Less time at the stove = more time for stitching
After cooking dinner for 40 plus years, I try to find new ways to reduce that time spent at the stove as much as I can. Of course, if I am inviting dinner guests, that’s a different story and, as you probably know, is an all day event between shopping, cooking, cleaning and setting a beautiful table. Here I want to talk about shortening the time for every day cooking that is still healthy and delicious. I hope you will share your recipes that accomplish the same thing and I look forward to them.
Recipe Sources
I will try to give the source whenever I can and expect everyone contributing to do the same so we don’t get in trouble with copyrighted material. If I give a recipe for which I do not have a source and you know who the originator is, please, please, reply so I can fix it.
Sieglinde
I just made a great black bean soup from “The Best Recipes Soups and Stews” edited by Cook’s Mag from their research. I LOVE that cookbook for its lovely photos, great writing, all those tests they do that teach you the chemistry and physics of cooking. In this recipe, you do not rinse the beans.
I wanted that silken creamy texture of black beans you could taste one by one, and not watery. The secret to the silky texture and shiny look is, guess what, 1 TB cornstarch/2TB water in a paste mixed in at the end to thicken.
The secret to the deep flavor is the sofrita that you make while the beans are simmering–
chopped red pepper and onion sauteed til soft, then 8 cloves of minced garlic (there are already 6 cloves in the soup) 1-2TB each oregano and cumin, heated and tossed with the peppers and onions until fragrant.
When the beans are to your firmness, scoop 1.5 cups of beans and 2 C cooking liquid into the pan with the sofrito, mash up, simmer uncovered until liquid is reduced and thickened, 15 minutes. Return sofrito mixture to the soup pot. Simmer, uncovered 15 ” for the flavors to meld.
Then the cornstarch/water paste goes in and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Top with sour cream, cilantro, hot sauce.
Adios, Linda
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I just made a fab gazpacho with the usual diced 3 beefsteak tomatoes, 2 cukes,2 red peppers, 1/2 onion and 2-3 garlic. Instead of the sherry vinegar and hot sauce, substitute
2 TB minced chipotle chiles en adobo, make sure to get the sauce with the 2TB. Hot and smoky.
6 TB lime juice
2 Tsp lime zest
fresh cilanto (1/4 cup)
avacado to garnish
along with the # cups of tomato juice (Welch’s the best) 2-5
6 ice cubes
Let it sit 4 hours at least.
Serve with avacado on the top.
Linda