Green Beans with Bacon and Onion

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Green Beans with Bacon and Onion                  

Adapted from Vegetables Everyday by Jack Bishop (This book taught me that vegetables are delicious.)
serves 4


1 pound green beans, ends snapped off
salt
4 strips bacon, sliced
1 medium onion, minced or sliced
2 T minced fresh parsley leaves
Freshly ground black pepper

Bring 2-3 quarts of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the green beans and 1 teas salt. Cook until the beans are tender, about 5 minutes. Drain the beans and set aside for up to several hours. Fry the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 6 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain on paper towels. Spoon off all but 1 T of the fat. Add the onion to the remaining fat in the skillet and sauté until the pieces start to brown around the edges, about 5 minutes. Add the beans and parsley and bacon to the pan. Toss to heat through for a minute or two. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Note from Colette:

The book suggests you use pancetta instead of bacon if you want to dress this up for a holiday meal.

Picadillo (Cuban-style Beef Hash)

I was happy to see this recipe in a recent Cook's Illustrated Magazine. While Ty lived in Richmond, Virginia, he introduced us to "Kuba, Kuba" a Cuban restaurant and we often ate there when we visited him. Picadillo is on the menu but it since it is an awfully long drive from New Mexico I'm glad I can make it myself.

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Picadillo (Cuban-style Beef Hash)

Source: cooksillustrated.com
serves 6-8

CI prefers this dish prepared with raisins (me, too), but they can be replaced with 2 T of brown sugar added with the broth. Picadillo is traditionally served with rice and black beans. It can also be topped with chopped parsley, toasted almonds, and/or chopped hard-cooked egg.

1 pound 85 % lean ground beef
1 pound ground pork
2 T water
1/2 teas baking soda
Salt and pepper
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 onion, halved and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 T vegetable oil
1 T dried oregano
1 T ground cumin
1/2 teas ground cinnamon
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped coarse
3/4 c dry white wine, if you don't cook with wine, substitute water or more broth
1/2 c beef broth
1/2 c raisins
1/2 c pimento-stuffed green olives, chopped coarse
2 T capers, rinsed
1 T red wine vinegar, plus extra for seasoning particularly if you skip the wine

Toss beef and pork with water, baking soda, 1/2 teas salt, and 1/4 teas pepper in bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, pulse bell pepper and onion in food processor until chopped into 1/4-inch pieces, about 12 pulses. If you prefer, you can chop them finely with a chef's knife.

Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chopped vegetables, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, and 1/4 teas salt; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and wine and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until pot is almost dry, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in broth, raisins, and bay leaves and bring to simmer.

Reduce heat to medium-low, add meat mixture in 2-inch chunks to pot, and bring to gentle simmer. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally with 2 forks to break meat chunks into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces, until meat is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Discard bay leaves. Stir in olives and capers. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened and coats meat, about 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar and season with salt, pepper, and extra vinegar to taste. Serve.

Note from Colette:

I believe that Kuba, Kuba serves with fried eggs on top. Ty, correct me if my memory is bad.

Tijuana Trainwreck

Our family first ate this at the home of Rick and Sue Stewart in Grafton, VA over twenty years ago. It became a staple in our dinner line-up during the years we were dealing with teen age appetites. 
 

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Tijuana Trainwreck

4 pound pork shoulder roast
1 pound pinto beans, sorted, soaked and cooked separately till soft
1 teas oregano
3 cloves garlic
1 teas cumin
1 T salt
2 T chili powder
3 cans chopped green chiles
Water

tortilla chips
lettuce
grated cheese
chopped scallions
sliced olives
any other taco salad ingredients you prefer

In a large dutch oven cover roast with water and cook with spices several hours until very well done and easy to shred. (You can cook the roast whole or you can cut it into large chunks before cooking. If it has a bone in it, it may be easier to cook whole.) After cooking you may want to skim the fat or you can refrigerate it until chilled and skim the fat.  Remove any bones; shred the pork with 2 forks. Then return to heat and add cooked beans. Taste and adjust seasonings; if needed, add more of the spices. Add the green chilies. Continue cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated taking care that the meat doesn't scorch.

