Mexican Black Bean Soup- In Memory of Sher

Sher's black bean soup recipe.

Sher and I never met. We were what people refer to as blogging acquaintances. We exchanged occasional comments on one another's blogs and admired each other's penchant for rustic Mexican recipes. Real food, with big flavor. Last Sunday lovely Sher passed away suddenly- from a heart attack. She was 59. Today food bloggers are joining in memory of Sher- and her enthusiastic love of good food- by posting one of her recipes. I suspect this would please her no end; as her blog title suggests, the first question asked by her family on any occasion is...

What did you eat?

Today we are collectively offering, One of your recipes, Sher!

READ MORE and get the recipe ...

Tostada Nueva- an easy gluten-free lunch

 The tostada- made fresh + light

The recent summer weather has nudged me out of my primavera surliness and ignited my desire to paint again. I suddenly feel energized. Focused. Turned on. I've been toning wood and masonite panels left, right and upside down, laying on thick and juicy strokes of pigmented Gesso in rose, peach and ocher- warmth as a foil to my preferred palette for cool brushy skies and sea blue abstractions.

This is a welcome turn. As many of you know, it's been a somewhat weird and challenging seven months. It feels good to be back in my tiny studio again, blasting music and standing upright, paint brush in hand.

And what have I been eating this hot and breezy week, you ask?

Have I got a quick and easy solution for those sultry summer nights when it's simply too darn hot to turn on the oven. I'm calling the recipe Tostada Nueva. This is not your typical fried corn tortilla topped with shredded iceberg lettuce, red tomatoes and greasy ground beef. No Mam.

It's light and fresh and snappy. And it's dairy-free (translation- cheese-less) so you can serve it to your GFCF Sweethearts.

I used a gluten-free tortilla for the tostada base- they cooked up flaky and just crisp enough. (I fried them briefly in my iron skillet with a splash of light olive oil.)

READ MORE and get the recipe ...

Gluten-Free Spanish Rice Bake

Like Spanish rice? Try using brown rice and kick up the nutrition.

One of the more popular recipe searches here at Gluten-Free Goddess is brown rice. And why not? It's naturally gluten-free. It's an excellent grain choice for the Mediterranean Diet and the South Beach Diet. It's good source of fiber for both sensitive tummies and hearty omnivore appetites. And it's a complementary protein for earthy vegan tastes.

READ MORE and get the recipe ...

How To Make Roasted Green Chile Sauce

Fire roasted green chile, fresh from a roadside roaster.

How to make a roasted green chile sauce New Mexico style? First you start with bags of fresh roasted Hatch chiles.

The Fall Equinox is right around the corner. And in our small corner of the world that means only one thing- it's chile roasting time. New Mexicans are passionate about their state's most distinctive crop. Smoky, spicy and sweet all at once is the best way I can describe the complex flavor of New Mexican roasted chiles.

Roasters are ubiquitous now- along the roadsides and in parking lots- stoking their fires outside Whole Foods and Walmart alike, turning barrels of fresh Hatch chiles over open flames.

The aroma is enough to make you weep.

With fiery-sweet chile happiness, that is.

Vegetarian roasted green chile sauce.

Neuvo Mexico Roasted Green Chile Recipe

Here in New Mexico green chile is a sauce or a stew. You can use this recipe as a base for both. Use hot or mild chiles, to taste. Roasted green chile makes a fabulous sauce on enchiladas. Add it to casseroles and stews. Spoon it over fried eggs, beans and tortillas- especially huevos rancheros. Try it on rice, cooked quinoa and beans. Omnivores love it on steak, burgers, chicken and fish.

I can't imagine anything that wouldn't cozy up to green chile. Well, chocolate chip cookies- maybe not so much.

Ingredients:

Roasted Hatch chiles- two heaping cups, skinned, stemmed, seeded, chopped

5-6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

2 ripe tomatoes, seeded, chopped- I used Roma (plum) tomatoes

3 cups chicken or beef broth- reserve 4-5 tablespoons

Pinch of sea salt, to taste

Fresh ground pepper, to taste

A dash of balsamic or sherry vinegar

1 tablespoon agave syrup

2 tablespoons cornstarch (or potato starch/arrowroot, if you are corn-free)

Instructions:

In a large saucepan, combine the chiles, garlic, tomatoes, broth, sea salt and pepper, vinegar and agave syrup. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat; reduce the heat a bit and maintain a gentle, constant low simmer for ten minutes.

Add the cornstarch to the reserved broth and whisk to make a slurry or thickening paste. If you are using arrowroot starch instead make sure the broth is cool- it will work better if the reserved broth isn't hot.

Stir the slurry into the green chile and continue to cook- stirring- for another 7 to 10 minutes until the sauce is thickened (but not gluey, still pourable).

As always, taste test. If you used very hot chiles and the sauce is too spicy add a touch more sugar to soften the heat.

Remove from the stove and set aside.

Use as a base for a stew (add cooked ground pork or beef or turkey) or chili con carne.

Or use as a sauce for eggs, burgers of all persuasions, grilled chicken or salmon, and even casseroles (thin a bit if you need to).

Makes about four servings.