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Traditionally made with pork and chicken, posole made with the right ingredients can also be delicious vegetarian. In Mexico, this dish is consumed like menudo, to help quell the effects of a hangover. I just love the buttery, crunchy texture of hominy.
Two "secret" ingredients for me were my vegetable stock (see the post on Soup Swap for the recipe)and the new (but hard to find) fire roasted tomato with chipotles from Muir Glenn. I’ve been a huge fan of the fire roasted with green chilies for a while, and those are in this recipe too. The fire roasting flavor of the tomatoes helps to add the needed depth to this hearty "stoup". A few classic Mexican cooking techniques are also essential.
I
Vegetarian Posole
¼ cup olive oil
2 Ancho chilies, top stem removed
2 large onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped finely
2 Tbsp. whole coriander seed, crushed
1 Tbsp. whole cumin seed crushed
4 cans Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Green Chilies
Or 2 of Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Chipotle Chilies and 2 with Green Chilies, your choice
4 cans of hominy (2 yellow and 2 white), rinsed and drained
4 Quarts homemade vegetable stock (I added an ancho chilie and guillio chilie to this batch), hot
Procedure:
Heat a large heavy bottomed pan on the medium heat. Add the olive oil, the whole ancho chilies, onions and garlic. Add the ground spices and stir until they are fragrant. Allow to cook for 10 minutes. Now add the hominy and stir well. Add the tomatoes of your choice.
Remove the ancho chili and place in a blender with some of the hot stock, just enough to cover. You can add the garlic to this as well. Puree until smooth. Add the hot vegetable stock to the posole and then stir in the chili puree.
Allow to cook for 30 minutes over low heat stir every so often. You may now season with salt and pepper to your heart’s content. If you want to make it thicker and have a more potent masa punch, place whole corn tortilla in with the posole and let it soften for 5 minutes. Now remove it with some of the broth and puree it with your immersion blender as you did for the chilies. Add back into the posole and stir well.
Serve garnished with freshly chopped avocados, cilantro, fresh lime and slices of radish.
February 28th, 2011
You’ve got to love a store that greets you with this message:
Isn’t it the truth? But that is not all there is to love at Eataly, brainchild of Oscar Farinetti. With the help of celebrity chefs Mario Batali and Lidia and her son Joe Bastianich New Yorkers are lucky to have this gem. You will get frustrated by the crowds but it is still so worth going.
The food is beautiful, there are many different places to dine and sections to shop. I could easily spend a day there, starting with breakfast, burning a few calories around the block across the street, then returning for lunch and food shopping for all the wonderful things I’d make the next day. And then an early dinner.
I love how they sell their beans and grains in these lovely jars. I think I will steal this idea for my home pantry. There are gorgeous cheeses and Italian meats and many beautiful Italian drinks and condimenti.
I could see moving into the Flat Iron district or Chelsea just so this could be my neighborhood jaunt.I am actually kicking myself that I didn’t try and stuff this ginormous chocolate hazelnut trunk into my suitcase. My waistline begged me to resist.
I’ve never seen one so big. Well there is always next time…
February 24th, 2011
As I head into week three of the 21-day vegan detox, I am happy to report that all is well. Of the six of us participating, very few have fallen off the gluten-free vegan train and those who have (including me) have gotten right back on. To date, my efforts feel very worthwhile. I seem to have more energy and I have even lost a few pounds.
The biggest challenge with this whole detox is cooking for my family and cooking for me. This restrictive vegan diet definitely requires a commitment to planning, shopping and cooking (and willing participants). A few of us gals have been participating in an informal food swap by trading sweet pea hummus for traditional hummus etc. and this has been exceedingly helpful.
This pepper and pinto bean chili came together without a recipe; I wrote the recipe as I cooked with the hopes that it would be worthy of a Meatless Monday post. I had gone to the store in search of black beans and my little market was sold out so I settled for pinto beans but this recipe could be made with black beans, white beans or even chick peas.
I have found that cooking 1 pound of dried beans at the beginning of the week makes vegan eating easier for the rest of the week. The cooked beans can be tossed into soups, sprinkled into a salad or pureed for a dip. This recipe comes together in about 30 minutes and is delicious served over brown rice or quinoa.
