Queso

Here's a recipe for queso that we tried last fall and I never got around to posting about it. This was delicious with chips, ground beef with taco seasoning, cilantro, and avocados. I think it would also be quite tasty with BBQ nachos!

Queso dip

1 cup of shreddred monterey jack cheese
1 cup of American cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 roasted poblano peppers (finely chopped)
8 oz tomatoes ( finely chopped)
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tbsp of ground garlic
salt to taste

Directions:
Combine all of ingredients in crockpot. Cover and cook on low for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, or until cheese is melted. Thin with more milk or cream if necessary. Taste and adjust seasoning. For additional flavor, add finely chopped onion, ground cumin, chopped roasted red pepper, etc..
Serve hot from crock with tortilla chips.

Sunday Dinner - Weeds

Verdolagas con carne de puerco y chile

adapted from Doña Lupe’s Kitchen

This was a bigger hit than I was expecting. Verdolagas, also known as purslane are actually a common weed. I think I have them growing in my garden right now, but instead I paid a dollar for them at the Farmers' Market last Saturday. They actually tasted pretty good if you can believe it. Not a real strong flavor, especially after being boiled for ten minutes. The texture reminded me a lot of asparagus. They're supposed to be pretty good for you apparently. I think we'll definitely make it again, providing we can find more verdolagas. I just don't feel right about pulling my weeds out of my garden. I'd rather pay someone else for the weeds they pulled out of their garden. Wait a second...

1 bunch of well cleaned verdolagas, ends trimmed then chopped into about 1-inch sections
1 pound boneless pork chops, cubed (get pork with the fat NOT trimmed off)
1 small onion, sliced into rings
1 clover of garlic, minced
2 large tomatoes, diced
3-4 fresh jalapeno chiles, seeded, de-veined and minced
salt and pepper to taste
chopped cilantro, about 1/4 cup

Salsa verde
sour cream

Boil the verdolagas for about ten minutes. Drain and set aside.

Season pork with salt and pepper. Fry the pork until very crispy and browned. Scoop out and set aside.

In the frying pan you fried the pork in, add the onion and fry until caramelized. Add the tomatoes, chiles, garlic, and salsa verde and cook down until you have a soupy sauce. (I used about 1/2 cup of salsa verde and served some on the side as well.) Add salt and pepper to taste and chopped cilantro, then add the pork and verdolagas.

Simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

The recipe recommends serving with beans, rice, and tortillas. I served with tortillas and brown rice. I thought it tasted best served over brown rice with a little sour cream on top.

Peach Ice Cream
from use real butter

I loved this peach ice cream recipe!

3 large peaches, peeled, pitted, chopped
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon juice

Cook peaches and water in a covered saucepan on medium heat for about 10 minutes or until soft. Give it a stir a few times. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Let mixture cool to room temperature. Purée mixture in blender with remaining ingredients (leave some chunks if desired). Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator or over an ice bath then freeze in your ice cream maker.

Carson’s Corn Bread
from use real butter

4 tbsps unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg, room temperature
1 cup milk
1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Position oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425°F. Grease an 8×8-inch square pan with butter or cooking spray and dust with flour. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, egg, milk, yogurt (or sour cream), and sugar. Add the remaining dry ingredients and stir together until just blended. Don’t overmix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20-22 minutes or until the top begins to turn golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Just take care not to overbake or else the cornbread will be too dry. Cool on a wire rack and serve.

Texas Caesar Salad
adapted from Bon Appetit

I liked this salad. Not as much as the Mexican Caesar salad, but I still really liked it.

• 2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 jalapeno chili, seeded, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 8 cups bite-size pieces romaine lettuce (from 2 heads)
• croutons
• 1 tomato, diced
  
• 1 large red bell pepper, diced
• 2 ears sweet white corn, kernels removed, sauteed in butter and seasoned with salt and pepper
• Feta cheese
  

• Puree first 9 ingredients in processor until smooth. Gradually add olive oil and process until blended. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Combine romaine lettuce and next 4 ingredients in large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Garnish with additional grated Parmesan.

Anniversary Dinner

Bobby was only home for a few short hours on our actual anniversary, but I wanted to do something so I planned a nice meal. For dessert I thought it would be fun to make something sort of resembling a wedding cake. I thought the kids would like blowing out the candles and thought that might help them understand that Mommy and Daddy are already married. (They're always asking us if we're going to get married in the temple.)

Flank Steak Burritos- basically the same as these that I posted about before. They tasted amazing with the flank steak.

Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread
We had some amazing iron skillet cornbread at a restaurant in Kansas City. This was my attempt to recreate that experience. Not exactly what I was looking for, but still very moist and delicious.

