Chipotle Tamale Pie

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I patted myself on the back hard for this one. Tamale pie! So exotic! (Nevermind that there are probably hundreds of similar tamale pie recipes) It's a casserole! It's a pie! It's... it's... something that I've made before. It was not until after we had dinner and I downloaded pictures onto my computer that I realized this tamale pie looks suspiciously like Southwest Surprise, a recipe that I made back in April of 2009. Well, count me... surprised.

So I don't have the best recall on the stuff that I've made before, but this was delicious. I added some chipotle peppers in the beans so they're just a little smoky and spicy. The end result was delicious and hearty with contrasting textures and flavors like fluffy sweet cornbread and creamy spicy beans. Probably not the most original recipe, but a good one nonetheless.

You'll need:

• 1 medium yellow onion, medium diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
• 1 4-ounce can diced green chilies
• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, minced
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15-ounce can pinto beans or red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 cup water
• salt to taste
• 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (cheddar would be great here too)
• chopped cilantro (optional garnish)
• 1 recipe of Grandmother's Buttermilk Cornbread (I used soy milk instead of buttermilk and Earth Balance instead of butter. Worked out great)

Begin by heating up canola oil in a heavy medium pot until the fat shimmers. Add red pepper flakes, cumin, oregano and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Turn heat down to medium low. Add onion and bell pepper. Stir and allow vegetables to cook until they are softened, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add green chilies, tomato sauce, chipotle peppers, black beans, pinto/red kidney beans and water. Season. Stir and bring liquid to simmer. Allow mixture to simmer for another 15 minutes or so until the liquid has reduced and thickened.

In the meantime, combine all the ingredients for cornbread. You can also use boxed corn bread mix, just prepare up to the point prior to baking. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Transfer the beans and vegetables into a baking dish. Spread out the mixture evenly to cover the bottom of the baking dish. Pour cornbread mix on top. Spread to create even surface. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Remove and allow tamale pie to cool for 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped cilantro. 

The Everything Chili + Announcement

Pin It It's been a busy few days around here. I feel like I've been running around all weekend. You see, we are moving.

Yes. Again.

It's the second time in a 10-month period and we must be outta here in a week or two. Over the weekend, we found a new place to live (with a big kitchen!) across the Bay. We're slowly packing some stuff into boxes and purging others. The cats know something is up and are wary about what will happen next. Frankly, so am I. I feel like a fugitive running from the past and blindly into the future. I sincerely hope our second stint in the Peninsula will be better than our first. Really, it couldn't possibly be worse.

*Fingers crossed*

In the meantime, blog updates will be sporadic until our lives are back to normal. For now, priority number one in the kitchen is to pack food into our tummies so we have less to carry with us. Unfortunately, we have a particularly stinky food project that we'll have to take with us. But that's for another day, another post...

I made this chili so that I can basically throw some produce and pantry staples into one big pot and eat it for a few meals. It's simple and festive. I love the combination of sweet crunch from the fresh corn and savory creaminess from the kidney beans.

Goodbye, East Bay! I'll miss you, at least a little. Maybe not at first, but someday... eventually... I think...

Gameday Overload

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It might look like we were having a big Super Bowl party for six, but all this food was just for us. Yes, we overdid it. Major food coma ensued and we ended up napping on the couch during the game. Let's take a closer look at this lineup, shall we?


Homemade tomatillo salsa made of roasted tomatillos, onion, garlic, one chipotle chili in adobo sauce, a pinch each of salt and sugar.


Homemade guacamole. A lot of it.


Homemade hummus with chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, and tahini paste.


Potato skins stuffed with minced jalapeno peppers, Mexican Monetery Jack, cream cheese and topped with bread crumbs.


Veggie hot dogs wrapped in Pillsbury crescent dough.


And finally, chili cheese fries made of store-bought fries and chili topped with onions and Mexican Monetery Jack cheese.

Mock Monk Chili

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Several months ago, we went to Monk's Kettle, a San Francisco bar and eatery. One memorable dish was their vegan chili, which had a smooth soup base and full of mushrooms and carrots. We both loved it so much. Since then, I've thought about creating my version of the same chili.

My attempt at the Monk's Kettle vegan chili was good, but not perfect. It was certainly savory and delicious, but sort of different from what we had. Nevertheless, I thought it's a good enough dish to make it blog-worthy.