These photo were taken in two consecutive weeks. The recipe above was made with yellow and orange bells along with summer squash. The finished recipe below was made with red bell peppers and a zucchini. Both were mighty tasty, budget-friendly and quite filling.
Pepper and Pinto Bean Chili
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. kosher salt, more to taste
1/4 tsp. ground chipotle
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 zucchini or summer squash, chopped
2 sweet bell peppers (any color you like)
1 (28-oz. can whole tomatoes
3 cups cooked pinto beans
1 tsp. hot sauce (green or red), more to taste
1 Tbsp. finely chopped cilantro
In a large soup pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the onion, jalapeno, garlic, cumin, salt, chipotle and black pepper. Cook and stir until the onions soften, about 5 minutes.
Add the zucchini, cook and stir for about five minutes and add the peppers. Cook and stir until until the peppers are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, beans, hot sauce and cilantro. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.
This chili freezes and reheats well making for some yummy lunches.
February 21st, 2011
The inspiration for this recipe came from the wonderful blog The Nourished Kitchen. I changed the recipe considerably and the end result is a delicious oatmeal-like cake.
Make it once and have a slice every morning for a few days or serve it to a crowd at brunch. With some warm maple syrup and a dash of whipped cream it is really delicious! Perfect for winter weekend mornings.
You can use any dried fruit and nut combination. A few suggestions are apricots and pistachios, dried plums, apples and pecans, raisins or currants or cranberries and walnuts. Regardless of the combination you choose, it is delicious.
Baked Oatmeal (inspired by the Nourished Kitchen)
This recipe is easily doubled but this serves 6 for breakfast.
1/2 lb. rolled oats (she uses steel cut but I loved using rolled)
2 Tbsp. buttermilk or yogurt
1/2 cup whole chia seeds (optional)
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste, or 2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 /2 cup brown sugar or maple syrup
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup almonds
butter or non-stick spray for the baking dish
Place oats into a large bowl and pour on enough water to just cover them. Stir in the buttermilk or yogurt and add a dash of sea salt. Let sit overnight (8 hours to 12 hours is fine).
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place oats in a colander and and push out any excess water. Transfer oats to a large bowl.
Butter a small square (9×9-inch) or rectangular baking dish, like one you would use for brownies. Beat together the milk, eggs and vanilla and brown sugar or maple syrup. Sprinkle the chia seeds and cinnamon into the drained oats. Add dried fruit and nuts then stir in the milk/egg mixture.
Pour into the baking dish and cook for 30 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Pour warmed maple syrup and a dollop of freshly whipped cream and tuck in.
February 16th, 2011
A local non-profit, The Organic Food Fight started by the very enterprising Alexandra Hanifin and Sarah Orens hosted a local baking contest to benefit their favorite non-profits, The School Food Project and Allergy Kids.
My dense chocolate sweet bread (made gluten-free) took third place. While I prefer the version with flour and no nuts, this one came out pretty well. To read more about the event click here. The recipe for the winning vegan carrot cake is there. It was exceptionally good!
My secret ingredient was duck eggs from Grant Family Farms. They really help make this wet batter rise beautifully. My favorite way to enjoy this cake is with a fresh fruit sauce. Although a bit of freshly whipped cream would be divine too and is how most folks in my house devour it.
With Valentine’s Day on a Monday, make this cake today, it’s even better the next day.
Be sure to follow the directions exactly. I also include 2 fruit sauces for you to try, either with this cake or with vanilla ice cream. I poured a very smooth and thin layer of chocolate ganache over the top of my cake and dipped several whole hazelnuts in the ganache for garnish.
Rich Ebony Cake -Adapted from Nigella Lawson’s How to be a Domestic Goddess.
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1 1/3 cups flour (or gluten free baking mix. See note below)
1 tsp. baking soda (If you are using a gluten free baking mix, omit this ingredient as GF baking mixes already have baking soda added to it)
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 2/3 cups dark brown sugar
2 duck eggs ( or 2 extra large chicken eggs, 3 if at high altitude)
1 tsp. vanilla extract plus 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. freshly boiled water
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups, chopped hazelnuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 degree. Butter a 9 x5-inch loaf pan – glass works best. Line it with parchment paper – you can just place the parchment in on the longest side with some of the ends hanging out. This is just to help lift the the loaf cake out once it has cooled. Place on a baking sheet as this batter is very wet and can spill over during the baking process.
