Cuban Black Bean Soup

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1. 1 tablespoon olive oil
2. 2 onions, chopped
3. 1 celery rib, chopped
4. 2 garlic cloves, chopped
5. 2 teaspoons dry mustard
6. 3 cans (16 oz each) black beans
7. 1 teaspoon honey
8. 3 cups vegetable or defatted lower-sodium chicken broth
9. 2 teaspoons dry sherry
10. 1/2 teaspoon liquid hot pepper sauce
11. salt and black pepper to taste
12. 1 cup chopped tomato
13. 1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
14. 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
    

Directions

1. In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mustard and cook for 1 minute.
2. Add the beans, honey, and 3 cups of broth (or water) to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer uncovered until the vegetables are very tender and the liquid is somewhat reduced, about 20 minutes.
3. Puree the soup base in a food processor or blender, in batches if necessary, until smooth. Return the puree to the cooking pot, and simmer over medium heat until heated through, about 5 minutes. The soup should be quite thick but not so thick that it mounds on a spoon. Add more liquid to thin if necessary. (This recipe can be made 3 days ahead and refrigerated or frozen. Reheat before serving.
4. Stir in the optional sherry and season with the hot pepper sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve the tomato, onion, yogurt and cilantro at the table as garnishes (don't forget the salt, pepper and hot sauce as well!).

Notes

1. Vegetarian dish if done without chicken broth, vegan without the yogurt
   

Italian sausage soup

Makes 8 1-cup servings

Ingredients

1. 1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, ground
2. 2/3 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
3. 6 cups beef broth
   
4. 1 can (15 ounces) navy beans, rinsed and drained
5. 1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes
6. 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
7. 1 box (10 ounces) frozen spinach, thawed and drained and squeezed dry
8. Mozzarella cheese to garnish
   

Instructions

1. Cook ground sausage over medium heat in a soup pot until the meat is browned and crumbly.
   
2. Add rice, beef broth, beans, tomatoes and pepper. Bring to a simmer.
   
3. Cover and cook 12 to 15 minutes or until rice is tender.
   
4. Stir in chopped spinach and let simmer for a few minutes.
5. Sprinkle with cheese to garnish and serve
   

Greek Chicken, Artichokes, and Brown Rice, from AMA's Family Health Cookbook

Serving Size: 4 servings

Serve with: Greek salad of greens, tomatoes, red onion and feta cheese

Ingredients

1. 2 teaspoons olive oil, preferably extra virgin
2. 3/4 pound skinless boneless chicken breast meat, cut in thin strips
3. 1 teaspoon dried oregano, plus 1/2 teaspoon
4. 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus additional to taste
5. 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, plus additional to taste
6. 1 medium red onion, sliced
7. 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
8. 2 1/2 cups defatted lower-sodium chicken broth
9. 2 1/2 cups raw quick-cooking brown rice [or, one can cook the brown rice separately and use less chicken broth]
   
10. 1 jar (6 oz) marinated artichoke hearts, reserving liquid
11. 1/2 cup chopped parsley, preferably flat leaf
12. 4 thin lemon slices for garnish

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a very large, preferably nonstick skillet with a lid or in a Dutch oven. Sprinkle the chicken with 1 teaspoon of the oregano and the salt and pepper. Sauté the chicken, along with the onion, over medium-high heat until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the broth and rice and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, according to the package directions, 5 to 10 minutes, or until the rice is tender and has absorbed the liquid.
2. Drain the artichoke hearts, reserving 2 tablespoons of the marinade. Stir the artichokes and the reserved marinade into the chicken and rice, add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of oregano, and cook over medium heat until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Take and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary.
3. Sprinkle with the parsley and garnish with the lemon slices before serving.

