Black Bean and Hominy Soup

   This is a seriously easy one pot wonder.  And it was an adventure to make.  This is one of those things that I had the idea for it and started cooking before I had my process fully planned out.  The end result was incredibly tasty though!  It was tasting weird for a while until the exceedingly (almost stupidly) simple idea of tomatoes came up.  Why wasn't that in my game plan to begin with?  Tomatoes balanced everything and added that little bit of much needed acid.  This is a great vegetarian soup and a meal on it's own, but if you really want some meat, a little bit of chorizo or smoked sausage would be delicious. (*All the canned items are standard 14 oz cans)

Black Bean and Hominy Soup
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 can hominy, drained
1 can black beans, with liquid
1 can tomatoes, with liquid
1 1/2-2 C vegetable or chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp turmeric (optional)
Oil, salt, pepper

Over medium heat, saute onions and peppers in a little bit of oil until tender.  Add canned  items, stock, bay and spices.  Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips, hot sauce, cheese... whatever you like.
Serves 4.

Veggie Stuffed Peppers

  I realize there that so far my recipe mix here is lacking in vegetarian main dish options.  I apologize for that.  We usually have too much meat in our house because my father will buy things simply for the fact that it is on sale.  Often I am trying to figure out how to use 2 pounds of pork or 3 giant chicken breasts before their "expiration" date.  (I don't pay too much attention to those dates because it varies so much.  My dad on the other hand......)  I love vegetarian meals.  Usually you just feel better after them, especially when you have some sort of meat the other 6 nights of the week.  These stuffed pepper are one of my favorite things to eat and make.  Packed with vegetables and rice, they are really healthy and super hearty.  It is a complete meal in a neat little package.  And it is a total make ahead dish; assemble up to three days in advance and bake it right before dinner*.

 

Veggie Stuffed Peppers
4 large bell peppers, roasted (any color, I like green for this)**
1 small onion, diced
1 med zucchini, diced
1 large carrot, diced
4-5 oz mushrooms, chopped
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 C rice, cooked (yield ~4 C cooked rice)
1 C grated cheese (cheddar or monterrey jack, leave out for a totally vegan dish)
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika (optional)
1/2 tsp coriander
1/8 tsp cayenne (optional)
zest of 1/2 lime
salt, pepper, oil
Sauce:
1--8 oz can tomato sauce
zest of 1/2 lime
juice of 1 lime
1/8 tsp cayenne or 1 tsp chipotle puree
--Combine ingredients.  (Double the recipe if you like it really saucy!)

TIP:  Roasting Peppers:  Set a rack close to the top of the oven (but don't let peppers touch the elements) and broil until skin is black and bubbly looking.  It will only take a few minutes a side.  Make sure the skin is evenly charred.  From oven, immediately place in a deep bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  This will create steam and separate the skin from the flesh.  Let cool, peel off skin.  For this recipe, halve and take out seeds.

   Heat a little bit of oil in a large skillet over medium/med-high heat.  Saute carrots and onions for 5 min.  Add zucchini and mushrooms.  Salt and pepper.  Cook until everything is tender (but not mushy). Toss in jalapenos and garlic.  Remove from heat, let cool slightly.
   Combine vegetable mix with rice, 3/4 C cheese (reserve 1/4 C for top), spices, and lime zest.  Salt and pepper to taste.
   In a greased baking dish, place in pepper halves.  Stuff with rice and veggie mixture.  Top with sauce.
Bake 350 deg F for 15 minutes.
Top with the reserved 1/4 C cheese.  Bake another 10-15 minutes.
4 main dish serving or 8 side dish servings

 *If previously assembled and refrigerated, add 10 minutes to initial bake time.  If sauce and cheese are already on peppers, bake covered for the first 25-30 min.  Then bake uncovered for 10 min.

**If you don't want to roast the peppers, bake covered for 35-40 minutes and uncovered for 10-15 minutes.  Texture will be different because peppers started baking at a raw state.

Roatan: Vintage Pearl Restaurant and Wine Cellar

   This post (as well as some up upcoming ones) is going to be a little different than other posts.  I'm placing the "Eat Here" label on them just in case you happen to find yourself in these wonderful places.  Since I was 13, my mom and I have been going on trips together.  Just us; dad and brother at home.  They don't appreciate travelling the way we do.  The last family vacation we went on, my dad and brother wanted to sit in the hotel room and watch TV.  And on our one and only visit to Orlando, FL, we had to trick my brother into going to Magic Kingdom. (We told him we were going out for breakfast.)  Needless to say, it is much more pleasant without them.

