Appetizers 7 Layer Bean Dip Recipe

INGREDIENTS

2 cups of refried beans, either from one 15-ounce can or homemade 1 teaspoon (or more) of bacon fat (or 1 strip of bacon, cooked and minced) optional 1 teaspoon of chipotle powder, Tabasco chipotle sauce, or adobo sauce, more to taste (or plain chili powder to taste) 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin Salt 1 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese 1/4 cup chopped green Anaheim chiles (canned) OR a Tbsp of chopped pickled jalapenos (more to taste) 1 avocado, peeled and chopped 1 hot house tomato, cut in half horizontally, seeds and juice gently squeezed out and discarded, chopped 1/3 cup of sour cream, or if you can get it Crema Mexicana (Mexican sour cream) 1/2 small can of sliced ripe black olives

METHOD 1 Heat the refried beans in a medium saut pan or cast iron skillet. Stir in enough water to get a creamy, easily dip-able consistency, about 1/4 of a cup. The taste of refried beans is greatly enhanced by bacon fat; we'll add a teaspoon to canned beans or a tablespoon or more to taste if we are making the beans from scratch. If you don't have bacon fat, you can cook up a strip of bacon, chop it up fine and add that to the beans. If you are trying to avoid pork, note that most canned refried beans are

made with added lard, so check the ingredients. You can use olive oil instead, to help the consistency of the beans. Mix in the chipotle chili powder (or Tabasco, or adobo, or regular chili powder) and cumin to taste. Note that the avocados and the sour cream will cool down the spiciness of the beans considerably, so you can afford to be a bit more spicy than you might think. Stir in salt to taste, depending on how salted your refried beans are to begin with, and depending on how salty the tortilla chips are that you are serving with the dip. 2 Once the beans are hot and bubbly, spread them over the bottom of a warmed serving dish. Immediately add the shredded cheese so that the heat from the beans helps melt the cheese. (The cheese doesn't need to be completely melted, but even if it is just a little, it will help the dip stay on the chip.) 3 Layer on the chopped green chilies, chopped avocado, chopped tomato. Spoon on the sour cream (or crema Mexicana, crema fresca, or even cream fraiche). Top with sliced green onions and olives. Serve immediately with tortilla chips. Yield: Serves 8.

Baked Stuffed Jalapeos Recipe

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 25 minutes

When working with jalapeos, it helps to wear disposable gloves. If you don't have gloves, coat your hands with some oil before working with the peppers, then once you are done, wash your hands

thoroughly with warm soapy water. Do not touch your eyes for several hours after handling the peppers.

INGREDIENTS

Cream Cheese Filling Version 12 jalapeo peppers* 1/4 cup minced onion 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 3/4 cup cream cheese 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste) 2 ounces jack cheese, cut into 2 1/2-inch long batons Bacon and Jack Cheese Filling Version 12 jalapeo peppers* 1/4 cup chopped cooked bacon 1/4 cup minced onion 1/2 cup shredded jack cheese, plus another 2 ounces of jack cheese cut into 2 1/2-inch long batons 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon dried oregano * When buying jalapeos for this recipe, if you want mild peppers, look for peppers with smooth skins. Striations tend to indicate that the pepper has been stressed while growing, and that can mean a hotter pepper. METHOD 1 Preheat the oven to 375. 2 You can either slice the jalapeos in half lengthwise or you can slice off the top one-third (lengthwise) of each jalapeo to make a boat shape out of each pepper. The halved jalapeos will go further (twice as many stuffed peppers), but you can put more filling into the boat-shaped peppers. Your choice. If you choose to make the boats, you can mince the tops and add them to the filling if you want some extra heat, or save them for another recipe. Scrape out all the seeds and ribs from each jalapeo with a spoon (a grapefruit spoon works great). 3 Mix together all the filling ingredients except the jack cheese batons. 4 Pack the filling into the peppers and nestle a baton of jack cheese onto the filling of each one. Arrange the peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned, and the peppers are cooked. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Yield: Makes 12-24 servings (depending on how you've cut the jalapeos).

Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil Recipe

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes INGREDIENTS

6 or 7 ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs) 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped. Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 baguette French bread or similar Italian bread 1/4 cup olive oil

METHOD 1 Prepare the tomatoes first. Parboil the tomatoes for one minute in boiling water that has just been removed from the burner. Drain. Using a sharp small knife, remove the skins of the tomatoes. (If the tomatoes are too hot, you can protect your finger tips by rubbing them with an ice cube between tomatoes.) Once the tomatoes are peeled, cut them in halves or quarters and remove the seeds and juice from their centers. Also cut out and discard the stem area. Why use plum tomatoes instead of regular tomatoes? The skins are much thicker and there are fewer seeds and less juice. 2 Make sure there is a top rack in place in your oven. Turn on the oven to 450F to preheat.

