Mexican Cocido

Every time our family would go to our favorite local Mexican restaurant, Karen and I always ordered the Cocido.

We love soup.

The bowl was filled with vegetables in a hot, rich beef broth, served with a side of Spanish rice, some chopped cilantro, onions, and a lime wedge.

That's how we have it at home, too.

It's easy to make.

Really!

Mexican Cocido

Ingredients:

3 lbs. beef short ribs or beef shank

4 cloves garlic

2 bay leaves

4 carrots

2 onions

2 celery ribs

1 small head cabbage

6 red potatoes

2 zucchini

2 corn on the cob

Season the broth with 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano and 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme.

salt & pepper to taste

cilantro

jalapeño

limes

onion

Serve with corn tortillas and Spanish rice.

I bought 2 pieces of beef short ribs from the butcher at the local Mexican market, about 3 pounds.

He said that cocido is also made with beef shank.

Trim off some of the visible fat from the short ribs.

Put the meat into a large pot and cover with water by 1 inch and bring to a boil for one minute, then drain.

Clean out the pot, rinse the meat, and again, cover with water and bring to a boil.

That makes it so your broth will be clear.

When the fat renders and comes to the surface, you skim that off, but otherwise, the broth is pretty clear.

Or, you can use a fine sieve or coffee filter to strain the broth.

Add the seasonings--4 cloves garlic, 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon each of ground cumin, dried oregano and 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme.

Salt and pepper, also.

Simmer the meat for about 2 hours until tender.

While the meat is simmering, get the vegetables ready.

Cut them into chunky pieces.

Add all vegetables except the zucchini and cabbage, bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.

Then add the zucchini.

Cut the cabbage with part of the core attached so it will stay together in a wedge, and place them on top of the other vegetables in the pot.

Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for another 10 minutes until the cabbage is tender.

My family says this tastes like a lighter version of cocido than the one at the restaurant, since I skim off the fat.

Use tongs to put a piece of each ingredient into a soup bowl, then ladle the broth over the top.

Squeeze a bit of lime, sprinkle a few finely chopped sweet onions and chopped cilantro on top of the cocido--that makes it extra delicious.

Serve with warm tortillas and Spanish rice.

¡Buen provencho!

***

Yesterday, I had lunch with the girls.

Gail.

And Susan.

 This is us being adventurous and lunching outside our neighborhood.

I've known Gail for a long time.

She went to kindergarten with my husband.

She married her high school sweetheart and he and my husband have been friends since junior high.

Susan is lots of fun.

I haven't known her as long as Gail, but it feels like I've known her forever.

We come from diverse American backgrounds--Chinese, Mexican and Japanese.

 That makes for interesting conversations.

But mostly we talk about our families and home.

Gail just remodeled her bedroom and went on a cleaning spree.

In an already spic and span house.

Gail is so clean that I once saw her sweep dirt.

The ground.

We were camping--but still!

Gail is Mrs. Clean.

Susan loves to eat.

With her high-energy, she burns calories fast, so she needs to eat a lot.

She does, too.

She always orders what I wish I could eat if I didn't have a super-slow metabolism.

Susan loves jigsaw puzzles.

Susan! Have you already finished all the puzzles you got for Christmas?

When you're done, my mother-in-law needs help with her 2000 piecer!

Susan's always great company, I especially appreciate her company in cyberspace.

I enjoy our time together immensely.

Thank you, Gail and Susan, for your time and love.

No printable recipe for cocido yet.

Vegetarian Chili

Yesterday was cold and rainy in Southern California.

A perfect day for Vegetarian Chili.

And some cornbread to go along with it.

Ingredients:

4 cups dry pinto beans

1 1/2 cup each chopped onion, celery & carrots

1 package mushrooms, sliced

1 28 oz. canned tomatoes

2 jalapeno peppers

1 beer

1 cup frozen or canned corn

3 Morningstar Farms Black Bean Burgers

1 tablespoon each: 

chili powder, paprika, pasilla chile powder, dried oregano and sweet basil

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

4 tablespoons masa flour

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons pepper

Start out with 4 cups dry pinto beans or whichever is your favorite.

