Dayrecipe Food Community

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Makes 12 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• for soup
• 1lb dried small white beans such as navy or great northern
• 1lb smoked ham hocks
• 1/4cup bacon drippings (from1/2lb bacon) or olive oil
• 2cups chopped onion
• 2tablespoons minced garlic
• 1lb tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
• 4fresh thyme sprigs
• 8cups chicken broth for corn bread croutons
• 3tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1garlic clove, minced
• 3cups 3/4-inch cubes corn bread
• 1lb arugula, coarse stems removed
• tabasco to taste

DIRECTIONS Make soup:
Soak beans in cold water to cover overnight (8 hours). Drain and rinse well.

Simmer ham hocks in 6 cups water in a 3-quart saucepan, partially covered, skimming foam as necessary, 1 hour. Reserve 4 cups cooking liquid and drain ham hocks.

Heat bacon drippings in an 8-quart heavy pot over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook onion and garlic, stirring, until softened. Add tomatoes and thyme and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add soaked beans, broth, ham hocks, and reserved cooking liquid and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender, about 1 hour.

Make croutons while soup simmers: Preheat oven to 375°F.

Melt butter with garlic and toss together with corn bread cubes in a shallow baking pan. Toast in middle of oven until lightly browned and crisp on the outside, about 15 minutes.

Prepare soup for serving: Remove ham hocks and shred meat. Return meat to soup and stir in arugula. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until greens are tender,3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and Tabasco.

Serve soup topped with croutons.

Start preparing this two days before you plan to serve it. Toast the coconut in a 350°F oven until light golden in spots, stirring frequently, about ten minutes.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• crust
• nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 1 1/4cups graham cracker crumbs
• 2tablespoons sugar
• 1/4cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, meltedfilling
• 38-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1cup sugar
• 2vanilla beans, split lengthwise
• 4large eggs
• 3/4cup sour creamguava topping
• 2tablespoons plus 1/2 cup water
• 1envelope unflavored gelatin
• 1/2cup sugar
• 2cups guava nectar or guava juicemango-lime salad
• toasted sweetened flaked coconut

DIRECTIONS For crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 8-inch-diameter springform pan with nonstick spray. Mix graham cracker crumbs and sugar in processor. Add melted butter; process until crumbs are evenly moistened. Press crumb mixture onto bottom (not sides) of prepared pan. Bake until crust is set and deep golden, about 12 minutes. Cool crust while making filling. Maintain oven temperature.

For filling:
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar, then scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; beat until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, blending well after each addition. Beat in sour cream.

Pour filling over crust. Bake cake until puffed, golden on top, and set around edges, and center moves slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour (top may crack). Cool 30 minutes. Refrigerate uncovered overnight. Using back of spoon, smooth any cracks on top of cake.

For guava topping:
Pour 2 tablespoons water into small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over; let stand until gelatin softens, about 10 minutes. Bring sugar and remaining 1/2 cup water to boil in medium saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 3 minutes. Add guava nectar to sugar syrup; stir over medium-low heat just until mixture is hot. Add gelatin mixture and stir just until gelatin dissolves. Place in freezer until gelatin begins to thicken slightly but is still pourable, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Spoon guava topping over cheesecake, spreading to edges of cake. Chill until topping sets, at least 8 hours or overnight.

Using small sharp knife, cut around sides of cake to loosen. Remove pan sides. Cut cake into wedges and transfer to plates. Spoon Mango-Lime Salad alongside. Sprinkle with toasted coconut.

Active time: 1 1/2 hr Start to finish: 2 1/4 hr

Makes 6 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• for chiles
• 12medium to large fresh poblano chiles (2 1/4 lb)for tomato sauce
• 1(14- to 16-oz) can whole tomatoes including juice
• 3large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4teaspoon sugar
• 1/4teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 2tablespoons olive oilfor goat cheese sauce
• 1cup heavy cream
• 2teaspoons dried epazote* (optional)
• 8oz soft mild goat cheese
• 1/4teaspoon salt, or to tastefor spinach filling
• 4(3/4-lb) bunches spinach, coarse stems discarded
• 2tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4cup raisins
• 1/4teaspoon salt, or to tasteto assemble dish
• 3tablespoons olive oil
• 6(6-inch) corn tortillas, halved
• 1cup cooked black beans, rinsed and drained if cannedspecial equipment:a 2- to 2 1/2-quart shallow flameproof casserole dish (about 2 inches deep; not glass)
• garnish: toasted pine nuts

DIRECTIONS Prepare chiles:
Lay 4 chiles on their sides on racks of gas burners and turn flames on high. Roast chiles, turning with tongs, until skins are blackened and chiles are tender, 4 to 6 minutes. (Or broil all 12 chiles on rack of a broiler pan about 2 inches from heat, turning, until skins are blackened, 8 to 10 minutes.) Transfer immediately to a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Roast remaining 8 chiles in same manner, then let stand 20 minutes.

When cool enough to handle, peel chiles, then open flat and discard seeds and stems, wiping with paper towels or dunking in a bowl of water briefly, if necessary, to remove seeds. If chiles taste very spicy, cut out ribs with scissors to make them milder.

Make tomato sauce:
Purée tomatoes with juice, garlic, cilantro, sugar, and salt in a blender. Heat oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then add sauce (be careful of splattering) and simmer, stirring, until thickened and reduced to about 1 cup, about 6 minutes.

