Fiesta Bean Salad

Slightly adapted from a recipe by Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger 

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1 poblano chile

1⁄2 cup olive oil

1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp chipotle powder (or chili powder)

1 teaspoon salt

1⁄2 teaspoon pepper

1 small red onion, finely diced

1 can (~15 oz) canned, rinsed, and drained black beans

1 can (~15 oz)  canned, rinsed, and drained pinto beans

1 can (~15 oz) canned, rinsed, and drained navy or great northern beans

cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped (~1⁄4 cup)

Core and seed the bell peppers and poblano and cut them into a small 1⁄4-inch dice. The pepper and chile cubes should be similar to the size of the cooked beans.

To make the dressing, in a large bowl whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, spices, salt, and pepper. Toss in the diced peppers, chile, onion, beans, and cilantro, and mix well. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or (even better) overnight.  Adjust seasoning before serving. 

For more color and a little extra sweetness, add whole kernel corn.

Kung Pao-Style Tofu and Veggies with Ramen

Ingredients

                      

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil·                       
• 1 pound extra firm tofu
• soy sauce
• cornstarch

• 1 red bell pepper, cored and sliced thinly
• 1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
• a couple crowns of broccoli, cut into small florets·                        
• ½ cup roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped or crushed                      
• 3 garlic cloves, minced                      
• 1 tablespoons grated fresh ginger                      
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more if you like the dish hotter - this amount gives a slight warming to the lips - the original recipe calls for 1 tsp which is really hot)                       
• 2½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth                      
• 3 (3 oz.) packages ramen noodles, seasoning packets discarded                      
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce                      
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar                      
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil                      
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced        

Directions

1.  Drain tofu block then cut it horizontally into two slabs and press between paper towels (put a weight on top) for several minutes to remove some of the water.

2.  Cut the two slabs into cubes and place them in a shallow container.  Sprinkle some soy sauce over them and turn them to absorb all of the soy sauce.  Transfer the cubes to another shallow container containing cornstarch and turn the tofu until all sides are coated with cornstarch then place the tofu pieces on a wire rack

3.  Heat a 12" non-stick frying pan with a shallow amount of vegetable oil in it until the oil is shimmering.  Place the tofu cubes in the oil (should start frying immediately) and pan fry until bottom of tofu cubes are brown.  Adjust heat as needed.  Turn cubes and continue frying until all sides are golden.  When complete, transfer the cubes to a paper lined plate to drain and keep warm in a warm oven.

4.  Wipe out the frying pan with paper towels then add 1 tablespoon of the oil to it and heat over high heat until very hot.

5.  Add the bell pepper and cook until pepper is softened, 2 to 3 minutes.   Transfer to a bowl.

6.  Add another tablespoon oil to skillet and return to medium-high heat until shimmering.   Add the broccoli and stir fry constantly until the florets are bright green and a little browning has occurred.  Add a few Tablespoons water, put a lid on the frying pan, and reduce the heat to low.  Let the broccoli cook for 3-5 min until the broccoli is cooked as much or little as you prefer.  Remove the lid, raise the heat, and stir fry the broccoli again until most of the moisture has evaporated from the broccoli.  Transfer the cooked broccoli to a bowl with the red pepper.

7.  Add another Tbsp oil to skillet, add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes and heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

8. Stir in broth. Break bricks of ramen into small chunks and add to skillet. Bring to simmer and cook, tossing ramen constantly with tongs to separate, until ramen is just tender, but there is still liquid in the pan, several minutes.

7.  Stir in hoisin, vinegar, and sesame oil and continue to simmer until sauce is thickened, a minute or two.

8.  Stir in broccoli, peppers, peas, and peanuts.  Stir/toss until everything is hot.  Add the tofu cubes and stir to mix. Sprinkle with scallions before serving.

 Note: The sauce in this dish may seem a bit brothy when finished, but the liquid will be quickly absorbed by the noodles when serving.

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Foolproof Oven-Baked Brown Rice

Why this recipe works:

For our brown rice recipe, we cooked the rice in the oven to approximate the controlled, indirect heat of a rice cooker, eliminating the risk of scorching. Experimenting with proportions, we discovered why most brown rice is sodden and overcooked: Most brown rice recipes call for a 2:1 water-to-rice ratio. For our brown rice recipe, we found that 2 1/3 cups water to 1 ½ cups rice gave us perfectly cooked rice.

