Black Beans with Chorizo and Spinach

Ingredients
2 poblano peppers
10 oz. Mexican (not Spanish) chorizo sausage
10 oz. spinach
2- 15oz. cans of black beans
1/2 cup queso añejo (sometimes called queso cotija)
1/2 cup sliced red onion


Instructions
1. Wash the poblano peppers and place them on a baking sheet under the broiler until the skin begins to blacken and blister, then turn them over and blacken the other side.  Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool.


2. Remove the casing from the chorizo and cook over medium heat in a large soup pot.  Stir regularly and break into small pieces, about 8 to 10 minutes.  It can be hard to tell when the chorizo is finished since it looks the same before and after cooking, so keeping a timer on is a good idea.


3. While the chorizo is cooking, place the spinach in a microwaveable bowl, cover with plastic wrap, poke a few holes in it, and cook on high for 2 minutes to wilt the spinach.  Set aside.


4. Once the chorizo is ready, add the beans with their liquid, and 1 cup of water.  Simmer for 10 minutes.


5.  Remove the stems and seeds from the poblanos, and peel off as much of the skin as possible.  Cut them into thin strips, about 1/4 inch, and add to the beans.  Add the spinach, and return to a boil for 5 minutes.


6. Remove beans from heat and add cheese and onions.

Feijoada

Notes

We substituted a few things in this recipe, based on the advice of real Brazilians, since we don't have a Brazilian grocery store nearby.  Instead of linguiça, we used kielbasa.  Instead of carne seca we used brisket.  Instead of pork belly we used bacon.  

Ingredients

6 cans of black beans

2 large white onions, diced

6 garlic cloves, chopped

4 bay leaves

½ cup sliced green onions

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 lb. pork tenderloin

1 large smoked ham hock

1 lb. linguiça sausage

½ lb. carne seca 

1 lb. pork ribs 

½ lb. pork belly 

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Salt, to taste

Instructions

1. In a large pot, sauté 1 chopped onion, 3 cloves of garlic, bay leaves and scallions for 2-3 minutes in 2 tablespoons oil. Cut the pork tenderloin into small pieces, about 1/2 inch cubes, and add to the pot. Saute until meat starts to brown, about 5 more minutes. 

2. Cut the sausage and pork belly into 1 inch pieces, and the carne seca into 2 inch pieces.  Cook the ribs in a smoker, or pan sear them in salt, pepper, and liquid smoke.  Add the meats, and beans.

3.Cook in a pot on the stove over low-medium heat for about 2½ hours. 

4. Remove 2 cups of beans and place in a bowl. Set aside. Remove the ham hock and cut the meat off the bone. Discard the bone and skin.  The stew should contain large chunks of meat.

5. Mash reserved beans into a paste.  Heat remaining oil in a frying pan and add remaining garlic and onions. Cook until golden. Add pepper, hot sauce, vinegar and mashed beans. Heat over medium for 2-3 minutes, and then add to feijoada. The mashed beans will thicken the mixture. Let simmer l0-l5 minutes. Salt to taste and stir well. Stew should be thick, creamy and glossy black.  Serve with white rice, sauteed collard greens and orange slices.

Flautas

Ingredients
30 Corn Tortillas
3 lbs. Chicken
Oil for frying
Salsa
Sour Cream
1 Head of Lettuce
Limes

Instructions
1. Cook and once it has cooled, shred the chicken.  It can really be any piece of the chicken cooked any way.  We usually boil breasts or thighs or roast a whole chicken in the oven.
2. Heat tortillas in a pan or for about 40 seconds in the microwave.  You just want them to be flexible enough to roll.
3.  Heat oil in frying pan over medium heat.  You only need about a half inch to an inch deep oil.  While oil is heating roll tortillas around chicken, and stick a toothpick through the middle.  You can use one toothpick for 2 flautas.
3. Fry flautas a few at a time until they are a light golden brown.  Remove from the oil allowing any excess oil to drip off and then let rest on paper towels.
4.  Serve with salsa, sour cream, shredded lettuce and lime juice.

