necessary indulgences

Fun at 4:20. Or not.

Slow Down and Smell the ... Bacon. Or Cinnamon Apples.

There's nothing quite like having a day to yourself. No slogging along thanklessly for "The Man," no scurrying around running errands all day. No hurried weeknight dinners designed around everyone else's schedule. Eat dinner at 4:20? What am I, ninety years old? Didn't I just eat lunch about 3 hours ago? 4:20 might be time for something but it's not time to shovel in an uninspired supper.

So today was MY day to indulge myself with a nice brunch. Not only do I get tired of off-schedule eating and the accompanying crummy dietary habits it creates, but I like to cook - when I have the time to stretch out and experiment. Not just slapping something in the oven on a pizza pan for twenty minutes and calling it dinner.

This particular day I was craving something breakfast-y and this scramble with bacon, caramelized onions, and melty rich Brie cheese was just the thing. A side of sauteed Granny Smith apples dusted with cinnamon was the perfect accompaniment.

Maybe I'll incorporate it into a weekend breakfast someday.

"Lean and Mean" Bacon Belt Buckle by Lonesome Road Studio.

ricky ricardo, eat your heart out!

Cuban Black Beans!

Just a splash of vinegar and a touch of sugar

make these a lively and festive

alternative to baked beans.

Beans are among my favorite foods of all; never met a bean that I didn't like. I especially love black beans, particularly in this Cuban Black Beans recipe. Like all beans, these are perfect with rice (I like to make a saffron and garlic rice) and I admit, I even like these served cold! Cuban Black Beans make a perfect picnic or party dish and they're so healthy, too; high in protein and fiber and low in fat.

You can start out with dried beans and perform a quick-soak to reconstitute them: boil for 10 minutes, change water and let sit for another hour; drain and use. Or you can use canned beans (which, honestly, I do a lot in the summer to avoid heating up the house with long cooking times). Either way, the beans will come out beautifully! (The "shortcut" version using canned beans is what will be featured today.)

Ingredients:

• Two 14 ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 small green bell pepper, chopped (I often use yellow, orange or red peppers just for a little color pizazz)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• One 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained (a little liquid is okay)
• One 2-ounce jar diced pimentos
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• Lots and lots of black pepper
• Salt to taste

In a large saucepan, saute onion, bell pepper and garlic together in the olive oil, until tender. Gently stir in beans, tomatoes, pimentos, vinegar, sugar and pepper. Add a small amount of water to ensure that beans do not burn. Reduce heat and cover pan; heat gently for at least 30 minutes. Salt to taste.

(If using dried beans, prepare this recipe with 8 ounces of dried beans, reconstituted, and add 2-1/2 cups of water. Cook for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until tender.)

Yield depends on whether Cuban Black Beans are served as the main dish, or as a side. Generally, this serves about 6.

lonesome road kitchen challenge #1

Chiles Rellenos

Chiles Rellenos is one of those "benchmark" dishes that I use in judging a favorite Mexican restaurant. So of course, since I love this classic dish so much, I simply had to attempt to prepare it myself. I did, and here are the luscious results!

The name of the dish simply means "stuffed chile pepper" and the filling can be just about anything: cheese, beans, chicken, pork, beef (including the classic, picadillo). The chiles may be battered and fried (or not) and I've had all sorts of delicious sauces on chiles rellenos. For this version, I chose a light Ranchero Sauce whose clear and bright flavors complement and contrast with the gooey goodness of the cheese filling and the rich taste of the poblano chile peppers.

Ingredients for the chiles:

• 4 fresh poblano chiles
• 8 to 10 oz. Monterey Jack or Chihuahua cheese
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup flat beer
• Vegetable oil for frying (corn or safflower work well)

Ingredients for the ranchero sauce:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 bell pepper, seeded and chopped (even better if roasted!)
• 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Prepare the Ranchero Sauce by cooking onion and garlic in oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Mix in the peppers, tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, cumin and salt. Simmer over low heat, covered about 20 minutes. Add cilantro and lime juice just before serving; set aside and prepare the chiles.

To prepare the chiles: Roast chiles on a grill or in the oven or over a gas flame until skins are blackened and blistered. See below (these were done on our grill and they smelled fantastic!):

After poblano chiles are suitably blackened, immediately place in a bag to steam. Wait a few minutes, then peel. (Sometimes not all of the skin comes off and that's okay. Do the best you can!)