3 While the oven is heating, chop up the tomatoes finely. Put tomatoes, garlic, 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, vinegar in a bowl and mix. Add the chopped basil. Add salt and pepper to taste. 4 Slice the baguette on a diagonal about 1/2 inch thick slices. Coat one side of each slice with olive oil using a pastry brush. Place on a cooking sheet, olive oil side down. You will want to toast them in the top rack in your oven, so you may need to do these in batches depending on the size of your oven. Once the oven has reached 450F, place a tray of bread slices in the oven on the top rack. Toast for 56 minutes, until the bread just begins to turn golden brown. Alternatively, you can toast the bread without coating it in olive oil first. Toast on a griddle for 1 minute on each side. Take a sharp knife and score each slice 3 times. Rub some garlic in the slices and drizzle half a teaspoon of olive oil on each slice. This is the more traditional method of making bruschetta. 5 Align the bread on a serving platter, olive oil side up. Either place the tomato topping in a bowl separately with a spoon for people to serve themselves over the bread, or place some topping on each slice of bread and serve. If you top each slice with the tomatoes, do it right before serving or the bread may get soggy. Serves 6-10 as an appetizer. Or 3-4 for lunch (delicious served with cottage cheese on the side.) Yield: Makes 24 small slices.

Main Course Arroz Con Pollo Recipe

INGREDIENTS Chicken 3 Tbsp olive oil

1 broiler-fryer chicken, about 2 1/2-3 pounds, cut into serving pieces, or 2 1/2 to 3 pounds of chicken thighs or breasts, bone-in, with skin on, rinsed and patted dry 1/2 cup of flour for dredging Salt Freshly ground black pepper Paprika 2 tablespoons olive oil (can use up to 1/4 cup) 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 2 cups of medium or long-grain white rice 3 cups* chicken stock 1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste or 1 cup of diced fresh or cooked tomatoes, strained Pinch of oregano 1 teaspoon salt

Rice

*Check the instructions on the rice package for the proportions of liquid to rice. They can range from 1:1 to 2:1. If your rice calls for 2 cups of water for every cup of rice, then for this recipe, use 4 cups of stock for 2 cups of rice. METHOD 1 Heat 3 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet (a skillet that has a cover) on medium high heat. Put the flour in a wide bowl, mix in a generous sprinkling of salt, pepper, and paprika. Dredge the chicken pieces lightly in the flour mixture and put in the pan to brown. (You can skip the flour dredging part if you want. It just makes a nicer coating for the chicken.) Cook a few minutes on each side, just enough so that the chicken has browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove from pan and set aside. 2 Add the rice to the pan to brown. Add a little more olive oil if necessary. Stir first to coat the rice with the olive oil in the pan. Then don't stir too much or you will prevent it from browning. Let it brown and then stir a little to let more of it brown. Then add the onion and garlic. Cook the onion, garlic and rice mixture, stirring frequently, until the onions have softened, about 4 minutes.

3 Place the chicken pieces, skin-side up, on top of the rice. In a separate bowl, mix together the stock, tomato, salt, and oregano. Pour the stock mixture over the rice and chicken. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and cover. Let cook for 20-25 minutes, depending on the type of rice and the instructions on the rice package, until the rice and chicken are done. Fluff the rice with a fork. If you want you can sprinkle with some peas. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4-6.

Beef Bourguignon

INGREDIENTS

6-8 ounces salt pork, cut into 1/2 inch chunks 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided 4 pounds trimmed beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes, patted dry with paper towels Salt 10-12 shallots, chopped, about 2 cups 2 large, peeled carrots, 1 chopped, 1 cut into 2-inch chunks 4-5 garlic cloves, chopped 1 ounce of dried porcini mushrooms (optional) 2 Tbsp tomato paste 1/2 cup brandy, plus 2 Tbsp 1 bottle Pinot Noir, or other red wine Beef Stock (low sodium), at least 1 cup, quite easily more 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley 2 bay leaves 2 teaspoons dried thyme 4 whole cloves 24 pearl onions, fresh or frozen 1 lb fresh shiitake, cremini or button mushrooms Beurre manie: 3 Tbsp flour blended with 2 Tbsp butter

METHOD

1 If you are using them, pour 1 cup of boiling water over the dried porcini mushrooms and allow them to rehydrate for 30 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and chop coarsely. Pour the soaking water through a paper towel (to remove any dirt or debris) into a bowl and set aside.

