Dhal Curry for Gringos with Roasted Cauliflower

Being the cheapskate that I am, I loaded up on dried beans at the health food store the other day.  Pinto, black, fava, and just for kicks I grabbed two kinds that I've never worked with before: mung and adzuki.  I've been making curry with lentils for so long and calling it Dhal that I didn't even realize Dhal could be made with mung beans.

I discovered a recipe over at Lisa's Kitchen for Creamy Mung Dal Curry while Googleing "what do I do with mung beans?" and thank the lard, because her recipe sounds fantastic.  I made a variation and even though this is quite different from Lisa's I used hers as a base.

Once you plan ahead enough to soak the mung beans the night before, this comes together pretty easily.  There is another hour or so of cook time, but there isn't much meddling.  If you don't use butter, like I did, it can be vegan. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 pound of cauliflower, washed and chopped into 2 inch sized pieces
• 1 cup mung beans, soaked in water overnight 
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon powered ginger
• 1 can tomatoes
• 1 can of coconut milk
• 1 can tomato paste
• juice of 1 lemon
• salt & pepper to taste

Pre-heat the oven to 400.  Toss the cauliflower with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.  Place in the oven and roast until the edges of the florettes brown, about 30 minutes.

The technique is a straight-foward curry.  In a large pot over medium-high heat, bloom the spices in about 2 tablespoons of oil stirring often.  I used 1 tablespoon each of butter and olive oil but you can use anything you like. Have the tomato paste ready and once things start to smoke, about 4 minutes in, dump the paste in and stir like crazy.  

Cook the paste for a few minutes, stirring continuously and add the can of tomatoes and the coconut milk once the paste starts to stick to the pot.  Add the beans and enough water to cover them, if necessary.  

Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Cook until the beans are soft, 40-65 minutes. When the cauliflower is roasted, stir them into the mung beans.

Once the mung beans are soft, serve over Coconut Saffron Basmati Rice, wrap in tortillas for Awesome Dhal Burritos, or serve in lettuce wraps.  Top with a dollop of yogurt and curl up to a bad comedy.

Serves 4

Ham Bone and Pinto Bean Soup

 Ham Bone and Pinto Bean Soup

My husband ended up with an unusual gift this year from the white elephant Christmas exchange at his work........a HAM!

I guess we were the perfect people to receive such a gift as we cooked it right up and saved the ham bone for further use. I was craving a home cooked comforting soup the other night and got this going on the stove.

I used pinto beans because we had a giant bag of them sitting around but it would also be great with cannellini beans or navy beans. This is the perfect soup on a cold winter evening. Enjoy!

Ham Bone and Pinto Bean Soup

• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, coarsly chopped
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1 ham bone with some ham left on it
• 10 cups water or chicken broth (or combination)
• ½ teaspoon herbs de provence
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups dried pinto beans, sorted and soaked overnight

In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium heat and add onion, celery and carrots. Saute until vegetables soften, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and chopped tomatoes. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Add ham bone, water/broth, herbs de provence, and bay leaf.

If the ham bone is not covered add some additional water.

Bring liquid up to a boil then lower heat and let simmer for 1 hour. Stir in beans and cook for an additional 2 hours. Remove ham bone and pull off any remaining meat. Chop the meat into desired size and add back into the soup.

Check soup for seasonings and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Optional garnishes: Top soup bowls with grated Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil or pass around some of your favorite hot sauce.

Serves 6

The Elena Ruz, an Uncommon yet Delicious Cuban Turkey Sandwich

The Elena Ruz

Turkey, strawberry jam, and cream cheese? I first heard of the Elena Ruz in the sandwich issue of Saveur Magazine (April 2011).  My gut reaction was, "gross," but my cranium was intrigued.  My thoughts went to Habana, the sand between my toes and the crisp smell of coconut-scented suntan lotion in the air.  It must be good.

I never knew about how many amazing Cuban sandwiches there were until I read this thread on Chow.  Many of their sandiches are also rolled up and called bocaditos.  They seem to have much of the same custom as the British with tea, only the Cubans do it with coffee.

The Elena Ruz itself has it roots in some conflicting and varied histories.  One such story is that was invented by Babe Rush's wife while he was playing baseball in Cuba.  She asked a waiter at the Hotel Nacional in Havana to prepare her a sandwich that her grandmother used to make.

Another origin revolves around a once popular restaurant in Habana called El Carmelo, located in the area of Vedado at Twenty-third and G Streets. Some people it was an American patron who frequented the during the years of 1945 and 1948. The rumor was that Elena's last name was Rush, and was thus pronounced Ruz.

I think the most interesting history revolves around a young Cuban socialite named Elena Ruz Valdez-Faulli, a relative of Fidel and Raul Castro (whose mother's maiden name, they claim, is Ruz).  The real Elena Ruz is 101 year young, alive and well and living in, you guessed it, Miami - or according to this article, Costa Rica. 

In any case, the meaty-sweety combination makes this delicious all day long: it could be a hearty breakfast, a light lunch, an afternoon snack, dinner I suppose, or a late night treat.  What it would would be especially adept at would be soaking up Thanksgiving leftovers.

Here is the recipe from Saveur:

• 1 Cuban roll or brioche bun
• 2 tbsp. cream cheese, softened
• 3 oz. sliced turkey breast
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter

Split roll, spread cream cheese on bottom half, and top with turkey. Spread jam on top half of roll and close sandwich. Heat butter in a 10″ skillet over medium heat; cook sandwich, weighing down with a cast-iron skillet and turning once, until golden brown and heated through, 3–4 minutes. Cut in half, and serve hot.

By all accounts the sandwich is done in a panini-style, and some have the crusts cut off.  Sometimes I don't feel like dragging our panini press out (sometimes, like ever) and so here is my more approachable, everyday adaptation:

Take 1 English Muffin, split and toast it.  Spread your Cream Cheese on thick, like a bagel in NY.  Add a large dollop of Strawberry jam.  Fold 2-3 slices of Turkey on top.  Enjoy!

What we've been reading... 9/12/11

Catfish BurgerHot dogs are as dangerous as cigarettes?  Well yea, maybe if you ate 2 packs a day!  

• 8 Essential Bacon Hacks
• Police: Pa. newlyweds shoplifted $1,000 in food from supermarket for wedding reception - The Washington Post
• Jim Cramer's Favorite Food Stocks - Seeking Alpha
• 10 Ways to Dress Up and Improve a Frozen Pizza » Man Made DIY | Crafts for Men « Keywords: pizza, top-ten, recipe, kitchen
• 8 things you probably shouldn't eat at a chain restaurant - latimes.com
• Doctors group says hot dogs as dangerous as cigarettes - USATODAY.com

Buy a Goat for $5

Photo by Bohemianism

If you haven't heard Alton Brown plugging Heifer International lately, you haven't been watching enough TV.  Well good for you.
 

In any case, since 1944 Heifer International has been helping families and invigorate communities through livestock and training.  They have developed programs that alleviate hunger and poverty; and one of those programs is providing a family with a goat.
 

So you can't buy a goat for $5.  A whole goat costs $120, which even in the United States is a good amount of dough, so here's the deal.  
 

I have set up a PayPal donate button (see below) that will go into a goat fund.  For every $120 we collect, we will buy a goat through Heifer.  This will be an ongoing campaign.
 

So bring it on!  Tweet this, Like this, post about it, StumbleUpon, Digg, Delicious, and Reddit.  Let's buy some goats!

Heifer Project International
One World Avenue
Little Rock, AR 72202
tel: (800) 422-0474
fax: (501) 907-2902
EIN: 35-1019477