Cut a "T" shape in the chiles and remove seeds. Place thick slices of cheese in each chile and distribute chopped onion evenly among the 4 chiles.

Prepare the batter for the chiles by combining the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add flat beer and beat batter until smooth. Dip stuffed chiles in the batter and allow a bit of excess batter to drip off.

Heat 1/4 to 1/2 inch cooking oil in a large skillet until oil shimmers and is hot enough for frying. Carefully add the stuffed and battered chiles and fry about 2 minutes per side, until nicely browned. Remove from oil and place on paper towels to drain a bit, then place in a rectangular baking dish. Pour Ranchero Sauce over chiles and place in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes, or until dish is heated through.

Serve with a twist of lime, perhaps a dab of sour cream or a sprinkle of Cotija cheese. This is delicious and beautiful served with saffron rice, as I did in the top photo.

Serves 4.

happy national garlic day!

Vampires Beware:

Soft, Buttery Slow-Baked Garlic is Here

April 19th is National Garlic Day and the perfect day to whip up a batch of this slow-baked garlic. Once you've tried it, you'll wonder how you lived without it. The uses for this garlic are endless: mix it into pasta, rice or couscous; rub cloves onto a roast or on chicken before roasting or grilling; add flavor to soups and sauces; add to pizza, sandwiches and of course, this makes some of the best garlic bread ever!

The long, slow baking process makes the garlic so mellow and delicious, not burned-tasting like some roasted garlics, or as pungent as raw garlic.

Begin with a baking dish that is just big enough to hold the garlic.

For one head, a small ramekin or custard cup is the perfect size:

Peel the papery skin from the garlic, leaving the cloves intact. Simply add about a tablespoon of broth and a little less than a tablespoon of butter. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176 degrees Celsius) for an hour, basting with the liquid about 3 or 4 times during the baking. When done, remove from oven and let cool a bit. The soft, luscious garlic cloves will easily squeeze out of their skins.

Store in the refrigerator.

one potato, two potato - new potato!

A simple and delicious salad...

what better way to enjoy spring's special produce?

The gorgeous little potatoes and fresh onions above were later transformed into one of the best potato salads I have ever tasted, Garlicky Potato Salad.

This vinaigrette-style potato salad is the perfect accompaniment to grilled foods and keeps well for picnics and other outdoor events.

Using 1-1/2 pounds of potatoes, I started out by cutting the small potatoes in half (in quarters in some cases) and cooked them for about 10 minutes. And yes, the blue potatoes retain their unusual color! The vinaigrette is easy to whip up while the potatoes are cooking, then drain and toss the warm potatoes with the dressing so they can soak up all that luscious garlicky flavor.

For the vinaigrette, combine:

• 1 to 3 small cloves of garlic, minced (I used 1 small clove, but use more if you adore garlic!)
• 3 large green onions, white part and a bit of green, minced
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (I used a white balsamic vinegar so the colors of the potatoes would remain true)
• 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried), minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

That's it - it's that simple! Chill the salad for a bit, and allow to warm up to room temperature slightly before serving. This serves approximately 6.

slow and smoky brisket

For many households, a tender and juicy slowly cooked beef brisket is the highlight of the Passover meal. And if there are leftovers... what a great sandwich they make!
This brisket marinates for 4 to 6 hours, then cooks slowly for about 3 hours, so plan ahead. Start off with a gorgeous ruby red borscht, and serve brisket with roasted potatoes and maybe some honey-sweetened carrot tzimmes too!

Ingredients:

• 6 to 7 lb. beef brisket
• 3/4 tablespoon hickory Liquid Smoke
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon onion salt
• freshly ground black pepper - lots!

Combine Liquid Smoke, Worcestershire sauce, the salts and black pepper in a 1 or 2 gallon resealable plastic bag. Add the brisket and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours.

I like to remove the meat from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking so it is not ice-cold when it is placed in the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176 degrees Celsius). Drain brisket slightly and place in a baking dish; cover tightly with aluminum foil and cook in the 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 300 degrees Fahrenheit (149 degrees Celsius) and continue to cook at least 2-1/2 more hours, or until brisket is tender and done. Remove from oven, uncover and let meat rest for about 10 or 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

use your noodle!

