Bean Salsa

Hello. I'm back with a long lost post. from. last. summer. This salsa/side dish is great for a potluck, your lunchbox, or any upcoming Superbowl snacking. I had it for the first time in June at my sister's Mexican-themed graduation party. My aunt made a quadruple batch of this tasty stuff to set out as an appetizer on all of the tables. I was very happy that she did because it ended up being the only real vegetarian option. It was excellent atop my giant plates (plural!) of cheese nachos. I, of course, had to make a couple of changes to the original recipe. The main thing I did was decrease the sugar from 1 c. to 1/2 c., and it's still pretty sweet. The sweetness is what makes this dish, but I'll save the extra carbs and calories where I can. 

Bean Salsa (or Salad)

Salsa:
1 - 14 oz. can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 - 14 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 - 14 oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can shoepeg corn, drained
1 small jar of chopped pimento, drained
1 c. chopped celery
2 jalapenos, finely chopped
1 c. chopped green pepper

Dressing:
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. water
1/2 c. canola oil
1/2 tsp. black pepper
3/4 c. cider vinegar
1/2 c. sugar
1/8 tsp. chili powder (optional)
a couple healthy pinches cayenne pepper (optional)

1. Layer salsa ingredients in a large bowl or container.
2. Combine dressing ingredients in a saucepan, whisk to incorporate, and bring to a boil.
3. Cool for 1 minute and pour over bean mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Drain liquid before serving with tortilla chips or on it's own.

Bonus! Save the your little glass pimento jars. They're a great way to pack salad dressing, nuts, granola or anything small in your lunchbox.

Sweet Potato Pancakes with Guacamole

I have to be honest, these were just alright. Alright by themselves, and decently good topped with guacamole. The combination is odd in a good way. They would probably be better as a side dish or appetizer instead on making them your entire meal like I did. I first saw this recipe while flipping through the channels sometime in December and stopped, of course, on the Food Network and 30 Minute Meals. I thought to myself  "I love sweet potatoes! What a great/different/not too sweet way to make 'em. I'm gonna make those over my break." So I got all of the ingredients and proceeded to prepared the semi-time consuming recipes. Having never made potato pancakes of any kind, or homade hashbrowns for that matter, I was surprised at how hard it is to shred potatoes, especially sweet potatoes, which have very low moisture content. Upon the initial tasting I was thinking that I would never make them again, but now I feel diferently. I think that they would be better with a better sweet potato. Mine was not very dark in color so it probably wasn't as sweet as it could have been. I did cut back on the spices compared to the original recipes only because I thought it seemed like a lot. Also, I just made my own guac rather than following Rachel's recipe. I was not feeling the pomegranate syrup.

Sweet Potato Pancakes
adapted from Rachel Ray
Many reviewers of this recipe complain that their pancakes fell apart. I formed the pancakes in my hand pressing them tightly together and squeezing out any extra liquid before putting them into the oil, and used a small flexible turner to flip them. They are pretty fragile when cooking, but if you are careful you shouldn't have any problems.

about 2/3 cup canola oil, for frying
1 medium Idaho potato, peeled and shredded
1 large sweet potato, peeled and shredded
1 small onion, peeled
1 egg, beaten
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. coriander
salt and pepper

1. Heat enough oil to just cover the bottom of the pan over medium to medium-high heat.
2. Drain the shredded potatoes, pressing them down in a colander to get their moisture out. Place the potatoes in a bowl; using a box grater, grate the onion directly into the potatoes so that the onion juices fall into bowl as well. Add the egg and flour to the potatoes and onion then season with spices and salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
3. Drop enough batter into hot oil to make 2 1/2-inch pancakes. Add more oil, as needed, and fry cakes in batches until deeply golden on each side.
You will get about 16 pancakes. Drain cooked cakes on paper towels.

Guacamole
I never go by a recipe when I make guac. It's one of those things that I just eyeball and taste, so it ends up a bit different every time. This is what went in this time a round...sadly without onion (the husband's request).

