Ingredients

• 6 roma tomatoes
• 2 habañero chiles (optional)
• 1/4 c. vegetable oil
• 500 g meat (beef, chicken, or lamb)
• 4 large onions, sliced
• 6 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1.5 l of water or appropriate stock
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 800 g long grain rice
• 2 carrots, steamed, chopped in large pieces

Preparation

Put tomatoes and chiles (if using) into the blender and blend until smooth.

Brown your meat, which should be already cooked (best seems to be leftover stew meat) in the oil, and set aside.

Add onions to the oil, and fry until soft, then add garlic and fry briefly. Add the tomato mixture, the stock, the tomato paste, and 1 tsp. each of salt and pepper. The seasoning should be strong, since the rice will cook in this. Continue simmering the liquid for around 10 minutes on medium heat. If it’s still under-seasoned, you can add some more of a stock cube.

Rinse the rice and add it to the pot, stir, cover, and cook on low heat for 20 minutes. It shouldn’t be entirely dried out yet. Add the meat and carrots and mix well. Add 1 c. more of water, and continue to cook on low heat until the rice is cooked.

My African Food Map, adapted

Ingredients

• two boxes (or equivalent) of macaroni and cheese mix
• pint box of mushrooms, sliced
• ground beef
• onions, chopped
• grated cheddar cheese
• 1/4 c. sour cream

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350F.

Make the macaroni and cheese according to the package directions.

Sautée the sliced mushrooms, onion, and hamburger together until fully cooked. Stir into the macaroni and cheese, along with some cheddar cheese and the sour cream.

Put into a 13"x9" baking dish, and bake for around 30 minutes or so, until warm through. Add extra grated cheddar on top, and bake until melted.

Ingredients

• one whole chicken
• 2 c. rice
• 3/8 c. (0.9 oz) dried dill
• 8 oz. container sour cream

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350F.

Boil the chicken in salted water, to which you’ve added around 1/4 c. of dried dill. When done, remove the chicken, bone it, shred the meat, and reserve.

Cook the rice in 3 c. of the broth that remains, remembering to stir in all of the dill and chicken bits that sank to the bottom. (Reserve the remaining broth.) Put the rice in a buttered 13"x9" casserole dish. Add the chicken in a single layer.

Take the sour cream and thin it with a bit of the broth. Add the remaining 2 tbsp. of dried dill. Cover the chicken with the sour cream mixture

Bake until the top layer starts to get a few golden-brown spots.

Ingredients

• 5 cuisses de poulet
• 200 gr de haricots verts (surgelés)
• 3 carottes
• 1 poivron rouge
• 1 poivron vert
• 3 piments doux verts
• 2 oignons
• 10 gousses d’ail
• 2 boites de pulpes de tomates (400gr chacune)
• 2 feuilles de laurier
• 1 c. à café bombé de gingembre
• 1 c. à café de piment de cayenne
• 2 bouillons cubes de volaille
• Huile
• Sel et poivre

Pour les plantains:

• 2 bananes plantain
• Huile pour friture

Preparation

Couper les cuisses de poulet en deux. Eplucher et couper en rondelles les carottes. Laver les poivrons et les piments, les épépiner et couper en gros morceaux les 2 poivrons. Les piments, les laisser entier ou coupé en deux.

Eplucher l’ail et l’oignon. Emincer les oignons. Ecraser sous la paume de la main 5 gousses d’ail et couper les autres en deux, les presser à l’aide d’un appareil pour en faire de la pulpe.

Dans une grande marmite mettre un peu d’huile et faire revenir les morceaux de poulet.

Quand ils sont bien dorés sur les deux faces, les retirer de la marmite et les réserver.

Mettre dans la marmite les oignons et les gousses d’ail entières. Faire revenir à feu doux.

Bien mélanger et mettre les boites de pulpes de tomates. Mélanger et laisser mijoter 5 mn.

Ajouter les légumes (haricots verts, carottes, piments et poivrons) et l’ail pressé. Saupoudrer le tout avec le gingembre, le piment de cayenne. Emietter les bouillons cube et bien mélanger. Mettre les feuilles de laurier, saler et poivrer.

Ajouter enfin le poulet et 30 cl d’eau chaude. Bien mélanger, couvrir et laisser mijoter pendant 30 mn en remuant de temps en temps.

Si la sauce est trop épaisse, rajouter un peu d’eau.

Pour les plantains: (ou allez les acheter au marché)

Pendant ce temps, éplucher les bananes plantain et les couper en rondelles.

Faire chauffer un bain de friture et mettre les bananes à frire. Les retirer quand elles sont dorées.

A 5 mn de la fin de la cuisson du poulet, les glisser dans la marmite, mélanger.

