The Versatile Grain and the Elegant Bean - Moros Y Cristianos with Chile Cumin-rubbed Pork Chops

This is what hippies who probably shag a lot look like.

As I have mentioned before, one of my favorite cookbooks is The Versatile Grain and the Elegant Bean by Mel and Sheryl London, published in the late 70s. It included recipes for quinoa and amaranth, almost four decades before they became the trendy grains for the foodies, although I think I read that quinoa made some inroads with the Atkins set due to its low carb makeup. Their recipes for Moros y Cristianos (black beans on seasoned white rice covered in tricolor carmelized onions and peppers) and Black Bean Timbale with Red Pepper Sauce have been returned to many times.


It was time to turn The Colonel onto Moros y Cristianos. We had some thinly sliced bone in pork chops in the freezer from the Used Meat section at the store. I rubbed the chops with a mixture of chile powder, cumin, salt and pepper and sauteed them.

You can make Moros with canned black beans, but dried beans taste a lot better and have better texture. Plus, you can better control the salt. If you don't have room in the fridge for an overnight soak, which is basically my reality now, you can do a quick soak. Place the beans in hot tap water to cover by about 3 inches and bring to a boil slowly. Boil for two minutes and then remove pot from heat. Cover and let the beans soak for an hour. Drain off the soaking liquid and rinse. Then you can proceed.

Mangia!

Moros Y Cristianos
Adapted from The Versatile Grain and the Elegant Bean

Beans

1 1/2 cup dried black beans, soaked, drained and rinsed
1 small onion, stuck with a couple of cloves
1 small carrot
1 small stalk celery
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs parsley
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
Salt to taste

Place beans in large stock pot and cover with water by about 3 inches. Add the remaining ingredients except salt, bring to a boil and simmer, covered, with lid ajar for about 55 minutes until tender. Discard the vegetables and herbs. Add salt and leave beans in cooking liquid.

Rice

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 cup long grain white rice
3 3/4 cups chicken broth
Pinch of saffron, dissolved in chicken broth
Salt to taste

Heat oilve oil in a large stockpot and add onions and garlic. Saute over medium heat for a couple of minutes. Add rice and cook stirring until transparent, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.

Peppers

One each red, green and yellow bell pepper, sliced thinly into 2 inch lengths
One Hatch chile, seeded and ribs removed, thinly sliced
One large onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in large skillet and cook onions for about 5 minutes. Add garlic, peppers and seasoning and saute, stirring often, for about 5 minutes, or until peppers are tender but still have some bite to them.

Serving

Mound rice in center of platter. Make a mound in the center. Fill the mound with peppers and spoon drained beans around rice.

Lemon Oregano Roast Chicken with Olives and Potatoes

I can get used to this AIR CONDITIONING ALL THE TIME gig. Lovely roasted chicken with oven blaring on a weekday night when the temperature has been 95 degrees with 35% humidity. BRING IT!!!! Please let the electricity hold out. PLEASE!

We were both requiring some good old fashioned roasted meat comfort that night. The Colonel has had to weigh a tough decision: whether to run again for the State Legislature (a Dem is retiring). I have had to weigh tough decisions like, when should I take the puppy out for another walk? Well, my day was slightly more complicated than that, but....humor.

Into the sauna!

Our last trip to the Paradise Known As Food City resulted in the purchase of a two pack of whole 3 to 4 pound chickens for .98 cents a pound. Ninety Eight Cents A Pound!!!! I am using the second of the pack to roast up a pan full of chicken and potatoes, exquisitely seasoned with lemons,  fresh oregano, garlic and shallots, and dappled with Kalamata olives.

The smell while roasting was absolutely heavenly, and while waiting and smelling, I looked up my Marriott points to see if we can do a Staycation night at JR Marriott at Desert Ridge. Denied! But there's one in Tucson that we'll check out.

Mangia!

Ta Da!

