Mexican Pinto Bean Soup

 

I bought a case of petite diced tomatoes. As I look at this sitting on my counter in the kitchen, I’m beginning to wonder why. I love making tomato-based soups in the wintertime, and thought that having cans of diced tomatoes close at hand would encourage me to do so. Today I’m experimenting with a number of tomato soup recipes; a couple of days ago I made this Mexican pinto bean soup. I think this is probably the first time I have ever used pinto beans in soup. Let me tell you they are darned good, and the soup -- even a small cup -- is filling and satisfying.  Serve it with my Mexican Cheese Garlic Bread, and you have a rave worthy meal.

Mexican Pinto Bean Soup

 6 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped

1 yellow onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 (12 oz) bottle Mexican-style beer

2 c. chicken stock

1 t. dried Mexican oregano

½ t. ground cumin

2 bay leaves

2 15-oz. cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 10-oz. can diced tomatoes with green chilies

1 14-oz. can petite diced tomatoes

 In a large heavy-bottomed pot, cook bacon over medium heat. Once crisp, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate but keep drippings in pot.

 Add onion to pot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.

Add beer and de-glaze pot, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Stir in the stock, oregano, cumin, bay leaves, tomatoes and green chilies, diced tomatoes, and beans; stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and let cook 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and puree part of soup with an immersion blender.  Stir in cooked bacon and season to taste with salt and pepper, if needed.

 Serve with Mexican Cheese Garlic Bread.

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Mexican Cheese Garlic Bread

 

 

I have been trying a variety of new soup recipes to put in the freezer for the cold months ahead. Generally, when I make anything spicy I serve it with cornbread. Today I decided that I was going to try something different. I wanted cheese garlic bread, but I wanted it to be Mexican at the same time, so I combined the two, and I can’t stop eating it! This version is mild. If you want more heat, double or even triple the amount of jalapeño. It is so good! Serve it with chili, tortilla soup, or my Mexican Pinto Bean Soup, the recipe of which will be posted next week.

Mexican Cheese Garlic Bread

 1 bulb garlic

1 T. olive oil

Pinch of kosher salt

½ c. butter, room temperature

1 T. minced Melissa’s pickled jalapeño

½ c. grated Parmesan

Pinch Mexican oregano

Pinch kosher salt

Few gratings freshly ground black pepper

1 c. grated Monterey Jack cheese

One loaf Italian bread

 Preheat oven to 400° F.

 Pace garlic bulb in the center of a square of foil. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and wrap tightly in the foil; roast in the oven for 30 minutes. Set aside to cool while you make the cheese mixture.

 Place the softened butter in a medium bowl. Add jalapeño, Parmesan, oregano, salt, and pepper. Beat together until combined. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the bulb into the butter mixture, and beat once more to combine.

 Slice bread on the diagonal into 1/2” - 1” thick slices. Slather on a generous amount of the mixture and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the edges are golden and the cheese has melted.

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Does holiday prep have you in a tizzy?

There are times when I wonder if I have lost my mind; there are other times when I’m certain of it. There’s something about the comfort of late nights and wonderful solitude that doesn’t (and by that I mean shouldn’t) pair with online shopping.

I was wondering what I was going to do this year for my Christmas table (bear in mind I have no parties planned) that would be vastly different from what I’ve done previously. I happened upon this set of dishes on Amazon for 69% off (They still are at the time of writing.)

   Soon, not only were the dishes in my cart, but they were joined by the mugs (25% off), matching chargers, and salt and pepper shakers that were so cute I thought it would be a disservice to myself to say ‘no.’ (The pattern, by the way is Lenox Balsam Lane.)

 The next thing I knew I had placed my order not only for the dishes, but for six cans of aqua spray paint. Why the paint, you ask? It’s because I decided that these dishes would look wonderful at a table with chairs to match.  Does this sound like the definition of crazy to you, because it certainly does to me.

