A Sonoran Style of Beef Stew

The Sonoran desert region, encompassing the state of Sonora in Mexico, Baja California, much of southern Arizona and some of lower California, is a sizeable area, and with a lot of the Southwestern flavors to the foods involved. When thinking of southwestern food, it is not all the Tex-Mex stuff that has gotten so common (Hot dogs??? Really???). There are foods and flavors that come of long standing in those desert regions. 

Sonoran Style Beef Stew

Pumpkins and squash, beans of many types, peppers of all description, corn, tomatoes, tomatillos sweet potato, nopal cactus; these are commonly known in Sonora, Mexico, and have been used to comprise much of the traditional cuisine. Spices and herbs are also quite specific, things like Mexican oregano, thyme, cilantro, epazote, annatto seed, chili powders, cloves, coriander, cumin, and "Mexican cinnamon" (or true cinnamon), cacao, vanilla and other more exotic spices. 

My Pueblo Pumpkin Stew

Some years ago, my sister sent me a recipe from Eating Well (no longer available on their site) called Pueblo Pumpkin Stew. The flavors are just absolutely amazing, and I have made that stew many times. It is really pretty as a picture and hearty, despite being meatless. Today, thinking about what to make for dinner, I just went to look at what I had in the freezer for meat, and came up with stew meat. My husband loves stew and so do I. I got the meat out thinking to use it in one of my common stews, but on the way up the stairs, the recipe for Pueblo Pumpkin Stew popped into my head, and my mind took off, thinking of how to incorporate those flavors into a beef stew. 

First off, I felt that pumpkin or squash (in this case I used both) should be in the stew. Beans of some kind, tomatoes. Peppers. I used both the mild chopped green chilies along with a bell pepper instead of the Anaheim chilies called for in the Pueblo Pumpkin Stew. I wanted corn to be represented also, but not sweet corn. Instead I used a couple of tablespoons of Maseca, the dry mix that is used to make corn tamales, mixed into some water and added in. What an amazing boost to the flavor!  

As for spices, I wanted to run with a mixture that was truer to the Mexican desert than using Garam Masala as was called for in the Pueblo Pumpkin Stew. Granted, most of the spices in Garam Masala are also common to those used in Sonora, but not necessarily all, and there are some not at all common in the Indian spice panoply, such as annatto or cocoa. I decided to concoct a spice mixture that would encompass those flavors I was looking for in a spice mixture and came up with this:

Sonoran Spice Mix

Annatto Seeds

Makes almost ½ cup

2 tablespoons ground cumin seed
2 tablespoons ground coriander seed
2 teaspoons grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons ground Mexican cinnamon
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons ground annatto powder
2 teaspoons ground ancho powder

Stir together well and store in a glass jar in a cool dark place. Use 1 to 3 teaspoons as needed for flavor.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I thawed my stew meat and got started making the stew, which simmered at very low heat (220 degree oven) for a few hours. I may not have needed that many hours, but I had a doctor appointment and needed something I could leave in the oven without worry. There is not a lot of hot spiciness to this dish. Should that type of heat define "Mexican cooking" then by all means add in hot chilies to your heart's content. This is the recipe for what I created:

Sonoran Style Beef Stew

Sonoran Style Beef Stew

Serves about 6

1 large or 2 medium onions
1 tablespoon olive oil for frying, more if needed
4 to 6 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound beef stew meat, in 1-inch cubes
2 cups pureed cooked pumpkin or squash (or use ½ to 1 can pumpkin puree)
1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
3 small (4.5 ounce) cans chopped green chilies
1½ cups fresh peeled squash (butternut, buttercup, kabocha) in ½-inch dice
1 green bell pepper in 1-inch squares, about 1½ cup
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons Sonoran Spice Mix) see above
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons Maseca, dissolved into 1 cup water
1 (15-ounce) can white beans, well drained and rinsed

Have ready a large, oven safe, heavy stew pot with lid. Preheat oven to 220 degrees, or adjust to whatever will keep a very low simmer.

Heat a large skillet and add in the oil. Halve the onions, then slice across about ¼-inch thick, then cut across the half-rounds once. Sauté the onions in the hot skillet, tossing occasionally, until they start to brown. Add the garlic and sauté a few minutes more.

While the onions are sautéing, add to the stew pot the pureed pumpkin/squash, the fresh squash chunks, tomatoes, chopped green chilies, bell pepper, thyme leaves, Sonoran Spice Mix and salt. When the onions and garlic are done, add them to the pot. 

Add half the meat to the hot skillet and brown on all sides quickly, then add to the pot, and repeat with the remaining meat. Stir together, cover with a tight fitting lid and place in the oven for 2 hours, checking for liquid levels. Add water only if needed.

Remove the pot from the oven and set the lid aside. Stir in the Maseca and water mixture and the drained and rinsed beans. Stir well, cover and bake for another hour at least. 

As with most stews, this is great served immediately, but will also benefit from reheating.




My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

A Long Awaited Guatemalan Dish of Piloyes

When I lived in Guatemala, only one time in all that time, were Piloyes con Chorizo served. I absolutely loved them, but never really knew what Piloyes were, except that they are beans. This last and only time I ate this dish was before 1973!

After all these years, in doing some research I learned that Piloyes are runner beans. Runner beans come in many many types and colors. According to one place I read, the ones used in this dish are Scarlet Runner Beans. Scarlet Runner Beans produce a lovely scarlet flower, and are often grown for how pretty the flowers are, but they do produce edible beans, and can be cooked fresh or dried. 

Rancho Gordo Beans and Chorizo Quijote

As it happens, I had been wanting to make these beans, to see if I still loved them as much as I did all those years ago. I might have actually ordered the Scarlet Runner Beans, had I gone straight to the site where they are available. The site is www.ranchogordo.com. There are so many wonderful looking and sounding beans; heirloom varieties, some that have nearly died out, or are less easy to produce. As it happens, I was online looking to order something entirely different: Weck jelly jars. While on the particular site, I looked around to see what else was available, and they had a small assortment of Rancho Gordo beans, so I ordered a sampler of 4 varieties, one of which is a very large bean, deep reddish and with some spots, called Ayocote Morado. 

Ayocote Morado Beans and Air Dried Chorizo

There is a 5-type-of-bean sampler available at Amazon. None of these types are either this Ayocote Morado or Scarlet Runner Beans. Going to their website is the one way to really see the scope of what these people are doing. Someone complained on Amazon that these beans are too expensive. Maybe. But one certainly cannot go to any grocery store and find them, so online it is. 

Anyway, back to my Piloyes. I found also that the reason that the beans used in Guatemala were called Piloyes are because of the root word "pilo" meaning pole. Pole = runner beans - AHA! These Ayocote Morado beans I used for the dish are also runner beans, and also very large beans. I did not soak them. BIG mistake. I am used to putting on a pot of black beans or navy beans and having them cooked through in about 3 hours, with no soaking. These huge beans took a solid 8 hours of cooking until they were done. Needless to say, we ate something else for dinner that night, because they were just plain not ready yet! A word to the wise: soak the beans overnight!

Piloyes con Chorizo with avocado

The recipe is very simple, really, and requires few ingredients. Unfortunately two of the main ingredients, namely the beans and the chorizo are hard to come by up here. I covered the beans, but then there is the chorizo. There is no Mexican store up here anymore, and the only kind of chorizo available is a soft variety that is in a tube - a soft variety that would never hold its shape while cooking with the beans. What is required is a Spanish style, air-dried, preferably, that has great flavor and can be sliced, like a good dried salami. The chorizo makes a huge difference in how this comes out. I ordered some Spanish chorizo at a somewhat ridiculous price though it was not the best, (the best was even more prohibitive). If you live somewhere with great air-dried chorizo available, I encourage you to try this recipe. The chorizo was the meat in the meal when I ate this in Guatemala, but can be made with less chorizo, only to give good flavor.

Piloyes con Chorizo (Runner Beans with Chorizo)

Makes a large pot

Piloyes con Chorizo, with avocado

1 pound large runner beans, soaked overnight
1 or 2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
Water to cover (about 8 cups)
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
chorizo, as desired (mine was 11.5 ounces)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 - 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
salt, if needed

Wash, and sort the beans and soak in water to cover by at least 2 inches overnight. Place the beans in a large pot with the thyme and bay leaf and cook, with about 8 cups of fresh water, for about 1 or 2 hours, until beginning to get cooked. Add in the tomato paste and the chorizo, sliced as desired and continue cooking until the beans are tender.

Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until at least tender, or at most deep golden, and then add them in with the beans and simmer for another 15 to 30 minutes to meld flavors. 

