Black Beans and Tomatoes v2

Modified this recipe (and seriously lessened the cayenne - and a good thing too, since one full teaspoon would have been inedible for me) to make a quick, easy weekday lunch staple. No need to be super-exact with the recipe, either.

2 T olive oil
1/4 large onion, diced (about 2/3 cup)
5 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 heaping tablespoon)
2 t cumin powder
1/4 t cayenne powder (might do a bit less next time)
1 14 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes, with juice
salt and pepper to taste
2 scallions, chopped, for garnish

Put the oil in a pan over medium heat. Once it's hot, add the onion and saute till soft, about 3-5 minutes.

Add the garlic to the pan and cook till slightly softened, about 1-2 minutes.

Add the cumin and cayenne powder to the pan. Wait several seconds till the aroma of the spices blooms, then mix well with the onion and garlic.

Add the beans to the pan, and mix well to combine with the onion, garlic and spice mixture.

Add the diced tomatoes and their juice to the pan. Turn the heat to high till the mixture starts to bubble, then turn the heat to low. Simmer till the liquid becomes saucy, about 5-10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with chopped scallions and serve with rice.

Chicken Braised in Lemon and Soy Sauce

Chicken Braised in Lemon and Soy Sauce, originally uploaded by essgee51.

Wanted something quick, and Bittman gladly obliged. It's rather less adobo-lite than its constituent ingredients may make it seem, and is bright with just a small touch of heat. My version of the recipe (with more garlic and lemon juice than originally called for) below.

• 2.5 lbs chicken (thighs)
• 4 tbsp. neutral oil (grapeseed this time)
• 1 heaping tbsp. garlic (originally 1 tsp.)
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 heaping tbsp. lemon zest (from 2 medium lemons)
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (may add slightly more next time)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (from one juicy lemon)

Put oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When it's hot, brown the chicken, working in batches if necessary (should take around 10-15 minutes).

Remove the chicken and pour/spoon out all but 1-2 tbsp. of oil. Turn the heat to low, add the garlic and cook till it starts to soften, about 1-2 minutes.

Add the water, soy sauce, sugar and cayenne pepper to the pot. Put in the chicken, turning it once or twice to soak up the broth. Adjust the heat so it bubbles gently but constantly and cook till done, anywhere from 20-40 minutes.

When done, stir the lemon juice into the dish and remove from heat. Adjust seasoning and serve over white rice.

Mirepoix Tuna-Tomato Sauce

Mirepoix Tuna-Tomato Sauce, originally uploaded by essgee51.

Testing out Flickr's blogging functionality and documenting this variant of this tuna-tomato sauce staple. Basically added a mirepoix for more vegetal goodness, a dash of cayenne pepper for zing, and a can of tomato sauce for added liquidity.

• 8-10 oz. pasta (used whole wheat penne)
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped (about 1 cup in picture)
• 1/4 cup celery, diced (about 1/2 cup in picture)
• 1/4 cup carrot, diced (about 1/2 cup in picture)
• 1 5 oz. can chunk tuna, drained
• 1 12 oz. can diced tomatoes, with their liquid
• 1 6 oz. can tomato sauce, to taste
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. cayenne powder, to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• fresh herbs for garnish

Prepare pasta according to instructions.

Meanwhile, saute onion, celery and carrot in oil over medium heat till onion begins to soften, 3-5 minutes.

Add tuna and stir to mix thoroughly. Add tomatoes, turn heat to medium-high, then cook till mixture begins to become saucy (10-15 minutes), or less if you're impatient. If it gets dry, add some tomato sauce.

Season with cayenne powder, salt and pepper. When sauce is at desired consistency, remove from heat, adjust seasoning, garnish and serve over pasta.

Guac It to Me!

I had never made guacamole before - but I'm feeling poorly again, and have been craving some chicken tortilla soup that requires it for a garnish. A slight modification of Alton Brown's recipe (to fit the contents of my pantry) produced something rich and flavorful, more than capable of standing on its own.

• 1 avocado, seeded and peeled
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne powder
• 1/4 large red onion, diced
• 1 Roma tomato, seeded and diced (used about 2/3 cup of canned Muir Glens)
• 1 tbsp. cilantro, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Combine avocado and lime juice in a nonreactive bowl. When avocado is coated, drain and reserve any leftover juice.

Add salt, cumin and cayenne; mix and mash together (used two forks).

Add red onion, tomato, cilantro and garlic. Mix and adjust seasoning, if necessary.

Add reserved lime juice (if any - there wasn't any for me). Let sit at room temperature for an hour, then serve.

Spicy Lentil Soup

With the tinola gone and Snowpocalypse 2: Electric Boogalo imminent, my thoughts turned once again to soup. This is a hopped-up version of a Bittman recipe, with more than double the amount of ginger and garlic. It's also, thus far, a flavorful soup - earthy from the lentils and cumin, sharp from the ginger and cilantro, a bit hot from the cayenne - and, above all, comforting on this cold evenkng. When I started chopping the cilantro, the grassy tang that filled my nostrils was a welcome moment of spring in the winter evening.

• 1 cup lentils
• 1 medium carrot, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 stalk celery, chopped (didn't have this, so skipped it this time)
• 6 cups broth or water
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 heaping cup)
• 1-2 tbsp. garlic, minced
• 1-1/2 tbsp. ginger, minced
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 cup chopped tomato (I used canned and added the juices to the lentil cooking liquid)
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp. cumin

Put lentils, carrots and celery (if you have it) in a pot with the liquid. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer till the lentils are soft (about 30-40 minutes).

