Flashback Friday - South x Southwestern Hummus

This post originally appeared on Minxeats.com on November 5, 2012.

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I was in the mood for hummus. Not traditional hummus, mind you - I can't eat chick peas without suffering some painful consequences (I know, TMI) - but a reasonable facsimile.

My tastebuds were leaning toward a hummus flavored with tomatoes and red bell peppers, something Southwestern-ish, so I really wanted to use black beans. But lo and behold - I had none. I did have a cup of dried black eyed peas, however, and because I really wanted hummus (and was too lazy to walk to the store), I did a quick boil and soak, and then cooked the peas to tenderness. Beans are bland enough that just about any kind can be successfully used in a hummus-like preparation, but black-eyed peas are a little more South than Southwest.

Tahini is another traditional hummus ingredient, but just about any nut butter will do. If peanut butter is good enough for Alton Brown, then it's good enough for me. But I happened to have a can of tahini in the fridge, so that peanut butter hummus will have to wait another day. I did have bags of sundried tomatoes and sundried bell peppers (find them at nuts.com), which were rehydrated in boiling water, and the whole mess was bunged into the Magimix. (Sorry. Channeling Jamie Oliver there.)

Cumin and garlic are usually found in hummus, but to spice it up a bit more, I added some ground chipotle for a smoky kick. The result was quite luscious, and we scooped it up with chips made from stale flour tortillas.

South x Southwest Hummus

1/2 cup loosely packed sundried tomatoes
1/2 cup loosely packed sundried red bell peppers (or 1 jarred or freshly roasted red bell pepper)
3 tablespoons tahini
2 cups cooked or canned black eyed peas (or your favorite bean)
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper (or 1/2 canned chipotle in adobo)
extra virgin olive oil, as needed
salt to taste
chopped scallions

Place sundried tomatoes and peppers (if using) in a saucepan with about a cup of water. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to come to room temperature.

Drain tomatoes and peppers and chop coarsely. Place in the bowl of a food processor with the tahini, beans, garlic, lemon juice, cumin, and chipotle. Blend until well puréed, adding olive oil to aid the process. (If you're using jarred bell pepper, you'll need less oil than if you use the sundried.) The texture should be thick enough to be scooped with pita or tortilla chips, but not so thick that the chip would break. Add salt to taste.

Serve drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and garnished with chopped scallions.

Posted on Minxeats.com.

Roasted Poblano Soup

I'm a big fan of poblano peppers, so when I see them at the farmers' market, I buy 'em. In the past, I've stuffed them, used them in pimento cheese, chili, and in black bean soup. This time, they star in a soup of their own. It's a bit spicy, only somewhat creamy, and overall fairly light. We ate it hot, but it would be lovely served chilled as well.

Roasted Poblano Soup

1 pound poblano peppers
1 cup diced onion
Olive oil
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
Handful of cilantro, both leaves and stems, roughly chopped
4 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup half and half
Pinch smoked paprika
Pinch ground cumin
Pinch ground coriander
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup cooked corn kernels

Roast the peppers over a gas flame or on a grill until blackened all over. Put them in a plastic or paper bag to sweat. When cool enough to handle, rub off the blackened skin then deseed the peppers and cut them into strips.

Sweat the onion in a bit of olive oil for a minute or two before adding the pepper and garlic. Cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and add the half and half and seasonings (you can add more to taste, but don't add so much as to overpower the flavor of the peppers). Add salt and pepper to taste and cook for 2-3 minutes more.

Remove soup from heat and allow to cool. Place cooled soup in a blender and whiz to puree.

Garnish soup with corn kernels and some cilantro.

Serves 2-4



Posted on Minxeats.com.

South x Southwestern Hummus

I was in the mood for hummus. Not traditional hummus, mind you - I can't eat chick peas without suffering some painful consequences (I know, TMI) - but a reasonable facsimile.

My tastebuds were leaning toward a hummus flavored with tomatoes and red bell peppers, something Southwestern-ish, so I really wanted to use black beans. But lo and behold - I had none. I did have a cup of dried black eyed peas, however, and because I really wanted hummus (and was too lazy to walk to the store), I did a quick boil and soak, and then cooked the peas to tenderness. Beans are bland enough that just about any kind can be successfully used in a hummus-like preparation, but black-eyed peas are a little more South than Southwest.