When I made these, I added no salt at all during cooking, and when I tasted the finished beans, they did not need salt, probably due to the chorizo. Add salt at your own discretion.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

A Most Exceptional Three Bean & Bacon Medley

I made pizza a few days back. It was good, but my husband is the pizza fanatic in our house. I was getting tired of it. He will eat it as leftovers for days. I was really craving something fresh, but also something more hearty. I made both. I was thinking of making the macaroni salad that I posted yesterday. It was fresh in my mind, and sounded good. Still, I was trying to get away from all the useless carbs from the pizza, so why switch to macaroni? Beans! Beans would be just what I wanted.

Three Bean & Bacon Medley

I had been meaning to make a batch of black beans for weeks. I just don't seem to get to it, and I prefer the flavor when they are made in the crock pot. Meaning that I must get them into the pot no later than 9 AM to have them cooked through by 4 PM to fry some onion and mix them together before dinner. I love black beans. My husband is also a fanatic for beans, but they must be the "pork and beans" kind, meaning in a tomato-based sauce and sweet. I do love pork and beans also. I just have more varied tastes than he does, and having lived in Guatemala for 12 years gave me a real love for black beans. 

Long and short, I had no black beans simmering away all day, so what next? I do keep cans of various kinds of beans in my pantry. If I decide to make chili on the spur of the moment, I have kidney beans. If I feel like hummus, I have cans of chickpeas, and on and on like that. So I went to stand in the pantry and peruse my options. I wondered if I could make a mixture of beans that could simulate a nice pork and bean type mixture. I picked up cans of kidney beans, pinto bean and garbanzo beans. I also picked up a can of corn, thinking to mix that in, but changed my mind on the corn.

Three Bean & Bacon Medley

My husband's love of ketchup would have him more than happy if I used all ketchup to make the sauce for these beans, but I didn't want to go there quite so avidly. I took a can of tomato sauce also, along with a little can of mild green chilies. Now I had the basics, so it was a matter of deciding how to embellish and make these more exciting. I was inspired, I guess, because while my husband still ate leftover pizza, he also ate a large bowl of these beans. He said afterwards that I should hang onto this recipe with my life, because they were the best beans, EVER! That is quite the compliment. I am pleased. I loved them as well, and really overindulged. Between us, we ate 2/3 of the pot full. As a regular side dish, it should feed far more! It ended up being my main dish for dinner, along with some cole-slaw.

Three Bean & Bacon Medley

Three Bean & Bacon Medley

Serves 6 to 8

1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans
1 (15.5 ounce) can kidney beans
1 (15.5 ounce can pinto beans
4 - 5 ounces bacon, diced
1 large onion, diced
½ green bell pepper, chopped
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons double concentrated tomato paste
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon cider vinegar

Empty the cans of beans into a large colander and run cold water over them repeatedly, until they stop foaming. Set them aside to drain. In a 6 quart pot, fry the bacon over medium to medium low heat until about halfway done. Add in the onion and continue to cook, stirring often, until the onion is well softened and translucent and the bacon is cooked through. If there is more than a tablespoon of bacon fat in the pot, drain some of it, or use a paper towel to soak up some of the grease to discard.

Add in the green pepper and stir for a few minutes, then add in all the remaining ingredients and stir well. Allow the mixture to come to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes to meld the flavors. Serve hot.

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Hash Browns, Hatch Chiles & Eggs

Hash Browns for One, with eggs

I have had a desire to create a "Hatch Chile Sauce" for a long while. This began many years ago, down in Tucson, where one of my sisters resides. Near her house is a park and Tea Garden called Tohono Chul. The park is lovely in the Southwest xeriscape way, showcasing the plants and critters local to the area. The "Tea Garden" or, as I see in the website is now called "Garden Bistro", showcases absolutely fantastic meals, but breakfast is the meal I have enjoyed most often. For years, as I would visit my sister, we would go there and I would order the same meal, every time. It was scrambled eggs, wrapped in corn tortillas, served with a pool of Hatch Chile Sauce and black beans, sour cream and some olives. A Southwest breakfast fit for a king. Everything in that meal caused me raptures. And then, they took it off the menu.

I realize that menus must change periodically. The locals would want something new I assume. But me - I just wished that breakfast was still on the menu. And this is what brings me to this blog. I have been dreaming of that Hatch Chile Sauce ever since. It had a little bit of bite, but was mild, overall. The southwest flavor was the thing that just enchanted me. The last time I was in Tucson, my husband and I drove back from there, via the Grand Canyon, the giant meteor crater (remember "Star Man"?), Hatch, New Mexico, Denver, CO, Aberdeen, SD, and on and on, till we got back to Florida, where we lived at the time. When passing through Hatch, we stopped and I bought a large string of Hatch chilies. I had not really used them; mainly I had them hanging as a decoration. My understanding is that "Hatch Chilies" are just chilies that grow in Hatch, NM, and not any particular variety. They could be hot chilies or mild. The string I have are relatively hot.

