Barbacoa Butternut Tortilla Lasagna

Time for a quickie. Of course, this is only a quick one IF you happen to have leftover barbacoa and roasted butternut squash on hand...and I did. 

Looking for something to do with next week's turkey? Barbacoa Butternut Tortilla Lasagna might be just the recipe you need. Leftover fajita fixings? Or taco meat? Yup. This is for you!

Instead of lasagna noodles, I used flour tortillas. In my case, gluten free wraps performed the duties of flour tortillas to perfection. No difference whatsoever! 

Layer up tortillas, smoky salsa, sweet roasted butternut squash, earthy spinach, salty queso fresco and savory, beefy, barbocoa (or leftover protein of your choice), bake, and there's one easy, colorful, and delicious dinner on the table in a snap. 

(Don't have a barbacoa recipe? Here's mine from a little while back. You're welcome! Spicy Barbacoa With Chilies For Tacos, Frito Pie And Especially For Chris)

Barbacoa Butternut Tortilla Lasagna

• 6-8 appox. 8" diameter flour tortillas - I used Toufayan Gluten Free Wraps to make this GF
• 1 C smoky, chunky salsa - I used Jardine's Campfire Salsa
• 2 C roasted butternut squash
• 10 oz package o frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 8 oz queso fresco, crumbled - feta makes a perfectly wonderful substitution!
• 1 1/2 C leftover barbacoa - if you use leftover turkey or another unseasoned meat, mix in a half packet of taco seasoning for some oomph!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spread a little salsa in the bottom of a shallow gratin dish - I used maybe a 9"-10" X 6"-7" oval casserole dish...yep, the Corning Ware French White large dish we all have tucked away somewhere. 

From here we're making layers of ingredients - like a lasagna. The tortillas won't fit, so tear them as you go to fit in a single layer. Next slather on 1/3 of the salsa, scatter  1/2 the barbacoa, then 1/3 of the squash, 1/3 of the spinach, 1/3 of the queso fresco, then repeat the same layers. The last layer doesn't use barcacoa, but otherwise is the same.

This is how it looks before going into the oven. Colorful!

Cover the dish loosely with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool 10 minutes then cut into squares and serve!  

Spicy Barbacoa With Chilies For Tacos, Frito Pie And Especially For Chris

If there's one thing I'll consistently order at every Mexican restaurant I visit, it's anything that includes rich, flavorful, beefy barbacoa redolent with earthy chilies and warm spices. It hugs both my soul and my tummy at the very same time.

Speaking of warm and wonderful, my dear, sweet friend, Chris (who suddenly passed recently) adored Frito Pie. Of course she did, she was a Texan through and through! Her recipes reflected her great big Texas heart and her fiery, bright spirit; her messages to each member of the cooking group we belonged to were warm and loving. Chris is terribly missed. We are fortunate her love of food - especially all things spicy - lives on in her favorite recipes.

Just what is Frito Pie? It depends on who you ask. Search the internet and it comes in all varieties. Baked. Cold. Some crush the Fritos to make an actual pie crust. Most recipes use chili. Some use canned, some use homemade. Chili with or without beans...it doesn't seem to matter. And that's the beauty of this dish. It is totally versatile, open to interpretation, created each time at the whim of the cook. I love a forgiving recipe, don't you?

Many members of our cooking group made Frito Pie in Chris's memory. Undoubtedly she is smiling down from heaven that, all around the country, we're cooking one of her favorite treats just for her. Chris, this one's for you!

Spicy Barbacoa With Chilies

• 3 pound chuck roast
• 3 T canola oil
• 2 dried guajillo peppers, broken into small pieces (look for them in the Latin section of the grocery store)
• 2 dried ancho chilies, broken into small pieces (look for these in the same place as above)
• 2 t chipotle chile powder
• 2 t ancho chile powder
• 2 t smoked paprika
• 1 t hot paprika
• 3 T espresso powder
• 2 T granulated garlic
• 2 t onion powder
• 1/2 t cinnamon
• 1 1/2 T kosher salt
• 2 t cocoa nibs
• 3 T dark brown sugar
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes and peppers
• 2 onions, peeled and slivered - I used 1 yellow onion and 1 red onion
• 1 sweet red bell pepper, seeded and slivered
• 2 large jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed, slivered
• 1/2 head garlic, skins removed, sliced thinly
• 1 envelope ranch dressing mix
• 1 bottle of beer - use a good Mexican beer if you like - I used gluten free beer to keep this GF
• 2 T demerara sugar - or light brown sugar

Rub:

In a spice or coffee grinder - or a blender - put the pieces of dried chilies and dried cocoa nibs. Give them a good whirl until they're broken down into small pieces. Transfer to a small bowl and add the chile powders, paprikas, espresso powder, granulated garlic, onion powder, cinnamon, kosher salt and brown sugar. Mix together well. Rub half of the mixture into both sides of the roast and set the rest aside for the next time you make this - and you WILL.

