Eating Dinner With My Family

I decided to try this soup because ti was cold out and my parents ere coming in town and I knew black beans are always a crowdpleaser.  I have made black beans many times, but never a black bean soup.  This was good and fast and liked by everyone.  I am really slacking on the blog and phoning it in when I actually work on it, but I have a plan.  I am deciding on new parameters on posting.  Until now, I was posting ever night.  (you know to keep on track with not repeating etc...)  I think now I will post only one or two a week.  So until I know just what the heck I'm doing and I have caught up with the unfinished posts, expect me to be a slacker and mostly just have a recipe:).  And I totally forgot to take a picture, but I think it doesn't tax the imagination too much to imagine a bowl of black bean soup ;). Black Bean Soup with Sherry 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped 1 medium green be...

I wanted to clean up a bit and I had been wanting papusas, and since papusas are one of those dishes that are perfect for leftovers, it was perfect timing.  Yes you need a "specality" ingredient.  I put that in quotes because it is available at my local supermarket, but I still consider it a specality ingredient since it is not a staple in most homes.  It keeps and isn't expensive so you shouldn't worry about adding it to your pantry.  (besides it makes more than just papusas;)  I based the papusa off a food and wine recipe, but everything else was just lying around the kitchen waiting to go bad ;).  Pantry Papusas 2 Cup masa harina (see Note) 1 3/4 Cup very warm tap water Kosher salt vegetable oil for frying 1 c finely shredded jack and a bit of cheddar. 5 cloves of roasted garlic minced  In a medium bowl, using your hands, mix the masa harina with the water and 1/2 teaspoon salt until a soft dough forms. Cover the bowl with plastic wr...

I was thinking of doing cheese enchiladas for meatless Monday. I had some tortillas, all I needed was a recipe for the red sauce. I spent at least an hour sifting through recipe searches on the computer before I gave up and went to bed. There seemed to be 2-3 different base recipes, and many involved lard or chicken stock. (Which I wanted to avoid to keep it meatless). There was one that I thought looked good and could work but "red chili powder" was in it. What the heck is that?  Cayenne?  I didn't think so and the Internet failed me. But I digress....  The next morning, Monday, I make a quick search of vegetarian enchiladas on Food and Wine and I thought this one sounded good and it totally cheats by making the enchilada sauce out of marinara!  The preparation of it wasn't difficult. The hardest part was mincing the onion and jalapeño. If it didn't require a 30 bake time, it would be pretty fast too. I did do some alterations. 1) I had puréed a can of chipotles ...

I feel like I am on a roll!  Two nights in a row I have improvised a meal, cleaned up some ingredients and it was good!  I had these frozen chicken leg quarters.  I can't handle chicken: raw or on a bone and this was both.  I couldn't eat the chicken.  It just bothers me, but the boys, who love chicken and in particular dark meat, really loved it.  The really, really , loved it.  I made the beans for me, but the boys put a little on the bottom of their tacos.  I made the chicken ala my family's beloved Enchilada Chicken recipe, but with the plan not save the cooking liquid, so I was going to need to find some way to sauce it up a bit.  The solution was a taco seasoning flavored butter.  You can serve these tacos with whatever toppings suit your family's preferences, but I think what we used was pretty perfect.:) Oh in case you are wondering what the heck Pdoma is, it was something a contractor my husband was talking to at work about ...

It is cold out, so I opt for a soup tonight.  Other than the chopping (which was minimal), this dish was a breeze! I know I have said it before in the blog, but when a recipe calls for a small bit of tomato paste, I use a 1 tablespoon scoop to portion out the rest of the can on to a plate and freeze.  Then I pop those frozen portions off and put them in a plastic bag.  Easy and give you a simple way to store all that extra paste.  I wasn't expecting the dish to be anything less than good, but I was also not expecting an OMG moment.  It was an OMG dish!  I used a baguette instead of chibatta because I didn't read the recipe well before my trip to the store, (blush) but I it is a mistake I will make again.  The  whole dish was wonderful, but I think that bread was what took it from good to great.  If you make this, I would suggest you do what I did, use 4 cups of stock.  I think that if I hadn't used that last cup in the carton (just to cl...