A few days ago I wanted some hash browns. My husband will absolutely not eat hash browns if the skins are on the potatoes. Skins are his big, fat no-no. Me - I love the skins, so if I make hash browns for myself, I leave the skins on. I made one little potato-worth of hash browns in a tiny skillet, just for me. I made 2 eggs in the same skillet to set on top of the potatoes and it was my supper. Here is the recipe:

Hash Browns for One

Potato Mixture - In the pan

1 small potato, scrubbed
1 tablespoon olive oil 
3 scallions, chopped
3/4 teaspoon salt
a few grinds of pepper, optional
1 teaspoon cornstarch

One side cooked - Hash Browns served

Chop the scallions and set aside. Lay out a 2-layer thickness of paper toweling at least a foot long or more. Heat a small skillet over medium heat. With a large-holed grater, grate the little potato onto the paper toweling. Spread the shreds out relatively evenly, roll the paper toweling with the potato inside, then squeeze all along the roll to wring as much moisture from the potato shreds as possible. Unroll the paper toweling, dropping the potato shreds with the scallion. Add the salt, pepper if using, and the cornstarch. With fingers, toss the mixture to combine. Add the olive oil to the hot skillet and drop in the potatoes. Press them gently into an even circle. Cover with a lid, reduce heat to medium low and cook for about 4 minutes. Remove lid and set a spatula under one side of the potato cake. Using the pan's momentum, lift the pan and flip the potato cake with the spatula. Back on the heat, cover and cook for another 2 minutes. At this point the potatoes should be cooked through.
Delightful as my hash browns and eggs were, it got me thinking about that Hatch Chile Sauce again, and I started gazing fondly at my string of Hatch chiles and dreaming of how I could make a chile sauce that would be similar to the one at Tohono Chul. I have a large bag of dried Ancho peppers in my freezer. They are in 2 zip-top bags, as I do not use them often, and just want them as fresh as possible when I do want them. I wondered how many chilies it would require to get the sauce to be similar to the one at TC. Theirs was a relatively smooth sauce, a nice dusky orange in color. I figured there was no way to find out but by trying. This is what I did:

My Hatch Ancho Chile Sauce

Hatch Ancho Chile Sauce

Makes 1 pint

2 hot, dried chilies
1 large dried Ancho chili
Boiling water, for soaking 
1 large onion, or 2 small onions, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt 
2 cloves garlic, coarse chopped
3 tablespoons double concentrated tomato paste (from a tube)
2 - 3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, rough-chopped
1 cup water, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar
pinch of dried epazote, optional
pinch of annatto powder, optional
1 tablespoon butter
 
In a small saucepan, heat some water to boiling. Reduce to lowest heat and add the 3 chilies. Allow them to steep in the water while starting the onions. Heat a medium skillet and add the olive oil. Add in the onions and teaspoon of salt; saute until translucent, stirring periodically. Add the garlic, thyme and tomato paste and stir to combine, cooking until the garlic is fragrant, about one minute. Add in half the water and stir.
 
Remove the chilies from the hot water. If you want the sauce to be very hot, leave in the seeds and membranes; otherwise, remove stems, seeds and membranes, coarsely chop and add to the skillet. Stir just to combine and pour into a blender or food processor. Process until the sauce is as smooth as you like and return the sauce to the skillet. Stir in the rest of the water, with the half teaspoon salt, vinegar and epazote and annatto, if using. These last may make no appreciable difference. The annato will give more depth of color. The epazote is a very southwest flavor and I have it in my cabinet! Add in the butter and stir until it melts and is well combined. Once cooled, store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Corn Tortillas, Hash Browns for One, Eggs, Hatch Ancho Chile Sauce with a side of black beans, olives and sour cream

The sauce tasted really good, though it has been quite a few years since I last had it at Tohono Chul. This morning I made my Hash Browns for One, set them onto a couple of tortillas, topped that with two eggs, served myself some black beans and topped the eggs with the newly created Hatch Ancho Chile Sauce. It was a meal fit for a Southwest King - or Queen, as the case may be!