Tahini is another traditional hummus ingredient, but just about any nut butter will do. If peanut butter is good enough for Alton Brown, then it's good enough for me. But I happened to have a can of tahini in the fridge, so that peanut butter hummus will have to wait another day. I did have bags of sundried tomatoes and sundried bell peppers (find them at nuts.com), which were rehydrated in boiling water, and the whole mess was bunged into the Magimix. (Sorry. Channeling Jamie Oliver there.)

Cumin and garlic are usually found in hummus, but to spice it up a bit more, I added some ground chipotle for a smoky kick. The result was quite luscious, and we scooped it up with chips made from stale flour tortillas.

South x Southwest Hummus

1/2 cup loosely packed sundried tomatoes
1/2 cup loosely packed sundried red bell peppers (or 1 jarred or freshly roasted red bell pepper)
3 tablespoons tahini
2 cups cooked or canned black eyed peas (or your favorite bean)
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper (or 1/2 canned chipotle in adobo)
extra virgin olive oil, as needed
salt to taste
chopped scallions

Place sundried tomatoes and peppers (if using) in a saucepan with about a cup of water. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to come to room temperature.

Drain tomatoes and peppers and chop coarsely. Place in the bowl of a food processor with the tahini, beans, garlic, lemon juice, cumin, and chipotle. Blend until well puréed, adding olive oil to aid the process. (If you're using jarred bell pepper, you'll need less oil than if you use the sundried.) The texture should be thick enough to be scooped with pita or tortilla chips, but not so thick that the chip would break. Add salt to taste.

Serve drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and garnished with chopped scallions.

Posted on Minxeats.com.

Pork Spareribs, Santa Fe-style

Who doesn't love pork ribs? Ok, apart from vegetarians and those who eschew eating pork...I'm betting they'd love them if they tried them! Not long ago I was looking for a rib recipe that didn't involve a lot of work. I found one with a flavor profile that I liked, and simplified it so it was easy-peasy. Just mix up the sauce, pour it over the meat, and braise. There's nothing more strenuous in this recipe than using a can opener, and the results are quite delicious. The sauce is mildly spicy, so if you want more heat, just add more chipotles.

Southwest Pork Ribs

1 15oz can tomato sauce
1 8oz can red chili sauce, or 1 cup homemade
2 canned chipotles en adobo
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 1/2 - 2 lbs well-marbled pork country ribs (with bones, if possible)
Fresh cilantro for garnish

Preheat oven to 300F.

Combine first five ingredients in a bowl, mixing well to dissolve brown sugar.

Place pork country ribs in a single layer in a 9 x 13 baking pan. Pour over sauce. Cover pan and place in the oven. Cook for 2 hours or until meat is very tender.

Degrease sauce and serve on the side.

Posted on Minxeats.com.

Turkey Chili

I love chili, particularly Texas-style - thick, dark red, studded with chunks of tender beef, redolent of chiles and spices, and bean-free. It's a little warm outside to be cooking up a big old pot of rib-sticking goodness, but I had a package of ground turkey I needed to use before the expiration date. Oh, I had lots of ambitious ideas for the meat; potstickers; b'stilla; laab. But as soon as I mentioned the word "chili" to Mr Minx, followed by the words, "with tomatillos and black beans," I knew that I'd be firing up the Dutch oven that afternoon.

It was a bit of a relief to open a couple of cans and toss stuff in a pot. I really didn't want to wrestle with dumpling dough or filo anyway. The results were delicious, even if the meat was ground and there were beans in the stew. Somehow it seemed light enough for a hot day, too.

Spicy Smoky Turkey Chili

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1.5 lb ground turkey
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chile powder
4 oz lager-style beer
1 12 oz can of tomatillos, drained and chopped
1 15 oz can chopped tomatoes and their juices
2 chipotles en adobo, finely minced
1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
brown sugar, honey, or agave syrup
salt and pepper to taste

Over medium high heat, heat oil in a large pot and add onion; cook until onion begins to turn translucent. Stir in the ground turkey. Breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, cook until turkey is cooked through and starting to brown. Add garlic and cook another minute or so. Stir in chile powder. Add beer, followed by tomatillos, tomatoes, chipotle, black beans, and stock. Bring mixture to a boil, turn down heat, and simmer for 90 minutes.

