Black Bean Soup with Chicken

Black Bean Soup

This soup is a favorite of mine and I like it even in the Summer when the weather is warm. Black beans are simply cooked either in water or chicken stock, seasoned with sauteed garlic, onion, cumin and chili powder. After the beans have simmered until very tender they are blended. If it is too thick it can be thinned out with the addition of more water or stock. I garnished my soup with diced chicken, cherry tomatoes and cilantro. There are lots of different options to making this kind of soup, such as maybe leaving some whole beans in for texture and using fried tortilla strips for crunch. Give it a try next time you are having a Latin-themed menu.

Fresh Corn Pancakes

Fresh Corn cake with Chicken & Cherry Tomato Relish

A trip to the weekend farmers market left me with a abundance of fresh corn, so I came up with the idea of making pancakes using whole kernels and chopped scallions folded in them. In addition to the corn cakes I made a saute of chicken breast with a relish of cherry tomato-corn to go on the pancakes. A good way to increase the corn flavor of the pancakes is using a puree of corn in the batter and some corn flour as well. The pancakes will have a very fresh corn flavor with the crunchy texture from the whole corn kernels. This is a rustic corn cake dish, but for a more upscale recipe try a dollop of sour cream with caviar.

Corn Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh corn kernels

1 egg

1/2 cup corn flour

1/2 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Dash kosher salt

1 pinch sliced scallions

Milk as needed

Method:

1. Puree half the corn in a blender (reserve half for batter.)

2. Add the rest of the ingredients.

3. Add milk while running till it reaches a thick batter consistency.

4. Add whole corn kernels and scallions.

5. Cook on a hot greased non stick pan till golden on both sides.

Fast Week Day Curried Vegetables

After a long day cooking for others all day I just want to cook something fast and easy for me. A curry with vegetables found in the fridge sounds like a winner.
To start I saute sliced fennel bulb and onions in vegetable oil, next I add garlic, cooked chick peas and Madras curry paste and simmer for a few minutes. Next I add a splash of water to finish cooking the vegetables, and add fresh cilantro from the garden which is chopped and sprinkled on top. This is very simple and good, if I really had the energy I would have cooked Basmati rice to go with it.

Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken

The Caesar salad can be be found on almost every menu here in California, there are lots of variation's but the most common is crispy romaine lettuce, croutons, shaved Parmesan cheese and a tangy creamy garlic dressing. The origin of where it originated is not known for sure but the story of Caesar Cardini in Tijuana Mexico is the best known, one busy 4th of July in 1924 he ran out of most of his restaurants food and came up with the salad with what he had on hand.

The biggest concern with Caesar salad in restaurants is that the dressing is often made with raw eggs which has the risk of Salmonella infection, it's rare and the acid in the dressing can help. I avoid the risk by using store bought mayonnaise as the base and adding Dijon mustard, lemon juice, garlic and anchovy paste. Tonight's salad had grilled chicken breast and crispy pita chips for crunch. Lots of different variations can be used such as chicken, shrimp, salmon, bacon and avocados.

Home Grown Artichokes

A few months after planting and watering my Artichoke plants, my first Artichoke appears and into a hot saute pan with garlic and olive oil, just a small taste of what I hope will be a big crop.

Thai Style Grilled Chicken

Today I made chicken thigh skewers with a marinade of Thai inspired herbs and spices. I like using chicken thighs because they have more flavor and they will not dry out the way chicken breasts do.  I made a marinade of crushed lemon grass, cilantro, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, fish sauce, lime juice and Thai green curry paste. The double skewered thighs were tossed in the marinade and allowed to sit over night. When it was time to cook, a hot charcoal fire was made and the chicken were placed on the hot clean grill and after about five minutes they were flipped over and allowed to finish cooking. I added scattering of chopped cilantro and lime wedges for garnish. They turned out really good and if there are leftovers they will be used in a Asian chicken salad.

Note: Fish sauce and green curry paste can be found in well stocked or Asian markets.

