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.
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.
Stew Do Português De Dorrie
O stew do Português de Dorrie é delicioso! E, é realmente fácil fazer!
Roughly translated, it means "Dorrie's Portuguese Stew is delicious! And, so easy to make!" And it is. Both.
I really don't remember how long ago Dorrie gave me this recipe. She's made it for me a couple of times over the years, and I've made it a few times, myself. (Hers is always better, but I think that has to do with the amount of love she adds to each pot!) It's just a few ingredients, but it's amazingly wonderful! It's a rich stew of pork, linquica, peppers, onions, and tomatoes. Simple, but with a powerful flavor! I actually made it this morning, let it simmer for a while, and then reheated it for dinner. Almost like making it the day before, cuz it always tastes better the next day! Here's the recipe...
It's one of those recipes that just fills the house with wonderful smells and sends the olfactory system into overdrive. I was actually in the kitchen every three minutes "tasting" it - just because I could!
I then decided I needed some good bread to go with it - and was too lazy to go to the store. So I made 2 loaves of Portuguese Bread. A recipe I found many moons ago. The bread has a great crusty crust and a really light interior. GREAT for dunking and sopping up the sauce from the stew! And great for sandwiches!
The nice thing about dinner tonight, is there's leftovers for lunch tomorrow! And with a loaf and a half of bread, we're sitting pretty!
A vida é boa!
What's For Dinner?!?
I'll admit that when I go grocery shopping, I don't usually have a plan. I do the weekly shopping on Wednesday, and usually just buy what strikes me at the time. If it looks good, it goes into the cart. It can be just about anything. Heck, I'm easy when it comes to food. I like everything! So, it's not unusual to find a hodgepodge of items in the fridge or cabinets. It makes cooking dinner an adventure - and I can almost always make just about anything i want without having to head back to the store!
Naturally, there can be a downside... Fresh produce that's not going to remain fresh much longer, for example... That's where stirfry's come in. First off, I love them! An assortment of just about anything in a spicy, flavorful sauce is right up my gastronomic alley. Thankfully, Victor feels the same way - and knows his way around a kitchen, too!
I worked until 5:30pm tonight, and thought I'd throw something together for dinner when I got home. Instead, I was treated with "I have dinner all planned" when I walked in the door! The only thing better than cooking is having someone else cook for you! I was psyched!
Victor cleaned out the produce bin and chopped asparagus, red bell pepper, carrots, celery, onion, and mushrooms. Sauteed some chicken breasts, added the above veggies, and made the most delicious sauce with wasabi teriyaki sauce, peach jam, and chili paste! Juuuuust spicy enough, without clearing out the sinuses completely! Served over white rice... It was great! Cleaned out fridge, full belly... Life is good.
Now I have to figure out something for dessert! ;-)
Pork Chops Baked with Kasha and Wild Mushrooms
So - what's the Russian word for "WOW! That's really good?!?" Well, according to Babel Fish, it would be 
I'll take their word for it!
I guess you'll have to take my word for it, too - until you make it yourself, that is! This was one yummy dinner!
Back to perusing Please to the Table, and since I had the pork out, I thought I'd look for something new and different. I just happened to have all of the other ingredients in the house, so... it was one of those "meant to be" dinners!
Speaking of pork... I've been buying whole loins lately and cutting them into chops m'self. First, they're a hellava lot less expensive than buying chops, but I can also cut them the way I want them. It makes a big difference when making stuffed pork chops or breaded pork cutlets! It's great to have that versatility. But I digress... (how unusual!!)
It's an extremely easy recipe to prepare, and Kasha is one of my more favorite grains, so... away we go. I think next time I make it I may add some chopped apple or pear to the kasha. It is really, really good the way it is, but I like diced fruit in grains, too. Just another variation on a theme.
The recipe as written is a bit wordy, but I'm copying it the way it's printed, not the way I would write it. (I tend to assume people know to boil a cup of something in a small saucepan...)
Here goes...
- 4 shoulder pork chops, cut 3/4 inch thick (about 2 pounds)
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet Hungarian Paprika
- Salt, to taste
- 2 cups Beef Stock (see Index) or canned broth
- 1 ounce imported dried mushrooms, preferably porcini, well rinsed
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 medium-size onion, chopped
- 1 cup whole kasha (buckwheat)
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1/3 cup sour cream
1) Rub the pork chops with paprika and salt and set aside.
2) Bring 1 cup of the stock to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Remove from the heat, add the mushrooms, and soak for 1 hour. Remove the mushrooms from the soaking liquid, pat dry with paper towels, and set aside. Strain the soaking liquid through a coffee filter and (you guessed it!) set aside.
3) In an heatproof casserole large enough to accommodate the pork chops in one layer, cook the bacon until it renders its fat. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon from the casserole and - are you ready?!? - set aside.
4) Brown the pork chops well on both sides in the bacon drippings, about 15 minutes total. Drain on paper towels.
5) Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the casserole. Sauté the onion in the remaining fat over medium heat until softened and colored, 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms, kasha, and caraway seeds and saute, stirring, for 5 minutes more.
6) Preheat oven to 325F.
7) Combine the reserved mushroom soaking liquid with the remaining stock.
8) Season the kasha mixture with salt and stir in the reserved bacon pieces. Add the liquid and bring to a boil. Arrange the pork chops on top of the kasha and bake, uncovered, until the chops are tender and the kasha has absorbed all the liquid, about 25 minutes. Stir the sour creams into the kasha and serve immediately.
Okay... so I made a bit of fun with the directions. It really was a great dish and I'm sure to make it (or at least a reasonable facsimile) in the future.
And now...
Victor's in the kitchen baking a cake for dessert.
Life is good!