beans

Dalgona Espresso Shots

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Table Food: Dalgona Espresso Shots! If it’s one thing I learned during our time of self-isolation, it was how to make each day something special to look forward to. So every afternoon, in the middle of our day, I’d stop what I was doing and pad off to the kitchen for a delightful diversion. Thanks to my virtual friends, Jyothi* and Judy**, I became a connoisseur of the “Coffee Break”. Both women perfected the art of Dalgona Coffee, a form of whipped coffee that requires only a few simple ingredients: instant coffee, sugar, and milk. (Feel free to click on their links at the bottom of the page.) I became quite lazy about whipping the topping into a mountain of fluff by allowing the milk frother on my espresso machine to become the workhorse. At the press of a button, it became thick, frothy, and ready to pour. Although the aroma would waft throughout the house announcing my arrival, I’d still carry the espresso shots into my husband’s office and proclaim with a smile, “Time for coffee.”

DALGONA ESPRESSO SHOTS

Ingredients:

4 teaspoons sugar

4 teaspoons instant Mexican espresso coffee

4 teaspoons cold water

Light cream, for serving

Dark chocolate espresso beans, crushed, for garnish

Instructions:

Using a milk frother, combine sugar, instant espresso coffee, and cold water. Press the setting for a cold beverage. Let the machine run through two cycles to thicken the whipped coffee. Fill two espresso shot glasses 3/4 full with light cream. Carefully spoon the whipped espresso topping over the cream. Garnish with a sprinkling of crushed chocolate-covered espresso beans. Serve immediately.

*Follow the link to Jyothi

http://thefriendlyepicurean.com/2020/04/13

**Follow the link to Judy

http://cookingwithauntjuju.com/2020/04/22

Black Beans ‘n Rice Soup

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Clean Eating: Black Beans ‘n Rice Soup! At first glance, this appears to be a meatless meal. It can be with one minor change. Just don’t add meat. And yet, if you appreciate a dish you can sink your teeth into, I invite you to read on. This flavorsome recipe gets down to earth as a stick-to-the-ribs dinner. We all know brown rice is a good source of fiber as well as an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. Black beans support good heart health and could help lower cholesterol. Pork provides protein. Last time I checked, 1+1+1=3. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

BLACK BEANS ‘N RICE SOUP

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon red chili garlic sauce

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon oregano

10.5-ounce can beef consommé

1/2 cup instant brown rice

15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup seasoned pork, precooked and shredded

1/2 cup water, if needed

2 tablespoons red pepper, diced

Cilantro, for garnish

Instructions:

Warm olive oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onions and minced garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes until onions are soft and clear. Add red chili garlic sauce, cumin, and oregano. Cook 2 minutes longer. Add beef consommé and brown rice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add black beans and seasoned pork. Stir to combine. Add water, if needed to ensure everything is covered. Replace lid and simmer for 10 minutes longer. Ladle into bowls. Garnish with diced red peppers and cilantro. Serve immediately.

Wings Beans Shoyu

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Waste Not, Want Not: Wing Beans Shoyu! Have you ever seen a four-angled bean? It actually has four corners. The rough texture looks a little odd, all jagged and such. Since they grow in tropical climates where there is plenty of humidity, rainfall, and warmth, there’s a pretty good chance you won’t find them at your local grocery store. However, they are readily available at Farmers Markets in the Hawaiian Islands, which is where I got these delectable little jewels. They taste similar to a snow pea with a slightly sweet crunch. Then there’s the sauce. YUM!

WING BEANS SHOYU

Ingredients:

1/2 pound wing beans, washed, ends trimmed, and cut into bite-size pieces

1/4 cup soy sauce, Japanese-style

2 tablespoons agave nectar

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 strip bacon, cooked and crumbled

Instructions:

Place prepared wing beans in a covered casserole dish. Add 2 tablespoons water. Microwave on High setting for 3 minutes until crisp-tender. Do not cook until mushy. Drain. Add crumbled bacon. Combine soy sauce, agave nectar, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes in a bowl. Whisk to blend flavors. Drizzle over wing bean mixture. Toss to coat. Serve warm.

