Texas-to-Mexico

Salmon Patties & Fish Stories

2012-01-17T14:04:00.000-08:00

As a kid my adventure loving folks moved us from San Antonio Texas where the average summer temperature often registers in the triple digits to Alaska where the lengthy winter months are cold & temperatures average well below freezing. The trade off for such a harsh winter besides the spectacular beauty & unbridled spirit of the 49th state is the abundant fish & game. Alaskans were doing sustainable living long before it was the "in" thing to do. Once my father discovered Salmon fishing it became a family event during the Salmon fishing season. Coming from Texas where the fresh water fish no where near approached the size of Salmon it was a new frontier in the kitchen. My parents canned salmon, baked, bbq'd, broiled, smoked & made salmon a regular part of our diet. At times it seemed as though we'd eaten oceans of Salmon & fought of swarms of Alaskan mosquitos all summer long. My fondness for salmon wore off probably just shy of my pre-teen years. As an adult I gained a new enjoyment of Alaskan Salmon, quite possibly because Texas is a very long way from Alaska & absence does make the heart grow fonder. No longer able to roll out of bed on a Saturday morning for an early fishing run as we did all those many years ago I'd do just about anything to relive those days again. Instead I have to depend upon a good source of wild caught fresh or canned salmon when I feel a yearning for Salmon coming on. The salmon pattie recipe I make is closely linked to Martha Stewart's Asian Salmon Pattie recipe here: She uses fresh salmon however I often have a can or two of salmon on hand. What I like from Martha's recipe is that she uses no cracker or bread crumbs as many recipes do. This recipe lets the egg become the binding agent & the flavors of ginger give a nice Asian hint without overwhelming the pattie. Not if but when I travel to Alaska again, I'm going Salmon fishing & I will enjoy it even more as an adult. Till then I'm having a Salmon Pattie & remembering all those fishing trips of my childhood~

Salmon fishing, a family event (our poodle "Jacques" is even there for the photo)

Alaska Salmon Patties

3- 6 oz cans of wild caught Alaskan Salmon
2 eggs, beaten
3 Tbsp diced green onion tops
1 tsp dried dill
1 tsp fresh minced ginger

My sister & I were quite the Salmon fishing duo back in the day there alongside our family VW Vanagon.

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
pinch of sea salt & pinch of celery salt

Drain Salmon well, loosely mix in the rest of the ingredients careful not to break up the salmon too much. Cook in large skillet over medium high heat in oil of choice. Drop Salmon mixture by spoonful into hot skillet. Let cook thoroughly turning over once so each side is golden brown. If you turn or touch the patties too much as they are cooking they tend to fall apart. Just place them in the hot skillet, leave them alone till brown around the edges & then turn gently. A total of about 5-6 minutes should do it. Serve warm with lemon wedges, green onion tops or a dollop of hot Asian Siracha sauce as I did.

A Texas to Mexico Paleo~Style Stuffed Squash

2011-11-22T18:22:00.000-08:00

As our family prepares to head to South Texas for the Thanksgiving holiday where quiet relaxing vistas will keep us spellbound for a few days & give us all a certain spiritual nourishment. This fall I've been so enamored with the selection of winter squashes & pumpkins I've seen. I've seen more variety & colorful selection than ever. Not for the first time this season I have cooked with Carnival Squash. It is a mild, squash in the size range of an Acorn Squash. I enjoy baking Carnival Squash with savory spices however many cooks bake these with a much sweeter result using winter spices such cloves, cinnamon & agave or honey. The colorful skin makes this a nice centerpiece till you are ready to use it regardless of how it is baked. My version of the stuffed squash gives a nod to the hunter-gatherer diet paying attention to exclude grains, legumes, dairy products, salt & refined sugar. *winter squash are:Fat-free and sodium-free, a three-fourths cup serving provides fiber, carbohydrates, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron and thirty calories. Darker colored squashes have the most beta carotene.

Carnival Squash are a colorful winter squash sometimes labeled acorn squash.

Creamy mild flesh of the squash makes a nice complement to the spicy chili sauce

Stuffed Carnival Squash with Mushroom & Red Chili Chicken

2 Carnival Squash, halved, seeded, rubbed with 1 tablespoon oil
1/2 lb ground chicken
1/2 lb lean chicken sausage (I found mine at Sprouts, remove casing if it has casing)
1/4 diced onion
1 tsp minced garlic
8 oz white mushrooms, sliced
*1/2 cup Red Chili Sauce made with Guajillo chilis see recipe link

Recipe here from previous blog post on *Lunch Box for One
2 tablespoon chopped flat leave parsley

Bake the 2 Carnival Squash cut into halves @ 375 for 25 minutes or till crispy golden around edge & flesh tests tender. Set aside & prepare Mushroom & Chicken stuffing. Saute onion & garlic in skillet till translucent, add the chicken sausage & ground chicken. Cook till chicken is no longer pink & slightly browned. Add in mushrooms, cook till tender then add the Red Chili Sauce, mix, add parsley & remove from heat. Spoon into Squash halves & return to 375 oven for 10 minutes till heated throughly. Serve immediately. Any leftover stuffing I serve alongside the filled squash halves.

Leftover Mushroom Red Chili Chicken Filling is good alone

Paleo Wedding Soup & a Devilish Egg Appetizer

2011-11-21T17:20:00.000-08:00

When I'm lucky enough to have true farm fresh eggs, I find a variety of ways to fit them into meals at our home. Eggs aren't just for breakfast as anyone in my house can tell you. Eggs are a low cost cost way to add a naturally good source of vitamin D & protein. This past weekend I made both a soup as well as a quick dozen Deviled Eggs using some of my farm fresh eggs my mother brought me from Uvalde County in South Texas.

