There is probably no food that offers as much nutrition at such a low cost as the lowly dried bean. Many people are put off by directions that the beans be soaked over night and cooked for hours. But it need not be that way. While soaking might help the beans cook a bit more quickly it is not necessary nor does it really do anything to reduce any possibly embarrassing after effects. I use a pressure cooker to just soften the beans then cook them in the chili. Note that I make my own chile powder. You could use store-bought, but developing your own lets you fine-tune it to your taste and control the amount of salt in the dish.
½ pound, 1¼ cup, dried black (turtle) beans
½ slice, about 1 ounce, bacon (optional)
Neutral cooking oil such as Canola
1 medium onion, chopped
4 or 5 cloves garlic, unpeeled
2 medium or 3 small dried guajillo chiles
1 medium dried ancho chile
1 medium dried pasilla chile
2 small dried hot chiles such as árbol or moritas, to taste
12 ounce bottle beer, I use Saranac Pale Ale, a medium English-style red ale
2 cups water
6 ounces, 1½ cup, corn kernels from the cob or frozen
6 ounces, 1 cup, medium grain rice
½ medium onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. oil
2 cups water or stock
Salt and pepper to taste
Masa harina or fine cornmeal to thicken
Sour cream to serve, I use low fat
Rinse the beans and pick them over for small stones, in a 4-quart pressure cooker, cover with water by 2 inches, and cook at 15 psi for 10 minutes after the weight starts jiggling. Let stand for 5 minutes then cool the cooker under cold running water and release the pressure per the manufacturer’s instructions. Drain the beans discarding the cooking water and set aside.
Render the bacon in a large enameled Dutch oven or other suitable pot over medium-low heat until crisp. Remove and set aside. If needed, add enough oil to the rendered bacon fat to make up about 1 Tbsp. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring from time to time, until golden brown.
While the onion is cooking put the chiles and garlic on a dry griddle or in a dry cast iron skillet over high heat, turning occasionally. When done the garlic will have blacked spots; the guajillos will have turned dark, and the other chiles will be fragrant. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Cut the hard stems from the chiles and peel the garlic. Coarsely chop the chiles and add to a food processor. Process for a couple minutes then put into a coffee grinder that you reserve for spices and grind until medium fine. Process the garlic for a few seconds.
When the onions are done add the garlic and chile powder to the pot. Stir for a minute then add the beans, beer, water, and reserved bacon if using. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes then add the corn. Continue simmering until beans are tender. Adjust the seasoning. (Depending on the beer and the chiles you use, this chili can be a bit bitter. It will need a generous amount of salt and perhaps a small amount of sugar.) If desired, “tighten” the chili with a bit of masa harina or fine cornmeal mixed into cold water and stirred into the chili.
After adding the corn to the chili, start the rice. Put the oil into a medium pan with a tightly fitting lid; add the onion and rice, and cook, stirring constantly until the rice is chalky. Pour in the water, bring to a boil, and simmer, covered, over very low heat for about 15 minutes, or until done.
Serve the chili over the rice topped with a dollop of sour cream and a bit of hot sauce if you like.
Last night I took an unlabeled piece of meat out of the freezer with the intention of using it for dinner tonight when it had thawed and I could figure out what it was. Turns out it was slice of beef eye round, a nice lean cut. Then I discovered some left-over tomatillo-jalapeño salsa lurking in the bottom of the fridge. Add a couple potatoes to stretch the meat, a bit of corn, some frozen lamb stock that needed to be used up, and voila: Mexican Mystery Meal.
