Pamela Toman

Tag: cheddar

Cheesy Grits and Black Beans

Grits and beans, maybe with greens and fried eggs -- a base recipe that is in regular rotation.

Oat milk works just fine.

Ingredients Step
2 c. broth
2 c. milk		 Bring to a boil.
⅛ onion, ideally red onion
citrus or apple cider/sherry vinegar
salt		 Thinly slice onion, then let sit in acid with a bit of salt to make a quick pickle. (Alternatively, crack open a small can of pickled Mexican veg.)
1 c. grits or polenta Stream in to the 4 cups of boiling liquid while whisking. Cook over low, stirring frequently, until completely tender, likely 20-40 minutes. Don't rush this.
¾ c. broth
3 c. black beans (2 cans)
Mexican oregano
cumin
smoked paprika
sweet paprika
garlic powder
onion powder
chili powder		 Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until warm. Adjust seasonings until tasty.
garlic
butter
chopped greens (kale, collards)
salt
pepper		 Saute garlic in butter, then add greens, salt, and pepper. Stir over high until greens begin to wilt (1-2 minutes), then reduce heat to 3-5 minutes until tender and water has evaporated.
eggs Fry.
½ c. cheese (cheddar, parmesan, Manchego, nutritional yeast, etc.)
2 T. butter		 Vigorously stir into grits, until creamy and vaguely fluffy.
avocado
quick pickled onion
scallions
cilantro
salsa
hot sauce
lime		 Add atop bowls of grits, beans, and greens.

Source: Sarah Copeland (NYT)

Cheesy Grits and Black Beans was published on 27 April 2026.

Recipe uses: black-beans, stock, milk, greens, cheddar, lime

Double-Baked Potato

It's nice to bake one extra potato so they can be extra-stuffed, and as insurance against breaking one of the shells.

Ingredients Step
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
4 baking potatoes, scrubbed Bake until tender -- ideally in oven so the skins firm up, but microwave is fine too. If in microwave and they are normal sized, stab all over with a fork then microwave it for 5 minutes, flip, and 5 minutes more.
½ c. milk
1 t. Dijon
¾ c. cheddar, grated
½ t. salt
¼ t. pepper		 Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out the flesh. Mash it all together. Maybe whip until light & fluffy. Spoon into reserved skins.
¼ c. cheddar, grated Sprinkle.
Bake another 10 minutes at 400 degrees, to brown the tops.

source: my grandma

Double-Baked Potato was published on 22 November 2023.

Recipe uses: dijon, cheddar, potato

Broccoli Spoon Salad

A lovely salad that works as a side dish for omnivores and an entree for vegetarians. The raw broccoli tenderizes in the vinegar and doesn't eat like raw broccoli.

Consider cutting the honey if it's broccoli season. Leave it at the whole amount if it's very late spring/summer and the broccoli isn't at its prime. Don't make this recipe at all in late summer or early fall. (More often than not, I've thought the full amount of honey was too sweet overall when broccoli is in season and I use sweetened cranberries.)

Do not sub cranberries with pomegranate seeds. The texture doesn't work.

Consider wild rice instead of quinoa. (I haven't tried this yet but it should be delicious and still protein-packed.)

Ingredients Step
1 c. raw quinoa Wash. Boil in well-salted water until plump and tender, about 15 minutes. Drain in sieve, rinse with cool water, and drain well. (Don't treat it like rice with the cloth and lid; it will retain too much heat in the salad.)
zest and juice of 1 lemon
3 T. olive oil
3 T. Dijon mustard
2 T. honey
2 T. apple cider vinegar		 Whisk together in a very large bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2 heads of broccoli (~1½ pounds) Finely chop the broccoli and add to dressing. Let it macerate as you prep the rest.
1 tart green apple
4 oz. sharp cheddar		 Finely chop the apple and cheese. Add to broccoli. Toss to combine.
cooked quinoa
¾ c. pecans
½ c. dried cranberries		 Add. Toss to combine. Taste. Add more lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.

Source: Sohla El-Waylly (NYT)

On Quinoa

I usually buy quinoa from the bulk section at Sprouts, in whatever color(s) I'm feeling.

I wash it first until the water runs clear (well, clear enough), similar to basmati. Some people run water over it in a fine sieve for a few minutes, but my sieve loses a lot of grains. I tend to swirl and rub it in the saucepan before putting heat under it, with 3-4 changes of water. (Yet other people argue you don’t need to wash it at all, but that's dangerous — depending on your quinoa producer and your taste buds, you might end up with a bitter/soapy/ugly flavor rather than a vaguely earthy grain.)

This recipe boils the quinoa like pasta. That makes it easy to taste-test and see when it is done to your preference. The final texture you want is similar to fine couscous. Maybe up to half of the grains will have unfurled little tails as they cook, and all the grains will plump up and no longer be at all crunchy.

Broccoli Spoon Salad was published on 17 September 2023.

Recipe uses: quinoa, cheddar, broccoli, wild rice, apple