The fact that I do not have to start thinking about my job until mid-day provides me the luxury of enjoying a morning meal, all at the leisurely pace of what feels like a quiet Sunday morning. This doesn't happen every morning, but when it does, I certainly feel like I'm making up for all those years of having to be out of the house for my morning commute long before the chickens were up! Only to be relegated to eating breakfast at my desk. The only thing I miss from those days are some great people I met along the way.
So on with the post of what I savored this morning....Huevos Rancheros...complete with a latte and mellow music playing. Would it be over-the-top to mention the gas fireplace flickering in the background? The morning would be perfect if kitchen fairies were washing the dishes!
I really don't have a recipe for the Huevos. I simply layered 2 sprouted corn tortillas with re fried beans, a few over-easy eggs speckled with fresh cracked pepper, my homemade salsa verde and a few drizzles of Sriracha because I like it hot! I happend to have an avocado so I added a few slices for garnish. You can serve them with black beans, chorizo, fresh cilantro, salsa, sour cream, scrambled eggs, etc....whatever you like and have on hand.
I am going to provide the recipe for the beans I made. This recipe makes quite a bit, so unless you're feeding a "thrashing crew" I'd suggest freezing the finished product into smaller portions for use at a later date.
Frijoles Borrachos
4 jalapeno chiles, stems and seeds removed, cut in half lengthwise
2 c pinto beans, cleaned and rinsed (1 pound bag)
12 oz beer (I go all out and use PBR)
1 onion, rough chopped
6 c water
kosher salt & fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Place all ingredients in a large stockpot (6-8qt) and soak overnight. The next morning, bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the beans are done. Add more water if necessary. Everyone is different here, but I prefer the beans tender, but not cooked to mush. Mash the beans using the tool of your choice. I like to use my stick (immersion) blender & puree only a portion of the beans. You can use a hand held potato masher, a food processor, blender, etc. Season to taste with kosher salt & black pepper.
At this point, the beans are ready to be re-fried. Again this is a personal preference. I believe they're perfect now, but some folks like to fry the beans in oil, hence re-fried...could be vegetable, manteca (lard), even better yet, bacon grease. The smokiness from bacon grease imparts a sublime flavor profile...you choose.
This recipe originates from a book entitled The Whole Chile Pepper Book by Dave Dewitt and Nancy Gerlach. The famed editors of Chile Pepper Magazine. I own a few books by Dave...great inspiration for any chile-head!
I went to the farm with a few friends three Sunday's ago for fall picking. The farm had been hit by a frost and it wiped out most of the garden. While root vegetables like beets, carrots and potatoes were fine, other veggies like okra, peppers and tomatoes were essentially wiped out. The tomatillos were also hit by the frost, and the plants looked pretty sad, but I think the outer husk saved the fruit. I was able to harvest almost six pounds. I made this salsa and am happy to say I like the end result. Do you know how nice it will be to have pork or chicken enchiladas in the middle of winter with this lovely sauce? Again, I don't have lots of pictures to share...forgot the camera when we were at the garden, thought I had pictures of the fresh tomatillos once I had returned home, was in too big of a hurry on canning day to take pictures as I went, so this picture of the end result is all there is...only if you could taste whats in the jar...
This recipe is loosely based from one in Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen cookbook. Water bath processing times based on our elevation of 5,500ft and the Ball Blue Book Canning Guide, 2003 edition.
Salsa Verde
makes approximately 6 pints
6 pounds tomatillos, papery husks and stems removed, rinsed
2 tbsp canola oil
3 medium onions, peeled, medium dice
15 jalapenos, stems removed, small dice (seeds and all for added heat)
15 cloves garlic, peeled, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
2 bunches fresh cilantro, chopped
4 fresh limes
approx 1 1/2 tbsp kosher salt, or to taste
fresh cracked black pepper
approx 2 tbsp agave or honey, or to taste
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Place tomatillos on a parchment lined baking sheet. Roast for 20-35 minutes, turning occasionally, until blackened in spots and the tomatillos are soft, collapsed and leaking. Meanwhile, preheat a large stainless steel stockpot over medium high heat. When hot, add canola oil and saute onions, jalapenos and garlic that have been lightly sprinkled with kosher salt and pepper. Cook until translucent. Add roasted tomatillos and bring to a simmer. At this point I used an immersion blender and pureed the mixture to a consistency of my liking. I wanted a bit of small chunks to remain. Feel free to puree to the consistency you desire. If you do not have an immersion blender, you can puree batches of the this in the blender or food processor. Keep in mind the liquid is hot and you will need to have an opening for steam to escape so that you do not have a green volcanic eruption! Once pureed, return mixture to a simmer, add and mix in half the kosher salt, cumin, chopped cilantro and the juice of four fresh limes. At this point taste. Balance the flavors by adding more salt if needed. Use agave or honey to further balance the flavor should the salsa seem too acidic. When you are happy how the salsa tastes, ladle the hot salsa into sterilized jars, leaving 1/2" head space at the top. Use a clean damp cloth to wipe the rims of the jars, then put a flat lid and ring on each jar. Screw bands on jars to finger tight. Place jars in a boiling water bath with water covering jars by at least one inch. Bring to a boil, and process for 20 minutes. Remove jars from bath and allow to cool on a towel. After one hour, check that the lids have sealed by pressing down on the center of each; if it can be pushed down, it hasn't sealed, and the jar should be refrigerated immediately. Enjoy!