   At any rate, the dishes arrived, (I love them), and over the weekend, because it warmed up into the sixties, I backed my car out of the garage, and started spray painting the first chair.  Let me explain something about the chairs. These are inexpensive Windsor-style chairs that I have owned through two husbands. The crossbars have become weak, so I decided to upgrade to black Windsor chairs from Pottery Barn, that look the same, but are much better quality, just ask my backside. I was thinking about donating the old chairs, when I came upon the idea to paint them. I mean, why not? Surprisingly, I have quite a few sets of dishes and stemware that will look beautiful with this color come spring. They will also go nicely with a variety of greens, and make neutrals setting pop.

Rest assured when I get everything done, and the table set, I’ll be certain to share it with you. (FYI the chair color matches the dishes much better than it appears here.) Meanwhile, go to bed early and don’t shop online after midnight. You've been warned.

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Orange Croissant Breakfast Casserole

 

My guess is that when people think of food for Christmas Day, they think of dinner. Turkey or ham, various kinds of potatoes, a variety of vegetables, salads -- both sweet and savory, perhaps a pasta dish or two. Me? For three quarters of my life Christmas Day meant brunch at my parents’ house, prepared by the skillful hands of my mother. That is all I ever knew when it came to Christmas. If you ask anyone who knew her, they will tell you that my mother’s Christmas brunches were legendary. 

 

After she passed away, I had considered taking up that tradition, but my efforts would surely pale by comparison; truth be told, I just couldn’t find it in my heart to do so. Why tamper with perfection?  I do continue to try brunch recipes, and I think of my mother every time I do. I tried this one over the weekend, tweaked it, and really enjoyed it. There’s a lot to like about this, one of the big pluses is that it is so easy to make.  You can cut or tear your croissants the day prior to store in Ziploc bags. You can make the cream cheese filling ahead of time, cover it, refrigerate it, bring it to room temperature prior to using, and give it a good stir. This dish is perfectly fine dusted with powdered sugar. Or you can take it over the top and drizzle it with maple syrup. This will be memorable whenever you decide to serve it. Orange Croissant Breakfast Casserole

 4 large croissants, roughly chopped

1 c. Tiptree orange marmalade

1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, room temperature

½ c. granulated sugar

2 large eggs

¾ c. whole milk

¼ c. Grand Marnier

Zest from one orange

½ t. almond extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 10” deep dish pie pan with nonstick spray.

 In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

 Add sugar and beat until fully incorporated, then add eggs, milk, orange zest, and almond extract and again mix to combine.

 Place chopped croissants in prepared baking dish and place dollops of marmalade among them, stirring a bit to distribute if needed.

 Pour cream cheese mixture over croissants, then cover dish tightly with foil.

 Bake 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until top is golden brown and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15 more minutes.

 Let cool slightly before serving. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired, and serve. Enjoy!

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Chicken Française

Once November hits, panic sets in. In my mind, the holiday season has officially begun, and I’m already behind. What I like at this time of the year are delicious meals that are easy to make, and cook up in no time at all. This is one of those dishes. This meal can be on the table in 30 minutes. It’s elegant enough for company, but simple enough for weeknights with the family. Plan ahead and get a pan of rice going while you prepare this dish, and toss some vegetables into the microwave. Dinner is served.

Chicken Française

 2 large chicken breasts, halved into tenderloins

2 large eggs

½ t. Italian seasoning

½ t. garlic salt

¼ t. freshly ground black pepper

1 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

¼ c. flour

2 T. olive oil

 Sauce:

8 Tbsp unsalted butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ c. fresh lemon juice

½ c. chicken broth

½ c. dry white wine

 Pat chicken breast dry with paper towels. Lightly beat with a meat mallet to flatten slightly.

 In a deep, shallow bowl, whisk together eggs, Italian seasoning, garlic salt, and pepper. In a second deep, shallow bowl, whisk together the Parmesan cheese and flour.
Dip chicken into the egg mixture, then dredge chicken in the Parmesan mixture. Allowing any excess to fall back into the bowl.