After 90 minutes, add cumin and smoked paprika, and sweeten to taste. Cook an additional 30-45 minutes. If mixture seems too watery, either turn up the heat and boil off some of the liquid, or make a slurry with a couple tablespoons of corn meal and water, add to the pot, and bring to a boil. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper.

Serve with chopped scallions, cilantro, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, sliced jalapenos, corn tortillas or tortilla chips, or whatever you like best with your chili.

Posted by theminx on Minxeats.com.

Mesa Grill

When I was in New York last week, abandoned to the big city alone by my traveling companion who went home sick, I decided I wasn't going to settle for a slice of pizza at the restaurant next door to the hotel. No siree, I wanted real food. My first choice was Alex Urena's Pamplona, but when I called Mr Minx to arrange my reservation via Open Table, he informed me that the earliest I could get in was 8pm. That wasn't going to work, as I hoped to be snugly tucked into bed by that time, catching up on the sleep I missed the night before. I felt a small pang of guilt that I would be experiencing a possibly wonderful meal without my dearest at my side (or across the table), so I wasn't too bothered about not getting in to my first choice. I decided Mesa Grill would work just fine, as my hubby had been there with me twice before, both in NY and in Las Vegas, and I wouldn't be experiencing anything new. Plus they had a 6pm ressie available.

I don't like eating out alone. The alone part doesn't bother me so much as the chance that some other random alone stranger might want to join me, or at least talk to me. And I'm not fond of random strangers, period. One of the first occasions that I had to eat alone was when I visited England back in 1989. I stayed in a hotel in London for a few days myself before heading off to visit friends in the country. I felt so uncomfortable dining alone in the hotel coffee shop, a place I had visited so many times before in the past with my family (my family has a "regular" hotel in London, despite the fact that we visit only about once a decade or so), that I ate the rest of my meals in my room. Once I even resorted to thawing a boil-in-bag curry in a hot bathtub and eating it tepid, just to avoid the sympathetic stares of other diners.

That was a long time ago, and I don't care as much what strangers think of me. (Still don't like talking to them though.) So I left my purse and anything else that might make me look muggable at the hotel, picked up a paperback, and walked confidently to my destination. There, I was given the choice of sitting hidden away upstairs, or on the banquette in full view of the dining room. Uncharacteristically, I chose the banquette.

After much menu deliberation (because I wanted everything on it), I ordered the yellow cornmeal crusted oysters with green curry sauce and mango pico de gallo, followed by the cornmeal crusted chile relleno filled with acorn squash, sage, and goat cheese, served with fig-cascabel chile sauce, and a side of sauteed spinach. The oysters were beautifully presented: a row of oyster shells, each with a spoonful of bright green sauce topped with a crisp oyster and a bit of mango garnish. The shellfish was wonderfully tender and the Thai style curry sauce had just the right amount of heat. It was so good, I mopped it out of the shells with selections from my personal bread basket. (I didn't get any of the two-tone corn muffins, which disappointed me, but the little rolls were delicious). I love chiles rellenos in all of their piquant/crusty/oozy glory. This one was a far more elegant version than I have experienced before, with mild and savory flavors inside and a dark rich sauce (which was a kissing cousin to the one Mr Minx did not enjoy at Bolo, although prepared with a much lighter hand) with chunks of fig. The spinach was simply but perfectly prepared, still bright green yet cooked long enough to remove its astringent quality.

I went for broke and had dessert as well. Because there was nothing cornmeal-encrusted on the dessert menu, I instead chose a huge slab of chocolate coconut layer cake served with a wee scoop of lime sorbet. The coconut must have come from coconut milk, as the flavor was present but not as the typical waxen shavings. I couldn't eat the whole thing, but it was very good.

And the whole time I was eating, I felt perfectly comfortable. The staff was charming and attentive, and no strangers approached me. I did notice another solo diner farther down the banquette, but we paid each other no mind. I felt powerful, capable, strong. (Until I got the check, at which point I felt a little broke as well.) I left the restaurant, hailed a cab immediately, and found myself snuggled down in front of the TV by 8pm. And the next day, I dined alone again, at db Bistro Moderne, but you've already read that post. ;)

Mesa Grill
102 5th Ave
New York, NY 10011
(212) 807-7400