Eva's Kitchen - Eva Longoria Parker [35]
1. In the work bowl of a food processor, place the borracho beans. Puree until smooth, adding a little of the bean cooking liquid if necessary to keep the beans from sticking to the blade.
2. In a medium skillet, heat the bacon grease or oil over medium heat until hot. Add the puree and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Serve, topped with queso fresco, if desired.
baked goat cheese rigatoni
When I am in Dallas, I make sure to stop in at the Palomino, where the chef puts a unique spin on mac and cheese. He uses rigatoni and goat cheese. It’s so creamy and delicious, I finally asked the chef for the recipe so I can make it myself at home! Make sure to use regular, unflavored soft goat cheese.
MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS
Vegetable oil or cooking spray for the baking dish
Kosher salt
8 ounces dried rigatoni pasta
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups whole milk
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
1 cup grated white Cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
½ cup grated Italian fontina cheese
1 4-ounce log soft goat cheese, crumbled
Ground black pepper
1 cup panko
½ cup crumbled goat cheese (2 ounces), for topping
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush or spray a 2-quart baking dish with vegetable oil or cooking spray.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rigatoni and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes, or according to package directions. Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the milk and heat until hot. Add the flour and stir well so that it doesn’t clump. Add 2⁄3 cup Gruyère, 2⁄3 cup Cheddar, ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, the fontina, and the log of goat cheese. Stir until the cheese is completely melted and the sauce is smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat.
4. Place the panko in a small bowl. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of the butter and pour it over the panko. Use a fork to stir until the panko is thoroughly coated in butter. Set aside.
5. In a large mixing bowl, place the noodles and pour over the cheese sauce. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Scatter over the top the remaining 1⁄3 cup Gruyère, 1⁄3 cup Cheddar, ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, and the crumbled goat cheese. Top with the panko mixture.
6. Bake until browned and bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
sopa de fideo
I call this Mexican spaghetti. In Mexico, sopa de fideo is truly a soup, while fideo seco is much drier. I like a texture between the two. As with Mexican Rice, the trick is to cook these without touching them very much at all. Any stirring will make the noodles sticky, so when checking the level of the liquid in the pan, just use a long-handled spoon to gently move the noodles aside and check the bottom of the pan. Note that the longer this sits, the more the noodles will absorb the broth.
This is a great method for cooking chicken, so even though I’m serving the noodles only as a side dish, sometimes I take advantage of the simmering pot to cook some chicken for the next day. I add as many drumsticks as possible without crowding, and the well-seasoned broth turns out tender, juicy, and really flavorful chicken every time.
MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large white onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 8.8-ounce box fideo or angel hair or vermicelli pasta (see Note)
3 to 3½ cups Chicken Broth or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth
1 14-ounce can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
6 chicken drumsticks (about 1½ pounds, optional)
1. In a large skillet or Dutch oven (better if using angel hair pasta), heat the oil over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the fideo and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fideo is golden brown but not at all burned, about 2 minutes.