Lemon Oregano Roast Chicken with Olives and Potatoes

Adapted from Epicurious

INGREDIENTS

1 whole chicken (3 pounds), rinsed and patted dry

2 large garlic cloves, minced to a paste
3 unpeeled garlic cloves

3 sprigs fresh oregano, plus 1 1/2 tablespoon roughly chopped leaves

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 shallot, finely minced

Coarse salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3 lemons

2 red onions, quartered and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes, quartered (I used purple, red and yellow fingerlings)

1/2 cup Kalamata olives, roughly chopped

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock

 Preheat the oven to 400°, with the rack positioned in the center. Loosely tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips under. Put the chicken in a large bowl and rub it inside and out with the garlic paste. Place the unpeeled garlic and 3 oregano sprigs in the cavity.

Stir together the olive oil, shallot, 1 tablespoon chopped oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Loosen the skin near the cavity with your hands; spread some of the oil under the skin. Pour the remaining oil mixture over the skin to coat. Transfer the chicken to a roasting pan with rack. Squeeze juice from 1 lemon half over the chicken; and place in the cavity. Season the bird evenly with 1 teaspoon of salt and another 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Quarter the onions and potatoes; arrange around the bird. Add the black olives to the surrounding vegetables. Tuck two lemon slices between each of the wings and breasts and scatter the remaining slices from 1 lemon over the vegetables. Sprinkle the vegetables with 1/2 tablespoon of oregano and pour the wine and stock into bottom of the Dutch oven.

Roast the chicken and vegetables for 30 minutes, then lower the temperature to 325° and continue cooking for 45 minutes, basting 2 or 3 times with the pan juices until an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken thigh registers 165°.

Remove the chicken from the oven, and let stand for 10 minutes. Check the doneness of the potatoes and continue cooking them as necessary (I had to cook for about 25 minutes more, but that probably had to do with them being somewhat crowded in the roasting pan) Carve and arrange pieces on a serving platter with the roasted potatoes, lemon slices, onions, and black olives.

Mid-week Comfort Food - Lamb and Feta Stuffed Peppers

Ready for lovin' in the oven

The Colonel was feeling poorly this day and came home early from work with a fever and an icky tummy. Stuffed peppers are one of his favorite comfort foods, but I am not sure if this was the type of comfort needed today. I planned to make it that night, so I went ahead with the plan despite the fact that it would probably be too much for him. That's where chicken soup and toast come in, and he can still enjoy them for work lunches and dinner leftovers.


Mangia!

Lamb and Feta Stuffed Peppers

Baked and tasty

Adapted from All Recipes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

 6 medium green bell peppers, tops sliced off, seeded and ribs removed. Chop up tops finely and add to onions while cooking  (I used two green, two red and two yellow because...color)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup pine nuts

1 cup cooked rice
16 ounces ground lamb

1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 cup tomato sauce

1 cup cold water

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, add onions and pepper tops and cook for four minutes until soft. Stir in garlic and cook one minute.

Stand peppers upright in a 9x12-inch baking dish.

In large bowl, combine onion mixture, dill, salt, allspice, crushed red pepper, pine nuts and pepper. Mix in rice and lamb, fold in feta cheese. Stuff peppers with mixture.

Mix tomato sauce with water, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Pour half over peppers, and half over bottom of dish. Cover with foil.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Uncover and continue baking 15 minutes, basting occasionally with sauce, until a meat thermometer inserted in center of filling reads 160 degrees F 

Labor Day BBQ #2 - Monday Dry Rubbed Steak With Grilled Corn Salad

I am really enjoying the "Used Meat" section selections. It's like easy menu planning by opening freezer! Queen of Sheba!

We found thinly sliced, bone in ribeyes at the store and scooped them up. I had been hankering for grilled corn salad, and we have grown to love flaunting the complex's anti-BBQ rules, so match made in heaven! I had hatch chiles left over so in they went, along with bells and radishes and grape tomatoes.