We do our big dinner on Christmas eve and graze on leftovers all day on Christmas.  We had my husband's side of the family in town for tonight and my MIL brought a beautiful prime rib for me to cook.  As it is a special occasion, we had a lot of dishes.  The menu tonight: Grilled Antipasto With Garlicky Bean Dip   Grilled Romaine With Blue Cheese-Bacon Vinaigrette Prime Rib Roast For A Small Crowd        Horseradish Sauce Mashed Potatoes and Gravy Coconut Cream Pie      As there are so many dishes, I figured I would write the post around them.  We started with the grilled antipasto.  It was the first time I had made it, and really loved it. It was a bit of work in that there were a bunch of veggies to be sliced, (I did the peppers and zucchini ahead of time as well as the bean dip), and the veggies took up a lot of space on the grill.  I pretty much had to do one type at a time....

I liked this one so much I gave it it's own post :) Grilled Antipasto With Garlicky Bean Dip 1    nineteen-ounce can cannellini beans,drained and rinsed 2    small garlic cloves,minced 2 T  fresh lemon juice 2 T  extra-virgin olive oil,plus more for brushing 1/2 c  chopped basil Salt and freshly ground pepper 6    small Italian frying peppers or Cubanelle peppers 4    medium zucchini,sliced lengthwise 1/4 inch thick 2    one-pound eggplants,sliced lengthwise 1/2 inch thick 24  anchovy fillets 24  marinated bocconcini (about 3/4 pound) 2    large beefsteak tomatoes (1 pound each),sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick Grilled country bread,for serving 1.In a food processor, combine the beans with the garlic, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Process until smooth, then scrape into a bowl. Fold in the basil and season with salt and pepper. 2....

I had some lovely kale from Front Porch Pickings , and I really wanted to make the kale and cheese tamales again.  They were so good, but to have a recipe for the blog, I decided to try this kale and white bean stew.  While I thought it was tasty, I think it needed a good dose of hot sauce. It smelled heavenly but didn't quite deliver on what that smell promised, but still pretty tasty.  It was a good, hearty bowl of soup and the kale was the star for me.  I did like the tamales better so next time I will make those instead:). Kale And White-Bean Stew 2 T  cooking oil 1/4 lb mild or hot sausages casings removed 2    onions,chopped 3 ea garlic,minced 1 lb kale,tough stems removed, leaves washed well 3 1/3 c  canned diced tomatoes with their juice (two 15-ounce cans) 1 1/4 t  salt 1/2 t  fresh-ground black pepper 4 c  drained and rinsed canned  cannellini beans (two 19-ounce cans) 1. In a Dutch oven, heat 1...

I had most of the ingredient for this on hand and they needed to be used.  While I picked if for convenience, it turned out to be quite a good recipe.  My husband loved it, including the guacamole!  He is not a fan of avocados or guac.  My son loved it, but declined on the guacamole.  He tasted it but didn't like it.  I too enjoyed this one.  I would have liked a bit more goat cheese but other than that I can't complain.  My husband came up with the brilliant idea to spread the goat cheese over the tortilla rather than get messy trying to crumble.  I like that the cheese was in every bite and less mess to boot.  Quesadillas are fast and easy to make and this one was not your typical cheese or chicken one. The beans can be made ahead too.  The recipe said you could assemble them early too.  I would worry what that would do the tortilla.  Sounds like a recipe for soggy to me, and quite frankly the spreading of cheese and bea...

These were really awesome!  Everyone declared them a favorite.  They resemble our favorite appetizer at a restaurant in DeLand that we love.  They were a bit of work, but not terribly so.  There are lots of little steps.  I cooked the onion and poblano mixture at the same time as the beans and that kept the time down.  Next time there are people over, this is what we are making.  They are also vegetarian!  They not only taste amazing they look pretty good too.  The poblanos had a bit of heat but not too much and the simple mashed beans were really good.  We almost made more of them when we had finished what we had.  We had some extra beans and peppers, and we all could have eaten more, but we refrained.  This is an appetizer for 4 or main for 2-3 depending on appetites. I also only used 5 poblanos and there was plenty.  Perhaps they were on the large side.  This is looking good for the recipe of the week. Masa Grid...

