Posts Tagged ‘margarita’

22 Aug

Tonight I made Martha’s red and black bean pie, which is a delicious bean mixture over polenta and topped with Daiya pepper jack.

Red & Black Bean Pie

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced (I used a leek, because scallions weren’t available at the farm stand).
4 garlic cloves, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, in juice (I pureed mine)
1 package (16 ounces) plain prepared polenta, patted dry
1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish (optional)
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco
1 1/2 cups coarsely shredded Daiya pepper Jack cheese (6 ounces) (I probably only used 1 cup)
Salsa (optional – didn’t use)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium; add white part of scallions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until softened, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes with juice, and 1/2 cup water. As you bring to a boil, mash about 1/4 of the beans with the back of a spoon against side of pan to release starch. Reduce to a simmer; cook until mixture has thickened, 10 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, brush eight 10- to 12-ounce ramekins or custard cups with remaining oil. Slice polenta crosswise into 8 rounds; place 1 round in each ramekin. Or if your ramekins are too small/you don’t have ramekins, place polenta in a square baking pan.
Remove bean mixture from heat. Stir in green part of scallions, cilantro, and hot sauce; season with salt and pepper. Spoon bean mixture into ramekins (or pan); top each with Daiya. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. If desired, garnish with cilantro, and serve with salsa.

I also made Watermelon margaritas, which were incredible! The farm stand was selling seedless watermelon, so I couldn’t pass that up.

In a small saucepan, bring sugar, water, and orange
zest to a boil over high. Reduce to a simmer and cook until sugar dissolves, 3 minutes. Let syrup cool
in a bowl. In a blender, puree watermelon cubes until
smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on solids, into a pitcher (you should have about 1 cup juice). Stir in syrup, lime juice, and tequila. Fill salt-rimmed glasses with ice, then pour margarita mixture over top. Garnish with lime wedges.