Mix your dry ingredients together. Cream together the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer. Add the eggs -1 at a time- and then the vanilla.
Next on low, mix in the cooled chocolate. Do not over beat. Make sure to have your flour mix and boiled water ready. Now gently add some of the flour and combine. Now some of the boiled water. Once all the wet and dry ingredients are combined you will have a fairly liquid batter. Now add your chips and nuts.
Pour it into the loaf pan and bake in a preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes at 375 then reduce temperature to 325 and bake for another 15 minutes. The toothpick tester method will not work as the cake is very moist. The cake should be firm and not totally gooey in the center.
If you can let it cool for a solid day then that is what I recommend. It doesn’t happen in this house as this is my kid’s favorite dessert. But you should really let it cool for a few hours before removing it from the pan.
Two Fruit Sauces
Cranberry Garnet Sauce
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
3/4 cups freshly squeezed orange juice (tangerine works well too)
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. orange zest
1 Tbsp. Grand Marnier (optional)
Combine all the ingredients, except for the Grand Marnier in a heavy sauce pan. Simmer over meduim to low heat for 12 minutes. Transfer mixture to a food processor or use an immersion blender and mix until smooth. Add the Grand Marnier. This sauce gets very thick as it cools. You can thin it with water if you like it less so.
Strawberry Balsamic Sauce
3 Tbsp. butter
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 pints strawberries, sliced
2 tsp. good quality balsamic vinegar
2 sprigs fresh mint
Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add the brown sugar and cook until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Add the strawberries and cook, stirring occasionally until the berries begin to release their juices.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the berries to a bowl and continue to reduce the sauce for another 2 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and mint. Remove from heat and stir into the strawberries. Let stand for 2 minutes then remove the mint. Stir and serve slightly warm.
February 13th, 2011
These delightful almond cookies are just the best. They are so much tastier than the ones you buy at the store. I like these all year round.
This almond cookie recipe came from a teacher at my children’s preschool a few years back. Unfortunately, I lost the original recipe so I had to go from memory. I’m not sure where she found it but am thankful to have at least remembered this much.
Traditional almond cookies are made with lard, I used butter but if you feel intrepid and want to be truely traditional, just use lard in place of the butter. This year I am going to try making them gluten free with just almond flour.
2 3/4 cups sifted flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp. almond extract
48 whole almonds
Mix together the dry ingredients. Cut in the butter, much like you would for making pie crust. Add the egg and almond extract.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment. Roll the cookie dough into 1 inch balls. Place 2 inches a part on the cookie sheet. Press one whole almond into the top and flatten them ever so slightly. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool.
February 12th, 2011
Happy Lunar New Year! February 3rd is the start of the Year of the Rabbit. There is plenty of time to plan a celebration as the festivities go on for a week in China!
Kimchi Crepes
Duck Pancakes
Here are some ideas from my Tiger celebration last year. Most items turned out as planned but some really stand out and will be repeated. Both the green beans and broccoli are stellar recipes and are good anytime. The Kimchi crepes (first picture above) came as a last minute inspiration and they were delicious. Below is the recipe for the duck pancakes (pictured second).
I "cheated" and purchased assorted dim sum but I made some yummy spare ribs too.
The almond cookies (recipe soon) are now a family favorite and are so much better than the hard ones available at most Asian grocery stores. These recipes are super easy but do require a trip to a well stocked Asian grocery store for pantry items. Stay tuned for the rest of the recipes over the next several weeks.
Kimchi Crepes – an inspiration from David Chang, Chef at MomoFuku and the Milk Bar (to name just two) in New York (recipe soon).
Broccoli and Peanut Salad & Sesame Green Beans(previously featured as a Meatless Monday post)
EZPZ Peanut Noodles – Made with Sisters Pantry Peanut Sauce and fresh Chinese noodles
Sticky Spare Ribs – stay tuned
Nian Gao (this time I made it vegan and it was even better)
Almond Cookies – these are good anytime, especially with tea.
Vegan Mango Jelly
The duck pancake recipe came from a caterer I used to work for in San Francisco named Betty Zlatchin. I have always loved them as an hors d’oeuvres.
