Spicy Citrus Beans

The Robber and I both agreed that these are the bomb diggity and we would eat them with anything. With tortilla scooper chips. With sour cream. With guacamole. In a tortilla. With quesadillas and salsa. With spanish rice. Just plain. So good and not that expensive or difficult to make. The Robber was inspired by our friends S&C B who fed him citrusy chili, which recipe I have, but I found this one and thought I'd make it first. What a good call.

From Simply Recipes, adapted by my new food love Annie:

http://annies-eats.net/2009/08/11/spicy-citrus-black-beans/

Ingredients:

1 (28 oz.) can black beans

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

Pepper, chopped or minced (bell, Anaheim or jalapeno depending on your taste-- I used three bell peppers, yellow orange and red)

½-1 cup reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1½ tsp. dried oregano

2 bay leaves

½ tsp. salt

3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 tsp. pureed chipotles in adobo-- (I omitted this, and the cumin which shockingly I was missing)

1½ tsp. ground cumin

¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Juice of 2 limes (added lime zest – optional-- I did it and they were super limey but good)

1 tbsp. white wine vinegar

Chopped fresh cilantro, to taste, plus more for garnish

Directions:

1. Place the beans in a colander and rinse throughly. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion and pepper until tender, about 5-7 minutes.

2. Add the garlic and sauté just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the beans. Mix in broth (more or less depending on how much liquid you would like) and bring to a simmer.

3. Mix in the oregano, bay leaves, salt, chipotle puree, cumin, orange juice, lime juice and vinegar. Once simmering, reduce to medium-low or low and let simmer, covered, 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Remove from the heat, stir in chopped fresh cilantro to taste and serve.

Spinach and Goat Cheese Quesadillas

The last in the quesadilla series. There is one more recipe, but it is called "mushroom quesadillas" which automatically disqualifies it from my attention. This recipe I tried because the Robber is in love with spinach and in my efforts to love him I am attempting to incorporate spinach into the things that I love.

It is a losing battle. (He loves mushrooms too but I guess there are limits to my love.)

Not that these were bad. Just that they weren't my favorite. Given the choice I would put black beans between my goat cheese and red pepper (because of course I added roasted red pepper to this recipe, just because I had it) than the spinach. I wilted some left over basil for the mix also.

I was having a g-chat conversation with my old roommate K. the other night who said she mostly just throws things together these days, which is a valuable skill, but I think for me while I might modify most of the recipes I make in some way, I still very much am in an exploration phase of cooking. I crave ideas, combinations, new ways of production. I don't have a fully developed cooking tool box with which to magically throw all by myself. I am still so very much a student. I saw someone post on Facebook how they were learning to cook and were approaching it by making some very fancy sounding things. I don't think I'm even like that. Eventually the goal is to do it all-- throw things together, make a gourmet meal, feed a batch of hungry kids. The approach for now is just to become familiar enough with a variety of basics that I could move one direction or the other in the future.

For now, I am grateful to have made the following discoveries from these quesadillas:

1) Melted goat cheese!

2) Roasted red peppers!

and

3) Vegetables as the primary quesadilla component

And I think those are lessons I can use in every direction of my cooking. So without further ado, I give you spinach and goat cheese quesadillas from Ms. Shulman:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/18/health/nutrition/18recipehealth.html?ref=nutrition

Ingredients:

1 6-ounce bag baby spinach or 1 bunch spinach, stemmed

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 to 2 garlic cloves (to taste), minced

Salt and freshly ground pepper

4 corn tortillas

2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (1/2 cup)

Directions:

1. Wash the spinach but do not dry. If using bunch spinach, chop coarsely. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy frying pan. Add the garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, then stir in the spinach. Raise the heat, and stir just until the spinach wilts. Remove from the heat. Press down on the spinach with the back of your spoon, and drain off any water in the pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

2. In a microwave: Place a corn tortilla on a plate. Top with half the spinach, and spread in an even layer. Sprinkle on half the cheese, and top with another tortilla. Press down gently, then microwave for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Remove from the microwave, cut into quarters or sixths, and serve. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

In a pan: Place a corn tortilla in the pan. Top with half the spinach, and spread in an even layer. Sprinkle on half the cheese. Turn the heat to medium-high, and heat until the cheese begins to melt. Place another tortilla on top of the cheese, and press down lightly. Flip the quesadilla over in the pan, and heat for about 30 seconds or until the cheese has melted. Flip back over, and remove to a plate. Cut into quarters or sixths, and serve. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Yield: Two quesadillas.