This soup gets the name as a "married soup" since it is a marriage of meat & greens. The traditional name is actually Minestra Maritata & the origins are both Italian & Spanish, whatever the origins are the soup is a perfect Fall meal. Many recipes use bread crumbs to make the meat balls but if you have fresh meat, add the egg & chill the meatballs prior to dropping them in the soup they will be fine. I've even baked my meatballs to get them nice & brown when I have time. Many traditional recipes for this soup soup have streaks of egg-and-cheese scrambles borrowed from the Roman egg-drop soup Stracciatella. The egg adds a certain hearty quality which makes this a very nice one dish meal.

Primal Italian Wedding Soup

Meatballs:
1 small onion, grated
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 large egg
1 teaspoon minced garlic
8 ounces turkey or chicken sausage
8 ounces ground turkey
Freshly ground black pepper
Soup:
12 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound spinach, coarsely chopped (1 pound of kale is a good substitution)
2 small turnips, diced into 1/4 in pieces
2 large eggs
2 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan, for garnish*
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
To make the meatballs: Stir the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the sausage & turkey. Using 1 1/2 teaspoons for each, shape the meat mixture into 1-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on a baking sheet.

To make the soup: Bring the broth to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and spinach, turnips and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through and the spinach or kale is tender, about 8 minutes. Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl to blend. Stir the soup in a circular motion. Gradually drizzle the egg into the moving broth, stirring gently with a fork to form thin stands of egg, about 1 minute. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve. *Finish soup with parmesan cheese if desired. We didn't have this but it is traditional garnish for the soup. I am almost certain no one else puts turnips in Wedding Soup but I had some garden fresh turnips & thought they would be a nice addition to the soup.

Devilish Deviled Eggs
6 Eggs, hard boiled
2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
3-4 Tablespoons Jalapeno Mustard* (or any spicy version you prefer)
2 teaspoons diced fresh oregano
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon finely minced shallots or white onion
dash of sea salt according to taste

Cut boiled eggs into halves lengthwise, scoop out inside reserving whites on platter. Mash & break up all lumps in the hard boiled egg yolks, then add next 6 ingredients. Garnish tops of eggs with extra oregano leaves or sprinkle with dill or any fresh herbs you may enjoy. *I used Woeber's Jalapeno Mustard

Yes, Soup Weather again! Hlelem a versitile Tunisian Soup is back on the menu.

2011-11-06T11:00:00.000-08:00

At the first sign of a cold front in Texas I believe across the United State a loud cheer could be heard coming from this Southern State. Texas had record heat & drought this summer. Hottest, driest, longest since 1885 in fact Wichita Falls had 100 days over 100. As a state it certainly felt like we simmered & stewed all summer long (at times in our own skins...). Salads and lighter cooler meals have been the order of the season for months. This past week when temperatures dropped to freezing overnight it felt like it was okay to drag out the soup pots & dust off the crock pots once again. What is nauseating to think of when it is 109* is downright cheerful when the temperatures seem normal once again. I always feel better when I can make a pot of soup. Earthy, rich & soothing soups make me feel comforted & tend to remind me of soups my mother would make when I was a kid. This is a traditional Tunisian soup inspired by Martha Rose Shulman's version from her Mediterranean Harvest recipes. Some of you know this is not my first post of Hlelem, I've actually made it before with all the beans however I'm on a eating lifestyle now which departs from some of the legumes & pastas so I've changed things up a bit. For vegetarian diets this is good with vegetable broth, for those who want to add a lean protein; I expanded this soup on day 2 with lean ground meat. Enjoy & be soothed as I was.

Hlelem soup hits the spot on a cool fall evening.

Hlelem (Tunisian Vegetable Soup)

yields 2 quarts

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 teaspoons garlic, minced
1/4 cup celery stalk, large outer veins trimmed, diced
1 large red or green bell pepper, seeded, diced
3 cups fresh or canned tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup onion, minced
1 quart chicken broth
6 tablespoons tomato paste
2/3 cup canned chickpeas, drained*check below for my new substitution without legumes
7 cups Swiss chard leaves, stems removed and cut into 1-inch pieces, leaves shredded, lightly packed
1/2 cup angel hair pasta or fideo, dry, approx. 1/3 c.
1/2 tablespoon red curry paste or Harissa
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup radishes, grated
wedges of lime or lemon

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, celery, and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Combine 1/2 cup of the reserved chickpea liquid with the broth, reserved bean liquid, and the tomato paste to the pot. Slowly stir getting the tomato past lumps worked out or till well blended and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes.

Approximately 10 minutes before serving, add chickpeas or alternative veggies such as butternut squash*, the Swiss chard, and the pasta. Simmer until the pasta and chard stems are tender, about 10 minutes.

Add the Harissa and stir until blended. Season to taste with the salt and pepper. Garnish with the chopped parsley, radish & serve with a wedge of lemon or lime.

*I added 1 cup diced butternut squash instead of the chick peas although the chick peas are more traditional in this soup. Also I would now omit the fideo pasta to cut out the gluten. You can add whatever vegetables are local or seasonal. Rutabaga & Sweet potato are nice winter/fall substitutions.The radishes as a garnish add a nice zesty punch.

A spicy addition to Hlelem Soup this is very similar to Red Curry paste.

Harissa comes in small cans and can be found in a lot of supermarkets and Mediterranean groceries. It is a Tunisian hot sauce or paste usually made with hot chiles, garlic, cumin, coriander, caraway and olive oil. I also added lean ground meat the second day to this soup.

For my previous Hlelem recipe in the Crock pot please check here for my previous blog post.

