Now that everyone is healthy again, I’m happy to be back to the project. I knew it had been too long since making something Mexican when I learned that John had gone back to eating at the Mexican station at his work cafeteria, not once but at least twice! I’ll try to make sure that doesn’t happen again. On the primarily vegetarian menu for Saturday evening was Ripe Plantain Turnovers with Fresh Cheese Filling (SOS12) and Smoky Braised Mexican Pumpkin with Seared White Onion (VBRED2). Both recipes also called for a repeat of Essential Roasted Tomatillo-Chipotle Salsa (EF9).
John and the kids made the salsa and true to chipotle form it was spicy! I went with the smaller number of chiles called for in the recipe; it called for 4.5-9 and I used 5. The lesson has been cemented in my mind: chipotle chiles are spicy. There is definitely a distinction, though, between the Tomatillo-Chipotle Salsa and the Quick-Cooked Tomato-Chipotle Sauce (EF6). The recipes that were made with the former were spicy to be sure, but good. For me, those made with EF6 were too spicy.
As for the Pumpkin recipe, I opted to include the optional boneless pork shoulder (just a half pound, giving a nice mainly veggie meal with just an accent of meat) which was cut in pieces, browned in a skillet, and set aside. Sliced onion was then browned in the skillet before adding the salsa and a roasted tomato (my first use of one previously roasted and frozen). This was cooked and reduced. The cubed pumpkin (from Scarlett’s Halloween pumpkin) was mixed with the pork shoulder in a casserole dish. This was topped with the onion, tomato, salsa mixture and baked. We served it with tortillas. The result was great! The salsa gave the dish a smoky, spicy flavor and the pumpkin had a bright taste that very nice. John labeled this dish his “biggest positive surprise” so far. I guess that means he wasn’t expecting much. He really should have more faith in Rick.
As for the turnovers or empanadas, I generally shy away from recipes calling for things to be fried in an inch of oil, so if not for the project I probably never have made this one. That, and you need a tortilla press to flatten out the dough. If you’ve been reading, you know that I ordered a tortilla press way back at the beginning of the project and I felt that after a relatively long hiatus of Mexican cooking that this weekend was the perfect time to break it out. End the end, I was pleasantly surprised at how easy the empanadas were to make. You roast the plantains and then scoop out the pulp and mix it with flour in the cuisinart. This makes a dough which gets rolled into balls and pressed flat with the tortilla press (which, by the way, works like a dream!). You scoop a little crumbled queso fresco onto the flat round circle of dough and then fold it over and pinch the edges to seal. It really worked well. The turnovers are then fried in oil and then served with salsa (Rick recommended the Tomatillo-Chipotle, so that’s what we did). They were fabulous! The dough had a nice texture and a delicious, slightly sweet flavor and the salsa provided a complementary tangy, smoky, spicy accompaniment. All in all it was a fantastic meal.

Next up for hopefully this evening is Smoky Shredded Pork Tacos (TEOCE3). And, since I’m not cooking for Thanksgiving I should be able to do more later this week. I may even make another trip into Pilsen for some supplies. Of course there is also Christmas shopping to do. I’ll let you know what wins out Oh, also, I’ll post a month 3 recap soon, dreary though it may be.

I love tortilla soup. I will order it just about anywhere, at any time of year, and I’ve been known to judge the entire menu of a restaurant solely on the quality of their sopa de tortilla. I’m obsessed in every sense of the word–and having not been able to find a version I deem delicious in Chicago, I learned how to make it.

This soup is very representative of a typical Mexican kitchen and uses the traditional flavors and textures of the tomato, chile, avocado, epazote and tortilla. I’ve never cared much for tomato-based soups or broths, but this soup converted me.

The secret, I’ve found, is adding a few crunchy little pieces of chicharrón (also known as pork rinds or cracklings here in the U.S.). They add a depth to the soup’s flavor that I’m convinced cannot be achieved otherwise. All of my favorite places in Mexico for tortilla soup serve it similarly; all the ingredients for assembling the soup are brought to the table separately and the waiter puts it together right in front of you, almost like a little show with your meal.

In a few weeks, the Tortilla will morph into a traveling food blog as I’ll be visiting Mexico City and will be posting photos and names of my favorite places for tortilla soup and other dishes in the Distrito Federal.

