Vegetarian Black Bean Chili
Simmered black beans with red and white quinoa, toasted cumin, onions, tomatoes, New Mexico and poblano chiles, garlic, oregano and wedges of avocado, all served up in baked corn tortilla shells..
Vegetarian Black Bean Chili
Soak dried black beans and quinoa in filtered water overnight. Drain, rinse and cook in vegetable stock until just done.
Sauté cumin seeds, chopped chiles, garlic and onions in a heavy skillet over medium heat until browned and fragrant. Add chopped tomatoes and poblano peppers and cook 5 minutes.
Add garlic, Mexican oregano, 1/4 teaspoon each cloves, allspice and cinnamon, cooked beans and quinoa and simmer 20 minutes; keep moist by adding bean-cooking liquid as needed. Adjust seasoning with sea salt and freshly-ground pepper.
Meanwhile, lightly coat small corn tortillas with oil and press into the wells of a jumbo muffin pan. Bake at 400 degrees until crisp and browned.
To serve, spoon chili into tortillas shells and garnish with avocado wedges, a squeeze of fresh lime and hot sauce.
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- Black Bean Chili
Charro Beans with Roasted Chayote and Red Chili Corn Pone
A traditional Mexican dish named for her charros (cowboys), charro beans (frijoles charros, cowboy beans) are pinto beans simmered with onions, garlic, chilies and tomatoes. I’m adding black beans, epazote and Mexican oregano and serving it a roasted, scooped-out chayote (Aztec chayotli) squash with red chili corn pone on the side..
Soak dried beans overnight, then drain, rinse and cook in fresh water until not quite done, about 1-1 1/2 hours. Set aside.
For the corn pone, mix together 1 cup of white or yellow stone-ground cornmeal with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of coarse chili powder. Add 1 teaspoon lard or bacon grease, then carefully stir in 1 cup of boiling water (filtered). Allow to stand long enough to soften and cool, then form into 1/2 inch cakes about 3 inches in diameter. Cover with a damp towel and set aside. (this corn pone is based on a recipe by author Crescent Dragonwagon)
Meanwhile, split and seed 1 or more chayote, drizzle lightly with oil, season with S&P and roast in a 375 degree oven until charred and tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Toast whole cumin seed in a dry skillet until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon lard or bacon grease, minced garlic, chopped onion and diced jalapeño and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes and oregano, beans and the scooped out, chopped flesh of the roasted chayote along with enough of the bean liquor to just cover.
Simmer until beans are tender but intact, perhaps 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, reheat chayote in the oven or under the broiler and fry the pones in a small amount of butter until golden brown and crispy on the edges.
Spoon bean mixture into chayote shells and serve with hot corn pones and a roasted jalapeño.
Chayote is a good source of Niacin, Vitamin B6, Pantothenic Acid, Magnesium and Potassium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Folate, Zinc, Copper and Manganese.
This post is part of Real Food Wednesday at cheeseslave.com
Real Food: Masitas de Puerco Frita
Succulent, crisp Cuban fried pork chunks with black beans and mojo criollo (Creole garlic sauce)..
Adapted from recipes by Mary Urrutia Randelman
Rinse, pick over and soak dried black beans overnight in filtered water.
Cut boneless pastured pork into large (1 1/2 inch) chunks and season liberally with seal salt and freshly-ground pepper. Crush fresh garlic into a paste and rub into the meat. Place into a glass bowl and pour fresh orange and lemon juice over the top. Enhance with dried citrus peel and herbs if you like (I do). Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Meanwhile, prep Creole garlic sauce by crushing fresh garlic into a paste and adding thinly-sliced onion, a medium-hot pepper of your choosing, sea salt, orange and lemon juices and olive oil. Allow to sit a room temperature while the pork is marinading.
Cook black beans until just under done and set aside. Cook chopped bacon, bell peppers and garlic in olive oil until just tender, about 5 minutes. Add beans, a little of the cooking liquid, bay leaf, cumin and S&P and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat an inch of unrefined peanut oil in a deep, heavy over medium heat until shimmering hot. Carefully ad the pork to the hot oil one piece at a time and allow to sizzle undisturbed for 5 minutes. Increase the heat incrementally, if necessary to keep the oil hot (but not smoking).
Turn the pork over with tongs or a slotted spoon and fry another 5 minutes undisturbed.
Continue to cook, now turning often, until pork is cooked through and golden brown on all sides. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Pour off all put a generous tablespoon of the hot oil, return the pan to the heat and quickly fry the Creole onions until tender.
Serve pork alongside black beans and dress with Creole garlic sauce.
Guava & Chipotle Roast Turkey with Tomatillo Salsa
Spicy, smoky, sweet, hot, tart, earthy. There’s a lot of flavor going on here. Let’s break it down..
Sear turkey breast or turkey breast tenderloins over medium-high heat just enough to get those nice grill marks (you can do this indoors or out). Set aside.
Make glaze by very slowly melting guava paste in stock over low heat so that it doesn’t burn. It should be about the thickness of honey when done. You can add 1/2 teaspoon vinegar if it is too sweet for you.
Meanwhile, steep chipotle peppers in almost boiling water until soft and pliable, about 10-15 minutes. Discard water, stem, split and seed. Purée briefly with a little stock to form a paste about the consistency of ketchup. Add a little bit at a time to the guava, tasting it for heat as you go.
Prepare Mexican rice, roast corn & black beans and tomatillo salsa (fresh tomatillos, onions, jalapeno, salt, lime juice, olive oil and cilantro).
Liberally baste the turkey with the glaze then roast in a preheated oven at 375 degrees until it reaches an internal temperature of 155 degrees, about 20-30 minutes depending on the thickness of the meat. Reserve a little of the glaze. Transfer to a cutting board to rest, where it will continue to cook for a few minutes.
To serve, spoon corn & beans next to rice and place sliced turkey on top. Dress with reserved glazed and tomatillo salsa, and pass the Cholula hot sauce.
Rating ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ +
Chipotle Black Bean Chicken Chili (favorite)
Crushed tomatoes, black beans, onion, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, roasted peppers, chicken, corn, chipotle powder, smoked sweet paprika, sea salt and cheddar cheese.
Brine* the chicken for 1 hour before starting the recipe. Brining makes the chicken much more tender and juicy.
In a Dutch oven, saute the onions, jalapeno, garlic and chipotle until tender, about 7 minutes.
Add tomatoes and peppers, simmer 10 minutes.
Brown the corn with cilantro. Browning releases the sugars and intensifies the corn flavor.
Add the corn, drained black beans and a large spoonful of nutritional yeast flakes. Stir and simmer 10 minutes.
Cook the (rinsed and patted dry) chicken in hot oil with smoked paprika until almost done, about 5 minutes per side.
Cut the chicken into bite size cubes, add to the chili and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Serve topped with shredded cheese and slivered scallions.
* “The brining process forces water into the muscle tissues of the meat by a process known as diffusion and osmosis. This additional moisture causes the muscle tissues to swell and hold more water. The resulting water in the muscle tissues will make the meat more moist and tender. Any spices herbs or other flavorings you add to the brine solution will get taken deep into the meat with the water.”
Rating ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