For each diner, top a plate with tortilla chips. Top the chips with a generous spoonful of Trainwreck mixture. At the table, pass additional taco salad ingredients, allowing each diner to customize his or her "wreck". 

This can be frozen, which is good because it makes a ton!

Notes from Colette:

This is the original recipe. I advise browning the roast either whole or cut into pieces. This will enhance the flavor. Depending on availability, you might substitute 1/2 to 3/4 cup roasted and chopped New Mexico chiles or poblanos for the canned chile. Purists may want to use powdered dried chiles, but if you do, remember to add some garlic. Trainwreck would make a good filling for a torta, too.

Granola

I've been eating this granola often for about 10 years now. It has become a staple in my kitchen and I take it with me when I travel (at least in the U.S.; I hate those motel "free" breakfasts). My favorite way to eat granola is in a yogurt parfait with plenty of fresh fruit. Frozen berries work well in the winter.

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Granola

Adapted from a recipe by Alton Brown

3 c rolled oats
1 c slivered or sliced almonds
1 c walnuts, pecans, cashews, broken or chopped
3/4 c shredded sweet coconut
1/4 c dark brown sugar
1/4 c plus 2 T (3/8 c) maple syrup
1/4 c vegetable oil
3/4 teas salt
1 c raisins or other dried fruit, optional

Preheat oven to 250F. In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts coconut and brown sugar. In a small bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures, mixing well. When you begin, you may feel it won't really incorporate, but keep stirring. Place mixture on a 12 by 18 inch rimmed sheet pan. Cook for an hour to an hour and 15 minutes, depending on how crisp you like granola, stirring once or twice. Remove from oven and cool. Stir in raisins or other fruit if desired. Store in an airtight container or zipper bag.

Notes:

This is a basic recipe and it can be modified in numerous ways to suit your tastes. You can use a combination of rolled flakes. As long as you keep it at 2 cups, the nut combination can be varied (Aunt Diane used to make this with peanuts in her nut mix). You can add spices or vanilla (1/2 teas cinnamon is a good way to start). I don't generally use the raisins (personal taste issue) but like to add any dried fruit to my cereal bowl according to my mood. If you don't have any dark brown sugar, you can make a substitute by adding 1 teas molasses to the liquid ingredients.

I usually quadruple this recipe, mixing two very large bowls at a time (I mix two double batches). Since the granola freezes well, it is easier to do this once every couple of months. I cook the granola on two sheet pans, which are very full but by being careful, I can manage to stir it without mishap.

Truffle Hot Chocolate Balls

I have daffodils blooming along a south facing wall, so the hot chocolate season is over for me. But some locations are still cold enough a mug of steaming chocolate might be comforting.

After a few years of enjoying Rich Hot Chocolate, I found this recipe. Opinion in the family is divided as to which is the better beverage. I like the convenience offered by this recipe and the fact individual servings can be heated in the microwave. I think is a bit less sweet (a plus); of course sweetness can be altered in either application. Some folks like to snitch a spoonful of the ganache, another benefit with this recipe.

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Truffle Hot Chocolate Balls

Adapted from www.melskitchencafe.com
Makes about 9-10 hot chocolate balls

12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (about 2 cups)
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Microwave for one minute intervals, stirring often, until the mixture is combined and very smooth and silky. When you first start stirring, it will look grainy and messy but after it heats thoroughly and is whisked to combine, it will become beautifully smooth. Be careful not to overheat. Stop microwaving while there are still a few chunks of chocolate visible. Continue stirring until they have melted entirely.

Let the mixture cool for about 10 minutes at room temperature. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator until the mixture is firm and scoopable, about 2-3 hours. Scoop out approximate 1/4-cup spoonfuls of the mixture and place them on a wax paper-lined baking sheet. An ice scoop of the right size works well, too. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator and let the mounds harden slightly, about 15-20 minutes. Roll the chilled mounds into balls and place on squares of plastic wrap (about 4 inches by 4 inches). Pull the sides of the plastic wrap over to cover the ball and place the balls in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.