Fajita Tortilla Soup

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Waste Not, Want Not: Fajita Tortilla Soup! Last summer when my garden was at its peak, I spent what felt like hours preparing veggies for the freezer. Among them were poblano, bell, and jalapeño peppers. Poblanos were cut into strips, bell peppers were chopped, and jalapeño peppers were sliced. It turns out, they are ideal for using in stir fry, cooked, or baked recipes. By storing the peppers in ziplock bags, I can take out what I need and reseal the rest for later. I also roasted a turkey and froze the surplus in manageable portions, which kept us from getting tired of eating it several days in a row. Now I get to reap the rewards.

FAJITA TORTILLA SOUP

Ingredients:

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

4 poblano peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into strips

1 green bell pepper, chopped with stem and seeds removed

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon oregano

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

32 ounces chicken broth

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

2 cups shredded turkey, precooked

14-ounce can black beans, drained

14-ounce can refried beans (optional)

2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Tortilla chips

Jalapeño peppers, sliced

Instructions:

In a deep large skillet, warm olive oil over medium heat. Sauté yellow onion slices, poblano pepper slices, green peppers, and minced garlic. After five minutes, sprinkle oregano and red pepper flakes over all. Add chicken broth, diced tomatoes, shredded turkey, and black beans. Stir well to combine ingredients. Lower heat, cover, and simmer soup for 20 minutes. For a thicker consistency, gradually stir in refried beans. You may not need an entire can. If the soup becomes too thick, add a little water. Continue warming soup until heated through. Top with Monterey Jack shredded cheese. Place the lid over the pan to melt the cheese. Spoon into bowls. Serve immediately with tortilla chips and sliced jalapeño peppers.

Refried Beans Restaurant-Style

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Something to Savor: Refried Beans Restaurant-Style! Copycat recipes are so much fun to share with the family, especially when tweaked to express your own personal taste. If you’ve been to more than one Mexican restaurant, which most of us have, you’ve probably noticed an order of refried beans can be extra-creamy, smooth or chunky, blah or spicy. No worries. If you like the earthy taste, substitute black beans for the pinto beans. The same goes for a slightly smoky taste. That effect comes from bacon drippings instead of olive oil. For authentic results you may even choose to begin from scratch. I was pretty pleased with the results featured here.

REFRIED BEANS RESTAURANT-STYLE

Ingredients:

16-ounce can refried beans, traditional

16-ounce can pinto beans, drained

1 tablespoon bacon drippings

1 small onion, chopped

1/8 teaspoon cumin powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/3 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

2-3 jalapeño peppers, pickled and sliced

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. In a skillet over medium heat, add bacon drippings. Sauté chopped onions until fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Stir in cumin powder, garlic powder, and sea salt. Add refried beans. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Fold in pinto beans. Reduce heat. Warm until bubbly, stirring occasionally. Spoon mixture into individual ovenproof bowls. Place bowls. on a baking sheet. Top each with Monterey Jack cheese. Bake 5-8 minutes until cheese is melted and beans are bubbly. Carefully remove baking sheet from oven. Garnish with jalapeño slices.

Hattie B’s Chicken in Nashville, Tennessee

Dining Outside the Home: Hattie B’s Chicken in Nashville, Tennessee! Chicken places can be a dime a dozen in the South, but Hot Spicy Chicken is a bird of a different color. Hattie B’s is a mom and pop food joint that rolls off the tongue with a southern drawl. Ask anyone on the street and they’ll point you in the direction for fried chicken at its best in Nashville. Five heat levels from no heat crispy chicken to eye-bulging habanero spicy are offered, so be prepared to eat your words. You’re going to need the coleslaw, pickles, and beans to tone things down long enough to finish the basket you ordered. For an explosion of flavor worth bragging about, head over to Hattie B’s. It’s something to crow about.

