Panamanian Pinto Beans with Ham and Rice with Coconut Milk

note: this recipe is vegetarian, better yet, vegan if made without the pork.

My friend Becca wrote that she was making this for dinner last week on good ole Facebook. I wrote back something like"Um...YUM! I need the recipe". She was good enough to oblige and now I have a solid introduction to Panama cuisine that I can share with you guys!

Becca got this recipe from her Au Pair a few years back. She was Panamanian and it is a staple out there. The kind of food you make over and over through the generations..."no big deal" food, which is my favorite, especially when it's ethnic. She says it's usually served with these small red beans which we can't get in the states (or not that she knows of anyway) so she uses pinto beans. When you cook the rice with the coconut milk it get's thicker, not unlike rice pudding. Glorious things happen in this bowl!

Panamanian Pinto Beans with Ham and Rice with Coconut Milk

serves 4-5

1 package dried pinto beans

2 cups brown or white rice (or whatever you need to serve 4)

1 can coconut milk

sea salt

1 package of salt pork or ham hock (you can skip this and make it vegetarian)

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 tbsp chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic salt

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon cumin

Sea salt, to taste (about 2-3 teaspoons, at least)

a few handfuls of cilantro, chopped

lime wedges for squeezing over top

For the rice:

Make rice according to package instructions substituting 1 can of coconut milk for part of the amount of water called for and adding 1 teaspoon of sea salt. (I made 2 cups of rice. The coconut milk measured out to about 1 1/2 cups and I filled the rest of the liquid called for with water. (I needed to add more water towards the end because my rice was not cooked through and all the liquid was absorbed. My pot boiled over twice though, so, If need be, you can do that too.)

For the beans:

Place a bag of dried pinto beans in a large stockpot with enough water to cover the beans by 2-3 inches. Place the pot on a stove and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down, place the lid on and take off the heat. Let it sit for 1 1/2 hours. Alternately, you can soak the beans overnight in room temperature water before using.

Drain the beans, then fill the pot with enough fresh water to cover the beans by two and a half inches if using a wide large pot, three inches if using a smaller to medium sized pot. The beans will soak up more water and also evaporate some during the cooking process. Add the salt pork, bay leaf and 2 garlic cloves. (It is very important not to add salt to the beans until they have cooked through. It will make them tough). Simmer, covered all day (5-7 hours) until tender. Remove and discard the pork. At this point, the beans should be swimming in the water with maybe about a 1/2" of water covering them (less than that is okay). If you have more, remove some of the water. Add the chili powder, garlic salt, garlic powder, cumin, sea salt to taste, and stir. Taste the broth and adjust seasonings as necessary. It will probably need more salt. Let the beans simmer with the newly added spices for five minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary (important to taste since you will have varying amounts of water in your pot to season). 

Serve beans with a bit of their juices on top of the coconut rice and top with a generous amount of cilantro and fresh lime juice.

This is a meal within itself. I wrote the recipe with the amounts of spices I used when making this. Becca's original directions were much more relaxed. It sounded something like this: you just replace the water for the rice with a can of coconut milk, adding more water if you have to make whatever amount of liquid necessary. You will want to add sea salt. I cook the beans on the stove all day long and season them well with chili powder, cumin, and fresh garlic and serve the beans over the rice with fresh squeezed lime and cilantro.

My point in saying that is if you are comfortable, take Becca's directions and wing it. I am more comfortable following directions so that is why I included measurements here.

Leeks Vinaigrette

Did I ever tell you that I meal plan every week? I do. I usually look at the coming weeks weather forecast and plan meals according to how cold or blustery and or how sunny and warm it's supposed to be and come up with meals according to that. Warm=Salads, grilled fish, etc. Cold=soups, stews, roasts and cozy sides like leeks vinaigrette. It's cold this week.

I meal plan because there is an art to cooking, and that's why I so adore it. Thought goes into which member of the family likes what, to planning time to cook, and yes, looking at the weather to make sure what I serve is going to be appropriate. Call me crazy but I don't want chili when it's 55 degrees and sunny (55 degrees in Steamboat during the winter is like summer time). So I meal plan. Sometimes shopping for a full weeks worth of food is daunting, especially if I have 3 little kids to haul to the store, so I break it up into two shorter trips for those times. I'll shop on Monday for groceries through Thursday and then go again at the end of the week.

I like to be thoughtful about food because the pace of life today is so quick, and we often feel so rushed and disconnected from one another, that it's easy to forget how powerful the ritual of eating together can be. To be able to sit at the table, passing food, sharing stories of the day, with the sense that for an hour or so, the outside world can be set aside, is a gift to embrace. Some days life is sweet, other days life can be hard, but the one thing we can always strive to do, is to partake of the comfort and pleasure of sharing a meal with those we hold dear. Thank you to the great Thomas Keller, for helping me define that in my life.