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 cups milk
• 3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan
• 8 ounces aged extra-sharp Cheddar, grated, divided
• 1/3 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts, plus extra for garnish, 3 scallions
• 3 tablespoons seeded and minced fresh jalapeno peppers

Directions

Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and butter. With a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the dry until most of the lumps are dissolved. Don't overmix! Mix in 2 cups of the grated Cheddar, the scallions and jalapenos, and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking pan.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with the remaining grated Cheddar and extra chopped scallions. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and cut into large squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Coconut Cake- yummo.

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pans
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup milk
• 4 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

For the frosting:

nocoupons

• 1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 6 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans, then line them parchment paper. Grease them again and dust lightly with flour.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy. Crack the eggs into a small bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl once during mixing. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well. The mixture might look curdled; don't be concerned.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk to the batter in 3 parts, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Fold in the 4 ounces of coconut with a rubber spatula.

Pour the batter evenly into the 2 pans and smooth the top with a knife. Bake in the center of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until the tops are browned and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a baking rack to finish cooling.

For the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and almond extract on low speed. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until just smooth (don't whip!).

To assemble, place 1 layer on a flat serving plate, top side down, and spread with frosting. Place the second layer on top, top side up, and frost the top and sides. To decorate the cake, sprinkle the top with coconut and lightly press more coconut onto the sides. Serve at room temperature.

One of our family's favorite restaurants to eat out at growing up was El Torito. They had this fabulous Mexican Caesar salad. I've been holding on to the recipe for years now waiting to live somewhere where I can actually purchase pepitas and cotija cheese. Well, luckily I found this recipe that substitutes Parmesan and pine nuts. While I'd still like to try the real thing someday, this will at least fulfill the craving. The cilantro pesto dressing is SO GOOD! I think we'll have it again on Sunday.

Cilantro Pesto Dressing:

1 clove garlic, crushed
1/8 C. pine nuts, toasted*
1 bunch cilantro, stems removed
juice of one lime
splash of white vinegar
olive oil
salt
pepper

1. In a food processor or blender combine garlic, pine nuts, cilantro, lime juice and vinegar. Process until everything is well-combined, scraping down the sides as necessary.
2. While machine is running, pour olive oil in a stream until dressing reaches desired consistency and flavor. Add salt and pepper to taste. Dressing will be on the thick side.

* To toast pine nuts: Put pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat. Shaking pan or stirring nuts frequently, toast until they take on a light brown color. Don’t leave them unattended because they will burn quickly! As soon as they are toasted, remove them from the pan to a small bowl to cool. Make sure you toast enough to use both in the salad dressing and in the salad itself!

Caesar Salad:

Chopped romaine lettuce
toasted pine nuts
shaved parmesan (parmigiano reggiano) cheese
fried tortilla strips*

1. Just before eating, put lettuce in a salad bowl.
2. Top with desired amount of pine nuts, cheese and tortilla strips.
3. Add some cilantro dressing and toss well.
4. Divide salad among plates or bowls and top each serving with sliced carne asada if desired.

* To make tortilla strips: Heat some oil in a deep fryer or in a deep skillet or dutch oven. While oil is coming to temperature, stack a few corn tortillas on a cutting board. Cut the stack in half and then slice into thin strips. When oil temperature reaches 350 degrees, fry tortilla strips in small batches, stirring them so they don’t stick together. Drain on paper towels and toss with a little salt while still warm.

I honestly can't remember if El Torito serves their entrees with a scoop of sweet corn cake. Most likely, since that reminds me of our family restaurant dinners growing up as well. And the honey-lime enchiladas, that's just a gem I came across first on MyKitchen Cafe and have seen many times since. It's a keeper. I only made a couple of changes this time. I added more enchilada sauce and used less cream. Not really by choice, more by obligation. I've gained about all I wanted to and I still have eight weeks before Claire will grace us with her presence. I also added some cilantro and I substituted half of the Monterrey Jack cheese for pepper jack- just for the extra kick.

Mexican Roast Chicken

With all the holiday baking and sewing and knitting I've been doing, I haven't been spending much time planning our family dinners. So Saturday we were at Walmart and I remembered a turkey breast I had in our freezer and thought for Sunday dinner we could have turkey sandwiches. I grabbed all the stuff we'd need for dinner and late last night as we were watching "Home Alone," I remembered I had better go take the turkey out so it would have time to thaw. Turns out it was just turkey deli meat in the freezer. Oops. So I had to come up with something I could make with the ingredients we had on hand. I found a frozen whole chicken and thought we might as well roast it. It's one of my favorite Sunday meals anyway. Plus it gave me something to daydream about as I drifted off to sleep since I didn't have any fresh rosemary or thyme, which is what I typically use to flavor the bird. So I started thinking about a Mexican-inspired roast chicken. I wasn't sure I'd be able to find a recipe, so I thought I'd just make a rub for the chicken with Mexican spices and stuff the cavity with some cilantro, garlic, and limes. I'm sure that would have tasted okay, but luckily I didn't have to come up with my own recipe- I found these instead. The potatoes were a lovely accompaniment.

