And, as always, enjoy! If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here.
And, as always, enjoy! If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here.
And, as always, enjoy! If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here.
And, as always, enjoy! If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here.
And, as always, enjoy! If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here.
There are basically two styles of rice and beans. One features the beans being cooked separately, and then used as a sauce to top the rice. It’s a wonderful way to enjoy this classic combo, and if you’re into that kind of thing, our red beans and rice are a fine example. With the other style, which we’re... to read the rest of Chef John's article about this Baked Rice & Beans recipe,please follow this link to become a member.)
And, as always, enjoy! If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here.
And, as always, enjoy! If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here.
All hot, steaming bowls of soup will warm the body, and comfort the soul, but some do so more interestingly, and beautifully than others, and this easy, fast-to-make red lentil soup is definitely one of those. Plus, thanks to the ... to read the rest of Chef John's article about this Red Lentil Soup,please follow this link to become a member.)
And, as always, enjoy! If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here.
As I may have mentioned on Twitter several times, Michele
and I have both been sick all week, so please pardon the lateness, and brevity
of this post. The good news is this Greek-style baked beans recipe is very
simple, and there’s not a lot of extra info I need to pass along.
One thing I will mention is that while these are baking, be
sure to peek once in a while to see if you need to add more liquid. You can
bake covered, but then you don’t get the crustification on top, so I prefer to
bake uncovered, and stir in a splash of water, or two, if it looks like it’s
getting too dry.
If you can find gigante beans, they really are the best, but
Conona beans also work great, as will any other large dried bean. Just be sure
to soak them properly, and simmer them until tender before proceeding to the
baking step. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m climbing into my big, fat bed.
Enjoy!
Ingredients for 12 portions:
1 pound dried Gigante, Conona, Lima, or other large dried bean (soaked
overnight)
3 quarts cold fresh water to boil in
2 bay leaves
1 large red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 cups tomato sauce or finely chopped fresh tomato
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons clover honey
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill, plus more for the top
1 tablespoon kosher salt (2 teaspoon if using fine table
salt)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
cayenne to taste
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 cups water, plus more as needed while baking 4 ounces feta cheese for the top
I wanted to sneak in this pork belly on black-eyed peas
salad video before the New Year, to help ensure you a very lucky, and prosperous
2019. Of course, there’s no guarantee this roast pork belly on black-eyed peas salad
recipe will bring you good fortune in the New Year, but what if it does?
Either way, this is still one of the most delicious ways to
enjoy both pork belly and black-eyed peas, and could not have been happier with
how this came out. Since I’m still officially on vacation I’ll keep this post
brief, but I did want to mention the bean soaking seen herein.
There are many articles online about this being an
unnecessary step, and technically it is, but it’s been my experience that if
you soak your beans the night before, they seem to hold their shape better, as
well as cook a lot faster. So I say soak, but either way, I want to wish you
all a very Happy New Year, and I really hope you start 2019 off with a big bowl
of “beans and belly.” Enjoy!
Ingredients for 6 portions:
For the Pork Belly:
2 pound pork belly (skin removed)
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus freshly ground black pepper and
cayenne to taste
- Roast at 200 F. for 7 1/2 hours
For the Black Eyed Pea Salad:
1 cup dried black-eyed peas, soaked overnight, drained
2 quarts fresh water
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 bay leaf
Dressing:
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/3 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoon white vinegar
1/3 cup mild olive oil or vegetable oil
1 minced garlic clove
1/3 cup finely diced red onion
2 jalapeno, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
salt, freshly ground black pepper, and cayenne to taste
There’s nothing like a big, steaming bowl of comfort food to
make everything seem all right, and this dark, but delightful black lentil stew
with sausage and kale is no exception. Whether you’re battling a lack of
sunlight, or troubles at work, or you’re a NY Giants fan, a dish like this can
do wonders to brighten your mood.
Sausage and lentils is a marriage made in heaven, and so
good together, that not even kale can ruin it. I’m kidding, and actually love
kale, but if you’re not the biggest fan in the world, maybe try it one more
time in this. As long as you cook the greens until they get nice and tender,
you’ll be surprised how sweet, and mild they become.
In case that’s asking too much, spinach, and/or other
vegetables will also work here, as these types of recipes are a perfect
catch-all for seasonal produce. You people with neighbors who grow zucchini
should pay especially close attention to that last part. Regardless of what you
add, or don’t, I really do hope you give this black lentil stew a try soon.
Enjoy!