Advance preparation: The cooked spinach will keep for a couple of days in the refrigerator. Reheat gently before assembling the quesadillas.

Nutritional information (per quesadilla): 272 calories; 8 grams saturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 30 milligrams cholesterol; 17 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 211 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 13 grams protein.

Baby Salad Greens With Sweet Potato Croutons and Stilton

I made this salad-- with my own personal revisions-- for A.'s baptismal lunch in Syracuse. I was a little bit intimidated by the salad assignment, given picnic attendee S.O.'s salad expertise, so I thought I'd better look around for something a little bit different and promising. I found this recipe in a salad slide show on the NYTimes (where else) and thought the idea of the potato croutons with the Stilton was intriguing. I'd never had sweet potato "croutons" before, but have long been a fan of Stilton and so the recipe had the elements of both challenge and familiarity. I don't have a steamer, and so I had to "steam" the potato in the microwave and then saute them, so they ended up both a little wetter and a little more burned than was ideal, but it didn't seem to deter anyone too much.

I doubled this recipe, and added to it 1 cup of candied pecans, which I used making the candied nuts recipe found in the April 2011 section of this blog. I made the recipe as originally written, using syrup instead of honey and found the nuts to be much less sticky. I also added about 2 cups of fresh blueberries to the salad, so all-in-all it was really a sweet-potato-blueberry-candied-pecan-stilton salad but it was, truthfully, so delicious and worth the extra effort of both the nuts and the sweet potato cooking. I'm tempted even to just candy a whole bunch of nuts and keep them around for the purpose of carelessly tossing into salads on a whim at any time.

Ms. Shulman says of her recipe, "Sweet potatoes contrast beautifully here with the pungent Stilton. Other cheeses that work for this salad are goat cheese and feta." Amen. Here's the link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/18/health/nutrition/18recipehealth.html

Ingredients:

For the salad:

1 large sweet potato (10 to 12 ounces), peeled and cut in 1/2-inch dice

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 6-oz. bag baby salad greens

1 T. chopped fresh herbs, such as tarragon, parsley, chervil, chives (I used chives)

2 oz. Stilton or blue cheese, crumbled or cut into small pieces (about 1/2 cup) (I used the cranberry Stilton, but I really wanted to use the apricot Stilton, both would be good!)

(Blueberries and candied nuts!-- for the RMR version)

For the dressing:

1 T. fresh lime juice

1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 small garlic clove, minced

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1/4 C. buttermilk

Directions:

1. Steam the sweet potatoes for 5 minutes, until just tender. Remove from the heat and drain on paper towels.

2. In a medium, nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sweet potatoes and cook, shaking the pan and moving the pieces around often, until evenly browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain on paper towels.

3. Whisk together the lime juice, vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt pepper, olive oil and buttermilk.

4. Place the salad greens in a salad bowl and top with the cheese. Toss with the dressing. Sprinkle on the sweet potato croutons and serve.

Yield: Serves 4

Advance preparation: You can steam the sweet potatoes and make the dressing several hours ahead.

Roasted Pepper and Tomato Salad

I made this salad for a picnic lunch in Syracuse celebrating A.'s baptism, and while I thought it was actually really good, this poor salad got a little upstaged by the other salad I made for the occasion. I think I'm actually more likely to make this salad again, if only because it is slightly less work (even with roasting the peppers) and less expensive than the other salad. Maybe I loved it so much because I recently discovered melted goat cheese and it has changed my whole life, but my guess is that any time I came across this salad I would be happy to eat it. Lettuce and all. Although, personally, given my lettuce-hating ways, I think I would be even happier replacing the lettuce with slices of cucumber and possibly chunks of celery next time but keeping everything else the same.