The Italian American Civic Club Sandwich

This is a sandwich from DiPasquale's in Baltimore.  Not much of a recipe, but here's what's in it.:

Bread
Pesto Mayonnaise (about 80% pesto)
Pancetta
Turkey
Tomatoes
Arugula

Minestrone

Ingredients
2 slices pancetta or bacon
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 tsp. salt
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 cup peeled and sliced carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
28 oz. canned whole tomatoes
1 1/2 cups peeled diced potatoes
8 cups water or broth
1 bunch swiss chard
38 oz. canned cannellini beans
1 zucchini sliced and quartered
3/4 cup ditalini pasta
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 tbsp. olive oil


Instructions
In a soup pot, heat pancetta over medium heat. Once it is cooked, add 2 tbsp. olive oil, onions, salt and cook, stirring occasionally for about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking for another minute. Crush the tomatoes and add with their liquid and water or broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes, carrots and celery, bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes.  


Separate the stems and leaves of the swiss chard.  Chop the stems, similar to the celery, and cut the leaves into 1 inch wide strips.  Lay on top of the soup, cover with a lid, and reduce the heat to simmering.  Let it simmer for at least 30 minutes.

Add beans and zucchini and simmer for another 15 minutes.  

15 minutes before you are ready to serve the soup, bring the soup to a rolling boil and add the pasta. 

While the pasta is cooking, combine the basil, grated cheese and oil in a small food processor or blender. Processes until you have a rough paste, adding a little more oil if necessary. Season to taste with salt and add to the soup just before serving.

Brussels Sprout Salad

Ingredients
1 small red onion
4 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 pound brussels sprouts
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 lemon
1 tsp. honey
1 tbsp. shallots
12 oz. mozzarella cheese

Instructions
1. Cut onion into 1/2 inch pieces and toss with 1/2 tbsp. olive oil and a pinch of salt.  Heat another 1/2 tbsp. of olive oil over medium heat in a saute pan.  Once hot, add onions and cook until soft.  Transfer onions to a small non-metal bowl, toss with vinegar and let marinate in refrigerator for up to 1 hour, but for at least 10 minutes.
2. Remove outer leaves from brussels sprouts, remove nubs from bottom, and wash.  Using a mandoline thinly slice brussels sprouts.  Transfer brussels sprouts and onions into a salad bowl.  Slice 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese shavings with a vegetable peeler and mix with sprouts and onions.
3.  Whisk together 3 tbsp. olive oil, 2 tbsp. of lemon juice, honey, and shallot to make the dressing.  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour dressing over salad and toss to distribute evenly.  Season with extra salt, pepper, and lemon juice if needed.
4. Cut mozzarella into slices and serve alongside salad.

Black Bean and Plantain Rice

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup long or medium grain rice
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and finely diced
1 20 ounce can of black beans

2 ripe (black and soft) plantains
3 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup chopped parsley or cilantro (optional)


Instructions

1. In a sauce pan with fitted lid, measure oil in pan and set over medium heat. Add rice and onion, and cook, stirring regularly, until both are lightly browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Mix in garlic and cook a minute longer.

2. Drain the liquid from the beans.  Add the beans, broth and salt to the rice and stir. Cover pot and reduce heat to low. Cook 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and let the rice stand 10 minutes, covered, until the grains are tender.

3. Dice plantain into 1/4 inch cubes, and finely chop parsley or cilantro.  Fluff rice and mix in plantain and parsley or cilantro.

Pork Tamales

makes 48 tamales / 16 servings

INGREDIENTS

FILLING

4 pounds pork leg or shoulder

16 guajillo chiles

3 cloves garlic

3 cups water

½ teaspoon Mexican oregano

DOUGH

6 cups Maseca brand Masa for Tamales

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 cups Lard

6 cups warm chicken stock or water

Corn husks- at least 50

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Remove stems and seeds from chiles.  Place chiles in enough hot water to cover them for 20 minutes.  Transfer chiles, water, and whole garlic cloves to a food processor and puree.

