One of William's favorite things to eat, these could even utilize leftover Thanksgiving ingredients.
The more often you make the dough, the easier it gets. This particular recipe is very forgiving because of the addition of olive oil.
Noodle Dough (from John Caputo, Executive Chef/Owner -Bin 36 Restaurant)
6 oz All purpose Flour
1 oz Semolina Flour
2 whole eggs
1/2 oz extra virgin olive oil
Add the two flours to a bowl and make a hole or well in the center. Crack the eggs into the whole and add the olive oil. With a fork, slowly mix the eggs and oil incorporating a little flour at a time from the sides. Once all the liquid has been absorbed and a rough dough is formed, knead the dough with your hands until it becomes a smooth mass.
When ready, pass the dough through a pasta roller until a thin enough sheet is made for the ravioli. Keep the sheets covered so they don't dry out.
When ready to fill, lay out a strip of dough and place about 1 tbsp of filling in the center. Brush all around the filling with a beaten egg. Place another strip of dough on top and press around filling. Cut between for a rustic square ravioli.
When ready to cook, place ravioli in rapidly boiling salted water until they float to the top. Several minutes. Remove and serve with sauce or cheese.
Sausage, Cranberry, Goat Cheese and Sage (all measurements are to your discretion - everything is cooked, so taste as you go and adjust accordingly)
6 oz fresh cranberries - prepared according to package directions
1 lb bulk mild Italian sausage - cooked and crumbled
6 oz soft goat cheese - room temperature for easy mixing
1 tbsp fresh sage chopped- you can easily use dried, but go easy - dried herbs are more potent than fresh 1/4 tsp ought to do it.
pepper
salt
Mix all ingredients together and chill for an hour to let the flavors mingle.
use as the stuffing for your ravioli or add to hot pasta. garnish with a little Parmesan cheese.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Can I be Frank?
Marshmallow Frankensteins
Marshmallows
Wilton Candy Melts - 1 bag Spooky Green, 1 bag Black
Wilton Black Decorating Icing
Lollipop sticks
Wilton #3 decorating tip
Styrofoam block to place pops while they dry
Melt a little of the green in a little ramekin. Dip the end of a stick in the green and then push it into the marshmallow. There will be some that gets left on the outside. Place the marshmallows on their sides on a tray and put in the freezer overnight.
Melt the rest of the bag of green over a double boiler. (You can use small bowls and the microwave, but it's not as easy.) Remove the marshmallow pops from the freezer and dip one at a time into the melted green candy melts. Try to get a good first dip and turn and tap the pop on the side of the double boiler to get rid of the excess. Push the stick into the Styrofoam block to dry.
When candy is completely dry and hard, melt some black candy in a ramekin in the microwave. Dip the top of the green marshmallow into the black and swirl to coat. Place back in the Styrofoam to dry.
Pipe eyes, mouth and ears onto side of pops to create face, with the decorating icing.
BOO! Enjoy!
Monday, October 19, 2009
for Eva...
Here is what we talked about last night.
I, too, have quite a few chives left and am thinking a good batch of pesto is in the works.
Chive oil is also tasty.
You can also very quickly blanch the chives in hot water, then ice water to help them keep their bright green color.
Chive pesto:
lots of chives
olive oil
pine nuts (optional)
salt to taste
Add the chives to a blender and blend on high while slowly drizzling in olive oil until the chives are chopped to your taste. Add the nuts and the salt to taste. Freeze in plastic bags with the air squeezed out.
To use:
add to hot mashed potatoes, hot pasta, or defrost and use with vinegar and Dijon mustard to make a vinaigrette for salad.
Chive oil:
1 bunch of chives
about a 1/4 cup of olive oil
pinch of salt
Blend on high in blender and then strain through a fine sieve. Cover and refrigerate until use.
lots of chives
olive oil
pine nuts (optional)
salt to taste
Add the chives to a blender and blend on high while slowly drizzling in olive oil until the chives are chopped to your taste. Add the nuts and the salt to taste. Freeze in plastic bags with the air squeezed out.
