Search Results for: black bean and corn

Black Bean and Corn Salad, BBQ Chicken and Ribs, and Peach Cobbler

08/24/2013 by Laura 1 Comment

Last Sunday, we had a mini family reunion. My Mom and Dad drove over from Kennewick and my cousin Keith, his wife Monique and son Carl were here from New York. The New York cousins were on a stop-over in Seattle, prior to their 7 day Alaska cruise! Like every good family reunion, the food was delicious and plentiful. Because we were so busy visiting and eating – I don’t have a lot of “finished” product shots. I did want to share a couple of the recipes anyway.

The Menu

Dave’s Smoked Baby-Back Ribs

BBQ Chicken (see previous post)

Laura’s Potato Salad (see previous post)

Tomato, Basil and Fresh Mozzarella Salad

Black Bean and Corn Salad with Cilantro and Citrus Vinaigrette

Peach and Blueberry Cobbler with vanilla ice cream

For the Black Bean and Corn Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

4-5 ears of corn, shucked, cleaned and grilled

1 pound dry black beans*, soaked overnight, cooked with 2 cloves of garlic, rinsed and thoroughly chilled (*yes you could use canned beans)

1 large purple onion, chopped finely

2 jalapeno peppers, minced finely

1/2 cup finely minced fresh cilantro

salt and pepper

For the Citrus Vinaigrette

Juice of 3 limes, about 1/3 cup

1/4 cup orange juice

3/4 cup olive oil

1/2 Teaspoon cumin – or more to taste

1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder – or more to taste

1/2 teaspoon salt

Place all in a jar and shake well. Pour over salad. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

Helpful hint! When cutting corn off a husk, place a small bowl upside down inside a bigger bowl. The kernels will stay in the mixing bow!

For the BBQ ribs

Prepare the ribs a day ahead to allow the rub to soak in. Use any bbq rub you like. The most important part is removing the silvery membrane from the back of the ribs, first. Rub both sides of the rib with your seasoning of choice, place in pan and refrigerate overnight. Bring the ribs to room temperature prior to smoking. Dave smokes the rib racks about 4 hours. We then cover with bbq sauce and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.

For the Tomato, Basil and Fresh Mozzarella Salad

Slice large, ripe tomatoes. Slice the same amount of fresh mozzarella. Arrange on plate by alternating a tomato slice and a cheese slice. Top with sliced basil. Sprinkle with fresh, fruity olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

For the Peach Cobbler

I used Palua Deen’s recipe, with the addition of blueberries from the garden. (I omitted the water as the peaches were really juicy.)

4 cups peeled, sliced peaches

2 cups sugar, divided

8 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups cake flour

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup blueberries, for my version

Ground cinnamon, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the peaches, 1 cup sugar, in a saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add in one cup of blueberries, if desired.

Put the butter in a 3-quart baking pan and place in oven to melt.

Mix remaining 1 cup sugar, flour, and milk slowly to prevent clumping. Pour mixture over melted butter. Do not stir. Spoon fruit on top, gently pouring in syrup. Sprinkle top with ground cinnamon, if using. Batter will rise to top during baking. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes.

To serve, scoop onto a plate and serve with or vanilla ice cream.

Chicken Enchiladas Verde and the Fentons 50th Performance Celebration

07/23/2014 by Laura 1 Comment

Two of my favorite Mexican dishes are enchiladas verde or the saucier version, enchiladas suiza. Inspired by my nephews favorite green sauce from a taco wagon in Kennewick, I decided to create a version of green sauce as close to their favorite as possible. With tomatillos, jalapenos and Anaheim chilis ripe in the garden, it was time to attempt the infamous green sauce! Of course, final confirmation on how close to their favorite this is, will need to come from them!

Laura’s Green Sauce

8-10 fresh, firm tomatillos, husk and stems removed, and rinsed (it will not taste the same if using canned tomatillos)

2 jalapeno peppers

3-4 Anaheim chilies or poblano peppers

5-6 cloves of garlic

one sweet onion, like Walla Walla

olive oil, to coat the pan

salt for seasoning

white balsamic vinegar – about 2 tablespoons (I received a sample of O Brand, and I love it!)