Heat a skillet large enough to hold the chuck roast and add oil. When the oil is good and hot, carefully add the roast to the skillet and brown it well on both sides. 

While the beef is browning, add half the onions, sweet red pepper, garlic slivers and jalapeno to the slow cooker. Once it's browned place the chuck roast on top and add the rest of the onions, peppers, garlic and jalapenos, the can of RoTel and sprinkle on the demerara (or brown) sugar and the envelope of ranch dressing mix. Pour the beer over all, cover and cook on high for 6-7 hours. Once the roast falls apart easily, it's done. 

You can use it right away or refrigerate for the next day. Flavors are always better the next day, aren't they? Use for tacos, Chris's Frito Pie or any other use you can think of. Quesadillas? Sure! Nachos? Why not? Burritos? You bet! Here's how I used my Barbacoa.

Frito Pie for Chris.

Tacos: Take a couple of soft corn tortillas and lay on the barbacoa and your favorite goodies!

Frito Pie: In a shallow bowl, make a layer of Fritos, then barbacoa, shredded colby jack cheese (or your own fave cheese), diced avocado, thinly sliced green onions, a little chopped tomato and a sprinkling of cilantro. Oh, and a slathering of Hatch Chile salsa...Hatch chilies were Chris's favorite!

Carne Rojo (Shredded Beef With Red Chilies)

Happy Cinco de Mayo, all! What's the Mexican classic on the Dinner Plan-it table tonight? My version of a Mexican classic, Carne Rojo, over cilantro rice and garnished with black beans, crema, jalapenos and cilantro. There WILL be a molcajete filled with guacamole, too.   

This recipe may be a little too late for you to make it for tonight's happy celebration of the Mexican victory over the French in 1862 at the Battle of Puebla, but there's nothing stopping you from making it all throughout the year, is there?  

Are you wondering what makes Rojo red? A TON of chilies! I used Ancho, Chipotle and Guajillo peppers and threw in the additional rosy hue of three kinds of paprika for emphasis...sweet, hot and smoked. For both depth of color and flavor, next I added in ground espresso and ground cocoa nibs. Cocoa nibs added sweetness as well as depth and dark brown sugar added even more of a balance of sweetness against the heat of the chilies. Garlic, onion and kosher salt rounded out the rub.

I'd recommend making a double batch so you have plenty of leftovers for tacos or tostadas for the next night's dinner...IF there are any leftovers. Oh. Don't forget a damned good margarita to celebrate in style!

Carne Rojo
(Shredded Beef With Red Chilies)

• 3 lb chuck roast

Rub:

• 2 whole dried guajillo chilies, crumbled - get the dried chilies at Reyna's in the Strip District or even in the Mexican section of Giant Eagle, Whole Foods or Trader Joe's 
• 3 T ground espresso
• 3 T dark brown sugar
• 2 T granulated garlic
• 1 1/2 T kosher salt
• 2 t onion powder
• 2 t smoked paprika
• 2 t chipotle powder
• 2 t ancho chile powder
• 2 t cocoa nibs, crushed with a mortar and pestle
• 1 t hot paprika
• 1 t sweet paprika
• 1/2 t cinnamon

• 1 T canola oil
• 1 1/2 C water

Combine all the rub ingredients - crumbled guajillo peppers through cinnamon - and mix well. I used my molcajete for this step and ground the guajillo peppers and cocoa nibs together. You could easily use a spice grinder or just mix it all up in a bowl. This makes more than you will need, but save what's next for the next time you make this...there WILL be a next time.

Molcajete filled with Rojo Rub.

Put the beef on a baking sheet and put 2 T of the rub on the top side. Rub the rub into the meat thoroughly, pressing it into the meat and rubbing well. Flip the beef over and do the same thing on the other side.

Rojo rubbed chuck roast ready for browning.

In a deep enamel pot with a cover (one that just holds the beef is ideal, but a larger one is just fine, too), heat the oil on the stovetop. Once it is hot, gently place the rubbed beef into the pot. Brown on one side, then flip gently and brown the other side. Carefully add the water, bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover with the lid and simmer until the beef falls apart easily. It took 3 hours for mine to get where I like it. Yours may take more or less time, so keep an eye on it and don't let it dry out. If necessary (it wasn't in my case), add a little more water.

Using two forks, shred the beef into the pan liquids and either serve immediately or keep warm until dinner. Or make it a day or two before...you know how things are better the next day! 

Serve over rice or spoon into tortillas or just serve it up in bowls. I spooned it over rice and will use the leftovers for tacos tomorrow.  Don't you love a versatile and delicious recipe? I know I do.