2 In a large saut pan, pour enough water to cover the bottom by about 1/8 inch. Over medium heat, cook the salt pork in the pan until the water evaporates, stirring occasionally. Once the water is gone, reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue to cook the salt pork until much of the fat has rendered out of it. Add a tablespoon of butter and continue to cook the salt pork unti the pieces are browned and crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the salt pork pieces to a large Dutch oven or other large, thick-bottomed, lidded pot. 3 Increase the heat to medium-high. Working in batches so that you do not crowd the pan, brown the beef. Leaving space around each piece of sizzling meat ensures that it browns and does not steam. Don't move the pieces of beef in the pan until they get a good sear, then turn them so they can get browned on another side. Take your time. This will take 15-25 minutes, depending on how large a saut pan you have. Once browned, remove the beef from the saut pan and place in the Dutch oven with the salt pork.

4 When all the beef has browned, add the shallots, the one chopped carrot, and the chopped porcini mushrooms if using. Stir in the pot to remove any browned, stuck-on bits in the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic and the tomato paste. Cook another 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. 5 Add the brandy and stir to combine. Boil down by half, then add the strained mushroom soaking water (if using). Scrape any remaining browned bits off the bottom of the saut pan and pour the contents of the pan into the Dutch oven.

6 To the Dutch oven add the bottle of wine and enough beef stock to almost cover the beef; the beef pieces should be barely poking up out of the liquid. Add the parsley, bay leaves, thyme and cloves. Cover and bring to a bare simmer. After 1 hour, add the second carrot, peeled and cut into chunks of 1-2 inches. Continue cooking for another hour, or until the beef is tender. 7 Meanwhile, trim the tough stems off the shiitake, cremini, or button mushrooms and slice into 2-3 large pieces; small mushrooms leave whole. Prepare the pearl onions. Boil them in their skins for 4-5 minutes. Drain and submerge in a bowl of ice water. Slice the tips and root ends off the onions and slip off the outer skins. 8 When the beef is tender, use tongs to remove all the beef and the chunks of carrots; set aside in a bowl. Strain the contents of the Dutch oven through a fine-meshed sieve set over a medium pot. This will be the sauce. Boil the sauce down, tasting frequently. If it begins to taste too salty, turn off the heat. Otherwise, boil down until you have about 3 cups. Turn off the heat.

9 Heat a large saut pan over high heat and add the mushrooms. Dry saut the mushrooms over high heat, shaking the pan and stirring often, until they release their water, about 4-5 minutes. Add the pearl onions and 3 tablespoons butter and toss to combine. Sprinkle salt over the onions and mushrooms. Saut until the onions begin to brown. Remove from heat.

10 Returning to the sauce, reduce the heat to medium and whisk in the beurre manie. Whisk in a third of the paste, wait for it to incorporate into the sauce, then add another third of the beurre manie, and so on. Do not let this boil, but allow it to simmer very gently for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of brandy. Taste for salt and add some if needed. 11 To serve, coat the beef, carrots, mushrooms and pearl onions with the sauce and serve with potatoes, egg noodles or lots of crusty bread. Yield: Serves 6-8

Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce Recipe

INGREDIENTS 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon chili powder 1/4 teaspoon turmeric 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken thighs (you can use breasts, but the thighs are more flavorful) 1 large red onion, chopped (about 1 cup) 5 cloves garlic, minced 2 jalapeo peppers, seeded and minced 2 Tbsp olive oil or grapeseed oil 1 14-oz can coconut milk 2 teaspoons cornstarch 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 3 Tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger Hot cooked rice METHOD

1 In a small bowl, mix together the salt, ground coriander, cumin, ground cloves, cinnamon, ground cardamom, black pepper, chili powder, and turmeric. Set aside.

2 Rinse chicken, pat dry. Cut into 1-inch pieces. Put into a bowl and sprinkle the spice mix over all the pieces. Coat well and let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours. 3 In a large skillet heat 1 Tbsp oil on medium high heat. Add the onions and jalapeos and cook for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Remove the onions, peppers and garlic from the pan and put into a medium sized bowl. Set aside. Use the same pan for the next step.

4 Add 1 Tbsp oil to the skillet and heat on medium high heat. Add one half of the chicken pieces, spreading them out on the pan so they are not crowded. Brown for a few minutes on each side. When the chicken pieces are cooked through, and no pink remains, remove from pan, add to the bowl with the onions. Cook the second batch of chicken pieces the same way. Remove from pan, add to bowl with onions. 5 Add the coconut milk, minus a couple tablespoons, to the skillet. In a small bowl, mix the remaining coconut with the corn starch to dissolve the corn starch. Add the corn startch mixture back to the skillet with the coconut milk. Cook on medium heat and stir till thick and bubbly. Mix in the worcestershire sauce. Add chicken mixture, basil, and ginger. Cook 2 minutes more to cook through. Serve over rice. Yield: Serves 4.