½ pound beef, eye round or pretty much any other cut
2 medium, about 1 pound, firm white or yellow potatoes scrubbed or peeled and diced
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed and coarsely chopped
1 small red bell or Anaheim pepper, seeded and diced
Cooking oil
1 cup, about 12 ounces, corn kernels cut from the cob or frozen
1 cup tomatillo-jalapeño salsa[i]
1 cup beef or lamb stock, optional
Masa harina or fine cornmeal as needed to thicken
Cut the meat into ⅜-inch dice. Heat about 1 Tbsp. oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat and brown the meat for about 5 minutes. Do not be tempted to cut this step short, thorough browning is needed to bring out the flavor of the meat. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium-low and, if needed, add a bit more oil to the pan. Add the onions and peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in the stock and deglaze the pan scrapping up any bits stuck to the bottom. Add the potatoes, reserved meat, and corn. Stir in the salsa. Bring to a boil and simmer, partially covered, until the potatoes are done and the meat is tender, about 30 minutes.
When done, mix about a tablespoon of masa with cold water and stir into the pot. Turn the heat up a bit and let come to a boil to thicken. Serve alone or over plain white rice with the usual chili accompaniments such as grated cheese, sour cream, or finely chopped onions.
Shrimp, especially large ones, are wonderful cooked on a charcoal grill with a hint of wood smoke. To balance the smokiness of the shrimp I have added a bit of bacon to the green beans. Simple white rice makes a great accompaniment. It may seem that there is a lot prep work in this recipe but much of it can be done ahead. The actual cooking only takes a few minutes.
½ pound green beans, fresh or thawed if frozen
¼ cup raw almonds
½ slice bacon, about ½ ounce
10 large tail-on shrimp, about 12 ounces, thawed if frozen and deveined
1 Tbsp. melted butter
Old Bay seasoning
1 cup, about six ounces, long-grain white rice
2 cups water
Salt and pepper to taste
Put a small chunk of hickory and 4 bamboo skewers into water to soak.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Trim the ends off the green beans, but leave them whole. Put the beans into the rapidly boiling water and blanch for 4 minutes. While they are cooking prepare a large bowl of ice water. Drain the beans and plunge them into the ice water to stop the cooking. Drain again and set aside.
Bring a cup of water to boil and add the almonds. Blanch for about 2 minutes. Drain and cool. Remove the skins and sliver the almonds lengthwise with a sharp knife. Heat an ungreased cast iron skillet over high heat and toast the almonds, tossing regularly, until they are just brown and fragrant. Be careful not to let them burn. Remove immediately to a small bowl and set aside.
Prepare a charcoal grill for direct cooking over high heat. Place the hickory chunk on the edge of the coals.
Combine the rice and water in a small pot, bring to a boil, and simmer for about 20 minutes or until done.
Render the bacon in a non-stick skillet until crisp, remove, and set aside. You should have a light film of bacon fat in the pan.
Thread the shrimp on the skewers, using two skewers for each serving of 5 shrimp to prevent them turning on the grill. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with Old Bay. Repeat on the other side.
About 5 minutes before the rice is done, put the shrimp over the hot coals. Grill for about 3 minutes on a side.
While the shrimp are cooking, heat the skillet with bacon fat on medium-high heat, add the green beans, and toss to heat through. Add the reserved bacon and almonds. Toss for another minute or so.
To serve, place a serving of rice on a plate, lay the shrimp skewer across it, and spoon the green beans next to the rice.
In our culture meals are generally built around a protein of some sort, usually meat. But at this time of year when the farmers’ markets and roadside stands are overflowing with the bounty of the countryside vegetables should play the starring role. This dish combines lovely yellow summer squash with a variety of colorful small bell peppers. I serve it simply with grilled pork chops and roasted potatoes for a nice summer evening meal.
1 medium or 2 small summer squash, about ½ pound (zucchini would be good too)
2 or 3 small bell peppers of various colors
½ medium onion, thinly sliced
3 or 4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
4 or 5 fresh basil leaves cut into a chiffonnade[i]
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp. olive oil
½ tsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 boneless pork chops, about 6 ounces each
2 medium firm white or yellow potatoes, about 10 ounces total
More olive oil, salt, and pepper
Slice the squash crosswise into ⅜-inch thick slices. Halve the larger slices so that all the pieces are about the same size. Halve the peppers lengthwise, remove the seed, stem, and ribs then cut crosswise into ⅜-inch wide strips.
Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan over medium low heat. Add the onions and sweat gently for about 4 minutes. Do not allow them to brown. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or so until fragrant. Add the bell peppers and continue to cook gently until slightly softened, about a further 4 minutes. Add the squash, basil, salt, bay leaf, and a generous grind of black pepper. (Do not be tempted to omit the salt. It is necessary to draw the moisture out of the squash. ) Cover and simmer over low heat for about 40 minutes. If desired, uncover, break up the squash with a wooden spoon, turn the heat up to medium-high, and allow to concentrate.
While the squash is cooking, prepare a charcoal grill for two-zone cooking over high heat.
Scrub and eye the potatoes. Quarter them lengthwise and toss with about ½ Tbsp. olive oil and a good pinch of kosher salt. About 20 minutes before the squash are done, but the potatoes on the cooler side of the grill. Turn occasionally.
Trim any visible fat from the pork chops, pat dry, rub with a bit of olive oil, and sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper on both sides. When the potatoes have been on the grill for about 15 minutes, put the pork chops on over the hot coals. Grill for about 4 minutes on each side, ideally to an internal temperature of 145°. Let stand for a few minutes before serving.
Last night Glenda returned from rehearsing with her trio carrying a bag of fresh green beans her brother, Jim, had been given by some friends with a farm near his house. With those in hand, a fresh red Anaheim pepper from the Binghamton farmers’ market, and some brown basmati rice I thought it a good night for a vegetarian dinner. This recipe, which I adapted from Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian (Clarkson Potter, NY 1999), also features preserved lemon often used in North African cuisine. Although most closely associated with Morocco, the ones I have found in specialty shops are usually from Egypt. There really is no substitute for preserved lemon, so if you have none just leave it out.
1 cup, about 6 ounces, brown basmati rice
½ pound green fresh green beans
1 medium red Anaheim, bell, or other sweet pepper
3 or 4 cloves garlic, peeled
¼ to ½ preserved lemon, seeded (these are rather bitter, so start small)
1 dried hot red chile
2 cups water or stock (I used 50-50 water and some lamb stock I had in the freezer)
3 or 4 green cardamoms, bruised
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper
Rinse the brown basmati rice well in several changes of water and leave to soak while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and prepare a large bowl of ice water. Trim each end of the beans and cut into one-inch lengths. Drop into the boiling water and cook for 4 minutes or until intensely green and just barely done. Drain and immediately plunge into the ice water. Drain again and set aside.
Char the red pepper over a gas flame, under a very hot broiler, or as I do, with a plumber’s torch. Wrap loosely in a kitchen towel to cool for a few minutes then rub off the charred skin. Cut in half lengthwise and remove the stem, seeds, and ribs. Slice into strips about ⅜ inch wide then cut those strips into 1 inch long pieces. Set aside.
Place the peeled garlic cloves on a cutting board and crush them with the blade of a chef’s knife. Slice lengthwise into coarse slivers. Chop the preserved lemon finely. Set aside.
Drain the rice and put into pot with tightly fitting lid along with the cardamoms, stock and/or water, and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, cover tightly, and cook over very low heat until all the water is absorbed, about 30 to 40 minutes.
When the rice is done, or nearly so, heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan. Add the dried red chile and cook for a couple of minutes. Remove from the oil and discard. Put the garlic into the pan and fry for a few seconds being careful not to let it burn. Add the beans, Anaheim pepper, and preserved lemon. Toss for a couple of minutes until everything is warmed through. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately over the rice.
Serves 2
My lovely wife, Glenda, is allergic to wheat so gluten-free cooking is the norm at our house. On two out of three Thursdays, though, she goes to Ithaca to rehearse with her trio, Diamonds in the Rough, and I indulge myself with a home-made pizza. This is my favorite.
Note that while I make my own dough and sauce I will leave it to you, dear reader, to come up with your own, store-bought or home-made as you prefer.