Oh, and I'm pretty certain any recipe that tells you to "rub the chicken liberally with salt" is not considered low-sodium. So my ring finger may be paying for this tomorrow. It's okay. Worth it.

Mexican Fusion Roasted Chicken
recipes from whatwereeating.com

1 3-4lbs whole young chicken, neck and giblets saved for another purpose
1/2 cup cilantro/parsley pesto (recipe follows)
1 lime, zest and juice for the marinade, leftover lime halves for the cavity
2 tbsp minced garlic
kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

In a large ziploc bag or mixing bowl combine the pesto, lime juice and zest, and garlic. Mix until thoroughly blended. Rinse the whole chicken, inside and out, under cold water then pat dry with paper towels. Add the chicken to the ziploc bag with the marinade. Rub the marinade both under and on top of the skin of the chicken, making sure to get a good coat of the marinade inside the cavity as well. Allow the chicken to marinate for 1 hour. While the chicken is marinating, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Remove the chicken from the marinade after one hour then rub the chicken liberally with kosher salt and black pepper - again both under and on top of the skin, as well as inside the cavity. Stuff the leftover lime halves into the cavity of the chicken then place it on to a roasting pan, breast-side down. Place the roasting pan into a preheated 450 degree oven. Roast the chicken at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350 degrees. Continue roasting the chicken at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until an thermometer inserted into the fleshy part of the thigh reads 170 degrees. Times will vary depending on the weight of the chicken. Remove the chicken from the oven. Loosely cover the chicken with aluminum foil and allow the chicken to rest for at least 10 minutes before carving. This chicken goes great served with extra cilantro/parsley pesto as a sauce. Enjoy!

Cilantro/Parsley Pesto

2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp pine nuts
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup fresh parsley leaves
juice and zest from 1 lime
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
1/2 tsp chile powder
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4-1/3 cup olive oil
kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Add the garlic cloves and pine nuts to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the garlic and pine nuts until they are thoroughly minced. Add the cilantro, parsley, lime juice and zest, red wine vinegar, cumin seeds, chile powder, and red pepper flakes to the bowl of the processor. Turn the processor on low. Allow it to run for several seconds before slowly drizzling in enough olive oil while the food processor is running to create a nicely viscous pesto. After all of the olive oil has been added, season the pesto with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.

Mexican Roasted Potatoes- from The Nourishing Gourmet

8 medium potatoes, peeled and dice
1/3 cup of olive oil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (plus more to sprinkle on top)
freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder
1 tablespoon Dijon style mustard

1 lime, juiced (or more to taste)

1-Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2-Combine all of the ingredients, except the potatoes and lime in a jar and shake to thoroughly mix ingredients (or whisk in a bowl).

3-Pour your diced potatoes into a jelly roll pan, and toss with the oil mixture. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper.

4-Roast for about 40 minutes, until the potatoes are well cooked, and browning on the edges. Take out of the oven, and sprinkle the juice of one lime over it. Taste test, and add more lime juice or salt, if needed and serve.

Burritos and Doughnuts

Steak Burritos

These really hit the spot. We had them once for dinner last week and we've had them twice this week. The obsession started after a visit to Chipotle in Kansas City during a fun weekend with the girls. I love meals where each person can build their burrito exactly as they like it. Here's a list of what we like to put in ours:

Marinated and Grilled Steak, cut into bite-sized pieces (recipe below)
Black beans (a can of black beans, drained and rinsed, heated on the stovetop with a little bit of water)
My homemade canned salsa (yet to be blogged, hopefully forthcoming)
Guacamole
Sour cream (left at room temp for about an hour before serving, and thoroughly mixed until it's pourable)
Cilantro Lime Rice (recipe below)
Red peppers and onions sauteed in olive oil (fajita style)

Steak Marinade

Olive oil
Lime juice
Salt and Pepper
(I also used a Southwestern Steak Seasoning.)

Cilantro Lime Rice (supposed to be a copycat recipe from Chipotle)

1 teaspoon vegetable oil or butter
2 tsp. fresh cilantro
2/3 cup white basmati rice
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Lime

In a 2-quart heavy saucepan, heat oil or butter over low heat, stirring occasionally until melted. Add rice and lime juice, stir for 1 minute. Add water and salt, bring to a full rolling boil. At boiling, cover, turn down to simmer over low heat until rice is tender and the water is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork.

Apple Cider Doughnuts

I know better than to make my own doughnuts, I really do. I just couldn't help myself on this particular day. It was almost like kismet. I had to take a last minute trip to Quincy, IL for some supplies for a church activity coming up and noticed a doughnut shop advertising apple cider doughnuts. I had never heard of such a thing and was intrigued. Then I came home and checked my favorite food blog, smitten kitchen, and she had just fried up the very same doughnuts just days before! It was meant to be. It's not like I really had a choice. I'll just link to her recipe since I didn't change a thing, although I kind of wished I had fried them in shortening instead of oil like she recommends. I didn't read that part until after I made them. Tasty! I liked them better dipped in cinnamon sugar than coated in the glaze. And not only did the whole family love them, but they were fun to make, too!