2 ripe Hass avocados
1 roma tomato, finely chopped
1/2 a jalepeno, finely diced - use membranes and seeds to achieve desired heat
the juice of 1/2 a lemon - I prefer a lime, but we were out
1 clove garlic, crushed
salt and pepper

1. Cut the avocados in half, all the way around the pit. Remove the pit with a spoon or sharp knife, then scoop the flesh into a bowl and add the remaining ingredients.
2. Mash until smooth. Taste and reseason, if necessary.

I like to make my guacamole in a bowl with a flat bottom and use a potato masher to mash all of the ingrediants together. It's much easier than using a fork and yields a more uniform consistency.

Vegetable-Bean Spirals

I finally won something. Not once, but twice in the same day, at the same event! Perhaps my inherent "unlucky-ness" has taken a turn. The fact that these wins may have been a phenomenal guess at a candy-filled estimation jar and Christmas carol worksheet at a recent holiday party is irrelevent. I am soaking it all in. :) I would also consider these little veggie bites a win, considering that I had never made them before, and did so in a hurry in the interval between work and pre-party beautification. They came together rather quickly and without any cooking! Since I was hurried, their uniformity was compromised, but were still tasty, healthy, and pleasing to the eye. I don't know about you, but nothing screams "eat me" like a colorful, fresh, veggie-filled spiral of an island in the middle of the crashing sea of cream cheese-laden dips that frequent holiday buffets. Please don't get me wrong, I do love my cheese, but sometimes, you just need to back away slowly. Did I mention that I was rushed when I made these? Future veggie spirals will have a bean mixture made with hot salsa, some onions, added spices like cumin and paprika, and significantly larger slices of avocado in the center.

Vegetable-Bean Spirals
lifted from vegetarian times

Bean Mixture:
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
3-4 Tbsp. salsa
1/4 c. packed cilantro leaves and tender stems
salt to taste

Vegetable Spirals:
4 9-to-10 inch spinach tortillas
1 1/3 c. packed finely shredded red cabbage
4 thin carrot sticks, about 8 inches long and 1/2 inch wide
4 strips red bell pepper (you'll probably need 8), about 1/4 inch wide
8 slices ripe, firm Hass avocado, sprinkled with juice of 1/2 a lime

1. To make Bean Mixture: In food processor, blend beans, 3 tablespoons salsa and cilantro into thick paste. Add more salsa, if needed for spreadable mixture. Add salt.
2. To make Vegetable Spirals: Using spatula, spread 3 tablespoons bean mixture on a tortilla, leaving about 1/2 inch around edges. Sprinkle on 1/4 of cabbage, and gently press in. Place a carrot stick horizontally about 1 inch from bottom of tortilla, and place 1 strip red bell pepper above it. Arrange 2 slices avocado, end to end, on top of carrot.
3. Wrap bottom edge of tortilla over vegetables, and roll tightly. Moisten top edge lightly with bean paste or water to seal. Gently press roll to shape it into log. Fill and roll remaining tortillas.
4. To serve, set each roll seam side down on cutting board. Use sharp knife to trim off edges. Hold roll firmly, and use gentle sawing motion to cut into 5 or 6 pieces, making every other slice on the diagonal. Divide among 8 salad plates, or arrange on party platter, diagonal sides up.

A special thanks goes to the husband who permitted me to bring this item, rather than individual cheesecakes, to the aforementioned soiree.

Biscuits

It's 10:00 pm on a weeknight and you're hungry. Not really hungry, but interested in snacking. Do you grab some chips or popcorn? Cheese and crackers? Maybe. We made biscuits. Especially because we were watching Food Network whose shows are peppered with Pillsbury commercials. They got us. No, we didn't go out and buy a tube of pre-made biscuits, but they still got us. I threw caution to the wind, and did not "appropriately" search for the "right" recipe. Instead, I openned a cookbook and made the recipe within.