Texas Eggs In Poblanos

If you really use your imagination...and kind of squint your eyes a bit...do you see the resemblance of a poblano half to the state of (yeeeeehawwwww) Texas? Me too! Do real Texans make eggs this way? I really have no clue, but why not?! It makes a great name for a brunch dish that comes in a Texas-shaped edible container anyway.

Spicy chorizo, smooth and creamy avocado, sharp cheddar, sultry cilantro and some other TexMex regular customers all gathered 'round the kitchen this morning for quite the satisfying brunch. It didn't take a lot of Sunday morning effort, either. In fact, you could cut the peppers, grate the cheese and fry up the chorizo the night before. From there, it's a snap. 

While the eggs are baking, it even gives you lots of time to make a nice pitcher of Bloody Maria's or even a Michelada. I'm sure that's what they'd serve up with Texas eggs in Texas anyway. Saddle up for brunch, pardner!

Texas Eggs in Poblanos

Serves 1

• 1 poblano pepper, (choose a nice big round one instead of a flat one - holds the egg) cut in half lengthwise, seeds and ribs removed
• 2 eggs
• 1 link Mexican chorizo, fried and crumbled
• 1/2 C or so of grated sharp cheddar
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 avocado, sliced and dipped in lime juice
• 2 small tomatoes, chopped
• 1 T chopped fresh cilantro plus additional for garnish
• 2 T sweet onion, finely chopped
• salt to taste
• green Tabasco

Set the oven to 400 degrees.

Place the pepper halves into a shallow casserole dish and break an egg into each half. Bake approximately 20 minutes or until the egg is set the way you like it.

While the eggs are baking, make the fresh salsa. Combine tomatoes, onion, cilantro and salt to taste. Add a dash (or MORE) of Green Tabasco (I LOVE this stuff!) and spoon onto a serving plate. 

When the eggs are done, nestle them into the salsa, surround them with shredded cheese, sliced avocado, the cooked chorizo and garnish with more cilantro and lots of green Tabasco or even a little salsa verde.

This presentation is lovely...but right after the pic, I mixed everything up and piled it on top of the peppers. Maybe not as pretty, but easier eating! And that's what counts.

NOTE: Of course you can double, triple, quadruple the recipe to serve as many as you need!

Sweet & Smoky Chipotle Toffee Nuts

Waaaaay back in my misspent youth  at the Behrend campus of Penn State (when the NY state line was 15 minutes away and legal drinking age was 18), one of the tunes we danced all night to was a slightly raunchy tune that went, "Hot nuts, hot nuts...you get 'em from the peanut man." Why am I bringing that up? Every time I make one of our favorite snacks, Sweet & Smoky Chipotle Toffee Nuts, I end up singing that song...much to the chagrin of those around me.

What are hot nuts...er...Sweet & Smoky Chipotle Toffee Nuts? Skillet-toasted, cashews, pistachio meats, hazelnuts and almonds encased in a toffee-ish coating enhanced with chipotle powder, cumin, sea salt and lime zest. A little sweet and salty, a little smoky and spicy and a little citrus zip to bring it all together into a delightful fall or winter snack.

You know, Sweet & Smoky Chipotle Toffee Nuts make a great homemade gift for very special friends, too. Isn't it nice not to need the peanut man to get hot nuts when you can do it yourself? Here's how.....

Sweet & Smoky Chipotle Toffee Nuts

 

• 3 tablespoons peanut oil, or canola
• 3/4 cup whole raw almonds
• 3/4 cup whole cashews
• 3/4 cup whole hazelnuts
• 3/4 cup whole pistachio meats - buy them already shelled or enlist the kids to help
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
• 1 lime, zested - save the lime and juice for a margarita to go with!
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Heat oil in a heavy skillet (cast iron) over medium-high heat.  Add the nuts and sprinkle with 1/2 cup sugar.  Saute until the almonds become golden brown and the sugar caramelizes, stirring constantly.
 
Remove nuts from the pan and toss in a bowl with the salt, cumin, chipotle, lime zest and remaining sugar.  Immediately spread over foil to cool.  When your nuts are cool, break them up using two forks.  Store in airtight container. 

NOTE: These go really well with a good Mexican beer or even a margarita on the rocks...that one's MY choice!

Green Chile Pork Pozole - Crockpot-Style

For YEARS I've been seeing recipes for a Mexican dish called alternately posole or pozole. Some recipes used pork, some used chicken, some had a red chile base, some used green chiles...ALL sounded rich, spicy and satisfying. 

Depending upon the source, I ripped or printed out probably dozens of versions over the last 6-7 years and never once made one of them. But. After years of pouring over recipes, I knew just what parts of recipes sounded like a fit with my family's palates. Extra jalapeno heat, deep smoky cumin, a little herbaceousness via a hint of oregano, LOTS of tender pork and and lots of sweet, corn-y almost potato-y hominy.
 
