Bumblebee Salsa

Most people who believe in past lives will usually claim to be an exotic Pharoh or a wealthy world traveler.  Me?  I'm pretty much convinced I was a bumblebee in a past life.  I've always been fascinated by them, the fact that such a tiny insect has such profound impact on our species (no bees=no pollination=no plants=no food) and how the colony survives by each little bee doing their part for the common good.  Plus honey!  I have lost many summer hours sitting on the porch reading a good book to the sound of buzzing as the busy little fellas flower hop, it's practically hypnotic.  One of my favorite quotes and a personal mantra of mine features bees:

"Aerodynamically, the bumble bee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumble bee doesn't know it so it goes on flying anyway." -Mary Kay Ash

This salsa recipe is one that I like to have in the icebox during the summer for those days when it's so hot you don't want to turn on the oven or stove.  It's great with chips, as a topping for fish tacos, a filling for a quesadilla or just by the spoonful.  The vibrant yellow of the corn against the black beans is how this summertime staple got it's name.  It's a huge bonus that it doesn't take long to throw together and most of the ingredients are pantry staples.

Bumblebee Salsa

2 cans black beans
1 can corn
2 large tomatoes
3 green onions, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, minced (remove the seeds and veins unless you like it spicy)
3 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons vinegar
1 lime
Salt to taste

Drain and rinse the black beans and set aside.  

Cut the stem and core out of the tomatoes and squeeze the juice and seeds into a large bowl.  

Chop the tomatoes and add to the bowl along with the onions, garlic and jalapeño.  

Add the black beans and the drained can of corn.  (Can ya tell how I came up with the name now?)

Stir well and add the oil and vinegar along with the juice of the lime.  Add a fairly large pinch of salt (like salting potatoes it takes more than you think it will) taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.  

Keep in mind that this salsa gets better with age and the flavors will intensify as it sits so err on the side of caution at this stage, you can always add more heat or salt or vinegar later.  Cover and refrigerate, stirring occasionally. After a few hours in the icebox check and adjust seasoning.

A few wee tips:

Use caution when handling jalapeños, the juice can easily blister your skin especially if you have sensitive skin. It's a good idea to use gloves when cutting them.  Keep your fingers away from your eyes or nose (I have awful memories of jalapeño fingers and contact lenses...believe me, not fun!) and keep in mind that oil rubbed onto your skin may help to dilute the capsaicin (the stuff responsible for the burn) since it is an oil soluble substance.

In my experience, jalapeños are the pepper that has the most inconsistent heat level so when using them in a recipe it's a good idea to take a nibble so you can judge how much you will need.  The jalapeño I used to make this batch was a particularly spicy one so I only used half of it.  On an interesting side note, the heat level (scoville heat units) is somewhat influenced by the temperature that they are grown in, so peppers I grow in my backyard in Las Vegas will be spicier than the ones my dad grows in Colorado.  The more you know!

Praline'd Plantains

Texas meets Cuba in my twist on sweet plantains!

Many moons ago I lived in Florida, let me rephrase that, I was trapped in Southern Florida.  But it gets worse...you know that part of the map of Florida where it looks like they ran out of ink, that giant hole is called Lake Okeechobee. It's not so much a lake as it is a glorified swamp with a fancy name.  

On that lake is a town called...wait for it...Okeechobee (yeah the naming committee stretched for that one huh?) and that is where I found myself for about a year.  Now I'm a proud hillbilly, on a good day I might even resemble a redneck but native Okeechobeeians (totally just made that up) are a whole different breed.  It could be the heat and the humidity that stews their brains, the fact that at any given time you might just find a giant alligator in your back yard (no joke! Can't count the times one took a siesta in my back yard) or it could be the fact that instead of watches they scheduled events by thunderstorm, "See ya at the Pizza Hut at stom number 3 o'clock."  Now I hated the heat, the humidity was torture, the bugs the size of house cats were terrifying but there was one little treasure that I happened upon that I've been addicted to ever since...plantains!

Plantains are one of those things that can be found in just about any market but most people don't know what to do with them.  When they are green/yellow they are starchy like a potato and my favorite way to eat them is twice frying them (tostones) they are a nice change from potato chips next to a sandwich.  The sweet ones are the ones I'm utterly obsessed with.  It took me a while to figure out how to cook them just right but now that I've got it down its one of my go-to quick midnight snack recipes.  It just happens that anything with praline in the name makes my little Texan heart go all a flutter, so it's a win all across the board. 