RECETA

• 4 large Roma tomatoes or 2 to 3 medium regular tomatoes
• 2 large, thick slices of white onion
• 4 medium cloves of garlic
• Basic chicken stock (see below)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 to 2 springs of epazote (optional)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

TOPPINGS

• 2 avocados, pitted and sliced or cubed
• 2 to 3 pasilla chiles
• A bit of either queso cotija (crumbled) or queso fresco (crumbled or cubed)
• Mexican crema de leche espesa, no azucarada
• A few small pieces of chicharrón
• A few squeezes of fresh lime juice (optional)

BASIC CHICKEN STOCK
There are two methods I use for making chicken stock, and which you choose will depend on how much time you’ve got. Slow cooking is preferred as it will have a much richer flavor, but the stovetop method works just fine if you’re short on time. I usually make the chicken stock the night before to cut down on prep time the day I want to eat the soup.

Crockpot method:
Slice 1 medium sized onion and place along bottom of 4 ½ quart-sized crock pot. Place one whole roaster chicken (either raw, or a precooked plain rotisserie chicken) on top of the onions and add enough water to cover most of the chicken. Set on high for about 8 hours. Cook until chicken easily falls from the bone with some gentle prodding from a fork.  (This can also be done overnight if you set the heat to low, and you can cook it for up to 12 hours without worry.) If you use a precooked rotisserie chicken, you probably will not need to add any salt; if you use a raw chicken you should use a good-sized pinch of sea or kosher salt.

Stovetop method:
In a large stock pot (4 quarts or bigger), place the sliced onion on the bottom, the chicken on top of the onion, and add enough water to cover the chicken. Heat over a high flame until it starts to come to a boil and then reduce to medium-low heat for about one hour or until the breast meat is cooked through. Add a few teaspoons of sea or kosher salt.

Either way, the stock will be somewhat concentrated, but more so with the Crockpot method. If you slow-cooked the stock, you should use about 1 ½ cups of the concentrated stock added to 4 to 4 ½ cups of water to create a broth. If you cooked the stock on the stove, you may want to use 2 cups or slightly more of the stock added to 4 cups of water for the broth. You can reserve the rest of the stock and meat and use it for other soups or dishes if you wish. I usually just discard all the onions and reserve the leftovers for chilaquiles or a simple caldo de pollo.

THE SOUP
On a hot comal, roast the garlic, onion and tomatoes. When the tomato skin is slightly blistered and darkened, peel the skin off, core the tomatoes and gently remove the seeds. Be careful when peeling the skins, as the tomatoes will be very hot. The onion and garlic should be slightly charred.

Put the tomato, onion and garlic into a blender or a food processor and add about ¼ cup of chicken stock to moisten. Blend until completely smooth.

Heat the tablespoon of oil in a pot and pour the tomato mixture over it. Fry the puree on high for about two minutes and then reduce to medium heat, stirring for about 5 minutes or until the puree thickens and gets a little darker in color.

Add the chicken broth to the fried tomato mixture and add a little bit of salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. Sometimes instead of adding salt, I add a little bit of Knorr caldo de tomate. If you opted to use epazote, you’ll want to add it to the pot before covering and remove it and discard after 15 minutes. If you plan to serve the soup later, just remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature before storing in an airtight container.

FOR THE TORTILLA STRIPS
Using your favorite brand of corn tortillas, stack them four at a time and cut into thin strips (done most easily by using a pizza cutter). Then cut the strips in half.  Heat a little bit of oil in a frying pan on medium heat. When the oil is hot, put a handful of tortilla strips in at a time and fry until they are well done. This will take between 3-4 minutes and you will need to turn the strips over to fry both sides. Add more oil and wait for it to get hot as needed. Remove the tortilla strips and drain on a plate with paper towels to absorb the excess oil. (Note: if you use fresh, handmade tortillas, you should dry them out a bit by cooking in the oven at about 250 degrees F for 30-45 minutes to remove some of the moisture.)

Cut the chiles in small rings and remove the seeds. Fry them quickly (just a minute or two) in the leftover oil to bring out their flavor and slightly rehydrate them. Drain the excess oil on a paper towel.

TO ASSEMBLE THE SOUP WHEN SERVING
Ladle the soup into a shallow bowl and add a handful of tortilla strips in the middle. Add the avocado, a few chile rings, a dollop of the crema and a sprinkling of cheese. If desired, squeeze a little fresh lime juice into the broth. Add a few small pieces of crunchy chicharrón.

Yields 4-6 servings depending how generously you serve. Lasts about a week in the refrigerator or a little over month if you freeze the broth.

• How do you like your sopa de tortilla?
• What are your fond memories of this dish?

It’s almost the end of the work week!!! What better way to start this post, than with one of my favorite posts this week. One of my favorite bloggers, Nicole (hey girl hey!) wrote a post that brought a smile to my face and reminded me how wonderful family can be; and being with them can bring such happiness. Check it out!

Not enough room to pack in my bag -this is what I wore on my traveling day!

This isn't good-bye, just see you later.