Narrow Noodle Harvest Soup

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food for Sharing: Narrow Noodle Harvest Soup! Comfort food. We nurture our bodies as well as our minds with childhood favorites that are food for the soul. Take advantage of the abundant supply of fresh vegetables right now for a health-conscious main course meal. I chose peas, carrots, and green beans to compliment the grilled chicken breast and Amish-made narrow noodles. When it’s all said and done, there’s “no place like home.”

NARROW NOODLE HARVEST SOUP

Ingredients:

2 cups chicken broth

2 tablespoons onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1/2 cup mixed vegetables

1/2 cup chicken, precooked and chopped

1/4 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Herb and Garlic seasoning

2 bay leaves

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1/4 teaspoon parsley flakes

1/4 cup narrow home style noodles

2-3 sprigs fresh cilantro

Instructions:

In a heavy pan, combine onion, celery, mixed vegetables, chopped chicken, herb and Garlic seasoning, bay leaves, and white pepper. Bring to a boil. Add narrow noodles and cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add parsley flakes. Reduce heat to simmer. Cook 35 minutes longer until vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaves before serving. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro.

Yorkshire Pudding

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Timeless Classics: Yorkshire Pudding! Remember Sunday afternoons at grandma’s house for a traditional pot roast dinner and lively conversation? The rich beef gravy practically dribbled down your chin overflowing from the saturated yeast rolls or Yorkshire pudding. Recently, I was swept back in time when I ordered this savory dish at a charming little pub in the Canadian Rockies. It was at that moment I knew I had to bring a bit of nostalgia back home. As you can see, my version included shredded beef drippings, rich brown gravy, and assorted mixed vegetables for a pocket full of perfection.

YORKSHIRE PUDDING

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1 cup plus 2 teaspoons flour

3/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons water

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup bacon drippings

Instructions:

Combine eggs, flour, milk, water, and salt. Refrigerate batter overnight in an airtight container. The next day, remove batter to allow it to rest at room temperature while the oven is being preheated. Adjust oven rack to center position. Preheat oven to 450°. Place one teaspoon of bacon drippings into each well of the bouchon pan. Place pan in the oven while it is preheating, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Fill each well 3/4 full. Do not overfill. Return pan to oven. Bake 25 minutes until Yorkshire puddings quadruple in volume. Serve immediately with meat, vegetables, and gravy.

Tex-Mex Tortilla Soup

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Timeless Classics: Tex-Mex Tortilla Soup! One thing I love about Fall is the convenience of crockpot meals. Throw all the ingredients together, stir, and then forget about it for a few hours. Do something fun……and I don’t mean raking leaves or shelling walnuts. Take a nature walk, visit an apple orchard, choose a mum plant for your front door, photograph colorful pumpkins and gourds. You get the idea. Don’t let the season pass you by. Autumn is in full swing and Mother Earth has splattered the landscape with vibrant colors.

TEX-MEX TORTILLA SOUP

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef

20-ounce can diced tomatoes and green chilies, mild flavor

10-ounce can diced tomatoes, zesty flavor

15-ounce can black beans, organic

15-ounce can corn, drained

15-ounce can kidney beans, drained

4-ounce packet taco seasoning mix

4-ounce packet ranch seasoning mix

1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

3 green onions, snipped

1/3 cup sliced jalapeño peppers

Instructions:

Brown ground beef. Drain any liquid. Place ground beef, tomatoes (juice included), black beans, corn, kidney beans, taco dry seasoning mix, and ranch dry seasoning mix in a slow-cooker. Mix well. Cover and cook on High for 3-4 hours OR on Low for 6-8 hours. Uncover. Ladle Tex-Mex Tortilla Soup into bowl and garnish with Monterey Jack cheese, a dollop of Greek yogurt, onion snips, and jalapeño pepper rings. Serve with tortilla chips or crackers.