Picadillo and Tostones
Posted by Heather Lackey | Filed under Enjoying Food, Preparing Food
I was in southern Florida recently, and I took every opportunity I could get to try more Cuban food. There’s not a lot of Cuban food in northeastern Tennessee, you see. A new place opened earlier this year, not too far away. We checked it out, then quickly wished we hadn’t. There’s not a lot of GOOD Cuban food in northeastern Tennessee.
But being back in Tennessee doesn’t mean I have to give it up! I’ve been exploring picadillo (“pee-kah-DEE-yoh”) recipes and perfecting my tostones (toss-TOE-nez) here in the tin palace’s kitchen lately, and it’s given us some mighty fine meals, like the one we had tonight.
Here are the recipes for each.
Picadillo
Picadillo has a wonderful flavor. It’s often served over rice, but we don’t eat rice. I’m perfectly happy eating it on its own, like I would a bowl of chili, or—even better—spooned over tostones.)
1 Tbsp cooking fat (I used beef tallow)
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound chorizo sausage, squeezed out of its casing
—
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
—
1 Tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
—
1 can diced tomatoes
3/4 cup beef stock
—
1/2 cup raisins (optional–we like it both with them and without)
1/2 cup chopped green olives with pimentos
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp capers, drained
—
Juice from half a lime
Shredded cheddar cheese
- Heat the fat in a pot over medium heat. (I used a 5-quart dutch oven; you could use a large skillet.) Add the ground beef and chorizo and cook till gray. (Sounds appetizing, huh?)
- Stir in the onions, bell pepper and garlic, and cook till soft.
- Add the cumin, chili powder, oregano, paprika, cayenne, cinnamon and cloves, and cook, striring, for a minute.
- Pour in the tomatoes and beef stock. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. (Now is a good time to get working on the tostones.)
- Stir in the raisins, olives, vinegar and capers. Simmer uncovered for five minutes.
- Add the lime juice just before serving. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top, if desired, after serving.
Tostones
Tostones are twice-fried green plantains.
2 unripe (green or greenish yellow) plantains
A bowl of salted water
Enough cooking fat to fill a skillet 1 to1 1/2″ deep (I used coconut oil)
A glass or jar to smush them with
- Cut off both ends of each plantain, then use a sharp knife to make a slice in the peel from one end of each plantain to the other. Pull the peels off the fruit. (Sometimes they come off easy, sometimes they come off in pieces.) Slice the plantains into pieces about 1 1/2 inches thick. Drop them all in the salted water to soak for ten minutes or more.
- Heat the cooking oil over medium-high heat.
- Drain the plantains and pat them dry.
- Fry them in batches until they’re browned on both sides. Let each batch drain quickly on a paper towel before you use the bottom of the glass or jar to smush each slice flat. When smushing, it’s best to lay the plantain slice on a rounded side rather than a flat one–the tostone is less likely to fall apart after smushing this way.
- After you’ve smushed a batch, drop them back in the salt water to let soak for a few minutes. Then drain, pat dry, and, after you’re done with the first round of frying for all the slices, fry the smushed slices again until golden. Drain on paper towels. (As each batch is done, I toss them on a cookie sheet in a 200˚F oven to keep them warm until everything’s done.)
- If you’re making picadillo, when you start frying smushed slices, you’ll want to add your raisins, olives, vinegar and capers to the picadillo pot (step 5).
You can either enjoy the tostones on the side, or you can spoon the picadillo right on top, which is my preference. Mmmm. One day I plan on making jibaritos with tostones, too. That day’s going to be a good one….
Tags: capers, chorizo, ground beef, olives, picadillo, plantains, recipes, tostones
Primal Blueberry Chipotle Barbecue Sauce
Posted by Heather Lackey | Filed under Enjoying Food, Preparing Food
My stepson cooks at a rib joint in North Carolina—not just any rib joint, but one with a reputation. KTVU out of San Francisco, for instance, says “No trip to Asheville would be complete without a stop at 12 Bones,” and KTVU’s pretty far away from Western North Carolina. Obama’s stopped by, too, twice, to get him some. I, sadly, have never been, but this past week my husband did bring some home for me to try.
Let me tell you, them was some tasty ribs.
