Friday, April 26, 2024
Nancy Pricer
THIS COMMUNITY COOKS
A 31-year resident of Hood County, Nancy Pricer enjoys sharing recipes with back stories. Send your favorite recipes and brief story about them to npricer@hcnews.com.
My daughter-in-law won’t eat onions. Over the years, I have tried to sneak them in recipes, but my husband always tattles on me. For crying out loud, I can never get away with anything. Almost every entree and side I have made over the years always includes onions. I was convinced that food was not good without them. However, I have come to a compromise when it comes to Mexican food. I serve uncooked chopped onions on the side with chopped cilantro and lime. It’s delicious and my daughter-in-law is happy.
I recently had the family over for Sunday dinner and made beef enchiladas, charro beans and Mexican rice. It was a delicious meal and received rave reviews. I made a bunch and was able to send extra meals home with them. My grandson made sure I packed extra rice for him.
I cheated a little on the enchiladas and just used the recipe on the can of Old El Paso red enchilada sauce, but the two side dishes below are, in my opinion, excellent recipes. I found the recipes online and give credit to the websites. They both have onions as an ingredient, but you don’t have to add them.
The charro beans recipe is made with unsoaked beans in a pressure cooker/instant pot, but you could probably place all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 7-9 hours or on the stove top for 2-3 hours.
I will forewarn you that the preparation time takes a little bit, but the beauty of it is that you can make everything in advance and just heat up as necessary when your guests arrive. In my case, my son and his wife have an 8-year-old and 19-month-old, and I don’t want to have food that has to be eaten at a certain time.
Plus, I can just relax and enjoy their company before eating since the food is all done and keeping warm.
CHARRO BEANS
www.lemonblossoms.com
1 pound dried pinto beans
12 ounces bacon, chopped
1 small yellow or white onion, chopped (optional)
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced remove the veins if you prefer less heat
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 15-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
Salt to taste
Toppings (optional)
Chopped cilantro
Sliced jalapenos
Place the dried beans in a colander, rinse well, and remove any debris or shriveled beans.
Pressure Cook: Set the pressure cooker to sauté and cook the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pressure cooker and place it on a paper towel-lined plate. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat (or leave all the fat, if you prefer).
Add the onions and jalapenos into the pressure cooker and cook stirring often, for about 2-3 minutes or until the onions become translucent. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds to a minute.
Press the keep warm/cancel button on the instant pot. Stir in the beans, tomatoes with their juices, broth, water, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, oregano, bacon and cilantro into the instant pot.
Close the lid and cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. Once the cooking cycle is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally. This will take about 35 to 40 minutes. Season with salt to taste.
MEXICAN RICE
www.culinaryhill.com
2 medium vine-ripened tomatoes or 4 Roma tomatoes, cored and quartered
1 onion, peeled and quartered (optional)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 cups long-grain white rice
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken broth or water
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Salt
Minced fresh cilantro or parsley, for garnish (optional)
Lime wedges for serving
Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a food processor or blender, puree the tomatoes and onions until smooth. Measure 2 cups of puree, pouring off and discarding any excess.
In a large Dutch oven or a 3-quart saucepan, heat oil until shimmering. Add the rice and sauté, stirring frequently, until light golden in color, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato mixture, broth or water, tomato paste and salt to taste (I like 1 1/2 teaspoons). Bring to a boil.
Cover (or transfer to a baking dish and cover) and bake until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes. Stir halfway through baking time.
Fluff rice with a fork. Fold in cilantro or parsley (if using) and season to taste with salt. Serve with lime wedges.
npricer@hcnews.com | 817-573-7066, ext. 230
