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Egg-free mayonnaise-aquafaba

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Hands down, the best mayonnaise I've made so far. Rich, and creamy with just the right amount of tang.

I've always used eggs, to make mayonnaise, but this time I was out of eggs and too lazy to go get some. I've known that aquafaba is a great egg alternative but dang, I didn't know it would make such wonderful mayonnaise. 

So, let's make some mayonnaise. 

You'll need

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The liquid from canned garbanzo beans, that's the aquafaba, lemon juice, dry mustard, oil, and salt, that's all. 

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Put the aquafaba, lemon juice, mustard, and salt into a bowl, and whisk/blend until well blended. Then slowly add the oil in a thin stream while whisking/blending until mayonnaise is thick. 

I always make my mayonnaise using avocado oil instead of olive or vegetable oil. I think it just tastes better. 

I did a little googling and you can make your own aquafaba if you cook your own garbanzo beans from dry. Some say to use the liquid you soaked the beans in, some say to discard it. I haven't made it yet but here is someone who has.
Lazy Cat Kitchen

 

Egg-free Mayonnaise

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons aquafaba
    1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    3/4 cup vegetable/ soybean oil (or any neutral tasting oil)

Directions

  1. Combine aquafaba, lemon juice, mustard, and salt in medium bowl. Whisk (see notes) until well blended, about 30 seconds.
    Gradually add the oil in a very slow thin stream, whisking constantly, until mayonnaise is thick, about 8 minutes.
    Cover and chill.

  2. I use an immersion blender to make the whisking process easier.Keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container up to 3 days.

    Nutrition Facts
    Eggless Homemade Mayonnaise
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 89 Calories from Fat 90
    % Daily Value*
    Total Fat 10g 15%
    Saturated Fat 8g 40%
    Sodium 72mg 3%
    Vitamin C 0.4%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Mommyshomecooking.com

And that's that!


Mayocoba Bean Soup with Masa, Mint and Cheese Dumplings

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I ran across Pati Jinich's recipe for Black Bean Soup in her Mexican Today Cookbook, which I highly recommend.
I had some Mayocoba beans already cooked so I thought I'd go ahead and use them, but what I really wanted was to try the masa dumplings. 

Her original recipe is the one posted 

Here's what you need 

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Vegetable oil, white onion, garlic, chiles, or dried red pepper flakes (not shown) tomatoes, beans, broth, masa, cheese, and mint. 
The recipe calls for chilis de arbol, I didn't have any so I decided to add a pinch of red pepper flakes. I also didn't have any fresh tomatoes so I drained a 14.5oz can of diced tomatoes, reserving the juice. 
  

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In the saucepan goes the oil and onion, once the onion is cooked down a bit add the garlic and the tomatoes. The tomatoes need to be cooked down to a soft thick paste, don't skimp on this step. Then add the beans with some of their broth. 

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Add the juice that was drained from the canned tomatoes to chicken or vegetable broth and add to the saucepan. You can blend the soup in a blender for a smooth consistency or use an immersion blender if you want more texture to the soup. 

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For the dumplings mix the masa with water making a coarse dough. Add the mint and cheese. Roll the dough into about 1" balls and add to the soup. 

I varied from the recipe by using Mayocoba beans, red pepper flakes, canned tomatoes, and feta cheese. It turned out delicious and I will for sure make it again. I might even try and follow the recipe next time. 

Black Bean Soup With Masa Dumplings

  • 1 cup canola or safflower oil
    ½ cup chopped white onion
    1 garlic clove
    2 chiles de árbol, stemmed and coarsely chopped (seeded if desired)
    8 ounces ripe tomatoes (about 2 medium), cored and chopped
    Kosher or sea salt
    3 cups Basic Black Beans with ½ cup of their cooking broth
    8 cups chicken or vegetable broth, homemade or store-bought
    1 cup corn masa flour, such as Maseca (preferably masa mix for tamales, but masa for tortillas will also work)
    ¾ cup water
    4 ounces queso fresco, farmer’s cheese, or ricotta, crumbled (about ½ cup loosely packed)
    2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
    Mexican crema, for garnish (optional)