Dinner to me is almost like a love letter to my family. I'm fortunate enough to enjoy the preparation of such meals. There are other areas of my life (ahem...laundry) that are not as pleasurable for me, but I do it anyway for the same reason. It is an honor for me to be the wife of a husband I respect and adore and the mother to children I am honored enough to be around. I love them and take care of them. Of course there are nights when I don't take delight in the precision of my cutting skills while chopping vegetables. I'm tired. I'm done. I don't want to make dinner EVERY night. And I don't. But when I need to, I dig down deep and remember why I do this. That it is my great privilege to serve my family in this way. And sometimes, that includes meticulously cleaning leeks.

Leeks might not be a familiar side dish to us Americans, but to the French, it's about as everyday as it can gets. You boil trimmed leeks in very salty water until soft and toss them with homemade vinaigrette and because of the method in which you cook them, they transform from leeks with vinaigrette to something finer, to leeksandvinaigrette, rich and saucy, or so Molly over at Orangette likes to say. She got this recipe when she lived in France for college. Her host mother, Corentine, would make these weekly. I imagine she had been making them her whole life and that they amounted to nothing special in her mind...just some cooked leeks tossed in vinegar and oil. Those French just don't know how very chic they can be sometimes. Actually, I take that back. They probably most definitely do.

Leeks Vinaigrette

adapted from the blog, "Orangette" by Molly Weisenberg

2 to 3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 to 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
¼ tsp. salt, or more to taste
6 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small to medium shallot, minced
2 lb. small leeks (about 7 or 8)

Optional garnishes:
Finely chopped bacon
Finely chopped hard-boiled egg

In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon mustard, and salt. Gradually whisk in the olive oil, mixing until emulsified. Taste. This dressing should be fairly bright, and the mustard flavor should come through, but not too powerfully. Adjust as needed with vinegar, mustard, and/or salt. When you’re happy with it, add the shallots, whisking to blend. Set aside. Be sure to taste it again later, just before tossing it with the leeks, so that if necessary, you can adjust it according to their flavor.

Lay a clean kitchen towel on the counter near the stove. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and salt it well. It should taste like sea water.

While the water comes to a boil, prepare the leeks. Trim away the hair-like roots, but take care not too cut in too far; you want the leek to stay intact. Cut off and discard the dark green leafy parts, leaving just the white and pale green stalk. Starting about 1 inch from the root end, so as to keep the white part intact, cut lengthwise down the middle of the leek. (If you were to splay the cut leek open, it should look like a stubby Y.) Wash the leeks well under running water, flushing any dirt from between the layers. Boil until they are very, very tender and yield easily to a knife. Their color will become muted, and they may be falling apart a little. That’s okay. To be sure they’re done, taste one: it should taste sweet, with no trace of raw flavor. The amount of time that this will take depends on their size, but it will probably take longer than you think. Ten minutes is a good bet.

Draining the leeks as well as you can, transfer them to the kitchen towel on the counter. Blot and press them dry. (Don’t burn yourself!) While they’re still hot, put them in a bowl, and toss them with a generous amount of the dressing. Allow to cool at least slightly before serving.

These leeks are slightly sweet and oniony. They would be perfect as a side to a steak dinner, but really, anything works with these guys. We had an all veggie night where we just prepared a lot of vegetables different ways, got out a loaf of fantastic bread made by a local bakery and called it dinner. It was delicious.

Mexican Pot Roast Tacos

I talk a lot about taking a casual food, such as tacos, and elevating it to a level of greatness, or restaurant quality by raising the bar with it. I don't change things drastically. After all, a taco should still be a taco in that it's something familiar and unfussy. But what takes a Mexican seasoned ground beef, iceberg lettuce and cheese topped taco from "everyday" to "wow" is what I absolutely love. This recipe is a perfect example of that. I adore this recipe because it tastes genuine, real and authentic. All the familiar flavors of Mexico are there...chilies, tomatoes, beef, cilantro, onion, chile powder and cumin, but you can't discern that from one bite. All the ingredients meld together to form something else entirely and you know, right away that it's special. It's the type of taco that you would order and come back for. The type of thing you make for your friends once and for every other time you invite them, they forever request tacos.

You top these babies with cool shredded lettuce, cilantro sprigs, lime, quesco fresco cheese crumbles and a fresh salsa. The right toppings can make all the difference in authenticity and I don't suggest you stray far from this. Somehow, throwing some cheddar on top of this beautiful roast meat would degrade it in a humiliating way. There's that drama I'm known for. No but really, stay true to the Mexican cuisine when making this, it really will make it or break it. I made a quick blender salsa to go with these (tomatoes, cilantro, onion, serrano pepper, garlic, lime, lemon, a touch of cumin and lots of salt) and it was perfect.If you must buy salas from the store, lean towards the refrigerated pico de gallo varieties and stay away from the jarred stuff which is too sweet.

Mexican Pot Roast Tacos

adapted from "Dinner At My Place" by Tyler Florence

serves 6

Pot Roast:

Extra-virgin olive oil

3 pounds shoulder of beef (or pot roast)

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 large onion, cut into wedges

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 28-ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes (or regular canned plum tomatoes)

3 dried red chilies

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ancho chile powder

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro

Water

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

For serving:

Fresh medium corn tortillas, warmed over an open flame

3 cups finely shredded romaine lettuce

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro

1/3 pound Cotija cheese, crumbled (also sometimes called queso fresco)

2 limes, cut into wedges for garnish

Fresh salsa

Drizzle beef shoulder with oil, then season with plenty of salt and black pepper. Set a large, heavy-based pot over medium-high heat. Sear on all sides until you have a nice brown crust, adding additional oil to the pan as necessary to prevent sticking. Add onion and garlic to the pot and stir until they caramelize a little and have contact with the bottom of the pot. Add tomatoes with juice, chilies, cumin, chile powder, and the 1/2 bunch of cilantro. Add about 2 inches of water to the pot. You want the liquid to almost cover the meat. Crush tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon. Cover and simmer until the meat is is fork tender and comes apart with little resistance, about 4 hours. Once cooked, use a wooden spoon or two forks to break apart the meat. Mix the meat with the tomato pieces and onion from the pot and add a ladle of the liquid for moisture. Discard the rest of the liquid. Season the meat with salt and pepper and add the vinegar and mix to combine.

The rule of thumb, generally, is the longer you cook this the more tender it will be. If you need this tender faster, cut your meat up into smaller pieces before searing. Just check the meat with a fork after a couple hours. If it's falling apart tender, it's ready. If it's not, keep cooking it making sure to keep a low simmer.

Seasoning the meat with the salt, pepper and vinegar once cooked is key. The vinegar is a perfect compliment to the meat, making it come alive and taste fresh. When getting ready to cook the roast, you shouldn't need to add much more than a cup to 2 cups or so of water to your pot. If you need much more you should use a smaller pot so as not to water down the spices, especially since the vegetables will generate more liquid naturally, as they cook. When I made this, I noticed the meat that was under water was more tender than the meat that was poking out, which is fine, but is just a testimony to make sure there is ample liquid in your pot. You can double this recipe easily. I used a dutch oven and crammed all the ingredients in it and I think it made for a better pot roast.

My Safeway doesn't always have a "pork shoulder" like the recipe calls for. You can use any shape or sized pot roast for this recipe, however, if it's bigger than 3 pounds, I suggest cutting your meat into smaller pieces, like in thirds so it will get tender, faster.

Italian Hot Cocoa

The snow is snowin', the wind is blowin', but I can weather the storm. What do I care if icicles form? I've got hot cocoa to keep me warm!

I took some liberties with that Christmas song. Forgive me. Don't know it? It's "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm" by Billie Holiday and it happens to be one of my favorites this time of year.

I meant what I said though. I don't give one iota that it's dumping snow right now. You know why? Because I am home, nestled it it's warmth and love, slowly sipping thick and rich homemade cocoa topped with really sweet, softly whipped cream. How's that for adjective overload? Oh, I forgot to mention the best part, which is it's Italian. Everything is more fabulous with an accent.

Italians like a very dense cocoa and thicken it with cornstarch so that it attains an almost puddinglike or chocolate sauce consistency. More chocolate sauce than pudding, but you get the point. For a thinner version, add more milk, water, or half and half or mix in some strong brewed coffee or espresso.

Iv'e heard of the famous hot chocolate that you get in Paris. It's famous for the very same reason as the Italian, namely being thick and rich. The French hot chocolate you get is mostly milk and real chocolate that's been melted into it. The real chocolate (as opposed to a cocoa powder) makes it thick. American hot chocolate is mostly cocoa powder, some sugar and water or milk and very thin. the Italians, like I mentioned above prefer to thicken with cornstarch and it makes for a very smooth and velvety drink. Think decadent.