To make it easy, I went with long, slow crockpot cooking. Easy yes, but I sure didn't want to sacrifice the flavor of what  browning would do for the pork and veggies...so I browned boneless pork shoulder before adding to the crockpot and then softened garlic, onion and tomatillos in the drippings. I deglazed with the pan with green enchilada sauce to get every last bit of goodness out of the skillet and into the crockpot. 
 
After cooking all day (or all night in my case), the result is a thick soup (or thin stew - depending on your glass-half-full/half-empty interpretation) that is ladled into bowls, garnished with bright green cilantro and a healthy squeeze of a lime wedge or two.
 
Our fall dinner menus consist of a few favorite Mexican-inspired soups/stews seeming just made for cool nights and warm tummies. Pozole just joined the ranks of that list! Pozole sits right in line now with chili, white chili and taco soup. 

Next time I think I might try scooping a mound of brown rice or black beans into the center of the bowl. Maybe I'll try it with chicken...or turkey. What is definite here is that I'll positively be making this one again. Frequently!



            Green Chile Pork Pozole - Crockpot-Style

• 2 T. canola oil
• 2 1/2 pound boneless pork loin roast, cubed, browned 

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 tomatillos, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

 

• 1 28-ounce can green enchilada sauce
• 2 15 to 16 ounce cans hominy, drained

• fresh cilantro
• lime wedges

In a large, heavy skillet, brown pork in oil in 3 batches. Move each batch to the crockpot as it is done. Saute the veggies and seasonings in the oil left in the skillet until veggies are softened, add to crockpot. Add enchilada sauce to the skillet and stir up all the browned bits, getting ALL the good stuff off the bottom and into the sauce. Add to the crockpot along with the hominy.
 
Cover and cook on high for 2 hours, then low 6 to 8 hours or until pork is tender.

To serve: Ladle into soup bowls. Garnish with a squeeze of lime and a sprinkling of chopped fresh cilantro. 

Serve with cornbread.

6 servings.

Bloody Maria - Verde-Style

Those of you who have been following Dinner Plan-it for a while, know of my penchant for Bloody Marys. Those of you who just stumbled upon this blog also now know of my not-so-secret favorite cocktail!  Blame it on my Uncle Harry who mixed these vodka concoctions for weekend brunches back in the 50's (yes, I was way too young to be drinking them...but those sneaked sips had me hooked!) and served them with my very first ever Eggs Benedict. The man could COOK!  And he mixed a mean cocktail.  (He also made one refreshing ADULT snowball in the summer with shaved ice, sloe gin and chocolate syrup, too...that's for another post...maybe in the heat of July or August.)

A while ago, my Restaurant Week post prominently featured a Bloody Maria from Verde Kitchen + Cantina.  I have to tell you this is THE best in the city.  Smooth yet with a kick of heat and subtle undertones of mysterious Mexican peppers, Verde's version is divine. Like all of my favorite Bloodies, Verde's is a homemade mix.  What makes their Bloody so special? Hannah, Verde's lovely bar manager, shared with me the secret of a couple of the ingredients - fresh garlic and dried guajillo peppers.  Could I duplicate their subtly spicy red magic?  I gave it a try.

I toasted a few dried guajillo peppers in a dry skillet, covered them with water and simmered until they softened. After the guajillos were cooled and moved to a big glass bowl, I tossed in a few cloves of garlic, some jalapenos, lime AND lemon juice, celery ribs, cumin, mesquite smoked salt (my new find!) along with a few other goodies and let it mellow out overnight in the fridge. How did it turn out?

It was WONDERFUL!  Did it match the sublime Verde version? Nope. Is it one of my best homegrown versions? Absolutely! I'll be making these regularly for brunch at home, but I'll STILL be looking forward to Sunday, Bloody Sundays at Verde.

Oh! Here's a little preview of coming attractions...I served these at a fun brunch on our deck last Sunday to some food blogger friends and cocktail cohorts. Recipes for Szechuan Smoked Pork Belly and Grilled Pina Coladas coming up! Soon. 

Bloody Marias - Verde-Style

• 2 T. wheat free Tamari - or soy sauce if gluten isn't an issue for you
• 2 ribs celery - sliced thinly across
• 2 garlic cloves - smashed, left whole
• 1 large jalapeno - sliced thinly
• 2 t. mesquite smoked salt
• 2 t. cumin
• a handful of cilantro leaves
• a large dried guajillo pepper - broken into large pieces (you can find these in the Mexican section of Giant Eagle or (more fun!) Reyna's in the Strip District)
• the juice of 1 lime
• the juice of 1 lemon
• a bottle of high fiber V-8 - I think it gives a better mouthfeel and substance to the mix

Start by toasting the dried chile in a dry skillet (I love cast iron for this) over medium heat. When it smells warm and toasty, cover with water, bring to a boil, lower heat immediately and simmer until it is soft and pliable. Remove and cool.

