At Marie's Table

Black Bean Soup

2011-10-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

What is the black bean?

The history of black beans is ancient. They were first domesticated over 7,000 years ago in the region of South America now known as Peru. Since the beans grew readily in warm weather and preserved well, they quickly became an integral part of the South American diet. Other varieties of beans also entered cultivation during this period, with different people selecting for different bean traits. The ubiquitous food entered Europe when early explorers brought beans back with them in the 1500s.
Black, or turtle, beans are small roughly ovoid legumes with glossy black shells. The scientific name for black beans is Phaselous vulgaris, an epithet shared with many other popular bean varieties such as pinto beans, white beans, and kidney beans. Black beans are associated with Latin American cuisine in particular, although they can complement foods from many places. They are available in most grocery stores in dried and canned forms.
Like other legumes, beans pack a serious nutritional punch. They are very high in fiber, folate, protein, antioxidants, and vitamin B, along with numerous other vitamins and minerals. When combined with whole grains such as brown rice, black beans make a complete protein, which is one of the reasons they are commonly included in a vegetarian diet. Since the beans are cheap to produce, they are an important part of a balance diet for people of low income around the world.

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil or Olive Oil
1 Large Sweet Onion, chopped
2 Celery, chopped
2-3 Chipotle Pepper, chopped
6-10 cloves Garlic, minced ( depends on size)
3 (15 ounce) cans Black Beans
1 Can Corn - drained
3 Cups Beef Broth
1 Cup Orange Juice
1 lb. Lean ground Beef, Chicken or Turkey
1/ Tablespoon Cumin
1/2 Tteaspoon Kosher Salt
ground Black Pepper to taste
1/2 Teaspoon Sweet or Smoke Paprika

1/2 Teaspoon Oregano Leaves
2 Bay Leaves( Fresh or Dry)
pinch Cayenne Pepper
1.2 Teaspoon Parsley Flakes
4 Large Tomatoes, skin remove and Chopped
1/2 Cup fresh Cilantro, chopped or torn
Directions
1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add meat and brown then stir in onion, celery, and garlic, and cook 5 minutes, until tender. Mix in black beans, corn and chicken or beef broth and orange juice.
2. Add in tomatoes, salt, black pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, oregano, parlsley flakes,.cumin, cilantro, bay leaves, and chipotle pepper (with or without seeds) Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low for 1 hour.. Garnish with cheddar cheese and sour cream serve over rice.
Tomotes- removing the skin ( bring a pot of water to a boil, place into the hot water for 2- 4 second. Let cool to the touch and peel skin away)
This soup is even better the next day! Visit our web site www.richmondvacaterer.com
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Beef Brisket Roast with Potatoes and Carrots

2011-10-07T09:51:00.000-07:00

History of the Beef Roast

Yankee pot roast is a natural evolution of colonial-era New England Boiled Dinner, a meal generally composed of the same ingredients. The difference? Cooking technique (boiling/stewing vs. roasting in a pot) and type of meat (corned beef vs. fresh rump or round). The hallmarks of classic New England (aka Yankee) cuisine are frugality, sensibility, and simplicity. As such, Yankee pot roast fits the bill perfectly.
Most 17th and 18th century British and American cook books contained recipes for roast meats, including beef. Classic recipes instruct the cook to dredge the meat in flour and spices, and ancient practice for tenderizing. It was not until the 19th century we find recipes for pot roast, as we know it today. This is presumbaly due to advancements in cooking technology. The difference between pot roast and Yankee pot roast is the latter recipe adds vegetables half-way through. The vegetables are similar to those in New England Boiled Dinner: potatoes, turnips, carrots, beans, onions, corn. They are steamed in a combination of natural juices exuded from the cooking meat and other liquid additions (water, cider, wine, etc.). Delicious! And very efficient. One pot to clean!
"Pot roast. A meat that is browned and cooked with vegetables and gravy in a deep pot or saucepan, usually covered. The term dates in print to 1881. Pot roast was once an appetizing way to cook beef from beasts that have been working animals rather than food animals or other inferior cuts of meat. Today, the availability of good beef makes pot roast a delicious hearty dish, though lesser cuts of meat are still used for the cooking. Beef brisket, bottom and top round, and chuck are the usual choices."
The Perfect Beef Roast

Ingredients

3 1/2 lb of Beef Brisket, Beef Shoulder or boneless Chuck Roast (look for a piece that is well marbled with fat for best results)
2 Tablespoon olive or grapeseed oil
Kosher Salt, Black Pepper to taste
1 large Onion, chopped or sliced
4 cloves of Garlic, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup of Red Wine * Use wine that you would drink
3 Carrots, peeled and cut lengthwise
4-5 Meduim Red Skin Potatoes - Cut into bite size
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 Large fresh or dry Bay Leaf
2 Cups Beef Broth
2 Celery cut lengthwise
1/2 Teaspoon Thyme fresh or dry
4 Tablespoons Butter