Finding my Sunny Side Up!

2011-10-30T21:01:00.000-07:00

Jello no matter what the flavor gets old in a hurry!

I had unexpected surgery 2 weeks ago & it has truly made me reinvent my meals so I can tolerate some of my favorite foods. My doctor told me next to nothing about post surgery diet and I've been on my own with figuring out what works for me right now. I've had oceans of Jello & yards of saltine crackers so I'm just trying to hit my stride on the culinary side. I guess I'm searching for my sunny side up as it were! Still sore & dealing with stitches I'm getting the hang of what works & what still has meal appeal to me as well as my family. I had already pared down my dietary meanderings omitting foods such as bread, all dairy foods, red-meat etc. Having said that I'm sticking pretty close to the straight & narrow when it comes to eating fruits, veggies & lean proteins. I hate people who preach about the new blah, blah, blah diet that they love which really made them who they are, Zzzzz.... Having said that though I'm feeling pretty good about a few new recipes I've added & thanks to a couple of good blogs I'm finding that many of the best things are still in the que for meal preps. I found Sarah Fragroso's Everyday Paleo to be very helpful. I'm not saying I will stick to a strict Paleo diet but she has some great recipes & I think a Texas to Mexico kitchen can only improve with a little Paleo restructure.

Egg Muffins are a good choice for weekend brunches.

Egg Muffins
1lb Ground Turkey or turkey/chicken sausage
3 cups fresh Spinach (packed), cleaned & chopped
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
mushrooms, sliced
32 oz carton Egg Whites*
1 tsp. cayenne
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Cook Turkey, season with cayenne, salt & pepper to taste. Set aside turkey, wilt spinach in skillet. Try not to over cook, I just toss spinach in skillet till barely wilted & remove from heat. Into the bottom of muffin cups (you may use silicon muffin liners or just use a vegetable oil spray in the muffin pan) I spooned a Tbsp of meat into each muffin tin, layer in veggies then pour in egg whites leaving 1/3 inch space at top so egg muffins can rise as they bake. Bake at 375* for 25 min or till they are slightly browned & spring back when touched. Cool slightly & serve. These are good stored & I've even frozen them & heated them in the microwave for a quick breakfast.*I did not use the entire carton of Egg whites & you can also use 12-14 whole eggs in place. Experiment with different veggies & type of egg product. ie: egg beaters, whites or whole eggs.

Any favorite Veggies can be used. I've used Asparagus & Broccoli

This recipe is easy to bake for the work week ahead.

Homemade Prickly Pear Sauce, Minus a few Stickers!

2011-08-15T22:45:00.000-07:00

For the first time in several years I picked fresh Prickly Pear fruit. As I drove up the rural ranch road out in Uvalde County I was struck by the colorful "tunas" dotting the tops of the Prickly Pear. Considering the number of cactus plants I saw, it is no wonder I was compelled to pick 10 pounds of Prickly Pear Tunas so I could make Prickly Pear Sauce. This prickly pear sauce recipe a friend gave to me years ago. It was from a cookbook he had with old recipes from Mexico. I've also found it several times since then on websites & in several cookbooks. It can be easily increased.

The Prickly Pear fruits are very sweet/tart. Depending on the level of ripeness the sweet factor can be more to the tart side. When I lived in Mexico the street vendors used to peel the fruits & sell bags of them for about 20 pesos. Considering the areas I see Prickly Pear growing in Texas & across the Southwest there is no end to harvesting opportunities. Be cautious though; as I picked the fruit out in rural Uvalde County my mother mentioned that rats liked to build nests at the bottom of Prickly Pear Patches which also tend to attract snakes. The morning I picked the fruit last Monday I noticed a nest almost 4 feet wide at the base of one of the Prickly Pear. I was alert & walked very carefully. Seriously, I thought: "no snake will cheat me out of a Prickly Pear Sauce". I was also of the mindset if that proved wrong I could sprint quickly without spilling too many fruits!!

To harvest Cactus fruit wear heavy-duty protective gloves.

Some of the health benefits associated with prickly pear:
Immune support
Diabetes
Obesity
Helps manage cholesterol

Some of the nutrients found in prickly pear cactus:
Flavonoids | Pectin | Vitamin A | Vitamin B | Vitamin C
Once peeled the Prickly Pear can be eaten either fresh, frozen, or cooked as I have into a sauce which makes a nice marinade, basis for a colorful salad dressing or my personal fave: add a colorful kick to a margarita. The raw fruit tastes somewhere between kiwi or strawberry with a slight acidic tang.(Use gloves & tongs to handle the fresh tunas & when all else fails pick those tiny stickers out with tweezers. The times I have handled the tunas I've always had a few get into my finger tips.)

Prickly Pear Sauce also adds a tangy kick to Margaritas!

Nopal (Prickly Pear) Sauce

*16 fresh prickly pears
*1/2 Cup sugar
*1 Tbs. lime juice
*1 Tbs. orange liqueur

Remove rind from prickly pears by cutting off both ends and running a slice down both sides. If ripe, the rind will pull off easily. Chop prickly pear into 1-inch pieces and place in a blender. Blend on medium-high until you have a puree. Strain through a cheesecloth or a food mill, this will remove almost all of the tiny stone like seeds. Reserve both the juice and puree. Put 2 cups of the prickly pear juice in a medium-sized saucepan with the sugar. Cook over medium heat until mixture is reduced by half. Remove from heat. Add 1 cup of pureed prickly pear, the lime juice & orange (or lemon) liqueur. Stir well. Refrigerate for 4 hours before serving. **Once we reduced the sauce by half & it thickened slightely it was put into pint canning jars & processed in a water bath for 15 min.