I left Matilda with the only person I would trust besides my family. Actually, I trust her because she is like family! I miss Matilda so much. I keep thinking I hear her little paws clicking on the marble floor.

Twas a rainy day

The first part of my flight was delayed so when we landed I had less than 15 minutes to run across the airport at Detroit to make it to my connecting flight. By the time I got to the gate they were already boarding. But I made it!

I took some pictures of some interesting things my parents have.

Check it out peeps!

Fufu flour aka plaintain flour, Kefir made from goat’s milk, Dr. Kracker crackers, German bread (NEELA!), pomegranate seeds, and tamarind.

They actually have Sabra! So smooth!

My parents have good taste. But I am kind of surprised that the only nuts in the house were macadamias! I think this is because my mom can’t really eat nuts anymore since she got braces. After my dad got back from his long walk, we made breakfast together.

A papaya cut just in time; perfect!

Nino banana!

I made a fruit salad.

I love the variety of fruits my parents have!

The chocolate chips I plan on kidnapping!

On the side is some cottage cheese and fruits.

Cottage cheese in my oats!

I thought this was the perfect opportunity to try a style of oats I see on April’s blog. Afterall, this lady definitely knows what’s up! My mom just followed me as if it was a rule. She’s so cute! I think she thinks I’m Queen of Oats or something. If she saw what all you other talented folks create, her mind would be blown.

For lunch I made a wrap and stir-fry.

I swear my parents have been reading food blogs. These wraps were the Flat-Out ones I see frequently around the blogosphere. Inside my wrap? Sabra hummus of course! Also some organic girl baby spinach, tomato, and the best medium cheddar I’ve ever tasted.

I also made a wrap for my dad.

When I first tasted the medium cheddar I exclaimed how good it was. Then he remarked that he thought it would taste good with apples. I agreed! So I made him a wrap with melted medium cheddar, cooked onion, and apple. I actually ended up taking the first bite. My excuse? I’m the king’s taste tester… you know… just in case someone tries to poison him?

Post Office adventure!

Afterwards we headed to the dry cleaners, then on to more important matters. I finally got to submitting two of my videos to a film festival up in Seattle. Fingers crossed!!! Then we went to the mall and I got some new sneakers. My mom also took me to this new lingerie boutique she went to the other day. They had so many pretty things! It reminded me of this Japanese intimacy boutique I went to the last time I was in New York. They had cute Betsey Johnson sets and Chantelle bralettes.

Dinner time rolled around…

Variety = lots of color!

Mexican!

I am totally taking advantage of the .79 cent avocados while I’m down here! I just cooked the vegetables in olive oil, salt, and squirts of lime juice. The beans were cooked with cumin and turmeric. All together? Tortilla, veggies, beans, Queso Fresco, corn and bean salsa + AVOCADO!

And two beautiful and inspiring young women gave me, along with some other wonderful ladies, an amazing award! Thank you Karina and Mitri.

I have to fill out this survey using only one word answers now….

1.Where is your cell phone? Bag

2.Your hair? Dirty

3. Your mother? Super-sweet

4. Your father? Mr. Logical

5. Your favorite food? Indian

6. Your dream last night? RANDOM

7. Your favorite drink? WhiteRussian (I made it one word!)

8. Your dream/goal? PREVAIL!

9. What room are you in? Bedroom

10. Your hobby? Dance

11. Your fear? Toothless

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Traveling

13. Where were you last night? Airport

14. Something you aren’t? Bitter

15. Muffins? Breakfast!

16. Wish list item? Projector

17. Where did you grow up? Germany/Florida

18. Last thing you did? Ate

19. What are you wearing? Pj’s

20. Your TV? AltonBrown

21. Your pets? Matildaaa

22. Your friends? RULE

23. Your life? Fortunate

24. Your mood? Content

25. Missing someone? Matilda!

26. Vehicle? GANGSTAAA’

27. Something you’re not wearing? Bra!

28. Your favorite store? Anthropologie

29. Your favorite color? Green

30. When was the last time you laughed? NOW

31. Last time you cried? Wednesday

32. Your best friend? Mama

33. One place that I go over and over? Studiooo

34. One person who emails me regularly? Mom

35. Favorite place to eat? Indian!

and pass the award on to 5 other amazing bloggers! Oh my gosh do I really have to choose? For real, there are just way too many bright crayons to choose from. So… can I choose… everyone? Okay!

On the way home from the airport last night my mom told me that she shared my blog with some of her friends and co-workers and they were amazed. They told my mom that I should open up some kind of something! One of her friends actually suggested something that I can seriously consider in my near future – hosting “how-to” cooking clinics. Wouldn’t that be fun? Does anybody have any advice on this?

