(Vegetarian) Black Bean Enchiladas

Fresh corn tortillas filled with black beans, onions, peppers, cheddar, asiago and toasted cumin.  Bathed in fire-roasted tomato sauce with crushed chile chipotle, Mexican oregano & a splash of apple cider vinegar.  Topped with more cheese, then baked until sizzling hot.  Topped with a dollop of thick crema Mexicana..

Black Bean Enchiladas

Green Chili Stew with Fried Black Beans and Garlic Roasted Chicken

Hatch chilies and roasted tomatillos are simmered in chicken stock thickened with fresh corn flour and served with cumin-fried black beans and garlic-roasted chicken..

Green Chili Stew with Fried Black Beans and Roasted Chicken

For the Beans

1 cup dried black beans
3 cups filtered water
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon leaf lard
1/4 teaspoon epazote
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/4 cup yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup fresh tomatoes, diced
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Rinse beans and pick over.  Put in a bowl, cover with cool water and allow to soak overnight.  Drain, rinse and put into a heavy saucepot with 3 cups of filtered water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 1 hour. Drain, reserving some of the liquid and set aside.

Toast cumin in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant.  Add lard, onions and tomatoes and cook until onions are brown and tomatoes have lost their shape.  Add beans, a little bean cooking water, oregano and epazote and simmer, uncovered until tender, about 20 minutes.  Add a little water if necessary to keep beans from drying out.  Mash beans with the back of a wooden spoon and season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the Chicken

fresh chicken pieces
1 tablespoon pastured butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Melt butter over medium heat then add garlic, paprika and chipotle and allow to steep 15 minutes.  Rinse chicken and pat dry.  Brush liberally with butter mixture and season with salt and pepper.  Roast in a 375 degree oven, turning twice until juices run clear, about 35 minutes.

For the Green Chili Stew

1 pound tomatillos
1/3 pound fresh Hatch or Anaheim chilies
1 cup chicken stock (preferably homemade)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup white onion, minced and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon piloncillo or rapadura (optional)
1 1/2 tablespoons coarse corn flour
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Remove stems and husks from tomatillos and rinse. Split in half across the equator then place face down in a heavy skillet and roast until browned.  Transfer roasted tomatillos to the bowl of a food processor and coarsely pulse together with chilies, cilantro, garlic and onion.  Transfer mixture to a heavy saucepan, add 1/2 cup chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, add vinegar and piloncillo and simmer 20 minutes.  Add corn flour, stir and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, spoon fried beans in the center of a serving plate,  Ladle green chili stew around the perimeter, then arrange pieces of roasted chicken over the top.  Garnish with chopped cilantro and dress with crèma Mexicana or sour cream.

Lechon Asado (Cuban Roast Pork)

Mojo-marinated, slow-roasted pork shoulder with sour orange juice, cumin, oregano and fresh peppers, served with black beans and saffron rice..

Lechon Asado (Cuban Roast Pork)

Lechón Asado (Cuban Roast Pork)

For the Mojo (Cuban Marinade, Three Guys from Miami)

8-10 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon oregano
1 cup sour orange juice, or 1/2 cup orange juice plus 1/4 cup each fresh lemon and lime juice

Use a large mortar and pestle to mash all the ingredients (except orange juice) into a paste.  Transfer paste to a bowl and combine with the orange juice.  Allow to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

For the Pork

Marinate the pork in the mojo for 4 hours (refrigerated).  Remove the pork from the marinade and pat dry.  Heat some fat in a Dutch oven set over medium heat, then brown the pork well on all sides.  Transfer the pork to a plate and pour off all but a tablespoon or two of fat from the Dutch oven.

Toast a tablespoon of whole cumin seeds in the Dutch oven, then add a cup of chopped red onion, 3 minced garlic cloves and 1/3 cup of Cubanelle, bell and/or jalapeño  peppers and sauté until softened and fragrant.

Nestle the pork shoulder (fat side up) in the vegetables, then pour in 1 cup of chicken stock and the marinade.  Add some wedges of lemon and lime and a palm-full of chopped fresh oregano. Cover and cook in a 200 degree oven until fork tender, about 3-4 hours depending on the size of the roast.

Remove from the oven, uncover and let stand 20 minutes.

For the Rice

Cook long-grain aged basmati in chicken stock until tender, adding water-soaked saffron during the last few minutes of cooking.  Season to taste with salt & pepper and garnished with chopped parsley.

For the Beans

Soak black beans overnight in filtered water before preparing in the usual fashion.  Stir in some of the vegetables from the Dutch oven during the last 15 minutes of cooking.

To Serve

Spoon rice onto a serving plate then top with beans.  Use 2 forks to pull the pork into chunks and place alongside the rice and beans.  Spoon some of the vegetables and pan juices over the pork and serve immediately.