To use:
add to hot mashed potatoes, hot pasta, or defrost and use with vinegar and Dijon mustard to make a vinaigrette for salad.
Chive oil:
1 bunch of chives
about a 1/4 cup of olive oil
pinch of salt
Blend on high in blender and then strain through a fine sieve. Cover and refrigerate until use.
Monday, September 7, 2009
commenting on 'Julie and Julia'
So we saw the movie, of course, like I could have even tried to miss a movie with food at the center!
It was good. Meryl Streep was brilliant!!! I really could have done without the Julie part of it and just watched Merly Streep and Stanley Tucci for the whole two hours. All in all, I am not going to run right out and master french cooking myself, but I did get some great inspiration. Now I know what to try with the duck sitting in my freezer and I do want to retry buerre blanc. Love the sauce but found it hard to make last time.
This will come with a renewed exercise plan. You simply cannot put butter and ducks at the center of your life with out putting more than a few pound at the center of your physical self at the same time.
In short, the movie was also made far more special by the venue where we saw it. Gold Class Cinemas greets you with a hotel-like reception area. After you choose your seats, you are shown into a beautiful restaurant/lounge area to sit on comfy sofas, or at little cozy tables. You could even sit at the extensive bar. Yes that's right this is all before you get to the theater!
While you wait to be taken into your seats, you peruse the lovely menu and order your food and beverages. Then you are taken into a little theater with about 40 seats, and guided to your fully reclining plush movie chair. My friend, Reagan and I were then seated with pillow and a fuzzy blanket with our wine and time to chat before the previews. There were none of the typical warnings about cell phones, and being respectful of other movie-goers, you are just expected to be that way. Amazing!
Once the movie started, our appetizer of calamari showed up in tissue filled basket of fried tastiness. The calamari were great, but not as great as the paper thin slices of fried lemon and ginger! Once we finished those off, a super quiet waiter appeared to offer our main course of smoked salmon, with all the fixin's. Topped off later by some of the creamiest truffles I've ever had.
The whole food experience was highlighted by the wonderful movie playing in front of us. Ahhh! It was bliss.
I will surely revisit this spot.
goldclasscinemas.com
It was good. Meryl Streep was brilliant!!! I really could have done without the Julie part of it and just watched Merly Streep and Stanley Tucci for the whole two hours. All in all, I am not going to run right out and master french cooking myself, but I did get some great inspiration. Now I know what to try with the duck sitting in my freezer and I do want to retry buerre blanc. Love the sauce but found it hard to make last time.
This will come with a renewed exercise plan. You simply cannot put butter and ducks at the center of your life with out putting more than a few pound at the center of your physical self at the same time.
In short, the movie was also made far more special by the venue where we saw it. Gold Class Cinemas greets you with a hotel-like reception area. After you choose your seats, you are shown into a beautiful restaurant/lounge area to sit on comfy sofas, or at little cozy tables. You could even sit at the extensive bar. Yes that's right this is all before you get to the theater!
While you wait to be taken into your seats, you peruse the lovely menu and order your food and beverages. Then you are taken into a little theater with about 40 seats, and guided to your fully reclining plush movie chair. My friend, Reagan and I were then seated with pillow and a fuzzy blanket with our wine and time to chat before the previews. There were none of the typical warnings about cell phones, and being respectful of other movie-goers, you are just expected to be that way. Amazing!
Once the movie started, our appetizer of calamari showed up in tissue filled basket of fried tastiness. The calamari were great, but not as great as the paper thin slices of fried lemon and ginger! Once we finished those off, a super quiet waiter appeared to offer our main course of smoked salmon, with all the fixin's. Topped off later by some of the creamiest truffles I've ever had.
The whole food experience was highlighted by the wonderful movie playing in front of us. Ahhh! It was bliss.
