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.


Tapioca Pudding, Chipotle BBQ Sauce, and Chipotle Spice Rub

Last week I was ordering some new spices from my favorite spice company Atlantic Spice Co. I know, I know... everyone's favorite online spice company is now Penzey's, but Atlantic Spice (and their sister company San Francisco Herb Co.) is still my store of choice.

I had seen a few recipes lately calling for cardamom and coriander. The prices in grocery stores for spices are ludicrous and there was just no way I was spending $11.99 for a thimble full of cardamom powder! Also, I wanted to refill my smoked paprika and wanted some chipotle powder. Atlantic Spice does have a minimum $25.00 shipping order, so when I calculated my total - $22.50 - I went back to see if there was something else I couldn't live without. I found a pound of pearl tapioca for $3.70/pound.

Homemade tapioca pudding has always been a favorite dessert - and one that I have seldom made. I had a recipe that had been sitting around forever, so when the packager arrived Tuesday, I was set to go! I'm actually not sure who the recipe is from - it's handwritten on a scrap of paper... but it's old...

A small summer storm came through the area, knocking out our power for 33 hours, so the pudding was put on hold until yesterday. And boy, was it worth the wait!

Rich, creamy, decadent! Better than anything one could buy.....

20060721-tap1

Tapioca Pudding

  • 1 cup tapioca
  • 4 c cream
  • 2 c milk
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 c sugar
  • pinch salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Soak tapioca in water about 4 hours. Add cream, milk and salt. Heat and stir until boiling. Simmer, uncovered, about 45 minutes, stirring frequently. Add sugar gradually. Beat yolks. temper with some of hot tapioca. Mix into rest of mixture. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Add vanilla.

Simple directions... One thing to note is this is for pearl tapioca - not "instant." And it does take about an hour to make. (I set the timer for 10 minute intervals to come in and stir...) And when it was done, I put it into a bowl and placed plastic wrap directly on the pudding to keep a skin from forming. The recipe could easily be halved - but that would mean only half as much pudding for the same amount of work!

I was on a bit of a roll... No power for 33 hours made me want to get into the kitchen, I guess (not that I ever seem to want to get OUT of the kitchen, mind you!) So it was time to also make Chipotle BBQ Sauce! (It's not unusual for me to have simultaneous pots bubbling on the stove!)

20060721-chipo2

Chipotle BBQ Sauce

  • 2 cups catsup - organic, of course! No high fructose corn syrup!!
  • 1 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 4 tablespoons chipotle powder
  • 2 tablespoons dry mustard
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder

Mix all ingrdients in a saucepan and simmer about 15 minutes. It is kick-a-poo GREAT!

And I had to make a Chipotle Spice Rub because... well... I have all the ingredients!!

20060721-chipo1

Chipotle Spice Rub

  • 1 1/2 cups kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup dried oregano
  • 1/4 cup chipotle powder
  • 1/4 cup smoked paprika
  • 1/4 cup powdered garlic

Mix everything in a food processor until powdery. That's it!

Last night, I used the powder on pork chops and then grilled them. They were most excellent! I made white rice to which I added a few tablespoons of hot fresh salsa, and had fresh corn on the cob on the side... And with warm tapioca pudding for dessert, it was gastronomic heaven!

Now... to find those recipes calling for cardamom.....


Phoebe's Baked Beans

One could possibly surmise by the dearth of writings here lately, that I have given up on cooking and eating! Well… nothing could be farther from the truth! It’s just that we have been off to the west coast for friends-and-family gatherings, and trying to catch up on all the backlogged work from taking off for another 10 days. Stop eating and cooking!? Be serious!

We were out to Portland and Seattle, where we were wined and dined by family and friends, alike! Starting at my baby sister’s house, we had the most wonderful Chipotle baked beans one could imagine! They were so good, in fact, I made them the day we got back! It’s a really simple recipe using canned baked beans as the base. Purists can definitely start out with their own dried beans, but… these are GREAT as is!

Phoebe's Baked Beans
The original recipe comes from Cooking Light magazine. Phoebe made these at their housewarming "Open House" and nary a bite was left!

  • 1/2 cup minced shallots
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 cup tomato puree (I use tomato paste - I never have puree in the house!)
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons molasses
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 chipotle chiles, canned in adobo sauce, seeded and chopped
  • 2 (28-ounce) cans baked beans

Preheat oven to 300°.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add shallots; sauté 4 minutes or until golden. Add cumin and garlic; sauté for 1 minute. Add tomato puree and oil, and cook for 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Add remaining ingredients (except beans.). Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine beans and shallot mixture in a 2-quart baking dish. Bake at 300° for 1 hour or until thick and bubbly. (I cooked mine for about 2 hours. Phoebe cooked hers the day before and reheated. They taste better reheated or cooked longer, in my not so humble opinion!)

