The Best Black Bean Tacos

Summer is starting to reward us with wonderful things. Like a variety of tomatoes:

 

And melons, yes, melons! Tiger and Charentais, to be exact:

 

And finally, a wonderful recipe that I got from the book The Family Dinner: Great Ways to Connect with your Kids One Meal at a Time. While I don't have kids myself yet, I love the idea of meals as a form of community. This book had lots of environmentally-friendly, fuss-free recipe ideas as well.

Always on the lookout for new ways to go meatless, I knew I needed to make "Gary's T-Night Tacos", a dish one dad makes every Tuesday for his family. (I am also kind of fascinated by the idea of always eating the same meal on a certain night of the week. It wasn't a tradition in my own family, but it sounds like it could be a lifesaver for busy moms.)

I just LOVED the straight-forward black bean filling, which was quick to make, slightly sweet, but savory at the same time. I couldn't get enough for it, and counted down the minutes till lunch the next day when I could re-heat the leftovers and enjoy them all over again. Bless you Gary, whoever and wherever you are!

Gary’s T-Night Tacos
From The Family Night Dinner

For the Tacos:
Canola oil
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
2 15-ounce cans of black beans, lightly drained (or 4 1/2 cups home-cooked beans)
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon tamari soy sauce
2 tablespoons maple syrup
12 corn tortillas

For the Toppings:
1 1/2 cups cheese
1 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
Chopped avocado
Chopped tomatoes
Chopped lettuce
Salsa

TO MAKE 12 TACOS
Heat a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat and drizzle the bottom with canola oil. Sauté the onions until they start to soften, then add the beans, spices, tamari, and maple syrup. Reduce the heat to medium low and let everything gently cook for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, wrap the tortillas in foil and warm for 10 minutes in a 250-degree oven.

Serve the tortillas with bowls of beans and toppings on the side.

Mexican Tortilla Casserole

Source: splendidtable.publicradio.org via Stacy on Pinterest

I made this Mexican Tortilla Casserole last night, thanks to my weekly recipe e-mail from The Splendid Table. It was easy to make, flexible, delicious, filling, good enough for company and simple enough for a Monday night supper. What made me love it even more was the fact that it was extremely economical and meatless to boot. When you find a recipe that has it all, it's only nice to share.

I didn't find the dish to be a typical casserole; it reminded me more of enchiladas, with the layers of tortilla, cheese, veggies, beans and tomato sauce. I made mine in a springform pan. I served wedges of this "Mexican Pie" ( a better name, I thought) with tomato salsa and sour cream, and the three males for whom I was cooking absolutely loved it. Their hearty appetites wiped away any hope of leftovers I may have had while preparing this dish, but I felt grateful that they enjoyed it so much, and complimented by the empty dish.

Mexican Tortilla CasseroleFrom The Mom 100 Cookbook: 100 Recipes Every Mom Needs in Her Back Pocket by Katie Workman; Serves 4 to 6

"Essentially a lasagna with tortillas standing in for noodles, this is one of those dishes that can miraculously be on the table in short order, made from things you most likely have in your pantry and fridge. If you don't like, or you don't have, one of the ingredients, skip it. Or, if you have something else that you think might be appealing all layered in (like slivered bell peppers to sauté with the onions, kale, chopped, cooked broccoli -- whatever the people in your home will eat), then fling it on in."

Nonstick cooking spray
1 tablespoon olive, vegetable, or canola oil
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 can (14 ounces) chopped tomatoes, drained, with 1/3 cup juice reserved
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 cans (15.5 ounces each) white, black, or kidney beans (or a mixture of any two), rinsed and drained
Kosher or coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 can (15 ounces) sweet corn kernels, drained, or 1-1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
3 cups coarsely chopped spinach
4 medium-size (8-inch) flour tortillas
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
Chopped fresh cilantro (optional), for garnish
Sour cream (optional), for serving
Salsa (optional), for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan, springform pan, or baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, cumin, chili powder, and garlic and cook until you can smell the spices and the onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes with the 1/3 cup of reserved juice and the tomato paste, then stir in the beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let the bean mixture simmer until everything is hot, about 3 minutes. Add the corn and spinach and stir until the spinach has wilted and everything is well blended and hot, about 3 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and/or pepper as necessary.

3. Place 1 tortilla in the prepared cake pan. Spread one fourth of the bean and vegetable mixture evenly over the tortilla, then sprinkle 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese evenly over the top. Repeat with 3 more layers, ending with the last quarter of the bean mixture and then the last 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.

4. Bake the tortilla casserole until it is hot throughout and the top is lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Let the casserole sit for about 5 minutes, then cut it into wedges using a sharp knife and serve it with a spatula or better yet a pie server. Sprinkle the top with cilantro, if desired, and serve with sour cream and/or salsa on the side, if you like.

Cooking Tip: You can make the tortilla casserole a day ahead of time, cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and put it in the fridge overnight; just take it out and let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes while the oven preheats to 400F. Bake the casserole uncovered. You can also reheat the cooked casserole at 350F for 15 to 20 minutes, until warm.

Fruity Fish Tacos

I still remember the first time my mom got a copy of Taste of Home magazine in the mail. At age 12, my main source of cooking advice was my mom's weathered, checkered copy of the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. I had made pretty good headway through that staple and was hungry for more.

I poured through the pages of this new magazine publication, taking in the comforting photos and enticing recipes. I recall one of the main themes was cherries, served all different kinds of ways. I had never seen a food magazine before, and the idea of a monthly source of new material for my culinary experimentation thrilled me.