Superman . . . BANANA!

I'm curious how many of you will understand that reference.

I am recognizing a pattern that repeats itself every year. I imagine, or at least hope, that some of you can relate. In January I find myself five or ten or even fifteen pounds over my ideal weight, with a few extra inches around my waste and super flabby "Phyllis" arms. (Also curious if any of you will catch that reference. Hint: it's from a movie.) I start to think about how in a few short months I'm going to want to accompany my children to the pool in a bathing suit and think maybe I should start exercising. I start working out, remember that I actually like it and that it makes me feel good, until summer comes. I often hear myself saying, "it's so much fun to be a Mom when it's nice outside." We just go, go, go... to the pool, to the park, or outside in front riding bikes. The kids are happy to be outside in the sun, and so is Mom. It feels good to feel the sun and be active. Not only that, but the kids get to be with their friends and so do I. Then Autumn comes around and it starts to get chilly. Fast. And then I turn into a hermit who craves chocolate, would rather stay in and watch movies and all the new TV shows than go out and be social, and only leaves the house when she has to. I do a lot of sewing and cooking and realize over Christmas break that it's been five days since I've left the house and I don't even mind. Freeze that picture. And there (or here) I am, flabby and ten pounds overweight.

So I started exercising again this week and I am so sore and stiff, but it feels great. I really hope I can keep it up because this year I have an even bigger motivation than just going to the pool. We're going on a Caribbean cruise after graduation!! I am so looking forward to having a real vacation.

I have kind of a weird approach to dieting and weight loss. I can't do "I can't believe it's not butter" spray. Let me tell you something: I can definitely believe that it's not butter. That stuff is disgusting. I still like to eat what I want, just less of it. I'll still let myself have dessert, if I've eaten a meager lunch. And I'd rather skip snacks than use fat-free mayonnaise, cream cheese, or sour cream. Yuck. Although I do believe in 1/3 less fat cream cheese and half and half. I love anything with a creamy sauce. Mmmm....

So after a rigorous (for me) arm and shoulder workout yesterday and an enjoyable walk in some unseasonably warm weather (which by the way was probably more exercise I got than all of last season), I rewarded myself with this dinner. It was so good. And I love the way Franny says, "Enchi-LADA." And it certainly was a reward.



Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa
adapted from Tyler Florence's recipe

Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa:

• 1 pound tomatillos, husked
• 1 yellow onion, peeled, sliced, quartered or whole
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 jalapenos (I used just about 3/4 of only one jalapeno. I don't think my kids could have handled all that heat and I was happy with the outcome. I didn't strip the jalapeno of it's seeds, though.)
  
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
• 1/2 lime, juiced

Enchiladas:

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken stock, storebought
• Chopped cilantro leaves
• 1 deli roasted chicken (about 3 pounds), boned, meat shredded (this would taste great, I'm sure, but I didn't have one, so I seasoned three boneless chicken breasts, boiled them, and shredded them.)
  
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 10 large flour tortillas
• 1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup half and half
  
• Chopped tomatoes and cilantro leaves, for garnish
• Guacamole, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

For the salsa:

On a baking tray, roast tomatillos, onion, garlic and jalapenos for 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the roasted vegetables and any juices on the bottom of the tray to a food processor. Add the cumin, salt, cilantro, and lime juice and pulse mixture until well combined but still chunky.

Enchiladas:

Meanwhile heat a 2 count of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and caramelized - this should take 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin then cook for a further minute. Sprinkle on the flour and stir to ensure the flour doesn't burn then gradually add the chicken stock to make a veloute. Continue stirring over a low simmer until the flour cooks and the liquid thickens. Turn off the heat, add half of the roasted tomatillo chile salsa, some additional fresh chopped cilantro and fold in the shredded chicken meat. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Change the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees F and begin assembling the dish. Take a large baking dish and smear the bottom with some of the reserved tomatillo salsa. Now take the flour tortillas and briefly flash them over the stove-top flame (or put them briefly under the broiler if using an electric stove). Using a shallow bowl, coat each tortilla lightly with the reserved salsa mix. Put a scoop of the shredded chicken-enchilada mix on top of the tortilla followed by a sprinkle of the shredded cheese. Fold the tortilla over the filling and roll like a cigar to enclose it. Using a spatula place the tortillas in the baking dish and continue to do the same with all the tortillas. Mix the half and half into the remainder of the salsa, pour on top of the rolled enchiladas and top with the remaining cheese. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes until bubbly and cracked on top. Garnish with cilantro and tomato.

Serve hot with sour cream and fresh guacamole, if desired.

Taco, Burrito, what's hanging out of your speedo?

