The Art of Eating In - Cathy Erway [40]
(MAKES 3-4 SERVINGS)
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
About 3 medium-sized dried ancho chilies
3 cups water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
½ teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
¼ cup chopped onion
About 5 ounces fried salted corn tortilla strips; can be stale (or substitute with tortilla chips—these will get mushy anyway)
2 cups packed fresh spinach, chopped
12 ounces smoked Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (or substitute with regular Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack)
Small handful of grape tomatoes, halved
Sprinkle of finely sliced red onion (for garnish)
Place beans in a medium pot and fill with just enough water to cover.
Tear off the stems of the ancho chilies and pour out the seeds. Break each one into a few pieces. Place into a covered pot with 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Turn off heat, and let sit, covered, for 15 minutes.
In a large pan, heat up the vegetable oil and saute the shallot, jalapeño, and ⅔ of the garlic on medium heat for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the ancho chilies with their soaking water and bring to a low simmer. Add salt, oregano, brown sugar, and vinegar. Turn off heat and let cool for at least 15 minutes. Transfer chili mixture to a food processor. Add onion and remaining ⅓ of the chopped garlic. Pulse until liquefied into a smooth sauce. Taste for seasoning. Sauce may taste very bitter at this point, which is fine.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a 9 x 9 baking dish at least 2 inches deep, begin layering the chilaquiles. Scatter a somewhat even layer of half of the tortilla strips on the bottom. Add about ⅓ of the sauce evenly on top. Add a layer of half the spinach. Add about ⅓ of the shredded cheese, then about half of the black beans. Add another layer of tortillas, more sauce, the rest of the spinach, more cheese, and the rest of the beans. Top with the rest of the sauce, then the rest of the cheese. Scatter the halved grape tomatoes on top. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, and scatter sliced onion on top. Let cool a moment before serving.
Baked Brie with Cranberry Sauce and Crackers
A variation of the appetizer served by Sean and Meredith with tangy, homemade cranberry sauce instead of mango sauce. Cranberries are best bought fresh in the fall, when they’re in season, but keeping them in the freezer year-round and thawing before using them works just as well here.
(MAKES ABOUT 6 APPETIZER-SIZED SERVINGS)
1 orange
1 lemon
½ cup sugar
12 ounces fresh cranberries (or substitute frozen and thawed)
½ cup water
1 8-ounce wedge of Brie
Zest the orange and lemon with a fine grater or citrus zester and reserve. Juice each fruit, removing the seeds, and reserve. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, cranberries, water, zest, and fruit juice, and heat at medium-high. Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cranberries should be very soft but still just intact. Taste for seasoning, adding more sugar if desired. Let cool for 10-15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a 9-inch-deep pie pan, place the Brie in the center and pour the cranberry sauce around its edges just until it fills the pan (leaving a little more than ½ inch from the top, or else it may bubble over the edges). Bake for about 15 minutes, until the mixture is bubbly and the cheese just begins to ooze into the sauce. Let cool 5 minutes. Serve with crackers.
CHAPTER 5
Getting Dirty TRASH DIVING, FREEGANS, AND FRUGALISTAS
Be industrious and frugal, and you will be rich.
—Benjamin Franklin
“No, no, no. That’s just gross.”
“I really can’t think about doing that.”
“That’s wrong.”
I honestly couldn’t understand what all my friends had against eating garbage. Some people instantly shut off when they hear eating and Dumpster used in the same sentence. Others