There are two rules when it comes to sweet plantains.  First, the peel has to be black. Like really black.  A good rule of thumb is to wait till they look like they should be taking a trip to the garbage dump, and then wait two days.  They might be a little bit squishy, that's ok.  The riper the plantain the sweeter it is.

Second rule, most of the time when you fry something you fry hot and quick...throw that rule away for this recipe.  You want to develop the caramelization slowly.  This recipe is for my Praline'd Plantains, if you don't want the extra sugar, skip the sugar step and proceed with the recipe, they are fantastic that way too.  Now on to the recipe, no hatemail please when you develop an addiction. 

Praline'd Plantains

1 very ripe plantain (peel should be entirely black)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Oil for frying

In a small skillet, heat half an inch of oil over medium heat.  Cut both ends off the plantain and use the tip of your knife to cut through the tough peel but taking care not to cut into the flesh too much (it helps to split it in a few places to make peeling easier) and peel and discard the peel.  Cut into one inch bias cut (diagonal, you want the pieces to have more surface area that is flat than round). 

In a small bowl or zippy bag combine the brown sugar and salt. Gently pat the sugar mix onto each piece.  

Carefully put the pieces into the hot oil, taking care not to overcrowd the skillet (I usually have to do two batches for one plantain in my small skillet) and turn down the oil until it's a slow but constant bubbling, think hot tub bubbles.  

When lightly browned, flip them carefully, the tops will continue to cook.  Cooking time is around ten minutes but can vary depending on the oil temp, size and ripeness of the plantains etc.  Do NOT drain on paper towels (I use parchment paper) the sticky sugar will stick to the paper towel and then you will be sad.  So don't be sad, say no to paper towels when plantains are afoot. 

This recipe is more about how it looks than how long it cooks.  Done-ness is also dependent on you, I like mine black around the edges because I like the slightly bitter note you get with the sugar that dark, you may like yours more golden, just be sure they are cooked and soft through the middle. 

Crispy Green Bean Fries

When I'm not living smack dab in the middle of the desert, I love to garden.  Rows and rows of squash, peas, watermelons, cucumbers, herbs, lettuces and greens just the thought of it puts a smile on my face. In Tennessee I even had an apple tree, although the birds usually beat me to the apples once they were ripe. I have such fond memories of gardening by the moonlight since the illness I have makes it next to impossible to be in the sun for more than a few minutes.  If you do have a garden I highly suggest going out and digging around in the earth in the dark with just the moon, fireflies and perhaps a candle lantern to light your way. Even though I live in a place where it's a sign of a green thumb is more than a quarter of your yard is green, I still love making some of the recipes I came up with to use up my harvest, especially if I can get to a market that has fresh, in season vegetables and fruit. 

I love fresh green beans.  In a casserole, raw in a salad, in a curry or pasta dish they are scrumptious but oven roasting them till they are brown, blistered and crunchy is my favorite way to eat them, in fact I'd be happy to have just a plate of roasted green beans for dinner.


Crispy Green Bean Fries

1 pound fresh green beans, stem ends removed
3 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Pepper

*Optional
Red pepper flakes
Parsley
Cajun seasoning
Oregano
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese (add after beans are roasted to avoid burning)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Foil line a baking sheet (easy dinner should equal easy clean up too) and place the beans on the baking sheet.  Drizzle oil over the beans and sprinkle with salt and pepper (and other seasonings if you are using them) and toss around with your hands till evenly coated (your hands  will be happy and moisturized by the olive oil, bonus!) and arrange them in a single layer.  

Place in preheated oven.  Bake for 10 minutes then take the baking sheet out, sprinkle the garlic onto the beans (if we added the garlic at the beginning it would burn) and give them a little stir, making sure to put them back in a single layer.  Return to oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes, depending on how crispy you want them.  Serve warm. If you have leftovers, re-warm them in the oven, the microwave will make them soggy.

A few wee tips...

* You can add just about any veggie to the party and cook them the same way, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, broccoli, etc.  Just take into account how long things may take to cook.  A sweet potato wedge will take much longer than a thin slice of zucchini for example.

* To add even more crunch, after tossing in the olive oil, toss the beans with some panko bread crumbs, keep an eye on them though, burnt panko is a bit of a bummer.

* Try dipping them!  Honey mustard, ranch dressing, ketchup spiked with bourbon and  worcestershire sauce, cocktail sauce, horseradish cream, soy sauce and mirin....the sky's the limit!