Duck Pancakes
This makes enough to feed at least 30 people as an hors d’oeuvres. The key to this recipe is a tea smoked Chinese Duck. These are available at Chinese butchers, some Chinese restaurants or if you have a Chinatown near you, they are plentiful.
1 Chinese Duck, from Chinatown, cut into long pieces, skin removed
(Use the carcass to make duck stock!)
1 package Menlo Lumpia wrappers (available in the freezer section of Asian grocery stores)
1 jar Hoisin Suace
1 bunch scallions, sliced thinly lengthwise
1 bunch cilantro, several sprigs cleaned
Place a lumpia skin on a kitchen work surface and have all your other ingredients around and ready. Brush some of the hoisin sauce on the lumpia then scatter some scallions and cilantro over the top. Place some nice meaty pieces towards the bottom end of the wrapper.
Now roll the wrapper up with the longest side facing you. Make sure they a not too loose. Place on a cookie sheet and continue making the remaining rolls. These can be done a day ahead. Wrap them well in plastic wrap trying not to get them stuck together as when you try to pull them a part they will tear.
Once you are ready to cook, place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Slice the rolls on the diagonal into 1 1/2-inch wide pieces. Place on the cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
Enjoy! Gung Hay Fat Choy.
February 3rd, 2011
This year, I participated in a fledgling soup swap here in Boulder, CO. Our host, Julie, has a friend in New York who has been participating in National Soup Swap for a while and had 197 quarts of soup at her house during this year’s swap. That’s a lot of soup!
While we didn’t have quite that much our choices were wonderful and they were all unique. There was Harira (a personal favorite, recipe forthcoming), Greek Chicken Soup with Orzo and Lemon, Spanish Bean, Carrot Ginger (made creamy with tofu), Boulder’s famous Kitchen Cafe’s Tomato Soup, Adirondack Smoked Bacon, Potato and Cheddar, Dahl, Flanken, White Bean Turkey Chili (which was featured on Epicurious) - just to mention a few…
The best thing is you make 6 quarts of one soup, which quite frankly you never want to see again, and come home with a quart of 6 different soups! Brillant! Much to my surprise there were many soups that featured meat (this is Boulder after all).
As per my modus operendi, I couldn’t make a choice, made 3 soups but had to settle on one and decided to go with a vegan mushroom barley which was actually teeming with barley and mushroom flavor. It came out more as a stoup (soup/stew) which would make it suitable for Meatless Monday. Can’t wait for next year!
Teeming Vegan Mushroom Barley
Makes 6 Quarts
1 1/2 cups pearl barley, soaked overnight in 4 cups of water
For caramelized onions – You can try Kimberly’s method for the onions, but dice the onions. Otherwise, dice 6 medium to large onions. Heat a large enamled coated cast iron pot (like Le Creuset) and pour in enough oil to coat the bottom well. Once the oil is warm, add the onions, give a good stir then cover and cook for 40 minutes. Check on them periodically and stir them around. Now’s a good time to start the vegetable stock. Both of these can be done a day ahead.
Vegetable Stock – this recipe is based on Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (one of the best vegetarian cookbooks out there). One surprise ingredient is nutritional yeast which adds a wonderful element of umami. I also added a large piece of Kombu seaweed, but this is optional. One quick note: while I am sure the desire to use stock in a box is strong, I really encourage you all to make fresh vegetable stock. It just tastes better.
olive oil
4 carrots, roughly chopped
4 celery stalks, roughly chopped
2 onions, with skin chopped in quarters
8 cloves of garlic
4 thyme sprigs or 1 tsp. dried leaf
1 bay leaf, Turkish preferred
1 Tbsp. black peppercorns
4 tsp. sea salt or kosher salt
2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
1 large piece of kombu
4 qts. water
Heat some oil in a large pot. Add the carrots, onion and celery to get them brown. You can also do this step in the oven on a cookie sheet at about 425 degrees until they just turn brown.
Add the aromatics, yeast, kombu and then the water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain and continue.