My title is from a SNL cheerleader skit. I couldn't find it on Youtube, but I did find this:



My food pictures are always pretty crappy, but they've been especially crappy lately because I am so hungry by the time the food is ready! You know what happens to Professor Lupin in Harry Potter 3 when he sees the moon near the Whomping Willow? Well, that's pretty much how I get when it's time for me to eat again. (And yeah, I know I sound like a Harry Potter nerd, but at least I don't shout out "Expecto Patronum" in my sleep like my sister Julia.)

I got these recipes from my Dad who got them from the Pioneer Woman.

It's actually a recipe for cowboy nachos, but instead of serving them as an appetizer I used flour tortillas and served them up as tacos. Yummy.

Fish Tacos with Lime Mayonnaise

I mentioned in this post that I wanted to try this mayonnaise on fish tacos. It was so good. It tasted better than I ever dreamed it could! I made the avocado salsa and served them with the lime mayo and cilantro on flour tortillas. I can't wait to make them again! (Another plus- this recipe is dairy-free and could easily be made gluten free by subbing rice flour and corn tortillas.)

BATTER FOR FRYING FISH

2 c. self-rising flour
8 tbsp. cold water or more, if needed
4 tsp. salt
8 tbsp. oil
2 egg whites and 2 egg yolks
1 or more lbs. filleted fish
oil for frying

Soak fish for 25 minutes in salted water. Whisk 2 egg yolks and stir in flour, cold water, salt and oil. Mix all together. Beat 2 egg whites until stiff, fold into flour mixture. First dip fish into flour, then into batter, then into flour again and into batter again. Fry in oil until golden brown.

BBQ Chicken Tacos with Lime Mayonnaise

I found this recipe on a trial run I took of this software called SousChef that my friend Josh told me about. It was really good. I was kind of nervous about the cinnamon chicken. The recipe didn't call for any salt, which I didn't notice until after I grilled it. I sprinkled a generous amount of kosher salt on after I sliced the chicken. Problem solved, but next time I would add the salt to the spice mixture. The lime mayonnaise was insane. I want to try it on fish tacos. I think that would taste amazing! It helped that I had the perfect tomato and avocado. I love that.

Franny ate ALL of her taco and loved it, so I let her drink the rest of of my rootbeer. Sophie wasn't a fan. She spent the whole dinner crying for a banana.

Barbecued Chicken Tacos With Lime Mayonnaise
Give traditional Mexican ingredients a modern twist in these fabulous tacos with zingy lime mayonnaise.

ingredients
2 tomato, chopped
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 avocado, peeled, stone removed and diced
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, mixed with
2 teaspoons dried oregano, and
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon oil
4 chicken breast
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 lime, juice and zest of, finely grated
1 head lettuce, shredded
cilantro
tortillas (we used both flour and corn)

directions
1. Preheat a broiler/griddle or barbecue.
2. Mix the tomatoes, red onion and avocado.
3. In a large bowl combine the mixed spice and herb mixture with the oil until well blended.
4. Add the chicken to the spice and herb mixture and turn in the mixture to coat well.
5. Cook the chicken breasts on a medium heat for 12-15 minutes, turning a couple of times.
6. When the chicken is fully cooked through, place on a chopping board and slice.
7. To make the lime mayonnaise, mix together the mayonnaise, lime juice and zest.
8. To serve; fill the tacos with the sliced chicken, avocado salad and lettuce. Drizzle with the lime mayonnaise and sprinkle with cilantro.

Sunday Dinner

I realized I haven't been posting new Sunday dinner entries for a really long time. With the weather being so hot, I thought we'd keep it fresh and light. A med school couple we know was giving away their grill and we were the lucky recipients! Bah-duh-bah-bah-bah-- I'm loving it.

Chile Rubbed Steak Tacos with Grilled Tomato Salsa
adapted using recipes from Bobby Flay and Martha Stewart

8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

2 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

2 tablespoons mild chili powder

2 tablespoons light-brown sugar

2 teaspoons smoked or sweet paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 pounds skirt steak
1/2 head romaine lettuce, thinly shredded
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, halved and diced
Grilled Tomato Salsa, recipe follows
8 ounces sour cream

Heat grill to high.

Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil and on the top rack of the grill while the steak is grilling.

Heat grill pan over high heat. On a work surface, crush garlic cloves using the flat side of a large knife; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place the flat side of the knife blade on top of the garlic and salt; press firmly, pulling knife toward you. Repeat until a paste forms; transfer to a small bowl. Add chili powder, brown sugar, paprika, cumin, pepper, espresso, and remaining tablespoon salt; stir to combine. Rub mixture all over skirt steak. Grill on one side until golden brown and slightly charred, about 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the steak over and cook to medium-rare doneness, about 3 to 4 minutes longer. Let rest 5 minutes then slice against the grain into 1/4-inch thick slices.

