sel et sucre

Author: Claire

  • Spicy, Citrusy Black Beans

    spicy citrusy black beans

    On my first trip to the supermarket in my new neighborhood here in Buenos Aires, I was surprised to see hardly any canned beans – and the small cans that were there (I’m used to stocking up on large 32-ounce cans) were quite expensive. So I decided to make this into an opportunity to try my hand at cooking dried beans. I bought some dried black beans, looked up a promising recipe, and was amazed at how easy it was to cook these up. Admittedly, they took quite a long time to cook (though I suspect they had been sitting in the supermarket bulk bins for some time), so I still have to perfect the process (I may try soaking them for two days next time), but the flavors here are amazing. Enough spice for quite a kick, and the tartness of orange juice, lime juice, and red wine vinegar help round out the flavors. I would have really liked to use chipotle peppers in adobo here, so if you have some, definitely toss one in, and I hadn’t yet found a place with cilantro (luckily, I’ve been able to get my hands on some since cooking this), so there’s no pleasant sprinkle of fresh chopped cilantro on top. But even without those ingredients (as I’ve written the recipe here), these beans were delicious topped with salsa and sour cream and served alongside fried eggs for breakfast. Even plain, they’re fantastic.

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  • Roasted Tomatoes and Green Beans with Basil

    roasted tomatoes and green beans with basil

    Every once in a while, I cook something delicious but don’t get around to posting about it. As I was going through some photos from late summer, I stumbled across the photos of this simple but tasty side and knew it was worth putting up on here. My kitchen was overflowing with cherry tomatoes and basil from my garden, and green beans were dirt cheap at the farmers’ market, so I put this together when I was feeling a bit lazy. But the end result was amazing – roasting the veggies concentrates their natural sweetness, and combined with herbaceous basil leaves, this makes for a great side dish (and I know I don’t post enough recipes for sides on here). I seem to remember that I actually mixed the end result with crumbled goat cheese which added a great creamy and tangy element, but even in its healthier vegan version, as written here, this is a dish worth making (or at least bookmarking for next summer).

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  • Beef, Olive, and Egg Empanadas

    beef olive and egg empanadas

    It’s been really fun posting empanada recipes all week, but all good things must come to an end. So here is my last recipe, and the only one I’ve posted that isn’t vegetarian – I had to include at least one with meat to do proper justice to this Argentine specialty. The combination here of ground beef, green olives, and hard-boiled eggs is a classic Argentine one that you’ll find almost anywhere that sells empanadas. These traditional flavors complement each other quite well, and the mixture of spices in the beef along with some sliced green onions take these over the top. Yet another filling that I could (okay, and did) eat plain, but, of course, it’s even better when baked inside the flaky empanada dough.

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  • Corn and Roasted Pepper Empanadas

    corn and roasted pepper empanadas

    In continuing with this week’s theme of empanadas, here’s yet another tasty filling. There are a lot of steps here, from roasting peppers to grating and cooking down corn, but although they aren’t so easy to make, the sweetness of the corn and roasted peppers makes the resulting empanadas incredibly easy to eat. I’d never grated fresh corn before, but I can see myself using this technique in the future for other corn fillings or dips or even just a savory (or sweet!) corn puree.

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  • Mushroom, Shallot, and Fontina Empanadas

    mushroom shallot and fontina empanadas

    As I go through the different empanada fillings I prepared, I think I may have to declare this one my personal favorite. While they all turned out quite well, I’m always a fan of anything with mushrooms. On top of that, the savory-sweet flavor here from the inclusion of raisins and balsamic vinegar is right up my alley. And it’s really quite an easy preparation, too, for quite a complex resulting flavor. If you’re planning on making smaller empanadas, you may want to dice the mushrooms and shallots instead of slicing them to make it easier to get exactly the right-sized scoop of filling.

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  • Spinach and Three Cheese Empanadas

    spinach and three cheese empanadas

    Everyone talks about how popular carne (meat) is over here in Argentina, but no one prepared me for how much the Argentines love their queso (cheese). While the variety isn’t quite the same as back home, there are still plenty of cheeses in the supermarket, and ham and cheese sandwiches are everywhere. And it seems like any empanada that doesn’t have meat in it has cheese instead. These spinach and three cheese empanadas are heavy on the cheese, but maybe the spinach in there can help you feel a little healthier about making these. But the taste should really be justification enough. You may have leftover filling – and that’s perfectly okay because it also makes a delicious dip. I’ve only been here a short while, but, as a longtime cheese lover, I think I’m going to like it here.

