tasty tuesday: braised quick-corned beef hash and cabbage tacos

 

Irish tacos, y’all.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! It was just a scant 3 years ago that on this day I was down in Savannah with some of my best buds for my Bachelor party. It was fun, but I don’t think it is something I need to do again. I survived St. Patrick’s Day in Savannah and no epic tales were spun.

I admit from the outset that I do not make a habit of celebrating this holiday in any big way, as Scotland is the motherland, but I do not begrudge it its culinary traditions. Corned beef (simply salt cured beef) is a wonderful concoction that has filled many a sandwich for me over the years. Its pairing with cabbage is classic. And corned beef hash may truly be the perfect breakfast fuel (if you haven’t had the H&H version you are missing out on a legend in the making).

My love of this food is honored hear with a twist on the classic by turning the dish into tacos, an easy delivery system for the foods. I decided the shells needed to be crunchy for some reason, but in a pinch I think soft shell would be fine. Also, to keep the flavors balanced, I used chuck roast instead of brisket and used a salt and spice crust instead of a cure. You get the flavor without the overwhelming salt throughout. The chuck braises wonderfully and makes for an almost barbacoa like mouthfeel. Incorporating blanched potatoes on the griddle makes a nice hash and steaming with the braising liquid give the potatoes a wonderful flavor without losing texture. The lightly cooked cabbage with vinegar and ginger provides a good contrast and a lemon garlic aioli brings it all together.

This is a fun twist on the tradition St Paddy’s meal that anyone can get behind, even a Scot.

Quick-Corned Beef Braised Tacos

2 lb chuck roast cut into 6 pieces
1 cup salt
1/4 cup garlic
1/8 cup paprika
1 tbsp ground mustard
1/8 cup black pepper
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp butter
1 bottle Guinness
1 bottle lager
6 whole cloves
4 garlic cloves, quartered
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
1 tbsp whole grain mustard

1 russet potato, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
4 tbsp butter, melted

6 corn tortillas
oil

1/2 head cabbage, cut angel hair
1 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ginger
salt and pepper

1 egg
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp Dijon
1 tbsp lemon juice
Olive oil to thicken
Combine the spices. Roll the meat in the spices coating all sides evenly. Set aside.

Heat oven to 350. Heat a large dutch oven to medium. Melt the butter and saute the onions until the sweet. Remove from pan. Sear the meat cuts on all sides and remove from pan. Deglaze the pan with the Guinness and scrape the bottom of the pan to get all the bits add the clove, garlic, and peppercorns. Boil 5 minutes. Add the meat and onions back to the pan and pour the lager over, leaving the tops of the meat exposed. Cover and place pan in oven for an hour and 45 minutes, flipping halfway.

In the meantime, cube the potato and soak in salt water for 30 minutes. Drain. Heat 4 cups of water in a suacepan to boiling. Add potatoes and boil 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Heat 1 inch of oil in a saute pan. Heat over medium high heat. Fry the tortillas for 1 minute then flip. When flipped, fold the tortilla into a v shape and continue to fry about 30 seconds, flip to fry the side that was out of the oil. Place on a cookie sheet and repeat. When the meat is ready, reduce temp in oven to warm and place tortillas in the oven.

Heat a large pan and heat the olive oil for the cabbage over medium heat. Add the cabbage, vinegar, ginger, salt a pepper and stir to coat. Cover and reduce heat to low.

In food processor, add garlic, egg, dijon and lemon juice. Blend, slowly adding the olive oil until the mixture thickens. Cool in refrigerator until ready to serve.

When the meat is ready, heat a griddle or saute pan over medium high heat. Spoon 1 tbsp melted butter on griddle and some potatoes. Add a pinch of the spice mix of for the meat.  Heat 4 minutes. Chop the meat and add the meat to the griddle and toss with the potatoes. Ladle a spoonful of the cooking liquid over the hash and cook 2 minutes. Place the mixture into the taco shells. Top with the cabbage and aioli.

Crunch into the tacos!

 

 

 

meatless monday: rice and beans and greens

“To hand crafted beers made in local breweries, to yoga, to yogurt, to rice and beans and cheese…”–Rent

Don’t lie–you sang this song in your head when you read this title.

Oh, you didn’t? You mean you didn’t spend your teenage years singing show tunes in your room while other people went to parties? Yeah, me either…carry on, then.