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Mom and Dad's Bean Soup is a Delight

My Bean Soup, last evening

Long, long ago, when I was quite young, my Dad brought home a recipe for Bean Soup. They didn't often really cook together. Dad worked long hours and didn't always have time. He was inventive through, and loved to try new things, so I think that must be where I got my gene for trying new things! They made the bean soup though, and it didn't quite suit. So they tinkered with it, tweaked it, and over time, this is what they came up with; a delicious, stick-to-your-ribs kind of soup that is just heaven on a cold day. The photo below left is one my Dad took with his Sony Mavica camera. He was so proud to be able to take photos and immediately email them to all of us children. Dad passed on later that year, and Mom some years later, but their recipes live on.

Mom & Dad's Bean Soup, 2001

ham bone and beans in the pot with water - note the line

To make this soup, it is best to have a leftover ham bone from whatever occasion you have eaten a ham. It is also good to leave a bit of ham on the bone so you get some nice meaty bites in the finished soup. Whenever the occasion arises and a ham bone is left, freeze it, well wrapped until needed. If you really do not have a ham bone, it is possible to make this soup with smoked ham hocks. There was a time when ham hocks had a bit more meat to them, but these days, there is almost none. Still, the flavor will be there and that is the most important part. If you use ham hocks, you might consider adding in 1/2 to 1 pound of cubed ham. Other than the ham bone, the soup is really very simple. Nothing out of the ordinary goes in but beans, barley, onion, carrots, potatoes bay leaves and ketchup.

I don't recall Mom ever soaking the beans for the soup, and I never have when I make my own. Great Northern beans are best, though Navy Beans are fine. When Mom and Dad made the soup in later years, they started playing with the recipe a bit, using celery, which they never did when I was young, and sometimes substituting a bag of baby carrots for regular carrots, sliced. The soup will thicken as the beans are cooked for more than 2 hours. If you stop the cooking when the beans are just tender, the soup will not be as thick, though just as tasty. My preference is that the soup be so nice and thick you can almost stand your spoon up in it, but that is my choice.

Another thing my Dad always did, and I follow suit, is to add a little vinegar to the soup in his bowl. It really enhances the flavor of the soup. I know some may thing this is odd, but I love it, so give it a try. Anywhere from a teaspoon to a tablespoon per bowl, to taste. This soup is heavenly good on its own, but a nice slice of bread with butter is a wonderful addition to the meal.

Bean Soup

The finished soup

1 leftover ham bone, with up to 1 pound meat left on
1 pound Great Northern Beans, picked over and rinsed
1 large onion, diced
1 - 2 bay leaves
1 cup barley, preferably the long-cooking kind
3 - 4 large carrots, scrubbed, sliced in coins
2 - 4 potatoes, depending on size, peeled, cubed
3/4 - 1 cup ketchup

Put first five ingredients into a very large soup pot and add water. The ham bone should stick out by about 1/3 (note the line I made on the photo above to show where the water line was). Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for about an hour or so. Add the carrots, potatoes and ketchup, cover and continue to cook for at least another hour or two, until soup is slightly thickened and beans are falling-apart tender. Remove the ham bone from the pot and set it on a plate. When cool enough to handle, break off all the meat and break it up into shreds. Discard the bone and any fat. Return the meat to the pot and stir in. Remove bay leaves and pass the vinegar!



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

What to do with Summer's Bounty?

Summer Bounty

This time of year, we are all inundated with vegetables. It is a wondrous thing, especially after going through a long winter, and believe me, up in south Dakota, winter is plenty long. I am not complaining, but suddenly there is a glut of all the vegetables, and we all scramble for things to make. Whether it is too  many tomatoes, too many ears of corn, too many zucchini, or any other vegetable, I always look for some new way to use them.

I bought some ears of corn at the Farmers' Market here; a very small affair compared to some cities, but very nice and most welcome. Of course, I no more than bought the corn and then two people gave me a bunch more. 

Fresh RAW Corn Salad

Fresh RAW Corn Salad

Serves 4 - 6 as a side dish
Serves 2 - 3 as a main course on a RAW diet

3 ears fresh corn (about 3 cups corn kernels)
1 red bell pepper
1 jalapeno pepper, or more as desired
1 - 2 Roma tomatoes
1 chopped shallot
½ cup cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon cumin seed, ground coarsely
1 teaspoon salt

Cut kernels from the corn cobs and place into a bowl. Chop the bell pepper, jalapeno pepper (remove seeds and membranes if less heat is desired), and tomato(es) and add to the corn. Add in the cilantro, lime juice, salt and cumin and toss to combine.


Personally, I love my Fresh RAW Corn Salad best, but I have come up with a couple of other recipes recently to try and use up some of the extra corn. One was Confetti Corn and Bacon; anything with bacon tastes good! Another was just a couple of days ago; Southwest Corn and Beans. 