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  • Empanada Dough

    empanada dough

    Today, I’m going to start this post with an apology. Anyone who follows this blog knows that I’ve been very good from the beginning about posting every single Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. In fact, up until last week, I had not yet missed a post (in over a year). So, I’m sorry for letting Sel et Sucre go dark last Wednesday and Friday. As I’d mentioned previously, I moved to Buenos Aires this past Wednesday, and despite my (in retrospect, delusional) hopes of keeping up my posting, I was far too overwhelmed to do so. This week, I’ll be doing something extra special to make up for it though – posting every weekday!

    Before leaving, in honor of the trip, I cooked up four different varieties of empanadas, stuffed pastries (typically savory) that are very popular in Argentina, eaten as an appetizer or full meal. I’ll be posting all week about these empanadas, starting with today’s recipe for the dough. Similar to a pie dough, it’s quite easy to throw together, with the most important thing being not to overwork it. The flaky result is the perfect base for all sorts of different fillings. I actually ended up making three times this dough recipe for a total of 96 mini empanadas. I think I would have preferred larger empanadas though, so that each would have more filling (which would also mean less work filling and closing the empanadas). Whether you make small (appetizer-sized) or large (entree-sized) empanadas, this dough recipe is worth trying out, for not much more effort than heading to the store and buying frozen dough, but a lot more flavor!

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  • Mushroom Apple Gouda Hash

    mushroom apple gouda hash

    Apples are starting to crop up at the farmers markets and grocery stores now that we’re transitioning into fall, in gorgeous shades of mottled reds, yellows, and greens. Since I’ll be missing out on fall (as it is currently spring in Buenos Aires and my move is fast approaching), I wanted to take advantage of these apples while I still can. This great simple hash recipe contrasts crisp diced apples (I used tart apples but sweet ones should also work, if that’s your preference) with sauteed cabbage and mushrooms while gouda cheese also plays an important role, adding richness to the dish. The mix of textures feels perfect for the transitional nature of the season. This hash can be served as a side, as a main dish, or inside a sandwich or wrap.

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  • The Perfect Brownies

    the perfect brownies

    Okay, okay, these brownies might not be perfect for everyone. But I’ve been searching for a basic brownie recipe to be my go-to, and this is the one. If, like me, you want your brownies to be rich, dense, super chocolate-y, and so fudgy that they’re best stored in the refrigerator, then these are the brownies for you. Of course, you can easily tweak the recipe to your liking. Because there’s only a little bit of flour in these, I think it could be swapped for cocoa powder for a gluten-free dessert with even more intense chocolate flavor. These brownies would also do well with mix-ins, and although I know this is sacrilegious to many brownie lovers, I think nuts would actually provide a great contrast to the richness of the brownies. Personally, I put my twist on the recipe by adding a sprinkle of fleur de sel on top – I find it adds extra depth to the chocolate.

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  • Anchovy Chimichurri

    anchovy chimichurri

    Today, I have an exciting announcement. I’m moving to Buenos Aires, Argentina! While I’m certainly going to be sad to leave my hometown of DC, it was time for a little change of scenery. Last week was my last one at my full-time job (yes, I do more than just write this blog), and a week from now, I’ll be on a plane heading to South America. I’m looking forward to new culinary experiences (in between learning Spanish and taking online classes towards my masters) and have big plans for improving and expanding this very blog, so the next year or so should be an exciting time!

    In honor of the occasion, here’s a recipe for the classic Argentinean sauce, chimichurri. A pureed combination of herbs and spices, chimichurri is usually used to top grilled meats in traditional Argentinean asado (barbecue). But, although I’ve shown it over a pan seared rib eye here (made with this Alton Brown recipe, by the by), it’s also well-matched to roasted or grilled vegetables or as a spread on sandwiches. Of course, in my usual way, I couldn’t just make a typical chimichurri recipe. So this one has a twist – the inclusion of anchovies. The flavor isn’t overtly fishy, but the anchovies provide extra umami for an intensely savory and rich version of this sauce. Of course, any anchovy haters (probably the group I’m least likely to convert on here) can feel free to simply omit the anchovies.

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