Serves 4 to 6

To minimize any loss of water through evaporation, cover the saucepan and add the rice as soon as the liquid reaches a boil. An 8-inch ceramic baking dish with a lid may be used or a baking dish and foil. To double the recipe, use a 13 by 9-inch baking dish; the baking time need not be increased.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
1 small onion, minced
1 1/2 cups long-grain brown rice, medium-grain brown rice, or short-grain brown rice
2 1/3 cups water or vegetable broth or chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon table salt

Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Heat butter or oil in in an oven-proof medium saucepan or casserole with a tight fitting lid over medium heat; add onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes.
3. Add liquid and bring to a full boil; once boiling, immediately stir in salt and  rice. Cover pot with lid, put pot in the oven, and bake rice 65-70 min until tender.
4. Remove baking dish from oven, remove lid, and fluff the rice with a fork. Place a clean dishcloth across the pot, replace lid, and let sit for 10 minutes. Uncover and serve immediately.

BLT Pasta

SERVES 4


INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

• 12 slices bacon, chopped

• 1 small onion, chopped fine

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• Salt and pepper

• 1/2 pound orecchiette (or other small pasta)

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

• Lettuce, cleaned, dried, and chopped

• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bread and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to bowl and wipe out skillet.

2. Cook bacon in empty skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate and pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat. Cook onion in bacon fat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook until fragrant and tomatoes are softened, about 2 minutes.

3. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve 3/4 cups cooking water.

4. Divide lettuce between 4 plates.

5. Drain pasta and return to pot. Stir in tomatoes/onion mixture, Parmesan, bacon, and 1/2 cup reserved pasta water (adding additional water as needed). Season with salt and pepper to taste then divide equally between the plates, placing the pasta mixture over the lettuce. Top with croutons and serve.

Potato Pizza

Basic Pizza Dough

recipe from here:

http://www.chewswise.com/chews/2010/01/really-easy-pizza-jim-lahey.html

Yield: enough dough for one pie baked in 13x18-inch rimmed baking sheets

330 grams bread flour [not reg flour] (11.5 oz)

1 3/4 teaspoons instant dry yeast

scant 1/2 teaspoon (5 grams) salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

200 g water (200 ml or 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp)

olive oil for pan

In a bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Add the water, and using a spoon, your hand, or a baker's plastic bench scraper, mix together until blended. You don't want to mix or knead this dough too much, or else the gluten will develop and you won't be able to shape it in the pan. But you want to mix in all the lumps of flour. In the end, you'll arrive at a stiff dough.

Cover the dough and let rise at room temperature for about 2 hours. (If your room is cold, put it in the oven with a pilot light to warm up a bit, or in a closed cabinet).

Dump out the dough on a lightly floured surface.  Fit a 13x18 inch rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper (cut to fit pan) then brush extra virgin olive oil lightly over the paper - make sure the it is totally covered, no missed spots. Then gently plop the dough on the pan and stretch and press it out to a 10" X 6" rectangle. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it sit 10-15 min, then uncover and push the dough out to the the edges and into the corners of the pan. If it springs back (that's the gluten working) wait five minutes and then proceed. The gluten should be weak enough to spread it fully over the pan. The dough is fairly thin. If it tears, piece it back together.

Pizza Patate

As Jim Lehey writes, "Potato pizza is another Italian classic you don't see very often in the United States. While my rendition is pretty traditional, I soak the potatoes in salted water first, which actually extracts about 20 percent of their moisture. That causes them to cook more quickly and makes them firmer. It's a little trick I learned from cooking potato pancakes."

YIELD: One 13-by-18-inch pie; 8 slices

EQUIPMENT: A mandoline

1 quart (800 grams) lukewarm water

4 teaspoons (24 grams) table salt

6 to 8 (1 kilo) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled

1 cup (100 grams) diced yellow onion

1/4 teaspoon (2 grams) freshly ground black pepper

About 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 recipe Basic Pizza Dough

About ~1/2 tsp dried thyme

Preheat the oven to 475 F with a rack in the middle

In a medium bowl, combine the water and salt, stirring until the salt is dissolved. Use a knife or mandolin to slice the peeled potatoes very thinly (1/16th inch thick), and put the slices directly into the salted water so they don’t oxidize and turn brown. Let soak in the brine for 1-1/2 hour (or refrigerate and soak for up to 12 hours), until the slices are wilted and no longer crisp.

Drain the potatoes in a colander and use your hands to press out as much water as possible, then pat dry. In a medium bowl, toss together the potato slices, onion, pepper, thyme and olive oil.

Spread the potato mixture evenly over the dough, going all the way to the edges of the pan; put a bit more of the topping around the edges of the pie, as the outside tends to cook more quickly. 

