Wednesday Recipes

Hope everyone's week is going well so far. (Yup, mine is, too.) Here are today's recipes, which will (hopefully) help. Enjoy!

SLOW COOKER MEXICAN PINTO BEANS

I know, this should have been posted yesterday, when it was Cinco de Mayo, but I just saw this this morning. It comes from Chelsie Kenyon, About.com's Mexican food expert. She writes, "Pinto beans are a popular dish in Mexico and can be served with a variety of main dishes. The beans are left whole, and served with a little bit of the broth that the beans are cooked in. These pinto beans are different than refried beanswhich are mashed and fried after the beans are cooked. This Pinto Beans recipe is actually a great start to make the refried version, but they are also great by themselves." Prep Time: 720 minutes (12 hours for soaking); Cook Time: 300 minutes (5 hours); Total Time: 1,020 minutes (17 hours); Yield: approximately 15 servings.

First off, don't hyperventilate about the prep time; the beans are soaking, and can be done overnight and part of the next day. And the slow cooker part (5 hours) says it all. Give 'em a try!

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 32 oz bag of pinto beans

Enough water to cover the beans

32 oz. low sodium chicken broth (home made or from a box) *If you want to make this vegetarian, use vegetable broth instead...which is what I do

32 oz of water (about 4 cups)

5 cloves of garlic

1 jalapeno

2 tablespoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons ground chile powder

1 sprig of epazote (optional)

Additional water *see instructions

1 teaspoon of salt (or more to taste)

Preparation

Rinse the beans and pick out any debris. Broken beans are okay and can be left in. Put the beans in a large bowl and cover with enough water to cover the beans by 4-5 inches. Let them soak for about 12 hours. If the beans absorb all of the water, you can strain them, rinse them and add more water to cover them by 2-3 inches. You can also rinse them a few times like that throughout the soaking period if you are available (optional).

When they have fully soaked, strain the beans and discard the soaking liquid. Rinse the beans one more time and place wet beans into your slow-cooker.

Remove the skins from the garlic and chop it or crush it and add it to the beans. Rinse the jalapenos and cut the tip off. Stand the jalapeno upright on the tip and using a sharp knife, start near the stema and slice the jalapeno in a downward motion to cut the jalapeno flesh off of the seeds in the center. Then slice the pieces lengthwise into matchstick size pieces, then slice the matchsticks to make a fine dice. See how to do it here. Add the diced jalapenos to the beans. Add the chicken broth, water, cumin, and chile powder to the beans. The powdered spices might want to float on the top a bit and that is okay. Make sure the liquid is covering the beans by 2-3 inches. Add more water or broth if necessary, but make sure you do not over-fill your slowcooker. If you have to, remove some beans to make sure the liquid is covering the beans, but you still have at least an inch of space at the top fo the slow cooker.

Add the sprig of epazote if you have it, and cover the slow cooker. Let the beans cook on high for 6 hours. The liquid should reduce to a slightly thickened broth. If too much water evaporates, add more as necessary. Before serving, remove the sprig of epazote as it is not edible. Stir in the salt, and add more to taste. Serve the beans as a side dish, or use in another recipe.

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS WITH ROASTED TOMATILLO CHILE SALSA

Another recipe I could have/should have posted yesterday. This one comes from Tyler Florence, of The Food Network's Tyler's Ultimate. Total Time: 1 hour; Prep: 15 minutes; Cook: 45 minutes; Level: Easy

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/chicken-enchiladas-with-roasted-tomatillo-chile-salsa-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa:

1 pound tomatillos, husked

1 white onion, peeled, sliced, quartered or whole

4 garlic cloves

2 jalapenos

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves

1/2 lime, juiced

Enchiladas:

Extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 medium onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups chicken stock, store bought