In a large glass bowl, add all of the above ingredients along with the toasted and softened guajillo pepper pieces. Stir and refrigerate overnight, covered.

The next day, remove the solids from the liquids with a large slotted spoon or spider and squeeze all the liquid from the solids letting the liquid fall back into the bowl. Once all the solids have been removed you have Bloody Mary or Bloody Maria base! Transfer to a glass or plastic pitcher and refrigerate until cocktail time. 

Assembly: In a pint glass or Mason jar, pour 1 1/2-2 ounces of mezcal, tequila or vodka - whichever you prefer (I like smoky mezcal in a Bloody Maria). Add the Bloody Mary base 2/3 of the way of the glass, add ice to the top and garnish with fresh lime. Stir gently. Enjoy.

Samosa Potato Tacos with Smoked Corn, Jalapeno & Poblano Salsa

  

Have you been to the PGH Taco Truck yet? Maybe more accurately, has the PGH Taco Truck been to YOU? That's the beauty of a free-range, free-roaming, cage-free food truck - it isn't tethered to one solitary spot. All the goodness of whatever specialty food is on-board travels the area if not directly TO you, at least NEAR you.

The outskirts of Pittsburgh (occasionally within the city limits, but that's another story...sigh) are blessed with a herd of these behemoth trucks representing all variety of foods. In the mood for sushi? The Fukuda Truck. Burgers? Ah, you have a selection here with BRGR or Steer & Wheel. Cupcakes? Hot dogs? Grilled cheese? Respectively, Dozen Dessert Truck, Franktuary Truck and Oh My Grill. Even Pittsburgh's Polish favorite pierogies are represented with the PGHPierogie Truck! Essentially, if you have a craving itch, there's a food truck to scratch it.

Lately, Mark and I have often been scratching the itch for tacos at the PGH Taco Truck. The bright red truck hangs out regularly at the Coffee Budhha on Perry Highway (Rte. 19) in the North Hills. James, the talent behind the tacos, cooks up some out-of-this-world and out-of-the-ordinary tacos to please the waiting crowds wherever he goes. Not only do we buy tacos for ourselves, they make wonderful take-along treats when visiting friends!

So far Mark and I have tried the SeaBak (named for Rick Sebak, Pittsburgh's WQED documentary treasure) consisting of scallops (Sea), bacon (bak), cheddar and guacamole - I LOVE this one! (the sea part changes with the tide - shrimp or lobster or any combination thereof may show up on the menu at James' whim); spicy jerk chicken and avocado cream - fantastic!, Mark's favorite - juicy pork with sweet Thai chili slaw, a more traditional taco of Angus ground beef with cheddar and fresh salsa - another Mark fave and organic curried potato with sriracha-lime cream just to name a few. The curried potato one? I tried to duplicate it - you know me...gotta try it at home!

I'd been craving the curried potato taco for a while. One of the things I've missed since being gluten-free is the savory Indian treat known as a samosa. Back in our Maryland days, samosas at the Columbia Fair were an item I never missed...okay, and fried dough too. I imagined a curried potato taco would taste very much the same as my long lost Indian pastry. Did it? Well, almost. 

The tender potato filling was delicious and I will most DEFINITELY be ordering it again! But it wasn't quite the samosa flavor I craved. Could I capture the flavors of both the PGH Taco Truck version and a samosa? I did! The best of both samosa AND taco all rolled into one suddenly became our new favorite vegetarian entree.

My version? Instead of ghee I toasted whole coriander seed in butter (for a vegan version try using coconut oil instead), diced cooked potatoes, onion, garam masala and at the very end added the traditional peas for a textural "pop" and sweetness against the potato and spices. Then I made a smoked corn, smoked jalapeno & poblano salsa with lime and cumin to add a little brightness and even more texture to my tacos. Even meat-loving Mark is a fan!

One more BIG plus in my book for the PGH Taco Truck. They use corn tortillas exclusively and EVERYTHING is coincidentally and naturally gluten-free. Even the soy sauce is GF. THANK YOU, James! Check Facebook and Twitter to find out where the truck is on any given day - James usually posts or tweets his schedule at the beginning of each week and updates throughout the week. Who knows? We may just see each other in line in front of the big red truck some evening soon!