Nowadays, I lean more towards the fresh, the whole foods, and varied ethnic influences. Often my impulse is to shy away from the heavier, convenience-oriented, processed recipes that tend to compose the pages of Taste of Home. Still, I still enjoy getting my copy each month since my mom got me a subscription for Christmas. Every now and then I find something worth investigating, and this one was killer: a light, fruity fish taco. It was a fantastic use for the dorado my husband caught on a recent fishing trip down in Baja California. Gone are the deep-fried nuggets, the cabbage slaw traditionally found in fish taco recipes. We made this version when we had company for dinner and everyone adored them.

Fruity Fish Tacos
Adapted from Taste of Home

INGREDIENTS:
1 medium mango, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup cubed avocado
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 tbsp chopped and seeded jalapeno pepper
1 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
3 tsp olive oil, divided
1 tsp lemon juice

1 lb halibut steaks, 3/4" thick (or other firm white fish)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Shredded Bib lettuce
4 flour tortillas, 6", warmed
4 tsp sweet Thai chili sauce

COOKING DIRECTIONS:
In a small bowl, combine the mango, avocado, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, 2 tsp oil, and lemon juice; set aside. Brush halibut with remaining oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Coat grill rack with cooking spray before starting the grill. Grill halibut covered, over high heat or broil 3-4" from the heat for 3-5 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Place lettuce leaves on tortillas. Top with fish and mango mixture. Drizzle with chili sauce.

Light Chicken Enchiladas

We lighten up a diet bomb- enchiladas!

Last night, our mission was to make light enchiladas. This dish is generally a diet bomb, consisting of large pellets filled with red meat and cheese floating in an ocean of salty sauce. Or, if you’re like my mom and favor the white chicken version, the sauce consists mostly of sour cream and processed Campbell’s soup!

Our version started with home-style white corn tortillas from a nearby market, which we filled with shredded chicken breast, black beans, and sauteed bell peppers. We made our own sauce from scratch to cut down the salt, and sprinkled our filled tortillas with just a handful of shredded cheese. After 25 minutes in the oven at 375, our light enchiladas were ready, and very good. Our Mexican craving was satiated without bulging our bellies.

Here is the recipe I used for homemade enchilada sauce, which can be ready in 10 minutes. If you want it mild, I suggest using mild chilies.

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, undrained
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 clove garlic, minced

Combine all tomato sauce ingredients and place in a blender. Puree ingredients. Then place in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat until heated through, about 5 minutes. Use as desired for enchiladas.

If You Like Carnitas, Try This

Last week was Cinco de Mayo, aka (in our house) Carnitas Appreciation Day. My husband really loves this dish, and so I found a recipe in which you can use the slow cooker to make tender and moist, nicely spiced Mexican-style pork. Get home from work, finish preparing, fold inside tortillas with lettuce, salsa, and whatever tickles your fancy.

Where to Buy the Best: I buy my pork (and much of my meat, also) at Whole Foods. They offer the strictest meat rules in the industry. For pigs, these rules include:

• No antibiotics — ever
• No animal byproducts in feed
• No gestation crates
• Sows provided freedom of movement in farrowing (birthing) pens
• Bedding required to satisfy natural rooting instincts

(Gestation crates are used by most factory farms to prevent the pigs from moving while they're pregnant and cause sores and discomfort for the sows.) Like the best pig farmers in the business believe, Happy and healthy pigs make happy and healthy humans! Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Carnitas

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 (3-4 pound) boneless pork shoulder roast

2 bay leaves

Directions:
1. Mix together salt, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, coriander, and cinnamon in a bowl. Coat pork with the spice mixture. Place the bay leaves in the bottom of a slow cooker and place the pork on top. Pour the chicken broth around the sides of the pork, being careful not to rinse off the spice mixture.

2. Cover and cook on Low until the pork shreds easily with a fork, about 10 hours. Turn the meat after it has cooked for 5 hours. When the pork is tender, remove from slow cooker, and shred with two forks. Use cooking liquid as needed to moisten the meat.

The Battle of the Green Chile Pork Recipes

My husband adores Mexican food. I’m not as enthusiastic in general, but one dish we both enjoy is Green Chile Pork. I found a pretty tasty recipe for this dish in my "Allrecipes" cookbook, and it was one of his favorite dinners that I’ve made so far. I loved the fact that it required so few ingredients and was so easy to prepare.

About 2 months later, while on vacation recently, I found another recipe for the same dish in "The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American". Curious, I decided to try the new recipe and see which one was better. I made the dish this week, and felt like the second recipe was great, too, and was having a tough time deciding on the winner. Then, after comparing the two recipes, I realized that they were essentially..... exactly the same recipe! No wonder I couldn’t decide which had been better. I guess we’ll call it a tie.

Green Chile Pork

3 pounds boneless pork loin, cubed
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped (or 1 can diced tomatoes)
7 green chile peppers, chopped (or 2 small cans of diced green chiles)
1 T. cumin
4 cloves crushed garlic
4 cups chicken broth or water
1 (10 ounce) jar prepared green chile salsa
salt/pepper to taste

In a large skillet over medium high heat, brown the pork in oil, doing so in 2 to 3 batches. Place the meat in 3 to 4-quart covered saucepan and add celery, tomatoes, chilies, and garlic. Add about 1 cup chicken broth or water to skillet pork was cooked in, stirring over high heat to scrape up browned bits on bottom and bring to boil. Add to pot with enough additional water or broth to barely cover the ingredients. Cover and simmer until stew is thick and meat very tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Season to taste before serving. If stew is not hot enough, add a bit of green salsa.
Serve with wheat tortillas and a green salad.