I will surely revisit this spot.
goldclasscinemas.com
Sunday, August 16, 2009
hotttt dogs, git 'cher hottt dogs
Ingredients:
1 package of soft lady fingers
1 pint strawberry sorbet, gelato, or ice cream
1 mango sliced into julienne strips
1 kiwi sliced and chopped into small cubes
using a tablespoon, scoop across the pint of strawberry to form an oblong. You may need to shape it a bit to form the correct hot dog shape. Set in the opened lady finger and add one strip of mango for the mustard and a little bit of chopped kiwi down the other side for the relish.
Other embellishments could be:
sliced strawberries - tomatoes
flaked coconut - chopped onions
poppy seeds - poppy seeds
1 package of soft lady fingers
1 pint strawberry sorbet, gelato, or ice cream
1 mango sliced into julienne strips
1 kiwi sliced and chopped into small cubes
using a tablespoon, scoop across the pint of strawberry to form an oblong. You may need to shape it a bit to form the correct hot dog shape. Set in the opened lady finger and add one strip of mango for the mustard and a little bit of chopped kiwi down the other side for the relish.
Other embellishments could be:
sliced strawberries - tomatoes
flaked coconut - chopped onions
poppy seeds - poppy seeds
gougeres - Sinskey style
Today I found the best recipe ever for making gougeres. You can find it at:
http://www.robertsinskey.com/kitchen/recipe/gougere
I didn't use the egg wash and they still come out beautiful!
I also used a small cookie scoop to get the batter onto the cookie sheets. To flatten any points, dip your finger in water and gently pat the point flat.
If you make bigger ones, they can be used for tasty sandwiches with a little ham or turkey.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
baby food
by request, here is how I make my own baby food.
After pureeing in my food processor, I put the food into mini muffin silicon trays and freeze. I use the Wilton Easy Flex Silicon Mini Muffin Pan. Each cup is 2 oz., so I know how much baby is eating by the number of cubes I feed him.
When hard, I pop them out and place them in bags in my freezer, labeled with the date and contents.
The consistency will never be as fine as Stage 1 purchased food, but I have found that it doesn't matter for my kids. Your experience may differ.
*Edit February 2011: Added butternut squash and edited some cooking temps and instructions.
My new favorite baby food tool is a Food Mill. It's like a circular box grater that pushes the food down against rough holes that turn soft food into a very smooth consistency. I use the OXO Good Grips Food Mill.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/OXO-Good-Grips-Food-Mill/dp/B000I0MGKE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=kitchen&qid=1298456628&sr=8-1
Less mess and easier than a blender for clean up. Especially when making multiple batches of different foods.
.Butternut Squash - Half a butternut squash and scoop out seeds. Place cut-side down in a baking dish with enough water to come up the sides about 1/2". Place in a 425 oven and roast until pressure on the thickest part of the squash is very soft. Don't worry if the skin browns a bit. Let the squash cool a bit and scoop out the insides while still steamy. Puree and add water as needed to desired consistency.
Green Beans - I use organic frozen. Heat through in saucepan with a little bit of water and then puree to desired consistency.
Peas - Same as green beans.
Sweet Potatoes - Rinse and wrap in foil. Bake in 425 degree oven until pressure on outside of foil packet shows that the potatoes are very soft. Open packet and let cool slightly. If you do the pureeing while it's still steaming, the potatoes don't seem to need as much water and seem to have a smoother consistency. Slice open skin and scoop out insides. You can either puree with a little water at this point or freeze directly and dilute when you thaw for feeding.
Bananas - add slightly soft bananas to food processor and puree until liquefied.
Peaches - Dice fresh peaches and cook briefly over medium heat with a small amount of water. Let cool and puree.
Pears - Same as apples
Blueberries - You can cook these or not - your call. If you cook them, a little water and medium heat until warmed through. Then puree. If you don't cook them, puree and then if needed add a small amount of water to get desired consistency.
