Hominy and Chipotle Stew

It's frikkin' freezing outside. This west coast boy just can't seem to get warm this week. Granted, It's January 31st and it's supposed to be cold 3 miles from Valley Forge, PA, but that doesn't make it any easier. Hot food does, though!

On one of my many treks to the store a while back, I picked up a bag of hominy. I can definitely be an impulse buyer when it comes to groceries, at times. I do the weekly shopping on Wednesday, and can either do the in-and-out because I have other things to do, or I can meander the aisles and see what jumps off the shelf and into the cart.

The hominy jumped off the shelf during one of my meanderings but it's been sitting on OUR shelf for a few months, now... I like hominy, but I had no plan for it - I just wanted it in the cabinet just in case... I figured I would find something to do with it, eventually.

Last night, I decided to soak a cup or so of it, and do something with it today. I was looking to make something hot and spicy. Stew-like, definitely. Boy, am I glad I did! As I said, it's cold outside. A quick look through the cabinets and the chipotles caught my eye. The rest, as they say, is history...

Tim's Hominy and Chipotle Stew

  • 1 pound beef cubes
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 4 tomatillos, chopped
  • 1 can diced tomatoes in juice
  • 2 quarts beef broth
  • about 3 cups hominy (1 1/2 cups before soaking)
  • 3 carrots, chopped
  • 2 chipotle chilies in adobo, chopped
  • 2 tbsp adobo sauce

I started off by browning the beef and onions in a bit of oil. Added the cumin, then the chipotles and adobo. Added the tomatoes, tomatillos, and broth, and let simmer for a couple of hours. (I was in no hurry...)

I then added the hominy and simmered for another hour or so. Added the carrots, simmered about another 30 minutes, and it was dinner time!

The stew got just thick enough from simmering and the hominy. It was definitely spicy.

I have found that there can be vast differences in canned chipotles - even from the same brand. Some are hotter than hell, others merely smoky. They're just like their fresh counterparts - some are hot, some are not.

We each had a huge bowl, topped with oyster crackers. There's creamy rice pudding in the 'fridge from last nigh, and tomorrow morning we get to fly to San Francisco.

Life is good.


Pumpkin and Bean Soup

It's 24 degrees outside. Time for soup. Now, soup is one of those things that I rarely even think about a recipe. I just make it with whatever happens to be in the house. Today, though, I was lacking inspiration, so I went over to Epicurious.

I typed in "Bean Soup" just for grins and giggles, and up came 267 recipes. After a few pages of browsing, my eyes hit upon Caribbean Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup. It sounded intriguing... But slightly boring...

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree
  • 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained
  • 1 14-ounce can light unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1 cup canned vegetable broth
  • 4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
  • 3/4 teaspoon grated lime peel

Stir cumin in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat 30 seconds. Add pumpkin, beans, coconut milk, broth and 3 tablespoons cilantro. Bring soup to boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 3 minutes to blend flavors. Mix in lime juice and lime peel. Season soup with salt and pepper.
Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon cilantro. Makes 2 servings; can be doubled.

So... with that in mind, I made

Tim's Pumpkin and White Bean Soup

  • 2 boneless pork chops, diced
  • 1 jalapeno pepper with seeds, minced
  • 1 cup celery, diced
  • 4 carrots, diced
  • 2 leeks, cut into rings
  • 2 cans pumpkin
  • 1 qt chicken broth
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 2 cans white beans
  • 1/2 cup brown rice
  • 1/2 cup barley
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp jerk paste
  • a few splashes Tabasco
  • Salt and pepper

Pre-cook the rice and barley. Brown the vegetables and pork in a bit of oil. Add broth, pumpkin, and coconut milk and simmer until vegetables are tender. Add beans, rice, barley and a few splashes of tabasco, salt and pepper.

Heat through. Enjoy.

It was really good - juuuuust spicy enough - and perfect for this freezing weather!

And there's Strawberry Bread Pudding for dessert!


Chorizo and Pork Paella

Yesterday was shopping day. I usually shop on Wednesdays because it's my day off, the farmer's market is open, and I get my senior discount at Super Fresh. yeah... senior discount...