Fill each tortilla with some lettuce, 3 to 4 pieces of meat, onion, grilled tomato salsa, sour cream, and avocado.

Grilled Tomato Salsa:
2 tablespoons canola oil, plus more for brushing tomatoes
2 serrano chiles
1 small red onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled
6 plum tomatoes, halved and seeded
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 limes, juiced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Heat grill to high.

Heat oil in a small saute pan and saute the chiles, onion, and garlic until soft.

Brush tomatoes with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill on both sides until slightly charred and soft.

Transfer tomatoes and serrano mixture to a food processor; add the lime juice and salt and pepper and process until smooth. Add the cilantro and pulse a few times (there should be flecks of cilantro in the salsa.) Transfer to a bowl.

Grilled Corn on the Cob with BBQ Butter
from Bobby Flay

2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 small red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
2 teaspoons Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Perfectly Grilled Corn, recipe follows

Heat the oil in a medium saute pan over high heat until almost smoking. Add the onion and cook until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the ancho powder, paprika, cumin and cayenne and cook for 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup of water and cook until the mixture becomes thickened and the water reduces. Let cool slightly.

Place the butter in a food processor, add the spice mixture and Worcestershire sauce and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, scrape the mixture into a small bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Bring to room temperature before serving and spread the butter over the corn while hot.

Perfectly Grilled Corn:
4 ears corn
Kosher salt

Heat the grill to medium.

Pull the outer husks down the ear to the base. Strip away the silk from each ear of corn by hand. Fold husks back into place and tie the ends together with kitchen string. Place the ears of corn in a large bowl of cold water with 1 tablespoon of salt for 10 minutes.

Remove corn from water and shake off excess. Place the corn on the grill, close the cover and grill for 15 to 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes, or until kernels are tender when pierced with a paring knife. Remove the husks and eat on the cob or remove the kernels.

How to remove corn kernels from cob: To remove kernels from cobs of either raw or cooked corn, stand cob upright on its stem end in a large pan, holding tip with fingers. Cut down the sides of cob with sharp paring knife, releasing kernels without cutting into cob. Run dull edge of knife down the cob to release any remaining corn and liquid.

Shrimp Enchiladas and Sweet Corn Cakes

Franny's consultant came over for lunch yesterday. We do this every couple of months and it's a great opportunity for me to ask questions about Franny and get lots of helpful advice. Plus, she's fun to hang out with.

I've been craving shrimp like crazy lately, and I always love opportunities like this when I'm cooking for someone else besides Bobby to cook with seafood. I found this recipe on My Kitchen Cafe months ago, and I've been dying to try it. It looked so tasty and indulgent with all the whipping cream and sour cream... I couldn't resist.

So, I'm guessing some of you reading this are a little intimidated by cooking with shrimp, especially fresh shrimp, so I thought I'd say a little something on the subject.

First, why buy fresh shrimp with the shells still on when you can buy it cooked and ready to go? Let me tell you why. First, fresh will always taste better. Second, you can buy exactly as much as you need if you buy it from the case. Third, chances are, your recipe calls for some step where you have to saute your shrimp (or cook it in some other way) with an opportunity to flavor that shrimp with butter, lemon, spices, and salt so it will be delicious. If you've purchased pre-cooked shrimp, then you'll have one of two problems: either you go ahead and follow the instructions in the recipe to flavor the shrimp, resulting in a tough and rubbery texture, OR you skip that step and miss out on all those delicious flavors. Neither option is acceptable.

So here's what I always do. I really HATE shelling and deveining shrimp. It's gross and I always gag a little in my mouth when I have to do it. They don't smell very good and they're not very pretty. I'll usually do it the night before and keep them in the fridge so that the next day all I have to do is pull them out and they're ready to go.

So here's how ugly they look when you start.


But look how pretty they are only minutes later:


They cook faster than you'd think, so watch them. You don't want to overcook them.

Shrimp Enchiladas
adapted from My Kitchen Cafe

1/2 cup sweet red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup onion, minced
1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 cups Monterey Jack cheese, divided (you can use half pepper-jack cheese for great results)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons butter
1 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 cups ripe tomatoes, chopped
7 or 8 (9-inch) flour tortillas

Saute red pepper and onion in 1/4 cup butter until crisp-tender. Add oregano, salt, garlic powder, pepper, cayenne pepper, and flour. (I poured them into a small bowl and mixed them so they were ready to add all at once.) Stir for about thirty seconds and then pour the cream in. Continue cooking for 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add 1 1/2 cups cheese; stir until melted. Add sour cream, stir to blend. Set aside.

In another skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Saute shrimp and 1/2 cup onion until shrimp are pink. Remove shrimp and chop; return to butter and onion. Add chopped tomatoes and 1/2 of the cheese sauce. Spoon 1/3 cup shrimp mixture into each tortilla. Sprinkle cheese on top of shrimp mixture. Roll up tightly. Arrange seam side down in a 9X13-inch glass baking dish. Spoon remaining cheese sauce over tortillas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.