This steak is rubbed with a spice blend, and the salad can be tweaked with any seasonal veggies you desire. We picked out a dry summer rose to go with.

Mangia!

Dry-rubbed Steak with Grilled Corn Salad
Adapted from Epicurious

Steak

1 pound steak (we picked up thin sliced ribeyes from the "used meat" section in the butcher department. We love the "used meat" department. Very budget-friendly)
2 tbsp light brown sugar

1 tbsp ancho powder or chile powder

1 tbsp paprika

2 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp ground black pepper (freshly)

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp granulated garlic

1 tsp mustard powder (English)

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground cumin

2 tbsp olive oil (plus more for grill)

Corn Salad

                  

4 ears of corn (shucked)

1 large purple onion, sliced into very thick slices (about 1/2" thick)

1 jalapeno chile, halved and seeds and ribs removed

4 Hatch chiles, halved and seeds and ribs removed

1 each red, yellow and green bell pepper, quartered lengthwise, seeds and ribs removed

1/4 cup green onions, sliced
1/2 cup sliced radishes

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1 pt cherry tomatoes (halved)

1/2 cup Cacique queso Cotija

                

Dressing

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1/2 cup olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced and crushed to a paste

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp cumin 

freshly ground pepper

 kosher salt

Coat steak with all of dry rub, packing on more than once if needed, and drizzle with 2 Tbsp. oil to help rub adhere. Marinate for 8 hours to overnight.

Prepare a grill for medium-high heat, or use a stove top grill. Grill corn, turning occasionally, until lightly browned all over, 8–10 minutes; let cool. Cut kernels from cobs and place in a medium bowl. Continue grilling all vegetables in batches; cool slightly and chop. Add dressing ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine; season with salt and pepper. Toss with vegetables and cheese.

Prepare a grill for medium-high heat; oil grate. Grill steak, turning occasionally and moving to a cooler spot on grill as needed to control flare-ups, until nicely browned, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest.

Thinly slice steak and serve on top of the salad. Or just heave a slab of beef on your plate and go for it.

Labor Day BBQ #1 - Sunday Moroccan Chicken Brochettes With Tomato and Cucumber Salad

Labor Day weekend! We are gleefully flaunting our disregard of the restriction on patio grills by grilling not once this holiday weekend, but twice! And with charcoal so our transgression is particularly public.

I was especially disappointed that Phoenix seems to restrict all private grills on patios and balconies in multi-unit communities, but The Colonel had seen many examples of grills in use once he moved in. We figured we'd risk it.

It's been happily used a few times. We had some lovely ribeyes one night, some burgers and marinated London Broil. This was the first non-beef use. We return to beef for Labor Day.

I had a large package of wooden skewers unpacked in one of the rounds of disgorging boxes this past week, and The Colonel expressed a desire for kebabs. I had seen a recipe for Moroccan-spiced chicken brochettes, with paprika and cumin, with the final product dressed with a thick garlic sauce. I decided to also add yogurt to the marinade and add some coriander along with the other spices. I prepped the thighs the day before so they'd have a nice long, savory bath.

I made a simple salad of chopped cucumber, red onion, sliced cherry tomatoes and chopped Italian parsley, with red wine vinegar and olive oil to go along.

Mangia!

Moroccan Chicken Brochettes

Adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients

Garlic Sauce:

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Kosher salt

1/3 cup olive oil

5 tablespoons plain yogurt

Chicken:

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2" pieces

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup Greek yogurt

2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons paprika

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Kosher salt

Vegetable oil (for grilling)

2 cups Couscous, cooked with chicken broth, with 1/2 cup golden raisins and 1/3 cup sliced almonds stirred in after cooking
 

Warm pita or flatbread (for serving)

Special equipment: Sixteen 8" bamboo or metal skewers (if using wood, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before cooking so they do not burn)
 

Preparation

Garlic Sauce:

Place garlic in a mortar; season with salt and pound to a very fine paste. (Alternatively, place garlic on a cutting board, season with salt, and mash with the side of a chef's knife.) Transfer garlic paste to a small bowl and gradually whisk in oil.