Ingredients for 4 large portions:
2 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion, large dice
1 large carrot, cubed
1 rib celery, cubed
12 ounces smoked garlic sausage, or any kind of sausage
(cook fresh sausage first, and then slice)
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups black lentils
6 cups chicken broth
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
2 bunches (about 12 ounces by weight) kale or other leafy
dark greens, chopped, washed
If I had to pick a favorite color chili, it would have to be
green. And, if I had to pick a favorite kind of green chili, it would be this
chicken and white bean green chili, which, notwithstanding a very minor pumpkin
seed issue, really came out amazing.
A true “chili verde” is made by roasting and pureeing fresh
tomatillos, which is kind of labor intensive, if you can even find fresh
tomatillos, so we’re going with a ready-to-use green salsa from the market. You
should be able to chose from several varieties, but just be sure to read the
labels carefully. Tomatillos must be the first ingredient, followed by onion,
and chilies.
If you never had tomatillo before, I’d describe it as having
a less sweet, slightly more acidic, but fruitier, tomato-like flavor. It’s very
bright, and refreshing, and makes a chili prepared with it especially excellent
for pairing with things like cornbread, or homemade corn tortillas.
Once you find some tomatillo salsa, there’s not a lot that
can go wrong, as we’re simply going to simmer everything until tender, assuming
you’re using the recommended thighs. If you decided to use chicken breast,
you’ll only need to simmer it until it’s cooked through, otherwise, unlike the
thigh, it’ll get dry. No matter what you use, I really do hope you give this a
try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 4 to 6 portions of Green Chicken Chili:
3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, seasoned with
salt
1 bottle (24-oz) tomatillo-based salsa verde, about 3 cups
1/2 cup fire-roasted hatch chilies, or other roasted green
chili
3 garlic cloves
1 large jalapeno, sliced
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground chipotle
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
2 cans white kidney beans (cannellini beans), drained, rinsed
Contrary to popular belief, refried beans are not called
refried beans because they’re refried.As it turns out the name actually translates to well fried, as in so
well fried, beans are reduced to a molten mash.And what a delicious mash it is.
I don’t think I would ever sit down to eat just a bowl of
refried beans, but they make everything they’re served with, on, or in,
infinitely better.Just as long as you
use lard.In my opinion, using rendered
pork fat for these produces the ultimate refried beans.
Many folks insist on using bacon, and it’s always hard to
argue against using bacon, but for me that smoky flavor, as delicious as it is,
just overwhelms the rest of the ingredients.Besides that enthusiastic recommendation, be sure to taste for seasoning
at the end.
Since we don’t cook the beans with salt, it’s going to take
some fairly generous seasoning later. In fact, any reviews less than five-stars
will be the result of people under salting, and then unfairly blaming me. So, whether
these are going on your Super Bowl nachos, or just in your regular recipe
rotation, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 8 portions refried beans:
For the beans:
1 pound dry pinto beans, soaked overnight
4 whole garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon dry epazote, or teaspoon of dried oregano
9 cups cold water
- Simmer one and a half to two hours or until beans are very
soft
For the refried beans:
1/2 cup lard
1 1/2 cups diced onions
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
2 tablespoons minced Serrano pepper
1 teaspoon ground chipotle
the cooked beans
reserved bean liquid, as needed (I usually use all of it)
There are so many reasons not to make cassoulet. You need
lots of ingredients, some of which take effort to find. There are many steps,
and even some of the steps have steps. It will also seem like you used every
pot and pan in the kitchen, which will be trashed by the time you’re done.
Speaking of time, this is going to take hours to cook, but only
after lots of prep. You still with me? So, why would anyone go through all
that? That’s easy. Cassoulet is one of the most delicious dishes you’ll ever
have. Plus, it’s great for honing your observational skills, since no two
cassoulet are the same, and the times I give are only a guide.
If you use a different bean, or more/less meat, or a
different size/shape pan or casserole, you may need to add liquid sooner than
two hours in. Basically, just keep and eye on things, adding broth when needed,
until you’re happy with the final results.
Depending on how salty your meats are, as well as how highly
seasoned you stock is, you may or may not need to add more salt to the final
mixture. Other than that, and notwithstanding all that stuff I said earlier in
the post, this really is a simple recipe. I hope you give this a try soon.
Enjoy!
Ingredients for 8 portions (I used a 12-inch pan, about 3-inches deep):
For the beans and cooking liquid:
3 quarts seasoned chicken stock or broth (The beans should
be cooked in a lightly seasoned stock or broth, so add salt to taste. I didn’t
add any on camera as mine was already seasoned.)