   Five years ago, we went to Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras.  I fell in love.  The diving is what we initially went for, and it is breathtaking!  The water is clear blue, the sand is white, the people are friendly, and there is some really good food.  We have returned for each vacation since then.  It is easy to get to, and for a Caribbean getaway, very affordable!  Every year is fantastic, the diving is consistently beautiful, and Bananarama is a great dive shop and eco-resort with wonderful, experienced staffers.  We can't stay anywhere else on Roatan now.  Over the years, I have met so many amazing people that will remain in my heart forever.

 
   On our first visit, we were a little disappointed that there wasn't a lot of Caribbean or Latin food.  The cuisine is all over the place, but there are some really great finds.  In the 2 years between our first trip and second trip, Vintage Pearl Restaurant and Wine Cellar opened.  In their first year of business I promised the owner I would write a review on Trip Adviser... which I did, even if it did take me a couple years....  But now I am featuring them here!

 Front entrance to Vintage Pearl

   I am not lying when I say this is my favorite restaurant in the world.  It is unassumingly elegant.  But you don't have to wear shoes!  No shoes is always a bonus for me.  The cozy, inviting atmosphere features an astonishing wine list and what I will call a French-light menu.  My mom and I love wine (and food).  So a nice four course meal with a beautiful bottle of wine is an indulgence we allow ourselves at least twice every time we go to Roatan.  (And I think it may be the only place on Roatan to get a really, really good bottle.)  The food is definitely inspired by the decadent French bistro classics, but is less oppressive and pairs nicely with the tropical climate.  The menu changes daily based on availability to ensure that the food is fresh.  (It's also a good business plan to keep people coming back again and again!)  Everything is top-notch quality.  Simply but impeccably prepared.

   Vintage Pearl introduced to me to the wonders of Kobe beef.  The meat is rich and tender beyond belief!  Also, I had my first- and, well, only- escargot here.  Despite the black flesh, they are sweet and succulent.  The seafood is local, which may be the best part because I can not get enough spiny lobster!  I like Maine lobster, but I prefer spiny.  It isn't quite as sweet, but the tail is super meaty and juicy.  The flavor is a cross between Maine lobster and prawns.  And then there is the bread pudding with guava rum sauce.  This is the absolute perfect dessert in all of creation!  I know there are eternal debates on "light and airy" or "dense and custardy" when it comes to bread pudding, but this sealed the deal for me:  dense and custardy.  It's not too sweet or dry or gummy.  It is smooth and evenly baked and topped perfectly with the guava rum sauce (two things I can't resist!)  Of all the food I've had there, the only thing that didn't quite measure up was the creme brule.  The flavor was spot on, but the texture of the dish as a whole was off.  I know that creme brule is hard to get just right.  If that is the one thing that isn't flawless, that is fine by me.

Bleu Cheese Beefalo Burgers with Horseradish Sauce

   Beefalo?  Yes.  Beefalo.  It sounds like a crazy fantasy animal, but they are real!  Beefalo are fertile hybrids of American beef cattle (5/8 parts) and American bison (3/8 parts).  In middle Tennessee, if you happen to be driving down 96 and pass the wholesale and retail C&F Meat Co., you'll see what look like cows on some serious steroids.  Those are beefalo.

   The meat is moderately low in fat and cholesterol, about a third the amount in regular beef, and much lower in saturated fat.  Obviously, high in protein and iron, beefalo is also very high in vitamin B12 (more than 100% DV!)  While bison does taste slightly different than beef, the flavor of beefalo is pretty much the same.  Personally, I find that it tastes more like beef than beef if we are considering the ground meat.  I find that ground beef can have a tinny taste because of the extra blood many butchers add into the meat to make it that nice, bright red.  (For more information on beefalo, visit the sites at the bottom of the post.)

   This recipe is really easy.  Ridiculously easy in fact and kind of neat because you are stuffing a burger.  (I can't claim this technique as original... I think Rachael Ray was the pioneer of stuffing burgers.)  The same process can be done with any ground meat.  And the horseradish sauce is great for a variety of dishes.

Bleu Cheese Beefalo Burgers
1 lb ground beefalo
4 oz bleu cheese, crumbled*
~1 Tbsp steak grill seasoning

   Divide meat into four equal portions.  Divide each of those in half.  For each burger, press the two portions of meat into equal sized patties.  These patties will be very thin, be careful not to break them or have any holes.  Place 1 oz of cheese in the center of 4 patties, leave a small border.  Place another patty on top and press the edges together to seal.  Sprinkle each side with grill seasoning or just salt and pepper.
   Grill over direct medium heat for 5 min a side.
OR
   Heat a small amount of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook 4-5 min per side.
   Serve on your favorite bun with horseradish sauce and baby spinach.  4 Servings.

