Main Dish

PUMPKIN BLACK BEAN TAMALES

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Submitted by Jeanne Marshall, who writes:
A tamalada is 2 parties in one – getting a group of friends together to make tamales and then an even bigger group to eat them! My Hot Tamale – http://www.sonofthesouth.net/tamales/ has great tips if you’ve never tried tamales before.
These pumpkin black bean tamales were a big hit. Yield is a dozen tamales; recommend doubling the recipe for a party. Source: By Larry Luttropp, LA Times

Tamale Ingredients

  • 1 package corn husks
  • 2 cups (heaping) Maseca corn flour (get Tamale version)
  • 2 cups to 2 1/2 cups warm chicken stock or water
  • 1/2 pound lard
  • 2 cups pureed cooked or canned pumpkin
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup dark-brown sugar, firmly packed (if you’ve got access to a Hispanic market, get 3 ounces piloncillo instead — grated or crushed) Salt

Bean Filling

  • 2 cups water
  • 2 teaspoons anise
  • 2 To 3 pasilla de Oaxaca chilies OR dried chipotle chilies or canned chipotle in adobo sauce
  • 2 cups To 2 1/2 cups cooked or
  • Canned black beans, drained
  • 5 To 6 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 2 tablespoons Lard
  • Salt

 

Prepare Bean Filling

Put water in small pan, add anise and boil until reduced by half. Strain and reserve infusion.

If using pasilla de Oaxaca or dried chipotles, cover with boiling water and let soak until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain and remove stems. Canned chipotles need no preparation.

Working in batches, if necessary, puree beans with chilies, garlic and anise infusion in blender or food processor fitted with steel blade.

Melt lard in heavy skillet or wide, shallow saucepan over high heat. When very hot, add bean puree, watching for splatters. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until liquid is evaporated. Season to taste with salt. Cool to room temperature.

 

Assemble Tamales

Soak corn husks in water for at least 30 minutes. Take several and tear into long strips – you’ll use them to tie the tamales.

Mix masa harina in a bowl or pot with enough warm stock to make soft but not sticky dough. Beat lard in separate large bowl on medium speed until very light and fluffy. Add masa harina mixture and pumpkin puree to lard little at time, beating on medium speed and scraping down as needed. Mixture should be as light as butter cream. (If a small piece of dough floats in a small cup of water, you beat the lard enough)

Beat in cinnamon, piloncillo/brown sugar and salt to taste.

Place soaked corn husks flat on work space. Tear off some long, thin strips from a several husks. Place a large dollop of masa mixture in center of husk and spread across husk with spatula.

Place 1 heaping tablespoon Bean Filling in center of husk. Fold left and right edges of husk toward center to meet, overlapping to cover filling. Fold up bottom edge to center. Fasten by tying with thin strip of husk. Repeat with remaining husks, masa and filling. Steam the tamales for 45 -50 minutes.

Vegetarian Chili with Pumpkin

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The pumpkin flavor in this chili definitely stays in the background, but it adds warmth along with vitamins! Note: Don’t forget to soak the beans the night before.

  • 1 1/2 pounds dried beans (I use a combination of small pinto beans and black beans)
  • 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
  • 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin or pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 2 Serrano chilies (fresh), seeds removed (membranes intact) and finely chopped
  • 3 chipotle chilies in adobo (canned), minced
  • 1 quart vegetable stock (I like Kitchen Basics brand)
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons cumin
  • ½ cinnamon stick
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • Kosher salt to taste (2-3 teaspoons, depending on saltiness of the stock you use)
  • 1-2 Tablespoons chili powder, depending on your taste
  • Several dashes of hot sauce

Rinse the beans and soak overnight. In the morning, rinse beans thoroughly and place them in a slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients. Cook on high heat for 30 minutes and then switch to low heat for 8-9 hours or until beans are tender.

Serve with some, all, or none of these:

  • Chopped cilantro
  • Grated cheese
  • Sour cream
  • Chopped fresh tomato
  • Chopped black olives

Serves 8-10

Chicken Marinade

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Submitted by Renee Teer, who says, “You can’t miss with this recipe.  Everyone always asks for it. If throwing a party, make it the day before, put chicken in big crock pot and let it sit in marinade overnight before grilling.

  • 1  1/2 cup Oil (use one low in saturated fat)
  • 3/4 cup Soy Sauce
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons dry mustard
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh ground pepper
  • 1  1/2 Tablespoons fresh parsley ( I usually use more)
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 4-5 chicken breasts

Put everything but the chicken in a blender and liquefy. Put marinade with chicken breasts in a zip lock bag and freeze. Take the chicken out of the freezer the morning of the day you want to use it and let it thaw.  The chicken sits in marinade all day and is extra tasty.  Cook on the grill.

I usually make a double batch.

Chicken and veggie Pot Pies

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This recipe is time-consuming, but not difficult. Several short cuts can be employed to make it go faster if you’re pressed for time (see below), but the results of the original are worth the effort. For a hearty meal, use 6 2-cup ramekins or mini soufflé dishes. For kids, or if you prefer something lighter, use 12 1-cup ramekins. The pies can be prepared a day ahead and baked just before serving.