Biscuits
from the Taste of Home Cookbook

2 c. all-purpose flour
4 tsp. baking powder
3 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. shortening
1 egg
2/3 c. milk

1. Preheat oven to 450 °F. In a smal bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut in shortening until the mixture resembles course crumbs. In another bowl, beat egg with milk; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. (It will be very wet dough)
2. Turn onto a well floured surface; knead 20 times. Roll to 3/4-inch thickness; cut with a floured 2-1/2 inch biscuit cutter (or use a glass like I did).
3. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. Yield 1 dozen.

These were just what we were looking for. Nothing fancy, but very satisfying with a little butter and honey. You could even brush them with melted butter before putting them in the oven if you like. My only regret is that we used skim milk, which is all that we normally have in the house, but I actually have a bottle of buttermilk in the fridge that would have been wonderful. Why do I have the buttermilk? You'll see. ;) These biscuits were a tad dry in the morning, but excellent with some eggs and cheese.

Deviled Eggs

The older I get the more I miss my great-grandmother, Marie. She was incredible. She passed away when I was 18.
As a child, I was very blessed by spending my days at my great-grandparent's house, rather than a daycare. I know how special this was because many people never even get to meet their great-grandparents let alone see them 5 days a week. Grandma was a firey Irish, Catholic woman who always made her opinion clear, especially in conversations with my grandfather. She also made it abundantly clear that she loved me to death. She read Little Red Riding Hood to me so many times that she probably could recite it in her sleep. She taught me how to prune and pick flowers from her rose bushes (after a five-leaf cluster), and place them in a glass on the kitchen window sill above the sink. She would let me play in that sink for what seemed like hours. I would put a stool up to the counter so that I could splash in the soap bubbles, and fill and pour out measuring cups full of the steamy water. However, Grandma didn't hesitate to shove a fresh bar of Caress in my mouth after I got angry with her and called her a name. All done with love.
For the most part Grandpa was the cook, and what a cook he was. From fresh baked breads, which made the most incredible toast, to soups, roasts, casseroles, and cookies. He grocery shopped every day. While eating breakfast, he would often ask us what we wanted for lunch or dinner! I used to think he was crazy, and now I find myself thinking about it too. So he was the daily chef, but on Easter and Thanksgiving, Grandma and Grandpa would both be in the kitchen, with the doors closed. The holidays always felt different in that house. Oh, the smells coming from that kitchen. The china placed just so on the white linen covered dinning table. It was very different from the work week. Occasionaly, I'd sneek past the double doors to watch as she basted the Ham with Sprite, or stirred something on the stove. One specialty that appeared only on Easter was her deviled eggs. She never had a recipe that I knew of-just a little grandma magic. When she slipped away, so did the recipe. For the next few years, Easter came and went, but without the deviled eggs.

After searching through many cookbooks I decided to try them for myself, but it didn't pan out. Something was not quite right. I tried onions, onion powder, garlic, vinegar, etc.. Finally, Easter 2006, after consulting with various family memebers. I got it-well, as close as it gets. So, without further adieu, my (grandmas's) deviled eggs.

Deviled Eggs

12 large, hard cooked eggs

2/3 c. Miracle Whip

1 tsp. yellow mustard

1 tbsp. dill pickle juice

salt and pepper

paprika

Peel eggs, slice in half lengthwise, and remove the yolks. In a small bowl, smash yolks with a fork until fine. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Fill a piping bag (or a plastic freezer bag with a corner cut off) with the yolk mixture, and fill the whites. Sprinkle with paprika for garnish.

I know, after all that build up, it's a very simple recipe, but it's a great one. The secret is using Miracle Whip rather than mayo, and adding the pickle juice. Note that the pickle juice and mustard measurements are approximate becuase I ususally just add some and taste until they are right. I do have a few tips though. For easier peeling, boil the eggs and refridgerate them overnight before peeling. I was in a hurry this time and peeled them after refridgerating for 3 hours, and I did notice the difference. Also, tap the eggs on the counter to crack the shell all the way around, and peel under cold running water. Even though I do measure the Miracle Whip, they do turn out a bit different each time. This time I think my yolks were smaller than normal and the proportions were a bit off. Not perfect, but very, very good. Enjoy.