Make goat cheese sauce:
Gently simmer cream, with epazote if using, in a small heavy saucepan, covered, 10 minutes. If using epazote, pour cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on and discarding epazote. Return cream to pan. Whisk in goat cheese and salt and heat over low heat, whisking until smooth.

Make spinach filling:
Blanch spinach in batches in a large pot of boiling salted water 1 minute, transferring with a slotted spoon to a large bowl of cold water to cool. Drain in a colander, pressing on spinach with back of a spoon to remove excess water, then coarsely chop.

Heat oil in cleaned nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté spinach and raisins, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in salt and transfer filling to a plate.

Fry tortillas and assemble dish:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Heat oil in cleaned nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then fry tortillas 2 halves at a time, turning over once, until just crisp, about 1 minute total. Transfer tortillas to paper towels to drain.

Spread 1/4 cup tomato sauce over bottom of casserole dish. Arrange half of tortillas on top, then spread another 1/4 cup tomato sauce on top and sprinkle evenly with black beans. Arrange 4 poblanos flat over black beans to cover, then spread half of spinach filling evenly over chiles and drizzle with 1/4 cup goat cheese sauce. Make another layer with 4 chiles, remaining spinach filling, and another 1/4 cup of goat cheese sauce, then cover with remaining 4 chiles.

Cover chiles with remaining tomato sauce, spreading evenly, then top with remaining tortillas. Cover tortillas with remaining goat cheese sauce, spreading evenly.

Bake lasagne, covered with foil, in middle of oven until bubbling and heated through, 25 to 30 minutes.

Preheat broiler. Remove foil and broil about 3 inches from heat until top is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 2 minutes.

Cooks’ notes:
• Chiles can be roasted and peeled 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
• Tomato sauce, goat cheese sauce, and spinach filling can be made 1 day ahead and chilled separately, covered. Reheat goat cheese sauce before proceeding.
• Lasagne can be assembled (but not baked) 1 hour ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature.

* Available at Latino markets and Kitchen/Market (888-468-4433).

Luis Miguel López Alanís of Morelia, Mexico, writes: “Although I grew up in Mexico, it was in Chicago of all places that I learned to cook Mexican food. During the two years I lived there, I missed my country’s food so much that I wrote to my mother in Zitácuaro and asked her to send me recipes so I could cook for myself.

“Now I work as a tour guide in Michoacán, my home state, where I lead tours on Morelia’s colonial history and architecture, and show tourists the Paricutín Volcano and monarch butterfly sanctuaries. And sometimes I do restaurant and market tours. Whenever business slows down, I enjoy cooking for my family. Of course, what I make depends on what my wife, Verónica, has in mind. Thanks to her, I’ve learned more great recipes, like the enfrijoladas from her home state, Tlaxcala, and her lively avocado and tomatillo salsa.”

Enfrijoladas are a popular breakfast dish in Mexico.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 3tablespoons plus 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2cups chopped onions
• 4garlic cloves, minced
• 215- to 16-ounce cans pinto beans, drained
• 1 1/2cups (or more) whole milk
• 1 1/2cups (or more) water
• 1teaspoon minced serrano chile with seeds
• 3/4teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2teaspoon dried mexican oregano
• 1/8teaspoon ground cloves125 1/2- to 6-inch-diameter corn tortillas
• 2 1/4cups crumbled queso ranchero* chopped fresh cilantro
• sour cream

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350°F. Oil 13×9x2-inch glass baking dish. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until onions are golden, about 8 minutes. Add beans, 1 1/2 cups milk, and 1 1/2 cups water; simmer until onions are tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Mash beans coarsely in skillet. Mix in chile and all spices; season with salt and pepper. Add more milk or water by 1/4 cupfuls to thin bean mixture to slightly soupy consistency.

Heat remaining 1/4 cup oil in another large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tortilla at a time; cook until tortilla softens, about 30 seconds per side. Transfer tortilla to work surface. Place 1 heaping tablespoon cheese in center of each tortilla; fold in half. Place in prepared dish, overlapping tortillas slightly. Top with bean sauce.

Bake until enfrijoladas are heated through and sauce is bubbling, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining queso ranchero and cilantro. Serve with sour cream.

*Mildly salty cheese that crumbles easily; also labled queso fresco or queso casero. Queso cotija or mild feta can be used instead.

Serve with: Leaves of romaine lettuce (for wrapping up scoops of salad) and flatbread.

Makes 6 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 2tablespoons curry powder
• 2 1/4cups water
• 1/2teaspoon salt
• 6cups small pieces fresh vegetables (such as 2 cups each broccoli florets, cauliflower florets, and thinly sliced carrots)
• 110-ounce box couscous115-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
• 1/2cup olive oil
• 5tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 1/2tablespoons grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1 1/4cups crumbled feta cheese (about 7 ounces)
• 1cup thinly sliced green onions

DIRECTIONS Stir curry powder in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat until fragrant and toasted, about 1 minute. Mix in 2 1/4 cups water and salt. Add vegetables. Bring to boil; cover and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat. Mix in couscous. Cover and let stand until couscous softens, about 5 minutes.

Transfer couscous to large bowl. Mix in garbanzos, oil, vinegar, and ginger. Cool to room temperature. Add feta and green onions; toss. Season with salt and pepper.