Italian Hot Cocoa

adapted from "The Joy Of Cooking"

Makes 2 1/2 cups. Serves 2

Stir together in a medium, heavy saucepan:

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch or arrowroot

Stir in thoroughly and slowly while whisking and set over medium low heat:

1 cup water

1 cup whole milk

Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat until the mixture is thickened and coats a spoon, about 10 minutes. Stir in:

1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Top each serving with:

Very sweet whipped cream

VARIATION: For and Italian Mocha, prepare Italian Hot Cocoa above, substituting 1 cup strong brewed coffee, or 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup espresso, for the water.

Make sure to cook this until it thickens up properly. It should take most of the 10 minutes to do so. In-between stirrings, a"skin" might form on top but don't worry, it will mix together easily. This is not so thick that it feels wrong drinking it. I once had some "chocolate soup" and it was too thick for my liking. This is just thick enough. Bellisimo!

Chipotle Kissed Red Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

I bought a cookbook last summer called "Fresh From The Vegetarian Slow Cooker" and have made this recipe from it three times. I have not made any other recipe from that book. I guess I need to branch out, but this chili is so original and so fun I can't pass it up when I open the book. The texture varies a bit each time I make it only because I'm working with sweet potatoes. The longer it does it's thing in the slow cooker, the thicker it will be, like in this picture. If you cook this for only 4-5 hours it will be a bit thinner and the food will be more defined, Which is more ascetically pleasing to the eye. Whether you like it thick or thin, the taste is the same. People who don't usually like sweet potatoes will like them in this because as with any chili, the whole dish takes on it's own flavor and everything tastes like everything else. It's a beautiful thing.

"Vegan Craig" Is staying with us for a couple days. He was never "Vegan Craig" but rather, just Craig until a few days ago when his wife called him by that name in a text and I laughed so hard, I've been calling him it ever since. You see, Craig is vegan now. He used to be rather large and eat a block of cheese a night. Before dinner. Now he is svelte, healthy and well...vegan. This chili, coincidentally is vegan, so it was only fitting that I make this for him while he was here. He left this morning sadly. Craig is a great guest. My husband and Craig have been friends forever and he and Sally, his wife, used to live here but alas, they moved a couple months ago. Luckily they are the traveling type so we will be seeing them from time to time for sure.

I don't like to label things as being "vegan" up front, or like in the title, because I feel it turns people who are not vegan off. I like lots of dishes that happen to be vegan, but probably wouldn't have tried them out had they been labeled "vegan". You know what I mean? Maybe I am the only one with this fear.

Chipotle Kissed Red Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

adapted from "Fresh From The Vegetarian Slow Cooker" by Robin Robertson

serves 4-6

1 medium-sized yellow onion, chopped

1 medium-sized red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder, or more to taste

3 small sweet potatoes, (1 1/2 lbs) peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks

One 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes

2 (15.5-ounce) cans dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups water (more if necessary. You need to just cover all the ingredients with it)

1 tablespoon kosher salt, or more to taste

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon minced canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, or to taste

cilantro, fresh tomato, red onion for topping (optional)

Add all ingredients except the chipotle chiles, into the slow cooker. Make sure you add enough water to just cover the top of all the ingredients. You can add more than the 2 cups of water if necessary.

Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. When ready to serve add the chipotle chilies to the slow cooker and taste for seasonings and adjust if necessary.

Serve and top with chopped cilantro, fresh diced tomatoes and red onion.

Keep in mind the chipotle chiles in adobo are pretty spicy. My kids can eat this with the 1 tablespoon recommended but they like spicy things. If you are sensitive, try adding 1/2 tablespoon first (about 1/2 a pepper) and tasting before adding more. The chipotles are what give this a pleasing smokey flavor so don't leave them out all together.

Linguine with Lemon, Garlic and Thyme Mushrooms

This is some speedy linguine. You do no more to the mushrooms than slice them, steep them in oil, garlic, lemon and thyme and toss them into hot cooked pasta. The only thing you cook is the pasta. It's sort of weird for me to not cook the mushrooms in a saute pan first, but since they sit and marinate in the lemon/oil mixture, it sort of "cooks" and softens them before you add them to the pasta. the dressed mushrooms also make a great salad, but in which case boost the quantities of sliced mushrooms (keeping other ingredients the same, and obviously you're omitting the pasta altogether) to 6 cups. If all you can find is regular button mushrooms, this pasta is still worth making- so no excuse for not, or so Nigella Lawson says, who is the creator of this recipe. Obviously, I get excited about tossing all sorts of varieties in there...Trumpet, oyster, and cremini, since I've never met a mushroom I didn't like. This is a perfect, casual weeknight supper if I've ever seen one and I'm glad to have it in my repertoire.