Rice and beans, while a staple of many Latin American and Caribbean diets, is also a go-to for people living la vie boheme, aka ballin’ on a budget. Rice and beans together create a complete protein, meaning that it’s a filling and excellent combination of protein and carbohydrates. Instead of white rice and black beans, I used brown rice and cranberry beans, then added some swiss chard for added vitamins and folic acid. Not pictured: the heavy sprinkle of sharp cheddar on top. Since cheese is optional, that makes this dish vegan, if you’re so inclined. I’m typically not, so I thoroughly enjoyed my creamy, melty cheese mixed in with my rice and beans and greens.

The cranberry beans and swiss chard came from this week’s CSA box. Cranberry beans are also called Berlotti beans or Roman beans, showing their Italian origin. Before they cook, they look like this:

When they cook, however, the speckled, Easter egg quality fades away, leaving an ever so slight pink color. These beans are about the size of pinto beans and have a great nutty flavor. You can use whichever bean you like or have in your pantry, but since I had these fresh beans from a local farm, you know I had to use them–never canned, plus I didn’t have to soak them overnight.

Rice and Beans and Greens

Serves 4-6

2 cups brown rice, dry

1.5 cups fresh, uncooked cranberry beans (or beans of your choice)

4.5 oz. can diced green chiles

4 cups chicken broth (or water or vegetable broth if vegetarian/vegan)

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. white pepper

1 Tbsp. cumin

1 Tbsp. paprika

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. coriander

1 bunch swiss chard, stems removed, cut into 1/2-inch ribbons

1 tsp. olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

shredded cheddar cheese for topping (optional)

Combine rice, beans, chiles, stock, and spices in a rice cooker and cook until done. If you don’t have a rice cooker (and you should–go buy one, they’re cheap), bring ingredients to a boil in a pot, then place the lid on the pot, turn the heat to low, and cook for about 40 minutes.

When the rice and beans are done, heat the tsp. of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, then add the garlic. Next, add the swiss chard and cook for about 1 minute. Next, add the rice and beans and toss with the swiss chard, then smooth over the top of the mixture with a spoon and let cook for about one minute. Stir, then repeat this. Next, plate the rice and beans in a bowl and top with cheese, if desired. Devour.

lunchbox life: triple green salad

Spring has sprung! I have been so energized by the past several days of sunshine, and today was particularly spectacular. I decided that since the weather is warmer, I should try something cool and no-heat this week. We received our CSA box yesterday, and it was full of green goodness. I couldn’t decide which greens to use, so I started thinking about a flavor profile for a triple green salad: kale, green beans, and broccoli. All three of these veggies are raw in the salad, but since they’re so hearty, I dressed them this evening for the rest of the week. This is pretty necessary for the kale, but it will also slightly soften the broccoli and green beans, plus the acidity from the lemon and lime in the dressing will create a slight breakdown of of the veggies.

This salad is beautiful, and I could definitely see this becoming a go-to for spring and summer potlucks, minus the chicken. I love knowing that there are so many Georgia grown pieces to this salad puzzle, too.

I did a shortcut for the chicken in this recipe by buying a whole cooked rotisserie chicken at the Kroger deli counter, removing the skin, and shredding both the white and dark meat. I sometimes do this when I make chicken salad, too.

I don’t have the luxury of leisurely weekday lunches–mine are about 25 minutes long and eaten a student desk–but if I worked somewhere near a park or green space, I’d love to take this salad outside to soak up some Vitamin D.

Triple Green Salad

1 bunch kale, ribs removed and cut into ribbons

1 tsp. olive oil

three heads broccoli, stalks removed and sliced lengthwise

1 cup raw green beans, ends removed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 rotisserie chicken, cooked

1 sweet potato

1 tsp. olive oil

4 radishes

4 oz. crumbled feta cheese

salt and pepper

for the dressing:

2 Tbsp. olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

juice of 1 lime

1 Tbsp. tahini

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Peel the sweet potato, then dice it. Toss the small pieces in 1 tsp. olive oil, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and roast for 20 minutes.

