Green eggs, yum, not.

I went to a somewhat fancy restaurant in Lakeland, Florida a few weeks ago and ordered a Chef's Salad. It was presented to me with two halved hard-boiled eggs. Upon further examination, the area where the yolks and the whites meet had that lovely gray-green film. The eggs were overcooked.

I fully believe one of the reasons why hard-boiled eggs are overcooked has to do with the name. People think that you have to boil the crap out of the eggs for 10 or 15 minutes to get them right. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Hard-Cooked Eggs
Put the eggs in a pan large enough to hold them in a single layer with some room to spare so that they don't bang into each other and crack. Pour in enough cold water to cover them by about an inch. Heat over high heat just to boiling. Remove from burner and cover the pan. Let the eggs stand in hot water about 15 minutes for large eggs. Cool completely under cold running water or in bowl of ice water. Peel and serve.

By the way, if you have issues peeling the eggs, check this out (it works, I do it all the time): Peel a Boiled Egg in a Glass of Water

As easy as that. Perfect yellow yolks and no green ring.

Frijoles Negros, out of a can, really?

This is my variation of Cuban black bean soup. Black beans are a part of practically every meal in Cuban cuisine. I remember my Mom making hers and from her recipe comes this one.

If you want to be a  purist, feel free to use a pound of black beans and follow the package instructions to soak them over night and get them ready to cook. Add the beans and 3 cups of water instead of the canned beans.

However, before you do all that, try it with canned beans. Trust me.

A word about canned beans. I usually try to find the "organic" ones because they are made with little if any salt. Regardless, you want black beans NOT black bean soup. The can should contain beans, water and maybe salt. Period.

Frijoles Negros
Olive oil, for sauteing
1/2 white onion, diced
1 medium green pepper, diced (optional)
3 cloves garlic, finelly diced
3 15 oz cans black beans
2 Tbsp ground cumin (or more - to taste)
1 Tbsp oregano (or more - to taste)
1/2 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste

In a sauce pan, saute onions in olive oil until they are translucent. Add the garlic and  green pepper and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the beans, then the cumin, oregano, olive oil, sugar, and vinegar. Stir. Season with salt to taste. Simmer covered for about 15 minutes.

Traditionally served with rice.

There are no beans in chili

Now that fall is upon us, I decided it was time to make a pot of Texas chili.

Chili is one of those things for which there is a recipe for every cook. This is my recipe that I have tweaked over the years and yields a delicious bowl of chili. There are no beans in my chili. There are no beans in chili period. If you were to enter a chili with beans in it in the grand daddy of all chili cookoffs, the Terlingua International Chili Championship, you would be summarily disqualified: "NO FILLERS IN CHILI - Beans, macaroni, rice, hominy, or other similar ingredients are not permitted". Enough said.

A word about jalapeños. Like most peppers, the heat lives in the seeds and veins inside the pepper. Even though this recipe calls for six jalapeños, it will be rather mild if all the veins and seeds are removed from the peppers. I usually leave the "innards" in about half the peppers for a spicy result. You'll have to experiment to find your desired level of heat.

Update: My original recipe used chili powder. I have changed to using a paste with a base of Ancho chiles instead. I can't take credit for this. I stole it from Rick Bayless.

Fernando’s Chili
1 lb coarsely ground beef
1/2 lb coarsely ground pork
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion - chopped
4 cloves of garlic - minced
2 medium jalapeños - chopped
2 14.5 oz cans of tomato sauce
1 14.5 oz can of chopped stewed tomatoes
1 12 oz can of beer
6-8 medium dried Ancho chiles
2 tsp ground oregano
2 Tbsp ground cumin
Salt to taste

Grated cheddar cheese and chopped raw onions

"Break off the stems of the chiles, tear the chiles open and shake and/or pick out all the seeds. For the mildest sauce, be careful to remove all the stringy, light-colored veins. Next, toast the chiles (to give them a richer flavor) a few at a time on your medium-hot skillet or griddle: open them out flat, lay them on the hot surface skin-side up, press flat for a few seconds with a metal spatula (if the temperature is right you’ll hear a faint crackle), then flip them. (If you pressed them just long enough, they’ll have changed to a mottled tan underneath. If you see a slight wisp of smoke, it’s okay, but any more than that will mean burnt chiles and bitter taste.) Now press down again to toast the other side (you won’t notice as much change in color on the skin side). Transfer the toasted chiles to a bowl, cover with hot water and let re-hydrate for 30 minutes, stirring regularly to insure even soaking. Pour off all the water and discard." ~ from Rick Bayless

Transfer the drained chiles to a food processor. Add the oregano and cumin. Add a bit of water and process until it forms a paste.

In a stew pot, brown ground beef and pork until fully cooked. Drain and set aside. In the same pan, heat the vegetable oil and onions and sauté until onions are translucent. Add the garlic and half the jalapeños for a couple of minutes. Stir so as not to let this mixture brown. Return the meat to the pan and stir to incorporate the ingredients. Add the rest of the jalapeños, tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, beer, and chile paste. Stir. Salt to taste. Cook over low heat for at least a couple of hours. After the first hour, taste and add more oregano and/or cumin and/or salt as needed.

