Rajas Poblanas
Serves 6
-2 lb. fresh large Poblano chiles
-1 onion, quartered, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
-4 garlic cloves, minced
-2 t. dried oregano, preferably Mexican
-3/4 c. crème fraîche or sour cream
-1/4 c. shredded Monterey Jack
-Kosher salt
Preheat broiler, build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to high. If broiling, place chiles on a rimmed baking sheet. If grilling, put chiles directly on grill grate. Roast, turning occasionally, until tender and nicely charred all over, 15–20 minutes.
Transfer chiles to a large bowl; cover with plastic wrap and let steam for 15 minutes. Peel chiles. Halve lengthwise; discard seeds. Cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips.
Heat a large dry heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add
onion; cook, stirring often, until beginning to char, 6–7 minutes.
Add garlic; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add oregano and 1 cup water; simmer until onion is tender and water has evaporated, 5–7 minutes.
Add chiles; cook until flavors meld, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in crème fraîche and cheese. Add water by tablespoonfuls if mixture is too dry.
Season to taste with salt. Enjoy!
By Oliver Strand on bonappetit.com, 5/12… Read the rest
Dandelion, Strawberry, and Balsamic Onion Salad
Serves 2
-2 T. olive oil
-1 med. red onion, sliced into 1/4-inch-wide rings or half moons
-10 ripe strawberries, sliced
-2 T. balsamic vinegar, divided
-1 bu. dandelion greens (~ 4 oz.)
-1/2 t. Dijon mustard
-Salt and pepper, to taste
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium frying pan. Add the sliced onions along with a good pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft, lightly brown, and reduced to about 1/3 of their raw volume. You may need to reduce the heat gradually as the onions shrink. This is a slow process that could take 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, toss the strawberry slices with 1 teaspoon of the balsamic vinegar.
Wash the dandelion greens in several changes of water and dry thoroughly.
When the onions are nearly done, add the remaining 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar to the pan and continue cooking until it has thickened slightly, a minute or two. Remove the onions from the heat and stir in the Dijon mustard.
In a salad bowl, combine the greens, onions and strawberries with all their juices, scraping down the onion pan with a rubber spatula to incorporate all the oil and vinegar into the salad. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss.
Divide between two plates and serve. Enjoy!
From Carolyn Cope seriouseats.com, 4/10… Read the rest
Creamed Spinach With Jalapeño Peppers
Makes 8 servings
-2 10 oz. packages whole-leaf frozen spinach (do not thaw) OR use spinach in the box with another bunch that you purchase
-4 T. butter, additional for buttering pan
-2 T. all-purpose flour
-2 T. chopped onion
-1 clove garlic, minced
-½ c. evaporated milk
-Black pepper
-¾ t. celery salt
-6 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, cut into cubes
-1 pickled or fresh jalapeño pepper, chopped, or more to taste
-½ c. soft buttered bread crumbs*
Heat oven to 300°. Meanwhile, cook spinach according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of liquid, and chop finely.
Butter a shallow 8-inch-square casserole dish or other shallow 4- to 6-cup baking dish.
Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a saucepan and add flour.
Blend and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Do not brown. Add onion and garlic.
Add the spinach liquid slowly, and then add evaporated milk, some black pepper, celery salt and cheese. Mix well and add jalapeño and spinach. Cook until all is blended.
Turn into the casserole dish, top with buttered bread crumbs and bake until lightly browned, about 45 minutes. Enjoy!
*To make buttered bread crumbs, combine 1/2 cup fresh soft bread crumbs with 1 to 2 tablespoons melted better and toss well.
From Laurie Colwin: A Confidante In The Kitchen and found on cookingnytimes.com, 12/16… Read the rest
Roasted Salsa
Summer Potato Salad with Apples and Chives
Makes 5 cups
-4 c. baby red or Yukon gold potatoes, cut in quarters
-2 T. minced celery
-1/4 c. red onion, finely diced
-1 Gala apples, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch chunks
-2 T. chives, minced
-1 t. Dijon mustard
-1 T. extra virgin olive oil
-1 T. red wine vinegar
-1 T. reduced fat mayonnaise
-salt and fresh pepper
Boil potatoes in salted water until soft, approx 10 – 14 minutes, or until soft if pierced with a fork. Drain and let cool.
While the potatoes are boiling, combine red onion, celery, mustard, olive oil, vinegar and mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper. Mix well and let the flavors marinade while the potatoes cook.
Once the potatoes are done and cool, mix into the bowl and add chives and apples, additional salt and pepper to taste.
Serve room temperature or refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy!
From skinnytaste.com, 7/12… Read the rest
Black Bean Soup with Cumin and Cilantro
Makes 2 quarts
-2 c. black beans
-Sea salt
-3 T. olive or sunflower seed oil
-1 lg. onion, finely diced
-2 sm. carrots, finely diced
-3 celery ribs, finely diced
-1 green bell pepper, finely diced-3 garlic cloves, minced
-1 bu. of cilantro, stems finely sliced and leaves more roughly choppe
-1 T. toasted ground cumin seeds
-1 t. Spanish smoked paprika, or more to taste
-2 bay leaves
-1/4 t. cayenne, or more to taste
-1/2 c. sour cream
Juice of 1/2 lime, or more to taste
Rinse the beans and put them in a pressure cooker with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 10 cups water. Bring the pressure to high, then maintain it for 30 minutes. Release it and let it fall by itself. Taste the beans. If they’re not soft enough, simmer them until they are.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium skillet. Add the onion, carrots, celery, green pepper, garlic, and cilantro stems. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the onion has softened. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and add the cumin, paprika, bay leaves, and cayenne.
Lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes longer, stirring occasionally and taking care not to let the paprika and cayenne burn. Add 1 cup water and continue to cook until the onion is soft, about 8 minutes.
Stir the onion base into the beans along with all but 3 tablespoons of the chopped cilantro leaves and cook over low heat, covered, for 20 minutes. Taste for salt.
Mix the sour cream, lime juice, and remaining cilantro together and season with a pinch of salt. Serve a spoonful in each bowl of soup.… Read the rest
Mexican Tomato Broth
Makes 2 quarts
-1 large onion, sliced
-1 large zucchini, sliced
-1 c. diced canned or fresh tomato
-6 plump garlic cloves
-1 large carrot or several smaller ones, diced
-3 celery ribs, chopped-1 or 2 big handfuls of cilantro
-Large handful of parsley
-Several chard or beet leaves
-Handful of lentils
-Several anise hyssop leaves or a good pinch of anise seeds
-2 t. dried Mexican oregano or 8 regular oregano sprigs
-1 jalapeño chile, halved
-2 t. sea salt
-1 t. peppercorns, lightly crushed
-Tomato paste to taste, optional
Put all the ingredients except the tomato paste in a pot with 3 quarts water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat.
Simmer, partially covered, for 2 hours, then strain.
Taste for salt and, if you wish to fortify the flavor a bit, stir in a teaspoon or more tomato paste to taste.
From Vegetable Soups from Deborah Madison’s Kitchen, Deborah Madison… Read the rest
Beet and Cabbage Slaw Recipe
-1/2 head of cabbage
-2 medium raw beets
-2 carrots
-1/2 red onion
-1/4 c. fresh flat leaf parsley
-1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
-1/4 c. cider vinegar
-1 t. salt
-1/2 t. pepper
Wash and core the cabbage and peel the carrots and beets with a vegetable peeler. Using a food processor*, with the slicing disc in place, process the cabbage and transfer to a large bowl.
Install the shredding disc and process the carrots and beets and transfer to the bowl.
Install the chopping blade and process the parsley and transfer to the bowl. Thinly slice the red onion and add to the bowl.
Combine vinegar, oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk until salt dissolves.
Toss vinaigrette with the cabbage-beet-carrot mixture. Allow the slaw to stand for 20-30 minutes before serving, tossing regularly.
Add additional salt and pepper to taste and serve. Enjoy!
* If you do not own a food processor you can slice the cabbage into thin strips with a knife. I recommending using a hand-held or box grater to shred the beets and carrots.
From paleospirit.com, 8/11… Read the rest
Zucchini and Fresh Parsley Soup
Serves 4
-1 c. chopped red onion
-1 1/4 lb. zucchini
-3 T. olive oil
-1 t read this article. salt
-1 t. ground black pepper
-4 c. veggie broth
-3 bay leaves
-15 sprigs of fresh Italian (or curly) parsley
Chop the onion and zucchini into small pieces, even pieces so they cook evenly. The pieces don’t have to be too small since it’s all going to be blended in the end.
Heat up the olive oil over high heat for a minute, then add the onion, salt, and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes, stir until translucent. Then add the chopped zucchini and cook for 6-8 minutes until the zucchini also begins to look a bit translucent.
Cover with the broth and throw in the bay leaves. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down to medium and cover. Let cook for about 20 minutes, then cut the heat.
Remove the bay leaves, rinse the parsley, and add it to the pot. Cover and let sit for about 5 minutes.
Then, working in small batches, blend the soup into a fine purée. Be careful only to blend a cup or so at time, hot liquids expand when they are blended so they can pop the lid right off your blender. I always hold the top on firmly with my hand and start with a few quick pulses, then put it on a steady setting for 30-60 seconds. The result is a light, but very flavorful and slightly spicy green soup!
This would be great to eat if you are starting to feel ill, since parsley has a number of health benefits, which include curing the common cold. Enjoy!
From sweetbeetandgreenbean.net, 6/09… Read the rest
Caramelized Zucchini Soup with Parsley and Dill
Serves 4
-4 lg. zucchini, cut into discs
-1 onion, chopped
-2 cloves garlic, crushed
-1 handful Italian parsley, roughly chopped
-1 handful dill, roughly chopped
-low sodium veggie or chicken broth
-Salt and pepper, to taste
Fry onions over low heat until caramelized, stirring
occasionally. Takes around 15-20 minutes.
Once onions are golden, add garlic and cook for one
minute while stirring.
Add the zucchini slices and sauté until golden and
caramelized.
Add cooked onions, cooked zucchini, parsley and dill to a
food processor and process until smooth.
Add low-sodium veggie or chicken broth until you reach
desired consistency.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Heat in a saucepan and serve
hot. Enjoy!
Adapted from sprouts.com… Read the rest