Horseradish Sauce
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp deli style or stone ground mustard
2-3 tsp horseradish (the real grated kind, not the pre-made sauce)

Combine all ingredients.  About 4 servings.

More Information and Where to Order/Buy Beefalo:
American Beefalo Association
Beefalo Meats
Nebraska's Finest
C & F Meat Co. (Does not ship; Mid TN retail location)

Carmelized Onion, Fig, And Goat Cheese Spread

   This is a recipe that I have been wanting to try for a very long time.  The first time I made the fig and chipotle stuffed pork I was left with with quite a few left over dried figs.  As much as I like figs, there are only so many plain dried figs you can eat.  I started looking for different things to do with figs.  I'll admit, I didn't even read the original recipe for this, I just read the title.  It took me so long to make this because for awhile, I entertained the notion of making it into a quiche-like tart.  The spread is WAY easier.

   Earlier this week, my friends and I had nice fancy little Italian dinner.  I made this spread, although it is pretty much cuisine neutral and would be great for a Spanish, American, or Italian table.  It is great warm but it is still good once it cools down to room temperature. 

   Also, the pictures are going to be a treat today because my beautiful friend Heather happens to be an effing amazing photographer!  I snap a simple little photo with my crappy 4.1 megapixel dinosaur of a camera.  She took a lot of pictures and chose the best ones.  So while this may be the easiest recipe I've posted, the pictures are going to be the best!  Please visit her website to see some of her other work, including some crazy pictures of Yours Truly (and maybe even hire her for your next event!)

Heather Clemons Photography

 

Carmelized Onion, Fig, and Goat Cheese Spread

1 Tbsp butter

1 small onion, thinly sliced or roughly chopped

1/2 C roughly chopped dried figs (6-8 whole)

1/4 C marsala wine (optional) 

3 oz cream cheese

4-5 oz goat cheese

   Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Saute onions until golden brown and sweet.  This will take about 15 minutes.  Toss in figs and marsala.  Cook together about 1 minute.  Set aside.

   Cream the cheeses together.  Mix in onions and figs.  Spread into a small baking dish. 

   Bake at 350 deg F for 10-15 minutes.  Serve with bread or crackers. 

Chicken Saltimbocca with Marsala Sauce

   Last week my cousin and her wonderful husband stopped at our house for a night on their cross-country road trip out to California.  (Which they are blogging about at Cali Roadtrip)  Because of every one's crazy schedules I hadn't seen her in way too long.  It was amazing to catch up and (finally!) meet her husband.  Obviously, we had to do some huge meal.  We made chicken saltimbocca, parmesan roasted asparagus, simple penne w/ tomato sauce, and carrot cake.

   Saltimbocca is traditionally made with veal.  But I don't eat veal, and chicken is much less expensive.  Proportions for this really depend on how many people you are feeding.  For the filling items, add as much or as little as you want so long as you can still fold the chicken around it.  The amount of sauce made in the following recipe is for 4-6 servings.

Chicken Saltimbocca
4 medium sized chicken breasts (no monsters!)*
1 tsp ground sage
1 C fresh baby spinach, stems removed
4 slices prosciutto
4 slices fresh mozzarella
flour
oil, salt & pepper
2 Tbsp butter
1 C Marsala wine
2 C beef stock
1 C canned tomatoes, drained (about 1/2 a can)
(at least 8 toothpicks)

   Place a piece of wax paper, parchment, or plastic wrap over the chicken.  Using a meat mallet, pound chicken breasts until they are evenly 1/2 inch thick.  Take care not to shred the chicken.  (*Chicken cutlets can be used too, pound to even out the thickness.  Amount of filling may vary with cutlets.)  Salt and pepper both sides of chicken.  On the side that will become the inside of the saltimbocca, sprinkle with sage.  Lay a piece of prosciutto over each breast.  On one half, place spinach and mozzarella.  Fold chicken over the filling.  Secure with toothpicks.
   In a large skillet, melt 1 Tbsp butter over medium-high heat with a little bit of oil (maybe 1 tsp).  Dredge chicken in flour and brown on each side.  Remove from skillet.
   Add Marsala, stock and tomatoes.  Bring to boil and make sure to scrape off any bits left on the bottom of the pan from cooking the chicken.  Reduce by about 1/4.  Return chicken to pan.  Simmer for 10 min.  Turn chicken over, cover, simmer until cooked through--about 15 more minutes.