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the topping is starting to turn golden brown and the bottom of the crust is colored and is pulling away from the sides of the pan.   Transfer to a rack, let cool briefly, then remove the parchment paper, transfer the pizza to a cutting board, and cut into 8 pieces.Serve the pizza hot or at room temperature.

Variation • Pizza Batata (Sweet Potato Pizza)

Substitute 2 sweet potatoes (800 grams), peeled, for the Yukon Gold potatoes, and use about 4 cups (about 900 grams) water and 24 grams (4 teaspoons) salt for the soaking liquid. Omit the rosemary in the topping.

SWEET-AND-SOUR COLESLAW

Adapted from Cooks Illustrated Published July 1, 1995.
 Serves 4.

 WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: We wanted to find a coleslaw recipe that would keep the cabbage from watering down the dressing, with a piquant dressing that wasn’t too sharp. Salting cabbage caused it to lose most of its liquid, leaving the cabbage pickle-crisp. We found that salted cabbage also took on more of the dressing's flavors. The presence of the sugar in this recipe keeps you from having to rinse off salt from the cabbage, as is ordinarily the case.

 INGREDIENTS
1 pound cabbage (about 1/2 medium head), red or green, shredded fine or chopped (~6 cups)
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt or 1 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
Ground black pepper

 INSTRUCTIONS

1. Toss cabbage and carrots with sugar, salt, and celery seeds in colander set over medium bowl. Let stand until cabbage wilts, at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.
2. Pour draining liquid from bowl; rinse bowl and dry. Dump wilted cabbage and carrots from colander into bowl.
3. Add oil and vinegar; toss to coat. Season with pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. (Can be refrigerated 5 days.)

 STEP-BY-STEP: Shredding Cabbage Shredding By Hand:

 1. Quarter, then core the cabbage. 2. Separate the cabbage quarters into stacks of leaves that flatten when pressed lightly. 3. Use a chef's knife to cut each stack of cabbage diagonally into thin shreds. To chop the cabbage, turn the pile of shredded cabbage crosswise, then cut the cabbage shreds into a fine dice. •

Shredded Pueblo Chicken

Shredded, cooked chicken meat is a staple of Southwestern and Mexican cooking. It is eaten plain, rolled in flour tortillas, on crispy tacos, in enchiladas, with eggs, as a soup...the uses are endless. This method produces a flavorful chicken with a light moist, mild sauce. It has very little fat and is full of flavor. As a bonus, it is incredibly simple to make. If you decide to cook it in larger quantities, be aware that your herbs and chiles will not need to be increased in the same amounts as the other ingredients, as their flavors permeate more thoroughly, even in small quantities. Also, this recipe calls for the removal of the seeds from the jalapenos, but that is merely a matter of taste. If you like your foods spicy, then leaves the seeds in.

Ingredients

      2 or 3 chicken breast halves 

      1/2 onion, coarsely chopped 

      3 cloves garlic 

      1 teaspoon menudo spices*, crushed 

      2 bay leaves 

      1 tablespoon corn oil 

      4 green onions, trimmed and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces 

      2 fresh jalapeno chiles, seeded and minced 

      1 teaspoon salt 

      1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 

      1 cup tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped 

      flour tortillas

*NOTE: Look for cellophane packages in the Mexican food aisle of your grocer marked "Menudo Mix" or "Menudo Spices." If not available, substitute mixed dried herbs such as oregano, marjoram, thyme and a dash of crushed red chili pepper.

Preparation

Place the chicken breasts in a pot just large enough to hold them snugly. Add enough water to cover the breasts by 1/2 inch. Remove the breasts and set aside. Into the water, add the onion, 1 clove of crushed garlic, the menudo spices and bay leaves. Slowly bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and let simmer 10 minutes.

Add the chicken breasts, making sure they are just barely covered by the water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 2 minutes, skimming off any foam that may appear on the surface. Cover the pot and remove it from the heat. Let the chicken set for 25 to 30 minutes. 

Carefully remove the chicken from the still hot broth and set the chicken aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, skin the chicken and coarsely shred the meat from the bone. Discard the skin, bay leaves and garlic clove but keep the broth. Skim the fat from the broth.

Chop the remaining 2 cloves garlic. Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the green onions and cook until slightly browned on the edges. Add the garlic and cumin to the skillet, along with the chiles, salt, tomatoes and shredded chicken. Using a slotted spoon, put the onions from the stock into the skillet. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking broth. Simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Serve the chicken with warm flour tortillas on the side.

NOTE: Do not discard the remaining broth. Use it as a soup or for cooking other dishes (it's great for cooking beans). A quick side dish to the chicken is to simmer diced potatoes in the stock until cooked through. The potatoes end up soft but chunky, and the broth becomes thick, creamy and flavorful.