Quickly sort through them and remove any rocks or damaged beans.

You can use canned beans, but I really like the bite that dried beans have, they're not mushy like the canned ones can be.

But you can't beat the canned ones when you don't have a lot of time!

Cover generously with water and put on the stove to boil.

After the beans boil, turn the heat off and cover for one hour.

Drain beans, cover with water and bring to boil.

Someone once told me that draining the water twice makes the beans less...gassy.

Cover them with water for the last time and when they come to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about an hour until tender.

Chop the celery, carrots and onions.

I also added a whole head of garlic that I roasted in the oven a few days ago. It makes the garlic very mild and smooth.

In the meantime, skim the foam off the beans.

Seed and chop the jalapenos.

My dad says they come from Mexico this time of year and they're mild, but I took the seeds & veins out for my family members that don't like heat.

It's always a good idea to wear kitchen gloves when handling jalapenos. The juice from them can sting your skin if you're sensitive, don't touch your face, especially your eyes.

I like to chop them pretty small.

Slice the mushrooms too.

Saute the vegetables in a little bit of olive oil and add a little salt and pepper. Saute until the vegetables are just starting to gain some color, then add them to a large pot with the tomatoes.

My mom brought these over the other day. My dad grew them last summer. They're so sweet!

 My dad grew this corn, too.

My mom blanches it, cuts it off the cob, freezes it, and shares it.

Thanks, Mom!

Add enough water to cover.

, 

Adding a beer to the broth gives it a nice flavor.

So does adding a couple of bay leaves.

Gather your spices: 1 tablespoon chili powder, paprika, sweet basil and oregano, 1 teaspoon cumin and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper.

Add the spices and let the flavors blend and meld together, simmering for about 15 minutes.

Then taste the mixture.

I like a full-bodied flavor for the broth, so I added 1 tablespoon pasilla chili powder and another beer.

It was a big pot.

If you don't want to mess with all the spices, I like this chili mix.

One thing that makes Carroll Shelby's Chili Kit so good is it contains masa flour.

I keep mine in a zip lock bag in the freezer.

Measure 4 tablespoons into a small bowl.

Add some water to make a slurry. When the mixture comes to a boil, slowly drizzle in the masa flour & water, stirring constantly. It's going to add flavor and thicken the chili.

I also added three Morningstar Farms Black Bean Burgers that I had in the freezer. Have you tried them? They're good.

I think they're a lot better in vegetarian chili than the soy fake meats.

Defrost them in the microwave and give them a rough chop.

I separated the chili into two portions.

One has the black bean burgers and the other has some chile verde I had in the freezer.

One to keep at home and one to give away.

My husband actually preferred the vegetarian one!

Here's a quick cornbread recipe that I've been making for years with occasional variations now and then.

2 cups Bisquick

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup cornmeal

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup melted butter

Mix ingredients together well.

Sometimes I add a can of creamed corn or some grated cheese.

This time I didn't have any Bisquick and used a whole grain pancake mix I bought at Trader Joe's. My husband liked it better than the Bisquick one!

Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray, pour the batter into the pan. 

Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes.

It's a little denser with whole grain mix rather than the Bisquick.

It was good!

It does have a whole stick of butter...

Serve chili garnished with a little sour cream or cheese.

Along with cornbread with a nice, green salad, it makes a warm, satisfying meal.

Bon appetit!

***

Last night we spent a fun evening with Rick's girlfriend, Jessica.

She stopped by after work with a nice card and gift for us for helping her move over the weekend, and stayed for our chili dinner.

Jessica is a lovely young woman and we are delighted to get to know her. She plays soccer, is a cyclist, a painter, loves English dramas, makes jewelry and photo books--she has endless talents.

Thanks, Jessica, for brightening our evening!

No printable recipe for this one yet.