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a skillet over medium-low (or medium if you have my cantankerous stovetop) heat. Add the onion and ginger and saute till the onion's soft, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook till that softens too, about 2-3 minutes more.

Add the cilantro, tomatoes, cayenne pepper and cumin. Stir, then keep on low heat. When lentils are ready, add the tomato mixture to the lentils.

Chicken Thighs with Soy Sauce and Lemon

Yesterday was the first time I'd cooked since my cat died (R.I.P. Bunnicat, 1995-2009). As do most braises, it tasted good the night of, even better the day after - and it will taste even better tomorrow. It will also always remind me of Bun. Despite the still-unfamiliar silence (no more soft splash of her fountain; no more querulous meows), I had to remind myself not to set aside a little portion of chicken for her each time I packed my lunch. Alas, my mise en place/condiment bowls are now merely those again; they no longer double as amuse bouche plates for my furry food critic. I miss you, anak.

This recipe's based on one in the first edition of Bittman; any deviations from the original are in italics.

• 1 tbsp. peanut oil
• 1.5 lbs. chicken thighs (orig. 2 lbs.)
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic (orig. 1 tsp.)
• 1 scant tbsp. grated lemon zest (orig. 1 tbsp.)
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne powder
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. sugar (omitted this)
• 1/3 cup water
• juice of 1 lemon (about 3-1/2 tbsp.)

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the oil, swirl, then add the chicken. Brown quickly - about 2-3 minutes per side.

Turn off the heat. Remove the chicken and all but one tablespoon of fat from the skillet. Let the pan cool for a minute or two, then turn the heat to medium and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, till it softens, about 1-2 minutes.

Add everything else but the lemon juice; stir. Return the chicken to the skillet; turn it once or twice in the liquid. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, turning once or twice, till chicken is done (anywhere from 20-40 minutes, though admittedly I went long because a new episode of "No Reservations" was on).

Add the lemon juice to the broth and stir. Serve with white rice.

Black Beans

I keep forgetting how cheap, convenient (and fast, when canned!), nutritious and nummy beans can be. As usual, very roughly based on a recipe in Bittman v2.

• 1 15.oz can black beans (reserve the liquid)
• 1 cup tomatoes, chopped or crushed (used some aging grape maters this time)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tsp. cumin (I'll probably use more next time, though)
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper (didn't do this during the current iteration - thank FSM, cos even 1/4 tsp. may be too hot for some)
• salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 heaping tbsp. garlic, minced (or more to taste)
• 1 onion, minced
• 1 cup red wine (used chicken stock)
• 2 scallions, chopped (for garnish)

Put beans, tomatoes and the bean liquid in a small pot. Season with bay leaf, cumin, cayenne powder, salt and pepper. Simmer for about 10 minutes, while you prepare the next step.

Put the oil in a skillet; turn the heat to medium. Cook the onions about 10 minutes or till they're tender. Then, add the garlic and cook for one minute more. Add to the bean mixture.

At this point, Bittman advocates putting the wine in the skillet and cooking it down for 5 or so minutes. I messed up and added the liquid to the bean-tomato and onion-garlic mixture instead. Fortunately, 5 or so minutes of boiling evaporated most of it and did not leave a bland mush.

Serve over white rice.

Cheesy Catfish Chowder

So catfish was on sale at Peapod again. While I typically make catfish sinegang or Bittman's "Catfish Poached with Ginger and Soy Sauce," it was time to branch out. To the internet! And behold - this recipe (via Allrecipes.com) came to light. Did I have everything? Close enough. A search through the fridge produced a few stalks of limp celery and a half-bag of forlorn, drying carrots; an IM sent across the hall revealed both a baking potato and a large container of cow juice that I could borrow. Thus came about my first attempt at a milk-based soup - the version below incorporates my modifications.

• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup; more is fine)
  
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1 cup diced carrots
  
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 large baking potato, cut into 1/2-3/4 in. cubes
  
• 3 cups whole milk, divided
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 tsp. celery salt
• 1 tsp. salt + more to taste (used maybe 1-1/4 tsp. total)
  
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper + more to taste (used maybe 3/4 tsp. total)
  
• 1 bay leaf
  
• 1- 1/2 lbs. catfish fillets, cut into 1 inch pieces
• about 1 cup grated cheese (this time I used a mix of Parmesan and Parmigiano-Reggiano)
  

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter and saute onions, carrots and celery for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, till the vegetables soften a bit.

Add potatoes. Cook 10 or so minutes, so vegetables are soft but still firm.

In a small bowl, whisk the flour into 1-1/2 cups of milk. Add to Dutch oven and mix.

Add the rest of the milk, the salt, celery salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens - maybe 5-7 minutes. Taste and correct seasoning.

Add catfish. Cook another 5 or so minutes till fish flakes easily on a fork but isn't overdone.

Stir in cheese; cook another minute or so, then turn off heat. Serve with more grated cheese, if you like.

NOTE: This came out wonderfully - vegetables were cooked through but not mushy; the catfish was moist and soft and chewy. A bowl apiece is more than enough dinner for myself, John and Bradley; the rest is currently cooling on my counter.