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.

In Progress: Navy Bean and Chicken Chili

I'm way behind on posts, so this one isn't going to be very chatty. We had to adopt this recipe for dried beans. It came out a tad soupy, but very delicious, especially since we amped up the amount of jarred jalapenos and the garlic. In future iterations - and there will be future iterations, since this is flavorful and filling -  we'll start decreasing the liquid a cup at a time and fiddle a bit with the cooking/what to add when times (beans were perfect but chicken got a tad stringy) and see where the sweet spot is. Below, our riff on the Slow Cooker Revolution original.

• 4 c chicken stock
• 2 c beef stock
• 1 15-o. can hominy, drained and rinsed
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 2 onions, minced
• 4 jalapeno chiles, stemmed, seeded and minced
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 t ground cumin
• 2 t ground coriander
• 1 lb. dried navy beans
• 3 lbs. chicken thighs, skin removed if you want
• salt and pepper
• 4 T minced, pickled jarred jalapeno chiles, plus more for garnish
• 1/4 c fresh cilantro, minced
• 2 avocados, pitted and cut into 1 in. pieces

In a blender, puree the hominy and 2 cups of stock till smooth, about 1 min. Pour into slow cooker.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions, garlic, fresh jalapenos, cumin and coriander. Cook till the vegetables are softened and somewhat browned, 8-12 min. Stir in 1 cup stock, scraping any browned bits. Pour mixture into slow cooker.

Add beans to slow cooker. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to slow cooker. Cover and cook till beans are tender, about 5 hours on high.

Remove chicken from slow cooker. Let cool a bit, then shred into bite-size pieces. Discard the bones and return the meat to the slow cooker.

Stir in pickled jalapenos, then let sit till heated through, about 5 min. Stir in cilantro, season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve, garnishing with avocado bits.

Black Bean and Pork Chili

We've been pretty good about making a mess of beans or other stew in the slow cooker every weekend (myself, less so about posting them). This past Sunday, we un-vegetarianned a Slow Cooker Revolution black bean chili recipe, adding in a hefty four-pound (five with the bone in) hunk of pork shoulder and skipping the mushrooms (only because there was no more room for them). We also lessened the hot chili powder and de-seeded the jalapenos, since my tummy's still a bit roiled. Despite the gentling, the Cook's Illustrated folks delivered yet again - it's a rich, flavorful stew, though there's perhaps a tad too much liquid. Our version below.

Future tweaks: less pork, add mushrooms and perhaps other vegetables, perhaps lessen the cooking liquid.

• 2 T vegetable oil
• 2 onions, minced
• 2 red bell peppers, stemmed and seeded
• 2 jalapeno chiles, stemmed, seeded and minced
• 10 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 T chili powder
• 4 t mustard seeds
• 1 T cumin powder
• 1 T dried oregano
• 3 c vegetable broth
• 2 c water
• 1 lb. black beans, picked over and rinsed
• 4 lb. pork butt roast, cut into 1-1/2 to 2 in. pieces
• 1 T canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
• 2 T minced fresh cilantro
• salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When it shimmers, add onions, bell peppers, jalapenos, garlic, chili powder, mustard seeds, cumin and oregano. Cook till vegetables are soft and slightly browned, 8-10 min. Stir in a cup of the broth. Scrape up any brown bits, then transfer to slow cooker.

Put water, broth, beans, mushrooms, meat, chipotles and bay leaves in slow cooker. Cover and cook till beans are tender and meat is fall-apart soft, 5-7 hours on high or 9-11 on low (took us 5 hours on high).

Stir in cilantro, salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Brazilian Black Beans with Pork

Absolute home run of a recipe - the stew was smoky, rich and full of flavor; the sauce added a perfect accent of sharp, grassy tang. We pretty much followed the recipe in Cook's Illustrated's Slow Cooker Revolution - our reliable go-to - save for deglazing the onion and bacon mixture with a cup of water. I scraped the pan pretty well though, and the stew was more than rich enough, so no harm done. I may try a bit of acid next time, though. Recipes for the stew and the accompanying sauce follow.

• 6 oz bacon
• 3 onions, chopped
• 1/4 c tomato paste
• 6 garlic cloves
• 2 T chili powder
• 2 t ground cumin
• 1 t ground coriander 
• 4c chicken broth
• 1 lb dried black beans
• 1 lb sausages, halved and sliced 1/2 in. thick
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 lb boneless pork butt roast, cut into 1-1/2 in. pieces
• salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, saute the bacon over medium-high heat till crispy, about 5-10 minutes. Add the onions, tomato paste, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander and cook till the onions are softened and beginning to brown, 10 or so minutes.

Meanwhile, put sausages, bay leaves and broth in the slow cooker. Add the onion-bacon mixture and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 5-7 hours on high (took us about 5) or 9-11 hours on low, till meat is tender and beans are done. Adjust seasoning if necessary, then serve over rice and with Brazilian hot sauce (recipe below).

Brazilian Hot Sauce (makes about 3 cups)


This was good, though I may add a bit more jalapeno/include a bit of pith and seed next time.

• 2 large tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 onion, minced
• 1 green bell pepper, minced
• 1 jalapeno, minced (seeds and white pith removed if you're inclined)
• 1/3 c white wine vinegar
• 3 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1T cilantro (used 1/4c parsley)
• 1/2 t salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Let stand for 30 minutes, till flavors have melded.

Curried Split Peas and Carrots

Curried Split Peas and Carrots, originally uploaded by essgee51.