Confetti Corn and Bacon

Confetti Corn and Bacon

Serves 6 to 8

6 ounces bacon, sliced across into ¼-inch strips
1 onion, chopped
6 ears fresh corn, cut off the cob
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 - 2 jalapenos, seeds and membranes removed, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1½ tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
2 teaspoons nonpareil capers
½ cup heavy whipping cream

Fry the bacon on a large skillet until just crisp. Remove the bacon to paper toweling to drain and set aside. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings in the skillet. Add in the onion and saute gently for about 10 minutes or until just golden. Add in the corn and peppers and saute another 8 minutes, then add in the garlic to cook for another two or so minutes, until corn is tender. Add in the salt, sage, capers and whipping cream and heat through. Return the bacon to the pan, reserving 1 tablespoon for garnish.

Southwest Corn and Beans

Southwest Corn and Beans

Makes about 8 - 10 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
5 ears fresh corn, sliced from the cobs, about 6 - 7 cups
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, stripped from stems, OR
1 teaspoon dried whole thyme, rubbed between palms
1 teaspoon cumin, or more, to taste
2 - 2½ teaspoons salt
few grinds of the pepper mill
½ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 can kidney beans, well rinsed
½ cup chopped cilantro, or to taste

Heat a very large skillet and add in the olive oil. Put the onion, bell pepper and celery into the pan and saute on medium heat for about 8 minutes, until softened. Add in the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the corn, along with the thyme, cumin, salt, pepper and sun-dried tomatoes and continue to cook, tossing often for another 10 minutes. Add the lime juice with the beans and cilantro and toss until heated through, another 2 minutes. Serve with some cilantro leaves scattered over top for garnish.

My Sister-in-Law is growing herbs this year that are not always in her repertoire, such as rosemary, sage and chives. She usually has various flavors of mint, and does this year as well. Since I was moving into a new house this Spring, I missed out on getting anything planted, so I am doubly grateful for her bounty. I do miss my herbs. I walked to her place today and picked some sage, rosemary and mint. I wanted to use sage in my Yellow Squash and Apple Casserole that I was dreaming up. I got back and made the casserole with some of the yellow squash a friend brought over. I was mainly trying to think of a way to make these yellow squash or zucchini more exciting to eat. I find them rather bland. Great for making zucchini breads, but less so when trying to get them down otherwise.

Everyone may not agree with me on this, and that is wonderful. This would be one sad world if everyone liked only the same things. But, for any of you out there who find a lot of zucchini and/or yellow squash on hand, with little desire to eat them, you have just GOT to try this casserole.  I have been thinking on this recipe for days. I knew I wanted to put Granny Smith apples in it, but aside from that, I hadn't pinpointed the rest of what would make this casserole stand out. Today I did that.

Yellow Squash and Apple Casserole

Yellow Squash and Apple Casserole

 
Makes one 9 x 13-inch casserole

4 slices thick-slice bacon
1 tablespoon reserved bacon fat
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, thin sliced and rough-chopped
2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups yellow squash and/or zucchini, cut in thin slices
4 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, sliced thinly
1 cup bread crumbs
2½ cups shredded cheddar, 1 cup set aside
2 tablespoons minced fresh sage (less than 2 teaspoons if dried)
1½ teaspoons salt
pepper, to taste
2 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup water

Slice the bacon across the length into ¼-inch pieces. Fry the bacon till crisp, drain and reserve 1 tablespoon of the fat in the pan. Add in the butter and the onions and toss to coat. Saute the onions till golden, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and allow the mixture to cook for another 2 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While the bacon and the onions are cooking, slice the squash or zucchini and place into a large bowl. Add in the apples, bread crumbs, 1½ cups of the cheddar, sage, salt and pepper. Add the bacon and onion/garlic mixture to the bowl when they are done, tossing well to coat. Add in the eggs, whisked with the half-cup of water and mix well. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, or spray with cooking spray. Pour the squash mixture into the prepared pan, patting in evenly. Sprinkle with the reserved cheddar. Cover with foil and bake the casserole for about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake about 25 minutes more, or until the vegetables are tender and the top is golden.

Of course, you may say that anything with bacon, egg and cheese in it is going to be good. And you'd be right. I added in some other flavors too, such as fresh sage, bread crumbs, caramelized onion and garlic. I was testing as I went along to see if there was enough flavor. It seemed good. I found it needed to be covered for part of the baking time in order to get the vegetables and apple done through. But even while baking it smelled just heavenly. I couldn't wait to taste it. It was certainly worth the wait. My husband has absolutely no interest in zucchini or yellow squash, but I knew he would like it this way. I shoved a spoon in his mouth as soon as he got home this afternoon, and he admitted that it really was good. That is my real test of a recipe!

