| Chef2Chef Recipe Club - Volume 1 Number 044 - November 15, 2001. Forum, Subscribe & Unsubscribe Information are at the end of this message. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Good Morning Recipe Club. Chef June Jacobs CCP is still cooking Southern. A great Southern recipe collection should contain a Red Beans and Rice recipe and sure enough, here you go. I remember a funny episode of Justin Wilson's TV show many years ago. He was explaining how to make Red Beans and Rice. He said "Red Beans and Rice is not just a dish from New Orleans, Oh no! They are famous all over the world...Baton Rouge... Shreveport" Funny guy! Enjoy today's recipes. It's gonna be good, I guarantee! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday: Red Beans and Rice Beans and rice form the backbone of many of the world's cuisines. This is a spicy Southern version. You'll notice this recipe is meatless. If you wish, you can include a couple of meaty ham hocks when you sauté the vegetables. It wouldn't hurt. Makes 6 main course servings 3 cans red kidney beans 3 tablespoons canola oil 3/4 cup finely chopped onions 3/4 cup finely chopped celery 3/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper 1 or 2 small fresh hot peppers, seeded, deribbed and finely chopped 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic 2 bay leaves 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper About 14 cups of water (or enough to cover all the beans and vegetables) 2 cups raw white rice 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt 1. Drain the beans in a colander, and rinse very well with cold running water to remove any remnants of the "canned" taste. 2. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot. When it's hot, add the celery, onions, all the peppers, bay leaves and seasonings (except for salt). Cook until the onion is translucent, then add the garlic. Stir well. 3. Add the beans and enough cold water to cover the contents of the pan by a couple of inches (about 14 cups). Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. (If the beans start to scorch, do not stir. Immediately remove from heat and change to another pot without scraping any scorched beans into the mixture.) 4. Test to see if the beans have softened in texture (not mush, just softer) then add the rice to the pot, and the salt. You may find it necessary to add more water (perhaps 4 cups). The rice will need some liquid of its own to cook properly. Cover the pot again, but leave the lid slightly ajar to let steam escape. Continue to stir the pot regularly so the beans and rice won't stick. Cook with the rice for another 20 minutes, or until the rice is fluffy. Remove the bay leaves before serving. Teacher's Tips: 1. Bay leaves left in a dish can be hazardous to your health. They don't soften nor disintegrate while cooking, so if you should somehow swallow a piece, it could scratch or cut your throat. Be sure to stir through your finished dish to pull all the bay leaves before serving. 2. If you're really in a hurry, you can cook the rice in a separate pot while the beans are cooking, and combine them in the serving dish or on the plate. Wine Tip: Fruity Beaujolais or Zinfandel (red!) is delicious with these spicy beans. Mésclun Salad with Blood Orange Vinaigrette This is a delicious salad to serve in the winter (since that is the only time you can get blood oranges). You can add variation with a few very thinly sliced red onions. Makes 6 servings 1/3 pound mixed baby lettuces 6 blood oranges 3/4 cup fruity extra-virgin olive oil Pinch of sea salt A few grinds of white pepper 1. For the vinaigrette: Squeeze 3 of the oranges and place juice in a glass 1-cup measure. Add a pinch of salt and a few grinds of white pepper, and the olive oil. Use a fork or whisk to beat the mixture until it emulsifies. 2. For the salad: Peel the other three oranges and divide into sections. Carefully wash and thoroughly dry the lettuces. Toss with the vinaigrette. Pile one-sixth of the greens on each of 6 salad plates and arrange the blood orange sections on top. Teacher's Tip: Blood Oranges are a hybrid fruit that have red-streaked skin and blood red meat inside. Only available during the winter months, they are very flavorful as well as colorful. Florida Navel Oranges can be substituted, but don't provide the same color emphasis. Thursday's Shopping List: 3 cans red kidney beans Canola oil Onions Celery Green bell pepper 1 or 2 small fresh hot peppers Fresh garlic Bay leaves Dried thyme Dried oregano Ground cayenne Freshly ground black pepper Freshly ground white pepper White rice Coarse sea salt 1/3 pound mixed baby lettuces 6 blood oranges Fruity extra-virgin olive oil ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Chef2Chef Recipe Club - Simply the best daily recipe Club on the Web! Free delicious recipes delivered daily via email. Encourage your family and friends to subscribe! http://chef2chef.net/news/subscribe.htm Discussion Forum: http://forums.chef2chef.net Unsubscribe requests honored instantly http://chef2chef.net/news/subscribe.htm ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |