Here’s a delicious recipe to get your casserole skills dialed in. It’s comfort food with all the rich flavors of tamales and none of the time-intensive assembly which some folks find to be a pain in the culo.
Ingredients
1 lb lean ground beef
1 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for greasing baking dish
1 small white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 ½ cups corn kernels
1 4-oz can diced mild green chilies
1 cup tomato sauce
1 ½ Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp coriander
½ tsp garlic granules
½ tsp onion granules
½ tsp dried Mexican oregano
½ tsp smoked paprika or chipotle chili powder – depending on how much spice you want
1 ½ cups shredded Monterey jack cheese, divided (about 6 oz)
Heat 2 cups water until warm to the touch. Stir in Better Than Bouillon until dissolved. In a large mixing bowl, combine with masa harina and stir until thoroughly incorporated.
In a stand mixer or using a spatula and another mixing bowl, add vegetable shortening, salt and baking powder. Beat until lightly whipped.
Add ¼ of the rehydrated masa at a time to the vegetable shortening, beating/stirring between additions until fully incorporated. Add ¾ cup cheese and combine thoroughly. The masa should be soft and spreadable. Cover masa with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.
While masa rests, in a skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and let warm to shimmering. Crumble beef into oil, stirring occasionally and breaking up beef as you go. Cook until browned and cooked through. Drain fat from beef, reserving 1 Tbsp fat. Transfer drained beef to a bowl and set aside.
Return saucepan with 1 Tbsp fat to heat, add onion and sauté about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Reduce heat slightly and stir in cooked ground beef, tomato paste and sauce, corn kernels, diced green chilis, chili powder, cumin, coriander, garlic and onion granules, Mexican oregano and smoked paprika or chipotle chili powder. Stir well and let simmer gently about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and fold in ¾ cup cheese.
Remove masa from refrigerator and put back in mixing bowl. Re-whip masa and add a little more water until soft, like thick hummus that you can spread with a spatula.
With oven rack in center position, heat oven to 375° and grease a 2 ½-quart baking dish (about 10 ½ x 7 ½ inches).
Spread beef mixture in baking dish in an even layer. Dollop masa mixture over beef and spread to the edges so filling is completely covered.
Bake 35-45 minutes, or until top is golden brown and toothpick inserted in the center of masa layer comes out clean.
Roasted Root Vegetables with Pomegranate and Chevre
6 servings
Knobby, gnarly, bulbous and shaggy – root veggies may not be the beauty queens of the produce section, but they sure do reign supreme in the kitchen. Cozy up to root vegetables when you want to prepare soulful, succulent and sustaining meals for our friends and families.
Here’s a recipe that’s sure to get some attention for its vibrant colors and delicious combination of flavors and textures. Sherry vinaigrette is what the “best dressed” root veggies are all wearing this season!
Ingredients
2 tsp minced shallots
¼ – ½ tsp kosher salt
¼ – ½ tsp black pepper
Pinch of sugar
¼ cup sherry vinegar
¼ tsp dried thyme
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lb carrots, trimmed and cut in half/quarters lengthwise
1 lb parsnips, peeled/trimmed and cut in half/quarters lengthwise
1 lb sweet potatoes, trimmed/peeled and cut into lengthwise sticks similar to the same size as carrots/parsnips
½ cup pomegranate arils
½ cup arugula leaves, chopped
3 oz chevre
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
Optional: flaky sea salt and a few dried cranberries, for serving
Directions
Add shallots, smaller amounts of kosher salt and pepper, thyme and Dijon to a blender. Pulse and scrape down blender jar as needed to get mixture as smooth as possible. Then, with the blender running, add olive oil in a slow stream through the hole in the blender lid until emulsified and smooth. Adjust salt/pepper as needed.
Preheat oven to 425°. Line a large, rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper. Use two sheet pans if necessary to not overcrowd the veggies.
Place carrots/parsnips/sweet potatoes in a bowl and pour a little dressing over them. Use hands to all is fully coated but not drenched. Put on prepared sheet pan(s) with space between the pieces.
Roast for 20 minutes, without stirring. Remove pan(s) from oven and turn vegetables using a spatula. Place pans back in the oven, rotating front to back and switching racks if using two pans.
Roast 15 minutes or more – until knife inserted in the thickest parts comes out easily. Remove from oven.
Line up veggies on a serving platter. Drizzle with some of the remaining dressing. You may not use all of it up and can use the extra for other dishes.
Scatter on toasted pine nuts, blobs of chevre, pomegranate arils and arugula ribbons evenly. Also add a few dried cranberries and flaky sea salt (if using). Serve warm.
You’ll be feeling “in the pink” when you enjoy this one. Beets aren’t shy when it comes to sharing their colorful vibes with whatever else is going on in a dish, and their soft, earthy sweetness pairs beautifully with the saltiness of cheese and crunch of toasted nuts.