Alas, no ham hocks handy, but I still wanted some split pea goodness. Followed a base recipe for Kenyan curried split peas from Extending the Table, added standard mirepoix portions of celery and carrots (my fridge contains a softening surplus of both), and cooked till the peas were mushy. Very good with rice and sausage - sort-of roasting the spices gave it a wonderfully warm tang.

• 1 cup split peas
• 2 tbsp. oil (used olive)
• 2 medium onions, chopped (around 2 cups)
• 2 celery stalks, chopped (around 1 cup)
• 2 medium carrots, chopped (around 1 cup)
• 6-8 cloves garlic, chopped (about 2 tbsp.)
• 2 tbsp. curry powder
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. salt

Soak the peas or pre-heat if you're into that (I was lazy and didn't). Put the peas in a pot with 3-1/2 cups of water, bring to a boil, then simmer. Cook till the peas are mushy (recipe claimed 45 minutes with pre-soaked peas, took me more like 1-1/2 hours with unsoaked ones), adding the celery and carrot about halfway through (I like to keep a bit of firmness in both).

Meanwhile, put oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook till they're translucent, about 3-5 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook till it's aromatic, about 1-3 minutes.

Add the curry powder, cumin and salt and stir to coat thoroughly (the bottom of the pan was pretty dry by then, so the spices got semi-toasted, which added a nice pop to the flavors). Cook for another minute or two.

Combine the spice mixture with the peas and stir thoroughly. Adjust seasoning then serve over rice.

Chickpeas and Baby Spinach

Chickpeas and Baby Spinach, originally uploaded by essgee51.

Easy and healthful. Based largely on this NYT recipe, with a couple of tweaks. Made us a delicious dinner over couscous with a generous squeezing of lemon and even more freshly-ground black pepper.

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds, toasted and ground (lazily used cumin powder)
• 1 15-oz. can chickpeas
• 1 cup water or broth (I used beef bouillon)
• 1 7 oz. package baby spinach
• cayenne pepper to taste
• salt and pepper to taste

Over medium heat, saute the onions in the oil till they're soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic, tomato paste, cumin and salt. Stir and cook till the paste darkens.

Add the chickpeas, some cayenne and broth. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Add the spinach one handful at a time, stirring till the leaves wilt before adding the next batch and lightly salting. Once all the leaves are in, simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, adjusting seasoning and adding lots of black pepper.

Remove from heat, adjust seasoning and serve over rice or couscous, with lemon slices.

Quick Black Beans And My New Favorite Salad

While neither of these recipes are terribly complex, I do want to make a record of them - especially since the salad and variations of it are already a staple in Mr. Bento.

Quick Black Beans

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1-2 heaping tbsp. garlic, minced
• 1/2 large or 1 small onion, diced
• a 15 oz. can of black beans
• 1-2 tsp. cumin
• salt and pepper to taste
• chopped cilantro for garnish
• sour cream

Put the oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and saute till they soften, 3-5 minutes.

Drain some, but not all of the liquid from the black beans. Add beans and leftover liquid to pot. Season with cumin and cook, stirring occasionally, till warmed through and fragrant, about 5-10 minutes.

Add salt and pepper to taste, mixing thoroughly to incorporate. Remove from heat. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve over rice with sour cream.

Quick Summer Salad with Feta

• big handful of spring mix
• 1-2 tbsp. chopped onion
• 2-3 tbsp. crumbled feta
• salt and pepper to taste
• lemon wedge

Combine veggies, top with cheese, season to taste. Squeeze lemon over everything and mix before eating.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

During a business trip to San Antonio in 2008, I was struck by a mighty cough and cold. Though enervated and mostly voiceless throughout, I managed to stick it through, sustained in no small part by multiple daily helpings of flavorful, nutritious chicken tortilla soup from Sazo's. The recipe below is adapted from their own - it turned out to be a rich, comforting soup with just the right amount of heat, though I skipped the cheese and fried tortilla strips, and despite a rather makeshift broth. (The chicken parts I was planning to use for stock had spoiled, and I didn't have any good canned broth available, so I made do with 4 cups water, two cubes of Telma veggie boullion and a cheesecloth-wrapped bundle of chopped onion, 6 cloves of crushed garlic, 1/2 tsp. of black peppercorns and a smattering of dried thyme. Simmered all that for 20 minutes, squeezed all the juices out of the bundle - the resultant broth turned out quite tasty - then proceeded with the recipe.)

• 4 cups chicken stock 
• 2 chicken breasts (originally 3, but I made do with what the little bodega had)
• 2 cups tomatoes, seeded and diced (used canned Muir Glen; original called for 3 large tomatoes)
• 1 large yellow onion, diced (originally a white one)
• 1 cup salsa - Jardine's 7J Ranch Texasalsa, Hot (originally 2 cups of picante sauce)
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• guacamole to taste (used this recipe)
• fried tortilla strips (skipped this time)
• cheese to taste (skipped this time - may use a mixture of cheddar and Monterey Jack next time)

Place chicken and stock in a pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer till chicken is done, about 15 minutes (when it reaches 160 degrees). Remove chicken from liquid and reserve.

Add tomatoes, onion, salsa/picante sauce, salt, pepper and cumin to liquid. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Dice cooked chicken and add to liquid. Simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Adjust seasoning if necessary, then add cilantro.

Cut tortillas into strips and fry till crispy. To serve, place tortilla strips, a generous scoop of guacamole, and grated cheese in a bowl, then ladle soup over everything.

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.

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.