Very gradually whisk yogurt into garlic mixture until emulsified. (Add too fast and sauce will break. If it does break, gradually whisk in 1 teaspoon water just before serving.)

Do ahead: Garlic sauce can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

Chicken:

Toss chicken, garlic, parsley, cumin, paprika, and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl; season with salt. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.

Prepare grill for medium-high heat and oil grate. Thread chicken onto skewers. Grill, turning occasionally, until cooked through, 8-12 minutes. Serve with garlic sauce, pita bread, labneh and couscous

Do ahead: Chicken can be marinated 12 hours ahead. Keep chilled.

 

Fried Taquitos, Tacos and Tostadas Night - Using Up Leftover Green Chile Sauce And I Found La Tortilla Factory Tortillas!

Some economies of scale are necessary these days for several reasons. One, I am not working full time, so we're not officially DINKs with a yuppie-like food budget; and two, the new pad has a rather smallish fridge. I am training myself to look for what we already have while menu planning, before rushing out to buy a bunch of stuff that doesn't fit.

I had to make up a batch of bland, very low fat food for the NEW PUPPY, Kagan, alias Jackie Grey, so I had picked up very lean hamburger and some chicken breasts to mix with rice. The store had a BOGO on boneless, skinless breasts. I usually cook with chicken thighs (MORE CHICKENY!!) so I am not used to dealing with the boobs. I tucked the second package away, and the other day I saw they carried La Tortilla Factory products, so I scored both green chile corn tortillas (yum) and soft, fluffy flour ones (super yum). I had frozen about half the batch of green chile sauce from the tamale night, so time for tacos!!!

I like both crunchy and soft tacos. The Colonel's favorites are crunchy, so I'm playing Dad tonight and will fry up some shells for him. And to really be Dad and because if you're going to have all that oil out anyway, why not taquitos? Dad made great shells and taquitos. My Substandard Mother, all 128 pounds of her, usually birded away at a small piece of toast and a cup of coffee for breakfast and barely seemed to eat the rest of the day, but come Taco Night, somehow she could tuck away a dozen of them.

Back then, the family tacos consisted of ground beef seasoned only with salt and pepper (there was that Taste Bud thing about Mom again), cheese (my sister and I crack up thinking "Colby cheese"!!!), iceberg lettuce and tomatoes. Dad would also cut up yellow onions and use some red hot sauce. Granddad was the most exotic taco-seasoner, using green chile hot sauce. I loved that stuff.

So, the spread, while tasty, was a tad boring. Then one Taco Night, Dad decided to try his hand at taquitos. Dad was in ironworking by then, so he had a lot of co-workers turning him onto Mexican specialties. He would bring home tamales, ceviche, posole, at all of which Mom would sneer. Those taste buds working overtime again.

We are garnishing with green onions, cotija cheese, salsa, guacamole and cilantro. And Cholula on the table of course.

Mangia!

Chicken Taquitos with Green Chile Sauce

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded

1 cup Green Chile  sauce

3⁄4 cup vegetable oil

24 corn tortillas

oil (for deep frying)

1/2 cup crumbled queso Cotija, plus another ½ cup for toppings

salsa

guacamole

chopped green onions, cilantro, sliced radishes

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl combine chicken, green chile sauce and cheese. Mix well and set aside.

In a small skillet, heat oil. Use tongs to dip each tortilla in oil for about 5 seconds on each side. Drain on paper towels. Keep warm.

Place 2 tablespoons of chicken mixture onto each tortillas. Roll tortillas as tightly as possible and hold closed with a toothpick.

Heat additional oil in skillet. Deep fry taquitos until browned (about 1-5 minutes depending on how crisp you want them). Drain on paper towel and serve with toppers of your choice.