(I used Monterey pepper-jack cheese and I wish I had followed the suggestions in the recipe and used half Monterey jack and half pepper jack. It was pretty spicy. So I just added more sour cream and spread it on top. Worked like a charm, but I could have saved those calories if I had cut down on some of the heat in the pepper-jack. I'll leave it up to you. :)


I also served some sweet corn cakes, a lot like the ones you may have tried at Chevy's or my family's favorite restaurant while I was growing up: El Torito.

I didn't want to go out again to get some masa harina so I substituted 1/3 cup flour + 1 Tbs corn meal for the masa harina and was pleased with the results. So yummy!

Sweet Corn Cake

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup masa harina
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1. In a medium bowl beat butter until it is creamy. Add the Mexican corn flour and water and beat until well mixed.
2. Using a food processor, process thawed corn, but leave chunky. Stir into the butter mixture.
3. In a separate bowl, mix cornmeal, sugar, cream, salt, and baking powder. Add to corn flour mixture and stir to combine. Pour batter into an ungreased 8x8 inch baking pan. Smooth batter and cover with aluminum foil. Place pan into a 9x13 inch baking dish that is filled a third of the way with water.
4. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven F (175 degrees C) oven for 50 to 60 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Use an ice cream scoop for easy removal from pan.

And here's how the story ends:

Salsa Verde Carnitas

I've been craving Mexican for a long time and I found this recipe on Simply Recipes. It was delicious! I used bottled salsa verde and thought it tasted great. I didn't bother with the cabbage because I didn't feel like making another trip to the store. We were able to make three meals out of this. The first night I ate alone because Bobby had an impromptu dinner with his classmates. Two carnitas tacos and a diet coke really hit the spot!

• 3 1/2 pounds pork butt (pork shoulder)
• 2 cups salsa verde, bottled, canned, or homemade
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 1 Tbsp fresh chopped oregano (or 1 teas dried)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Salt

• 12 to 16 corn tortillas, heated and softened
• 1/4 head of cabbage, very thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon seasoned rice vinegar (if you only have unseasoned, add 1/4 teaspoon of sugar to it)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 1/2 cup crumbled Cotija Mexican farmer's cheese, or some grated Monterey Jack cheese
• Crema fresca, crema Mexican, or sour cream
• Chopped cilantro leaves for garnish

1 Trim the excess fat from the roast. Put the meat in a large casserole or Dutch oven with salsa verde, onion, stock, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and oregano. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat, cover, and simmer until meat is very tender when pierced, about 3 hours.

2 Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove meat from liquid in pot and put the meat into a roasting pan. With 2 forks, tear meat into large shreds. Roast meat for 15 to 20 minutes until parts are brown and crispy.

3. While the meat is roasting, skim and discard fat from liquid in the casserole pan. Boil juices, stirring, until reduced to 2 1/2 cups, 8 to 10 minutes.

4 Return the meat to the Dutch oven. Stir in chopped cilantro. Season with salt.

George's

When we go back to California, I always try to make a trip into Huntington Beach to see old friends and visit the place where I grew up. I'm embarrassed to say that although we visited my second home in high school, the King residence, and spent an hour or so with two very good friends, Lori and Liz, the only pictures I took were of my favorite hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant, George's. They have insanely good Mexican food. My family loved that place! Here's a picture of their super nachos, which by the way left a huge void in my life when our family moved away from Huntington Beach. (By the way, the McDonald's sign behind it is the McDonald's of my childhood. I hate McDonald's food, but I really love this particular location because it's the one my Mom took us to. It always really bothered me that McDonald's never had root beer.)




What's that, you ask? Were they as good as I remember? I ate the entire plate. Then I proceeded to eat one shredded beef taco. Noone can make a shredded beef taco like George. It was fabulous. Apparently I thought we were having an speed-eating contest or I was afraid Sophie was going to try and steal my food, because I finished mine in record time. I was kind of bored so I started snapping pictures of my family enjoying one of my favorite HB spots. That was kind of fun for me.



Since I stupid didn't take any pictures with Lori and Liz, here's one that was taken TWO years ago at the Kings. It was fun to see Lori and Haws' new apartment and meet Liz's husband Derek.

I got together with Lori, Kelly, and Lindsey in September when I was visiting and I never posted the pictures, even though I had Lori take a picture of this kid for me. I told her I wanted it for my blog and then I never posted it. I love how these girls take time away from their busy schedules and families to spend time with me when I'm in town. They're all such cool girls and VERY good friends. Thanks in large part to all of these girls, Sara, Laura, Mary, and Sara T., my high school years were so much fun!