Dinosaur Kale & Tomato Pizza

I made a healthy vegetarian pizza today using wilted "Dinosaur" kale, oven roasted roma tomatoes and Fontina cheese. It was cooked on a oven baking stone with the heat cranked up to 500F (260c) It gave it a nice crispy crust and let all the flavors ooze and blend together. It turned out great and I didn't even miss not having any meat on it. Next time I will add feta cheese and olives for a more of a Greek style pizza.

Kale

Kale is not always the most popular green vegetable, maybe because of its strong cabbage taste and somewhat of a tough texture? It is highly nutritious with powerful antioxidant properties and high levels of beta carotene, vitamin K and vitamin C. In the effort to eat more healthy, I chose a variety of kale called "Dinosaur Kale" it is said that its leaves resemble the tough scaly skin of reptiles. Since its very similar to cabbage it should be cooked the same way, I washed, cut and wilted the leaves with garlic, olive oil and a splash of good vinegar.

Summer's here and it's about time

Next to Spring I really like Summer with the flood of amazing vegetables it brings.
The garden I planted two months ago has already been producing strawberries, squash, radish and cilantro, and I now have green tomatoes that will start getting big and turning different shades of red in a few weeks. Later this Summer my lettuce, garlic, green beans and chili peppers will be ready for harvest. I like the idea of going out side and picking produce to cook with; I know for a fact that its fresh and organic.

Home Made Tortillas

I had the idea tonight to make fresh tortillas and top them with slowly cooked marinated chicken. I also made them thicker then normal and used fresh corn kernels for texture and a much more pronounced corn flavor. These tortillas were simply made with Masa flour which is a corn meal used in the of making tortillas and water. I also added a touch of kosher salt, fresh corn and chopped cilantro. After making a dough I used a small ice cream scoop to make small round balls which were placed between wax paper and flattened in a tortilla press (a saute pan can be used if you don't have a press) then on to a hot Plancha grill or cast iron pan to cook and brown on both sides.

A Traditional Mexican Food, Sope

A popular Mexican antojito is Sope (pronounced "SOH-peh") originating from the North Western city of Culiacan, Mexico. It is a thick hand formed type of tortilla with the edges crimped into a shallow bowl, when fried it becomes a container for lots of delicious fillings. Most of the time its filled with beans, salsa and meats then maybe some shredded lettuce and cheese on top. The good thing about it is that the bowl shape holds wet ingredients like slow simmered chicken and is best eaten with a knife and fork. It has all the familiar Mexican flavors with just a different texture from the thick fried masa shell.

Local Organic Roast Chicken

A popular locally grown chicken from Petaluma, California is the Rosie Organic chicken brand. It's USDA certified organic which means a better bird to eat. I marinated a double breast in garlic, white wine and fresh herbs over night, then seared skin side down in a hot pan, flipped over and finished in a hot oven.
I caramelized yellow onions to go with the chicken and served the same white wine to go with it. I like the idea of eating foods that do not contain man made chemicals and support the local farmer a few miles down the highway from me. Buy local, eat better.

Roasted Roma Tomatoes

Its a month or two before local tomatoes become available but I had the urge to use tomatoes, so I used meaty Roma's which will stand up well to roasting without breaking down into a sauce. I simply cut them in half and sprinkled them with chopped garlic, fresh oregano, kosher salt, pepper and a splash of extra virgin olive oil. Into a hot 400 degree (204 C) oven for about 20 minutes, then finished with feta cheese and fresh chopped parsley. Very good, but I am sure they will be better in a few months.

Two Bean Salad

I made a quick flavorful bean salad using young green beans and shelled soy beans with a simple vinaigrette, a pinch of chopped thyme from the garden completes the meal.  Very simple yet so good.

Cinco de Mayo

Today is the fifth of May which is the date of the Mexican holiday commemorating the Mexican army's victory over the French in the battle of Puebla in 1862. In the United States it's a date to celebrate the culture and experiences of Americans of Mexican ancestry. Like most holidays, it's a reason for a celebration and Mexican parties are fun, bring out the good food and drink. Latin food is very common in my house and today will be like any other day with some kind of tortilla wrapped food and maybe a Mexican beer or two. OK two for sure.