This summer, I’ve been into barbecue sauces. Growing up, I assumed it just came from bottles at the store. (Growing up, I assumed a lot of food just came from bottles, boxes and cans from the store—mashed potatoes, soup, mayonnaise….) This summer, however, here at the tin palace, has been the Summer of the Homemade BBQ Sauce.
So, I could have messaged my stepson to see if he’d tell me how they make their blueberry barbecue sauce down there at 12 Bones, but where’s the fun and adventure in that?
Here’s what I’ve come up with instead. It’s mildly sweetened by the blueberries and tomato paste; if that’s not enough for your tastes, a little raw honey and/or molasses should perfect it. (I like the richness of molasses myself, particularly if I have some of the blackstrap on hand.)
Between the blueberries, anchovies and beef stock (you’re using homemade, right?), this is an order of magnitude more nutritious than anything you’ll get off the shelf of the local supermarket. Instead of “Primal Blueberry Chipotle Barbecue Sauce,” I should be calling it “Guilt-free BBQ!”
Primal Blueberry Chipotle Barbecue Sauce
1 Tbsp cooking fat (I used coconut oil this time)
1 small onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 cup beef stock
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
4 flat anchovy fillets, minced, or 1 tsp anchovy paste
1 Tbsp chipotle chili powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger (substitute fresh grated ginger, to taste, if you have it on hand)
salt to taste
Optional: raw honey or molasses to taste
Heat the fat in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook till soft. Add the garlic, cook another minute.
Stir in the blueberries, stock, tomato paste, vinegar and anchovies. Bring to boil.
Reduce to simmer. Add chipotle chili powder and ginger. If you’re sweetening it, add the honey or molasses little by little until it reaches the desired sweetness. Add salt as needed.
Let simmer 45 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool 20 minutes or so, then run it through a food processor, unless you prefer it chunky with blueberries. Use immediately or (for best taste) store in fridge for an hour or more. This sauce can be stored, refrigerated, for up to two weeks.
Mark’s going to use this when he grills up some chicken for us tomorrow. The last chicken he did on the grill was unbelievable, and between the two of us we ate that whole chicken in one sitting. (This time I bought a bigger chicken, but if he does them even approaching as good as they were last time, I don’t see us putting up any leftovers.)
(I know, I know—last you heard from me I was expecting my iPad to arrive, then I disappeared for three and a half months. Turns out the iPad is a phenomenal e-reader (for my eyes and needs at least). I’ve read 27 books on that sucker since April. Normally in that amount of time I’d have read seven, maybe. This thing kicks ass! So, uh, aside from cooking and eating and working, that’s where I’ve been…. And now it’s time to get back to bloggin’.)
From disappointment grows productivity
Posted by Heather Lackey | Filed under Growing Food
I would have loved to have spent the weekend playing with my magical, revolutionary and poorly named Apple product (that I sold both my Kindle and my MacBook to get)—but I’m in an area that doesn’t have Saturday UPS delivery. (You only find things like this out after your iMazing ships; up till Monday morning, I thought it was coming FedEx. No Saturday delivery problems there.)
This turned out to be a good thing, though, because with all that time on my hands, I was able to advance the garden project from this:
to this:
And I’m ready to plant next weekend. Woohoo! Now all I need is a super spiffy garden app for the iHopeItComesInTheMorning when it gets here.
I added the frame and mulch around the garden area to make Mark’s lawn maintenance job a little easier. It took 42 cubic feet (not that you care, but I might need that figure again, and here it is!) of pine bark nuggets.
All three boxes have dirt now, too, and although you can’t see it well in the photo, they’ve all been sectioned off into 16 one-foot squares each. Now I’m officially Square Foot Gardening!
The nearest box has a wire cage sitting on it to keep birds and rabbits out. You just lift it off and set it aside when you need access to the box. It’s a modified design from what they had in the book—theirs was closed in on four sides and the top; mine is closed in only on three sides and the top. The open side goes against the vertical frame. I fastened chicken wire to the back of the vertical frame, up to the same height as the cage, effectively closing in that side, but since it’s not attached the to cage, plants will be able to grow up it. I couldn’t see how plants would be able to grow up the vertical frame with the design shown in the book. (I have another modification to make down the road, once the plants growing up the vertical frame get to be nearly as tall as the cage. The whole plant won’t be protected then, but you do what you can do.)