Cute cukes, checca, and chocolate

Dan and I had the privilege of having a dear friend over for dinner the other night, so I decided to mix the experimental with a family favorite. Our appetizer was inspired by Cherrapeno's Boursin, Tomato, and Cucumber Nibbles. I absolutely love seedless cucumbers, and I fell in love with this idea as soon as I saw it. Instead of Boursin, I mixed a bit of garlic hummus, feta, and fresh cracked pepper (of course) with some reduced fat cream cheese, and topped it off with a fresh slice of tomato and a drizzle of balsamic vinegarette. They were scrumptious.

The main course was Giada's Spaghettini with Checca Sauce -barely modified. This is a dish that my Mom makes all the time, usually a triple to quadruple batch when the whole family is around. We just can't get enough of it, which is saying something considering that we can all be pretty picky. I have made checca with my Mom many times, but the was the first time on my own. For some reason, Mom's tastes better. Maybe it's the homegrown basil she uses or the extra pinch of love she adds when my back is turned. Either way, our's was still quite satisfying, and there is nothing better than openning up the food processor and taking a great big whiff of the fresh tomato sauce. Mmmmmm...

                                      ...I wish I could make this scratch-and-sniff

Spaghettini with Checca Sauce

8 ounces thin spaghetti

4 scallions (white and pale green parts only), coarsely chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 (12-ounce container) cherry tomatoes, halved 

1 ounce grated Parmesan

8 to 10 fresh basil leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until tender. Stir often to keep it from sticking together.

Meanwhile, combine the next 7 ingredients in a food processor. Pulse just until the tomatoes are coarsely chopped (do not puree). Drain the pasta and do not rinse. Toss the pasta with the tomato mixture and fresh mozzarella in a large bowl. Serve immediately.

I did not reserve any pasta water as Giada recommends. I used a container of grape tomatos this time, and they were very juicy. I actually removed a bit of the liquid that came out of the sauce. I have read reviews of this recipe stating that the fresh garlic flavor is too stong or intense. Never! I will warn you, however, that you should not plan on meeting anyone new within 2 days of eating it. : ) The smell and taste do not go away, but it's well worth it as far as I'm concerned. OK, if you are not into the strong garlic flavor, either use only one clove, or try roasted garlic. 

Finally, dessert! Beware...stream of consciousness. I have been thinking about the cooler weather and hot chocolate, Abuelita hot chocolate to be exact, with it's cinnamon-y goodness, which makes me think of other spiced chocolate like the chili chocolate bar that Dan and I found at a museum in New York several years ago and the way it tickles my taste buds. So...I decided to make a chili, cinnamon pudding.

Spiced Chocolate Pudding with Whipped Cream, adapted from Cooking Light

1/2 c. sugar

3 Tbsp. cornstarch

3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa

1/4 tsp. salt

2 1/2 c. skim milk

1/2 cup evaporated milk

2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

generous pinch of cayenne pepper

Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium saucepan; stir with a whisk. Gradually add milk and evaporated milk, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring contantly with a whisk. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat; add chocolate, stirring until melted and mixtre is smooth. Stir in vanilla, cinnamon, and cayenne and mix well. Pour into a bowl, cover the surface with plastic wrap, and refridgerate overnight.

Just before serving prepare Whipped Cream. Pour a half pint of heavy cream and 1 tsp. vanilla extract into a chilled mixing bowl. Slowly add 1/2 c. powdered sugar while beating on medium speed with a whisk attachment. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.

The flavor turned out awesome! Rave reviews, especially fom my parents who were lucky enough to sample the left-overs. But, I have to confess. My futile attempt to save calories and fat cost me a bit with this one. The pudding did not thicken up a much as I would have liked. Next time I will use the 1% milk that the recipe calls for...or maybe just 1/2%, we'll see.

Oh, and I almost forgot. I saw this the other day after thinking even more about soups...it's a great place to start.