Hope you enjoy your day tomorrow. Heck it's Friday - do I even need to hope?

p.s. I want to make the FAQ video mañana - so keep the questions coming!

]]> http://samnjam.wordpress.com/2009/10/11/shredded-pork-tacos/ Sun, 11 Oct 2009 21:39:34 +0000 samnjam http://samnjam.wordpress.com/2009/10/11/shredded-pork-tacos/

Good served with Crunchy Slaw with Radishes.

Prep: 30 minutes
Total: 3 hours 45 minutes
Serves 8

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (3-pound) boneless pork shoulder, cut in half lengthwise
28 ounces whole tomatoes in juice
1 large chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced (about 4 teaspoons)
16 (6-inch) toasted corn tortillas
1 cup crumbled queso fresco, feta, or goat cheese
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. In a large (5-quart) heavy pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion, garlic, thyme, oregano, and bay leaves; season with salt and pepper. Cook until onion has softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste. Add pork, tomatoes (breaking them up) and their juice, chipotle, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until meat is very tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Discard bay leaves.

2. Using tongs, transfer meat to a large bowl; shred with two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat or gristle. Return meat to pan, and simmer until sauce is thick, 30 to 45 minutes more. Season, if necessary, with salt and pepper. Proceed to next step, or cover and refrigerate, up to 1 day.

3. Spoon pork and sauce into toasted tortillas, using 2 tortillas for each serving; top with queso fresco and cilantro. Serve with Crunchy Slaw with Radishes , if desired.

If God dwells inside us like some people say, I sure hope He likes enchiladas, because that’s what He’s getting.
~Jack Handy

Keeping in line with the Mexican theme—a cuisine seemingly and sometimes sadly overlooked. To outrightly dismiss, bastardize or usurp a sacrosanct ethnic gastronomy is troubling and almost a form of cultural cleansing. Entiende, comprende Taco Bell?

The word enchilada simply means “in chile,” but do not be fooled by the unadorned nomenclature as it belies this belovedly piquant fare. Despite misconceptions, a classic fine dining experience to me.

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

2 28-ounce cans San Marzano tomatoes, drained
2 poblano chiles, stemmed
1 jalapeño chile, stemmed

2 T canola oil
1 medium white onion, peeled and chopped
2 C chicken broth
Sea salt
3/4 C crème fraîche*
2-3 C grilled or roasted chicken dark meat, coarsely shredded
1 C asadero, chihuahua or monterey jack cheese, grated

12 corn tortillas
Canola oil, for brushing

Radishes, thinly sliced
Fresh cilantro sprigs
Queso fresco, crumbled

Preheat oven to 375 F

In a heavy skillet, dry roast the chiles over medium heat, turning occasionally, until soft and blackened, about 5-7 minutes. Place in a blender or food processor along with the drained canned tomatoes. Blend to a smooth purée.

In a heavy bottomed pot such as a Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring regularly, until translucent but before fully caramelized, about 7-9 minutes. Raise the heat to medium high, and stir in the tomato purée. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened to a smooth paste, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the broth, partially cover and simmer 15 minutes. Taste and season with a pince or two of salt. The sauce should be like a thick cream soup in consistency.

Stir the crème fraiche into the sauce. Put the chicken in a bowl and stir 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce mixture into it. Season to taste with salt.

Lay the tortillas out on a baking sheet or two, and lightly brush both sides of the tortillas with oil. Bake just to warm through and soften, about 3 minutes. Stack the tortillas and cover with a towel to keep warm.

Spread about 1 cup of the sauce over the bottom of a 13″ x 9″ baking dish. Lay some chicken into each tortilla, then line them all up in the baking dish and roll up with your fingers. Ladle evenly with more sauce, then sprinkle with the melting cheese. Allow the ends of the tortillas to be free of sauce. Cover the dish with foil and bake until the enchiladas are hot and the cheese just browned, about 10-15 minutes. Garnish with radish slices, cilantro, and queso fresco.

*Crème Fraîche

2 C heavy whipping cream
1/4 C buttermilk

In a medium heavy saucepan over low heat, warm the cream, but do not simmer or boil. Remove from heat and stir in the buttermilk. Transfer the to a medium bowl and allow to stand covered with plastic wrap until thickened but still of pouring consistency. Stir every 6 hours for one day. The crème fraîche is ready when it is thick with a slightly nutty sour taste. Chill in the refrigerator for several hours before using. Crème fraîche may be made and stored in a jar the refrigerator for up to one week.

Ingredients: 1-2 lbs of whole catfish, 2 lemons, 2 eggs, flour, cornmeal, 1 tbs cayenne pepper, salt & pepper. red cabbage, red onion, red wine vinegar, red pepper flakes, 1 tbs sugar.1 avocado, 2 limes, green onion, 1 jalapeno. fresh salsa,  queso fresco, corn tortillas.

I started this meal off by marinating the red cabbage for a few days in the fridge. Try doing this at least 18-24 hours in advance.

Red Cabbage Slaw: chop cabbage in half. cut out core, then chop in half again across. (i only used 1/2 of cabbage) thinly slice cabbage halves and place in a bowl. slice red onion in half and thinly slice 1 onion half. add to bowl (if it’s a small onion use the whole thing). sprinkle 1 tbs of sugar over bowl, add 2 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 tsp salt and cracked black pepper to bowl. pour in about 1/4 cup red wine vinegar. mix together. place in a sealed container and store in fridge.

Ahorita tengo ocho tipos de queso en casa: queso mezclado (de oveja, cabra y vaca) semicurado, queso fresco, emmental, bleu, brie, cheddar, mozzarella y queso en polvo. Pero lo importante no es cantidad, sino calidad. Algunos de esos quesos son del supermercado y no de una quesería. Eso no puede continuar. Por supuesto, los quesos mejores de mi refrigerador son los de la quesería. Vale la pena pagar más para un producto mejor. Pero no voy a castigarme por los peores (y no son tan peor — realmente me parace perfectamente aceptable, pero esto no basta); el primer día en el supermercado, yo tuve ganas de comprar queso, y eso yo hice. Sin embargo, a partir de ahora, todo el queso será de quesería. El primero que tengo que comprar es el queso Manchego. Tengo ganas de comprarlo ahora, pero sé que es mejor esperar. No quiero que el queso que ahora tengo se estropee. Sería una gran lástima.

This is what Filets of Beef in Pasilla Chile Sauce looks like when we’re done with it. Our chile sauce includes Cuban black beans, cooked in a sofrito of onions, tomato, garlic and peppers, added to the pasilla-poblano-chipotle combo that serves as the mail flavoring. After the seared beef medallions are cooked in this sauce, it’s topped with a fresh avocado salsa and queso fresco. To the left, you can see the ravioli, made with saffron pasta with a stuffing of goat cheese and black beans with a touch of roasted jalapeño and poblano chiles, topped with a creamy corn sauce. Garnished with grape tomatoes, a few plantain slices and a sprinkling of parsley, this is a truly incredible dish, a marriage of flavors from spicy to creamy to sweet that just dances on your tongue. Try it — you won’t forget it!

Enviado por Jorge R.F.

INTRO

Continúo probando cosas nuevas. En Can Perol encontré flores de calabacín ecológicas y pedí dos para probarlas. Me decanté por rellenarlas de una forma muy fácil y rebozarlas. El resultado es impresionante, un sabor y textura que no conocía. Alta cocina viviendo en un entresuelo.

INGREDIENTES (4p)

8 flores de calabacín ecológicas

10 cucharadas soperas queso fresco

12 hojas de albahaca fresca

Harina

Huevo

Aceite

Romero

PREPARACIÓN

Cubrir las flores con agua fría durante unos minutos, secar y reservar. Picar las hojas de albahaca, añadir el queso fresco y formar una pasta con el tenedor. Picar un poco de romero, añadirlo a dos dedos de aceite y reservar. Rellenar con cuidado las flores, pasar por harina, huevo y freír en aceite caliente. Escurrir el aceite sobrante, emplatar las flores y decorar con el aceite de romero.

Womp womp womp, got stood up by my girls yesterday!  It’s okay that sty is bothering me.  The story is that we were supposed to go out for Gina’s bday but nothing happened.

On another note, things are starting to cool down drastically with Kittens and I…. not gonna be negative and say story of my life.  I just want more attention and right now my life is so busy with school, it’s my top priority, besides Kay;a, and in the fall I’m not gonna be in SA, and I’ve always had my mom to help me out with K so I don’t think I should date, I just want a movie-boyfriend (you know, a guy that takes you to the movies.)  

Yesterdays eats were boring.

Tofu veggie scramble, salsa, blue corn tortilla chips, frijoles negros, NZ Cheddar, NUTELLLA (not pictured)

Dinner... mix of hnc and kc with rice milk (vanilla)

There was no snacking in between, told yall I was in pain.

I was just in too much pain to eat,  okay gonna finish watching Obsessed, check back tomorrow today is looking up.

Also, I did work out yesterday!  I thought I liked doing legs the most, but I’m really starting to appreciate upper body workouts since I’m starting to see muscle.  It’s still no where were I’d like it to be, but it’s always a work in progress.  

