Garlic Lo Mein Noodles w/ Black Beans & Sweet Potato Ribbons

This is a recipe of convenience.  I got home late one night with few groceries in the house and no leftovers.  I didn't feel like making a grocery store run.  So, I went in the kitchen seeking inspiration and suddenly the black void was filled with light.  I decided to pull together a dish with lo mein noodles, garlic, and black beans.  I just happened to have some leftover sweet potato rounds (thinly sliced with a mandoline) on hand that I used for a trial run of making homemade potato chips, and the sweet potato lover in me decided to add those to the mix.  I used this recipe for Homemade Noodles with Black Beans and Tamari as a guide.

Garlic Lo Mein Noodles w/Black Beans & Sweet Potato Ribbons

Ingredients:

• 1 package Lo Mein Noodles
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp cilantro
• 1/3 cup scallions, chopped into 1/4 pieces
• 1/4 cup Low Sodium Tamari
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp tamarind paste
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup sweet potato rounds, thinly sliced with a mandoline
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Directions:

Heat the sesame and canola oils in a large frying pan over medium heat.  Add the next four ingredients and cook until the garlic begins to brown.  Add the scallions, tamari, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, oyster sauce, and tamarind paste and cook until the sauce has reduced and is syrupy.  Add the black beans and sweet potato rounds.  Stir to combine.  Cook for a few additional minutes.  Add about 1 cup of water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer the sauce until it reaches the desired consistency.  

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Toss with the garlic sauce and enjoy.  Garnish with chopped cilantro, green onions, or roasted sesame seeds.  

Hominy and Corn Chowder with Mexican Pesto

Have you ever had food so good that you hide it to keep ravenous scavengers others in your household from devouring it?  You nibble at it like a Lilliputian to savor the eating experience.  You curse the person who dares to ask for your last bite of food.  If so, you will understand exactly how I feel about this chowder.

This hominy and corn chowder has an incredible depth of flavor that's perfect for jumpstarting comfort food season.  The soyrizo (soy chorizo) lends a nice spiciness.  The chipotle peppers in adobo sauce gives it a pleasant smokiness.  The hominy and corn provide that luscious, sweet corn goodness and they are also a nice contrast in texture.  The cream gives it the rich taste associated with chowders.  Finally, the queso fresco, scallions, jalapeno peppers, and Mexican pesto that rounds out the chowder prove that garnishes can provide a big bang in the flavor department.  Buen Provecho!

This recipe served as a guide for this dish: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Double-Corn-Chowder-with-Chipotle-and-Bacon-239697

Hominy and Corn Chowder with Mexican Pesto

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound maiz trillado (dried cracked yellow hominy corn; 1 1/3 cups), picked over and rinsed
• 11 cups of vegetable stock made with 3 Rapunzel Vegan Vegetable Bouillon with Sea Salt & Herbs
• 1-12 oz pack Soyrizo
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
• 1 Tbsp. jalapeno chile, minced
• 2 Tbsp. garlic, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3 cups fresh or frozen corn
• 1 can chipotle chile in adobo sauce
• 1 cup light cream
• 2 cups packed fresh cilantro leaves
• 2 cloves fresh garlic
• 1/4 cup toasted pepita seeds
• 1/2 Tsp jalapeno chile, minced
• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1-12 oz block queso fresco (1/2 cup freshly grated queso for pesto.  Remaining cheese can be used as a garnish for the soup)
• 1 bunch scallions, finely chopped

Directions:

Soaking dried cracked yellow hominy corn: 

Cover maiz trillado with 4 cups of water and let stand overnight.  Drain and rinse, discarding water.  

Make chowder:

Add soaked corn to pot with 8 cups of vegetable stock and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Simmer, partially covered, until tender, about 1 hour. (Do not drain.)

While corn is cooking, brown soyrizo and onion in a large skillet on low heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 10 minutes.  Add bell pepper, jalapeno, garlic, and cumin and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until pepper is softened, about 8 minutes.  

Transfer the soyrizo mixture to pot with corn and its reserved cooking liquid.  Add 3 remaining cups of vegetable stock and simmer for about 15 minutes.  Stir in fresh (or frozen) corn and simmer for another 6 minutes.

Transfer 2 cups of chowder to blender along with 5 - 6 small chipotle peppers and puree.  (Use caution and hold blender top with a clean dish towel to avoid being splashed with the hot liquid).  Stir the pure into chowder along with cream and bring just to a simmer (do not let boil).  Serve with garnish of chopped scallions, minced, fresh jalapeno peppers, queso fresco, and Mexican pesto.  

Make Mexican Pesto:

Combine the cilantro, garlic, pepitas, and jalapeno chile in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.  Add olive oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth.  Season with salt and pepper.  Transfer the pesto to a large serving bowl and mix in the cheese.