Servir bien chaud accompagné de riz nature.

Voozenoo

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter (½ stick)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of chopped onion
• 1/2 cup of chopped green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup of chopped celery
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 cups seafood or chicken stock/broth
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
• 1 pound of crawfish tails
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish
• 1/4 cup sliced green onion, plus extra for garnish
• rice for serving

Preparation

Chop the trinity (onion, green bell pepper and celery); parsley and green onions; then mince garlic and set aside.

Make a roux by melting butter in a large skillet over medium heat and stir in the flour; cook and stir constantly (this is important otherwise your flour might burn) for about 4 minutes or until caramel colored.

Add the onion, bell pepper and celery; cook another 3-4 minutes or until tender, add the garlic and cook another minute.

Slowly stir in the stock or broth until fully incorporated. Add salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning.

Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat to a medium low simmer, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the crawfish tails, cook and stir until crawfish is heated through; stir in the parsley and green onion, reserving a bit for garnish.

Louisiana Travel

Ingredients

• 100 g pasta (like tagliatelle), fresh or dried
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 50 g spinach
• 75 g cream cheese
• zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
• 75 g smoked salmon, sliced
• small handful fresh basil, finely chopped

Preparation

Cook the pasta as per directions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saucepan and cook the garlic until softened. Add the spinach and continue to cook until just wilted. Add the cream cheese, lemon zest and juice, and black pepper.

Drain the pasta, reserving a few tablespoons of the cooking water. Add the salmon, basil, pasta, and reserved pasta water to the sauce. Toss and season.

BBC Good Food

Ingredients

• 3-4 lb. beef roast, cut into large pieces
• 2 c. (or more) barbecue sauce
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 1/2 c. beef broth

Preparation

Season the roast pieces with salt and pepper. Put into the instant pot with the onions. Add the broth and 1/2 c. of barbecue sauce.

Seal Instant Pot and cook for 60 minutes on high pressure. Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then release manually.

Remove meat to a cutting board and shred. Strain the liquid, preserving the onions, and return them to the pot with the beef and the remaining barbecue sauce.

The Typical Mom

Ingredients

For the pozole:

• 4 qt. water
• 2 lb. cubed pork
• 1 lb. pork spare ribs or baby back ribs
• 1 white onion, quartered
• 8 cloves garlic
• salt
• 3 15-oz. cans hominy (or, see below for dry)

For the chile sauce:

• 5 dried guajillo peppers
• 5 dried ancho peppers
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 medium white onion, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 tsp. Mexican oregano
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• salt

Garnishes:

• 1 head lettuce or cabbage, shredded finely
• 1 1/2 c. onion, finely chopped
• ground chile piquin
• 1 1/2 c. radishes, sliced
• Mexican oregano
• Tostadas or tortilla chips
• Lime wedges
• Avocado, diced

Preparation

If you want to use dried hominy (1 to 1 1/2 lb.), rinse it and pick it over, place it in an Instant Pot, cover with water a few inches above the kernels. Add a quarter of an onion, two cloves of garlic, and a few bay leaves. Run the pot on the “beans” setting one or two times, until the hominy is fully tender and starts to pop. Drain it and use it as canned.

Heat water in a large stock pot. Add pork, ribs, onion, and garlic. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 2 1/2 hours, or until meat is tender and falling off the bone. Season with salt when the meat is almost done. While cooking, skim the foam and fat occasionally, adding water if needed.

Remove pork from broth. Trim excess fat, discard bones, onion, and garlic. Shred the meat.

Meanwhile (or in advance, if you want), soak the anchos and guajillos in just enough water to cover, for 25-30 minutes, until soft. Blend the peppers, garlic cloves, onion, and oregano, adding some of the soaking water if needed, until smooth.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pepper sauce and salt to taste, stirring constantly as it cooks. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 25 minutes.

Add the sauce to the broth, straining it if you want. Bring to a boil and add the meat. Simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add the hominy, and adjust seasoning. Simmer until heated through.

Serve with any garnishes desired.

Mexico Kitchen

Ingredients

For the chile sauce:

• 8 oz. red chile pods (e.g., red New Mexico)
• 6 c. water
• 6 tbsp. flour
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp. salt

For the pulled pork:

• 7-8 lb. pork butt or pork shoulder
• 2 1/2 c. water
• 1 tbsp. salt

For the masa:

• 2 lb. lard
• 2 tsp. baking powder, divided
• 2 tbsp. salt, divided
• 5 lb. masa
• 2-3 c. broth (from above)
• 1/2 c. red chile sauce (if making red chile pork tamales)

For the tamales:

• 6 tbsp. flour
• corn husks

Preparation

Make the chile sauce:

Remove stems, seeds, and veins from the chile pods. Place in a colander and rinse well with cool water.