For meatless Monday, I chose to make a recipe from one of my favorite food blogs: Laurie's Craving's .  Not only does everything look and (and the ones I have made) taste great, but her recipes are healthy.  Tasty, healthy cooking is something I dabble with, but I have always said just have a little and a huge salad. (well at least until I learn the secret of it)  This recipe was really tasty, not fattening, and really filling.  Even my husband, who isn't a fan of avocado, really liked his. (he also has an inherent prejudiced against healthy cooking:)  It was also an easy recipe to make and fast.  All the "ingredients" (pardon my pun lol) for a perfect weeknight family dinner.  My husband did add a small sprinkling of cheese over the beans, but it really wasn't a lot, and I didn't miss it on mine.  The only issue my son had, is he isn't a fan of corn tortillas.  I can empathize; we are conditioned in the US to think of tortillas as the f...

I have been slacking on the recipes as we are in Tennessee enjoying the mountains. While we have been cooking dinner every night, they have been recipes that were already on the blog.  I have cheated a bit by scheduling posts of sides and snacks I made before we left.  I am not sorry, I am loving my vacation. (can you say white water rafting!!!)  However, tonight we are making this grilled pork tenderloin that we love but somehow neglected to make during the blog era. This is an Alton Brown Recipe.  (always good)   We are having it with my black beans recipe and rice and a salad. The post marinade is genius; the combination of pork and lime, sublime.  We all ate way too much.  This was the first time we actually cooked it on a grill.  (Usually we just cook it under the broiler). Yummy! It was also nice that our salad had lots of local veggies we got from a road side stand. Grilled Pork Tenderloin 1    whole pork...

It may not be pretty, but it's good:) I love this versatile dip.  This is the "bare bones" recipe.  From here you can build it to your taste or occasion.  I like adding cumin, curry power or Greek seasoning(just be mindful of the salt.  add seasonings with salt before you add salt).  You can even add some tahini if you want it to be more hummus like, but I happen to like it this way, not just for flavor, but it is a little lighter with out the fat and calories of tahini.  It is simple to make and fast.  I often whip up a batch before the beach or pool and take it as a snack.  I like to use it as a dip for veggies and as the "meat" in a sandwich in addition to the bread or crackers. I usually don't add the hot sauce to the dip, (ok maybe just a dash or two)  I sprinkle it over each portion.  It lets you adjust heat for every one's preference. White Bean Dip 2 cn of cannellini beans [white kidney beans] drained and rinsed 2 ea of ...

With the lovely butter beans I got from my Front Porch Pickings basket, I decided to try a butter bean hummus recipe.  My son, who would have turned his nose up at the beans themselves, really liked it.  My husband and I did too.  The only thing I found, for me, was it kind of like taking a big swig of what you thought was Coke only to find it Root Beer.  Both taste good but it flavor difference was hard to get over at first.  Now that I expect it, no problem, but in the beginning it some getting use to. We had a cocktail hour with some friends and I served the hummus with some garlic hot sauce, olives and wasabi almonds.  Mmmmmm.  Butter Bean Hummus 1 lb dried butter beans (Lima beans) 4    garlic cloves 1/3 c  tahini 2 t  kosher salt 1/2 t  black pepper,freshly ground 1/2 t  cayenne 1 c  olive oil 1/4 c  lemon juice,freshly squeezed 1Soak the beans overnight in plenty of wat...

This was a fairly easy recipe.  There was the prep work which involved chopping a lot of veggies, but it wasn't too bad.  The cooking time is like three hours, but largely unattended so that it nice.  We all weren't sure what we would think of it.  My husband and I were pleasantly surprised, my son was not a fan.  The liquid part he was ok with but the rest... He even didn't like the cheese toast.  Most likely he didn't like the soggy bottom nor the Swiss; I happened to love it.  It makes a huge portion; next time I will be halving the recipe. I had a large bit of ham on hand so I used it rather than go out and buy the ham hocks.  As a result, I think the broth was a little watery tasting, so I put a spoonful of ham bouillon in the stew at the beginning of the third hour. I think this dish would lend itself to using up all kinds of leftovers. White Bean and Ham Stew   4    meaty smoked ham hocks (about 3 1/2 pound...