TIP:  Don't have a meat mallet?  Use a heavy skillet.  Small cast iron skillets work great for pounding out meat.  To use a skillet most effectively this way, drop it straight down and when it hits meat, push away from you.  It is one fluid movement.  Think about making a U with the movement (not and L).  This ensures a more even thickness, and you (hopefully) wont have bits of raw meat exploding all over your chicken.

Grilled Potatoes w/ Chipotle-Lime Sour Cream

   Ok, maybe I'm cheating a little here because this isn't so much a recipe as it is an idea or a technique.  Over the summer, I was looking through the grilling cookbook I bought for my husband last Christmas and came across "Grilled Potato Steaks".  Sounds awesome.  I had never had a grilled potato before.  It is so easy and definitely a break from the ordinary.  Since tailgating season is upon us, I thought I would share this now because these potatoes are a fantastic alternative to potato salad or chips.  I like them with just sour cream and crumbled bacon or with chipotle- lime sour cream (which is great on SO many things, not just potatoes), but you can literally top them with whatever you want:  cheese, onions, creamed spinach..... anything.

Grilled Potatoes
   Thoroughly wash enough potatoes for the crowd you are feeding.  Plan on about 1 large potato per person.  On the long axis, cut off a tiny bit of the skin in order to expose the flesh.  Slice long ways into 1/2 inch slices.  Place potato slices in cold, salted water that covers potatoes by about 1 inch.  Bring to a boil.  Boil for about 15 minutes, until potatoes are just barely fork tender.  Remove and pat dry.  (This step can be done up to 24 hrs ahead.)
   Brush potatoes with oil.  Salt and pepper them.  Grill on direct medium heat for 5 min a side.  Serve.

Chipotle-Lime Sour Cream
1/2 C light sour cream
1 tsp chipotle puree (1 small chipotle minced)
zest of half a lime
juice of 1 lime
salt

Combine all ingredients.  Roughly 4 servings.
This really good on the potatoes, as a dressing for cole slaw, on quesadillas, with vegetables.  Try it on everything!  After the first time you make it, you may want to keep a bowl on hand at all times.

Pipian

  I was skimming through my mother's cookbooks the other day and picked up the first edition of The Betty Crocker International Cookbook.  It was funny reading some of the horribly outdated recipes.  For example, the use of monosodium glutamate (MSG) in many of the Chinese recipes.  My favorite reference that shows the age of the book is in the into to chicken kiev which says, "Kiev is one of the premier cities in the Soviet Union...."  While some of the things are good for a laugh, there are a lot of great recipes in the book.  Many of which are classic to a cuisine but have fallen out of style or were never even in style (in America).

   If you haven't figure it out by now, I am hugely influenced by Latin and Caribbean food and flavors.  So when I saw the recipe for pipian sauce I had to make it.  Pipian is a traditional Mexican sauce normally served over roasted meat or enchiladas.  You could probably even serve it with some good, crusty bread on a buffet.  This is my variation of pipian.  I used the sesame seeds because they are easier to find, but the pepitas are traditional

Pork Chops with Pipian
1/3 C sesame seeds or pepitas (green pumpkin seeds)
4 boneless pork chops, 1" thick
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 C tomato sauce (one 8oz can)
1 C water
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp smoked paprika (or 1 tsp cumin)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp clove
1/8 tsp cayenne
lime wedges
cilantro, salt, pepper, oil

In a large, deep, dry skillet toast the sesame seeds or pepitas.  (If you are using pepitas, get the unroasted variety.)  Remove from skillet and let cool.  Using a mortar and pestle or a small food processor, crush the toasted seeds.  ( I like a mixture of totally pulverized seeds and mostly whole ones.)
Heat about 2 tsp of oil over medium-high heat in the skillet.  Salt and pepper the pork chops.  Sear both sides.  Do not cook all the way through.  Remove from skillet.
Saute onions for a few minutes.  Add garlic, tomato sauce, water and spices.  Simmer for about 10 min, or until reduced by about 1/3.  Fold in crushed, toasted seeds.  Return pork chops.  Cover and turn heat down to medium.  Simmer until pork is cooked.  This should take about 15 minutes, but may vary depending on thickness of the cut.
Top with fresh chopped cilantro and a lime wedge.  The acid from the lime is really delicious!