2. Remove any skin or bone from the meat, and trim as much fat as possible.  Cut into ½ inch cubes.  Add chile puree, 3 cups of water, and pork to large pot.  Simmer over low heat for an hour or until pork is tender enough to pull apart with a fork and puree has reduced to a thick sauce.  Remove from heat, and shred with a fork.  Add optional Mexican oregano.

3.  Whisk the Maseca, baking powder, and salt together.  Add the lard and mix to a uniform consistency.  Form it into a volcano and mix in stock or water 2 cups at a time.

4.  Soak corn husks in warm water for 20 minutes.  Tear 2 or 3 husks into thin strips to use as ties for the formed tamales.

5. Form tamales by flattening a corn husk, spreading a large spoonful of dough onto the husk with the back side of a spoon in the shape of a rectangle with about a ½ inch border around the edge.  Place pork in the middle of the dough, roll husk lengthwise, fold up the small end, and tie with one of the thin strips of corn husk.

6. Heat a pot of water to a boil over medium heat.  A tamale steamer (sold as a tamalera or vaporera in Mexican supermarkets) works best, but you can also use a large stock pot with a vegetable steamer placed in the bottom.  Steam tamales for 90 minutes.

Stromboli & Calzones

For the dough we use Alton Brown's pizza dough recipe, except that we don't split it like the instructions say.  It is best to prepare this a day ahead of time.

Italian Stromboli
5 oz. Genoa Salami
5 oz. Large Pepperoni
5 oz. Cappicola
5 oz. Ham
6 oz. Mozzarella Cheese

Veggie Stromboli
2 cups spinach
1 cup broccoli
6 oz. Crimini / Baby bella mushrooms
4 oz. roasted red peppers
4 oz. Sun dried tomatoes
6 oz. Mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 500°.

1. Make pizza dough and stretch into a rectangle.

2. Layer ingredients one at a time leaving some room around the edges.

3. Roll the dough and seal all the edges.  Cut slits into the top so it doesn't explode.

4. Bake for about 8 minutes or until the dough is golden brown.


Calzone

6 oz. Mozzarella cheese
6 oz. Ricotta cheese


1. Preheat oven to 500°.

1. Make pizza dough and stretch into a circle.

2. Place cheeses on one side of the dough leaving about an inch of dough around the edge.

3. Fold the dough in half and seal the edge.  Cut slits into the top so it doesn't explode.

4. Bake for about 8 minutes or until the dough is golden brown.


Sauce (called gravy in South Philly)
Olive Oil
1 small onion
3 cloves garlic
2 cans stewed tomatoes
Fresh Basil- about 8 - 10 leaves
2 tsp. oregano
1 cup chicken stock
Salt
Pepper

1. Heat enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a stock pot over medium heat.

2. Sautee onion for about five minutes, then add crushed garlic cloves and sautee for another minute.

3. Add the tomatoes, chopped basil, oregano, and chicken stock.  Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to low and simmer for 3 hours.

4. Add salt and pepper to taste.  To achieve your desired consistency use an immersion blender or food processor to puree some of the sauce.

Cornbread Chicken Pot Pie

We had baked a whole chicken the night before, so used the half of the chicken we didn't eat, and then made stock from the carcass.  If you want to do that, here is a nice instructional video.  There are lots of shortcuts that could make this recipe easier, such as using a store bought cornbread mix, chicken gravy instead of the sauce, and canned vegetables.  

Ingredients

½ chicken (about 2 lbs.)