Preheat oven to 500° (450° for convection). Stretch the dough into a crust on a pizza plate or a peel dusted with cornmeal. Spread the sauce thinly over the crust. Cover with mozzarella. Arrange the meats on top. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned.
Gravlax, or gravad lax, originated in Scandinavia as a method of preserving salmon. Today it is eaten mostly as an appetizer although I like to serve it as an alternative to lox with Sunday brunch.
1 to 1½ pounds salmon filet
¼ cup kosher salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. or more chopped fresh dill
1 Tbsp. vodka
Rinse and dry the salmon. Remove any pin bones and the skin if it is still on.
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl then stir in the vodka. Rub half the mixture on one side of the salmon. Turn the fish over onto a large piece of plastic wrap and coat the other side. Wrap tightly in the piece of plastic with another piece over it.
Place in a shallow pan just large enough to hold it. Put a small board on top to distribute the weight of a plastic-wrapped brick or other weight. Put in refrigerator to cure for one or days.
When done, pour of the accumulated brine or save for use in Scandinavian sauces. Rinse the remaining curing mixture from the finished gravlax and dry.
To serve, slice very thinly on an angle.
Note: some recipes say that the salmon should be wrapped in cheesecloth instead of plastic wrap so that it gives off more moisture. I haven’t tried that but it sounds like a reasonable alternative method.
Biryani is a rice dish similar to a casserole or paella. Usually it is made with lamb or chicken, and vegetables although it makes an excellent vegetarian entrée as well. Made from scratch, it has a long list of spices but many in the Indian diaspora in the UK, US, and elsewhere use one of the spice pastes that are widely available. This recipe uses the biryani paste made in the UK by Patak’s and is adapted from the recipe on the label.
Raita is shredded cucumber in yoghurt and makes cooling accompaniment to spicy Indian dishes.
1 medium cucumber
2 cups plain yoghurt, low-fat is best
Kosher salt
6 ounces, scant 1 cup, basmati rice (you could use long-grain white rice but the dish would lack depth)
1 tbsp. canola oil or ghee
1 medium onion
8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into ¾” dice
4 ounces, about 6 tbsp., Patak’s Biryani Paste
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped, or 7 ounces of canned tomatoes
4 ounces, about 1 cup, fresh or frozen peas (you can use any other vegetable(s) of your choice)
1/8 tsp. Indian chili powder or cayenne pepper (optional)
1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
Peel the cucumber, cut it in half lengthwise, and scrape out the seeds. Shred coarsely with a hand grater or food processor. Place in a strainer and sprinkle generously with kosher salt. Set aside to drain.
Line another strainer with cheese cloth and add the 2 cups of yoghurt. Set aside to drain.
Rinse the basmati rice well and put in a large bowl of cold water. Set aside to soak at least 30 minutes.
Peel the onion, cut it in half lengthwise, and slice into ⅛” thick semicircles. Heat the oil in a deep pan with a tightly fitting lid (I use my indispensible 3-quart enameled Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Cook the onion, stirring from time to time, until deep brown. Don’t worry if they burn a bit.
Add the biryani paste to the onions and fry for about 2 minutes or until the spices become fragrant. Add the diced chicken, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for about 5 minutes until nearly done. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for another minute, then add the water. Raise heat to bring to a boil while scrapping up any spices that have stuck to the bottom of the pan. Stir in the peas, cover, a simmer on over very low heat for about 20 minutes.
While the biryani is cooking, finish the riata. Put the yoghurt into a bowl. Rinse the cucumber thoroughly until most of the saltiness is gone. Squeeze the water out of the cucumber and stir it into the yoghurt. Add the chili powder if using, taste, and adjust seasoning as needed. Place in refrigerator to cool or leave at room temperature.
When the biryani is done, stir in the chopped cilantro and serve with the riata and other Indian pickles accompaniments you choose.