Two more cages to build yet, but the PVC frames for them are already put together; I just need to add the chicken wire. I should find time to squeeze that in this week, around playing with the new iEverything.
Tags: garden, i'm not very handy
Live from the road
Posted by Heather Lackey | Filed under Not About Food At All
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s Robert Levon Been at the Newport Music Hall in Columbus, OH, last night.
We’re on our way to Cleveland for another show, then an eight-hour drive home tomorrow.
I typed up a post about how eating on the road sucks (three times!), but the WordPress iPhone app keeps eating it, so that’ll have to wait for the weekend.
In the meantime, rock on!
(How lame did that sound?)
Asparagus soup
Posted by Heather Lackey | Filed under Preparing Food
I don’t know why, but I always equate green soup with ham (maybe it’s split pea soup’s fault), so we had our asparagus soup with a side of ham. The flavors worked out well together.
2 lbs asparagus, woody ends removed
1 large onion, chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
salt & pepper
5 to 6 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
Juice of 1/4 lemon
Separate a dozen asparagus and cut off their tips. Set the tips aside—they’ll be used for garnish.
Chop all the asparagus into 1″ pieces. Set aside.
In a large sauce pan or small stock pot, heat the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cover. Sweat the onions, stirring occasionally, until soft.
Add the chopped asparagus and salt and pepper to taste and cook uncovered five minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the chicken stock and bring heat up to medium until it begins to boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, boil the tips in salted water for just 2-3 minutes, until tender.
Using a food processor or blender, puree the soup. You may need to do this in batches.
Return the pureed soup to the pot. Add the heavy cream and, if necessary, more salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then whisk in the butter.
Just before serving, add lemon juice. Garnish with asparagus tips.
Tags: asparagus, recipes, soup
Mashed rutabagas with toasted garlic, sirloin tip roast and gravy
Posted by Heather Lackey | Filed under Enjoying Food, Preparing Food
(Shown with kale in brown butter.)
Mashed rutabagas with toasted garlic
3 rutabagas
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp butter
1/4-1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper
Peel and cut the rutabagas into cubes. Bring to a boil in enough water to cover, then simmer for 40 minutes.
Strain the rutabagas. Move to a bowl or back to the pot and cover with a dish cloth to help draw the moisture out.
Heat a tablespoon of butter in a small skillet at just under medium heat. When the butter has browned, add the garlic and remove from heat. Stir the garlic till it’s browned—this should just take half a minute or so. Add it to the rutabagas.
Also add the remaining 1/4 cup of butter and 1/4 cup of cream. Mash everything together with a potato masher, fork or hand mixer, adding more cream as needed. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with gravy for the best experience.
Gravy
1 cup stock (beef, chicken, turkey, whatever)
1 Tbsp potato starch
1 Tbsp butter
This recipe can be used any time you need gravy—no need for roast drippings. Heat the stock in a small pan over medium heat till it just begins to boil. Reduce heat to low. In a small bowl, mix the potato start with a splash of cold water. Pour it into the stock, stirring well. It should start to thicken. If you want it thicker, add more starch mixed in a little cold water. When it reaches the consistency you’re after, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter.
Sirloin Tip Roast
1 sirloin tip roast
3 Tbsp sea salt
Remove the roast from the refrigerator about 4 hours before you want to eat.
After 35 minutes, set your oven to 225˚F, pat the roast dry, and press the salt around the outside. Put it on a wire rack on a baking sheet and cook for 3 hours.
At the end of 3 hours, set the oven to broil. Move the roast to a higher rack and let the outside crisp up—this should take only 5 minutes or so. Remove the roast from the oven and tent some aluminum foil over it. Let it rest 15 minutes before carving. (Note: you can move the tented roast to a plate if you want to use the drippings in the bottom of the pan for your gravy.)
This time/temperature worked out really well for our 2.7 lb roast. The outer slices suited Mark’s taste while the inner slices had plenty of pink for me. And the best thing about making a roast for just two people: leftovers!