6-8 sprigs of fresh cilantro

Place all the tomatillos, jalapeno, Anaheim chili or poblano pepper, garlic and onion in an oiled roasting pan. Season with salt. Roast in a 350′ oven about 25 minutes. Let the chilies cool and remove the tough, outer skin, seeds and membranes. Slice the jalapenos in half and remove the seeds and membrane.

Place all the roasted vegetables in the blender and blend until smooth. Add the cilantro and two tablespoons of white balsamic vinegar. Add additional salt if needed, and blend again. To make it hotter, add additional roasted jalapenos. If you need to cool it down, add additional roasted tomatillos. If you prefer a smoother sauce, you can force it through a sieve or colander. I used the sauce as it was for the enchiladas.

to prepare the Chicken Enchiladas

Meat from one whole cooked chicken, bones and skin removed – you can use a rotisserie chicken or a fresh, poached chicken

1 chopped sweet onion, like Walla Walla

2 cups shredded cheese, like Monterey Jack

1 – 1 1/2 cups of THE Green Sauce

1 cup of sour cream

12-16 tortillas, we used flour – if using corn, soften them in a little oil in a warm skillet before assembling the enchiladas

Place the chicken, onion, cheese, green sauce and sour cream in a bowl. Mix the ingredients together.

Place 3-4 tablespoons of the mixture on the tortilla a roll up tightly.

Place enchiladas in an oiled baking dish, seam side down. Continue in this manner until the filling is used up. Pour additional sauce over the enchiladas. Add additional grated cheese. Bake covered for 25 minutes at 350′, remove cover and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Serve with a little sour cream and a garnish of cilantro.

I was hoping this weeks post would solely be about our fabulous garden party and barbeque in honor of the Fenton’s 50th performance last Sunday! We worked all last week prettying up the yard, scrubbing the patio furniture and freshening up the garden. We made potato salad, black bean and corn salad, watermelon and blueberry salad. Hamburgers and hot dogs were readied to grill. The Fentons performed from 2-3pm at The Bite of Seattle. About 4pm, as I finished putting the flowers on the tables outside, and after 20 hot and dry days, the skies opened up and the rain came pouring down! Needless to say – the party moved inside and the camera was put away! I did want to share the cupcakes I made with you. The edible logo stickers are from Edible Tasty Prints. I used the design from the bands newest t-shirt, unbeknownst to Dave! Aren’t they adorable?

By the way, Monday was absolutely perfect for an outdoor party!

Be sure and visit the Fentons website and order yourself a copy of their new CD “Little Window“. My favorite new song is “Stir the Love” written by my sweetheart, Dave Keller.

Laura’s Highlights* – 39th Winter Fancy Food Show, San Francisco, California

01/25/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

I’ve been fortunate to spend my entire career in the food industry. As a foodie, the highlights of my year are always the Winter and Summer Fancy Food shows. This Winters show did not disappoint! There were so many new items to see, taste and talk about. The themes and trends became apparent, on the very first day after walking only a dozen aisles. There were lots, and I do mean lots, of new items using Siracha. Hummus, popcorn, chocolate, candy canes, mayonnaise, popcorn, chips and even (yikes) lip balm!

I have to say, my favorite new use of Siracha as an ingredient (their own, homemade Siracha) was presented by Hope Hummus, with their NEW Siracha Hummus. This is destined to become their number one item! http://hopehummus.com/products/

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You are going to need a “scoop” for that yummy hummus! I recommend the new Sprouted Grain Pita Chips from the folks at Way Better Snacks. Not only are they delicious, sprouting delivers many incredible benefits including: increased vitamins and minerals, increased antioxidants, increased digestibility and increased nutrient absorption. For a detailed explanation of the benefits of sprouted grains, seed, and beans – head over tho their website. http://gowaybetter.com/sprouting/.

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My personal highlight this past week was meeting Chef Thomas Keller! Chef Lena Kwak is the formulator of Cup4Cup and the former Research and Development Chef for Chef Keller at The French Laundry. I first met Chef Kwak when she was introducing Cup4Cup. When I stopped to say hello, I was thrilled to see Chef Keller in the booth! What an honor to meet him in person. If you have not yet done so, check out the Cup4Cup Gluten Free product line, which now includes, Pancake and Waffle Mix, Brownie Mix, and Pizza Crust Mix. http://www.cup4cup.com/.