Crust

· 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

· ½ teaspoon salt

· 2 sticks unsalted butter or one stick butter and 1 stick Smart Balance 50/50, cut into pieces when cold and allowed to come to room temperature

· 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, cut into pieces when cold and allowed to come to room temperature

Chicken

  • 4 – 4 1/2 pounds chicken parts
  • 12 cups water
  • 3 small or 2 large onions, quartered
  • 3 large carrots, coarsely chopped
  • 1 large leek, washed and sliced
  • 12 thyme sprigs
  • 2 dried bay leaves

Filling

  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup finely chopped celery
  • 1 red pepper thinly sliced, and cut into small pieces
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 bunch green onions, white and light green parts, chopped
  • 4 ounces shitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps sliced
  • 4 ounces baby portabella mushrooms, sliced and cut into small pieces
  • 6 ounces green beans, boiled 1 minute and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried

  • 1 stick butter or Smart Balance 50/50
  • ½ cup, plus 2 tablespoons all –purpose flour
  • 1 cup 2% milk
  • ¼ cup half and half
  • 4 teaspoons chicken soup base (can be found in the grocery store next to the boullion cubes, etc.)
  • Red pepper flakes (optional)

To Finish

  • 1 egg

To make the crust, mix flour and salt in a food processor. Add butter and cream cheese; blend until moist clumps form. If making 6 large pot pies, form into a 6-inch log. If making 12 small pot pies, form into a 12-inch log. Wrap and chill.

To prepare the chicken, place all ingredients in a large pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Transfer chicken to a bowl to cool. Strain cooking liquid into a large saucepan. Boil until reduced to 3 cups of stock – about 1 hour. When chicken has cooled, discard skin and bones. Cut meat into ¾ inch pieces. Return meat to bowl. When stock has finished reducing, you may use it at once OR cool it and refrigerate overnight to allow fat to rise to the top so that you an remove fat with a flat spoon or table knife.

To make filling, heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add celery, peppers and onion; cook until soft. Transfer to bowl with chicken. In the same skillet over medium heat, Heat 2 Tablespoons oil. Add mushrooms and sauté until just brown. Add to the bowl with chicken. Mix in green beans, green onions, and chopped rosemary.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour; whisk 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in 3 cups stock, then milk, half-and-half, and soup base; bring to a boil. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Stir 3 cups sauce into chicken mixture, reserving remaining sauce for another use. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes (if using) and mix well.

To assemble the pies, divide filling evenly among baking dishes. Cut prepared dough crosswise into either 6 or 12 pieces, depending on how many pies you wish to make. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece to fit the top of your ramekin with enough overlap to fold over the edge. Cover each dish with a dough round. Press overhanging dough around the edges of the dishes to seal. (Can be made up to this point, covered and refrigerated for up to a day.)

Preheat oven to 350°. Beat 1 egg. Brush top of each pie with beaten egg. Cut 3 slits in each pie so that steam can escape. Bake about 45 minutes until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly.

Possible Short Cuts:

    • Substitute refrigerated biscuit or crescent roll dough for homemade crust.
    • Cook chicken in canned or pre-made broth and skip the reduction step.
    • Use store-bought rotisserie chicken and canned broth and skip both the poaching and reduction steps.
    • Use frozen vegetables.

Farro and White Bean Salad

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This hearty salad is delicious, nutritious and portable. It works well as a picnic side dish, or yummy vegetarian main dish. Farro is a European grain similar to barley or wheat berries. It can be found in many grocery stores and most “healthy food” stores.

· 10 ounces farro (about 1 ½ cups)

· 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt (divided)

· ½ pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1- to 2- inch pieces

· ½ cup pitted black olives

· 2 medium tomatoes, diced

· 1 (14-ounce) can white beans (Great Northern, Cannellini, etc.), drained and rinsed well

· ¾ cup shredded parmesan cheese

· 3 Tablespoons snipped fresh chives

· 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

· ¼ cup tasty olive oil

· ¼ cup champagne vinegar (or other flavorful white wine vinegar)

· 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

· Ground black pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan, combine farro with 4 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat and then simmer until almost tender, about 20 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes more. Drain well. Transfer to a large bowl.

While the farro is cooling, cook green beans in salted, boiling water for 1-2 minutes; drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking.

When the farro has cooled, add green beans, olives, tomatoes, Parmesan, chives, and parsley; stir to combine.

To make the dressing, mix vinegar, olive oil, mustard, pepper and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Whisk or shake to combine. Pour vinaigrette over the farro salad. Toss and serve.

Serves 4 as a main dish or 6-8 as a side dish.

Pot Roast (just the meat)

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Submitted by Karen Schihl, who got it from The Milk-free Kitchen by Beth Kidder, c 1988, 1991.