Note: I doubled this recipe, using six large red bell peppers and five tomatoes-on-the-vine and doubling the rest according to the recipe.

From my fav, the Recipes For Health series by Ms. Shulman of the NYTimes:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/23/health/nutrition/23recipehealth.html

Ingredients:

For the dressing:

1 T. sherry vinegar (I used orange juice)

1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

1 small garlic clove, minced

1/4 C. extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the salad:

1 1/2 lbs. red or red and yellow peppers, roasted (I used three peppers, did not weigh them)

1 T. slivered fresh basil

1 lbs. fresh ripe tomatoes, cut in wedges

1 head of leaf lettuce or romaine

2 oz. goat cheese crumbled (optional)

Directions:

--To roast the peppers, line a baking sheet with tin foil. Place the peppers on the sheet and bake at 425F for 30-40 minutes, turning peppers every ten minutes until the skins are soft and browned. Remove peppers from sheet, place in a bowl and cover the bowl with a lid or plate and let the peppers sit for 30 minutes to cool. Holding peppers over the bowl, carefully remove the skins and cut the peppers into strips or chunks. If you are storing the peppers for more than 24 hours before using, toss them with a little bit of olive oil to help them stay fresh.

1. To make the dressing, mix together the sherry vinegar, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste.

2. Cut the roasted peppers into 1/2-inch wide strips. Toss with two tablespoons of the dressing. Add half the basil, and toss again.

3. Remove and discard the tough outer leaves from the lettuce. Wash and dry the tender leaves and tear into bite-size pieces. Toss with the tomatoes and remaining dressing and basil. Line a platter or a wide bowl with the lettuce and tomatoes. Top with the peppers. Sprinkle on the goat cheese, if using. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Yield: Serves four

Advance preparation: The roasted peppers will keep for about five days in the refrigerator, and for a week if you toss them with the dressing.

Black Bean and Goat Cheese Quesadillas

Oh how this was just so perfect after a long day at the hospital. Everything in one wonderful little quesadilla. You have your few flaws, Martha Shulman, but you also have your many joys and this is one of them! I am a fan of your food series forever.

This is from the same batch of recipes as the broccoli quesadillas posted earlier. Two days ago I made a little Shulman-inspired quesadilla of my own with left over chicken, avocado, and melted goat cheese. Oh how melted goat cheese is changing my life in good and happy ways.

Here's the link from the NYTimes:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/16/health/nutrition/16recipehealth.html?ref=nutrition

Ingredients:

2 corn tortillas

1/3 C. cooked black beans

1 oz. crumbled goat cheese (1/4 cup)

1/4 roasted red bell pepper or 1/2 roasted piquilo pepper, cut in strips

Salsa for serving (optional)

Directions:

1. In a microwave: Place a corn tortilla on a plate. Top with the beans. Gently mash the beans with the back of a spoon. Top with pepper strips. Sprinkle on the cheese, and top with the remaining tortilla. Press down gently, then microwave for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes until the cheese has melted. Remove from the microwave, cut into quarters or sixths and serve.

In a pan: Place a corn tortilla in a pan. Top with the beans. Gently mash the beans with the back of a spoon. Top with pepper strips. Sprinkle on the cheese. Turn the heat on medium-high, and heat until the cheese begins to melt and the tortilla begins to brown. Place the remaining tortilla on top of the cheese, and press down lightly. Flip the quesadilla over in the pan, and heat for about 30 seconds to a minute or until the cheese has melted. Flip back over, and remove to a plate. Cut into quarters or sixths, and serve.

Yield: One serving.

Advance preparation: Cooked beans will keep for four to five days in the refrigerator.

Nutritional information per quesadilla (with canned black beans): 266 calories; 7 grams saturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 30 milligrams cholesterol; 27 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 472 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 14 grams protein.