Keeping Cool with Los Cocos Fruit Ceviche

2011-07-25T21:09:00.000-07:00

Summer heat is setting records in 2011

The scorching sun has sent the summer temperatures well over 100 for more than 41 days, only considered cool in a "I survived that kind of way", I'm all for prepping meals with little or no oven time right now. To heck with conventional cooking, please don't turn up the heat. The Summer of 2011 could almost be considered the Summer of Ceviche for our family. We've had many endless variety in this popular Latin American dish. This fruity Ceviche version is named after one of my favorite Fruiteria stands in Monterrey Mexico. I've only had fruit cups there at Los Cocos but if they had a Ceviche with fruit it would taste something like my version. Make a Ceviche with whatever seafood is on hand and be liberal with choice of fruits. Ceviche is typically made from fresh raw fish marinated in citrus juices & spiced with chili peppers. Our family enjoys Ceviche & it seems like the perfect way to cool things down at the end of a long hot day. Follow it with a crisp wine or cold Mexican beer & it's a meal. Salute!

Los Cocos Fruit Ceviche
1 pound medium-size raw shrimp, shelled and veined

1 red or yellow bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup diced yellow onion
1 jalapeno, minced
1/2cup lime juice, divided in half
3 tbsp ketchup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup melon, cubed
1 avocado, diced
2 kiwi fruit, skinned & diced
1 cup pineapple diced, juice reserved
1 orange, cut in sections and diced, juice reserved
Salt and pepper**

Directions

Blanch the shrimp in boiling water until no longer translucent, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain & quickly cool down in iced water. (Chill shrimp approx 30 min)

Combine the shrimp, red or yellow pepper, cilantro, jalapeno, and 1/4 c.lime juice in a large bowl. Refrigerate, covered, for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Drain off most of the liquid.

Whisk together the olive oil, ketchup, all citrus juice, and cilantro. Pour over shrimp and add diced avocado, melon, (add all fruits at this time), orange pieces & pineapple. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.**Fruit juices are natural tenderizing agents so remember to prepare approx. what will be consumed in given meal. The shrimp tend to keep tenderizing with the fruit juices & become mushy in more than 24 hrs.

Tortilla Espanola, in Spain it's a Spanish Omelette~

2011-07-20T22:22:00.000-07:00

In Mexico Tortillas are disks of either corn or flour flat bread to be served with food tucked into them. In Spain a Tortilla is an entirely different matter. The Espanola is an egg dish filled with potatoes & served either hot or cold. It may be served as an appetizer in a Tapas bar or a main dish at home. My first education about the Spanish Tortilla was in a Miami Beach Tapas restaurant believe it or not. (at last count Miami has at least 8 Tapas restaurants) My husband had lived in Spain & was thrilled to find a Tapas restaurant & introduce the family to one of his favorite foods. Since then I have been captivated by this easy mainstream dish from Spain. Tales of this dish differ on where the Tortilla Espanola originated however all seem to agree that it dates back to the early 1800's. Historically speaking it was said to gain popularity during wartime as a way to feed a crowd with few handy & wholesome ingredients. The dish is both easy & quick to put on the table.

Tortilla Espanola ~ Spanish Tortilla
6-7 medium potatoes, peeled
1 whole yellow onion, sliced
5-6 large eggs
1 cup Spanish Chorizo, sliced into rounds
3 cups loosely chopped Swiss Chard
2-3 cups of olive oil for pan frying
Salt & Pepper to taste

Cut the peeled potatoes in half lengthwise. Then, with the flat side on the cutting surface, slice the potato in pieces approximately 1/8" thick. If you slice them a bit thick, don’t worry – it will simply take a bit longer for them to cook.

Peel and chop the onion into 1/4" pieces. Put potatoes and onions into a bowl and mix them together. Salt the mixture.

In a large, heavy, non-stick frying pan, heat the olive oil on medium high heat. Carefully place the potato and onion mixture into the frying pan, spreading them evenly over the surface. The oil should almost cover the potatoes. You may need to turn down the heat slightly, so the potatoes do not burn, next add chorizo slices & cook 3-4 more minutes or till sausage browns slightly.

Leave in pan until the potatoes are cooked. If you can poke a piece of potato with a spatula and it easily breaks in two, your potatoes are done. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon or spatula and allow oil to drain.

Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and beat by hand with a whisk or fork. Pour in the potato onion mixture. Mix together with a large spoon.

Pour 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil into a medium, frying pan (aprox. 9-10”) and heat on medium heat. When hot, stir the potato onion mixture once more and “pour” into the pan and spread out evenly. Allow the egg to cook around the edges. Then you can carefully lift up one side of the omelet to check if the egg has slightly “browned.” The inside of the mixture should not be completely cooked and the egg will still be runny.

When the mixture has browned on the bottom, you are ready to turn it over to cook the other side. Take the frying pan to a sink. Place a large dinner plate (12”) upside down over the frying pan. With one hand on the frying pan handle and the other on top of the plate to hold it steady, quickly turn the frying pan over and the omelet will “fall” onto the plate. Place the frying pan back on the range and put just enough oil to cover the bottom and sides of the pan. Let the pan warm for 30 seconds or so. Now slide the omelet into the frying pan. Add chopped swiss chard & use the spatula to shape the sides of the omelet. Let the omelet cook for 3-4 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the tortilla sit in the pan for 2 minutes. If chard needs wilting more broil it for 1-2 minutes or till nicely wilted.

Slide the omelet onto a plate to serve. If eating as a main course, cut the omelet into 6-8 pieces like a pie. Serve a wedge of the Tortilla with sliced pickle, marinated mushrooms, fruit or a piece of crusty bread & a glass of wine.