Samosa Potato Tacos 

with Smoked Corn, Jalapeno & Poblano Salsa

• 2 tablespoons butter, or coconut oil to make this vegan
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1/4 cup yellow onion, very small dice
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1 pound potatoes, cooked in their skins till just tender, cooled, peeled and cut into 1/4" dice
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon garam masala (see recipe for homemade below)
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)

• 6 corn tortillas, warmed

Melt the butter (or coconut oil) in a large skillet. Add coriander seeds and toast - don't let them burn. Then add diced onions and cook gently until translucent.

Add the potatoes, garam masala and cayenne. Stir gently so the potatoes are thoroughly coated with the butter and spices - try not to let them break up too much. Remove from heat.

Add the frozen peas (the hot mixture will thaw the peas, but still let them retain the "pop" for a contrast in texture. Sprinkle with lemon juice and combine well. Keep hot.

Assemble tacos: Lay out a warmed corn tortilla and spoon some of the potato mixture down the center. Next spoon some corn salsa down the center, too. Fold over and eat with a squeeze of fresh lime.
 

Homemade garam masala: 

• 1 t. cumin
• 1 1/2 t. ground coriander
• 1 1/2 t. ground cardamom
• 1 1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 t. cinnamon
• 1/2 t. ground cloves
• 1/2 t. freshly grated nutmeg. 

Combine all the spices well. You will only use 1 teaspoon of this mixture for the potatoes so be sure to store what's left in a small bag or extra spice bottle. Be sure to mark it so you know what it is when you dig it out of the bag of the spice cabinet the next time!
   

Smoked corn salsa: Cut smoked corn or roasted corn from the cobs into a large bowl. Use about 2 cups. Set aside. While you're smoking or roasting the corn, put on 1 jalapeno and 1 poblano and cook until soft. Remove the peppers to a plastic container and cover with a lid tightly. Set aside for at least 15 minutes. When the peppers are cool, remove the skins, stems and seeds. Finely dice the peppers and add to the corn.

In a molcajete or mortar and pestle, mash 1 small garlic clove, a handful of fresh cilantro leaves, 1 finely miniced, seeded jalapeno pepper with about a teaspoon of Kosher salt. When the mixture is pulverized, add it all into the corn and peppers. Squeeze the juice of 1 lime over all with a pinch or two of cumin and mix well. The salsa is ready to top the tacos. Use any leftover salsa with chips or to top hot dogs or nachos.

 

Chili Dusted Duck Fat Sweet Potato Chips with Avocado Scrambled Eggs

After the craziness of two big nights under the fancy white tents at Savor Pittsburgh and judging all those fantastic dishes, our Sunday morning was a lazy one.  Whew!  What a non-stop few days!  Come this morning, Mark and I need a break - if only for a few quiet hours.

I'd like to say we just kind of lounged around and relaxed, sipped Bloody Marys and noshed on this beautiful brunch dish, but the relaxing occurred AFTER the cooking...then it was really well-deserved!  Had we thought ahead, the crema and chili salt could have been done the night before and would have made this morning's prep much easier.  

Still, it was worth it! Duck fat sweet potato chips dusted with chili salt, crowned with avocado cubes cuddled oh so tenderly into softly scrambled eggs (with a little jalapeno kick!) and drizzled with cilantro lime crema were just the way to chill.  

Sounds strictly like a brunch dish? Ha!  It will make killer leftovers for breakfast tomorrow!  

 

Chili Dusted Duck Fat Sweet Potato Chips 

with Avocado Scrambled Eggs

• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder

• 4 ounces sour cream, or use Fage Greek yogurt - 0% fat is what I used
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, minced
• 1 teaspoon tabasco sauce, the GREEN kind!
• Kosher salt, to taste

• duck fat
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 avocado, cubed
• 1/4 medium jalapeno, cut into 1/2" strips and then across into slivers
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Chili Salt:  Combine and set aside.
 
Crema: Combine and set aside.
 
Chips:  In a medium pot, heat 3" worth of duck fat to 375 degrees.  While the fat is heating (watch carefully!), using a vegetable peeler (I like my nice swivel blade one that's about 3-4" wide), cut thin sliced of the peeled sweet potato and let them sit until the fat is hot enough.  When the fat is at temp, fry the sliced potatoes several at a time - maybe 12 or so - until they nearly stop bubbling.  Remove with a spider or slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate.  They won't seem crisp, but will crisp up in seconds once they're out of the oil. Don't let them brown or they will be overdone.  When they're all done, keep them warm in the oven.
 
Eggs:  Melt the butter in a skillet.  In a bowl, scramble the eggs, water, jalapeno and salt with a whisk.  Pour the eggs into the skillet and gently move them with a spoon until they start to set a little.  At that point, add the avocado cubes and continue until the eggs are just how you like them.  I like mine slightly wet and not overcooked.
 
Assembly:  Mound the chips on a serving plate, sprinkle with the chile salt, mound the eggs in the center and drizzle with the crema.  Garnish if you wish.
 