Okay, I grant you that this is not going to fly if you are on any kind of diet at all. It is not egg-free, dairy-free, gluten free. It won't work for vegetarians and less still for vegans. But it is so tasty. Oh yes.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Organizing a New Kitchen

Finally back after our move. I've been digging myself out from boxes everywhere for the last 2 weeks, after frantically packing for the weeks prior. Moving is stressful at best. My husband keeps asking where an item is. All I can say with any certainty is, "I just don't know!" Of course, that is not the answer he hoped for so it continues to be stressful. Such is life and moving.

I have no new photos to attach here for this blog. Maybe tomorrow, or maybe next week, but I wanted to at least write a little bit here. I am making an effort to do a little light cooking, in an attempt at "getting to know my new kitchen." It is hard to get things in an order so they are handy and useful, and every kitchen is set up differently. I have plenty of room, but things are laid out differently in each house. Yesterday I made brownies. I had been warned that the stove here runs hot, so I set the temperature 25 degrees lower. The brownies were not done in the usual time called for, so I upped the temp and they were finally done with about 7 extra minutes. They came out delightfully chewy, so that was great, but I am not sure the oven temp really runs much hotter than normal, after that experiment. Here is my recipe:

My Best Brownies

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2/3 cup unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts

In a medium saucepan, melt together the chocolate and butter (11 tablespoons). Once melted, remove from heat. Add in the sugar and mix to combine. Add the eggs and beat to combine. Add in the flour, baking powder, salt and nuts and stir until just mixed. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Do not overbake.

I made my Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes with Ham a few days ago, in the midst of complete chaos. They also turned out perfectly and it was so wonderful to have a home cooked meal again, instead of store bought rotisserie chicken, potato salad and coleslaw, or spiral sliced ham with potato salad and coleslaw. Not that I am complaining. My wonderful sister-in-law provided the foods during the move, so I didn't have to panic trying to find things to make in such a chaotic situation. I am completely and utterly grateful for all she provided. It is still nice to get back to some semblance of normalcy. This coming weekend I am hoping to make Mom Rawstern's Famous Baked Beans with the ham bone from that spiral sliced ham we have been eating for the last week.

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes with Ham

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes with Ham

Serves 6 to 8
Makes one 9 x 13-inch casserole

2 cups ham, cut in small chunks
3 - 3½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled, sliced ¼" thick
½ medium onion, sliced thinly, then roughly chopped
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese, reserving ¾ cup aside
6 tablespoons flour
1½ teaspoon salt
¼ - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups milk, evaporated milk or cream
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (375, if convection). Spray a 9 x 13-inch casserole with cooking spray. Divide the potatoes into three piles, making one pile of the best and most even shaped slices, and one with the smallest bits and pieces. Place the latter pile into the bottom of the casserole. Layer half the ham over the potatoes, then half the onion, and half the cheese. Sprinkle on 3 tablespoons of the flour, then half the salt and pepper. Place pats of one tablespoon of the butter over the surface. Repeat with another layer of potatoes, then the ham, onion, cheese, flour, salt, pepper and the butter. Top with the best looking potato slices.

Heat the milk to just warm, and whisk in the Dijon mustard. Pour this over the casserole, cover the casserole with foil and bake for45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for another 45 minutes. Ten minutes before the potatoes are done, sprinkle the reserved cheddar cheese over top of the casserole and allow to finish baking. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving. 


Today my husband requested my Uniquely Fine Chicken Salad. He loves it for lunch sandwiches, though it is equally good for noshing, served on crackers, tortillas or buns. It is also wonderful for appetizers. Eventually I will get some photos to put in my blog and website, but for today, at least the recipe is available. It is completely gluten free, if served on something other than wheat breads or crackers. It is delightful on a bed of lettuce or tomatoes, too.

Uniquely Fine Chicken Salad

Uniquely Fine Chicken Salad

Makes 6 to 7 cups

½ cup raisins or craisins
½ cup pecans, walnuts or almonds
3 to 4 stalks celery, in 1-inch chunks
1 carrot, scrubbed, in half-inch slices
1 green pepper, seeded, in 1-inch chunks
1 whole rotisserie chicken, skin and bones removed
¾ cup sweet pickle relish
¾ - 1 cup mayonnaise
¼ cup yellow mustard

In a food processor, place the raisins and nuts and process for about 20 to 30 seconds, until in smaller bits. Remove to a large bowl. Next, process the celery in about 4 to 5 short pulses and remove to the bowl. Repeat with the carrot and then the green pepper. Do not process too fine. Repeat with the chicken in two batches and add to the bowl, along with the pickle relish, mayonnaise and mustard. With a spatula, combine all the ingredients well. 