After pureeing in my food processor, I put the food into mini muffin silicon trays and freeze. I use the Wilton Easy Flex Silicon Mini Muffin Pan. Each cup is 2 oz., so I know how much baby is eating by the number of cubes I feed him.When hard, I pop them out and place them in bags in my freezer, labeled with the date and contents.
The consistency will never be as fine as Stage 1 purchased food, but I have found that it doesn't matter for my kids. Your experience may differ.
*Edit February 2011: Added butternut squash and edited some cooking temps and instructions.
My new favorite baby food tool is a Food Mill. It's like a circular box grater that pushes the food down against rough holes that turn soft food into a very smooth consistency. I use the OXO Good Grips Food Mill.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/OXO-Good-Grips-Food-Mill/dp/B000I0MGKE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=kitchen&qid=1298456628&sr=8-1
Less mess and easier than a blender for clean up. Especially when making multiple batches of different foods.
.Butternut Squash - Half a butternut squash and scoop out seeds. Place cut-side down in a baking dish with enough water to come up the sides about 1/2". Place in a 425 oven and roast until pressure on the thickest part of the squash is very soft. Don't worry if the skin browns a bit. Let the squash cool a bit and scoop out the insides while still steamy. Puree and add water as needed to desired consistency.
Green Beans - I use organic frozen. Heat through in saucepan with a little bit of water and then puree to desired consistency.
Peas - Same as green beans.
Sweet Potatoes - Rinse and wrap in foil. Bake in 425 degree oven until pressure on outside of foil packet shows that the potatoes are very soft. Open packet and let cool slightly. If you do the pureeing while it's still steaming, the potatoes don't seem to need as much water and seem to have a smoother consistency. Slice open skin and scoop out insides. You can either puree with a little water at this point or freeze directly and dilute when you thaw for feeding.
Apples - core and dice into 1" pieces. I leave the skin on, but if your baby has a hard time with digestion, peel all of the apples or even half, before use. Place in saucepan lid and add enough water to come about halfway up the sides of the apples and cook over medium heat until soft.
Let cool then puree in food processor with cooking liquid until desired consistency.
Bananas - add slightly soft bananas to food processor and puree until liquefied.
Peaches - Dice fresh peaches and cook briefly over medium heat with a small amount of water. Let cool and puree.
Pears - Same as apples
Blueberries - You can cook these or not - your call. If you cook them, a little water and medium heat until warmed through. Then puree. If you don't cook them, puree and then if needed add a small amount of water to get desired consistency.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Easy Bruschetta
Easy to make and you can toss it with hot pasta, put on a burger with mozzarella, top a grilled portabella mushroom, the list goes on and on...
Adjust the proportions until you like what you taste.
Tomatoes - try to get them fresh from the vine for a much better flavor
1 clove of garlic/ per 3 medium tomatoes
basil - handful/ per 3 medium tomatoes
olive oil
salt
Chop the tomatoes and drain in a colander. Dice garlic very fine (if you don't like raw garlic flavor, roast it or drop it in boiling water for a minute or so to smooth out the bite). Julienne the basil and toss with the tomatoes and garlic. Season with salt and add a drizzle of olive oil.
Serve over toasted bread or any of the suggestions above.
Adjust the proportions until you like what you taste.
Tomatoes - try to get them fresh from the vine for a much better flavor
1 clove of garlic/ per 3 medium tomatoes
basil - handful/ per 3 medium tomatoes
olive oil
salt
Chop the tomatoes and drain in a colander. Dice garlic very fine (if you don't like raw garlic flavor, roast it or drop it in boiling water for a minute or so to smooth out the bite). Julienne the basil and toss with the tomatoes and garlic. Season with salt and add a drizzle of olive oil.
