Barrett’s Black Bean Cakes

The Chef sent me this recipe months ago, and it stalled out in my Inbox because black beans – or beans of any kind, really – often bore the crap out of me.

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But the more I started looking at it, the more intrigued I became. The Mexican seasonings, the chorizo, and the suggestion that you serve it alongside quail – arguably the most adorable and delectable of tiny game birds – finally changed my mind.

The Chef also mentioned this is one of his favorite recipes from the CIA Cookbook, and whether that means “Central Intelligence Agency” or “Culinary Institute of America” to you, it’s pretty badass either way.

1 lb dried black beans
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup chorizo sausage
2/3 cup yellow onion, diced medium
2 tbsp garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded, and minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup cornmeal

1. Soak bean overnight in enough cold water to cover them by 3 inches.
2. Drain beans, place in a pot, and add the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until beans are tender, about 45 minutes. Drain.
3. Cook the chorizo over medium heat in a saute pan until the fat is rendered and the chorizo is slightly crispy.  Add onions, garlic and jalapeno, and saute until golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Add the cumin and chili powder and saute until fragrant. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool.
5. Combine beans, chorizo mixture, egg, cilantro, lime juice and salt.  Mix well, mashing some of the beans to help keep the cake together.
6. Form the mixture into 16 cakes, about 2 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick. Dust the cakes lightly with cornmeal.
7. Preheat nonstick skillet to medium heat. Cook the cakes until heat through, about 4 to 6 minutes.  The Chef says you’re gonna have to work in batches here, so be prepared to move quickly.

Serve these immediately (because these suckers are best hot), preferably with grilled quail and Coffee BBQ Sauce.

Veggie Beef Soup

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The first official day of fall has come and gone, and that means it’s legitimately time for soup again! And I no longer have to put up with judgmental looks when I ask what the soup of the day while sitting on a patio in July.

As it is now October, I’ve clearly already made chili (cheese dogs) in celebration of the season, but this week I decided to turn my attention to things more healthy.

This recipe is similar to Mama Dunny’s oft-praised Veggie Beef Soup, and it is certainly not lacking in the ingredient department. Luckily most of these ingredients can be bought already prepped, so you get to stand and stir and taste and season without having to chop ’til your fingers fall off.

And believe it or not, the addition of Zing Zang here is not just a reflection of my inability to wait until Saturday morning to make myself a bloody. It actually adds great flavor and seasoning. Give it a slurp and see what I mean.

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2 boxes beef broth
1 beef brisket (2.5 lbs or so), cut into 8 pieces
1 large can tomato sauce
2 cups Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix
1 onion
1 package mushrooms, sliced
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 potato, chopped (or parsnip if you’re feeling experimental)
2 cups cabbage, chopped (crunchy goodness)
1 bag frozen peas, carrots, corn, and lima & green beans
1 can diced tomatoes + juice (any non-Rotel variety)
1.5 cups mini farfalle pasta
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
hot sauce & Tony’s & Cavender’s to taste (natch)

1. Place brisket in large dutch oven. Cover with beef broth, tomato sauce, and Zing Zang. Add spices.
2. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Cook on low for at least 3 hours (the longer and lower the better, but you just have to cook it until the brisket starts to pull apart).
3. Once the brisket is tender, remove it from the broth and let cool. Pull apart.
4. Turn the broth up to a boil and add the veggies. [Start with carrots and potatoes (which will take longer) and work your way down to things that cook quickly like mushrooms. ] Turn down to a simmer.
5. Add beef and uncooked pasta. Simmer until pasta is cooked through. Add more broth if necessary.*
6. TASTE and SEASON. This is a big ole mess ‘o soup (because why would make any other amount?), and that will require a LOT of seasoning. My measurements are always estimates, so use your own judgment. Nothing is more disappointing than bland broth.
7. Serve with Saltines. Because some things Grandma did you cannot argue with.

*Do not be afraid to add more broth (and subsequently more seasoning) as you go along. All these veggies will suck up that moisture, and the broth is so delish that you’ll want more of it.