4 Tablespoons Flour
1 Use a thick-bottomed covered pot (oven-proof if you intend to cook in oven), such as a dutch oven, just large enough to hold roast and vegetables. Heat 2 Tbsp of oil on medium high heat (hot enough to sear the meat). Sprinkle and rub salt, pepper all over the meat. Brown roast in pot, all over, several minutes on each side. Don't move the roast while a side is browning, or it won't brown well.
2 When roast is browned, lift up the meat and add garlic and chopped onion to the bottom of the pan. Let the roast sit on top of the onions. Add 1/2 cup of red wine, beef broth, worcestershire sauce, bay leaf and thyme. Cover. Bring to simmer and then adjust the heat down to the lowest heat possible to maintain a low simmer when covered (we cook our roast on the warm setting of our electric range)*. Alternatively, you can cook the pot roast in a 175°F-200°F oven, once you have browned it on the stovetop, and brought the liquid to a simmer (make sure to use an oven proof pan).
3 Cook for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, until meat is tender. (If you are using a pressure cooker, cut the time by half). Near the end of the cooking, add carrots and potatoes, cook until tender, about an additional 10 - 15 minutes. What to do with the pan dripping? Make gravy!
After removing the roast from the pot let it rest before cutting for about 10 - 15 minutes. Using a meduim sauce pan on medium heat. Add 4 tablespoons butter after it is melted stir in 4 tablespoons of flour cooking for 1 minute.take the pan dripping adding to the flour and butter mixture, if you do not have enough you can add 2 cups of beef broth and stir with an whish and cook until it become thick. Add salt and pepper to tast.
*If you don't want to leave your office for lunch give The Bag Lady a call or email us for our menu selections. We do delivery great tasting and home made meals from our kitchen to your office.
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Chicken, Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna

2011-09-28T10:33:00.000-07:00

History of Pasta

Nothing says

Italy

like its food, and nothing says Italian food like pasta. Wherever Italians have immigrated they have brought their pasta and so today it is basically an international staple. We were taught that the Venetian merchant Marco Polo brought back pasta from his journeys in

China

. Another version states that Polo discovery was actually a rediscovery of a food that was once popular in Italy during the Etruscan and Roman times. There is some evidence of an Etrusco-Roman noodle made from the same durum wheat as modern pasta called "lagane" (origin of the modern word for lasagna). However this food, first mentioned in the 1st century AD was not boiled like pasta, it was cooked in an oven. Therefore ancient lagane had some similarities, but cannot be considered pasta. The next culinary leap in the history of pasta would take place a few centuries later.
Like so much of southern Italian life, the Arab invasion in the 8th century heavily influenced the regional cuisine and is the most accepted theory for the introduction of pasta. The dried noodle-like product they introduced to Sicily is most likely the origins of dried pasta and was being produced in great quantities in Palermo at this time. The modern word "macaroni" derives from the Sicilian term for making dough forcefully, as early pasta making was often a laborious daylong process. How it was served is not truly known but many Sicilian pasta recipes still include other Arab gastronomic introductions such as raisins and spices like cinnamon. This early pasta was an ideal staple for Sicily and it easily spread to the mainland since durum wheat thrives in Italy's climate. Italy is still a major producer of this hard wheat, used to make the all-important semolina flour.
By the 1300's dried pasta was very popular for its nutrition and long shelf life, making it ideal for long ship voyages. Pasta made it around the globe during the voyages of discovery a century later. By that time different shapes of pasta have appeared and new technology made pasta easier to make. With these innovations pasta truly became a part of Italian life. However the next big advancement in the history of pasta would not come until the 19th century when pasta met tomatoes.

Ingredients

Lasagna Sheets (home made or store) – Pre cook

8 Skin on –Bone in Chicken Breast – roasted and diced

2-3 pound fresh Spinach- steamed and drained of all liquid

4- 6 Tablespoon Flour

1 pound Mushroom- Slice

1 Red Bell Pepper - Slice

1 Cup Ricotta Cheese

3 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Punch Nutmeg

5 Cups Whole Milk- you can use 2% Milk- not Skim Milk

4- 6 Tablespoon Butter - unsalted

1-1/2 Cups Grated Parmesan Cheese

¼ Teaspoon Kosher Salt

¼ Teaspoon Black Pepper

¼ Teaspoon Dried Oregano

Preparation:

Basic White Sauce / Béchamel Sauce

1. In a large, heavy saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over low heat.

2. Blend 4 tablespoons of flour into the melted butter.

3. Add 1/4 teaspoons of salt and pepper.

4. Cook over low heat, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes. Cooking for this length of time will minimize 'flour' taste.

5. Slowly add 4 cup of milk, stirring constantly. With wooden spoon.

6. Continue cooking slowly until smooth and thickened.

Basic Pasta- serving 6- 8

Ingredients

2 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour or Italian Flour
1/4 cup water
In a medium sized bowl, combine flour and salt. Make a well in the flour, make a well then add the slightly beaten egg, and from in side to out of the well mix. Mixture should form stiff dough. If needed, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons water.
On a lightly floured surface, knead dough for about 3 to 4 minutes. With a pasta machine or by hand roll dough out to desired thinness. Use machine or knife to cut into strips of desired width.