The tomatillo (Physalis philadelphica), like the tomato it resembles, is a member of the nightshade family that also includes potatoes, eggplant, and tobacco. It is most common in Mexican cooking where it is used in green, citrusy salsas like the one here. Mating it with the medium-hot jalapeño adds a bit of zip to the sauce without overpowering the scallops. These enchiladas may be served as part of buffet or as simple dinner, either alone or with Mexican rice.
1 pound fresh tomatillos (you can use canned tomatillos if fresh are not available but skip the charring)
1 or 2 fresh jalapeños, depending on your taste and the hotness of the chiles
1½ medium onion, about 200 g
3 or 4 cloves garlic, chopped
Kernels from one ear of corn, about 4 oz., or an equivalent amount of thawed frozen corn
½ pound bay scallops, thawed if frozen
2 cups seafood stock, or one bottle clam juice plus water to make up 2 cups
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
8 corn tortillas
Oil or lard
Salt and pepper
½ cup shredded cheddar or jack cheese
This recipe is adapted from Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen (Scribner, NY 1996).
Husk and rinse the tomatillos. Put them and the jalapeños onto a baking sheet and place under a very hot broiler for about 5 or 6 minutes. Turn over and char the other side for a further 5 or 6 minutes. Put the chiles under a kitchen towel and put the tomatillos with any juices into a bowl. When the jalapeños are cool enough to handle, rub off their skin and remove stem and seeds. Add to bowl with tomatillos. Set aside.
Coarsely chop one onion. Heat about 1 tbsp. oil or lard in a heavy, deep skillet (cast iron is best) over medium-high heat. Cook stirring regularly until golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Set aside to cool a bit.
Place the tomatillos, chiles, onions, and garlic into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until mixture is smooth but still chunky. Wipe out the cast iron skillet and add another tablespoon of oil or lard to it. Heat over high heat until the oil just begins to smoke then pour in the contents of the food processor bowl all at once. Careful: it will splatter a bit. Turn the heat down to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture has darkened and thickened. Add the stock and simmer vigorously, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the cilantro. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Preheat the oven to 350° (325° for convection)
Place the tortillas in a steamer over boiling water to soften.
Chop the remaining ½ onion into small dice and coarsely chop the scallops. Sauté onion over medium heat until just softened. Add the corn and toss for a couple of minutes. Add the scallops and sauté for a further couple of minutes until done. Add about ¼ cup of salsa and heat through.
Spread about ¼ cup of salsa on the bottom of a shallow baking pan about 8” by 10”. Put about 2 Tbsp. of the scallop mixture on a tortilla and roll. Set in the pan. Do the same with the rest of the tortillas, lining them up in the pan. Cover with good amount of salsa and sprinkle with the cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until the enchiladas are warmed through and the cheese is melted.
Spiedies or grilled chicken go very well with rice. Here I serve spiedies over a tasty Greek-style pilaf with spinach. A bit of feta crumbled on top finishes the dish nicely.
See Sunday’s post for the spiedie recipe. Here is how to make the pilaf.
200 g (about 1 cup) long grain rice
150 g (about 1 cup) frozen chopped spinach or chopped fresh spinach
60 g chopped onion (about ½ medium onion)
15 g minced garlic, about 2 cloves
15 g (about 1 Tbsp.) unsalted butter
500 ml (about 2 cups) water or stock (I used ½ cup lamb stock and 1 ½ cup water)
15 ml (1 Tbsp.) lemon juice
Salt to taste
Preheat oven to 160°C (325°C).
Over medium low heat, melt the butter in a heavy pot with a lid. (I use a three-quart enameled Dutch oven.) Sweat the onion in the butter until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two until fragrant. Raise the heat to medium high; add the rice, and cook, stirring constantly, until coated with butter and slightly chalky-looking. Pour in the liquid and add about ½ tsp. salt. Bring to a boil. Add the spinach and return to a boil. Cover and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and check for doneness. If ready, sprinkle with lemon juice, fluff with a fork and serve. If not, return to the oven for a few minutes to finish.
Serves 4