  • 2 cloves garlic (I use 4-6)
  • 3 1/2 pounds boneless beef; flank steak is best, but beef chuck or round will do nicely (I buy 2 pieces of flank steak at Costco; 1 for tonight’s dinner, 1 to put in the freezer for a future crazy day).
  • 1 or 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil(I use olive)
  • 1 cup water or red wine (I like Ravens Wood Zinfandel)

Peel the garlic cloves and cut each lengthwise into 3 or 4 slices. With a small sharp knife, cut deep slits in the meat and insert a slice of garlic into each slit. Use about half of the garlic slices, then turn it over and insert the rest of the garlic slices in the other side. (I get impatient and put them all in on one side.)

Preheat a heavy pot and brown the meat in it in a little oil. Add the wine or water, cover the pot, and turn the heat down to a gentle simmer. Cook the meat about 2 hours, or until very well done. (I’ve pulled it off shy of 2 hours and it was fine).

The secret to a really good pot roast is to let the meat boil nearly dry at a late stage in the cooking process; after this add just enough water to produce about a cup of pan juices. Pot roast that has been overcooked, or allowed to cook without any water for more than a minute or two, will be dry, even though there is enough fat. Meat cooked this way is very flavorful and does not really need seasoning, even pepper.

Always cut roast across the grain of the meat, not with the grain. Flank steak can be cut against the grain and at a slant for larger pieces. Freezes well. Try to freeze whole. Upon thawing, slice cold meat and gently warm up on stove top in juices.

Serve with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies.  Pass a pitcher of the pan liquid when you serve the meat.

Serves 6.

Quick-Prep Slow Cooker Beef Stew

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    • 2 pounds stew meat
    • 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
    • 3 medium carrots, sliced
    • 2 ribs celery, sliced
    • 1 can condensed tomato soup
    • 1 can Campbell’s Beefy Mushroom Soup
    • 2 Tablespoons (or more) tomato paste
    • 1/2 pound sliced mushrooms (optional)

      Brown meat and onions in a non-stick skillet.  Place in slow cooker.  Add remaining ingredients.  Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.

      Serve with noodles or baked potatoes.

      Makes 6 servings.

      Wine-Braised Chuck Roast with Onions

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      Adapted from Gourmet Magazine, January 2005

      • 3-4 pounds boneless beef chuck roast
      • 2 teaspoons salt
      • 1 teaspoon black pepper
      • 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
      • 4 medium-large onions, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
      • 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
      • 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
      • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried, crumbled (or more)
      • 1 teaspoon crushed fresh rosemary or 1/4 teaspoon crumbled (or more)
      • 1 1/2 cups dry wine (the original recipe called for white, but I used red)
      • 1 cup water

      Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees.

      Pat beef dry and rub all over with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  Heat oil in an ovenproof 5-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and brown beef on all sides, about 15 minutes total.  Transfer beef to a plate.

      Add onions to pot and sauté over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until soft and brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, thyme, rosemary, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add wine and water and bring to a boil. Return beef to pot, then cover tightly and braise in oven, turning once after 1 hour, until beef is very tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours total.

      Let beef stand, uncovered, in onion sauce about 30 minutes.

      Preheat oven to 350°F and transfer remaining beef to a cutting board and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Season with salt and pepper and return beef to sauce. Reheat, covered, 20 minutes.

      French Garlic Chicken

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      Submitted by Elaine Thorpe, who adapted it from Richard Olney’s Cookbook, circa 1970.

      • 1 or 2 large HEADS garlic
      • 1 ½ cups chicken broth
      • 2 Tablespoons Butter
      • 1 Tablespoon oil
      • 3 to 4 pounds chicken parts
      • 1 lemon, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
      • 2 Tablespoons flour
      • ½ cup dry white wine
      • Salt and pepper to taste

      Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Separate cloves of garlic and place in a saucepan. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil.  Discard water, cover with cold water and peel garlic.  Simmer peeled garlic for 30 minutes in stock. (Partially cover pan)

      In a heavy skillet, melt butter and add oil.  When hot, sauté dried chicken pieces until golden.  Remove chicken and place in a 9 by 13 Pyrex or other casserole. Put garlic cloves and lemon slices over chicken.  Make sauce by stirring flour  into the fat in the skillet where the chicken used to be and stir till it’s beginning to thicken; Pour  over chicken, garlic and lemon.  Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes or until chicken is done.

      Lawry’s Day Before Beef Brisket

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      Submitted by Julie Lichtenberg Stern, who got it from her friend Linda Hahn, who got it from from Lawry’s The Great California Lifestyle Cookbook.

      • 1 Tablespoon liquid smoke
      • Seasoned salt
      • Garlic powder
      • 6-7 lb. brisket of beef, unseasoned
      • 1 large onion, finely chopped
      • 1 cup ketchup
      • ¼ cup water
      • 1-1/2 Tablespoons brown sugar
      • 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
      • 2 teaspoon liquid smoke
      • 1-1/2 teaspoons dry mustard

      Rub liquid smoke, seasoned salt, and garlic powder on both sides of meat. Place in baking dish, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and refrigerate for at least eight hours (I skip this step). Add onion, re-cover and bake in 325 degree oven for two hours. Cool and slice in ¼ inch thick slices. Combine remaining ingredients and heat. Pour sauce over meat slices. Re-cover and refrigerate for four hours or overnight (I skip this step, too). Bake in a 325 degree oven for one hour to heat through.

      Makes 8-10 servings