Comments

1. Go heavy on the artichokes for flavor
   

Classic Moroccan Chicken and Vegetable Couscous, from AMA's Family Health Cookbook

Ingredients

1. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2. 1 3/4 lbs boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut in rough 2-inch cubes
3. 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus additional to taste, plus 1 1/2 teaspoons
4. 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
5. 1 large onion, chopped
6. 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
7. 2 teaspoons ground cumin
8. 1 teaspoon curry powder
9. 6 cups defatted lower-sodium chicken broth
10. 2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
11. 1 pound slender carrots, peeled and cut in 2-inch lengths
12. 3/4 pound white turnips, peeled and cut in 2-inch chunks
13. 1 can (19 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 2 cups cooked chickpeas
14. 1 slender zucchini, cut in 1-inch slices
15. 1 red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
16. 1 1/2 cups pitted prunes
17. 1 cup golden raisins
18. 3 cups raw couscous
19. 1/3 cup commercial harissa or 1 cup Moroccan Hot Pepper Sauce

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a very large, preferably nonstick skillet with a lid or in a Dutch oven. Season the chicken with the 3/4 teaspoon of salt and the cayenne and cook over medium heat until lightly browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove to a plate, leaving the drippings in the pan.
2. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin and curry powder and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the broth, cinnamon sticks, carrots and turnips. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, covered, for 10 minutes to partially cook the vegetables.
3. Add the chickpeas, zucchini, red pepper, prunes, and raisins. Return the chicken to the stew and simmer uncovered over medium heat until the vegetables are tender and the chicken no longer looks pink in the center, about 20 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary. (The recipe can be made several hours ahead to this point and refrigerated. Reheat gently before serving.)
4. For the couscous, bring 4 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and stir in the uncooked couscous. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand until the couscous is tender and the liquid is absorved, 5 to 6 minutes.
5. Spoon out 1/2 cup of the stew liquid and blend it with the harissa.
6. Mound the cooked couscous in the center of a large, rimmed platter or on individual rimmed plates or shallow soup bowls. Spoon the chicken and vegetables around the outside of the couscous and ladle the broth over them. Pass additional hot sauce at the table.

Victoria's Enchiladas

Ingredients (best from authentic Mexican stores)

• Beans
• Tortillas
  
• New Mexico Chiles
  
• Tortillas
• Onions
• Garlic
• Cheddar Cheese
• Crisco

Directions

• Soak the beans overnight, then cook with onions and salt and simmer for four hours
• Take off tops of the chilies and take all seeds out (your hands will get hot -- don't touch your face!)
• Wash chilies once (to get more seeds out, dirt off) and let soak in water until soft, around half an hour
• Pour some Crisco in pan and turn on the heat to medium. Dip the tortillas in on each size for around 10 seconds (brown around the edges = too dry). Let the remaining oil drip back into the pan before layering the tortillas on paper towels to drain.
• Prepare a lot of garlic cloves. Put 5 cloves and some chilies into a blender and liquefy. Use a strainer to get the remaining skins and seeds out (ideally, with the funky strainer that Victoria had).
• Put strained chili juice into pan and heat it -- add salt and flour (for thickening) to taste.
• Dip tortillas in juice in pan and layer them on a cookie sheet.
• Put chopped onions and graded cheese on tortillas, repeat 3x (3-layer enchiladas), pour chili juice on top if too dry.
• Put enchiladas in oven for approximately 10 minutes, or until ready.
  
• Serve the beans on the side.
  

Ahi Poke

I used this recipe: http://thecookmobile.com/yellowfin-ahi-tuna-poke/

Chicken Vindaloo, from AMA's Family Health Cookbook

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon cumin seed
• 1 tablespoon coriander seed
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 6 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 6 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 canned chipotle chili in adobo sauce, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper to taste
• 1 and 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound red potatoes, cut into 3/4 inch chunks
• 1 large onion, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
• 1 and 1/2 cups defatted lower-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup canned tomato sauce
• 5 cups cooked basmati or brown rice

Directions

1. Toss the cumin and coriander seeds and the chili powder in a small skillet set over medium heat until they darken a shade, 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately scrape the mixture from the skillet and let it cool. Then grind it in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder.
2. In a blender, puree the spices with the vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, chipotle pepper, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and cayenne [note: at this point, this mixture will smell/taste like spicy ass-fire-sauce]. Place the chicken in a shallow dish. Pour the puree over the chicken, coating it completely. Cover and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 6 hours.
3. Remove the chicken from the marinade, scraping any excess marinade back into the dish. Reserve the marinade. In a Dutch oven, heat the oil and cook the chicken, potatoes, onion, and bell pepper over medium heat, stirring often, just until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the broth, tomato sauce, and any reserved marinade.
4. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are very tender, 40 to 45 minutes. Serve the vindaloo spooned over the rice. Naan also helps.