PS has anyone seen the woman that Reggie Bush cheated on Kim Kardashian with??? I think she’s pretty but…. well yeah

come on, this one’s more fun to celebrate anyway. (after a couple rounds, we’ll be treating everyone like family and no one will care that the jokes are old.)

in order to properly celebrate national tequila day we called our token mexican friend jose. we’re pretty sure he survives on a diet of patron, cholula and queso fresco, so we knew we’d be in good hands.

unfortunately, we both “forgot” to bring tequila, so we had to raid megan’s freezer. ( it’s the least she could do for stealing our land.) lucky for us, she was prepared, and judging by the semi-empty bottle, had already gotten a head start. a couple of shots down the hatch (actually, just one for veronica- hi mom!) and we officially declared this celebration a success.

p.s. pardon the blurry pictures. we’re blaming the camera. (shut up. that’s our story and we’re sticking to it.)

totes! jose!

- the calendar girls

It’s been a wild ride today, one that is ending on a sweet note (thankfully). Hint: There’s a reason I’m logging this from my iPhone.

My roommates offered to share some dinner with me, which was really kind. Or maybe the way I was watching the prep made them nervous, I’m not sure.

But thankfully they did, it being 9 o’clock and I still didn’t have a clue.

Out of their extras I made a brilliant little salad: queso fresco; green mango; a few bits of sliced jalapeño; avocado; flank steak that was tenderized then breaded then cut into strips; a legitimately spicy chutney-turned-sauce.

So good. So light. So small, and with plenty of room for dessert. Now it was my turn to treat: I kept it classy with a pair of cupcakes from Velseka and a cold glass of milk.

TIP: I’d you’re running low on salad dressing or any sort of sauce, add  a splash of olive oil and you’ll probably manage to get one more  serving out of it.

Caramelos de Miel

Ingredientes  :

- 150 gr. De queso fresco
- 130 gr. De frambuesas
- 2 plátanos

Caramelo:

160 gr. Azúcar
100 gr. De miel de Caña
100 ml. De agua
unas gotitas de limón

Preparación:

Haz un caramelo claro con sus ingredientes: En un recipiente pon el azúcar, la miel y el agua con unas gotas de limón. Caliéntalo hasta que caramelice. Aparta del fuego y dejalo reposar para que baje la espuma.Pon el caramelo entre dos papeles de horno y con un rodillo estíralo lo mas fino que puedas. Déjalo enfriar hasta que se endurezca . Después retira el papel.Mientras tanto pela los plátanos y haz lonchas.Monta el plato alternando capas de plátano y frambuesas con el queso en laminas y trozos de caramelo.

Lo único que no me gusta del queso fresco o del panela es que cuando lo tomas con las manos, se te quedan los dedos oliendo fuertemente a queso. yuk.
Los olores en los dedos no me gustan.

Smoky Red Chili

Whenever it snows in Colorado, I get the craving to make chili.  Doesn’t matter whether it’s a traditional red chile, Texas style… New Mexico pork green chile – it’s all good.  Last night we received 10 inches of new fresh powder… so I broke out the slow cooker and made this variation of red chili.  The inclusion of peanut butter was recommended by my friend and incredible chef, David Wells.  I know… it sounded strange to me too.  But, it adds a wonderful woodsy flavor to the chili. You can use canola oil if you’re concerned about the fat content in the bacon.  However, the bacon adds a really nice flavor.  Use good quality, nitrate-free bacon.

• 5 slices of bacon (chopped and crispy)
• 4 pounds beef chuck roast (trimmed of fat and cut into 3/4 inch cubes)
• 1.5 onions (chopped)
• 3 green jalapeno chiles (seeded, stemmed and minced)
• 1 red jalapeno chile (seeded, stemmed and minced)
• 2 tablespoons dark red (hot) chile powder (I order mine online from New Mexico)
• 2 tablespoons cumin (warmed in a pan, milled fresh from whole cumin seeds)
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (28 oz) can of crushed tomatoes
• 6 (small) corn tortillas, torn into small squares
• 4 cups Organic chicken broth
• 4 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, chopped
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 cans pinto beans
• 3 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 dried red chile pod (warmed then milled)
• 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon Mexican chocolate
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
• fresh lime juice
• grated queso fresco
• sour cream, for garnish

Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp.  Chop and add to the bottom of the slow cooker.  Drain bacon fat/oil from the skillet and set aside.

Pat beef dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper.  Add 2 tablespoons of the bacon oil to the skillet and heat over med-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of the beef, then add to the slow cooker.  Repeat this process with the remainder of the beef.