1 pound Tarbais beans, or other white beans, soaked
overnight
4 ounces ham, bacon, salt pork, or pancetta, cut in 1/4-inch
dice (as I mentioned, I experimented with large pieces, but it was too much)
1 bouquet garni (2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon black peppercorn,
6 springs thyme, 6 unpeeled garlic cloves cut in half, tied in cheesecloth)
- add reserved bones from your duck and pork if available
-- simmer for 45 minutes or until beans are almost tender
--- strain and reserve liquid
The other meat: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
12 ounces fresh pork shoulder or chop, cut into 2-inch pieces,
seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 pounds (4 links) Toulouse sausages, or other garlic
pork sausage
2 duck leg confit (most fancy grocery stores carry this, but
you can order online, or make your own with this old recipe) NOTE: This is traditionally a "poor man's" dish, and would not have nearly the generous supply of rich meats. So, if you want something more authentic, you can cut the meat amounts down by half at least.
The veggies:
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup diced celery
1/4 cup tomato paste
3/4 cup white wine
1 teaspoon salt
The crumb topping:
2 cups plain breadcrumbs
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
2 tablespoons rendered duck fat
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup cooking liquid
(warning, I don’t measure this stuff, so just add enough
melted fat to moisten the crumbs until they look like damp sand)
- Bake for 2 hours at 350 F for 2 hours, or until most of
the broth is absorbed.
- Add more broth, poking down a little of the crust into the
beans.
- Bake for another 45 minutes, or until well-browned, and the
meat is fork tender
Our grandparents called them the winter blues, but nowadays
we know this condition as Seasonal Affective Disorder; a melancholy
scientifically proven to be caused by shorter, darker days.
Since fall and
winter are full of those, we’re going to need some coping strategies, and this
hearty Tuscan bean soup is one of the more effective.There’s just something about that combo of smooth, silky
soup, and crunchy, crispy croutons that makes everything seem okay.
Speaking of
shorter days, this recipe is also a fantastic base for creating even more
substantial weeknight meals. Things like sausage, peppers, and/or maybe a
handful of greens, always works in this.
I tried a new method prepping our veggies; pureeing them
instead of dicing. I thought this might save time, possibly extract more
flavor, and quicken the cooking. Hey, two out of three aren’t bad! It was
faster than dicing, and the soup only had to simmer for 15 minutes, but I
didn’t think the flavor was quite as good as the classic diced veggies method.
Either way, this soup is delicious, and guaranteed to fog up
your kitchen windows. Smiley face sold separately. I really hope you give this
Tuscan bean soup a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 4 servings:
1 onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
3 cloves garlic *As stated in the post, I prefer diced veggies to the ground ones I tried in the video, and if you do go for the traditional method and cut your vegetables in small cubes, you'll have to simmer you soup for about 30 minutes, or until they are sweet and very tender.
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
cayenne to taste
1/2 teaspoon chopped rosemary
1/2 teaspoon picked thyme leaves
2 (15-oz) cans white kidney beans aka cannellini beans
4 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup crème fraiche or heavy cream
1/2 lemon, juiced
- Garnish with fresh bread cubes fried golden in olive oil, tossed
with Parmigiano Reggiano, and fresh Italian parsley.
Maybe it’s the billionaire(s) in the news lately, but for some
reason I decided to take one of America’s most frugal meals, franks and beans, and
give it a high-end makeover. Besides, all the other classic comfort foods have
been fancified, hipsterized, and/or molecular gastronomized; so I figured I
would take this one down. And by down, I mean up.
Usually, franks and beans is made by opening up a couple
cans of baked beans, and heating it up with some sliced hotdogs. Not exactly
something you’d serve to visiting dignitaries. However, by adding some fresh
veggies, plain beans, and high-quality beef hot dogs, we can achieve something
much healthier, equally delicious, and every bit as comforting.
So, how much more will it cost you to make this usually cheap
dish, using these upscale ingredients? It’s tempting to say, if you have to
ask, you can’t afford it, but that’s not the case. Sure, the Kobe hotdogs will
cost you a couple extra dollars, but the rest of the dish is still quite
inexpensive. I really do hope you give this a try soon.Enjoy!