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This post is part of the Food Renegade’s Fight Back Fridays!

Black Bean Tamales, Roasted Tomato Salsa and Chile con Queso

Fresh corn masa spread on soaked husks and filled with cumin-fried black beans.  Served with fire-roasted tomato salsa and chile con queso..

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Black Bean Tamales, Roasted Tomato Salsa and Chile con Queso

For the Chili con Queso

1 1/2 cups fresh whole milk
1 1/2 cups grated raw cheddar cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons pastured butter
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
1 red Fresno pepper, minced
1 tablespoon sweet dairy whey
1/2 teaspoon smoked chili powder
1 teaspoon cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon parsley, chopped
salt and pepper

Heat butter in a heavy saucepan over medium low heat.  Add peppers and cook until softened.  Add milk and bring to a strong simmer, stirring often.  Add whey (this gives the sauce a tangy taste) and stir to combine.  Add cheese a little at a time, stirring as it melts.  Season with smoked chili powder and salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in cilantro and parsley and keep warm.

For the Tomato Sauce

2 plum tomatoes, cored and halved
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 small white onion, diced
1-2 small green chiles, diced
pinch of non-refined sugar (optional)
salt and pepper

Roast, grill or broil tomatoes until partially black and blistered.  Allow to cool enough to handle, then sauté together with garlic, onions and chiles until most of the water has evaporated.  Add sugar if using, and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Keep warm.

For the Filling

1 cup black beans, soaked overnight
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/2 small white onion, diced
1 small clove garlic
1 tablespoon leaf lard
salt and pepper

Cook black beans in chicken stock until tender.  Drain and set aside, reserving liquid

Sauté onion, garlic and cumin in lard until fragrant.  Add beans and mash with the back of a wooden spoon.  Add bean cooking liquid as necessary to form a thick but spreadable paste.  Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary.

For the Dough

1 1/2 cups coarse corn masa (not cornmeal)
1 1/2 cups chicken stock, warm
1/4 cup leaf lard
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

6 8-inch enconchada-style corn husks, soaked

Whip lard until fluffy, then blend in masa, salt and baking powder.  Slowly mix in chicken stock until a moist, consistent dough is formed.

Spread dough as evenly as possible over one side of each husk, about 1/8 inch thick.  Place a large spoonful of fried bean mixture in the center of the dough.  Fold the sides of the husks so that they overlap in the center, forming a long cigar-like structure.  Fold the empty part of the husk under so that it rests against the seam.

Bundle tamales together and steam standing upright until cooked through, about 15 minutes.

To serve, ladle tomato sauce into the center of a plate, carefully unwrap the tamales and arrange around the perimeter.  Spoon chile con queso over the top, and garnish plate with bits of diced onion, red pepper and cilantro.  Drizzle hot sauce and serve immediately.

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This post is part of Real Food Wednesdays

Avocado Black Bean Quesadillas

Fresh whole wheat tortillas, homemade chili con queso, avocado, black beans and heirloom tomato..

Avocado Black Bean Quesadillas

Avocado Black Bean Quesadillas

For the Chile con Queso

Gather jalapeños, green onions, garlic and cilantro from your backyard (or CSA, farmers’ market or co-op), grab some fresh whole milk and raw cheddar from the fridge and whole cumin, coriander, sea salt, pepper, chili powder and Mexican oregano from the pantry.

Toast the seeds in a dry pan over moderate heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes.  Add oregano, garlic, chili powder and milk and simmer for a few minutes.

Stirring briskly, add peppers, onions, cilantro and lots of shredded cheese.  Continue to stir until cheese is melted and sauce is thickened, perhaps 5 minutes (do not let the mixture boil, or you will lose valuable nutritional value and risk curdling the sauce).  Add a little more milk if too thick, a little more cheese if too thin.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the Filling

Mix together roughly equal parts diced white onion, avocado, cooked black beans and tomatoes.  Add the juice from half of a fresh lime, bits of diced red Fresno and poblano peppers and chopped cilantro.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Refrigerate at least one hour before using.

Method

Using a rubber spatula, spread a thin layer of cooled chili con queso on one side of each tortilla.  Be sure to spread all the way to the edge.

Spoon avocado mixture into the center of a tortilla and spread to within about 1/2 inch of the edge.  Top with another tortilla and press the edges together to form a seal.

Place the assembled quesadillas into a lightly-greased comal or skillet and cook in a 350 degree oven until the cheese is bubbling and the tortillas have begun to get crisp and brown on the edges.

Slide the quesadillas onto a cutting board and let stand 2-3 minutes before cutting into wedges.  Serve with pro-biotic pickled red onions on the side.

This post is part of The Nourishing Gourmet’s Pennywise Platter Thursday