Serve over toasted bread or any of the suggestions above.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Birthday sundaes
For my son's birthday, I gave him the choice; Sesame Street or Mickey Mouse (two favorites) and he chose Sesame Street. So I borrowed the same idea that my mother had just a couple of years ago for my sister's birthday (see how young you are, sis?). I changed up a couple things and these are the Oscars that I came up with:
Chocolate chip cookies
Green Ice Cream ( I asked a local independent custard stand to make me a batch of green Vanilla - it never hurts to ask) Thank you Greg's Custard
Small Eyes - ordered from candylandcrafts.com - next time I would get the medium eyes
melting chocolate disks - use milk chocolate for Oscar (the color is more authentic)
White cups
Black and Green food coloring spray cans
Spray the white cups with green and then black to look like a trash can - or do all black. Let dry and make the eye/eyebrow pieces.
Melt chocolate and put in a pastry bag (I use paper throw-away triangles). Make a chocolate squiggle for the eyebrow and immediately press in the eyes before it hardens. If the eyebrow doesn't turnout, you can always re-melt and try again. Let the eyebrow pieces harden and make the sundaes.
Scoop the ice cream into the cup to leave a gap visible once the cookie is placed on top. Place cookie at an angle on top and press eyebrow piece into the front. Refreeze until ready to serve.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Who screams for ice cream?
Double Chocolate Mint Chip Ice Cream
Early June, 54 degrees - it's always a good time for ice cream!
Special equipment
Any type of automatic ice cream machine.
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup Hershey's Double Chocolate Sundae Syrup
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup Williams-Sonoma Peppermint hot chocolate (or other mint chocolate candy you happen to have)
Instructions
Combine heavy cream, whole milk, chocolate syrup, sugar and vanilla (not mint chocolate) in a medium mixing bowl and blend with a hand mixer on low until well blended.
Pour into the freezer bowl of your ice cream maker
Run the machine until mixture thickens, about 20 - 25 minutes. Add min chocolate to ice cream during last 7 minutes of mixing.
If you have any left after the kiddies get their share, transfer to freezer safe container for later in the month when it actually warms up.
Modified from the original: http://www.cuisinart.com/recipes/desserts/41.html
Early June, 54 degrees - it's always a good time for ice cream!
Special equipment
Any type of automatic ice cream machine.
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup Hershey's Double Chocolate Sundae Syrup
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup Williams-Sonoma Peppermint hot chocolate (or other mint chocolate candy you happen to have)
Instructions
Combine heavy cream, whole milk, chocolate syrup, sugar and vanilla (not mint chocolate) in a medium mixing bowl and blend with a hand mixer on low until well blended.
Pour into the freezer bowl of your ice cream maker
Run the machine until mixture thickens, about 20 - 25 minutes. Add min chocolate to ice cream during last 7 minutes of mixing.
If you have any left after the kiddies get their share, transfer to freezer safe container for later in the month when it actually warms up.
Modified from the original: http://www.cuisinart.com/recipes/desserts/41.html
Friday, June 5, 2009
Hooray for Friday!
Sea Bass
2 sea bass steaks
lemon zest from 1 lemon
lemon juice from 1 lemon
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
chives for garnish
combine zest, juice, salt, pepper, and olive oil in baking pan. Turn to coat and leave in marinade for about 20 minutes.
Grill over direct high heat until opaque, about 7 minutes, turning once.
Garnish with chives.
Avocado Tomato Salad
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes or 1/2 lb other tomatoes - cut into chunks
1 avocado - cut into chunks
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped chives
Sea Salt
Combine tomatoes, avocado, olive oil, and chives. Gently fold ingredients together. Sprinkle salt over the top for a little crunch.
Daiquiri
2 oz spiced rum
.75 oz simple syrup
1 oz lime juice
mint leaves (optional)
pour ingredients into cocktail shaker filled with crushed ice. Shake it, shake it, shake it (if you can). Pour into glasses filled with more crushed ice. Serve with a straw and a little bit of crushed mint.