Ingredients for 4 portions Franks & Beans:
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 diced yellow onion
1 diced poblano or other green pepper
2 tbsp minced fresh cayenne pepper, or other hot red pepper
1 rib celery, diced
1 pound hot dogs, sliced (literally any other sausage will
work here)
There’s a Mexican joint Michele and I go to once in a while,
that serves a complimentary bowl of spicy, fried chickpeas when you sit down to
eat. In the restaurant biz they call this a “loss leader.”
That’s where you give away something cheap to help sell
something expensive, and by something expensive, I mean handcrafted margaritas
and artisan beers…sold to people like me, who, for some strange reason, are suddenly
thirsty.
While I’m hip to the true motive, it’s still a very nice
touch, and a periodic reminder of what a great, highly additive snack this is. As
in, only make single batches at a time, because you will eat everything you
make.
As I mentioned in the video, this works exactly the same using
rinsed, canned beans, but dry beans are much cheaper, and get a little crunchier.
Obviously, you have free reign with the spices, so I suggest making a few
different batches, trying different combinations.
No matter what you come up with, it will be significantly
better than any of those salty snacks from the supermarket. I hope you give
these easy, oven-fried chickpeas a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 4 snack-sized portions Crunchy Spiced
Chickpeas:
1 cup dry chickpeas, aka garbanzo beans, soaked for 24 hours
2 tbsp olive oil
season to taste with salt, freshly ground black pepper,
cumin, paprika, and cayenne, OR literally any spices you like
- Bake at 400 F. for about an hour, tossing occasionally,
until browned and crunchy/crispy.
Unlike most of America’s other favorite fast foods, falafel
is rarely attempted at home, which is a shame, since it’s very simple to do,
and even a relative novice like me can get some very decent results. One word
of warning: you do need to know you’re going to have a craving for this a full
day before you actually want to eat it.
Whipping up a batch of these after a late night at the bar
is not going to work, since soaking the dry beans overnight is a crucial step.
While you can use canned beans for this, word on the street is not to do it. Those
are cooked, and apparently just aren’t as good.
As you’ll see, you don’t really need a deep fryer to do
this, as they pan-fry quite nicely, but the model you see me using has some advantages.
In addition to being less messy, a small fryer lets you achieve the precise
temperature, which means your food crisps up perfectly, while absorbing
virtually none of the fat. People have done studies, measuring the oil
before-and-after frying, and when done properly, it’s remarkable how little oil
is used.
No matter what method you use to cook yours, I think you’ll
be surprised how close this is to your favorite falafel stand, assuming they
used the exact ingredients and amounts I did, which may not be the case. So, be
sure to taste and adjust until you get it just right. I really hope you get
this try very soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for about 12 falafel balls:
1 cup dried garbanzo beans aka chickpeas
1/2 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
1 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 rounded tablespoon flour
2 tsp lemon juice
- Fry at 350°F for about 5 minutes or until browned and
crispy
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with green lentil soup, but
once you start making it with black “beluga” lentils, you’ll have a hard time
going back. These black beauties cook up melt-in-your-mouth tender, but still retain
their structural integrity, which gives the soup both a thick, satisfying body,
and a light, non-starchy mouthfeel.
The flavor is wonderfully meaty, especially when you toss in
a handful of bacon, and they require absolutely no finesse to prepare perfectly.
Just simmer until you have achieved lentil tenderness, adding broth as needed.
That’s pretty much it.
I’m told black lentils are really good for you, which is
weird, since I’ve never asked anybody. Nevertheless, this is a soup you can
feel good about putting into your body, unlike that “Bacon Jalapeño Popper
Chowder” recipe you got off Pinterest. We’re still right in the middle of soup
season, so the next time you feel like a hot bowl, I hope you give this black
lentil soup a try. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 4 large portions:
2 tsp vegetable oil
4 oz bacon
1 cup yellow onion, large dice
1 cup carrots, large dice
1 cup celery, large dice
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
cayenne to taste
1 1/4 cup black lentils
5 to 6 cups chicken broth, or as needed 1 bay leaf
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley 1 tsp extra good extra virgin olive oil
For some arbitrary reason, March is National Peanut Month,
and to help kick it off, here are a couple of video recipes that feature this
great American legume. You can’t beat a warm stew on a cold night, and they
don’t get much warmer than red beef curry. The peanuts may seem like a minor player, but they
make the dish.
If you want your peanuts more liquid than solid, then by all
means, check out this great, and very easy satay dipping sauce. You seriously can’t run out of things to stick in
there.
I hope you give them a try soon, and here’s wishing you a happy and safe
National Peanut Month. Click on the titles if you want to read the original post, and see the ingredients. Enjoy!
