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Cumin-Spiced Red Beans

Written on February 11, 2015 by Wannabe Chef in Breakfast, Side Dish

Homemade breakfast on the weekend is a usually my reward for 5 days of quick, processed breakfasts eaten at a desk or sometimes standing up. Melted cheese, runny yolks, and lots of flavor are a must.

One of my favorite things to make is lightly-fried corn tortillas filled with this spicy bean mixture. It’s just the right balance of salt, spice, and richness to start off the day topped with some pepper jack or parmesan cheese. You can serve it next to rice or scrambled eggs for a more protein-filled plate. Use either mild, medium, or hot salsa to adjust the heat.

Cumin-Spiced Red Beans

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 2 servings):

1 cup black beans, drained
1/2 cup salsa
1 1/2 Tablespoons butter
3/4 teaspoon cumin

Method:

Heat up the beans and salsa in a pan over a burner set to medium.
Stir the beans and salsa along with the cumin as it comes to a boil. Keep stirring until most of the liquid boils off and the mixture is thick.
Add in the butter and continue stirring until it melts. Once the butter’s melted completely, turn off the heat and mix for a minute over the stove as it cools.
Serve hot with shredded or shaved cheese on top.

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Easy Corn Esquites + A Giveaway

Written on August 26, 2014 by Wannabe Chef in Giveaway, Side Dish

It’s almost Labor Day, which means Summer’s almost over, which is pretty darn depressing.

Luckily, I got to try the Just Mayo line from Hampton Creek for one last taste of Summer and a lift in spirit.

For my whole life I didn’t think I liked mayo up until a couple of years ago when I actually tried it and–surprise, surprise–got hooked on the savory spread. I loved all of the Hampton Creek flavors, but the sriracha was by far my favorite even though I don’t like regular sriracha. It’s just the right amount of spice and cooling creaminess.

The garlic came in a close second when I made a killer potato salad for a camping trip with it that got eaten up almost immediately. Overall I love that these get a ton of flavor from a few simple ingredients.

I had an amazing corn salad in the city with chipotle mayo, parmesan, and smoky spices. I knew I wanted to try it out myself because it highlighted the flavors of the ingredients with true simplicity. I’m sure you’ll eat more corn and mayo over Labor Day weekend but be sure to sneak this recipe in, too.

You can really prepare the corn for this anyway you want(you can even use frozen–just don’t admit to it). I roasted it since that’s easiest to do in a small NYC apartment but grilling would add a great smoky flavor.

Easy Corn Esquites

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 2 servings):

2 corn cobs, washed and cleaned
2 Tablespoons oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons lime juice
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
3 Tablespoons parmesan
2 Tablespoons spicy mayo
2 lime wedges for garnish

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease the corn with the oil.
Roast for 30 minutes until the corn turns golden.
After the corn’s cooled slightly, separate it from the cob with a sharp knife.
In a large bowl mix together the corn, salt, lime juice, and chili powder.
Scoop evenly into two small bowls. Sprinkle the parmesan and a dollop of mayo on top. Serve with a lime wedge at room temperature or slightly warmer.

Giveaway!

Want to try some of every flavor? Tell me what mayo-centric recipe you would make with it. Including what flavor/recipe you would use is optional but encouraged. I’ll pick a winner at random next Tuesday, the 2nd, right after Labor Day. Good luck!

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How To Cook Nachos At Home

Written on May 6, 2014 by Wannabe Chef in Entree, Miscellaneous, Side Dish

Happy seis de Mayo!

Nachos are my favorite bad food. You can get them anywhere(and I have), especially anywhere worth going. After a few drinks there’s nothing else I’d rather have–not even Reese’s cup brownies.

Making them at home, though, has never been as simple as it out to be. You can’t put them in the microwave or the chips get soggy. I’ve literally set a pan on fire in the oven not understanding how a burner works. Bad bad bad.

Skillet Nachos

These are the most satisfying nachos I’ve made at home. They’re warm and melty on top while the chips stay hot and crisp–not soggy. It’s easy to make and you can eat it from the pan so you don’t have to dirty dishes. What could be better?

Skillet Nachos

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

1-2 Tablespoons oil
4 handfuls of tortilla chips
1/2 cup refried beans
1/2 cup shredded cheese*
1/4 cup salsa
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup guacamole

*Make sure to use a cheese that melts well since you don’t want this on the burner for too long. Avoid processed shredded cheeses with lots of added ingredients and stabilizers.

Method:

Rub a pan with a cover with oil to make sure the tortillas won’t stick or burn.
Add the chips into the pan. Add the beans and cheese around on top evenly.
Turn the burner onto a medium heat and cover immediately with a pan cover.
Cook for 1-2 minutes until the cheese has melted and remove from the burner immediately.
Add the salsa, sour cream, and guacamole and enjoy.