Serve 2 taquitos per person.

To freeze: Prepare taquitos as directed. Allow to cool and place on a baking sheet. Freeze until firm and then transfer to a freezer bag.

To serve: Microwave to thaw and reheat.

Fried Taco Shells

Add additional oil to that used for taquitos so the oil is a couple of inches deep in skillet. Heat on high heat. Add one tortilla at a time with tongs. Coat on both sides in the oil and with the tongs make a bend in the middle of the tortilla. Continue holding the bend with your tongs and move the shell back and forth in the oil. After a minute or so, flip to the other side of the bend so that side can cook for a minute or so. Drain on paper towels.

As a reminder, here is the Green Chile Sauce Recipe:

Green Chile Sauce

1 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed (10 to 12 medium)
Fresh, hot chile peppers, stemmed and roughly chopped (about 4 serranos or jalapenos)

4 large garlic cloves, peeled

1 ¹⁄₂ tablespoons vegetable oil or 1 ¹⁄₂ tablespoons olive oil

2 cups chicken broth

Salt

Easy Recipe For A Day Of Unpacking - Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Cole Slaw

Dear God in Heaven....the movers finally made their back end appearance! Monday was a busy day of unpacking. Busy days like these require not only something easy to prepare, with make ahead elements, but also some good old fashioned comfort. Pulled pork sandwiches, made easy by a slow cooker preparation, and homemade barbecue sauce and cole slaw made ahead fit the bill.

I prepared the sauce on Sunday, and made the cole slaw prep even easier by cheating and going with a bagged cole slaw mix. Broccoli in this case. Time for some veggies to offset all the cream sauces of the past few days.

Mangia!

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Cole Slaw
Adapted from Food Network Kitchen

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

2 teaspoons hot paprika

1 teaspoon mustard powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 3 -to-4-pound boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, plus more to taste

3 tablespoons tomato paste

6 onion buns, or potato buns

Barbecue sauce and prepared coleslaw, for serving, recipes below

Combine 1 tablespoon brown sugar, the paprika, mustard powder, cumin, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet; add the pork and cook, turning, until browned on all sides, 5 minutes. Remove the pork and transfer to a plate; whisk 3/4 cup water into the  drippings in the skillet. Transfer the liquid to a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker.

Add the vinegar, tomato paste, the remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 2 cups water to the slow cooker and whisk to combine. Add the pork, cover and cook on low, 8 hours.

Remove the pork and transfer to a cutting board. Strain the liquid into a saucepan, bring to a boil and cook until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Season with salt. Roughly chop the pork and mix in a bowl with 1 cup of the reduced cooking liquid, and salt and vinegar to taste. Serve on buns with barbecue sauce and coleslaw

Kansas City-style BBQ Sauce

Courtesy: Food Network Kitchen

2 tablespoons neutral-tasting oil, such as grapeseed or vegetable

6 cloves garlic, smashed

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 slightly heaping tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Pinch ground cloves

2 cups ketchup

2 cups water

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup dark molasses

1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons English-style dried mustard

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, chile powder, paprika, red pepper, allspice, and cloves and cook, stirring, until paste is dark brick red, about 3 minutes. Add the ketchup, water, vinegar, molasses, brown sugar, salt, soy sauce, Worcestershire, mustard, black pepper, and bay leaf. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the flavors come together, about 30 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf before using.

Classic Cole Slaw
 Adapted from Simply Recipes

4 cups thinly sliced cabbage (green or purple, or a mix) (I cheated and bought a bag of pre-sliced cabbage and carrots....convenience is the key word today)

1 carrot, grated (large holes of a box grater) (part of cheating scheme described above)

2 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

4 Tbsp mayonnaise

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

2 teaspoons cider vinegar or wine vinegar

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (more to taste)

   

Place the cabbage, carrot, and onions in a large bowl. Add the dressing ingredients and gently mix so that all of the shredded cabbage is coated with the dressing.

Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.