It is good to be back!


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest. 

My Mother-in-Law's Famous Baked Beans

When I joined my husband's family almost 25 years ago, one of the things I learned early on is that there is no substitute for his Mom's baked beans. I was assured it was somehow impossible to replicate them, and the family had tried. Not one to back down from such a challenge, I wondered about this, but when his parents came to visit one time, I asked Mom R to make them, so I could see how it was done.

Mom Rawstern's Famous Baked Beans

She said we needed a ham bone, with some meat left on it, preferably about a pound. Check. Had one of those in the freezer, since I like to make bean soup with ham. She said we needed ketchup, some brown sugar and molasses. Check, check and check. Doing good so far. We needed white beans, preferably Great Northern. These I did not have in the pantry, alas. We took a trip to the grocery store and rectified that lapse. She sorted through the beans, checking for bits of dirt and such, washed them and left them to soak overnight.


Next morning she got down to business and set the beans in water in a large pot. Adding in the ham bone, she turned on the beans to boil, lowered the heat and covered the pot and allowed the beans to simmer away for a couple of hours on top of the stove. The next thing she did was remove the bone, cutting off the meat and adding that back in, and next went in the other three ingredients. We had a 32 ounce bottle of ketchup, and most of that was used, or something like over 2 cups worth. About a half cup of dark brown sugar went in next, and a couple of tablespoons of molasses. She stirred the mixture, covered the pot and placed into a low oven, about 260 to 280 degrees, or whatever maintains a simmer. Now, she said, 4 or 5 hours of baking and they are ready for supper.  

Mom Rawstern's Famous Baked Beans

Mom Rawstern's Famous Baked Beans

Five ingredients and long slow cooking make these baked beans a hit at any time. If the thought of ketchup puts you off, think about the fact that ketchup has all the flavor ingredients already included; spices, vinegar, sugar. You need a long day at home to babysit these, but the recipes is large and they freeze very well, so it's easy to have them at any time.

Makes one large pot of beans

1 pound great northern beans, picked over and soaked overnight
1 leftover ham bone with at least 1 pound of meat left on
2 cups ketchup
½ cup dark brown sugar
2 Tablespoons molasses

When ready to begin the recipe, place the beans with their soaking water into a 8 quart, oven-safe soup pot. Make sure the water covers the beans by about 2 inches. Set the ham bone into the beans and water; the water will not cover all the ham bone; this is fine. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to maintain a simmer. Cover and cook for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to about 275 degrees, or whatever temperature will maintain a low simmer. Add in the ketchup, brown sugar and molasses and stir. Bring back to a boil and cover the pot. Set pot into the oven and allow to slowly simmer for 4 to 5 hours more. If the beans still look soupy, remember that once they cool they will thicken significantly. If making these for a party, it is best to make them at least a day in advance, giving them time to thicken to proper consistency.

NOTES: With any beans, it is best to soak them overnight in water to cover by about 3 inches. If you forget, put the picked over and washed beans into a large pot with water to cover by 2 to 3 inches and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and allow to stand for 1 hour, then proceed with the recipe.

So what was the difficulty?

Looking at this recipe, it was way too easy. Why would it be so difficult to mimic? All these years later, I was asked to take her one cookbook and make all of her recipes into a cookbook for the family. I love my husband's family a lot, and I put heart and soul into that compilation of recipes, including a lot of family photos. Mom R did not use her one cookbook for the recipes, but just as a place to write in her own, anywhere there was a bit of space. Sometimes, in 3 or 4 different places. And sometimes, all of them were slightly different. Aha! This might be the problem. Mom R changed her recipes over time, it appears, and the recipe was written one way for this person in the family, another for that person. In some recipes she has onion added. In some were onion flakes. Some had more or less of an ingredient. I guess it would be harder to truly know the recipe that way.

Looking at this recipe, I have stuck with the it as she gave it to me, with one difference. I know that any bone in a soup or stew gives immense flavor. I leave the bone in for the entire cooking time. At the point the beans are done, the meat literally dissolves off the bone, and the bone is easily removed, bare. My husband has always been extremely pleased with the outcome of my version of his Mom's best recipe, and that is what counts.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.