Wrap in plastic let stand for 5 minutes, use a pasta machine to make your desire pasta.
Lasagna: First you will need to oil baking dish 10 x 13; Pre cook lasagna noodles in salted boiling water for about 2 minutes now more, remove from water brush with olive oil and set aside. Salt, pepper, oregano and bake chicken breast until done, let cool and dice set aside. Clean, slice mushroom and thinly slice red bell pepper set aside. Drain spinach and set aside. Place at the bottom of the baking dish the white sauce; add lasagna, pepper, chicken, mushrooms, spinach, ricotta, and parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Repeat last should be all cheese- bake for 30 -45 minutes; Pre heated oven to 350
The Bag Lady Lunch and Dinner Delivery: Wednesday- Saturday
Menu- Gourmet Grilled Cheese, Pasta, Seafood, Soul Food, Latino and Dessert
Give us a call or email: 804-422-6313 or sweetsbymj@aol.com for more information

2011-09-20T15:41:00.000-07:00

Who invented BBQ Sauce?

In the

United States

, especially the South, barbecue (also spelled barbeque or abbreviated BBQ) refers to a technique of cooking that involves cooking meat for long periods of time at low temperatures over a wood fire; often this is called pit barbecue, and the facility for cooking it is the barbecue pit. This form of cooking adds a distinctive smoky taste to the meat; barbeque sauce, while a common accompaniment, is not required for many styles.
Barbecue traditions originate from the South, where the culture is strongest, but have spread throughout the country. Often the proprietors of southern style barbecue establishments in other areas originate from the south. In the south, barbecue is more than just a style of cooking, but a subculture with wide variation between regions, and fierce rivalry for titles at barbecue competitions
The origins of American barbecue date back to colonial times, with the first recorded mention in 1610, and George Washington mentions attending a "barbecue" in Alexandria, VA in 1769. As the country expanded westwards along the Gulf of Mexico and north along the Mississippi River, barbecue went with it.
The core region for barbecue is the southeastern region of the United States, an area bordered on the west by Texas and Oklahoma, on the north by Missouri, Kentucky, and Virginia, on the south by the Gulf of Mexico, and on the east by the Atlantic Ocean.

BBQ Ribs

Ingredients

2 pounds Pork or Beef Ribs

½ cup Dry Rub

3 Cups BBQ Sauce (store or home made)

BBQ Sauce Recipe

3 Cups Tomato Ketchup

½ Cup Worcestershire Sauce

½ Cup Honey

¼ Teaspoon Black Pepper

½ Teaspoon Dry Mustard

½ Teaspoon Mustard

½ Teaspoon Garlic Powder

¼ Teaspoon Onion Powder

½ Cup Brown Sugar

½ Teaspoon Sweet Paprika

3 Tablespoon Distilled White Vinegar

2 Tablespoon Dark

Jamaica

Rum

Preparation:

Remove all extra fat from ribs; rub both side with dry rub. Let stand for 30 minutes.

Next pre- heat the oven to 300; Now to making the BBQ sauce- You will need a medium sauce pan, heat stove top on medium. Add all ingredients into pan, one at a time and stir. After 5 minutes of cooking add the rum. Let the BBQ simmer on low for 30 minutes; don’t forget to stir and place a lid on the sauce pan too! After the ribs have been cooking for 30 minutes spoon the sauce over and place back into the oven. Keep repeating until the juices flow clear and tender. Time vary per cut of ribs - cooking time from( 4-6 hours) .

*Note the BBQ sauce can be a little spicy- to cut add 1/2 cup more of honey

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

2011-09-12T14:42:00.000-07:00

Where did fried chicken began?
Fried chicken is famous for its roots in the rural American South. There is a dual origin. The Scots, and later Scottish immigrants to many southern states had a tradition of deep frying chicken in fat, unlike their English counterparts who baked or boiled chicken. Later, as African slaves were introduced to households as cooks, seasonings and spices were added that are absent in traditional Scottish cuisine, improving the flavor. Since slaves were often only allowed to keep chickens, frying chicken as a special occasion spread through the African-American community. After slavery, poor rural southern blacks continued the tradition since chickens were often the only animals they could afford to raise. Since fried chicken could keep for several days, it travelled well, and also gained favor during segregation when blacks normally could not find places to eat and had to carry their own food.

Recipe Follows:

8 cut piece frying chicken

3 cup flour

1/2 cup corn starch

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon oregano leave

1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes

3 cup buttermilk

1 paper bag

cooking oil

Flour mixture: Add all ingredient in the paper bag shake, not chicken. Wash and clean all chicken parts, then place into buttermilk(add salt and pepper stir) for 30 mins. Remove from buttermilk . Place chicken into paper bag then shake, add chicken back into buttermilk then back into flour. Let rest on wire rack and sheet pan for 5 -10 mins. Heat cooking oil in deep pot or cast iron frying pan,

Heating oil should read 375

Cook chicken in oil 5 -10 mins until golden brown, after removing chicken from oil - add punch salt...

At Marie's Table

Black Bean Soup

Ingredients

Directions

Beef Brisket Roast with Potatoes and Carrots

Ingredients

Chicken, Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna

Ingredients

Buttermilk Fried Chicken