Green Mashed Potatoes

My final NYTimes recipe for the Easter season, but one well worth posting as I actually really enjoyed this one. The mashed potatoes turned out so pretty and green! And so delicious! I did make some minor (major?) changes to the recipe, Mark Bittman would be so proud! Instead of using one whole pound of greens (a whole pound! so many greens!) and boiling them, I used 6 oz. of fresh spinach and chopped it up finely, and then added it uncooked to the hot potatoes before I mashed them, so that the spinach softened a little bit in the hot potatoes. I used double the amount of potatoes (three large, three smaller) for that amount of spinach, and added butter and some milk powder to the potatoes instead of the olive oil recommended by Mr. Bittman. I did use seasoned bread crumbs, and baked the potatoes in a pie plate, but I found that the bread crumbs were not to my taste although I could see how others might like them. If I make these again, I would either not add the crumbs, or I would serve it with croutons or top it with larger crumbs so the final result is not as gritty feeling in the mouth. Also, if I did use bread crumbs, I would be tempted to mix them separately with olive oil and then spread them over the top, so as to more evenly distribute the oil across the crumbs.

Overall I think the idea of adding greens to the potatoes, no matter how you do it, is quite nice and might as well be done if you have the little bit of extra time.

Here's the link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/11/dining/111mrex.html

Ingredients:

2 large starchy or all-purpose potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into quarters

Salt

1 pound dandelion or other greens, washed and trimmed of thick stems

1/4 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup homemade bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Put potatoes in a large, deep pot and cover them with cold water. Add a large pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Cook until soft but not falling apart, 15 to 30 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain; meanwhile, add greens to water and cook for about 1 minute. Rinse under cold water. Drain well, then chop.

2. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Rice potatoes, run them through a food mill, or mash them with a fork or potato masher, adding enough olive oil to moisten them well. Mash in the greens, adding more olive oil as needed. Sprinkle with salt and lots of pepper.

3. Put mixture in an ovenproof dish and top with bread crumbs. Drizzle with more olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake until bread crumbs are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve hot or warm.

Yield: 4 servings.

Sour Cherry Thyme Glaze and Glazed Ham

The Robber had never had a real Easter dinner before, and so it fell to me to provide it for him. So we made everything: ham, rolls, potatoes, salad, green beans, pie. Goodness, so delicious. For the ham I wanted to try something new, so I got this little recipe from the NYTimes. Unfortunately it was a little bit of a disappointment. Not bad-- but not my favorite either. Maybe because we used black-cherry instead of sour-cherry preserves? I thought the cherry flavor wasn't strong enough, neither was the thyme. It was all overpowered by the shallots and the mustard. Of course we didn't use sherry so the Robber substituted orange juice and ended up adding some brown sugar and it was all very strange. But in case this sounds good to somebody else and they want to try it out, here is the link and the recipe:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/20/dining/202hrex.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/20/dining/201hrex.html

Ingredients:

1½ cups sour-cherry preserves

½ cup chopped shallots

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1½ tablespoons sherry vinegar

1½ tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon crushed dried red pepper

1 6- to 8-pound bone-in shank-half ham, or 15- to 17-pound bone-in whole ham, fully cooked

1 tablespoon whole cloves

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Transfer to a jar with a tight-fitting lid and store in refrigerator until needed. Making glaze a day in advance allows flavors to bloom and thickens glaze, which makes it easier to apply.

2. Place rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Trim tough rind from ham, leaving as much fat as possible. Place ham flat-side down and score the rounded side all over with diagonal cuts about 1½ inches apart and ¼-inch deep, forming a diamond pattern. In center of each diamond insert a single clove.

3. Place ham in a roasting pan and bake until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest part reads 135 degrees, about 15 minutes a pound. One hour before ham is done, remove it from oven and brush all over with glaze.

4. Return ham to oven and continue to bake, glazing ham once or twice more until ham is done. Remove ham from oven, tent with foil and let rest 10 minutes before carving.

Time: 2¼ hours for a half ham, 4¾ hours for a whole ham

Yield: 1¾ cups, enough for a whole ham, 10 to 12 servings for a half ham, 24 to 26 servings for a whole ham.