Tags: garlic, gravy, recipes, roast, rutabagas, sirloin tip
Barefoot gardener
Posted by Heather Lackey | Filed under Growing Food
I feel good. Normally manual labor makes me crabby (because anything I’m not good at makes me crabby), but today I feel good. Even though it turned out I only had enough dirt to fill (almost) two of the three boxes, meaning I’ll have to go through the whole “acquiring, lugging, dumping, mixing and shoveling” thing again next weekend, I feel good. Even though I was four nails short of the thirty-six I needed and had to resort to finishing nails to make up the difference, I feel good.
Here are my two-out-of-three-filled boxes:
Here’s the compost/peat moss/vermiculite I mixed together with a hoe into what I like to call “dirt”:
Here’s a goat from next door:
And now I have a roast in the oven—what’s not to feel good about that?!
Beef chili
Posted by Heather Lackey | Filed under Enjoying Food, Preparing Food
1.5-2 lbs ground meat
1 Tbsp coconut oil, tallow or ghee
1 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp coarse salt
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1 green pepper, chopped
1 serrano pepper, seeded and chopped (wash your hands well afterward!)
2 1/2-3 cups chopped tomatoes (more if you use more meat, less if you use less)
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
salt to taste
Brown the ground meat in a dutch oven over medium heat. You will probably need to do this in batches—you don’t want to put too much meat in at once, or you’ll steam the meat instead of browning it. Remove to a bowl.
Add the coconut oil, then the onions and coarse salt. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Stir occasionally. After a couple minutes, toss in the green and serrano peppers. Continue cooking until the onions are soft.
Add the tomato paste and stir for a minute. Add the beef back, along with any juices that collected in the bowl, as well as the tomatoes and seasonings. Give it a good stir. Taste and adjust the seasonings as necessary. You could add more serrano, too, if you like it really hot.
Put the lid on the dutch oven and move it into the regular oven. Cook at 250˚F for three or more hours.
We used probably a bit under a pound and a half of ground beef, and Mark was thinking he’d be able to enjoy leftovers for lunch the next day, but we ate the whole damned thing in one evening.
Tags: chili, ground meat, hot peppers, Mexican, peppers, recipes, tomatoes
Beef taco boats
Posted by Heather Lackey | Filed under Enjoying Food, Preparing Food
(Last boat, I swear.)
Back in the day, tacos were a quick dinner—grab a pack of shells, a packet of seasoning and a bottle of sauce, and most of your work was done for you.
On the other hand, nowadays they taste better!
In addition to the guacamole, I made the taco sauce and the meat seasoning from scratch. The one problem I had with the taco sauce was that it was really hard to keep out of it while I prepped the rest of the meal. Good stuff. I see much of it in my future.
Mark preferred these over the fish tacos. While I was eating these, I felt like I liked them better than the fish, too, but on the other hand, I was pretty damn happy eating the fish tacos, so maybe my preference just comes down to which is in front of me at the moment.
Taco sauce
1 cup crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
1/3 cup water
1 Tbsp vinegar—anything save balsamic would probably work
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp salt
Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan, heat over medium till it starts to bubble, then turn down to low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. I have no idea how long it’ll save in the fridge because we only have about a tablespoon left….
Taco meat
1 lb ground meat
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp oregano
2/3 cup water
While the meat browns in a skillet, combine the seasonings. When the meat is browned, add the seasonings and water. Cook over low heat until the liquid’s evaporated. Serve in lettuce shells with chopped tomatoes and onions, guacamole, taco sauce and shredded cheese.
Pro tip: if your lettuce leaf has a tear or hole in it, just patch it by laying smaller lettuce leaf over it. (Not that it makes a lot of difference—you’ll still need mucho napkins.)
Tags: avocado, cheese, guacamole, hamburger, Mexican, recipes, tacos, tomatoes
Hamburger boat!
Posted by Heather Lackey | Filed under Enjoying Food
I made some fresh mayo with one part coconut oil to two parts olive oil, just to see how a saturated fat does in mayo, and then threw together hamburgers for dinner tonight. Scrumptious! (and messy).
Tags: hamburger, lettuce, mayonnaise, mustard, tomato
Entries
I’d been meaning to start a food-related blog for a few months—since not too long after I began changing the way I thought about food—but I couldn’t get a handle on where I wanted to go with it. Now, on January 1, 2010, it’s the first day of a new year—a new decade, even. What better time to get going on this? 