We met our friend Steph in Portland for lunch at Connor’s BBQ where the ribs were fall-off-the-bone fabulous! (Although, I must admit that it was the company that was the star that day!) Connor’s is the epitome of no-frills dining! Everything is served on or in disposables. One has to ask for utensils (plastic), napkins, whatever, but the service is friendly and the food is great! Dining is on picnic tables al fresco. We did a rack of ribs (served with sliced white Wonder Bread!) sides of macaroni and cheese, corn on the cob, and fresh lemonade. The bill for three was under $20.00.

We were then off to Seattle where we met two more friends BJ & Print, for an overnight visit! We headed out to the Seattle Zoo for an outdoor Indigo Girls Concert, and our girls packed a most fantabulous picnic dinner! Cheeses and salami, salads galore, chilled beverages, breads and crackers – and desserts! Again, the food was sublime, but the company stole the show! It’s amazing just how much better food tastes when you’re sharing it with good friends! The following morning they greeted us with a platter of various melons, homemade pancakes – with warm maple syrup - and a quality coffee that only Seattle can produce!

Back home, I’ve been on a bit of a chipotle kick! I can’t find chipotles in adobo at any of our local stores, so I brought back several cans – and have been using them a lot! I made a pretty good chipotle sauce the other night for a London broil, and then used it for a marinade with beef ribs and chicken thighs. Oh yum!

Now… I made this on the fly and didn’t write anything down, so I’ll never be able to reproduce it, exactly (the curse of being a cook who uses what’s in the house at the time and NEVER writes down measurements!) but a close approximation is:

Chipotle Sauce

  • 3 chipotles in adobo, chopped
  • 1 chopped onion
  • 1 chopped bell pepper
  • 2 cans diced tomatoes in juice
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ cup molasses
  • ½ cup vinegar
  • 1 can chopped green chiles
  • Salt and pepper

I cooked the onions and peppers, added the tomatoes and remaining ingredients, simmered for about an hour, hit it with an immersion blender, and simmered another 30 minutes, or so… Spicy and yummy!

Today I am contemplating making some homemade chicken sausage… Maybe…


Mexican Is Good!

20060301-mexican

I'm a bit of a Mexican Food snob. I admit it. I grew up with tamale parlors, taqueria's and burrito joints within walking distance (I'm old... kids used to walk.) Anyway... since moving east, I just haven't found the local Mexican restaurant... There is one that's okay in the shopping center where i work, but it's not the stuff of memory. It's's too "east coast" watered down. By default, I tend to make my own. Nothing fancy, but not taco-shells-out-of-a-box, either. The internet is great for getting spices, and I usually pick up something when I'm home. Scratch cooking is good cooking, I always say.....

That being said... TJ's has had a few Mexican-inspired sauces come and go over the years, and a new one just arrived! And I LIKE IT! A LOT!! I made a really easy beef filling tonight using it...

I took a pound of stew meat and a bottle of sauce. Put it in a pot with a lid and let it simmer for about 2 hours. The meat was tender and tasty. It had a great flavor and was very reminiscent of "Gordo's" in San Francisco on 9th Avenue... (a favorite burrito place!!)

But this wasn't burrito night. It wasn't exactly 'taco' night, either... After stewing the beef, i made rice with chopped green chiles and chipotle chile powder, refried black beans, fried corn and flour tortillas, avocado, grated a couple of cheeses (Monterey jack and cheddar) chopped a tomato, added a bit of salsa, and called it good!

I ate too much, but my stomach is smiling.....


Painting and Cooking...


So we finally decided to paint the guest room - and move into it! Not a really big deal, other than the fact that we both hate to paint. But... change is good.

I mention this because, well... that's what kept me from going grocery shopping. And our quick trek to Boston messed up my normal shopping routine...

The nice thing about being a food fanatic, is there is always something to eat in the house! It may take a bit of imagination, but we could easily go a week or two before actually running out of things! So, it was off to the freezer for something quick.

A quick perusal of the freezer and out came a pack of Murray's chicken breasts (these, and the chicken at the Lancaster farmer's market are the only ones I buy!) and a pack of corn tortillas. Tostadas Tonight!!

I cubed the chicken and fried it up with an onion... added some enchilada sauce from the fridge, and let it simmer for a few. Opened a can of refried black beans and heated. Shredded some cheese.

I fried the corn tortillas until nice and crisp, spread on some beans, added the chicken, and topped it all off with the cheese.

It was dinner in under 10 minutes - and then back to painting. Life is good.....