NOTE TO SELF:  Make the chile salt and the crema the night before to make Sunday morning just a little more relaxing.  


By the way...my report on BOTH nights of Savor Pittsburgh is coming up in a day or two.  Stay tuned!

Rock the Guac!

It’s a good day to rock the guac!  But then again, what day isn’t?  Actually, it was yesterday that Mieke & I rocked it…by ourselves…shamelessly.  The original intention for the molcajete full of gorgeous green was to serve it as an app for the neighborhood picnic we threw on the deck last night.  Um…that didn’t happen.  Well, the picnic happened, it’s just the guac that didn’t make it to the party.

Lunch came, the avocados were sitting in the molcajete all pretty, practically begging to be mashed up with garlic, onion, jalapenos, cilantro, salt and lime juice.  Those avocados were sending secret messages to our mental tastebuds luring our hands to obey….make the guac now, make the guac NOW!  So we did.  And it was good.  Very, very good.  And we were happy.  

Of course, the picnic was guacamole-free last night, but there will be other nights with drinks on the deck and plenty of time to make guac for the neighbors.  Unless the avocados start sending secret messages again.   

Guacamole

• 2 nice ripe avocados
• 1-2 jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed, sliced thinly
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 2-3 T. chopped onion
• 2-3 T. fresh cilantro, leaves only, chopped
• Kosher salt
• 1 juice lime - more if not juicy

Don't cut avocado until you're ready to add it to the molcajete.

In bottom of molcajete, add jalapenos, garlic, onion and cilantro.  Sprinkle with salt.  Using the stone, mash and grind the veggies into a paste or as close to it as possible. 

Now cut avocado around the perimeter and twist apart.  Remove pit, use a large spoon to scoop out all that gorgeous green goodness and add it to the molcajete.  Immediately squeeze lime juice over the avocado to prevent it from turning brown.  Mash it well into the veggies in the vessel.

Taste and adjust seasonings.  Add more lime, salt, cilantro or heat depending on your preference.  Play with it! 

NOTE:  If you don't have a molcajete, use a bowl and a fork!  Just as good...and that's what I did for many years until Mieke bought me a REAL molcajete for my birthday last year.  Do you think it was a gift for both of us?  Of course, I got her one for Christmas!  Turn about, you know?

If you want to invest in a real molcajete, Williams Sonoma has a really nice (i.e., expensive) one.  If you're lucky enough to live where there's a World Market (Pittsburgh NEEDS a World Market!!!!!!!), they carry them at a VERY reasonable price!  ($19.99 as opposed to $49 for the one at Williams Sonoma...see what I mean about NEEDING a World Market?!)

 

BIG Heat Tortilla Soup!

How do you balance your body’s winter cravings for hearty, calorie rich, rib-sticking foods against your brain’s sensible advice to not give into those fattening urges?  A big pot of spicy, satisfying, yet healthy soup!  One way to fool your cravings is to pump up the spice and flavor…Tortilla Soup sure does the trick.

Mieke made this soup originally from a Rachel Ray recipe…needless to say, we have changed it significantly over the years.  More veggies?  Check.  Rotisserie chicken to simplify the prep?  Check.  More spices, more heat? Check, check.  (Thanks, Rach, for the inspiration!)

How does this work out as far as calories and fat?  Approximately 155 calories and 5 grams of total fat to a serving is pretty darn good.  Of course, that’s without the cheese, sour cream or tortilla chips.  Control that yourself by using 0% Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, less cheddar or the reduced fat variety and use fewer tortilla chips or even the baked ones.  Or, use nothing at all on the top.  Of course, without tortilla chips,  you couldn’t call it tortilla soup, could you?  But you can still call it delicious!

Big Heat Tortilla Soup

(If you like "little heat" cut the heat in half!)

About 12 servings

• 20 ounces corn, DelMonte Summer Crisp or frozen corn
• 2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
• 2 large chicken breasts, coarsely shredded - I use a HUGE rotisserie chicken from Costco and use only the breasts (if you get it somewhere else, use 4 breasts), use what's left of the rotisserie chicken for another purpose (for a vegetarian version - hello, David, this means YOU - just leave the chicken out)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
• 2 tablespoons cumin
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon chile powder, optional, I use chipotle chile powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 4, then sliced across thinly
• 1 1/2 jumbo yellow onions, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 chipotle chiles canned in adobo, chopped, with a little of the sauce (we like HOT, if your palate isn't as adventurous, use only ONE of the peppers, taste after a few minutes and if you can handle more heat, add more)
• 2 cans diced tomatoes, I like the fire roasted kind
• 2 cans tomato sauce, 8 ounce cans
• 8 cups chicken stock (to make this vegetarian, use vegetable stock)

Drizzle a little olive oil in the bottom of a big soup pot and lightly saute the red peppers.  Then add zucchini, onions, garlic and chipotle peppers.  Stir well and add seasonings.  Cook just to soften the veggies a little - don't overdo it, they'll soften as the soup simmers.  Add chicken and stir well.
 

Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and stock.  Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to medium low.  Add corn and simmer until vegetables are soft and tender and the flavors all come together.  Taste and adjust seasonings.
 

Serve in bowls topped with chips, cheddar and a dollop of sour cream.  Remember, you can really control the calories and fat here...the soup without the toppings has only 155 calories and 5 total grams of fat per serving!

NOTE:  You can simplify this even more by using a bag or two of frozen mixed zucchini, yellow squash and red peppers in place of the fresh veggies.  So easy.  Still SO good...I know, I've done it!
 

Chili con Queso

 

New Year's Day.  New beginnings....of course.  But there's another focus for this first day of the new year and to some it is far more important than fresh starts and squeaky clean, soon-to-be-broken resolutions.  That's right.  FOOTBALL! And yes, my husband can be counted among that legion of fans camped on couches across the country with a beer in hand and a phalanx of snacks spread before him.  Football Nirvana.  Do you have one of those in your house?  Perhaps, it might just be YOU!

We have a few favorites around here...wings (we especially like jerk wings!), cheesy, garlicky artichoke dip, good luck black-eyed pea Cowboy Caviar and queso and chips.  I'm making queso today.  But, I'm not going with the add-salsa-to-Velveeta variety.  Nope.  This one starts with bacon (how can you go wrong?!), adds tomatoes, fresh green onions and garlic cloves, white wine (I've used beer, too...Corona is always nice) and freshly grated Pepper Jack cheese.  If you like it spicier than the original recipe, and I do, add fresh jalapeno with the onions and garlic.  Ole!

Come to think of it, this version of Queso just might tie into the New Year theme after all.  It isn't the same old, same old queso...its fresh and new like 2012.  Happy New Year, everyone!  Oh...and GO STEELERS!!!!!!

 

Chili Con Queso

• 4 slices thick sliced bacon, diced
• 1/2 cup green onion, sliced thinly
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 4 ounce can chopped green chiles
• 3/4 cup white wine, or beer
• 1 pound Pepper Jack cheese, grated (the food processor makes quick work of this!)
• 3 tablespoons constarch
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or granulated garlic

In a medium sized pot, fry bacon until crisp.  Saute onion in bacon fat (no need to remove the bacon...leave it right where it is) until soft and then add minced garlic.  Add tomatoes and chilies and stir well.  

Stir in wine and bring to a boil.  Toss cheese with cornstarch and garlic powder.  Gradually stir cheese into wine mixture and stir until smooth.  Transfer to a mini slow cooker or fondue pot to serve and surround with tortilla chips.
 
NOTE:  If you like more heat, feel free to add Tabasco or other hot sauce to taste!

Spinach, Black Bean and Turkey Enchiladas

This recipe was first given to my mom and I by my sister Julie - this quick and easy meal is one of Julie's all-time favorites. And, it is delicious and healthy, too! The only change I've made over the years is to add meat to it - which makes it perfect if you have left over chicken…or turkey from Thanksgiving. Since the recipe was originally vegetarian, if you want to leave out the chicken, go right ahead! 

• 1 package frozen spinach, cut kind, 10 oz. package, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 tablespoon taco seasoning mix - I use HOT, of course
• 1 can black beans, drained
• 12 oz cooked diced or shredded turkey or chicken
• 10 rice tortillas (or tortillas of your choice) (soften tortillas by placing a damp paper towel on a plate, then the tortillas, another damp paper towel and microwave for 20 seconds or until warmed and softened - keep covered until ready to use)
• 4 ounces feta cheese (or more, what the heck!)
• 1 can RoTel
• 1/2 cup salsa, thick, saucy kind like Pace - HOT, if you dare!
• 2 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

Mix spinach, beans, turkey (or chicken), feta & taco seasoning. Dip a tortilla into salsa and fill with mixture. Roll and place into 9x13 pan that has been sprayed with Pam and has a little salsa spread on the bottom. Fill and roll rest of tortillas. If they crack, don't worry - it will be just fine. If you have any leftover filling, just scatter it over the top of the casserole before the next step.

Mix remaining salsa and a can of RoTeltomatoes together and spread over enchiladas and then sprinkle with cheddar.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.
To serve, either lift enchiladas with two forks onto a plate or simply cut the casserole dish into squares like you would lasagna...which is how mom does it.

NOTE: We used to make these with flour tortillas until my mom had to go Gluten Free. Two years ago I made this dish for Mothers day and used gluten-free rice tortillas, I will use these from now on. The crunch and taste was just perfect! Mom sometimes uses soft corn tortillas, too.