To make the hot chocolate: pour 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups (depending on how rich you like your hot chocolate) milk into a microwave-safe mug. Drop one unwrapped truffle hot chocolate ball in the milk. Microwave on high for 1 minute and stir until the chocolate is mostly melted. Microwave again for 45-60 seconds. Stir well until the chocolate is combined with the milk. At this point you may add flavorings such as vanilla, almond, orange, mint, cinnamon extracts or oils. Some folks like a pinch of cayenne or chipotle powder. Of course, topping hot chocolate with whipped cream can make you happy, at least in the short term.

Notes from Colette:

I tried this with semisweet and bittersweet chocolate chips. I added 2 T sugar to the bittersweet. You may add more at this point or in the mug if you please. I advise using good quality chocolate chips. You may also use block chocolate chopped into small pieces. (At Trader Joe's you can find chocolate blocks called Pound Plus chocolate made in Belgium; it works well, if you don't mind chopping the chocolate.)

After making this a few times and spending more time than I like rolling ganache and wrapping the balls in plastic, I decided to keep the ganache it in a bowl in the fridge. I measure out what I like in each cup just before I heat the milk. I usually start out with about 3 tablespoons of ganache. After you've made it for yourself a few times, you'll know about how much will suite your tastes. Some folks like more chocolate so sometimes tasting is needed.

Chewy Granola Bars with Pecans, Chocolate, and Cherries

Here's another favorite from Molly Wizenburg, this one from her blog Orangette. I can't make these too often. When they're in the house, I eat them for breakfast, lunch, snack, and dessert. Although they are a bit crumbly I like to take them with me when I travel, because they are solid enough to fill in for a meal. The kids like them, too, although one doesn't love the dried cherries.
 

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Chewy Granola Bars with Pecans, Chocolate, and Cherries

Very slightly modified from Orangette

4 c quick cooking oats, divided
2/3 c sugar
2 c raw pecan halves
1 c unsweetened coconut chips
1 c bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 c dried cherries
1 teas salt
1/2 teas cinnamon
2/3 c creamy peanut butter
2 teas vanilla
12 T unsalted butter, melted
3/4 c honey
2 T water

Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare a 9x13 pan by spraying it lightly with cooking spray. Line it with a rectangle of parchment paper that overlaps on two sides--enough for you to use to pull the bars out of the pan when they're done. Lightly grease the parchment paper.

Process 2/3 c of the quick-cooking oats in a food processor until finely ground. In a large bowl, stir together the remaining 3 1/3 c oats, ground oats, sugar, pecans, coconut chips, chocolate chips, dried cherries, salt, and cinnamon.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, vanilla, melted butter, honey, and water. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients, and stir well, until the mixture is evenly moistened. Transfer to the pan, pressing the mixture firmly to ensure that it molds to the shape of the pan. For less mess, place a piece of plastic wrap over the top before you push the bars in.

Bake for 30 minutes, until they're brown around the edges and just beginning to color on top. Transfer the pan to a rack, and allow the bars to cool completely in the pan. Then pull up on the parchment paper to lift the sheet of bars out of the pan. Cut the bars into squares and enjoy.

Note on ingredients: To make quick cooking oats, I pulse regular rolled oats in the food processor several times, until most oats are cut once or twice. Also, I had a hard time finding the coconut chips in my local stores, so I ordered those from Amazon. 

Chocolate Banana Steel Cut Oatmeal

Tired of banana bread from your old bananas? Try this recipe for naturally sweetened oatmeal. There are lots of add-in options, but this chocolate one is my favorite. I'm usually too hungry in the morning to wait for 30 minutes for my breakfast, so I keep this oatmeal in the fridge and then reheat in the microwave in the morning, with a little milk.

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Chocolate Banana Steel Cut Oatmeal

Adapted slightly from Oh She Glows
Yields approximately four servings

2 c water
2 c almond milk
1 c uncooked steel-cut oats
pinch of salt
2 large bananas, mashed
2 T ground flax seeds (optional) 
2 teas ground cinnamon
2 teas vanilla
chocolate chips
cacao nibs

In a medium-sized pot, bring the water and almond milk to a boil. Add in steel-cut oats and a pinch of salt and reduce heat to low. Stir in the mashed banana and ground flax. Simmer, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so. When the oats are creamy and tender, remove from heat and stir in cinnamon and vanilla. To serve, sprinkle with chocolate chips and cacao nibs to taste.