Browsing Tag

Poblano Pepper

Beans, Dinner, Lactose Free, Recipes, Side Dishes, Smoker

Smoked Baked Beans

June 27, 2021

Smoked Baked Beans

There is a myriad of ready-to-eat canned beans that are great for a quick meal. However, if you are looking for baked beans that are over the top, you will fall in love with these smoky, sweet, and tangy beans with bacon.  They are a delicious side dish for grilled or fried chicken, barbecue ribs or anything from the grill for that matter, including burgers.  The subtle smoky flavor is one you can’t get from canned beans.  The recipe calls for a smoker, so if you have one, you’ll be delighted with the final result.  

Onion, Poblano Pepper, Garlic

This recipe is made with canned pinto and white beans which simplifies this terrific dish.  Feel free to switch out the beans with others that you may have on hand, such as cannellini beans, black beans, or use all pinto beans.  The aromatics are garlic, onion and a bit of poblano pepper.  The flavorful sauce includes cider vinegar, molasses, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, tomato paste, chili powder, and barbecue sauce.  

Preparing Beans for the Smoker

Smoked Baked Beans

The beans will spend a few hours in the smoker.   All you need to do is give them a stir now and then which will ensure that smoky, savory flavor you’re looking for.

Smoked Baked Beans

Smoked Baked Beans with Fried Chicken & Coleslaw

Serve the beans with your favorite meals. One of ours is extra crispy fried chicken tenders and coleslaw.  

Smoked Baked Beans with Bacon

Smoked Baked Beans
 
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Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 4 slices medium thick bacon, chopped into ½-inch pieces
  • 2 cups sweet or yellow onion, diced
  • 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ small poblano, seeded and diced (about ⅓ cup)
  • 2 15-ounce cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 15-ounce cans small white beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup barbecue sauce
  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons molasses
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons mild chili powder
  • 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
  1. Preheat smoker to 225 degrees
  2. In a large Dutch oven (I use my 5½ quart) sauté bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels, leaving behind the rendered bacon fat. Add onions and poblano pepper to the pan and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, stir for another minute.
  3. Add drained beans and the rest of the ingredients (except cooked bacon). Stir to combine. Bring to a boil then carefully transfer to a medium sized disposable aluminum pan. Place pan, uncovered, directly on smoker grates. Smoke for about 3 hours, stirring beans every 30 minutes. During the last hour of cooking add ¼ - ½ cup of water to moisten the beans (these beans are meant to be thick and savory, without a lot of liquid). Stir in crispy bacon bits just before serving the beans.

 

Appetizers, Dinner, Lactose Free, Mexican, Recipes, Sauces, Vegan, Vegetarian

Roasted Salsa Verde

June 6, 2021

Roasted Salsa Verde

This tomatillo based salsa is delicious and because it’s homemade, it tastes far better than any jarred salsa found on the grocery store shelves.  I find that store-bought salsas tend to be quite salty so making my own allows me to add just the right amount of seasoning and heat from the peppers.  It’s very easy to make and can be eaten with tortilla chips or served with your favorite Mexican dishes.

Cilantro, Tomatillos, Onion, Garlic, Serrano, Poblano

I made a small batch that was just the right amount for four meals, but feel free to double the recipe if you are serving more than two people.  Broiling the tomatillos, peppers, onion and garlic add an extra depth of flavor. Peppers can vary in heat.  Buy a couple of serrano peppers just in case using one is too mild for your taste.  

Roasted Salsa Ingredients

Instead of turning on my oven broiler, I use my Breville toaster oven which saves me from heating up the house during these hot summer days.

Roasted Salsa Ingredients + Cilantro

After the the tomatillos, peppers, onion and garlic are broiled, everything gets blended into a thick salsa with the immersion blender.  Do you have one of these gadgets?  It definitely comes in handy when you don’t want to drag out the big blender for a small project like this.  

Roasted Salsa Verde with Tlacoyos

I usually chill the salsa a bit before serving it so plan ahead if you want to do the same.  Otherwise serve it at room temperature with crispy tortilla chips, tacos and burritos, or our new favorite Mexican dish: Tlacoyos.  It’s delicious on scrambled eggs scooped into warm corn tortillas.  