I did a smaller portion with 1 egg Dinner was only eaten by the boy and myself.  I happened to really like it; the boy, not so much.  He did eat it all, but wasn't a fan.  I didn't have the salsa Lizano.  A quick search of the Internet returned that the salsa in question is a Costa Rican condiment that had cumin and is a bit sweet and spicy.  One person noted that they have used Worcestershire instead with good results.  Well of the 3 Tbsp required, I used 2 of the Worcestershire and 1 of a mild hot sauce that is loaded with cumin called Micanopy Gold.  I will keep the recipe and plan on making it again, but the boy could take it or leave it. Rice And Beans With Fried Eggs  3/4 c  long-grain white rice Kosher salt 2    Tbs. canola oil 1    small yellow onion,cut into small dice 1/2    medium red bell pepper seeded and cut into small dice 2    large cloves garlic,mi...

Well, I was thinking of ways to use up the chorizo I had left from the shrimp dish and use up some of the cheese I bought way too much of for the mac and cheese.  I was thinking of whipping up some kind of mexi pizza.  So, I started out chopping celery and onion for my black bean recipe, only to find out that I didn't have a can of black beans.  I did, however, have some refried beans (vegetarian). I figured they would work too, so into the pot they were thrown. I am quite pleased with the result.  I think I put a but too much cheese so I reduced the amount in the recipe.  Also It is easy to put too much beans.  I think I did but didn't reduce the amount here.  Haven't gotten feed back from my husband yet, but the boy liked it too. It could easily be made meat free by omiting the chorizo. Mexi Pizza 1 pound Pizza dough 1 1/2  tablespoons  Olive oil 2 stalks celery, chopped 1/2 onion, chopped, reserve about 1/4 of it 2 tablespoons toma...

Well I  had presoaked some black beans in anticipation of tonight's dinner.  I had some Coke and ham drippings from the ham cooked in Coca-Cola (11/28/11).  I froze the cooking liquid in two batches for future use.  (Nigella Lawson the chef whose cook book I got the recipe from said it made the most fabulous black bean base)  It was pretty tasty.  Yes it was sweet, but not too sweet, and with the addition of some salt and some of the liquid from some pickled jalapenos it was just right.  I still prefer my original recipe for black beans, but its very good.  I deviated from the recipe in that I used dried black beans and the ham/coca-cola liquid rather than canned black beans; I omitted the chipotle and used some of the pickled jalapeno juice instead.  I also cooked it much longer and topped it with sliced scallions and cilantro.

I was never a huge soup fan.  I don't think it is an inherent dislike more that it's too warming and its already pretty bloody hot in Florida.  However, I am overcoming this and trying to learn the art of making a good soup.  This is a tasty vegetarian soup.  Almost all the flavor comes form the pistou.  I halved the soup, but not the pistou.  It was good with the proper amount of the pistou, but I put in double.  I was good too but not necessary.  My husband and I prefer a smooth soup as opposed to a chunky soup.  Next time I think I will use an immersion blender before the addition of the pistou. Soupe Au Pistou 8 Servings 3 qt Water 2 c  Carrot,Diced 2 c  Potato,Diced 2 c  Onion Or Leeks,Diced 1 T  Salt 2 c  Green Beans,Diced 2 c  Navy Or Kidney Beans,Canned 1/3 c  Broken Vermicelli 1 sl White Bread,Stale And Crumbled 1/8 t  Black Pepper pinch Saffron 4 ea Garlic,Mashed 4 T  ...

Top to bottom: Bean, Formage, Blue Well tonight was a movie night at the boy's karate school. A group of my friends who have their children in the school decided to take this opportunity to go out. However, as movie night started at 4 (and it's closest to my house) we decided to have some wine here before we went to dinner. I think it irresponsible (much less bad manners as a host) to serve alcohol with out some sort of food to go with it. I made a white bean dip, formage fort, blue cheese and chive spread for the savory options. To accompany them, I had some crackers, herbed flatbread crisps, pita triangles and marinated olives. I also made a marscipone and honey spread to put on some thin crisp coconut cookies. I choose what I did because I had almost everything on hand. I knew I needed to restrain myself because I tend to make too much and I didn't want to spoil our dinner. I started with the formage fort. I hadn't made it before but have always want...