2 sea bass steaks
lemon zest from 1 lemon
lemon juice from 1 lemon
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
chives for garnish
combine zest, juice, salt, pepper, and olive oil in baking pan. Turn to coat and leave in marinade for about 20 minutes.
Grill over direct high heat until opaque, about 7 minutes, turning once.
Garnish with chives.
Avocado Tomato Salad
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes or 1/2 lb other tomatoes - cut into chunks
1 avocado - cut into chunks
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped chives
Sea Salt
Combine tomatoes, avocado, olive oil, and chives. Gently fold ingredients together. Sprinkle salt over the top for a little crunch.
Daiquiri
2 oz spiced rum
.75 oz simple syrup
1 oz lime juice
mint leaves (optional)
pour ingredients into cocktail shaker filled with crushed ice. Shake it, shake it, shake it (if you can). Pour into glasses filled with more crushed ice. Serve with a straw and a little bit of crushed mint.
cha, cha, cha
warm weather and a request make it perfect timing for salsa.
You can substitute pineapple, peaches, or any fruit that strikes your fancy. I always buy at least two jalapenos because sometimes they don't have much spice to them. To kick up the heat use the seeds and the pith of the pepper.
Like most of my recipes, the amounts are approximate and will depend on your taste. You can always add a little more or less based on the crowd or your desires.
Mango Salsa
2 ripe mangoes - medium dice
1 small white onion - small dice
1 jalapeno pepper - very fine dice
1/2 small jicama - medium dice
1 bunch of cilantro
juice of one lime
pinch of cumin
salt to taste
combine the mangoes, onion, jalapeno and jicama in a mixing bowl. Add 1/2 of the lime juice and cumin. Stir and add salt to taste. Chop the cilantro and stir it in also. Refrigerate for at least one hour. You may want to add the rest of the lime juice and even more cumin.
Other than chips, this salsa makes a great marinade for fish, shrimp or chicken or pork. You can also serve it with apple slices and the rest of the jicama for crunchy healthy alternatives - oooh wait - I didn't mean for it to be healthy.
I guess you'll all just have to live with the fact that there are some delicious foods out there that are good for you, too!
buen provecho!
You can substitute pineapple, peaches, or any fruit that strikes your fancy. I always buy at least two jalapenos because sometimes they don't have much spice to them. To kick up the heat use the seeds and the pith of the pepper.
Like most of my recipes, the amounts are approximate and will depend on your taste. You can always add a little more or less based on the crowd or your desires.
Mango Salsa
2 ripe mangoes - medium dice
1 small white onion - small dice
1 jalapeno pepper - very fine dice
1/2 small jicama - medium dice
1 bunch of cilantro
juice of one lime
pinch of cumin
salt to taste
combine the mangoes, onion, jalapeno and jicama in a mixing bowl. Add 1/2 of the lime juice and cumin. Stir and add salt to taste. Chop the cilantro and stir it in also. Refrigerate for at least one hour. You may want to add the rest of the lime juice and even more cumin.
Other than chips, this salsa makes a great marinade for fish, shrimp or chicken or pork. You can also serve it with apple slices and the rest of the jicama for crunchy healthy alternatives - oooh wait - I didn't mean for it to be healthy.
I guess you'll all just have to live with the fact that there are some delicious foods out there that are good for you, too!
buen provecho!
Monday, June 1, 2009
old stand-by
I love roast chicken especially when the weather is crazy like this afternoon - 80 degrees down to 59 in one hour and don't forget to add in unpredictable rain.
Roast Chicken covered in Bacon (oh yeah - I said bacon!)
serves 4ish with leftovers for soup or sandwiches
1 whole roaster or fryer
salt
pepper
6 slices of thick cut bacon
1/2 lemon
4 medium size Yukon gold or other baking potatoes - cut in half
fresh rosemary
While oven is heating to 350 degrees, sprinkle chicken all over, inside and out with salt and pepper. Put lemon inside and layer bacon slices over the top, slightly overlapping to cover the majority of the bird.