 Heat oil in a large skillet until shimmering. Add chicken and cook 4-5 minutes per side, or until crispy, golden, and cooked through to 165˚F. Remove chicken to a plate, tent with foil, and keep warm.

 In the same pan melt butter. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, and wine, and stir to de-glaze. Allow the sauce to cook for about 2-3 minutes until thickened. Pour over the cooked chicken, turning to coat. Garnish with lemon slices and finely chopped parsley.

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Creamy Giardiniera Dip

 

This is the time of the year when I start thinking about holiday food — dips, snacks, side dishes, mains. I’m interested in trying things that I’ve never made before so that I can offer something fresh and new to my guests. I spotted this recipe in Bon Appétit. I was attracted to it by virtue of the fact that I had all of the ingredients on hand, including the giardiniera that I had bought during the summer to use in a sandwich recipe, and never used it again. Bon Appétit had you stirring together all of the ingredients with the exception of the giardiniera, using it on top, with the oil from the relish drizzled overall. That didn’t particularly appeal to me for two reasons. First of all, I didn’t like the idea of the oil drizzled on top. Ew. Second, once that top layer containing the giardiniera is eaten away, you end up with basically just cream cheese at the bottom. Seasoned cream cheese, sure, but cream cheese, nonetheless. So I decided to put everything into the food processor to ensure that the bold taste of the spicy relish was enjoyed in every bite. It worked! This is a snack that you can make one to two days ahead (maybe more, if I’m honest), and pull it out when you need it. After all, during the holidays, you just never know who’s going to happen by. It’s great on chips and crackers, even wavy potato chips work here because this tends to be on the creamy side. Me? I loved it with Fritos.

 Creamy Giardiniera Dip

Adapted from Bon Appétit

 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

½ c. finely grated Parmesan

½ c. sour cream 

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 c. well drained, coarsely chopped, oil-based giardiniera

Process cream cheese, Parmesan, and sour cream in a food processor until combined and smooth; season with salt and pepper (to taste) and pulse until incorporated but dip is not completely smooth. Add giardiniera and pulse until combined.

 Transfer dip to a small bowl and serve with the dippers of your choice. This can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

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Dia de los Muertos Tablescape

 

It’s only been in recent years that I have celebrated Dia de Los Muertos, a.k.a. Day of the Dead. It’s a Mexican holiday, obviously, and one that I find greatly appealing because it’s set aside solely to honor those close to us who have passed away. The celebration is defined by Calaveras skeletons, lots of color, flowers, and great joy. I tried to depict all of that in this table.I struggled with selecting a table topper. I have a number of them probably more appropriate than this one, but this appeal to me greatly. The pattern is called “Los Santos,” and is from Alexander Henry. I hardly know where to begin to describe everything that is on the table, so I’ll start with the centerpiece.

The orange skull at table center was given to me a number of years ago. It came from Trader Joe’s, and had a succulent in it that has since outgrown the pot, and I now use it to hold flowers. Michael’s had a wonderful selection of items, so the sitting skeletons, the delightful Frida Kahlo tea light holders, the black candles with skeleton hands, and the two skeleton candelabras (brought forwards from my Halloween table) all come from there.

Williams-Sonoma is responsible for the tea towels that I used as napkins here, as are the wonderful, colorful mugs that I absolutely adore. The cookies on the small skull plate are from there as well.

The Frida Kahlo wine glasses, I purchased years ago from artist, Kelly Cameron, who hand-painted the design. One side has Frida, the other a skull. They are beautiful either way. 

The red stemware is from Amazon, as are the two floral black picture frames by Laura Ashley, and the boldly colored orange flatware can be found here.

 The salt and pepper shakers, viewable at far left, are from World Market, years ago.

 The wonderful tombstone picture frame (I have a pair of these, but could only find one) I got on Etsy years ago.

I hope you found this table a feast for eyes and soul. If you don’t celebrate this special holiday, please consider it in the future. 

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This post is linked to: Tablescape Thursday