Soup and Stew African Chicken Peanut Stew

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Use chicken legs, thighs or wings for this recipe. They have more flavor and will hold up better with the flavors of the stew than breast meat. INGREDIENTS

2-3 pounds chicken legs, thighs and/or wings 3 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 large yellow or white onion, sliced A 3-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced 6-8 garlic cloves, chopped roughly 2-3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks 1 15-ounce can of crushed tomatoes 1 quart chicken stock 1 cup peanut butter 1 cup roasted peanuts 1 Tbsp ground coriander 1 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste Salt and black pepper 1/4 to 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro

METHOD

1 Heat the vegetable oil in a large soup pot set over medium-high heat. Salt the chicken pieces well, pat them dry and brown them in the oil. Don't crowd the pot, so do this in batches. Set the chicken pieces aside as they brown. 2 Saut the onions in the oil for 3-4 minutes, stirring often and scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Add the ginger and garlic and saut another 1-2 minutes, then add the sweet potatoes and stir well to combine. 3 Add the chicken, chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, peanut butter, peanuts, coriander and cayenne and stir well to combine. Bring to a simmer and taste for salt, adding more if needed. Cover the pot and simmer gently for 90 minutes (check after an hour), or until the chicken meat easily falls off the bone and the sweet potatoes are tender. 4 Remove the chicken pieces and set them in a bowl to cool, until cool enough to touch. Remove and discard the skin if you want, or chop it and put it back into the pot. Shred the meat off the bones and put the meat back in the pot. 5 Adjust the seasonings for salt and cayenne, then add as much black pepper as you think you can standthe stew should be peppery. Stir in the cilantro and serve by itself, or with simple steamed rice. Yield: Serves 6-8

Albondigas Soup Recipe

If fresh mint is not available, you can use a couple teaspoons of dried mint from herbal mint tea. You can also vary the vegetables depending on what you have on hand. Spring peas in their pods instead of shucked peas, for example. Or you could add some chopped fresh zucchini or corn. My mother often puts a couple extra tablespoons of chopped fresh mint directly into the soup. Feel free to substitute ground turkey for the ground beef, we do it often.

INGREDIENTS 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 1 large garlic clove, minced 3 quarts of chicken stock or beef stock OR water OR a mixture of both (we usually use half stock half water as the meatballs will create their own stock)* 1/2 cup of tomato sauce 1/2 lb of string beans, strings and ends removed, cut into 1 inch pieces 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced 1/3 cup of raw white rice 1 pound ground beef 1/4 cup of chopped fresh mint leaves 1/4 cup of chopped parsley 1 raw egg 1 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper A dash of cayenne (optional) 1 1/2 cup of frozen or fresh peas 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, crumbled, or 1 Tbsp fresh chopped oregano Salt and pepper

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

*If using prepared stock, be sure to use gluten-free stock if you are cooking gluten-free. METHOD 1 Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed pot (5-qt) over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute more. Add broth mixture and tomato sauce. Bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer. Add carrots and string beans. 2 Prepare the meatballs. Mix rice into meat, adding mint leaves and parsley, salt and pepper. Mix in raw egg. Form mixture into 1-inch meatballs.

3 Add the meatballs to the simmering soup, one at a time. Cover and let simmer for 1/2 hour. Add the peas towards the end of the 1/2 hour. Add a few pinches of oregano and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and a dash of cayenne, to taste. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro. Yield: Serves 6-8

Corn Chowder Recipe

INGREDIENTS 1 Tbsp unsalted butter 1 strip of bacon or 1 teaspoon of bacon fat (substitute 1/2 Tbsp of butter for vegetarian option) 1/2 large yellow onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup) 1/2 large carrot, chopped (about 1/3 cup) 1/2 celery stalk, chopped (about 1/3 cup) 3 ears of sweet corn, kernels removed from the cobs (about 2 cups), cobs reserved (see steps for taking corn off the cob) 1 bay leaf 3 1/2 cups milk, whole or low fat 1 medium Yukon Gold potato, or Russet, peeled and diced 1/4 red bell pepper, chopped (about 1/4 cup) Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

METHOD 1 In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the bacon strip (skip this step for vegetarian option, just add more butter) and fry until the bacon renders its fat, but doesn't begin to brown, 3 or 4 minutes. Add the onion and saut for 4 to 5 minutes, until soft. Add the carrot and celery and cook for 4 or 5 more minutes. 2 Break the corn cobs in half and add them to the saucepan. Add the milk and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a bare simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 30 minutes. Make sure the heat is as low as can be and still maintain a gentle simmer (on our stove we had to use the "warm" setting) to prevent scalding the milk on the bottom of the pan. 3 Discard the cobs, the bacon strip, and the bay leaf. Raise the heat, add the potatoes, red pepper, 1 teaspoon of salt, fresh ground pepper to taste, bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are almost fork tender. 4 Raise the heat, add the corn kernels and the thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Serves 4.