*The same process may be done with chicken.  If you want to make just the sauce to put on top of whatever you like, follow the same process, but when you add the seeds, leave it uncovered and let it reduce until it is about 1/2 of the starting point.  Add 2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice at the very end.  If the sauce gets too thick at any point, or you simply want it thinner, add a little bit of stock, tomato juice, or water.

Celebration of Cultures

   Yesterday, my best friend, Sarina, and I went to Nashville's 15th annual Celebration of Cultures held by the Scarritt-Bennett Center at Centennial Park.  I can't believe I had never been to this festival before.  It is so beautiful and sends such an important and powerful message to the Nashville community.  Being in the heart of the South and home to country music, Nashville catches a lot of crap about racism, segregation, and being very, very white.  This is very far from the truth (excluding recent mosque troubles in Murfreesboro, which is the due to the presence of a few simple bigots.)  Nashville is an open and loving city.  Even in the recent economic crisis, Nashville is blossoming into a wonderful--dare I say it?--melting pot of ethnic diversity.  The premier hospitals and corporate US headquarters of foreign companies have attracted people from all over the world to Nashville and the surrounding areas.  And with new people comes new food.

   After the parking ordeal at noon (probably the worst time to arrive.)  The first thing we did after finding each other was head straight to Las Paletas' booth.  My favorite treat spot in Nashville.  I'll go more into detail on them later.  I had the raspberry-lime, Sarina had the coconut, Sarah has the hibiscus (my absolute favorite!), and her friend, Barb, had the strawberry-banana.  No matter the flavor or color of their ice-pop, everyone holding a Las Paletas paleta looked to be in frozen heaven.

   As we licked and munched our way through our desserts, we roamed around pondering what to eat for lunch.  I first got in line for Abay, an Ethiopian restaurant I have wanted to try for awhile.  Then I saw the stall next to it, Flava Catering, had goat curry.  But then Sarina came up, stared at me and said two words, "Taco Trucks".

   There were two taco trucks parked.  We went to both.  At the Murfreesboro based Mexiven, we tried the fish tacos, chicken tacos, and chicken tamale.  Everything was delicious, but there were some things that could be improved.  While the masa was soft, moist and wonderful, there was just too much of it compared to the meat.  The fish was crisp, golden and salty, but the slaw was way too sweet for the taco.  Also, after looking them up, I can't be sure if the truck is a normal part of their establishment, or something for special occasions.  But like I said, the food is good; they are worth a try!

 My half eaten chicken tamale from Mexiven

Mexiven's Fish Taco

   We also ate at the simply named "Tex Mex Tequeria".  Located on Charlotte Pike in Nashville, there is a regular restaurant and full-time truck with these guys.  I really wanted to try the lengua (tongue) taco, but at 12:45 pm they were sold out.  I assume this mean that they know how to do their tongue right and underestimated the number of people who would be buying it.  It also means that there is a going to be trip involved to their regular local.  Instead we tried the chicken and chorizo tacos.  Unbelievable.  That's all I have to say.  Fresh, smokey, spicy, well-balanced, perfect tacos. If I have one complaint, it's that I only ordered one.

Our dug-into tacos

The Most Amazing Carrot Cake

   I love making carrot cake.  My hands and the white counter tops turn orange.  There are bits of shredded carrot everywhere.  It gives my a chance to make my favorite frosting of all time:  clove spiced cream cheese frosting.  And I allow myself to be tricked into thinking I am eating something genuinely healthy.  Actually, as far a cakes go, this recipe isn't too terrible for you.

Carrot Cake
4 eggs, beaten
1 C brown sugar (loosely packed)
3/4 C white sugar
3 C shredded carrot (loosely packed)
3/4 C unsweetened applesauce
1/2 C raisins (golden or regular)
2 tsp cinnamon(optional)
1/2 tsp nutmeg (optional)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Combine eggs, applesauce, oil, and spices.  Mix in carrot and raisins.  Add sugars.  Fold in dry ingredients until well incorporated, make sure not to over mix.  Pour evenly into 2 greased cake pans (8 in or 9 in).
Bake at 350 deg F for 30-35 min, until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let cool in pan for about 15 min before removing.  Cool completely.  Frost and decorate.

Clove Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
16 oz light cream cheese (softened)
1 stick butter (softened)
1/2 C brown sugar
1 tsp ground clove

Beat together butter and cream cheese.  Add sugar and clove.  Beat until smooth.
*This is enough to completely frost the cake.  To cut back on calories and fat, reduce amounts by half and frost only between layers and on top (not the sides).  The half recipe is also probably enough for a batch of cupcakes.