Serve in bowl with raw onions and grated cheese on top.

For a Texas treat, put a layer of fritos on the bottom of the bowl before adding the chili, cheese and onions. Frito Pie, yum!

To ghee or not to ghee

I love Indian food. I think it may be my favorite cuisine. Definitely top three.

For those of you that aren't familiar with the cuisine, they don't call India "The Land of Spices" for nothing. The flavors and the ingredients are as varied as its people and its regions. The food is spectacular.

I used to work a couple of blocks from an Indian restaurant for several years and I went to lunch there almost every day. I got to know the owners and tried practically every dish in a very extensive menu. There are so many favorites - vegetarian dishes, chicken, lamb, fish - so many favorites. But if I had to pick one favorite dish, it would have to be Saag Paneer (aka Palak Paneer). A creamy spinach  and white cheese concoction slowly cooked with ginger, garlic and caramelized onions and infused with a variety of spices. Anyone who has ever gone to an Indian restaurant with me, knows I will order this every time.

Saag Paneer is not that hard to make. It takes a little bit of time to make but it is well worth it. It does call for a few ingredients that are not in the average American pantry - all are easy to find at any Indian store and some can be made at home:

Ghee: Is simply clarified butter - same stuff you eat with Lobster. Easy enough to make (very expensive to buy if you can find it). Honestly, I use Canola oil and it works just as well. But if you want to be authentic, ghee is the way to go.

Garam Masala: Like curry, it is a blend of spices - cumin, coriander, cardamom, black peppercorn, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves and nutmeg. This you're better off buying simply because it will cost you a mint to buy all those spices and make it yourself. My local Indian grocer has 400g for $2.99.

A note: Spices are a lot cheaper at Indian stores than they are at the grocery store. For example a 47g bottle of McCormick Coriander Seeds is 5.49 at the grocery store. A 400g bag is $1.99 at the Indian store. That's almost ten times more for less than half the price. Just sayin'.

Paneer: Is an un-aged, farmer's cheese that can be easily made at home. All it takes is milk, vinegar and cheese cloth. I make my own. It's easy. Takes three of four hours so make it in advance.

So, without further ado,

Saag Paneer
2 Tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, processed
5 medium cloves garlic, processed
2 Tbsp ginger root, peeled and processed
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp coriander seed, ground
1 Tbsp cumin seed, ground
1/2 tsp ground red pepper or cayenne
1 tsp salt
2 10 oz packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and processed
2 cups 1/2-inch cubes browned Paneer (brown in a bit of ghee/oil)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp Garam Masala (measure carefully, this stuff is powerful).

1. In a food processor or blender, process the onions until they are pureed. Set aside.
2. Process the garlic and the ginger-root. Set aside.
3. Process the Spinach. Set aside.
   
4. Heat oil in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Add onions and brown slowly (do not burn) - this takes about 20 minutes. Stir frequently.
   
5. Raise heat to medium. Add garlic and ginger-root; stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes.
6. Stir in tomato sauce, ground coriander, ground cumin, ground red pepper, and salt; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 7 to 8 minutes.
7. Stir in the spinach. Cover and simmer 8 to 10 minutes or until spinach turns a light olive green. Stir occasionally.
   
8. Stir in the Paneer and the Garam Masala. Cover and simmer 3 to 4 minutes or until cheese is hot; remove from heat.
9. Stir in whipping cream.

Serve with Basmati rice and/or Naan. Yum.

Gonna make some tomorrow for dinner.

There is no sour cream in Tzatziki (maybe).

Tzatziki (τζατζίκι) is one of those rare dishes that can serve many roles. Traditionally it is a Greek appetizer. However, it can be eaten alone, as a dip or as a sauce. Regardless, it is one of the best things ever. Goes great with lamb and I love it with a steak. If you are a fan of gyros, you almost always get a side of Tzatziki when you order one of those. I like eating it with warm pita bread too.

Tzatziki is made with, of course, Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is thicker and creamier than "regular" plain yogurt. If you can't get your hands on Greek yogurt, mix about a 3:1 ratio of plain yogurt and sour cream and you will come close. Or you can strain plain yogurt using a cheese cloth or, if you are in an industrious mood, you can make your own Greek yogurt.

Also, I use a lot more cucumber and garlic than most recipes I've seen. Hey, that's how I roll!

16 oz (2 Cups) Greek yogurt (or 1-1/2 cups plain yogurt and 1/2 cup sour cream)
6 cloves of garlic - finely chopped
1 medium cucumber - peeled, seeded and diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
salt to taste

Combine all the ingredients until well mixed. Some may find it easier to combine the oil and lemon juice together and slowly add the yogurt and then add the cucumber and garlic. Refrigerate.

As with most dishes of this nature, it will be better tomorrow than it is today.