Add the chiles to a large pot and add enough water so they are just covered. Bring water to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes. After 10 minutes turn the chiles over with tongs to make sure the chiles soften evenly. Drain cooked pods and allow time to cool down before blending. Discard water.

Fill blender with 3 cups of water, half of the cooled chile pods, 3 tablespoons flour, 2 cloves garlic, and half of the salt. Blend until smooth. Strain sauce through a fine sieve to remove skins and seeds; discard skins and seeds. Repeat blending and straining process with remaining water, pods, flour, garlic, and salt. If necessary, season with more salt.

Note: You can make a double batch of this sauce and keep some frozen.

Make the pulled pork:

Place pork, water, and salt in a slow cooker and cook for 6 to 8 hours. Remove, cool, and shred. As you shred, set aside the fat that you remove, if any.

Combine the cooled broth from the pork and the leftover fat in a blender, and blend. Reserve for use when making the tamale masa and filling.

Note: This will also keep, covered, for 1 week in the fridge, or freeze.

Place 1 lb. lard in a large mixer and mix until fluffy, scraping the sides regularly. Add half the baking powder and half the salt, and mix.

Add half the masa, and mix. Slowly add half the broth and half the chile sauce (if using), and mix. At this point, the mixture should be the consistency of smooth peanut butter. If not, add some more broth. Test the masa by taking 1/2 tsp. and dropping it into a cup of warm water. If it floats, it’s ready. If it sinks, add a little more lard, beat for a minute, and test it again.

Repeat those steps for the other half of the ingredients. Cover the masa and set aside.

Make the filling:

Heat 6 tbsp. of the broth in a large skillet. Add flour and cook for at least 4 to 5 minutes. Add one batch of the red chile sauce (around 6 1/2 c.) and cook for 10 minutes. Add the pork and stir. Simmer for at least 10 minutes. Let cool before making tamales.

Make the tamales:

Soak the corn husks in water for an hour before using, and rinse well. Keep them in water while you work on the tamales.

Place the wide end of the husk in the palm of your hand, narrow end at the top. Starting at the middle of the husk, spread 2 tbsp. of masa with the back of a spoon in a rectangle or oval shape, using a downward motion toward the bottom edge. Do not spread to the ends; leave about a 2" border on the left and right sides.

Spoon 1 1/2 tbsp. of your filling down the center of the masa. Fold both sides to the center. Finish off by bringing the pointed end of the husk down toward the filled end. Make sure that closure is snug. Secure by tying a thin strip of corn husk around the tamal.

Use a deep pot or tamale steamer to steam tamales. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and steam for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. To test if done, try taking off a corn husk; if they come off without sticking, the tamales are done.

Muy Bueno

Ingredients

• 2 poblano chiles
• 5 guajillo chiles, seeded, stemmed and halved lengthwise
• 5 pounds bone-in beef shoulder, cut into large pieces, or goat or lamb stew cuts on the bone
• 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
• ¼ cup neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed
• 1 medium white onion, finely chopped
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
• 2 teaspoons toasted white sesame seeds
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 cloves
• Fresh black pepper
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 fresh or dried bay leaves
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 limes, quartered
• Corn tortillas, warmed

Preparation

Heat the oven to 325 degrees.

Prepare the chiles: Use tongs to place the poblano chiles directly over the open flame of a gas burner set to high. Cook the poblanos until totally charred all over, turning as needed, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap so the poblanos can steam. After 10 minutes, use your fingers to pull the blackened skins away from the poblanos, then remove the stems and seeds. Roughly chop the poblanos and set aside.

While the poblano chiles steam, place a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches to cook the guajillo chiles evenly in one layer, flatten the chile halves on the hot skillet and toast them for about 15 seconds, turning once. Put the chiles in a bowl and add 2 cups hot water to help soften them. Set aside.

Prepare the meat: Season the meat all over with the salt. Heat the oil in a large, oven-proof pot over medium-high. Working in batches, sear the meat on all sides until well browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side, transferring the browned meat to a large bowl as you work.

After you’ve seared all the meat, add the onion to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Return all the meat to the pot.

Meanwhile, add the tomatoes, vinegar, garlic, ginger, oregano, sesame seeds, cumin, cloves and a few grinds of black pepper to a blender, along with the chopped poblanos, toasted guajillos and the chile soaking liquid. Purée until smooth, scraping down the edges of the blender as needed.

Pour the blended mixture into the pot with the meat. Add the cinnamon stick and bay leaves, along with about 4 to 6 cups of water, enough to amply cover the meat.

Cover and cook in the oven until the meat is fork-tender, about 2 hours.

Divide among bowls and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing on top, and a side of warm tortillas.

NYT