Comfort Foods take us down memory lane.

2011-04-06T16:30:00.000-07:00

Familiar house numbers on Nana's San Antonio home.

Comfort whether it pertains to a place, a food or feeling one gets taking a trip down memory lane. It's something that makes us all feel an emotion about the person place or thing. Last year my Nana's house sold in San Antonio Texas & it was a bittersweet feeling. Good because the family who bought the home knew my grandmother & loved the property. Bittersweet in that the empty house brought back so many memories that somehow would never again be so visceral or so easily touched. Emotions & memories are like that. Touching on something deep within which somehow make us connected to that which we are from. Comfort foods are like that also. Comfort foods connect us to a person or event which gets relived even in a tiny form when we experience it again. I recently found a new twist on an old favorite.
Ground Smoked Chipotle Pepper adds a smoky quality

So normally I don't just take a recipe I find in a food magazine then just revamp & repost. Something within me yearns for a little more creativity but, how can one really improve on something as great as mac & cheese? The recent cover dish on the March issue of Bon Appetit has been in my focus since I saw it. B A food writers have an entire article dedicated to mac & cheese. True, mac & cheese is what every red blooded American kid grew to love & crave no matter what era you grew up in post World War II. Even if it was that familiar blue box of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese & it somehow made an episode of the Brady Bunch last a wee bit longer. (Ha! Guess I'm dating myself with that one...) I left behind my boxed macaroni & cheese some years ago when I realized homemade mac & cheese is better than anything pre-packaged. My version of the Pimento Mac & Cheese has a bit more heat in it than the original version may have. I found a nice ground smoky chipotle pepper. At it's outset it has a nice smoky scent imparting a nice touch of hot. Whether you want to play with the recipe as I did or just make the mac & cheese ingredient for ingredient it's by far one of my favorite macaroni & cheese recipe's I've had in some time. I also opted to roast my red bell pepper since I like the flavor of roasted bell pepper. Can't wait to see what strikes my fancy in the April issue. Bon Appetit!

Pimento Macaroni & Cheese

1 7- to 8-ounce red bell pepper. (After roasting seed & cut into 1-inch pieces.)
2 garlic cloves, halved, divided
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
3/4 cup drained mild Peppadew peppers in brine, 1 tablespoon brine reserved
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chiles
1 1/4 cups (packed) coarsely grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup (packed) coarsely grated whole-milk mozzarella
8 ounces medium shell pasta or gemelli

ingredient info
Peppadew peppers are available in jars or in the deli section at some supermarkets, at specialty foods stores, and from peppadew.com.

Look for panko at supermarkets and at Asian markets. Ground Chipotle Chile peppers are available in the spice section of supermarkets and at Latin markets.

Preparation

Broil or roast in the oven the garlic & red bell pepper. Simmer until pepper is soft, about 15 minutes.
Toast panko in skillet over medium-high heat until golden, stirring often, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to bowl; cool to lukewarm. Rub 1 tablespoon butter into crumbs to coat. Mix in 1/4 cup Parmesan.
Transfer bell pepper mixture to processor. Add Peppadews and 1 tablespoon brine, 2 tablespoons butter, ground chiles, and 1/2 garlic clove; then add cheddar and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Blend until sauce is smooth; season to taste with salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter 8-cup baking dish (or 6 individual dishes). Cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain; return to pot. Stir sauce and mozzarella into pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon pasta into dish. Sprinkle with crumb topping.
Bake pasta until topping is crisp and sauce is bubbling, about 25 minutes (15 for individual). Let stand 10 minutes.

Mexican Pickled Onions-Cebollas Curtidas, Perfect Side for Tacos

2011-03-21T11:11:00.000-07:00

Simple Onion becomes Brilliant in Cebollas Curtidas

The ways in which simple foods take on a magic every day in Mexico are truly endless. I first tried Cebollas Curtidas at a street taco stand in Torreon Coahuila & was so overwhelmed by the street tacos that I just knew every single part of that experience was grand. It was later when I saw the colorful onions again & knew I had never tasted onions quite like the Mexican Pickled Onions. They were sweet, spicy & altogether unexpected. In the Yucatan they use oregano & chilis habanero in these onions. I suspect that the jalapeno addition may be more of a Northern Mexico style but the citrus juice makes these onions a side dish to be remembered. I have also heard these are a menu item all through Latin America from Guatemala to Ecuador.

Cebollas Curtidas, Mexican Pickled Onions
2 medium red onions, thinly sliced (approx. 4-5 cups)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (4 med. limes)
2/3 cup freshly squeezed orange or grapefruit juice (5 med. oranges or 2 med. grapefruit)

Don't forget to use non metal containers

1/3 cup of white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled & halved
1 jalapeño pepper, seeds removed & very thinly sliced into rings

Directions:
1. Bring a small pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add onions and blanch for about 15 seconds. Drain well and set aside.
2. Combine lime juice, orange juice, sugar, and salt in a large nonreactive bowl, and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add blanched onion slices and jalapeño, and stir to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. **the brine can also be seasoned with peppercorns & bay leaves.


Cebollas Curtidas are perfect for Shrimp or Veggie Tacos

We enjoyed the Mexican Pickled Onions with Shrimp Tacos this weekend but the onions are delicious over any taco which has fresh roasted meats or veggies. I first tried them on Potato Tacos.

Shrimp Tacos

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon minced green onion
1 liberal dash of cholula hot sauce or favorite sauce
1 each red bell pepper, green bell pepper chopped
8 corn tortillas, warmed

Saute garlic, bell pepper 2 min over medium heat, add shrimp, season with salt, pepper & hot sauce. Serve immediately with Pineapple, Cebollas, Curtidas, Avocado, shredded Radish & Cilantro (also

cheese if you please). Enjoy & Buen Provecho!