¼ cup shredded Parmesan, Pecorino Romano or Asiago
Pinch of smoked paprika
Salt and fresh-ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°. Place beets in a baking dish and toss with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Sprinkle on salt and pepper and cover with foil. Bake 25 minutes or until a knife inserted in a piece comes out easily. Remove from oven/baking dish and allow to cool.
Cook pasta according to package directions in a pot of salted water. Drain pasta, reserving a little pasta water to use in loosening up the sauce as needed.
Once beets are cooled, add to a blender with goat cheese, garlic, 1 Tbsp olive oil, pinches of salt and smoked paprika and 1-2 Tbsp pasta water. Blend until smooth.
Toss pasta with the sauce, adding more pasta water as needed. Adjust salt/pepper to taste. Serve topped with shredded cheese and toasted nuts.
An elegant dish that comes together quickly and easily, it’s usually served as a meze (appetizer, like tapas).
The name comes from the pan it’s cooking in – a ‘sagani’ is a type of two-handled frying pan used in Greece. Ouzo is often used, but you can opt for dry white wine if you don’t have any or aren’t into the anise flavor. Serve with crusty bread, rice, potatoes or salad. Opa!
Ingredients
25 medium prawns, peeled/deveined
1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes, with liquid
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup ouzo or dry white wine
1 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
¼ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp dried oregano
6 oz feta cheese, cubed (1 cup)
¼ cup olive oil, divided
Salt and fresh-ground black pepper
Optional: Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Directions
Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté 2 minutes. Stir in garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, oregano, and half the amount of dill and parsley. Add tomatoes with liquid and simmer until sauce thickens, about 6-8 minutes.
Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Add 3 Tbsp olive oil to a large sauté pan. Once oil is hot, add the shrimp. Sauté 1-2 minutes and deglaze with ouzo/dry white wine.
Stir the sauce into the pan along with shrimps. Top with feta cheese and place a lid on the pan. Cook a few more minutes until feta melts slightly.
Time to meet your new favorite dipper of choice! Usually avos are the dip, but in this tasty plot twist they become the dipper. Did you have that on your bingo card?
Easy to make in an oven or air fryer.
Ingredients
3 avocados, refrigerated for about an hour before cutting to preserve consistency
1 cup chickpea flour, divided
½ cup water
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp white miso
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp smoked paprika
Pinch of cayenne
Pinch of ground cumin
1 cup breadcrumbs
Oil to coat air fryer basket (if using air fryer)
1 cup mayonnaise – regular or vegan
Hot sauce to taste – we like kimchi sriracha
Directions
Preheat oven/air fryer to 425°. If using an oven, line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper. In a small bowl, mix mayo and hot sauce to taste and set aside in fridge.
Slice avocadoes in half. Remove pits and slice each half into quarters. Remove skin and slice each piece in half again. (This way each avocado will yield about 16 pieces.)
In a small bowl, add miso to water and dissolve as completely as possible. Combine ¼ cup chickpea flour with water – it should be like pancake batter, not too thin.
In another bowl, add garlic powder, salt, smoked paprika, cayenne and cumin to remaining chickpea flour. Whisk to combine.
Put breadcrumbs in a third bowl. If using an air fryer, spray tray/basket with oil.
Put one avocado slice in chickpea flour, then lightly onto a fork and into the batter. Make sure the slice is completely covered – the curvy part may take a little more effort. Lift the slice out of the batter and turn it side to side so excess drips off.
Lower slice into breadcrumbs so it’s covered. Press gently so breadcrumbs stick to the slice and place it on the sheet pan or into air fryer tray/basket. Repeat with remaining slices and place next to each other with about an inch of space in between.
If using an oven, bake avocado fries 15 minutes and then flip over to bake another 15 minutes or until golden brown. If using an air fryer, fry for about 12-14 minutes and then check for golden brown doneness. Fries should feel crispy when done, not soggy.
Peanut butter and the mix of spices add an earthy depth that balances well with the brightness of the tomatoes.
This is a great recipe for your Kwanzaa karamu feast, or any time you want something rich and delicious.
Ingredients
1-3 Tbsp olive oil
1 ½ lb beef stew meat cut into chunks
2 medium white onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp ginger, minced
1 Tbsp Better Than Bouillon
1 (14.5-oz) can whole peeled tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 small sweet potato, peeled/diced
½ tsp cayenne
½ tsp coriander
½ tsp cumin
1 bay leaf
½ – ¾ cup crunchy peanut butter
Salt and pepper
Cooked rice for serving
Directions
Add 1 Tbsp oil to a large pot over medium-high heat. Once pot is hot, add beef chunks without crowding and brown for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Set aside.
Turn heat to medium and add 2 Tbsp oil to the pot along with onions. Sauté until soft, then add ginger and garlic and sauté 3 minutes more.
Add beef chunks back to pot with 1 Tbsp Better Than Bouillon and water to cover. Add tomatoes, spices and sweet potato and simmer uncovered for about 2 hours until meat is tender. Add water to thin as needed while meat cooks.
When meat is just getting tender, add peanut butter and keep simmering until very tender/flaking apart and veggies are cooked down – about an hour. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more peanut butter if needed.
