1/2 cups. Dot with the butter then bake until a golden crust has formed on top, about 50 minutes.

Dinner, Recipes, Side Dishes, Soups, Vegetarian

Summer Roasted Tomato Soup

September 10, 2013

Our “Big Beef” tomato plants aren’t producing large tomatoes anymore, just a few golf-ball sized orbs. The plants are looking a bit ragged yet we are still collecting a few tomatoes here and there and they’re so much better than any supermarket tomatoes (in our area, that is). I had 4 pounds of ripe tomatoes and the freezer was already well stocked with fresh tomato sauce and homemade pizza sauce and there was no way I was going to oven dry tomatoes for 6 hours in this heat! So soup it was going to be. I adapted this recipe from David Lebovitz who adapted his recipe from The Bonne Femme Cookbook.

Thyme is a perfect match for the roasted tomatoes. Martha Stewart uses marjoram which would certainly work just as well in this soup.

Roasting the tomatoes helps to intensify their natural sweetness and imparts a more delicate flavor to the garlic and onions.

Summer Roasted Tomato Soup

Makes 2 quarts

Adapted from David Lebovitz blog

Ingredients

4 pounds ripe tomatoes

1/2 large onion, sliced

6 – 10 cloves garlic, peeled

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 1/2 cups liquid (I used half water and half chicken broth)

2 1/2 teaspoons minced thyme

1 tablespoon sugar

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Core the stem portion of the tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes in half horizontally and squeeze out the seeds. Toss the tomatoes with the olive oil and garlic on a rimmed baking sheet and season generously with salt and pepper. Rub a little oil on the onion slices. Turn the tomatoes so they are all cut side down and lay onion slices between the tomatoes and garlic. Bake for 20 – 30 minutes, until the tomatoes are completely soft and beginning to char on the bottoms. Slip off the tomato skins before proceeding to the next step.

Warm the water and stock in a large saucepan with the tomatoes, garlic, onions and any juices left in the pan. Add the thyme. Once warm, simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Blend the tomato mixture with the sugar (My blender could not accommodate the entire recipe so I did this in two batches).

I noticed that blenderizing the tomato mixture meant aerating the ingredients which gave the soup a very light orange color. If you slowly reheat the soup, the color changes into a vibrant and gorgeous color. This turned out to be a wonderful soup and I will be adding it to my collection of recipes.

***For vegetarian tomato soup replace the chicken broth with water.

Dinner, Recipes, Sandwiches, Tofu, Vegan, Vegetarian

Lemongrass Tofu Banh Mi

August 26, 2013

My friend Terence gave me a 3 lemongrass shoots that he wanted to find a home for. John planted them in the garden and sure enough, they rooted and are now flourishing in the warm Maui weather. I never cooked with lemongrass before. Not until John pointed out that we had some in our yard!It’s a very nondescript type of grass with razor-sharp leaves, but don’t let that fool you. The lemongrass stalks have a wonderful fragrant citrus scent and can be used in all types of recipes. It works perfectly in this tofu recipe for banh mi.

This handy tofu press saves you from wasting paper towels. The TofuXpress is one of the best little kitchen gadgets I’ve bought in the last few years. Tofu is quickly marinated and pan-fried until crispy on both sides. The scent of the lemongrass, garlic, soy sauce and sesame oil is mouth-watering.

Lemongrass Tofu Banh Mi Light and crunchy baguette with lemongrass tofu, thinly sliced cucumber, carrot and daikon pickles (do chua) and lots of cilantro. It’s one of my favorite sandwiches. Do chua can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator. I picked up two fresh baguettes at our local Vietnamese restaurant/bakery. John’s next experiment, homemade bahn mi.

Lemongrass Tofu Banh Mi

Adapted from theKitchn blog

Serves 2

Ingredients

14 ounce package extra firm tofu, pressed and cut into 10 slices (Wildwood Organic is a good brand to use. House Foods extra firm is not firm enough).

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 tablespoons minced lemongrass (about 3 bulbs)

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

2 baguettes

cilantro

do chua pickles

sliced cucumbers, Japanese or English hothouse or other types with fewer seeds (for very thin slices I use my Benriner and slice lengthwise to make long narrow strips)

Spread

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 teaspoon sriracha hot sauce

Preparation

Combine soy sauce, sesame oil, canola oil, lemongrass and garlic in a small bowl.

In a shallow dish place tofu slices in a single layer. Pour sauce over tofu, turning pieces to coat well. Let tofu absorb all of the marinade, turning and patting the lemongrass and garlic on each slice. Cook tofu in a skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp on each side (about 8 minutes on the first side and 5 minutes or longer on the second side).

Prepare your banh mi. Mix 2 tablespoons mayonnaise with 1 teaspoon sriracha. Slather on both sides of the baguette. Layer with tofu, sliced cucumber, do chua pickles, cilantro. Drizzle sriracha sauce on the tofu if you want to add a little extra spiciness to the sandwich, or add thinly sliced jalapeños.

***For vegan version use Vegenaise mayonnaise.

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Best Black Bean Chili

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Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa

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Dilly Potato Salad with Cucumber Pickles and Radishes

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Potato & Leek Gratin

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Summer Roasted Tomato Soup

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Lemongrass Tofu Banh Mi

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