*Blanch the Onions for 15 seconds to keep the color & crisp quality.

Gumbo Shooters, powerful sip of Soup.

2011-03-20T07:22:00.000-07:00

Did the last time you had something in a shot glass make you feel less than virtuous?

Try serving up your favorite soup in a shot glass. No virtue promised here but no roaring headache the next day either! I hosted Bunco night here recently & served Gumbo one last time. I wanted to serve Gumbo since our cool nights are long gone here in Texas & won't return for several months. I had a New Orleans theme going for my friends & fellow Bunco players. Normally I serve rice with Gumbo however with tiny servings I didn't think rice was necessary & not one person noticed the absence of said starch. I prepared the Gumbo ahead of time & kept it warmed in a crock pot during the festivities. I recommend the 2 oz wide mouth Duralex shot glasses. They are reasonably priced & have enough space for a good sipping Gumbo! Les c'est le bon temp rouler!

Duralex 2 oz shot (wide mouth) glasses hold a nice sip of gumbo

Chicken & Sausage Gumbo Shooters

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. veg. oil

1 c. flour

Make a roux from the butter, veg. oil & flour in deep dutch oven or gumbo pot. Once your roux is deep brown or copper penny color then add & saute:

1 sm. onion, diced

1 med. bell pepper, diced

2 lg. stalks celery, chopped

Once the vegs are cooked add 1 quart chicken stock or warm H2O. 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp. black pepper, 1/2 tsp. salt, *Tony Chachere's Cajun Seasoning to taste. Add 4 lg. skinless chicken breasts. 1 pkg. (1 link) smoked beef or pork sausage. Simmer till the meat is cooked well. Remove this from, the gumbo & chop up chicken and dice up sausage. Add this back into the gumbo, keep simmering. Add 1 frozen pkg. okra. Add one small bunch of green onion tops, chopped. Once this comes to a low simmer turn it off & serve in small shot glasses. Use a small size ladle to make the Gumbo transfer neat & tidy.
*Tony Chachere's is a popular season salt from Louisiana, even when living in Mexico I could find this spicy seasoning.

It's Officially National Pi Day!

2011-03-14T19:58:00.000-07:00

Four & Twenty Blackbirds

3/14, 3.14: The Celebration of ratio of the circumference of a circle or Hold that Pie Chart....what better reason to celebrate the Glorious Pie? Really, do we need a reason?? Apparently the House of Representatives made it officially Pi Day & they never make mistakes do they? Check out the Wikipedia Pi Day link! Why did the photo of the Pi guy make me smile?

What about that blackbird pie poem from childhood? Pie has been national past time for literally centuries, there are volumes written, childhood poems glorifying them but the end result is still the same. One of my daughters likes to call the fruit pies: "hot mushy fruit". Whether you enjoy a creamy custard or hearty apple pie it can be a satisfying experience paired with a cup of coffee & lingering conversation. It may not sound exciting but no dessert brings back memories for me like a family pie recipe. Having said that I thought I'd share a quick Fresh Blueberry Pie which had even the least likely of pie fans at our home eating this pie & wanting seconds.Our blueberries have been so delicious here. I've been buying those pints of berries & eating them over yogurt & cereal more often than not however they are perfect for sauces & desserts. Hope you enjoyed your Pi Day!

Fresh Texas Blueberries

Fresh Blueberry Pie
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2/3 cup water
4 cups fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon Con Olio Lemon Balsamic Vinegar
1 teaspoon melted butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons equal parts sugar & cinnamon
17.3 oz box of Puff Pastry, thawed, 2 sheets
In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch, stir in water. Bring to a boil; stirring constantly, boil for 1 minute. Add blueberries, lemon juice & vinegar. Line a lightly buttered deep dish (9 inch) pie pan with 1 puff pastry sheet. Pour blueberry mixture into the crust then layer the top of the fruit with the second layer of puff pastry, loosely fold both crust at the edge to loosely seal the edges. Lightly crimp drizzle melted butter & sprinkle with sugar & cinnamon. Bake at 425° for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly browned. Enjoy!

Need more diversity in your pie?

Sing a song of sixpence a pocket full of rye,
Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie.
When the pie was opened the birds began to sing,
Oh wasn't that a dainty dish to set before the king?
The king was in his counting house counting out his money,
The queen was in the parlor eating bread and honey
The maid was in the garden hanging out the clothes,
When down came a blackbird and pecked off her nose!

(**eeks! Not certain why this poem make it into the bedtime repertoire of so many children.)

Buzzing about Kale

2011-03-09T22:12:00.000-08:00

I'm not exactly sure why it took so long for this veggie to regain popularity. Kind of like the tall girl in the back of the dance class, kale hardly had a second glance for a very long time. In the past 18 months I've heard a great deal of buzz about kale. Not to detract but this modest member of the vegetable kingdom needs more than a second glance almost as much as .....Bacon! (don't hate about the bacon note but seriously can we shift gears for a moment here? Enough foodie talk about bacon...besides what hasn't been written about bacon recently? )