You'll need:

• 2 tablespoons of canola oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, diced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground coriander
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon of chili powder
• 1 teaspoon of ground oregano
• 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 3 cups of vegetable stock or water
  
• 6 medium or large carrots, peeled and chopped into 2-inch pieces
• 1 pint of oyster mushrooms, sliced
  
• 1 pint of cremini mushrooms, sliced
  
• salt and pepper to taste
• chopped cilantro for garnish

In a large pot, sweat onion and jalapeno pepper in canola oil over medium low heat until vegetables are soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Add cumin, coriander, chili powder, and oregano. Cook for another minute, or until the spices are fragrant. Add black beans, tomatoes, vegetable stock/water. Bring to boil. Reduce to simmer, then cover and cook for 30 minutes.

Using a stand blender or immersion blender and process the mixture until it is smooth. Add carrots. Cover and cook for another 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add mushrooms. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

I think the secret ingredient here is the ground coriander. I don't think you can taste it in the final product, but it gives the chili a nice, well-rounded flavor. I tend to find chili recipes that consist mostly of chili powder to taste too harsh. The mushrooms really make this dish meaty and substantial. It's such a fun and warm recipe for cold wet days.

Sweet Potato and Chocolate Chili

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The cold weather makes me want to slow cook hearty stews. This one is very unique -- rich, sweet and spicy. If you're not into the sweet and spicy combination, this is not the dish for you. But if you are, this one will surprise you.

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 26-ounce can of diced tomatoes
  
• 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks
• 2 15-ounce cans of black beans or kidney beans (or one can each)
• 1 tablespoon of chocolate
• 2 tablespoons of chili powder
• 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1 cup of vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  
• salt and pepper to taste

In a large lidded pot, sweat onion, celery and carrot in olive oil with a dash of salt until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add diced tomatoes, vegetable stock, sweet potatoes, beans, chocolate, chili powder, brown sugar, cumin, oregano, and cinnamon. Turn heat to medium low. Cover and cook until beans and sweet potato chunks start to fall apart, about 45 minutes. Adjust seasoning. Serve on a bed of wild rice, with a dollop of sour cream and/or chives on top.

The dish was inspired by a recipe from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, by Mark Bittman. I added some spices and sweet potatoes to give this dish more complexity. Initially, it will taste sweet and rich. Then the heat from the chili powder will come through. It is probably not something that everyone will love. But it's just the thing for those who want a sweet and spicy kick for Halloween.

Nachos with Lime and Black Bean Dip

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We have a lot of leftover food from one of our taco nights. It doesn't take a culinary genius to realize that taco night can turn into nachos night pretty easily. I've also got nachos in the brain because I've been craving those gross orange Velveeta nachos that you'd get at movie theaters. Since we haven't made it to a movie theater for Up 3-D, the next best thing is to make some nachos at home (minus the Velveeta "cheese", of course).

First, the lime and black bean dip:

• 1 15 ounce can of black beans, drained
• 1/2 of a 6-ounce can of tomato paste
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  
• 1 tablespoon of cumin
• 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
  
• 2 teaspoons of hot sauce (I used Sriracha sauce)
  
• juice of 1 lime
• salt and pepper to taste
• chopped cilantro or green onions for garnish (optional)
  

Sweat chopped onion in olive oil over medium low heat until the onions are translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add drained black beans, tomato paste, cumin, oregano, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Mix together. Cover and allow to cook until the beans are soft, about 8 to 12 minutes. Squeeze lime juice over the top. Mix well. Garnish with cilantro or green onions, if desired.

To assemble nachos, I put some blue corn tortilla chips in a oven-proof dish and top with about 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, some black bean dip and bake in 350 degree oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Add pickled jalapeno peppers, soy sour cream and some green onions. Yay for nachos!

Baked Jalapeno Poppers and Guacamole (Vegan)

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Baked Jalapeno Poppers

I borrowed the recipe for the jalapeno poppers from Tofutti, but I added some shredded soy cheddar cheese that I had and baked them instead of frying them. They didn't brown up as nicely as they would have had they been fried, but they're just as crispy.

• 12-16 jalapeno peppers
• 8 oz. of Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
• 1/2 cup of shredded soy cheddar cheese
  
• 1 cup of soy milk
• 1 cup of flour
• 1 cup of bread crumbs

Remove the top of the jalepenos and slice down one side, removing most of the seeds. Fill the peppers with the cheeses.