It seems that there is a special day for everything, and noodles are no exception. And why not? They're versatile, inexpensive, and delicious. Celebrate "National Noodle Month" this March with a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup, a nice chilled Japanese salad with soba noodles made of buckwheat; fry up a little lo mein, or just nuke a nice cup of ramen noodles in your favorite flavor.
The word noodle itself is derived from the German "nudel" and the first recorded writings about noodles were during the East Han Dynasty between AD 25 and 220. They differ from pasta in one major way: egg solids. The National Pasta Association (NPA) says that in order for a noodle to be legally considered a noodle, it must contain 5.5 percent egg solids by weight. Noodles are also typically made from durum flour (more finely ground than pasta's semolina). And yes, pasta has its own month - October.

Technicalities aside, here is one of my favorite noodle dishes using some of my favorite noodles - soba noodles from Japan. I love their almost chewy texture and rich flavor, and they're good cold or hot.

Soba Noodles with Macadamia and Sesame

Ingredients

• 6 ounces soba noodles
• 2 ounces macadamia nuts, chopped
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons soy or tamari sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 green onion, all white and part of green, minced or sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions
Cook soba noodles in boiling water according to package directions; 6 minutes is about enough. Watch them carefully - they WILL foam up fast!
Toast macadamia nuts in a 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes and set aside to cool.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and sesame seeds and saute about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, the vegetable oil, soy sauce and vinegar; whisk to combine.
Add the macadamia nuts, green onion and cilantro to the soba noodles.
Pour sesame sauce over noodles, mix thoroughly, and serve hot, room temperature, or cold. This will make about three or four servings. Two if you're serving me.

soup of the evening, beautiful soup!

Beautiful Soup, so rich and green,

Waiting in a hot tureen!

Who for such dainties would not stoop?

Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!

- Lewis Carroll

Bright green in color and smooth as silk, this Spring Velvet Soup is rich, lush, packed with vitamins and minerals, and is very low-fat. The flavor is very similar to split pea soup, and its thick, creamy texture is achieved with potatoes, not with traditional thickeners or dairy products.

I've adapted this recipe from a terrific cookbook purchased at a farmers' market: "Simply in Season" by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert. The book encourages all of us to eat fruits and vegetables in season for freshness, taste, nutrition, variety, environment and local health.

Ingredients:

• 2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 large leek, diced - white part and 1 inch of green
• 1 large stalk celery, diced
• 2 teaspoons dried tarragon (or 2 tablespoons fresh)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
• 5 or 6 medium potatoes (about 3 cups), peeled and diced
• 1 bunch spinach, torn (about 2 or 3 handfuls)

In a large saucepan, saute onion, leeks and celery in olive oil over medium-low heat until wilted and not browned, about 15 minutes. Add tarragon, thyme, salt and pepper and combine well. Add broth and potatoes. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

Add spinach and simmer for 5 more minutes. Remove soup from heat. Puree soup in small batches in a blender or food processor. Return soup to pan and place over low heat to continue heating.

If you like, 1/2 cup of milk can be added to the soup. Also, taste for seasonings. Garnish with a swirl of plain yogurt, sprigs of fresh herbs, or pretty chive blossoms.

Serves 4 to 6.

a little more about "sunday dinner redux"...

Sunday Dinner Redux is my attempt to bring sanity into my own schedule, LOL, and to share some recipes and thoughts about food and cooking in general.
There was a time when I experimented with all kinds of ingredients, techniques, and new recipes but sadly the time factor has crept in, impacting my natural creativity in the kitchen. Well, I'm about to change all that (I hope) and get back to my old adventurous self when it comes to new dishes, meal plans etc., at least one day a week *sigh*.
Our often inconvenient schedule in the Lonesome Road household includes hubby's karate three weeknights a week; his twelve-hour workshifts, and me "trying to get something done" so the flexibility of time just isn't there most days. Saturday and Sunday are really the only two days of the week where our work and after-work schedules don't affect our mealtimes. Now, I'm not really one for all the nuclear-family-sitting-around-the-table-listening-to-each-other-slurp-and-chew-scene; I'm more of a grazer myself and I like to eat when I'm hungry not when a clock or person tells me that "it's time." But I do believe that in the midst of our hurried lifestyles, among the rush and on-the-go habits we've adopted, it's nice to slow down occasionally and treat cooking and nourishment as a nurturing process, a process that can be enjoyable in itself, not just something to hurry through to get out of the way.

So, in the future I will continue to post about my fun in the kitchen and what I have learned; I enjoy all types of food and have lots of things to share. I also hope that you will share your ideas with me!