bFeedme

Cooking, Recipe and Food Blog

Five Soups To Make Before Winter Is Over

By

When it is cold outside it’s the perfect time of the year to have soup. Soup is warm, and it warms your body and soul. Soup is also one of those meals that has everything, and is an extremely healthy thing to eat.

Think about it. Soup usually has meat, or at least some kind of protein, a grain, vegetables, and it’s normally a nice filling food that can be ate on it’s own, or you can have it with a salad. It’s quick and easy to make, as well. Simply toss the ingredients in the crockpot and let it cook. [Read more…]

Beef Tamales

By

Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexican pride and heritage. It commemorates their victory against the French Army at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. It is widely celebrated with lots of food, folk dancing, parades and mariachi music.

To celebrate this tradition, I would like to share a traditional Mexican recipe that uses unique ingredients. Tamales are called ‘old school’ sandwiches because it has corn meal and meat. It is often cooked during Mexican celebrations and special events. It is also a comfort food that is eaten for breakfast or dinner. It goes well with champorado.

 

Ingredients:

4 pounds boneless chuck roast

4 cloves garlic

3 8oz packages dried corn husks

4 dried ancho chiles

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup beef broth

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon white vinegar

salt to taste

3 cups lard

1 tablespoon salt

9 cups masa harina

 

Soak the corn husks in warm water for 3 hours or until they are soft. Weigh them down using a can or heavy plate.

Put the beef and garlic in a large heavy pot with cold water. Place it under high heat and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer covered for 3-4 hours or until the beef is very tender. Transfer the beef to a plate and reserve cups of broth. Discard the garlic.

Once the beef is cool, shred it finely using a fork.

Heat an iron skillet under medium heat and toast the ancho chili for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. Let it cool. Remove the stems and seeds. Ground it using a mortar and pestle.

Rinse the iron skillet and place it under medium heat. Once it is dry, heat the oil. Stir in the flour and cook for 3-5 minutes or until brown. Pour in 1 cup of beef broth and mix until smooth. Add the ground chili, red pepper flakes, vinegar, cumin seeds, ground cumin, minced garlic, pepper flakes and oregano. Add the shredded beef. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Combine the lard and salt in a large mixing bowl. Beat it on high speed using an electric mixer until it becomes fluffy.  Add the masa harina and beat at low speed for 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the reserved broth until the dough is soft.

Drain the corn husks. Flatten them with the narrow end facing you and spread 2 tablespoons of masa mixture on the corn husk. Top it with 1 tablespoon of meat mixture. Roll up the long side of the corn husk. Fold the narrow end and tie it using a butcher’s twine. Repeat this process for the remaining ingredients.

Put the tamales in a steamer and steam it for 1 hour or until the masa is firm. Serve immediately. Refrigerate leftovers.

 

Photo Courtesy Of:  Daniel Rincón

 

Vegetable Enchiladas

By

Here is a dish you can freeze and cook for another time. I personally prefer refried beans and zucchinis, but you can use any vegetable you like. If you are into spicy food, you can add fresh chili or chili powder. Fresh tomato salsa is also a good side for this recipe.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for baking dishes

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) vegetable broth

1 can diced tomatoes or 2 cups fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced

3/4 cup water

Salt and ground pepper

3 cups grated pepper Jack cheese (12 ounces)

1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained or refried beans

2 cups zucchinis, diced (1 inch thick pieces)

16 corn tortillas (6-inch)

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Preheat the oven at 400F

To prepare the sauce, place a medium saucepan under medium flame; heat the oil. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, flour and 1 teaspoon garlic powder. Mix well. After, pour in the broth and water. Whisk it until the ingredients are well combined. Bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Season it with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a bowl, combine the beans, zucchini and 2 cups of cheese. Season it with salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.

Wrap the tortillas in foil or place them in a covered heatproof container. Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes or in the oven for 5-10 minutes to heat it a little. After, place 1/3 cup of filling in each tortilla. Roll it tightly and place them seam down in a greased baking pan or dish. Do the same for all the remaining tortillas. Top it with sauce and the remaining cheese. Bake it uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese bubbles and it is light brown. Let it stand for 5 minutes.

Garnish with chopped parsley if desired. Serve warm.

Photo Courtesy Of: Acererak

Tortilla Soup

By

Tortilla soup can be a great starter for any meal, light and definitely healthy. It is a good alternative for weight watchers.

INGREDIENTS

6 corn tortillas cut in half

Canola oil, for frying

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1 small white onion, sliced

1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice, drained, or 3/4 pound fresh tomatoes, seeded and chopped

6 cups unsalted homemade chicken stock

1 large sprig epazote (a Mexican herb) or cilantro (optional)

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

6 ounces queso fresco (a Mexican white cheese), Monterey Jack or mild cheddar cheese, grated

1 large avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into ½ inch cubes

1 large lime, cut into wedges

Cut tortillas into 1/4-inch-thick strips. In a saucepan, heat 1/2 inch oil over a medium flame.  Place the tortilla strips and fry until crisp and golden brown. Transfer to paper towels to drain the excess oil.

Remove most of the oil from the pan and set aside. Using the same pan and leftover oil, add garlic and onion. Cook over medium-low heat for about 7 minutes or until golden brown. With a spatula, press garlic against side of pan to leave behind as much oil as possible.  Transfer garlic and onion to a blender or food processor.

Puree tomatoes with garlic mixture in the blender or food processor until smooth. If you use fresh tomatoes, don’t forget to strain puree to remove pieces of tomato skin. Heat the same saucepan over medium heat. Add tomato puree and stir for about 10 minutes or until it thickens to consistency of tomato paste. Pour in stock and mix in epazote; bring to a boil. Partially cover and gently simmer for 30 minutes. Add salt.

Divide cheese and avocado among warmed soup bowls. Pour broth into each bowl; top with tortilla strips and cheese. Serve with lime wedges.

Photo Courtesy Of: worththewhisk

Beans, Beans, the Musical Fruit

By

beans
Whatever you think of the childhood saying, beans are technically fruit: just like tomatoes, they form from the fertilized flower of their plants and contain their seeds.

Since I’m obviously on a Mexican-food kick, I thought I’d post about one of the most necessary Mexican food ingredients: beans.

Pinto Beans, which have a mottled look to them (much like a pinto horse), are the most common variety in Mexico. For that reason, there’s a good chance that the refried beans you had in your last burrito were made with pintos. They’re also the most commonly used beans in chili.

Black Beans, or frijol negro and Kidney Beans are other varieties I’ve used as substitutes many times in my Mexican cooking. The black beans are particularly good for vegetarian dishes, as they have a nice meaty flavor and texture to them.

Which brings me to today’s recipe: homemade refried beans. Once you’ve made these, you’ll never want to go back to canned refried beans again, I promise.

Homemade Refried Beans

500 grams (about a pound) dried pinto beans
3 quarts water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup water
salt to taste

First you want to rinse the beans very well, making sure to get rid of any “bad” ones. Fill a deep saucepan with water, add the beans in, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, and cook- covered- for about three hours, or until the beans are soft. Strain.

In a large frying pan (this is why they’re called “refried”!), add olive oil over medium heat. Once the pan in warm, add the strained beans, with 1/4 cup of water. Mash the beans in the pan using a potato masher. Taste the beans, and season with salt if necessary.

Serve with your favorite Mexican dish, and resolve never to buy canned again.