½ butternut squash

1 Yukon Gold potato

6 baby red potatoes

12 oz. frozen corn

4 carrots

5 celery spears

1 medium onion

6 tbsp. Butter

6 tbsp. Flour

6 cups Chicken stock

Cornbread (double recipe below)

Instructions

1.       Cut chicken into small pieces, about ½ inch cubes.

2.       Cut butternut squash in half.  Remove seeds and inner membranes and bake at 400° for 30 minutes.  After it cools cut into ¼ inch cubes and set aside in a baking dish.  Add corn.

3.       Cut potatoes, carrots, celery, and onions into similar size chunks, about ¼ inch, and mix together in baking dish with squash and corn.  Bake at 375° for about 20 minutes, until potatoes and squash are soft but not mushy.

4.       Make a roux by melting butter in a sauce pan, and adding flour one tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly.  Add chicken stock one cup at a time and stir until even.  Season with salt, pepper, onion powder, and celery salt to taste.

5.       Mix cornbread batter, and grease a large baking dish (corningware works well).  Pour about half an inch of batter into the bottom of the dish, and bake for 10 minutes or until it is solid enough to hold the filling.

6.       Mix chicken, vegetables, and sauce together, and pour onto baked cornbread bottom.  Leave some room along the sides of the dish, and then pour cornbread batter on top of filling so that everything is covered.

7.       Bake for about 20 minutes or until cornbread is golden.

Cornbread

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter

2/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Grease an 8 inch square pan with lots of grease in the corners.
2. Melt butter and stir in sugar. Add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into butter and sugar mixture. Stir cornmeal, flour, and salt together in a separate bowl, and then mix into wet ingredients. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

White Chicken Chili

We made one and a half times this recipe for tonight's dinner.  This is based on Kelsey's mom's recipe that we have altered slightly and actually added measurements to.  If you don't want it as spicy, use a mild salsa, and don't add the green chiles.

Ingredients

1 medium white onion

5 cloves garlic

3 chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs.)

Chicken rub (instructions below in #2)

4 tbsp. butter

6 tbsp. flour

½ cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup milk

2- 15 oz. cans butter beans

2- 15 oz. cans navy beans

16 oz. salsa verde

4.5 oz. chopped green chiles

1 white chili flavoring packet (McCormick)

Monterrey Jack cheese

Cilantro

Sour Cream

Instructions

1. Sautee onion in enough butter and oil to coat bottom of pan over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, then add crushed garlic cloves, and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.  Transfer onions and garlic to soup pot, leaving behind as much oil/butter as possible.

2. Cut chicken into 1/2 inch cubes, and cover with chicken rub consisting of 2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. of each of the following, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, coriander, cumin, and chili powder.  Cook chicken in remaining oil/butter.  Add to onions and garlic in soup pot.

3. Make a roux by melting 4 tbsp. butter and slowly adding 6 tbsp. of flour.  Once it is even, slowly add in cream and milk until it reaches an even consistency.  Transfer into soup pot and turn stove to medium heat.

4. Add in beans, salsa, chiles, and flavoring packet.  Mix together, and simmer for a few hours, or until you can’t resist.

5. Serve with shredded cheese, chopped cilantro and sour cream.

Harvest Fruit Bake

Ingredients

½ butternut squash

4 apples

6 oz. fresh cranberries

¼ cup light brown sugar

½ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. sea salt

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1/8 tsp. allspice

1/8 tsp. cardamom

3 tbsp. raspberry preserves

2 tbsp. butter


Instructions:

1. Cut butternut squash in half, scoop out seeds and inner membranes, then bake at 400° for 30 minutes.
2. Peel apples and cut into slices.  Lightly grease a 9 inch baking dish and lay apple slices across bottom. 
3. Remove squash from oven and after it is cool enough to handle, peel away outside.  Cut into ½ inch cubes, and lay on top of apples.
4. Preheat oven to 350°.
5. Pour cranberries on top of apples and squash.
6. Melt preserves in microwave and then pour over the top.
7. Sprinkle brown sugar, salt, and spices evenly across the top.
8. Cut butter into thin slices and lay across the top.
9. Bake for 30 minutes at 350° or until cranberries are soft.