Recipes From the Root Cellar_ 270 Fresh Ways to Enjoy Winter Vegetables - Andrea Chesman [80]
3 Bake for 60 to 90 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces, until completely tender when pierced with a fork.
4 Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Sauté until the brown sugar is dissolved and the apples are tender and coated in the sugar syrup, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
5 When the squash is done, drain off the water. Turn the pieces flesh-side up, and allow to cool until they can be handled easily. Scrape the flesh from the skins into a mixing bowl and discard the skins. Mash or beat until smooth.
6 Fold in the apples and their syrup. Season generously with salt and pepper.
7 If desired, reheat in a microwave or in the top of a double boiler set over boiling water. Serve hot.
5
Beans, Rice, and Grains
If summer is the time for salads and quickly made dishes, then winter is the time for soups, slow-simmered stews, and rib-sticking beans. Dried beans are especially sustaining and are very easy, and generally inexpensive, to make. A few simple rules apply:
• Never add acidic ingredients, such as tomatoes, to beans before they are fully cooked or they will never become completely tender.
• If your beans are becoming too dry, add boiling hot (not cold) water, or the skins will toughen.
• Add salt late in the cooking process; otherwise, as the water reduces, the dish may become too salty.
• Add flavor to beans as they cook with onions, garlic, dried herbs, and chilis, fresh or dried.
• The age of the beans is a factor in cooking times. The fresher the beans, the shorter the cooking time.
Vegetarians take note: chipotles do an excellent job of adding flavor to beans instead of the traditional meats. Chipotles are smoke-dried jalapeños. They can be purchased dried, or canned in a vinegar sauce, called adobo sauce. Liquid smoke is another ingredient that adds the smoke flavoring without the bacon.
RECIPE LIST FOR
BEANS, RICE, AND GRAINS
Black Beans in Chipotle Sauce
Cajun-Spiced Black Beans and Sausage
Black Bean, Sweet Potato, and Chorizo Stew
Chili Beans
Sunday Supper Baked Beans
New England Baked Beans
Spicy-Sweet Barbecued Beans
Refried Pinto Beans
Curried Dahl
Mujdhara
Lentils and Greens
Curried Lentil-Stuffed Delicata Squash
Golden Carrot Risotto
White Bean Stew with Smoked Turkey
Winter-Vegetable Nori Rolls
Southern-Style Rice with Collard Greens
Leek Risotto
Risotto with Butternut Squash
Lemony Barley-Carrot Pilaf
Kasha Varnishkes
Carrot Spoon Bread
Vegetarian dishes are marked with this symbol:
Black Beans in Chipotle Sauce
Serves 4–6
There’s a lot of flavor packed into these smoky, rich, vegetarian beans — and a fair amount of heat. You can serve it with sour cream to tame the flames if you wish. The beans are delicious served as a side dish or main course, on top of rice, or inside a burrito.
2 cups dried black beans, soaked overnight and drained
6 cups water
1 large onion, diced
2 bay leaves
1½ cups unseasoned tomato sauce or purée, or 1 (15-ounce) can
2 chipotles canned in adobo sauce, minced
2 tablespoons adobo sauce (from the can of chilis)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 Combine the beans, water, onion, and bay leaves in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the beans are completely tender but not mushy, 1 to 2 hours.
2 Check the water level in the saucepan. The beans should be just barely covered by water. If there is more water than a slight covering, drain off the excess water and reserve. Remove the bay leaves. Add the tomato sauce, chipotles, adobo sauce, garlic, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
3 Simmer until the liquid is reduced to a saucy consistency and the flavors have blended, about 30 minutes. Add some of the reserved cooking liquid if the beans become dry. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot.