Harissa-Spiced Beef & Orzo Soup ala ~CHB~ & Harissa Paste ala ~DKBB~

Harissa-Spiced Beef and Orzo Soup ala ~CHB~

(original recipe from Milk Street)

 

Start to finish: 1¼ hours
Servings: 4-6
 
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. boneless beef (stew meat works great), cut into ½-inch cubes
Kosher salt and fresh-ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. harissa paste*
½ to 1 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. cumin
¼ tsp. cinnamon
6 oz. can tomato paste
15½ oz. can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
7 cups water
1 cup orzo pasta
14½ oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (do not drain)
1 cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped OR ½ cup dried parsley
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. dried mint
Any kind of dried, small hot chilis (to taste)

• In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering; add the beef in an even layer and season with salt and pepper; cook without stirring until browned on the bottom, about 4 minutes; continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the beef of browned all over, about 4-6 minutes.
• Add the harissa paste* and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds; add the tomato paste and cook, stirring until the paste begins to brown and stick to the pot, 2-3 minutes; stir in garbanzo beans, can of diced tomatoes, and 7 cups water; bring all to a simmer, uncovered, over medium-high heat; reduce to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes.
• Stir in the orzo and cook uncovered, stirring often to prevent sticking, until beef is tender and orzo is plump and fully tender (not al dente), 25 to 30 minutes.
• Off heat, stir in parsley, lemon juice, mint, and dried peppers; place back on low-medium heat the simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes to allow dried chili peppers to reconstitute a bit.
• Enjoy soup with fresh baked bread or naan.

*Harissa paste can be purchased from some grocery stores, or you can use the following recipe to create your own:

Harissa Paste ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from Minimalist Baker)

 
10 dried New Mexico chilis (or other large dried chilis with mild to medium heat)
7 dried chilis de arbol and/or pequin peppers (can use < or > 7 to achieve desired heat)
1 heaping Tbsp. cumin seeds (or if subbing ground cumin use 1 level Tbsp. and skip the toasting step)
2 tsp. coriander seeds (or if subbing ground use a little less and skip the toasting step)
1 tsp. caraway seeds
4 cloves garlic, minced
1½ tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. fine sea salt
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
¼ cup olive oil

• Add dried chilis to a mixing bowl and cover with hot water; once submerged, cover and steam for 20 minutes to rehydrate; set aside.
• In the meantime, add cumin and coriander seeds (IF using seeds) to small skillet and roast over medium heat for a few minutes, or until fragrant and starting to pop; transfer to mortar and pestle and crush into fine powder.
• Next add caraway seeds, minced garlic, smoked paprika, salt and mix; add lemon juice and vinegar and mix until you achieve a paste texture; transfer this mixture to food processor and add tomato paste; set aside.
• Once chilis are rehydrated, drain and remove the stems and seeds (might want to wear food grade gloves for that part), then add them to the food processor. At this point, all ingredients (except olive oil) should be in food processor.
• Blend for 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed, until a smooth paste is achieved; stream in olive oil while blending to create a saucier consistency, adding oil (or water) as needed until desired consistency is achieved.
• Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more lemon or vinegar for acidity, paprika for smokiness, tomato paste for depth of flavor, or salt to taste; if it’s not spicy enough, you can add cayenne pepper to taste.
• Scoop paste into container to store in the refrigerator or up to 1 month. If you want to freeze this, it can be done for up to 2 months by freezing it in an ice cube tray, then storing those harissa paste ice cubes in a freezer-safe container; add frozen cubes directly to warm foods (like soups or sauces); if adding to cold foods (like dressings or dips), allow to thaw first.

Green Chile Cream Sauce ala ~DKBB~

Green Chile Cream Sauce ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from www.thekittchen.com)  

3 to 4 poblano or pasilla or hot hatch chili peppers (or a combination thereof)
1 Tbsp. butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ small onion, chopped
¼ c. chicken broth
1 c. heavy cream
½ tsp. cumin
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. white pepper
½ to ¾ c. sour cream

• Start by roasting the peppers: Put them directly over the flame of a gas burner, rotating until all the skin is charred, then place them in a covered bowl for 15 minutes, letting the peppers sweat off the charred skin a bit; after 15 minutes, peel off the skin and loosely chop the peppers, discarding the seeds (unless you want hotter sauce).
• Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and add the onion and garlic, cooking until they are translucent; add the chicken broth and cream and bring to a boil; then add the chopped peppers and let boil and reduce for 6 minutes.
• Poor the pepper mixture into a blender and liquify; season with the cumin, salt, and white pepper and ½ cup sour cream; blend all to combine; add more sour cream and/or salt to taste and blend.

Serving suggestions:

• Use as enchilada sauce (esp. with chicken enchiladas).
• Use on chimichangas.
• Use with tacos or fajitas.
• Use with Mexican Eggs Benedict (recipe on this blog).

Mexican Shepherd's Pie ala ~DKBB~

Mexican Shepherd’s Pie ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe, based on a dish from Blue Corn Café in Santa Fe, NM)

1 lb. ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

½ green pepper, chopped

1 small jalapeño, diced

Salt and pepper to taste

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 cans fiesta or mexi corn, drained

1 can diced Hatch green chilies

½ to 1 tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. cumin

½ to 1 tsp. Mexican oregano

½ to 1 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese

Mashed potatoes (enough to generously cover the top of the casserole)

• Preheat oven to 375° F.
• Peel and boil potatoes (4 to 6 medium-sized); when cook thoroughly, drain and mash with a little milk and butter; set aside.
• Brown ground beef with onion, green pepper, and jalapeño; drain excess grease; add salt and pepper to taste; add in black beans, corn, green chilies, and spices; mix well and warm all through.
• In a 9x13 (3 qt.) glass baking pan, place the meat/vegetable mixture, top that with the cheese, then spread a good layer of mashed potatoes over all.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes (until potatoes are getting brown on the top).
• Serve with salsa of choice (green is best, however).