Showing posts with label bean. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bean. Show all posts
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Lima Bean Soup
It is a great sorrow to me that Lima beans just arent a local vegetable. I persist in trying to grow them, but they are from coastal Peru originally (see name) and they really dont take to this climate. However, I do occasionally buy them frozen as they are just too delicious to give up.
They make a very smooth and flavourful soup, and very quick and easy too. The quantity is sufficient for a starter to a larger meal; if you wanted, say, soup and a sandwich I dont think it would make 4 servings, more like 2 or 3.
4 smallish servings
20 minutes prep time
4 or 5 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon butter
300 grams frozen lima beans (1 package)
3 cups chicken stock
salt & pepper to taste
Peel the garlic and cut each clove into 2 or 3 slices, so as to create the most cut surface possible. Heat the butter in a small skillet over very low heat, and gently cook the garlic for about 10 or 15 minutes, until soft and very slightly browned.
Meanwhile, put the lima beans in a pot with the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Boil until done, about 5 minutes.
Put the lima beans into a blender, without the broth but with the garlic and the butter they cooked in, and purée until smooth. Add the broth as needed to keep them puréeing smoothly, but do hold back a little. When the Lima beans are very smooth, return them to the pot. Use the remaining broth to slosh out the blender and add that to the soup pot as well. Mix well and bring back up to a simmer before serving. STIR CONSTANTLY once the beans have been blended. They are very starchy and will do their best to weld themselves to the pot.
Last year at this time it was soup time too. I made Sweet Potato & Lentil Soup and Dried Corn Chowder.
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They make a very smooth and flavourful soup, and very quick and easy too. The quantity is sufficient for a starter to a larger meal; if you wanted, say, soup and a sandwich I dont think it would make 4 servings, more like 2 or 3.
4 smallish servings
20 minutes prep time
4 or 5 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon butter
300 grams frozen lima beans (1 package)
3 cups chicken stock
salt & pepper to taste
Peel the garlic and cut each clove into 2 or 3 slices, so as to create the most cut surface possible. Heat the butter in a small skillet over very low heat, and gently cook the garlic for about 10 or 15 minutes, until soft and very slightly browned.
Meanwhile, put the lima beans in a pot with the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Boil until done, about 5 minutes.
Put the lima beans into a blender, without the broth but with the garlic and the butter they cooked in, and purée until smooth. Add the broth as needed to keep them puréeing smoothly, but do hold back a little. When the Lima beans are very smooth, return them to the pot. Use the remaining broth to slosh out the blender and add that to the soup pot as well. Mix well and bring back up to a simmer before serving. STIR CONSTANTLY once the beans have been blended. They are very starchy and will do their best to weld themselves to the pot.
Last year at this time it was soup time too. I made Sweet Potato & Lentil Soup and Dried Corn Chowder.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Maple Chili Glazed Salmon with Black Bean Mash
When it comes to fish, I definately have my favorites. For you regular readers, you already know that Tuna, Tilapia and, obviously, Salmon are my "go to" ocean swimmers. I guess one of the reasons I am so fond of these three is due to their versatility. They each act as a blank canvass waiting to absorb an array of different flavors and take on many textures. Tuna can be so delicate when sliced ever so thin and served rare with a drizzle of soy sauce but it is equally comfortable in its roll as a burger stuffed full of bold flavors and tucked between a soft bun. Tilapia also is flaky and lovely when simply pan sauteed but can also satifsy the most raging fried food craving when cut into strips and deep fried to a crisp golden brown and dusted with sea salt. Likewise, one of the dantiest of all dishes is poached salmon, served at ladies lunches worldwide but salmon is so fabulous when perfectly coated in a spicy ancho chili and sweet maple glaze perched atop of pillow of flavorfully delicious coarsley mashed black beans.
Maple Chili Glaze for Salmon
1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
salt and pepper
Combine ingredients in a small mixing bowl and set aside. Preheat a medium skillet (I used cast iron) over medium heat. Prepare the salmon by coating in a small amount of canola oil and seasoning with salt and pepper. Place the fish, skin side down, in the preheated skillet and let cook for approximately 5 minutes. Brush the top of the salmon with the glaze and gently turn it over in the skillet. Let cook for another 5 minutes or so, until the underside is caramelized and the interior of the fish retains some pink color. Serve over mashed black beans with an extra drizzle of glaze.
Black Beans
1 can unseasoned black beans
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 small poblano pepper, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce, finely chopped
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
salt
pepper
In a medium sauce pan heat a few tablespoons of canola oil and sautee onion and poblano until soft. Add garlic and continue cooking until fragrant. Add cumin, oregano and chipotle and stir to combine well. Add black beans, red wine vinegar and season well with salt and pepper. Let the beans gently simmer for approximately 15-20 minutes. Using a potato masher, mash the beans right in the sauce pan leaving some texture. Stir well and serve hot. Excellent the day with chips or in a variety of tacos.
Friday, February 7, 2014
Winner Announced of the Vanilla Bean Giveaway
Thank you so much:-)
And the winner is... Lana Chuk
she said:
Thank you for your recipes, I enjoy cooking them, I visit your site daily, I dont typically leave comments but try to click on you adds to help support your cooking and web expenses.
Congratulation Lana!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I will contact you with details.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Pork and Black Bean Burrito
I can not think of anyone I know who does not like a burrito. Whether stuffed with chicken, beef, pork or just beans, it is certainly one of the favorites on the menu in Mexican restaurants and taco stands. But if you dont have a great Mexican restaurant in your area, or you just want to be able to recreate one of your favorite south of the border treats at home, give a burrito a try. If you have leftover pork, (like I did after making Cuban Style Slow Roasted Mojo Pork the other night) use it but you can also substitute store bought rotisserie chicken, sliced steak from yesterdays cookout or even some seasoned and browned ground beef. If you have vegetarian friends, or you happen to be a non meat eater yourself, leave the meat out all together and stuff your burrito full of black beans or even refried beans.
Do like I did and fill your burrito with pork, left over black beans, shredded cheese, avocado, tomato, onion, jalapeno slices, black olives, sour cream, hot sauce and salsa. Dont limit yourself to these ideas, but feel free to experiment and use any ingredient from your refrigerator or pantry that sounds tasty. Think outside the box and enjoy!
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