I've always been a proponent of greens in all textures & varieties. At times I am certain my family has been rather skeptical at one more dish of anything of the "green" variety. In the past 2 years it seems like foodies everywhere are singing the praises of kale & chard. In the United Kingdom kale was widely popular during World War II because of the ease which it was grown in Victory gardens & the nutritious benefits the greens added to the wartime rationed diets. kale has 192 percent of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin c as well as minerals like iron, niacin, potassium and phosphorus. Not loaded with nitrates & fat, kale is low in calories & good for us too. Many folks out there are touting the anti-cancer agents found in Kale. When I first heard about Kale Chips I couldn't imagine baking kale & having it keep any flavor. I was impressed by the time I saw Giada de Laurentiis turn kale into a crispy side dish although it might be considered an appetizer. Served with a side of the lemony mayonnaise & I could be in heaven in less time than it takes to toss on the olive oil & throw a serving of kale in the oven. Giada has a genius for knowing her audience & somehow tossing sea salt over the EVOO enhances kale making it perfection. The big taste test came when the kale chips were brought to the table & my husband started raving about them. A real hit for certain. Recently, I've also been rather enamored with Whole Foods selection of Kale Salads. Check here for a modest recreation or twist on my own Kale Salad which is also posted on the lunch box blog here:

Potato & Kale Chips
Chips:
3 large Kale leaves
Extra Virgin Olive oil, for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 (8-ounce) medium white potatoes, unpeeled
* 1 (8-ounce) medium sweet potatoes, unpeeled

Mayonnaise:

* 1 cup mayonnaise
* 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1/2 a large lemon)
* 1 teaspoon lemon zest (from 1/2 a large lemon)
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chips: Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove the thick stem from the kale and discard. Cut the leaves into 2 to 3-inch pieces. Put them in a bowl and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Toss well. Arrange the kale in a single layer on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until crispy and slightly dark on the edges. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Using a mandoline slicer or a sharp knife, slice the white potatoes and the sweet potatoes into 1/8-inch thick slices. Put them in a bowl and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Toss well. Arrange in a single layer (without overlapping) on parchment-lined baking sheets and bake for 12 minutes. Turn the slices over and continue to bake, checking every 2 minutes until brown and crispy, about 6 to 8 minutes longer. Season the chips with salt and pepper, to taste.

Mayonnaise: In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Transfer all the chips to a large bowl and serve with the mayonnaise.

Cook's Note 1: Some potato chips will cook faster than others. Remove the chips from the baking sheets as soon as they become brown and crispy.

Savory Kale Salad

Cook's Note 2: The recipe can be doubled or tripled.

Soup weather takes me to North Africa

2011-02-09T19:47:00.000-08:00

In a very literal way I've been away for far too long. I've taken many weeks away from blogging to take care of family business, say some tearful goodbyes. Through all of that I continued cooking those comfort foods which make those near and dear feel warm, loved and special. Okay..... not all of those meals were for others but you get the idea! Some of those meals were at the end of very long days when we were lucky to be eating a meal at all. We've all had those days. I was so happy on those days to come home to a meal in my Crock Pot. A new favorite soup for me is Hlelem, it's a Tunisian bean & vegetable soup. The word Hlelem actually comes from the hand rolled pasta which is found in this soup in from North Africa in Tunisia. I used Spanish Fideo which is easily found in the states the Latin section of most grocery stores. I did make a few changes to this recipe but found it to be a healthy & comforting soup. We've all had long stretches of cold days this winter & warm soup is a good go-to for me. I've dreamed of hoping a plane for a warmer destination more than once. I might be dreaming of Africa or the South Pacific on those days but I will still put a south of the border spin on a soup like this by kicking the spices up a notch. I have utilized this cookbook many times in the last few months. "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker" cookbook. by Beth Hensperger. I can recommend many of the recipes & always am looking for ways to shorten time in the kitchen on a long work day.
Hlelem
1-15.5 oz can garbanzo beans, undrained
1-15.5 oz can butter beans, undrained
1/2 cup chopped celery leaves + 1 rib chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1/3 cup tomato paste
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup fideo or crushed angel hair pasta
1 bunch green swiss chard leaves & stems, leaves shredded & stems chopped
1 to 2 tbsp Harissa
2 tbsp hot sauce (optional)
salt & pepper to taste
lime wedges for serving.

Place garbanzos & butter beans with their liquid, celery leaves, parsley, tomato paste & broth in slow cooker, stir to combine. Cover & turn the setting to low.

In a small skillet heat the olive oil over med heat. Add the onion, celery & cook, stirring a few times until softened about 5 min. Add to the cooker, cover & cook on low for 4-5 hours.

Stir in pasta, then pack in swiss chard; it will cook down. Cover & cook until the pasta 7 chard stems are tender to the bite, 30 minutes to 1 hour longer on low or 10 to 15 min. on high. Stir in Harissa & season with salt & pepper. Serve hot with lime wedges. I enjoy the flavor of lime over the traditional lemon for the flavor.

Beth Hensperger has a recipe for Harissa however I found it in a can recently after a friend of mine showed me where to find this traditional North African ingredient in a local Halal meat shop. She actually took some to my daughter for a house warming gift. It is a very spicy version of a tomato paste.

**While I loved this my husband did feel his was in dire need of "meat". Obviously this defeats the purpose of a "Meatless Monday" meal but to each his own. It was actually quite tasty with some shredded roast & in my opinion would be good with lamb in it as well.

A Berry Good Sauce for the Holidays

2010-11-18T05:25:00.000-08:00

Cranberries on a slow simmer.

Cranberries as most folks know them.

This sauce makes a nice holiday gift too

As Thanksgiving approaches I am trying to take the proactive approach & make as many things ahead as I can so I am not in a rush on the day of our big feast. No holiday meal would be complete without homemade Cranberry Sauce. I've had an infatuation with cranberries since I was a kid. We lived in Alaska for several years & we used to enjoy picking wild berries as a family. Alaska has endless varieties of berries & actually more than one variety of cranberry. My mother used to make jams, jellies, syrups & baked goods with the fruit. The wild cranberry is much smaller than the variety we often see in the store which are commercially grown for sauces & juice. Whichever you are most familiar with this sauce is both simple & perfect for holiday entertainment.