Teeming Mushroom Barley Soup -continued
caramelized onions (instructions above)
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms, re-hydrated and chopped, reserve the water
1 Tbsp. freshly chopped marjoram (or rosemary, your choice)
2 cups diced celery
2 cups diced celery root
4 large carrots, diced
1/2 cup olive oil (for the mushrooms)
2 pints cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 cup dry or sweet vermouth, again your choice
5 cloves garlic, chopped very fine
Freshly grated Pecorino cheese for garmish
Once the onions are all soft, add the tomato paste and really work it into the onions. Add the marjoram and stir again. Now add the celery, celery root and carrots. Stir well. Add the re-hydrated porcini and the water.
In another pan, heat the olive oil and cook the mushrooms, in batches if necessary. Add the vermouth and allow it to cook off. Once the mushrooms are cooked, add them to the pot. Now add the drained barley and strained stock. Bring to a boil, lower heat and cook for 25 minutes. Add the garlic and adjust the seasonings. If the barley absorbs too much liquid, add a bit more to your liking. My soup was fairly thick.
For serving, place into large bowls and be generous with the grated pecorino. Freeze the rest and give it away!
January 31st, 2011
Food52 is a wonderful blog, it’s the brain child of Amanda Hesser and Merrill Staub. They hold a weekly contest for recipes in unusual categories. I have yet to "win" but I keep trying in vain. I did get an official review on one recipe (finally) for my favorite curried apples (so perhaps I’ll get a winning nod soon).
The "Your Best Non-Pie Thanksgiving Dessert" contest held real appeal for me because I am not crazy for pie; I like tarts.
As you may well know, we here at flavorista like our sweets. There are a few upside down cakes and clafoutis already posted. This recipe is not quite as down homey as the others but VERY appropriate for any holiday or just some weekend baking.
The difference between this recipe and others that we have posted is that it has a basic genoise cake on top. I highly recommend that you use a spring form pan and line the bottom with parchment before adding the fruit.
If you happen to be attending a potluck and feel the need to "do something different" this cake will be welcomed by all. I used fresh cranberries but dried would also go well.
Pear-Cranberry Upside-Down Cake
For the Fruit:
2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3 to 4 medium, ripe pears, peeled, quartered, cored and either diced or sliced into long slivers
2 Tbsp. juice from an orange, or any variety tangerine
1/3 cup fresh or dried cranberries
Melt the butter in a heavy sauce pan then add the brown sugar. Pour into a 9 inch spring form pan lined with parchment paper on the bottom.
Toss the pear with the orange juice. Scatter the cranberries on top of the butter-sugar syrup and then layer the pears on top. Now make the cake batter.
Genoise Cake Batter
2 Tbsp. butter
4 large eggs at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla and 1 tsp. Massey’s Vanilla Bean paste (a Flavorista fave!)
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup sifted cake flour
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Melt the butter and set aside to cool slightly. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt until they triple in volume – this takes about 4 minutes.
Fold theflour into the mixture 1/3 at a time. Pour about 1 cup of this batter into the butter and fold. Return this butter portion into the main batter and fold until just combined. Try and do this as quickly and delicately as possible. You don’t want to loose any volume.
Pour the batter over the fruit and spread evenly. Bake for about 20 to 22 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched.
Cool for 10 minutes before removing the springform and inverting onto a cake plate. Remove the parchment carefully.
January 23rd, 2011
Amidst all the slow cooking going on around here, I needed a skillet-centered break. This six ingredient, vegetable-heavy frittata fit the bill for this week’s Meatless Monday.
Spinach & Mushroom Frittata from Hannaford.com
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 portabella mushroom caps, coarsely chopped
1 (5 oz.) pkg. baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions or chives
5 eggs, lightly beaten
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Warm the olive oil in a large, oven-safe skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the mushrooms. Cook and stir for about 10 minutes, the mushrooms will give off most of their water and begin to brown. Add spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute.
Add green onions, eggs, a sprinkle of salt and few grinds of fresh pepper. Cook about 5 minutes, until bottom and edges are beginning to set. Carefully lift the edge of the frittata and hold the pan so the liquid falls under the frittata. Continue to lift he edges and allow liquid to fall under until the center is mostly set.
Add feta cheese to the top and put under the broiler 2 – 3 minutes until frittata is golden brown and cooked through.
For Barr’s Potato and Chive Frittata, click
here.
January 17th, 2011
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