Roasted Salsa Verde

Roasted Salsa Verde
 
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Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • ¾ pound tomatillos, husked, washed and cut in half
  • 1 small garlic clove, peeled
  • ¼ small onion, cut into wedges
  • 1-2 serrano peppers
  • 3 strips of poblano pepper
  • ½ cup lightly packed cilantro, finely chopped (reserve 2 tablespoons)
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon sugar
  • fresh lime juice
Preparation
  1. On a foil lined broiler pan, lay tomatillos cut side down, along with the garlic, onion and peppers. Broil for 10-15 minutes or until nicely charred (remove garlic clove earlier to avoid burning). Let cool for 5-10 minutes.
  2. Carefully lift foil and pour ingredients into immersion cup or food processor (including juices from tomatillos). Add cilantro, salt, sugar and a few squeezes of fresh lime juice. Blend or pulse just until ingredients are thoroughly combined and have a thick consistency. Remove to a serving bowl. Adjust seasoning with extra salt and lime juice. Stir in reserved 2 tablespoons of finely chopped cilantro.

 

 

Chicken, Dinner, Lactose Free, Mexican, Recipes, Soups

Chicken Tortilla Soup

March 27, 2020

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Spending time in the kitchen whether chopping vegetables, baking, or cleaning up, means more to me than ever before. It’s the best therapeutic respite from all of the terrible news that we are confronted with these days.  Cooking gives me a break from the stress.  Making tortilla soup fits the bill for a perfect meal that is a breeze to prepare and it tastes so good.  A warm bowl of soup is always so comforting.

Tortilla Soup Ingredients

Poblano Pepper, Onion & Garlic

White Corn Tortillas

Sometimes we don’t use all of the corn tortillas we buy so we freeze them to use later. This is a perfect way to use them up.

Sautéed Onions, Poblano Pepper & Garlic

I love that everything goes into one pot.  Sautéed onion, garlic and a poblano pepper makes the house smell so good, especially when the onions start to brown.

Sautéed Onions, Poblano Pepper & Garlic

Sautéed Onions, Poblano Pepper, Garlic, Tomatoes

Diced tomatoes are added along with chopped corn tortillas.  It may be hard to imagine how this might turn in to a glorious soup but I assure you it will.

Sautéed Onions, Poblano Pepper, Garlic, Tomatoes & Corn Tortillas

Sautéed Onions, Poblano Pepper, Garlic, Tomatoes, Corn Tortillas, Chicken Stock & Broth

I use an immersion blender to puree the soup.  It may look a bit plain, but once you add toppings it turns into a beautiful bowl of soup full of color and flavor.  Once pureed, roasted chicken breast that has been shredded is added to the soup.

Tortilla Soup

Crushed tortilla chips, diced avocado, lime and cilantro (only for those cilantro lovers) are perfect toppings.  The poblano pepper adds a mild heat to the soup but for those who like it hot, a dash or two of your favorite Mexican-style hot sauce adds a bit of zing along with a squeeze of lime juice.  You could leave out the avocado and cilantro, but the crushed tortilla chips are a must.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup
 
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Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons Earth Balance Buttery Sticks (or regular butter)
  • 1 large onion, roughly chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 medium poblano pepper, roughly chopped
  • ¾ cup Rotel tomatoes with green chiles (mild)
  • 6 white corn tortillas (6-inch) cut into small pieces
  • 1 tablespoon mild chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 32 ounce carton chicken stock (I use Swanson)
  • 32 ounce carton low sodium chicken broth (I use Swanson)
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt (more to taste)
  • 3 cups coarsely shredded roasted chicken breast (I use Costco roasted chicken and shred the breast meat)
  • Toppings:
  • crushed tortilla chips
  • diced avocado
  • chopped cilantro
  • lime wedges
Preparation
  1. Combine olive oil and butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and poblano pepper. Sauté until onions are lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
  2. Add tomatoes and tortillas and stir to combine with other ingredients for a minute or two.
  3. Add chili powder and cumin, stirring to coat the vegetables.
  4. Add chicken broth, chicken stock and salt to the pot, stirring to mix the soup. Bring to a boil then simmer for about 20 minutes on med-low heat until the soup thickens slightly.
  5. Remove pot from burner. Using an immersion blender on low speed (so the soup doesn't splatter) puree the soup until it is smooth. Add the chicken to the soup.
  6. Serve with crushed tortilla chips, avocado, cilantro and lime.

 

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