Breakfast Potatoes

This is a super simple breakfast potato recipe.  I don’t really have measurements because this is all by taste and what I have in the fridge or pantry. It takes no time at all, incredibly easy and is the perfect hangover cure.  I highly recommend topping with an egg over easy and using lots of hot sauce.  – ts

5-6 small potatoes (any potatoes will do)
1 small red bell pepper chopped
½ large yellow onion chopped
seasoning (whatever you have on hand) options:

• fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary
• dried oregano (make sure to squish dried oregano between your fingers to release the seasonings before using)
• cumin
• chili powder

1-2 scallions chopped green and white parts
2 cloves garlic minced
olive oil
salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste

1. Boil water, and then boil potatoes for about 8-10 minutes or until tender
2. Drain and let cool while you chop the bell pepper, onions, and garlic
3. Heat pan with olive oil, and then add garlic.  Let cook about 45 seconds or 1 minute, until fragrant.  Add peppers and onions and sauté for a few minutes.  Season the veggies with salt and pepper.
4. While peppers and onions cook, slice potatoes up to about ½ inch slices.  Add potatoes to pan along with all seasonings.  Cook for about 20 minutes.  Top with fresh scallions. Serve hot with hot sauce and fried egg over easy.

Shredded Chicken Tacos- Cinco de Mayo 2K11

NummyNumNum could obviously not survive without RipleyPickles and The Chef.  I cannot remember the last time I posted something, and most likely my posts were not missed.  I am back though!  In great news about my life that everyone should care about, Chef John and I are leaving NYC and heading back down to my favorite city in the states New Orleans.  Soon we are going to get real Cajun up in here.  My new goal in life is to get John Besh to do a celeb posting on our blog. Trust me I will make this happen. 
Today’s recipe is in honor of the upcoming best festival CINCO DE MAYO!  Clearly nummy LOVES all Mexican feasts regardless of a holiday, and I thought I would post a great shredded chicken taco recipe that is real simple and does not take all day to cook.   – ts

1 ½ lbs boneless chicken thighs
1 large white onion, peeled and quartered
5 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
2 bay leaves
Cumin
chili powder
1-2 chipotle pepper in sauce chopped (optional)
cilantro for garnish chopped
Salt and pepper to taste.

1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and add water or stock to cover. Be generous with all seasonings.  You could even throw in a package of taco seasoning in the mix if you prefer.
2. Turn heat to high, bring to a boil, and skim any foam that comes to the surface. Partially cover and adjust heat so mixture simmers steadily. Cook until meat is very tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from liquid and cool.  Leave liquid in pan.
3. Shred meat with fingers. Add back to pan with liquid mix chicken with liquid to soak up more sauce.   Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.  Sprinkle with cilantro.

Black Bean Soup with Chipotle Cream

I already have 3 problems with this post: 1) I hate beans; 2) It’s officially 71 degrees outside and therefore way too conventionally “warm” to post a soup recipe; and 3) Every idiot I’ve run across recently cannot pronounce the word “Chipotle.” Let’s take these one by one, shall we?

First of all, I think beans are kind of pointless. Refry them and cover them in cheese and maybe we can talk, but for the most-part, I’ll pass.

That is, AHEM, until I had this soup. The Chef brought this home from work for me months ago, and I don’t know if it was my intense love of getting anything for free or the Chipotle Cream on top, but it was GREAT. As for my second point, I have pointed out that soup knows no season on several occasions, so you can take it down the street to another blog if you don’t like it.

And finally, the word is pronounced “Chi-poht-lay.” Yeah, I’m looking at you, Paula Deen, I love your wacky behind more than anyone, but “Chi-POLT-ay” just “ain’t rite,” to use your vernacular. You’re on the Food Network for goodness’ sakes. Get it together girl.

Black Bean Soup:
4 cups of dry black beans
2 yellow onions, diced
1 poblano pepper. diced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
6 quarts of water
salt and black pepper to taste

1. Rinse black beans in cold water.
2. In a large pot, cook onions and peppers in olive oil until they become soft. Add the chili powder and cumin and stir until the onions are well coated.
3. Add the beans and water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for about an hour and a half. (While this is cooking, make the Chipotle Cream.)
4. Puree beans in their liquid until smooth. Thin down with additional water, if necessary.
5. Season to taste and top each bowl of soup with Chipotle Cream.