Place the soy milk and the flour into two separate bowls. Dip the stuffed jalapenos into the soy milk and then into the flour, making sure that they are well-coated. Allow the coated jalapenos to dry for about 10 minutes in the refrigerator. Dip the jalapenos into the soy milk again and roll them through the breadcrumbs to cover.

Place the breaded jalepenos seam-side-up on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 30-40 minutes.

Guacamole

I served the poppers with chunky guacamole, made by combining the following:

• 2 ripe avocados, diced
• 1 plum tomato, de-seeded and chopped
  
• 1/4 large sweet onion, chopped
• 4 serrano peppers, finely chopped
  
• cilantro, roughly chopped
• juice of 1 small lime

Potato Pancake with Salsa and Sour Cream

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Question: Is there such a thing as German-Mexican food? Or Ger-Mex? Sounds like the weapon of mass destruction to me. If there isn't, then I don't know what this is. I do know that this is a classic German potato pancake topped with soy sour cream, salsa and chopped green onions. I also know that it's incredibly delicious - crispy, crunchy and without the heaviness of potato pancakes.

The recipe for potato pancakes can be found here. I also used egg replacer instead of real eggs. I have to say, I'm pleasantly surprised. Egg replacer didn't bind the potato mixture as well as eggs would have, but the patties didn't fall apart in the frying pan either.

Southwest Surprise

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I played sous chef today! I took a break from my usual kitchen adventures and let someone else do all the heavy lifting. The dish was basically chili baked with soy cheddar cheese cornbread on top. We went all vegan today, substituting egg whites with egg replacer and dairy cheddar cheese with soy cheddar cheese. We also used non-dairy cornbread mix instead. Guacamole, salsa, soy sour cream and roasted potatoes round out the meal. The only thing that I didn't like was the veggie sausage. The flavors were good, but the texture was cake-y, sort of like sausage flavored matzo ball.

The recipe can be found here.

Baked Black Bean Cake

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This is a modification of a recipe that Pei sent me a while back. The original recipe can be found here. I incorporated some of the suggestions and made a vegan version of the recipe.

For the black bean cakes:

• 1/4 cup of cornmeal
• 1/2 cup of onion, finely chopped
  
• 2 15-ounce cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup of cilantro, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 3 teaspoons of hot sauce (I use Sriracha sauce)
• 1/2 tablespoon of corn starch
• 1/2 cup of bread crumbs (I use Panko)
• 2 tablespoons of canola oil

Combine beans, onion, cilantro, garlic, hot sauce, bread crumbs, corn starch and salt in a food processor. Form about 6 patties and dust both sides with cornmeal. Since no egg is used to bind the mixture together, the patties can fall apart in the frying pan. So instead, I drizzle the patties with a little canola oil and bake them in 450 degree oven for 15 minutes.

For the avocado topping:

• 1/4 cup of onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup of cilantro, chopped
• 3 tablespoons of fresh lime juice
• 1 medium avocado, peeled, pit removed and diced
  

Combine all the ingredients together and top the black bean cakes. A fried egg on top is another (non-vegan) way to serve this dish. Since I don't worry about my cholesterol level and love runny eggs, that's how I ate my black bean cake.

Tofu Chili

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I'm making a special meal tomorrow night for my sweetie. The meal will include tofu chili, corn bread and a blueberry pie. To reduce tomorrow's cook time, I've decided to make the chili tonight.

• 1 medium onion, chopped
  
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 1 medium bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1 1/2 cups of frozen corn kernels
  
• an 8 ounce can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• an 8 ounce can of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• a 22 ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 1 cup of vegetable stock
  
• 1 block of firm tofu, cut into small 1/4 inch blocks
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of cumin
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon of chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of paprika
• 3 sprigs of thyme
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  
• salt and pepper

Sautee celery, onion, and bell pepper in olive oil using medium heat until softened, about 5-10 minutes. Add garlic, jalapeno peppers, cumin, oregano, bay leaf, chili powder, and paprika and cook for another minute. Add thyme, canned tomatoes, kidney beans, pinto beans, tofu, vegetable stock, and corn. Cook for 20-30 minutes or so. Add salt and pepper to taste.

The chili is surprisingly light (for a chili) with just enough heat and spices to be interesting. I can't wait to enjoy it with my sweetie tomorrow.