Add 2 more tablespoons of the bacon oil or butter to the same skillet and add onion, jalapenos, chili powders, cumin and salt.  Cook until they soften (about 5 minutes) Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds… Then add the tomatoes.  Blend well and simmer, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet.  Pour into slow cooker.  Add milled chile pod.

Place tortillas and chicken broth in a pan and heat until mushy.  Place in blender or food processor and blend until pureed.  Stir into slow cooker.  This will thicken the chili and add a nice corn flavor.

Add chipotle, peanut butter, chocolate and cinnamon to the chili… blend well.  Cover and cook until the meat is tender (this may vary depending upon your slow cooker) I cook on low for about 8-9 hours.  During the last 2 hours, stir in the beans and fresh oregano.  To serve, stir in some fresh cilantro and lime juice.  Garnish with freshly grated cheese and or sour cream.  For an extra kick, swirl a little adobo sauce from the chipotles in with the sour cream.

Mexican Chop Salad

Because I love the Mexican Chop Salad at El Vez, but don’t really like going to El Vez, I’ve been trying to replicate it on my own. And you know what, I’m really really close. I didn’t have any radish or jicama when I made this salad, but a 1/2 cup of either, chipped finely, would add great kick and extra crunchy texture.

Mexican Chop Salad
serves 6

4 cups romaine lettuce, sliced very thinly
1 can (15.5 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped seeded tomato, or sliced cherry tomatoes
1 cup fresh (or frozen, thawed) roasted corn kernels, uncooked

Toss salad ingredients in a large bowl.

garnishes
3 small corn tortillas, sliced thinly
vegetable or corn oil
1/2 cup queso fresco or goat feta, crumbled
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
freshly ground black pepper

Heat enough oil to fry the tortillas in a medium skillet. When the oil is hot (a flick of water should sizzle) carefully add half of the tortilla slices. Fry slowly, turning every few minutes. When they are golden brown, remove them from the pan with a slotted spatula and drain on paper towels. Fry the second batch, draining on the same towel. In a small skillet, heat just a dab of oil (or a spray of Pam) over medium heat. Add the pumpkin seeds and cumin, tossing to coat. Toast the seed gently until they brown slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool. Add 3/4 of both garnishes to the salad, reserving the rest for final garnishing.

cumin lime vinaigrette
4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
large pinch of cayenne pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tbs. vegetable (or olive) oil
1 plum tomato, chopped, or 6 cherry tomatoes

Combine all of the salad ingredients and pulse in a blender or food processor until even in texture and the tomato is fully blended. Add the dressing the salad, toss well, and then top with the remaining garnish. Add a generous grind of fresh black pepper.

Yes, “frittuffins.” So much more fun to say than frittata muffins, don’t you think?! And these delightfully fun to pronounce little morsels have become my go-to breakfast. But why, you ask? Well, I (unfortunately!) have to be at work at 7:30 on Monday-Thursday. And, as I am not such a morning person, I desperately detest awakening at such an ungodly hour. Detest! So much so, that no matter what I do, I cannot seem to wake up in enough time to make breakfast. So, I resign myself to eating breakfast at work. Which, really, isn’t so bad, when you realize my office has refrigerators, toaster ovens, and microwaves. But, the thing is… I find myself growing sick of microwaved oatmeal type things. And since I am a lactard (lactose intolerant), have been since I was able to eat solid food, I have never really gotten in the habit of eating milk and cereal for breakfast (yes, I know, there are now such things as lactose milk and pills, but still). Plus, I find I need some sort of protein in the AM to get me going! So, hence, therefore, and so on, Frittuffins! If I can’t wake up in enough time to make eggs to order for breakfast, I’ll just have these little eggs-to-go…

So, lately, every Sunday, I’ve been whipping up a different batch of frittuffins to take to work for breakfast for the week. Just as for regular frittatas, I’ll throw in whatever I have in the refrigerator. Last week it was portobello mushrooms, spinach, bacon, and cheddar cheese. This week, though, I added celeriac, red onion, a garlic green or two, and some leftover grilled queso fresco. After adding in some delightful farm-fresh eggs, the frittuffins were set to go! Of course, like soufflés, while they rose beautifully in the oven, they collapsed as soon as they were out…

But, they were still delicious! Even if they were slightly hilarious looking…

Celeriac, Onion, and Queso Fresco Frittuffins

• small celeriac, diced
• 1/4 red onion, diced
• 1 garlic green, chopped
• 1/2 cup queso fresco, grilled and diced
• 6 eggs, beaten
• salt
• pepper
• paprika
• olive oil

To begin, preheat the oven to 350°. Next, heat a tablespoon or so of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once the pan and oil are hot, sauté the red onions and celeriac until cooked through and slightly crispy. Add in the garlic greens for a minute to quickly combine, and then remove from the heat. While that is cooling, mix the eggs with a bit of salt, pepper and paprika (just enough to season the eggs). Then, add the diced cheese and the celeriac and onion mixture to the eggs and pour into the individual muffin cups.* Place the muffin tin in the oven, and bake for 10-15 minutes, until frittuffins are cooked through; they’ll be very puffy and will have risen just like a soufflé. Take them out to cool and, once cooled, wrap them individually in plastic wrap, and place them in a Ziploc. To reheat them each day, just place them in the toaster oven for about 5-10 minutes at 300°, and they turn out perfectly!