While the sweet potato pieces are roasting, prep the veggies according to the ingredient directions. Place the kale ribbons in a large mixing bowl with 1 tsp. olive oil and a pinch of salt. For about 30 seconds, massage the oil and salt into the kale, watching it shrink down. Next, add the sliced broccoli and chopped green beans and add to the mixing bowl. Prepare the chicken by removing the skin and shredding the white and dark meat with your hands, adding the chicken to your mixing bowl. When the sweet potato pieces have cooked, remove from the oven and remove the parchment paper and potatoes from the cookie sheet; this will allow for faster cooling. Thinly slice the radishes, discarding the ends, and add these slices to the mixing bowl. When the sweet potato pieces have cooled, add them to the mixing bowl as well as the feta cheese. Toss all ingredients. Next, add the dressing ingredients to a small jar, fasten the lid, then shake vigorously for about 10 seconds. Add dressing to the salad, toss to combine, then divide into five containers.

meatless monday: spaghetti with garlic and oil with asparagus and tomatoes

Comfort food. A big warm bowl of pasta, delicious garlicky oil,a few veggies. It’s a wonderful complement to the mild weather we’ve had the last few days and it is very easy to make. Perfect for a Monday of work, especially the first workday after Springing forward…

This dish is a classic dish with a little fresh twist. Spaghetti olio e aglio is a fairly basic dish that is so easy to make and uses such standard ingredients that it has been dubbed midnight pasta. Typically, you won’t have to make a run to the store to make this supper. I had been wanting to make it ever since we re-watched the movie Chef (something that also led me to make Cubano sandwiches a couple of weeks ago) where Jon Favreau makes this pasta (it seems) for Scarlett Johansson.If you haven’t seen that movie, you should. It is very sweet and the food shots are amazing. It is fascinating to see what directors like Favreau and Joss Weedon do when “taking a break” from their blockbuster films. I guess in this case it has been literally inspiring.

It is amazing what just a few basic ingredients can do to brighten your day.

Spaghetti with garlic and oil with asparagus and tomatoes

1 pound spaghetti
Water and 2 tablespoons salt
8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 bundle asparagus, chopped
6 Cherry tomatoes, quartered
Pinch red pepper
1/4 cup parmesan
Salt and pepper to finish

Bring water and salt to a boil. Add pasta and cook 9 minutes. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of pasta water before straining.

Heat oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir frequently for 4 minutes, until browned around the edges, but not burned. Add the asparagus and toss in the oil. Pour in the pasta water and bring to a boil. Lower to simmer for about 5 minutes as the sauce reduces. Add red pepper flake and a pinch of salt. Add pasta and remove from heat. Toss in the oil until covered. Toss in cheese and tomatoes and let it sit for 5 minutes. Serve in bowls and finish with salt and pepper.

It will be gone soon after.

lunchbox life: late winter three bean turkey chili

I think I speak for many of us when I say that I’m ready for spring to begin. The official beginning of spring is March 20, so regardless of the shadow your favorite groundhog saw or didn’t see, I’m counting down the days until this date. I thought, however, that this week might be a good time to throw together one more warm and hearty bowl of soup or stew for lunches. As produce is concerned, late February-early March is a lean time for fresh and new fruits and veggies, so I thought I’d focus on protein and legumes for this lunch.

Talk about a one-pot easy meal. There are a million ways to make chili, but this recipe is lean, mean, and spicy. It’s the last hurrah of warm winter goodness with a bevy of nutrition packed inside. This was the perfect throw-it-together week of lunches that took about 20 minutes to prep and about an hour to simmer on the stove. This was just fine with me–this chili simmered away as Alex and I watched the the latest episode of The Walking Dead, so I wasn’t worried about watching the pot.

Aside from spices, here are the ingredients for this chili:

Quality ingredients are key here. Even when using organic and all natural ingredients, this 8-serving pot of chili totaled less than $20–that’s five lunches, plus leftovers. Using ground turkey keeps the protein high and the saturated fat low, and the use of three different beans is great for variety and texture. I chopped up the green chiles for extra heat because I like my chili to be spicy.

Late Winter Three Bean Turkey Chili

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, peeled, halved, and sliced

1 lb. ground turkey

4 oz. green chiles, chopped

1 Tbsp. chili powder

2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

salt and pepper, to taste

2 28 oz. cans whole peeled tomatoes

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained

1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained

1 15 oz. can kidney beans, drained

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add the onions, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper and stir. Cook the onions until translucent, about 4 minutes. Next, add the ground turkey and spices. Use a spatula to break up the ground turkey into crumbles. When the turkey is cooked, Add the whole tomatoes and liquid and use the spatula to break up the tomatoes. Add the drained beans, stir to combine, then bring to a boil. When the liquid boils, place the lid on the pot and reduce the heat to low, cooking for 1 hour.