Chipotle Cream:
4 Chipotles in Adobo sauce
1/2 cup of sour cream
1/3 cup of mayo
juice of one lime
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp of cilantro

1. Place all ingredients in a blender or processor and puree until smooth. (I like to refrigerate this for the cold-hot dynamic you get when you top the soup with it, but it’s your prerogative lady, so do what you will.)

Fish Tacos

If you’re in the Mexican mood but don’t want to go super heavy, these are the perfect solution. Start with a little Grade-A Guac, top these suckers with some Mexican Crema and accompany them with Southwestern Slaw and Freshritas. You’ve got yourself a fiesta.

2 lbs of mahi mahi, ( you can also use snapper or grouper)
1/2 cup of veg oil
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
5 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
pinch of salt
flour tortillas
Valentina hot sauce (not-too-hot Mexican hot sauce)

1. Preheat grill to medium high heat.
2. Combine oil, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, coriander, garlic and salt. Coat the fish with the marinade.
3. Grill fish about 3 minutes on each side.
4. Once fish are cooked through, grill the tortillas about 15 seconds on each  side to achieve light grill marks.

BB’s Tortilla Soup

Despite The Chef’s unfortunate aversion to making standard, run-of-the-mill soups, I whined enough to finally get him to make me some tortilla. And it was anything but standard. I even got his brother-in-law JR to back me up on the fabulosity of this, so maybe that will give me some leverage when I beg him to make it again.

2 tsp vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
1 poblano pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 jalapenos, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp oregano
1 can of chopped green chilies
2.5 cans of diced tomatoes
1 tbsp of chili powder
1/2 tbsp cumin
1 1/2 quart of chicken stock
3 cups of shredded cooked chicken
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add all of veggies except tomatoes.  Cook until soft and caramelized (this is the most important part of making this soup right).
2. Then add tomatoes, stock, chili powder, and cumin.  Simmer for about an hour.
3. Then add chicken, heat through, and serve. Garnish with fried tortilla strips, chopped cilantro, a squirt of a lime, and sliced avocados.

I also dose this up with some shredded Mexi cheese, but that’s your judgment call to make. The Chef’s Mexican Crema would also be a welcome addition. This soup becomes even nummier after a few days, so make enough to munch on all week.

Barrett’s Green Curry Sauce

Chef says: “This seems like a s— load of ingredients, but its well worth it. This stuff is unbelievable.”

Well alright then. Barrett suggests you make a large batch of the paste, use a few tablespoons to make the sauce, and freeze the rest for future use (the recipe makes about 2 cups). As we learned on the food network, you can freeze portions of this in ice-cube trays and use them one-at-a-time. My inner Martha loves that time-saver crap.

2 1/2 Thai chilies
1 tbsp cumin seed
2 1/2 tbsp coriander seed
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp kosher salt
1/2 cup cilantro leaves and stems
1/2 cup basil leaves
1/2 cup mint leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric (ginger-ish flavor: warm, bitter, spicy)
2 tsp of galangal, minced (citrus-pine-earthy flavor)
1 tbsp of garlic, minced
1 1/2 tbsp of lemongrass, minced, white part only
4 kaffir lime leaves, minced
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/2 cup shallots, minced
1 cup peanut oil
hot coconut milk

1. Place all the dried spices (chilies through salt) in a saute pan and toast over medium heat. Once toasted, grind in a spice grinder.
2. Blanch and shock (meaning boil for a sec and then plunge into cold water to stop the cooking) the cilantro, basil, and mint in a salted water. Squeeze dry.
3. Place all ingredients except oil in blender and puree until smooth.
4. While the blender is running, slowy drizzle in oil. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Mix a few tablespoons with hot coconut milk until sauce reaches desired consistency.
6. Serve with mussels or scallops over risotto or use as a soup base. If you’re looking for a full recipe, swap out the red curry in this mussel recipe for this green one. Bellissimo!

Fish Vindaloo

The Wikipedias tell me that “vindaloo” is some sort of Indian curry dish. They also tell me that “curry” is a generic term that means a dish that usually includes turmeric, coriander and cumin. And THEN they tell me that “turmeric” is a “rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant of the ginger family.” And to that I say WHAAAAA?