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Seasoned Baked Tortilla Chips

Written on November 5, 2013 by Wannabe Chef in Snack

Do you know where you can find the best deal in New York City? It’s not in Manhattan—it’s sure as hell not in Times Square—, it’s at the C-Town grocery chain where you can get 36 corn tortillas for 99 cents. Less than 3 cents a tortilla—how can you go wrong?

I couldn’t make enough tacos and quesadillas to use these up so I decide to make nachos instead. I’ve made hint of lime chips before and these were just as easy. They have a nice subtle flavor to have on their own, but pack a real spicy punch dipped in salsa or guacamole.

The trick to getting these irresistibly crispy is leaving plenty of room for them to bake on the trays. Overcrowding a tray will make some of them chewy and others burnt, so break it up into two baking sessions if you have to.

Baking these means they’re free of the unhealthy frying fats, which makes them perfect for smothering in healthy fats like avocado and shredded cheese(just kidding(sort of)).

Seasoned Baked Tortilla Chips

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 6 servings):

10-12 corn tortillas
3 Tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Line two baking trays with non-stick foil or paper.
Cut a stack of the tortillas with a long, sharp knife across and then perpendicular, then two times on the diagonals to make 8 stacks of equally-sized chips.
In a large bowl, toss the soft chips with the rest of the ingredients until they’re evenly covered.
Spread the chips out in a single layer on the baking trays.
Bake the chips for 10-15 minutes until slightly browned and crisp.
Remove the chips from the oven. Let them cool slightly before serving.
Serve with salsa, guacamole, sour cream, or dip.

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Healthy Black Bean Quesadilla

Written on October 24, 2013 by Wannabe Chef in Breakfast, Entree

The saddest thing about moving to a new city besides leaving behind friends and family is always leaving behind good restaurants. There are always a few dished you just can’t find anywhere else and you don’t know what to do about it.

Last time I was in Providence I had huevos rancheros with a black bean quesadilla, ancho-chili sauce and home fries for brunch. It was delicious and something I probably won’t find anytime soon, so this has been the closest I’ve come to tasting it again. If you’re staying in on a weekend morning and need something to hit the spot this might be as good as you’ll get without ordering takeout.

This recipe for quesadillas is a little different from what you’d normally get since it uses corn tortillas instead of flour ones keeping it gluten-free. The ingredients are also a little healthier than others; for a more traditional recipe use twice as much cheese and half as much beans.

Black Bean Corn Quesadilla

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 1 serving):

2 corn tortillas
1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup pepper jack cheese
Salsa
Sour cream
Guacamole

Method:

Heat a frying pan over medium heat.
Warm the tortillas in the frying pan in a little oil to keep them from sticking.
Move the tortillas to a plate.
Heat the black beans in the pan with a little oil to take out some of the moisture. Season them with salt or spices if desired.
Add the cheese in with the black beans and keep moving them to prevent them from sticking to the pan.
When the cheese starts melting, move the black beans onto one of the tortillas. Place the other one on top.
Serve with salsa, sour cream, guacamole, and any other toppings you’d like.

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Vegetarian Nachos

Written on May 9, 2013 by Wannabe Chef in Snack

If I could eat everyday like it were Cinco de Mayo I probably would. Melted cheese, margaritas, fried food—What else could you ask for?

We had a small party over the weekend. Nothing fancy. Premade margaritas, a piñata we named and so couldn’t hit, and nachos. That was really all we needed.

These are so simple you probably could make them everyday. I wouldn’t recommend it if I were a doctor, but as a food blogger I have no reservations. I think the best way to make these irresistible is using high quality salsa, sour cream and guacamole to get the perfect flavor.

Vegetarian Nachos

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients(Serves 4-6):

8oz corn tortilla chips, preferably lightly salted or no-salt added
4oz shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
3/4 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup or more salsa
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup guacamole

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Put about half of the tortilla chips in a layer on top of a baking pan or in a baking dish.
Cover the chips with half of the shredded cheese.
Add another layer of chips.
Sprinkle the rinsed beans on top of the second layer of nachos evenly.
Add the remaining shredded cheese over the bean layer.
Spread the salsa out on top of the cheese evenly over the entire tray.
Bake for about 15 minutes until the cheese has melted completely. Remove from the oven.
Plop the sour cream and guacamole on top of the hot nachos however you’d like. Serve immediately while still hot.