Place in oven and cook for 30 minutes. Then add rosemary to pan around chicken and place potatoes cut side down on top of rosemary.
Cook an additional 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 165.
You can see, I forgot the rosemary this time. Oh well, I made up for it with extra potatoes. Still tasty.
I served this with a side of grilled eggplant leftover from yesterday.
That's right you asked
for it! So, I am going to start a blog with all the tasty recipes I make and have shared on Facebook.
Some of you may know I have a pretty restricted diet these days due to my number 2 son's sensitive tummy. While I no longer eat dairy, soy, wheat, nuts, eggs or shellfish, I do still enjoy eating.
I'll start things off with some Tamale Pie leftovers that I just finished for lunch. I modified this recipe from Natalie's Enchiladas. Leave time to let it set in the fridge for an hour or so. I try to make it during "quiet time" at my house and then it's ready to heat up whenever I want to get dinner going.
Tamale Pie
serves 4
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
8 oz cooked chicken (optional)
1 1/2 cups corn
8 oz mexican chorizo, regular or spicy
8 oz uncooked polenta
32 oz water
2 tbsp granulated garlic
salt to taste
1 tsp olive oil
chopped cilantro (optional)
diced avocado (optional)
shredded cheese (optional)
In a medium bowl, combine black beans, tomatoes, chicken (if using) and corn.
Cook chorizo over medium heat until cooked through, drain fat and add to bean mixture.
In medium pot, bring water to a boil and add polenta at once, stirring constantly. The polenta will thicken quickly and start to bubble, pull off the heat and continue to stir for 2-3 minutes. Add granulated garlic and salt.
The consistency of the polenta should be that of slightly thinned oatmeal.
Put the oil in the bottom of a square baking dish 8X8, or whatever size and shape you have.
Pour 1/2 the polenta into the dish and let it set up for a minute or two. Add in the bean mixture slowly so that it doesn't fall through the polenta. Top with the remaining polenta and refrigerate.
Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes until you see the filling bubble up along the sides a little bit and serve it up. Then top with avocado, cheese, cilantro, lime wedges, whatever floats your boat.
Some of you may know I have a pretty restricted diet these days due to my number 2 son's sensitive tummy. While I no longer eat dairy, soy, wheat, nuts, eggs or shellfish, I do still enjoy eating.
I'll start things off with some Tamale Pie leftovers that I just finished for lunch. I modified this recipe from Natalie's Enchiladas. Leave time to let it set in the fridge for an hour or so. I try to make it during "quiet time" at my house and then it's ready to heat up whenever I want to get dinner going.
Tamale Pie
serves 4
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
8 oz cooked chicken (optional)
1 1/2 cups corn
8 oz mexican chorizo, regular or spicy
8 oz uncooked polenta
32 oz water
2 tbsp granulated garlic
salt to taste
1 tsp olive oil
chopped cilantro (optional)
diced avocado (optional)
shredded cheese (optional)
In a medium bowl, combine black beans, tomatoes, chicken (if using) and corn.
Cook chorizo over medium heat until cooked through, drain fat and add to bean mixture.
In medium pot, bring water to a boil and add polenta at once, stirring constantly. The polenta will thicken quickly and start to bubble, pull off the heat and continue to stir for 2-3 minutes. Add granulated garlic and salt.
The consistency of the polenta should be that of slightly thinned oatmeal.
Put the oil in the bottom of a square baking dish 8X8, or whatever size and shape you have.
Pour 1/2 the polenta into the dish and let it set up for a minute or two. Add in the bean mixture slowly so that it doesn't fall through the polenta. Top with the remaining polenta and refrigerate.
Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes until you see the filling bubble up along the sides a little bit and serve it up. Then top with avocado, cheese, cilantro, lime wedges, whatever floats your boat.
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