Celebrating the "Mexicanity" of the Quesadilla

I got to spend some time with my Aunt Gayle a few days while I was in California and we had some good talks. I really enjoyed our time together. She took me out to lunch at this place called Salsa Brava. She suggested we order these shrimp quesadillas and I haven't been able to stop thinking about them since. This morning at 11 am after Sophie went down for her nap I set out to recreate this delicious twist on the classic Mexican dish. I was not disappointed.

I only changed a few things in this recipe. I added a bit of chili powder to the shrimp before I broiled them. I also added a squeeze of lime juice when I was tossing the shrimp with the oil. I made four quesadillas with the ingredients in this recipe, not 3 like the recipe suggests. I sliced up an avocado and served the slices on top of the quesadilla wedges. I also served them with sour cream. Mmmmm.... I know I won't stop thinking about these quesadillas anytime soon.

Shrimp and Tomatillo Quesadillas

2 red bell peppers

1 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled, deveined
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Vegetable oil
6 9- to 10-inch-diameter flour tortillas
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups (packed) grated Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeños (about 8 ounces)
1 cup (packed) grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)
6 medium tomatillos , husked, thinly sliced

Char bell peppers over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Remove from heat. Enclose peppers in paper bag. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel and seed peppers. Cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Set aside.

Preheat broiler. Toss shrimp with 1 tablespoon oil. Place on baking sheet. Broil shrimp until just opaque in center, about 2 minutes. Cut shrimp lengthwise in half. Transfer to bowl.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush 2 baking sheets with oil. Place 2 tortillas on 1 prepared baking sheet. Place 1 tortilla on second prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle 1/4 cup chopped cilantro over each tortilla, then 1/3 cup Monterey Jack cheese and 1/3 cup cheddar cheese. Arrange 8 tomatillo slices atop cheese on each tortilla, then bell pepper strips and shrimp, dividing equally. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese over shrimp on each tortilla, dividing equally. Top with remaining 3 tortillas, pressing lightly to adhere. Brush tops of tortillas with oil. Bake quesadillas until cheese melts and tortillas are crisp, about 10 minutes.

Cut each quesadilla into 6 wedges and serve.

Serves 6.

Sunday Dinner

In my opinion,
anything that
goes well with
these ingredients
is guaranteed
delicious.

Every once in a while I get a craving for a Cafe Rio Salad that must be satisfied. I made Jill's recipes for Cafe Rio Pork and Tomatillo dressing, my homemade salsa and guac, a new recipe for Chipotle's lime-cilantro rice, and corn tortilla strips that I fried up to put on top. All of these were served over romaine lettuce with black beans, sour cream, cilantro, and fresh limes as well. It worked out nicely because I made the pork and dressing on Friday night and we had tacos, and then on Sunday I prepared the rest of the ingredients, so I didn't have to prepare all this food in one day. and I also served fresh squeezed lemonade. I made a syrup with sugar and water, let it cool and then mixed in fresh lemon juice and then mixed that with ice water. I'm not sure it was worth the effort. Country Time makes a decent product.

Feast your eyes on this delicious homemade peanut butter cheesecake that Dan and Jolyn brought. It was SO GOOD. I have been having a couple bites of it with every meal since last night! Beautiful presentation, too.

My Mom's chicken enchiladas

It worked out nicely that while I'm featuring my Mom's recipes on my blog my sister happened to be in town. I asked her which of mom's recipes she wanted me to make and this was one of the first she suggested: Mom's green chile enchiladas. I think most households prepare some variety of this delicious dish, but there are a few ingredients that I wouldn't think of leaving out, so I thought it would be fun to post my mom's recipe (with just a few of my own personal tweaks. :)

Start with 3 or 4 thawed seasoned chicken breasts (I like to season them with Tony Cacherie's cajun seasoning) and simmer in a large pot of water until just cooked through. Shred with two forks and allow to cool a bit. Shred 1/2 pound of pepper-jack cheese. This is important, not just Monterey Jack and definitely not cheddar, but pepper-jack cheese. I wouldn't think of making these without the right kind of cheese. Scoop some sour cream (about 3/4 cup?) into the chicken with a small handful of shredded cheese and about a 1/2 cup of green chile enchilada sauce. Add 1/2 can of diced green chiles, some cumin (1/2 tsp?), some chopped fresh cilantro, and salt and pepper. Roll the chicken mixture into flour tortillas and place in a greased casserole dish. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the rolled enchiladas and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Add the rest of the shredded cheese on top for the last 5 minutes.

My sister enjoyed the enchiladas. My doesn't add cumin or cilantro when she makes hers and I thought it was funny when Annie asked, "what's this green stuff?"

Me: "Cilantro, do you like it?"
Annie, with a little hesitation: "...yeah..."

She also asked for strawberry waffles. She's so cute- Annie likes them best with the fruit on top of the whipped cream. She's not really smelling her knee, she just didn't want me to take this picture. I had some leftover blackberries from some jam I made the night before so I threw those in with the strawberries and I was really happy with the results.