Directions

    1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large heavy pot or casserole over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until it has completely softened, the edges are golden brown, and there is a toasted, sweet aroma wafting from the pot. Add the garlic and chiles and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, or until the garlic is fragrant and has colored and the chiles have softened a bit and intensified to a darker and more burnt red. Stir in the tomatoes and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes have cooked down to a soft, thick paste.
    2. Add the beans with their broth and 4 cups of the chicken or vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium, cover partially, and simmer for about 10 minutes. The beans should be completely soft and the broth thick and soupy.
    3. Meanwhile, prepare the masa for the dumplings: In a medium bowl, combine the corn masa flour with the water and ¼ teaspoon salt. Knead together with your hands. The dough will be very coarse and seem dry. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, the cheese, and mint and mix together until the dough is very soft and homogenous, about 1 minute.
    4. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender until completely smooth. Cover the blender lid with a towel to avoid splashes. Pour back into the pot and stir in the remaining 4 cups broth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low.
    5. To form the dumplings: For each one, scoop up enough masa to make a 1-inch ball, roll it between your hands (moisten your hands if the dough sticks), and gently drop into the soup. Once all the masa balls have been shaped and added to the soup, partially cover the pot and let the soup simmer gently for about 20 minutes, until the dumplings are cooked through. They will thicken the soup as they simmer. Taste the soup for salt and add more if necessary.
    6. Serve hot, garnishing each bowl with a spoonful of crema, if desired.

    Variation: This soup will be much more delicious if you use home-cooked black beans, but if you are in a time crunch, feel free to use canned. Two 15-ounce cans plus an extra ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth or water can stand in for homemade.

    Mexican Today: Pati Jinich cookbook

And that's that!


Freekeh and pinto bean soup aka Shorbat Freekeh

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For those of you who like me are unfamiliar with freekeh, it's unripe green wheat that's been roasted over wood fires. It has a wonderful smoky flavor. I hope you seek it out, it's well worth your effort. 

So let's get cooking, gather up some, 

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Freekeh, pinto beans, celery, carrot, lemon, allspice, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, garlic, onion, and chicken broth. 

Dice the onion and get that started sauteing in a saucepan. 

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Toast the coriander and cumin seeds and crush in a mortar. I love my little wooden one, it's the perfect size for nuts and seeds. They don't jump out all over the place when I'm trying to grind them up.
Once the seeds toasted and ground and to the onions along with the allspice and garlic. Toast about a minute more. 

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To the onion and spices, add the beans, carrots, celery, stock, and freekeh. I didn't add water like the recipe says, I used all stock. 
Once the freekeh is soft, add the lemon juice and olive oil. 

Ladle up, top with yogurt, chives and olive oil. You'll love it. 

Freekeh and pinto bean soup

Ingredients

  • Shorbat Freekeh

    2 tablespoons olive oil or any neutral oil
    1 onion, finely chopped
    1 teaspoon coriander seeds
    1 teaspoon cumin seeds
    1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
    2 garlic cloves, crushed
    14 oz./400g can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
    1 cup/150g freekeh
    2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
    2 celery sticks, finely chopped
    4 cups/500ml vegetable or chicken stock
    sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
    2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
    2 tablespoons lemon juice unflavored yogurt, to serve
    3 1/2 tablespoons/15g chives, finely chopped

Directions

  1. Heat the cooking oil in a saucepan, add the onion and fry over a medium heat for 10–15 minutes, until soft. Toast the coriander and cumin seeds by stirring them in a dry pan over a low heat for a minute or so until their aromas are released. Crush them in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and add to the onion with the allspice and garlic. Fry for another 2 minutes until fragrant.

    Add the pinto beans, freekeh, carrots, celery, stock and 2 cups/500ml just-boiled water, cover and simmer for 45 minutes until the freekeh is quite soft. Then season with 1/2 teaspoon pepper and the 2 tablespoons each of extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice.

    Depending on how salty (or not) your stock was, you may want to add a little more salt. Stir well and cook for 2 minutes.

    To serve, ladle into warmed bowls, add generous dollops of unflavored yogurt, a sprinkling of chives and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

    Zaitoun: Recipes from the Palestinian Kitchen Cookbook

And that's that!


Tomato Beef Stir-Fry

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Tomato Beef, one of my all-time favorite Chinese dishes. 
To quote the Cookbook:
"Thick wedges of tomato cook with oyster flavored sauce and beef that has been stir-fried with ginger to make a flavorful and delicious sauce to serve over rice. Oddly enough, this is amazingly good even when tomatoes are not in season.

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Just add some rice, a salad and a nice glass of red and you'll be happy. 

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Gather up some soy sauce, sesame oil, rice cooking wine, cornstarch, baking soda, ginger, onion, tomatoes and beef. 
If you don't have access to rice cooking wine, dry sherry or dry white wine are good substitutes. 