*The first time I tried this, I failed to use muffin cups… and, well, let’s just say they stuck horribly and the muffin tin hasn’t been the same since. I found some reusable silicon muffin cups that work amazingly well, but, if you don’t have those, I think the metallic muffin cups would be best.

INGREDIENTES

• 150 gr de harina
• 75 gr de margarina o mantequilla
• 30 gr de azúcar
• 1 pizca de sal
• 1 yema de huevo
• 1 cuchara sopera de leche

PREPARACIóN

Mezclar para la base todos los ingredientes rapidamente y dejar en la nevera 1 hora. Después forrar un molde desmontable con ella y meter en el horno precalentado a 200-225  grados durante 20 minutos.

para el relleno

• 3 yemas de huevo
• 150 gr de azúcar
• 1 cuchara de azúcar vainilla
• 500 gr de queso fresco quark (se compra en el supermercado)
• 8 hojas de gelatina
• 250 gr  de nata
• 500 gr de fresas

PREPARACIÓN

Limpiar las fresas y partir cada fresa en 4 trozos. Batir las yemas de huevo con el azúcar y la vainilla cremoso y añadir el quark (queso fresco). Poner la gelatina a remojo cuando esté reblandecida ponerla a fuego muy flojo y diluirla. Ahora se añade  la gelatina a la masa de quark y se remueve.
Batir las claras de huevo a punto de nieve y montar la nata. Junta todo con lo anterior.

Poner las  fresas encima de la base y cubrir con la crema de queso. Para desmontar la tarta mojar un cuchillo en agua caliente y pasa por el anillo del molde y desmoldar la tarta.

Si quieres puedes hacer la tarta con frutas diferentes por ejemplo frambuesas, piña o cerezas.

Another Las Cruces, NM favorite, named after their flute-like shape –  “flauta” means flute in Spanish.  This is a pretty cheesy intro, but I’m trying to add some local flavor for all you non-New Mexicans out there. This is a great way to use chicken you already have cooked.  These make a good appetizer or finger food for parties, too.

1 large cooked chicken breast, chopped
8 corn tortillas
¼ cup chopped onions
1 cup vegetable oil
Shredded Mexican cheese
16 toothpicks

Preheat oven to 400. Sautee onions until soft.  Add chicken breast and cook until warmed through.  Set aside a plate lined with paper towels for draining tortillas.  Heat vegetable oil on medium-high heat in a large pan until it bubbles when a tortilla is added.  Dip each tortilla in the hot oil until softened, about two seconds.  Remove and drain on paper towels.  Remove oil from heat.

To make flautas, place tortillas flat and fill with about 2 tablespoons of chicken. Some people like to add cheese within the flautas, but I like to sprinkle it on top like they do at La Posta in Mesilla, NM, one of my family’s favorite restaurants.  After filling flautas, roll tightly and secure with two toothpicks each.

Reheat oil on medium-high. Set aside a plate lined with paper towels for draining.  Fry flautas for 1-2 minutes on each side, until crispy.  They should be done enough to hold their shape when the toothpicks are removed.  Remove from oil and drain.

When all flautas are done, remove toothpicks.  Place flautas in an oven-safe dish.  Sprinkle with cheese and place in oven until cheese is melted, approximately 5 minutes.

Serve with salsa and garnish with sour cream and cilantro. These would be good served with Hot Mexican Rice.

I like to be efficient with ingredients I have on hand and left-overs.  Tonight I had a few items I wanted to use besides the chicken breast, including white rice, Tomatillo Salsa, and queso fresco.  I decided to serve the flautas with a couple other dishes as a buffet of Mexican (instead of Spanish) tapas, or small plates.  I made a chopped salad with lettuce, red peppers, apples, red onions and queso fresco, very similar to Chopped Salad with Zesty Lime-Dijon Dressing.  The other dish was white rice topped with tomatillo salsa (also known as salsa verde) and queso fresco.  To go put out some tortilla chips with Sadie’s salsa and tomatillo salsa.