Chopped cilantro leaves

1 deli roasted chicken (about 3 pounds), boned, meat shredded

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

10 large flour tortillas

1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

2 cups sour cream

Chopped tomatoes and cilantro leaves, for garnish

Spicy Black Beans, recipe follows

Yellow Rice, recipe follows

Guacamole, optional

SPICY BLACK BEANS:

2 cups (about 1 pound) dried black beans, picked over, soaked overnight

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 medium onion, diced

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 bay leaf

Kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

YELLOW RICE:

2 cups long-grain rice

4 cups water

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 tablespoon turmeric

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 bay leaf

Directions

Enchiladas:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

For the salsa:

On a baking tray, roast tomatillos, onion, garlic and jalapenos for 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the roasted vegetables and any juices on the bottom of the tray to a food processor. Add the cumin, salt, cilantro, and lime juice and pulse mixture until well combined but still chunky.

Enchiladas:

Meanwhile heat a 2 count of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and caramelized - this should take 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin then cook for a further minute. Sprinkle on the flour and stir to ensure the flour doesn't burn then gradually add the chicken stock to make a veloute. Continue stirring over a low simmer until the flour cooks and the liquid thickens. Turn off the heat, add half of the roasted tomatillo chile salsa, some additional fresh chopped cilantro and fold in the shredded chicken meat. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Change the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees F and begin assembling the dish. Take a large baking dish and smear the bottom with some of the reserved tomatillo salsa. Now take the flour tortillas and briefly flash them over the stove-top flame (or put them briefly under the broiler if using an electric stove). Using a shallow bowl, coat each tortilla lightly with the reserved salsa mix. Put a scoop of the shredded chicken-enchilada mix on top of the tortilla followed by a sprinkle of the shredded cheese. Fold the tortilla over the filling and roll like a cigar to enclose it. Using a spatula place the tortillas in the baking dish and continue to do the same with all the tortillas. Finally pour over some more of the salsa and top with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes until bubbly and cracked on top. Garnish, cilantro and tomato.

Serve hot with Spicy Black Beans and Yellow Rice, the remaining tomatillo salsa, sour cream and fresh guacamole, if desired.

Spicy Black Beans:

In a large pot, soak beans overnight covered in water by 2 inches. Drain and set aside.

In the same pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, jalapeno pepper, garlic, and bay leaf and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the beans and cover with water by about 1-inch. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the beans are tender. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Taste the beans and season with salt and pepper.

Yellow Rice:

Put all the ingredients into a heavy-bottomed pot, stir well, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook over low heat until the rice has absorbed the water, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Discard the garlic and bay leaf, fluff with a fork, and serve.

LEMON BARS

This comes from Ina Garten, The Food Network's Barefoot Contessa. Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes; Prep: 10 minutes; Inactive: 30 minutes; Cook: 55 minutes; Yield: 20 squares or 40 triangles; Level: Intermediate

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/lemon-bars-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

For the crust:

1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 cups flour

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

For the filling:

6 extra-large eggs at room temperature

3 cups granulated sugar

2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons)

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup flour

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.

Cut into triangles and dust with confectioners' sugar.

PENNE WITH ROASTED MARSALA MUSHROOMS

This comes from FamilyTime.com. It begins, "The mushrooms are roasted until brown and then simmered in Marsala until they absorb the wine. A touch of tomato paste and chicken broth form a tasty sauce." Serves: 4; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 21 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 pound mushrooms, cut in halves or quarters depending on size

2 tablespoons cooking oil

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1/4 cup Marsala wine

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup canned low sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon butter

3/4 pound penne

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a roasting pan or Dutch oven, toss the mushrooms with the oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes; some liquid will remain in the pan.

Transfer the pan to the top of the stove. Stir in the garlic and Marsala. Simmer until the liquid is almost evaporated, about 4 minutes. Add the broth and tomato paste and simmer until about 1/4 cup of liquid remains, about 2 minutes longer. Stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and the butter and remove from the heat.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the penne until just done, about 13 minutes. Drain the pasta and toss it with the sauce and the parsley.