Chef Keller and Chef Kwak Fancy Food Show

The folks at Lotus Foods were featuring their new Rice Ramen Noodles. I don’t know about where you live, but Ramen is HUGE in Seattle. I personally cannot wait to try the Black Forbidden Rice Ramen Noodles in a big bowl of steamy broth with lots of colorful vegetables. Find recipes and other products on their website at http://www.lotusfoods.com/.

Lotus Food Rice Ramen Noodles

It is always fun to visit with Chef Sharone Hackman. You know him from Season 1 of Master Chef. Master Chef judge, Gordon Ramsey, called his sauce, “the best BBQ sauce ever made.” I was happy to see he had a new addition to his line of all natural, all sumptuous Chef Hak’s BBQ Sauces. Just like the first 3 sauces, Chipotle Bourbon, Habanero Pineapple, and Thai Chile Tamarind, the new Smoked Maple Mustard sauce is amazing! http://www.haksbbq.com/sauce.html That’s Ellie with the new Smoked Maple Mustard Sauce!

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Chef Eduardo Garcia, Emperor of Flavor, introduced a trio of Montana Mex Brand Seasoning Salts. The products are all natural and contain the highest quality ingredients. Whether you choose Chile, Sweet or Picante, you will find 100’s of uses for these wonderful salts. Check out the details and recipes at their website! https://www.montanamex.com/things-to-eat/salt/ .

Montana Mex Spice Salts

Hernan Mole Poblano, is a product I first tried last summer in New York. The product is a mole concentrate and you simply add stock and simmer. It is absolutely delicious, and as someone who has made mole a few times, it is very economical both from a time and cost perspective! http://hernanllc.com/ Isela, we did not “face the jar” in the photo…I am sorry for my “rookie” mistake!

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Many products evolve from family recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation, or from food and drink items people grew up with, that are not readily available. Phancy Soda Chanh is just such an item. Often found in Vietnamese restaurants, this is the first packaged Chanh on the market. It is available in two flavors, the traditional Lime flavor, and the newly created and innovative Strawberry & Lychee. They are all natural, made with real fruit juice and sweetened with pure cane sugar. They are so light, refreshing and delicious. http://www.getphancy.com/

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Also inspired by something they grew up eating and making with their family, is Heidi’s Salsa. Heidi entered her salsa in The 30th Anniversary of Los Angeles Farmers Markets salsa contest in 2009. After the careful consideration of 10 judges, “The Loco Local by Luko” took 1st place among the 12 salsas present that day. What I loved about this salsa was the fresh taste the lemon and lime juice provided. Founders and college friends, Heidi and Nikki are well on their way to a successful career in the condiment business! http://heidissalsa.com/

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The packaging of A&B Small Batch, All Natural Pepper Sauces drew me in to their booth. I was than totally impressed by the flavor of their 3 sauces, Original, More Heat and With Garlic. Great guys from Brooklyn on a mission! Check out their take on the Bloody Mary: The March Hare. Head to their site for the recipe. http://www.abamerican.com/

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After all that heat, it was time to cool off! Lucky for me, the next booth was filled with fabulous Gelato and Sorbetto from Brunswick, Maine’s own Gelato Fiasco. They were featuring their 6 bestselling flavors including Maine Wild Blueberry. My friends and I were secretly wishing they had brought all 24! YUMM! http://www.gelatofiasco.com/our-story/

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Scott, Cathy and Daniel launched a line of 6 innovative spice blends, under the brand name Just Cook. Just Cook is a creative San Francisco based food company specializing in blends for meat, poultry and fish. Their story is as inspiring as their spice blends. http://www.justcookfoods.com/about/.

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New from Bandar Monkey Foods, Lentil Crisps Poppadums in a smart and familiar package. This company is another collaboration of college chums who decided to make cross-cultural food they were both familiar with. The sauces are amazing and their future, with unbroken poppadums, looks very bright! http://www.bandarfoods.com/

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Not a new vendor, by any means, the always innovative Numi Tea Company launched a line of Indulgent Teas with chocolate as a key ingredient in each of the four blends. What a great way to satisfy those chocolate cravings without the calories! http://www.numitea.com/

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Have you ever had a margarita at Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill? If so, you may have been lucky enough to have had the Prickly Pear Cactus margarita! I had my first Prickly Pear Cactus margarita at Chef Flay’s restaurant in Las Vegas. It was the best margarita I ever had. Check out the recipe here: http://www.bobbyflay.com/recipe.php?id=48. Now, head on over to Cheri’s Desert Harvest web site or your favorite specialty store for the starring ingredient! http://www.cherisdesertharvest.com/

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Other items that caught my eye, imagination and taste buds:

From American Roland Foods, http://www.rolandfood.com/, Truffle Mac & Cheese!