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I had a top sirloin steak so I used that, cut it into slices, then into strips. Add the strips to a bowl and sprinkle with the baking soda. 
Then, mix up the soy sauce, sesame oil, cooking wine, and corn starch, and add it to the meat. 

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While the meat is marinating, time to make the stir-fry sauce. You'll need the ginger you sliced and some oyster sauce. 
The recipe doesn't call for onion other than the scallions added at the end, but I always add about 1/4 - 1/2 an onion, thinly sliced, and stir-fry that with the slices of ginger. Add the meat, searing well then remove the meat mixture and set aside. 

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In the same skillet add the tomatoes, I only had cherry tomatoes so I used them, and cook until they begin to soften. I don't add the sugar the recipe calls for. Add the oyster sauce and water, cover, and cook for a couple of minutes or until the tomatoes are limp. 
Add the beef and any juices that have accumulated back to the skillet, and the scallions and stir-fry for about 1 more minute. 

I've also been known to add veggies to this, but honestly, I prefer it just as it is. 

Enjoy!

Tomato Beef

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces flank steak, well-trimmed
    1/4 teaspoon baking soda
    1 1/2 teaspoons thin soy sauce
    1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
    1 teaspoon Shao Hsing rice cooking wine
    1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
    1 1/4 teaspoons sugar
    5 tomatoes, about 2 pounds
    1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
    6 slices ginger
    3 tablespoons oyster flavored sauce
    4 scallions, cut into 2-inch sections

Directions

  1. Halve the flank steak with the grain into 2 strips. Cut each strip across the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place slices in a shallow bowl and sprinkle with the baking soda; stir to combine. Add the soy sauce cornstarch, rice wine, sesame oil, and 1/4 teaspoon sugar. Stir to combine and set aside.

    In a large pot, bring about 1 1/2 quarts of water to a boil over high heat. Add the tomatoes and cook 1 to 3 minutes, or until the tomato skins just break. Remove tomatoes with a slotted spoon and, when cool enough to handle, peel skins. Core tomatoes and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges.

    Meanwhile, stir 1 teaspoon vegetable oil into the beef mixture. Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the remaining tablespoon vegetable oil and ginger, and stir-fry about 1 minute. Carefully add the beef, spreading it in the wok. Cook, undisturbed, 1 to 2 minutes, letting beef begin to brown. Then, using a metal spatula, stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, or until beef is browned but still slightly rare. Transfer the beef to a plate and set aside.

    Add the tomatoes and remaining teaspoon of sugar to wok, and stir-fry 1 minute on high heat until tomatoes begin to soften. Add the oyster sauce and 1/4 cup cold water, cover, and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until the tomatoes are just limp. Add the beef with any juices that have accumulated on the plate, and the scallions, and stir-fry 1 minute, or until just heated through.

    Serve immediately.

    Serves 4 to 6 as part of a multicourse meal.

    Thick wedges of tomato cook with oyster flavored sauce and beef that has been stir-fried with ginger to make a flavorful and delicious sauce to serve over rice. Oddly enough, this is amazingly good even when tomatoes are not in season.

    The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen cookbook

And that's that!


Bacon Wrapped Pork medallions, grilled of course

There's no recipe to jump to or to print. This is an easy recipe-less meal. 

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I'm sure that bacon-wrapped pork medallions have been around for quite a while but I've just recently noticed them in the grocery store. They are now one of my favorite things to grill. 

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I give them a sprinkling of Adobo all-purpose seasoning and that's all. The seasoning is a blend of salt, granulated garlic, oregano, black pepper, and turmeric.  I use the seasoning on fish also, it's soooo good on fish. 

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Yes, I know it's out of focus, I was losing daylight and didn't take the time to adjust my settings, which is easy peasy, but I'm lazy. 
I'm a convert to the school of frequent flipping when grilling meat. Ever since I've been ff-ing, my steaks have turned out perfect and so did this pork tenderloin.

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OMGosh, just look how tender and juicy it is. Flip, flip, flip

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Dinner is served in one of my eclectic place settings. Fruity placemat, which is actually a napkin, polka dot plate, plain white salad bowl, an autumn candle, wine served in a $1.00 wine glass from the thrift store. Oh yes, and one of my latest thrift store finds, a set of steak knives for $2.50, and those suckers are sharp.

I really hope you try this

And that's that!