Oven-Baked Sopes

Vegetarian Times, May/June 2009

3 cups masa harina
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together masa harina, Parmesan cheese, if using, baking powder, and salt in bowl. Stir in 2 1/2 cups hot water until mixture forms soft dough. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir egg, then oil, into dough.

Roll 1/4 cup dough into ball. Press into 3-inch disk on prepared baking sheet, pinching together any cracked edges. Press indentation in center of disk using small drinking glass, then shape 1/2-inch edge around indentation with your fingers. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake 10 minutes, or until sopes begin to look dry. Sprinkle each indentation with 2 teaspoons grated Monterey Jack cheese. Return to oven, and bake 5 minutes more, or until cheese has melted. Top with Zucchini-Corn Filling or Pico de Gallo.

Skillet Gnocchi with Chard and White Beans

Skillet Gnocchi with Chard & White Beans

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 16-ounce package shelf-stable gnocchi (see Tip)
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup water
• 6 cups chopped chard leaves (about 1 small bunch) or spinach
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
• 1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• ½ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• ¼ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring often, until plumped and starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and onion to the pan and cook, stirring, over medium heat, for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and water. Cover and cook until the onion is soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Add chard (or spinach) and cook, stirring, until starting to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, beans and pepper and bring to a simmer. Stir in the gnocchi and sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and cook until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 3 minutes.

Tip: Look for shelf-stable gnocchi near other pasta in the Italian section of most supermarkets.

Banana Nut Bread

Banana Nut Bread
Adapted from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook
Yield: Two 9 by 5 inch loaves or six 6 by 2 3/4-inch loaves

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups ripe mashed banana (about 3 medium)
• 2 cups pecans, toasted and finely chopped
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• Nonstick cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat two 9-by-5 inch loaf pans with cooking spray; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, and vegetable oil on medium-low speed until combined. Beat in the flour mixture. Add the vanilla, banana, nuts, and buttermilk, and beat just to combine.

Divide batter evenly between prepared pans; smooth with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, 60 to 65 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cook for 10 minutes. Remove loaves from pans and let cook completely. Bread can be kept at room temperature, wrapped well in plastic, for up to 1 week, or frozen for up to 3 months.

This recipe was discussed here.

Refried Beans with Cinnamon and Cloves

Refried Beans with Cinnamon and Cloves
The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper
Serves 4 to 6

• extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped into 1/4-inch dice
• salt and fresh-ground black pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, fine chopped
• 1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and fine chopped
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• one 14-oz can whole tomatoes, drained
• two 15-oz cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons butter

Generously film the bottom of a 10-inch skillet with olive oil, and heat over medium-high heat. Saute the onions with salt and pepper to taste until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. You want to hear a sizzle as they cook.

Add garlic, jalapeno, cinnamon, and cloves, and cook the mix until fragrant, about 1 minute, taking care not to burn the spices. Add tomatoes, crushing them as they go into the pan. Saute for another minute.

Stir in the beans and water. Bring to a fast simmer, crushing the beans with a potato masher (or the back of a large spoon) as they cook, and scraping the bottom of the pan as the beans begin to thicken. Simmer until the beans are thick, about 10 minutes. Blend in the butter and taste for seasoning just before serving.

Rustic Jam Shortbread Tart

Rustic Jam Shortbread Tart
Copyright: The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper

• Zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 cup whole almonds
• 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, organic preferred (measured by dipping and leveling)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• Generous pinch of salt
• 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 chunks
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 3/4 cup jam (tart cherry and wild blueberry are especially good)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Butter a 9-inch round silver-colored cake or tart pan. (If using a dark-colored pan, you will want to cut baking time by about 5 minutes.)

2. With the food processor running, drop in the lemon zest and almonds, and grind them fine. Stop the machine, scrape down the sides, and add the flour, sugar, salt, butter, egg yolk, and almond extract. Pulse until they are blended and starting to come together in small clumps at the bottom of the processor. (They should look like clusters of peas.)

3. Turn the pastry dough into the pan. With your hands, pat it out to evenly cover the bottom of the pan. Give the tart a standing rim by nudging the dough 1/2 inch up the sides of the pan. Don't worry if it looks a little ragged.

4. Bake the crust in the center of the oven for 13 to 16 minutes, or until its edges are golden and the center is starting to color. The rim will sink down a little, which is fine.

5. Remove the pan from the oven, and turn the heat up to 500 F. Carefully spread the jam over the tart, and immediately return it to the oven (don't wait for the temperature to reach 500). Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until the jam is bubbly.

6. Cool the tart on a rack, slice it into squares or wedges, and serve. Serve the tart warm - but not hot, because hot jam can burn.

English Lemon Shortbread Strips

English Lemon Shortbread Strips
Adapted from Land O Lakes via Culinary in the Country

For the dough

• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh grated lemon zest
• 1 pound (4 sticks or 32 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

For the glaze

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated lemon zest

To prepare the dough

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, add sugar and zest - use your fingers to massage the zest into the sugar until very fragrant and combine. Add butter and beat mixture together until smooth. Add juice and mix until combined and creamy, making sure to scrape down the sides as needed. Add flour mixture and beat just until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Scoop mixture into a 10" x 15" baking pan coated with nonstick spray. Place into the oven and bake until the top is lightly golden, about 25 to 35 minutes. Remove and place pan on a wire rack to cool completely.

To prepare the glaze

In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar, butter and lemon juice until smooth. Spread glaze over the cooled shortbread and sprinkle with lemon zest, if desired. Set aside and let stand at least 30 minutes before cutting.

Makes about 40 cookies.

We talked about this recipe here.

Moroccan Green Bean Tagine

Moroccan Green Bean Tagine

Copyright: The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper

The Saute:

• 2 to 3 tablespoons good-tasting extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 to 2 1/4 pounds green beans, trimmed
• 2 medium to large onions, coarse chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper, or to taste
• 5 large garlic cloves, minced

Spice Blend

• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon pure chile powder, or to taste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 generous tablespoons sweet paprike

Liquids

• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup dry red or whtie wine
• 28-ounce can whole tomatoes
• Water as needed

1. In a straight-sided 12-inch saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the green beans and onions. Sprinkle them with the salt and pepper, and saute for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are browning. (Browning deepens flavors and opens up new character.) Stir in the garlic and all the ingredients in teh spice blend. Cook until the spices are fragrant, no more than 1 minutes.

2. Pour in the vinegar and wine, and boil them down as yo scrape up any brown glaze on the bottom of the pan. When there is no moisture left, stir in the tomatoes and their juices, crushing them with your hands as they go into the pan. The vegetables should be barely covered with liquid. Add a little water if necessary.

3. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer, cover the pan, adn cook for 10 minutes (check for sticking), or until the beans are tender. Uncover the pan and turn up the heat so the liquid is at a fast bubble. cook off the excess liquid, stirring the stew often to protect the beans and spices from burning. You want the sauce to be thick and rich-tasting. Don't worry about overcooking the green beans; they will not cook much further.

4. Season the stew to taste. Serve it hot, at room temperature, or reheated.