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From Victoria’s Kitchen, beautiful package and extremely unique and refreshing, Almond Water. http://www.victoriaskitchenrecipes.com/

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New Zatar Falafel Chips from my friend Sam at Flamous Brands! http://www.flamousbrands.com/index.html

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New Chocolate Spread from the Healthy Fat Company, Melt Organic. http://www.meltorganic.com/

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Convenient sustainable, wild caught Seafood Meals ready to heat and eat from Sea Fare Pacific. http://seafarepacific.com/

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New Mustard sauces from the folks at Fischer&Weiser. http://fischer-wieser.com/?p=2739

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Have you tried Ubons BBQ Bloody Mary Mix? It’s the best! http://ubons.net/ubbmm/.

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Delicious, unusual and innovative chocolate bars with totally unexpected ingredients (like Potato Chip!), Chao Chocolates. http://chuaochocolatier.com/

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Now, are you ready to start thinking about 4th quarter holidays? These items are sure to be a hit!

Cheese, Tofu and Butter Making Kits from Roaring Brook Dairy. http://www.roaringbrookdairy.com/

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Inspired brittles from Annette’s Chocolate. http://anettes.com/index.html

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Belgium’s Chocolate Source – Organic Fair Trade Chocolate Bars and Chocolate Sticks to enhance both Tea and Coffee! http://www.belgiumschocolatesource.com/

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Heat and Serve Noodle Kugel from Locker Family Recipes, formerly The Kugel Co. http://kugelcompany.com/

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What a cute gift idea from The Mason Jar Cookie Company! http://www.masonjarcookiecompany.com/

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Chocolate covered marzipan bars, with a twist from Nuttiness. https://nuttyness.com/

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The most wonderful appetizer, and a new flavor from Elegant Brie! http://www.elegantbrie.com/

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Last, but in no means least, ready to decorate Christmas Cut Out Cookies from Stonegate Foods. http://www.stonegate-foods.com/complete-recipe.html

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Thanks for visiting. I hope to see you all in New York in June!

*This is my personal blog. All opinions are my own and are not in any way associated with the company I work for. I have not received any form of compensation from any of the companies I have included in this recap. It is my sincere pleasure to share these products with you, as I personally believe they are awesome!

St. Patrick’s Day…..Fiesta!

03/17/2013 by Laura Leave a Comment

You expected Corned Beef and Cabbage, didn’t you? We had it on Friday and it was delicious.

Today’s Mexican feast is due to the once every 5 year visit of my husband’s sister and brother-in-law. They love Mexican food and my husband loves bragging about the food I make. We started cooking on Saturday, to serve on Sunday.

The menu includes:

Chicken Enchiladas Suiza

Green Chile and Cheese Tamales

Shredded Beef Tamales

Avocado, Orange, Jicima Salad

Black Beans
Mexican Rice
Guacamole
Sour Cream
Chips
Margaritas

For the enchiladas:

Place a whole, fresh chicken in a pot of water. Add a chopped onion, a few cloves of garlic and salt and pepper. Simmer until meat is very tender, about an hour. Remove chicken from pot, strain and reserve stock for another use. When chicken has cooled, pull chicken from bones, removing skin. Tear into bite size pieces and place in a large bowl. Add to the following to the chicken:

1 large sweet onion, diced

1 large can diced green chile

1 cup sour cream

1 8 oz. packaged shredded mexican style cheese

Gently mix all together in bowl. Place a generous spoonful on each tortilla. I used flour tortillas this time. Roll up as shown and place in baking pan. Cover with enchilada sauce of your choice. I used Las Palmas Green Chile Enchilada Sauce. Sprinkle with additional cheese. Bake at 375′ for approximately 20 minutes. Serve with sour cream.

For the beans:

Place one 16 oz. bag of dry black beans in a pot. Cover with water and soak overnight. Drain and rinse. Saute one diced onion and 8 cloves of garlic in olive oil, in the pot you intend to cook the beans in. Get them good and brown, as they will add a lot of flavor. Add the beans back to the pot. Add liquid to barely cover – stock, beer, water or a combination. Add 1/2 teaspoon cumin and 1/2-1 teaspoon of chili powder. Do not add salt until the end. Simmer the beans for 4-5 hours until soft.

