It is always a challenge in my family to create meals that everyone
will eat. My brother does not like too much garlic. My mother does not
like beans. Dad keeps kosher. And neither my mom nor dad likes things
too spicy. And I am probably the pickiest of them all.
I
am also the most experimental. While mom mother, who is retired and
lives with me, is perfectly happy to do all of the cooking, she is not
terribly imaginative. She is perfectly happy cooking the same meals
over and over again. She buys the same vegetables and fruits and
prepares them the same way. So when I cook, which lately seems to be on
the weekends, I like to make something different. We have a whole
cabinet full of spices that only I seem to use.
It has been
quite an uphill battle to get my mother to use anything other than
salt, pepper, dill, and a few of the better known Italian spices
(basil, oregano, and rosemary). I have managed to get her into using
some Indian spices as well but most of the more exotic spices languish
in my cupboards or freezer.
So when I cook, I try to incorporate
both new spices and different kinds of foods into our diet. I try to do
this by combining familiar things with the unfamiliar. Beans have been
a struggle. The only beans my mother really recognized are garbanzo and
kidney. The former she tends to put in soup and the later she ends up
using in salads. But always the same way. So when I decided to make
dinner after a lengthy hair appointment (It takes a LONG time to streak
3 feet of hair), I had to think hard to fit dinner within the frame I
had given myself, something not too elaborate and quick. Additionally, it had to fit into the guide lines of
lent.
In reality this is just a variation on my "garbage stew", so called because it's basically a on pot meal that involves dumping available stuff in a pot and seasoning. Traditionally, I start the stew off with smoked chicken or turkey sausage, but as I am currently not eating meat I skipped this step. And while the shrimp are a nice addition, they are completely not necessary as the beans and rice form a complete protein in and of themselves. Though I would definitely recommend brown rice for this instead of the white I ended up serving this with. Omitting the shrimp also makes this vegan.
As a side note, the ingredient list below is a bit long and intimidating but it comes together quickly and is ready in just about half an hour. It is ridiculously easy to make.
Spicy Black Bean and Corn Chili
2 Cans tomatoes (I used one can fire roasted and one can diced)
2 Cup vegetable broth (or mushroom or chicken... or even water)
1 Can Black Beans (Or what ever beans you have laying around)
1/2 Bag of frozen corn (or what ever vegetable you have around)
1 chipotle chilie in adobo sauce (finely chopped)
1 Bunch cilantro (or what ever fresh herb)
Spice - These are the ones I used but feel free to omit or substitute as necessary - all measurements are approximate and to taste
2 teaspoons chili powder (I use one from World Spice market and grind it right before use)
1 Black Cardamom pod (hard to find and easy to omit)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt
In a pot over medium-high heat, start the broth simmering. Add to it the canned tomatoes and their liquid. Rise and drain the beans and add to the simmering broth. Add the corn, spices and chipotle with some of its sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Add extra broth or water as necessary to keep a loose consistency. Right before the chili is ready, chop a bunch of cilantro (or what ever fresh herb is on hand) and add to the pot. Stir and remove from heat immediately.
Serve over rice.
Having started the shrimp marinating before I started the chili, they were ready to cook by the time that the chili was simmering happily on it's own. And so were done at the same time making dinner quick and easy.
BBQ Shrimp
I got this recipe from an Indian cookbook that a friend gave me for my birthday and this is the title of the recipe from the book. However the recipe has absolutely nothing to do with BBQ, it is however highly tasty and produces the most gorgeous yellow shrimp! I generally serve this over rice that has been fried in the same pan as the shrimp and seasoned similarly, though in this case I served it with the above stew. The Indian spices and the southwest flavors melded beautifully to create one heck of a satisfying meal.
1 1/2 pounds of shrimp (peeled and deveined)
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 large garlic cloves
Juice of one lemon
1 - 2 tablespoons butter (or oil)
Salt
Combine all ingredients except the salt and butter in a non-reactive container such as a Ziploc bag and allow to marinate for 1/2 an hour. Do not marinate longer as the juice of the lemon will start cooking the shrimp, making them tough. In a skillet, melt the butter and bring tot he point where it just barely begins to brown (or the oil is shimmering if omitting butter), add the shrimp (and marinade if you will be using the pan to fry rice once the shrimp is done) and cook until the shrimp are opaque. Sprinkle with a little bit of salt and serve over rice.
To cook rice: Once the shrimp is removed, add another small pat of butter to loosen the tasty bits at the bottom of the pan and add the cooked rice. Stir quickly to coat the grain. Add a liberal sprinkling of the same seasoning as used for the shrimp and stir to distribute evenly. Spread the rice out to cover the bottom of the pan and cook for 5 minutes undisturbed until a light crust form and the rice is heated through. Turn out on a plate and arrange shrimp on top.
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