Never has a recipe managed to make me feel so dumb so fast. And so American. To be fair, I did know of curry and turmeric before The Chef gave me this recipe to post, but I couldn’t have told you a darn thing about them, so this has now gone straight to the top of my To Make List in my effort to become a little less Bond-Hopkins-from-middle-school-who-would-only-eat-chicken-fingers. Plain.

Marinade:
3 tablespoons of malt vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons black peppercorns, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons of brown sugar
8 each cardamom seeds, green
8 cloves
3 green chilies, seeded
salt to taste
1 1/2 pounds of monkfish ( you can also use shrimp or scallops)

Spice mixture:
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon of ginger, peeled and minced
2 red chilies, seeded
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 fenugreek seed (obviously another WHAAA?-inducing herb that you can read about here)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons of coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoons turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
1 ounce of malt vinegar

Cooking:
1 1/2 ounces of oil.
3/4 cup of onions, small dice

1. Combine first 7 ingredients and mix well.  Add fish, and marinate for 1 hour.
2. Using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, make a paste with garlic, ginger, spices and vinegar.
3. Heat oil over medium heat, add onions, and cook until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Add spice paste and cook over medium low heat, 10 minutes. If it becomes to dry, add a little water.
5. Remove fish from marinade and add to pan. Cook 5 minutes over medium high heat, stirring constantly. Then add marinade to the pan.
6. Add 1 cup of water. Bring to a simmer, cover, and lower heat.  Cook for 30 minutes or until tender. Stir to prevent from sticking.
7. Serve with Basmati Rice and Cilantro Chutney.

 

Mexican Chicken Casserole

This stuff is fresh, filling…and healthy! I got this one from Cooking Light (a staple in our house) and it is awesome. While it does require some hands-on time – it is nothing complicated. I am typically one that will pull a Sandra Lee every now and then and go with the store bought version of a certain ingredient (e.g. salsa) vs making it homemade (she calls this “Semi-Homemade”). Anyway, in this recipe, you will make homemade salsa to place in your Mexican “lasagna” – and it is SO worth it. And, if you’re like me and like your food a lil on the spicy side…I’d recommend some additional jalepenos, Cayenne pepper, or…my favorite, Louisiana hot sauce! Enjoy – Morg

The Recipe
Hands on time: 25 minutes
Total time: 1 hour and 10 mins (I think this is a lie or I’m not that good)

Salsa:
8 plum tomatoes, halved and seeded
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed (I use the kind out of the jar to make my life a little easier)
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 seeded jalepeno pepper, quartered (again, I’d use extra and…if you like lots of heat, you can skip the seeding process)
Cooking spray
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Casserole:
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 cup diced zucchini
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
3 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (I’d make this 4 cups, especially if you’re cooking for a man; Anthony’s big complaint was that there wasn’t enough “meat”)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (10 ounce) can green chili enchilada sauce
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 cup (4 ounces) shredding Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

1. Preheat broiler.
2. To prepare salsa, combine first 4 ingredients on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Broil 20 minutes or until charred, stirring once. Remove from oven; cool slightly. Place tomato mixture in a food processor; add cilantro, lime juice, and pepper. Process until smooth. Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (where is the degrees sign on a computer?)
4. To prepare casserole,  heat a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Lightly coat pan with cooking spray. Add 1 cup onion, corn, zucchini, and bell pepperr; saute 6 minutes or until tender. Add chicken and next 5 ingredients (through green chiles); saute 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat.
5. Spread 1/2 cup of salsa over the bottom of a 13X9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange half of tortillas over salsa. Spoon 2 cups chicken mixture evenly over toritllas. Top with 3/4 cup salsa. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of each cheese. Repeat layers, start with remaining tortillas and ending with remaining cheeses. Bake at 250 degrees for 25 minutes until bubbly.

Yields: 8 servings. (330 calories per serving – but who’s counting?)

Note: the longer the salsa is allowed to sit, the more the flavors will meld. Make extra and use to enhance other dishes – or just serve with some warm tortilla chips!