For the Jimica, Avocado, Radish and Orange Salad with Cilantro

adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine, July 2005

4 oranges

1 tsp. ground cumin (my modification)

1 clove garlic

Kosher salt

5 Tbs. fresh lime juice; more to taste

Large pinch cayenne

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 small jícama (about 1-1/4 pounds)

8 small red radishes, cut into very thin round slices

5 scallions, dark green tops trimmed; cut diagonally into thin slices

Freshly ground black pepper

2 large ripe but firm avocados

1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves

Finely grate 2 tsp. zest from the oranges and set the zest aside. With a sharp paring knife, slice the ends off the oranges. Stand each orange on one of its cut ends and pare off the rest of the peel in strips, making sure to remove all of the pith. Working over a small bowl, carefully cut the orange segments away from the connective membrane. Squeeze the membranes over the bowl to get any remaining juice.

Using a mortar and pestle or the flat side of a chef’s knife, mash the garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt. Put the garlic paste and cumin powder in a small bowl (or keep it in the mortar) and whisk in the 2 tsp. orange zest, 3 Tbs. orange juice (from the bowl of orange segments), the lime juice, and the cayenne. Let the mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes, and then whisk in the olive oil.

Meanwhile, peel the jícama and it cut into 1/8-inch-thick match sticks 2 to 3 inches long. In a large bowl, combine the jícama, radishes, and scallions. Season with salt and pepper and toss with about two-thirds of the vinaigrette. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes to let the flavors mingle.

Just before serving, thinly slice the avocados diagonally. Lay half of the avocado slices in a shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle some of the remaining vinaigrette on the avocado. Add the cilantro and orange segments to the bowl of jícama and toss gently. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt, pepper, and lime juice if needed. Put the jícama salad on top of the sliced avocado and tuck the remaining slices of avocado into the salad. Season the top slices with salt and drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette. Serve immediately.

For the tamales:

Make the masa according to the directions on the package, or buy fresh masa. In place of lard, I used Spectrum Organic Shortening, as it is non-hydrogenated. Soak corn husks in hot water for about 45 minutes.

Shredded Beef for Tamales

Brown a 3-4 pound chuck roast on both sides. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the roast with one large jar of red salsa, of your choice. The hotter the salsa, the spicier the tamales. Bake the roast in the oven at 325′ for approximately two hours, or until fork tender. When done, place all in bowl and shred the meat with two forks.

Spread a corn husk with a few tablespoons of masa. Place a large spoonful of shredded beef mixture on masa. Sprinkle with shredded cheese, if desired. Fold in sides of husk, tuck up bottom, and tie in the middle with strips of corn husk.

Green Chili and Cheese Tamales

Spread a corn husk with a spoonful of masa. Add 1-2 Tablespoons diced green chile. Sprinkle with fresh grated pepperjack cheese. Fold the sides over, tuck up the bottom and tie in the middle.

Steaming the Tamales

If you have a tamales steamer (and the space to store it) you are in luck! Otherwise, you can improvise. I place my stainless steel colander in a large pot. Add boiling water leaving about 1″ of clearance from the bottom of the colander. Bring water to a simmer, to produce a steady steam. Please tamales, open end up, in colander. Cover tightly with foil, so that the steam does not escape. Steam the tamales until done, about 90 minutes. Check the water level frequently and refill with boiling water from a kettle, to maintain the steam.

I recommend the book “Tamales 101, A Beginners Guide to Making Traditional Tamales” by Alice Guadalupe Tapp, for detailed instructions on mixing masa, filling, folding and steaming the tamales.

Mexican Rice

We used Nueva Cucina Brand, Mexican Rice Mix

Guacamole

I usually make our own. Since I barely found enough ripe avocados for our salad, I opted for prepared guacamole from Whole Foods, and it was fabulous.

Margaritas

We like good tequila. Use the best you can. I particularly like Tres Agave margarita mix. For our drinks I combined 50% margarita mix blended with 50% fresh lime and lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon of agave sweetner in a pitcher. Fill a glass with ice. Add a healthy shot of tequila, fill glass with margarita mix mixture and top with a splash of Cointreau or Grand Marnier. Cheers!