I was shopping in the store last year sometime - on a Wednesday - and the cashier looked up at me, looked at my card, and added a little gold stamp on the back. I wasn't sure whether to be insulted or pleased. I decided to be pleased.

But I digress...

We had a pretty full freezer from my last shopping trek, so I wasn't looking for a lot of meats, but as I was walking by the meat area, I did spy some chorizo and some andouille sausage. I do like my spicy sausage, and the D'Artagnan sausages are the best. With no clear idea in mind, I added both to my cart. I would work out the details, later...

Later was this afternoon.

Going through some recipes, I found a Chicken and Chorizo Paella that sounded pretty good. I was missing a couple of ingredients, but as that has never stopped me before, I decided Paella was definitely going to be dinner tonight. Besides, it was another 20 minute meal. (And for all you folks out there who eat nothing but prepared, overprocessed food because you think you don't have time to make dinner... well... this was less than 30 minutes, start-to-finish!) My stomach is smiling as I type this!

I substituted a couple of small pork chops for the chicken the recipe called for, and just left out the bell peppers. (I forgot to pick any up, yesterday!) I added a can of beans because, well... I like beans... and added a few generous shots of Tabasco, because i like Tabasco, too.

Here's my recipe. I highly recommend it!

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 small chorizo links, sliced
  • 2 boneless pork chops, sliced
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 cups arborio rice
  • 1 pinch saffron threads
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 1 can sm red beans, drained
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • A few generous splashes of tabasco sauce
  • S & P to taste

Heat oven to 400°. Heat oil in a paella pan (or skillet). Add chorizo and pork and cook until browned. Add onion, and garlic. Cook about 3 minutes.

Add rice, paprika, saffron, and bay leaves. Stir to combine and coat the rice, about 1 minute. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add beans and tomatoes; stir to combine.

Transfer pan to oven. Cook uncovered until rice is tender and no liquid remains, about 20 minutes.


Cooking Magazines

I finally did it. I let every cooking magazine lapse. No more Bon Appetit's or Vegetarian Times or any other food-related mags cluttering up the house. This past September, we even donated close to 200 cookbooks to the Tredyffrin Library. Dust collectors, all.

I haven't stopped cooking, and I haven't stopped looking for new recipes, but it seems like the same stuff is being rehashed in these magazines, or they're redoing recipes using "convenience" foods. Not my cup of tea.

So, in picking up the mail this afternoon, I find an unsolicited copy of Cuisine At Home Magazine. My first instinct is to toss it into the recycle bin. I don't want another magazine. But I notice on the bottom that there are recipes from Mary Ann Esposito - The Ciao italia cook! I lik Mary Ann, because she uses simple foods and lets flavors speak for themselves.

She had a recipe for Pappardelle with Chicken, Mushrooms, and Wine that sounded really good, and since I was actually planning to do something with chicken and mushrooms for dinner tonight, anyway, I thought I'd give it a go.

The recipe:

Saute in 2 tbsp butter:
1 lb mushrooms, quartered

Stir in:
1/2 cuup dry red wine

Combine/Dredge:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 chicken or rabbit (4lb) cut up, washed, and dried

Brown Chicken in:
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil

Saute/Stir in:
4 oz pancetta or bacon, diced
1 medium red onion, diced
1/2 lb fennel, bulb only, cut into strips
3 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 cup red wine
1 tbsp minced fresh sage
Cooked mushrooms with liquid

Return chicken and bake at 325 about 40 min; Stir in:
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Prepare according to directions:
1 lb dry pappardelle or egg noodles

Easy enough! I thought I had some pappardelle, but I had used it a while back, so my first substitution was 24" long spaghetti.

I had presliced mushrooms, so I used those. No red wine, but lots of white, so I used that, instead. I didn't have any fennel, but I had 2 Belgian Endives in the fridge, so I used them. Oh - and no red onion. I used yellow.

It came out great! And the possibilities are endless.

And the magazine?!? Into the recycle bin. I really didn't care for the way the recipes were written, and while I did get one good recipe, I just don't need another magazine coming into the house.

But thanks for a great dinner, Mary Ann!