One word of caution that I would give is to resist the urge to add more garlic. If you are like me, the one clove for the whole dish seems puny but you have to remember it stays raw and so it is quite flavorful. Too much garlic and it will get too spicy. This is a robust pasta and is very lemony. I love that, but I mention it because not everybody does, and if that is you I recommend only using half of the lemons juice instead of the whole thing. I'm kind of from the more lemon the better camp, so this is right up my ally.

Linguine with Lemon, Garlic and Thyme Mushrooms

adapted from Nigella Lawson Express

8 ounces (4 cups) finely sliced cremini mushrooms (or a mix of any varieties)

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon Kosher salt or 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 lemon, zested and juiced

4 sprigs fresh thyme stripped to give 1 teaspoon leaves

1 pound linguini ( I used whole wheat)

1 bunch fresh, flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped to give 1/2 cup

2 to 3 tablespoons freshly grated Paremsan, or to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

Slice the mushrooms finely, and put them into a large bowl with the oil, salt, minced garlic, lemon juice and zest, and thyme leaves.

Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions and drain loosely retaining some water (see note). Quickly put the pasta into the bowl with the mushroom mixture.

Toss everything together well, and then add the parsley, cheese and pepper before tossing again. Eat with joy in your heart (Nigella's words, not mine).

*note- you want a little of the starchy cooking liquid from the pasta to go into the mushroom mixture with your pasta. The little bit of water helps to make the dish saucier because of the starch.

Well we are back from Lincoln, NE where we celebrated Thanksgiving with Jeremy's family. We all got sick while we were there. I'm happy to report that I was less sick than Jeremy but it was still no fun not being able to participate in everything and rather just sit like a lump on the couch. :( On an up note, my birthday was yesterday and we went to Cafe Diva, the best restaurant in town to celebrate with friends for dinner. There was Champagne and duck confit pizza with apple butter and gruyere, crab and tomato bisque, bouillabaisse, and gingerbread with marscapone gelato. It was a good night indeed. Oh, and I also got a manicure and pedicure. Sparkly christmas red for my toes, and a sparkly dark blue for my hands. I was feeling edgy and Paris chic, with that choice. ;)

Roasted Tomato Soup with Fresh Basil

It's just a couple days before Thanksgiving and I am writing about tomato soup. It doesn't seem right. By all intents and purposes I should be blogging about Justin Timberlake's Grandmothers Pecan Pie that I made last week, but alas, it was just so-so and I didn't snap a picture of it. So, with all that said...Tomato soup it is and a dang good one at that. This is a smack down tomato soup. If you are having a tomato soup throw down, make this one because it's everything a tomato soup should be. It's bold and rich, satisfying and creamy with subtle garlic notes. Roasting the fresh tomatoes with onions and garlic before making the soup, really develops and deepens the flavor of the whole thing. Adding the croutons is a perfect salty crunch that sends it over the edge. The bottoms soak up the soup and become soft while the top keeps it's texture. I love that.

I abide by a simple method when making croutons. Just cut your bread of choice (preferably something crusty and hearty) into bite sized cubes. Heat a skillet up over moderately high heat and add a couple tablespoons of olive oil. When the pan is hot, add the cubes of bread and season liberally with salt and pepper, tossing the whole time to be sure it does not burn. When your bread has dried out and is a bit crusty, your croutons are ready, about 3-4 minutes.

Roasted Tomato Soup with Fresh Basil

adapted from"Stirring the Pot" by Tyler Florence

serves 4

2 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes (mix of heirlooms, cherry, vine, and plum tomatoes)

2 small yellow onions, sliced

6 garlic cloves, peeled

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

4 cups chicken broth

2 bay leaves

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream (I scaled this back to about 1/4 cup)

1 cup croutons (optional)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash, core, and cut the tomatoes into halves. Spread the tomatoes, onions, and garlic onto a baking tray. (Add the cherry tomatoes whole). Drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20-30 minutes, until caramelized.

Transfer the roasted tomatoes and the onions and garlic to a large stockpot. pour in any roasting liquid from the tray, about 3 cups of the chicken broth, the bay leaves, and butter. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until liquid has reduced by a third.

Remove and discard bay leaves. Add chopped basil leaves. Puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. You can also puree in batches in a regular blender. Return soup to low heat; add the 3/4 cup cream and adjust consistency with remaining chicken broth, if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. if you like, garnish each bowl with fresh chopped basil and croutons.

Were headed to Nebraska this Thanksgiving to celebrate with Jeremy's side of the family. A snow storm is supposed to move in the day we leave. Joy, right? Have a happy start to the holiday, be safe, and when you get tired of turkey, turn to this soup.