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Black Bean Mole

Written on August 11, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Sauce

I spent this past weekend in Providence, one of my favorite cities around, and ran the inaugural Providence Rock N’ Roll half-marathon. The night before my friend and I went to Garden Grille Café, a vegetarian restaurant I can’t get enough of right on the edge of town. The special that night was cornmeal-crusted tempeh with a black bean mole sauce and roasted fingerling potatoes. There was nothing in that name I didn’t like so I got it and ate every last drop of sauce on that plate.

The mole was the best I ever had; it was also the first I ever had, but it was still incredibly good. Spicy, sweet, tangy—almost like a barbeque sauce but with a tantalizing bitterness. Of course I had to recreate it. Two days later I was making this in my own kitchen. I wasn’t sure if I had hit the nail on the head until I realized I was literally licking my food processor clean. At that point I figured it was pretty good.

This mole is about as untraditional as it comes. For one, you don’t cook it at all. It’s entirely made in the food processor. I also used spices instead of actual chilies because that’s what I had on hand. That makes this a super friendly recipe if it’s your first mole.

Black Bean Mole

Ingredients:

1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 Tablespoons white vinegar
5 Tablespoons honey
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon mustard seed
~1/4 cup water

Method:

Combine all of the ingredients except for the water into a food processor and blend until smooth.
Slowly add the water while blending until the sauce reaches a fluid yet thick consistency.
Heat up before serving. Scoop a generous amount over protein like tofu, tempeh, or chicken.

After dinner we went over to Wildflour and I ate one of these. It’s OK; I was carb-loading.

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Black Bean And Kale Tacos

Written on June 6, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Entree

If cooking has taught me anything, it’s how to cover up mistakes. That’s my favorite part of cooking as opposed to baking: It’s never too late to fix things. I wanted to make a black bean and tempeh taco filling until I realized the tempeh I bought had barley and rye in it which I’m severely allergic to, so that was a no-go.

The second mistake that day was the chickpea flour “grits” you see in the top left of that plate. That’s what you get when you mean to make a tortilla but the batter’s too thin and never comes together. It actually wasn’t bad with a little seasoning and would have been even better with some shredded cheese or Daiya. See? Never too late to fix things.

So even if this wasn’t what I intended to make at all when I started cooking that day, it still tasted incredible. And isn’t that what matters? Oh, that and looks. Looks always matter.

Spicy Cocoa Black Beans With Kale

Ingredients(Makes 2 servings):

1 can black beans, drained
1 cup kale, chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons taco seasoning
1/2 teaspoon cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine the black beans and kale in a pan over medium heat with the oil already heated. Cover the pan for 2 minutes until the kale has steamed and changed into a deeper green color.

Remove the cover and season with the taco seasoning, cocoa powder, and cinnamon.

Serve hot into a tortilla wrap, taco shell, with rice or all by itself. Use a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt to mellow the spice if necessary.

I really like this, mistake or not. And that grits I could eat again and again with enough cheese on top. So don’t be afraid to make mistakes because you just might knock one out of the park anyway.

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Homemade Gluten-Free Taco Shells

Written on May 31, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Miscellaneous

I really love the internet, and my guess is if you’re reading this you probably do, too. Ideas are just a click away and sometimes they pop up without you even expecting them. For instance, I saw this pin on Pinterest and couldn’t believe what a good idea it was. Homemade taco shells? Why hadn’t I ever thought of that. The original recipe looks like it uses flour tortilla; to make this gluten-free and feed my chickpea flour obsession, I made the socca tortillas first and then baked them. It couldn’t have been more easy! And the result was crunchy and delicious.

Gluten-Free Taco Shells/Bowls

Ingredients(Makes 3 shells/bowls):

1/2 cup chickpea flour
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
Oil for greasing
A large muffin tray

Start by heating a large pan over medium heat with a little oil in to make sure the tortillas don’t stick.

Whisk together the salt, chickpea flour, and water until no lumps remain. Pour 1/3 of the batter in to the center of the pan and wait about 40-50 seconds until the bottom is cooked.

Carefully flip the tortilla and cook for an additional 20-30 seconds on the other side.

When each tortilla is done cooking, move it to a plate to cool down until cold enough to handle before baking.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease the bottom of a muffin tray.

For V shells, fold the tortilla in between 2 upside down wells.

For bowls, press the center of a tortilla in between 4 wells that make a square.

Bake the shells for about 50 minutes until they are hard and crisp. Carefully remove them from the tray and let cool until they come to room temperature. Eat within 2-3 days.

These sides of these were crisp which was just how I was hoping they’d come out. The only problems I had with the chickpea flour tortillas were small holes in the bottom from bubbles and that it started getting soggy over time. To fix this I put a few spinach leaves on the bottom of the inside to catch that moisture and they were just as good. I would double or even triple the recipe next time since if you’re going to be baking these you might as well make a lot.

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