Vegetarian Mexican Style Black Beans

I had a pound of black beans in my pantry so this is what I came up with today. This is a very flavorful and EASY recipe to prepare. The one ingredient you need that is harder to find is Epazote. You can find epazote at any Mexican Supermarket and I do come across Epazote at Whole Foods every now and then. You should purchase Epazote and keep it in your freezer because it is a very strong herb and a little goes a long way. I do have one jalapeño in the recipe but one jalapeño doesn’t add much heat here. If you want to kick up the heat a little I HIGHLY RECOMMEND sending away for Chitepin Peppers……(many different spellings). They are expensive and difficult to find but are worth it! They are tiny peppers only the size of peppercorns but are so darn delicious and flavorful…you only need 2 or 3 of these peppers to make a world of difference. You might have noticed that I didn’t sauté the majority of the vegetables first. That is because I wanted the flavors of the vegetables to go into the beans..when you sauté the vegetables the vegetables are tasty but I want to flavors to go into the beans……It’s easy and it works.

Ingredients for about 6 servings

1 lb dried black beans – rinsed and inspected and then soaked over night in twice as much water as beans. Refrigerate.

2 teaspoons course sea salt

1 carrot – peeled and well chopped

3 garlic cloves – chopped fine

1 celery rib – well chopped

1/4 cup onion – well chopped

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon epazote – fine chopped

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 cup green bell pepper – roasted or sautéed – cut in strips

1 jalapeno pepper – roasted or sautéed – chopped fine

fresh ground sea salt to taste

fresh ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup scallions – sliced thin – to finish

1/4 cup fresh cilantro – chopped – to finish

optional – if you like spicy 2-3 chiletepin peppers

Directions

The black beans get rinsed well and go in a pot and get covered with JUST WATER an inch over the beans. Bring to boil and then reduce to simmer for an hour. Put a loose cover on the pot after the beans are simmering.

After an hour add the salt, carrot, celery, onion, bay leaves, epazote, cumin, chili powder, oregano, green bell pepper and  jalapeño.

let the pot continue to simmer 30 minutes. You might need another cup or two of water here.

Taste and adjust seasonings and add fresh ground sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.

Decide if you want to add Chitepin peppers.

Decide if the beans need another 1/2 hour….Undercooked beans can be harmful or TOXIC…….you want the beans cooked all the way but only fresh dried beans will get creamy. You might need a little more water again.

When the beans are done serve with fresh scallions, fresh and cilantro. You might also want  some sort of sour cream and  Mexican Crumbling Cheese.

Vegetarian Mexican Style Black Beans

This dish is well seasoned and delicious! You will make people happy with this.

The Forking Truth

Fried Salmon Cake with Orange Aioli and Corn Cilantro Cucumber Salad

We read that one of Costco’s most loved and high rated item is surprisingly the canned Wild Alaskan Salmon. I decided to try a pack of them to see what I thought. Honestly it is indeed better than not all but most of the fresh salmon I can get within 15 miles of my house. (with the exception of AJ’s Fine Foods but Fresh Salmon usually runs $29.00 to $39.00 a lb there so I’d never purchase that salmon to make into a cake.). I don’t even try to purchase fresh salmon near me because at least 50% of the time I have to return it because it’s too old to eat and sometimes I have settled for nearly passable. For canned salmon Costco’s is the best I’ve tried. Last time I made a Crispy Baked Potato Cake with this canned Wild Alaskan Salmon….This time I’m doing a fried Salmon Cake made in a similar way to the way Crab Cakes are prepared but with flavors that I think go with Salmon. I made the Salmon Cake mixture and let it sit in my refrigerator over night so everything settled together really well.

Ingredients for two servings

1 6oz. can Wild Pink Salmon – drained

1 L egg – slightly beaten

2 Tablespoons mayonaise

1 teaspoon dijon mustard – (I only use Grey Poupon)

1 teaspoon sriracha – (I like Shark Brand for this)

1 Tablespoon ketchup

10 saltine crackers – I used whole grain – crumbled fine

Canola or vegetable oil – for frying (guessing 3-4 Tablespoons but it seemed like none absorbed…I still had all the oil leftover when I was done.

Directions

In a small bowl Mix everything but the oil and salmon together. Carefully and gently add the salmon and try to keep it chunky and don’t break it up too much. Set it in the refrigerator for at least an hour or up to over night.

Set oven to 300 degrees F.

Before frying make the salmon mixture into two patties.

Put the fry pan on medium high heat with enough oil to cover the pan very well. When the oil is hot carefully add the Salmon Cakes. Fry about three minutes on each side.

When done put cakes on a pan in 300 degree F oven while you whip up an aioli or make your side dish.

I made an Orange Aioli. I didn’t get down on paper exactly what I did but it was something like.

2 heaping teaspoons mayo

1/2 teaspoon dijon

small dash prepared horse radish

small dash bomba (a spicy but delicious Italian Condiment made with Calabrian Peppers)

really small dash ketchup

zest of a small sweet orange

juice of 1/2 a small sweet orange

Serve and Enjoy!

Fried Salmon Cake with Orange Aioli and Corn Cilantro Cucumber Salad

These Salmon Cakes came out very tasty. I have to add the Orange Aioli is a nice addition to these Salmon Cakes.

The Forking Truth

Tunisian Inspired Carrots

There are many different Moroccan and Tunisian Vegetable dishes out there you might not know about that are insanely delicious. I am trying to discover them. I taste them when I come across them and read all the recipes I can find on them. Then I sort of wing them. This recipe is based on the flavors of a Tunisian dish called Horia. I saw the ingredients from the back of a jar and then did research searching out Tunisian Dishes for carrots so I’d get a feel for it. This dish I have NOT found at any restaurant yet. The Jarred version of Horia is more of a spread. You are welcome to blend everything up so get something closer to the actual dish called Horia. You can serve these carrots with olives, hard boiled eggs and tuna for a closer to a Tunisian feel. This dish is easy and comes out delicious.

Ingredients for about 4 servings

1 lb + 5oz carrots – peeled and cut on diagonal in about thumb sized pieces

1 Tablespoon kosher salt – to boil carrots

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon course sea salt

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil – to drizzle on carrots

2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro- chopped

1/2 cup harissa vinaigrette – (preferably my recipe)

optional – serve with olives, hard boiled eggs and tuna

Directions

Set the oven to 350 degrees F.

Put a pot of water on to boil and add the kosher salt. When water is starting to boil add the carrots. Let them boil four minutes and remove from pot on to a baking sheet.

Drizzle the carrots with the olive oil.

In a small bowl mix together the sea salt, sugar, cumin, caraway,  coriander and garlic.

Sprinkle the dry spices all over the carrots.

Put baking sheet on the top rack of oven for about a half hour.

Drizzle with harissa and add fresh chopped cilantro.

Serve

Tunisian Inspired Carrots

The Forking Truth