Lemony Cranberry Sauce
1 (12- ounce) bag cranberries, fresh
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Lemon juiced & seeds removed then dice pulp
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1/4 cup of Paula's Texas Lemon Liqueur*
1/8 teaspoon, fresh grated nutmeg
1 whole cinnamon stick**

Rinse cranberries, place in large saucepan along with water, sugar, lemon juice, lemon pulp, lemon zest. Bring berry mixture to a low boil, once the berries start to burst then reduce heat to slow simmer. Add Lemon Liqueur, nutmeg & whole cinnamon stick. Simmer about 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Once the mixture has a syrup like texture & all the berries are soft then remove from heat & cool to room temperature. I like to make this 1 week before holiday meal. It keeps for 2 to 3 weeks & tastes better a few days after it sits chilled. Leftover sauce freezes well. *Paula's Texas Lemon Liqueur also has an orange liqueur which is good for this recipe. **The cinnamon stick can be left in till served as it imparts a slight spicy flavor.

Tuesday Tacos, true Gulf Coast Flavor!

2010-10-28T11:35:00.000-07:00

I see fish tacos as a very Baja Mexico creation, in recent years I have noticed them appearing many menus across Texas as well. The fish can be grilled, fried or seared but however it is prepared they are almost always enjoyable. I used to rate a good Tex-Mex restaurant on the enchiladas & salsa alone, now I guess the establishment had better be on the game with the Fish Tacos too! The fish must be super fresh. We are fortunate to have fresh Gulf seafood nearly at our fingertips here in Texas. (You can substitute any fresh fish of choice.) I added one of my favorite fruits to these tacos. We are just now finding fabulous pomegranates here in the markets. I even have some small pom varieties in my garden however they are not ready yet to eat. This week on Tuesday we had Fish Tacos with a twist of course. The combination of Pomegranate & Jalapeno give these Fish Tacos a real star rating in the Texas to Mexico household. Like most tacos they are pretty fuss free & easy to prepare. They make a perfect dinner for a night of things that go bump in the night & trick or treating! Enjoy my friends & buen provecho!

Gulf Coast Fish Tacos
1 1/2 lb *Gulf Sea Bass, *any fish of your choice is great
1 Pkg Louisiana Fish Fry
2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup Guacamole
1 cup chopped cabbage, either red or green
1 Jalapeno pepper, seeded & diced
1 Pomegranate, Seeded
Fish Taco Sour Cream dressing
1 cup sour cream
1/ 4cup milk
2 Tbsp lemon or lime juice
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp oregano or cilantro, chopped fine either dry or fresh
Pepper & Salt to taste

Fry Fish dipped in to the Louisiana Fish Fry, in 1 1/2 inches of oil, I used favorite cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Cook time for fish while frying: 4-5 minutes, turning once during the frying process. The fish should have a crisp texture on the outside & have a nice golden color. The fish should easily flake once it is cooked. (do not over cook) Drain the fish on paper towels, keep warm in oven preheated at 225*. Heat corn tortillas thoroughly, on comal or griddle.

Assemble the Fish tacos placing a layer of guacamole on the bottom of the tortilla, add few tablespoons of cabbage, piece of fish, top with Sour Cream Sauce (recipe above) then sprinkle liberally with the pomegranate seeds. I served this with Spanish Rice & also garnished that with the red pomegranate seeds.

Louisiana Fish Fry is our favorite fish fry. When I attended college in Louisiana these products earned my eternal favor! What goes better with Gulf Seafood? If there is a product out there I haven't found it yet but still open to try new things! Let me know what your favorite Fish Fry is?

Family pizza night kneads to start with the right dough.

2010-10-23T08:48:00.001-07:00

I've heard interviews which quote New Yorkers as saying that the secret to great crust is the water in New York. I really don't know about that "true-ism" but the water here seems to work out quite well when we have Family Pizza Night in Texas. I believe the real secret to great crust is the joy one gives or receives in feeding a crowd & satisfaction of a yeasty crust filled with favorite toppings. We recently had Pizza with Bytes from Texas as she used some Foodbuzz Tastemaker products from Fresh Express. The pizza toppings she used were wonderful (especially the BLT!!) & I took the pizza dough over providing the 2 crusts. New York or Texas it is all the same when sharing food with those you love. Last evening we made homemade Focaccia bread which we made using a variety of fresh local ingredients & is posted on our Fresh from the Heart of Texas blog. Fall is in the air at the local Farmer's Market & we are sure to find more tasty toppings for both Pizzas & Focaccias. For your own Pizza night try the Pizza Dough I prefer.

Pizza Dough for 2 Pizzas
1 pkg. active yeast*
1 1/4 c. warm water
2 tbsp. cooking oil
4 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried oregano (optional)
1 tsp.
Dissolve yeast in warm water, stir in oil. Sift flour and salt together and stir into first mixture. Knead for 15 minutes, loosely cover with plastic wrap. Allow dough to rise until doubled in bulk.(Approximately 2 hours) Makes 2 pizzas. Divide dough in half, work with 1/2 the dough at a time on a lightly floured surface. Shape dough into circle/ball then either stretch into the round pizza shape or roll with a floured rolling pen. Place onto a bread baking stone which has been lightly dusted with cornmeal or lightly oiled pizza pan. Either way this crust is a very light New York style crust. Add your sauce and desired topping. Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
*Proofing the yeast: for this recipe I proofed my yeast, I dissolved the yeast, water, sugar, salt & 1/4 cup of the flour for the recipe into a small glass bowl & let it rest 20 minutes. This proofing created a nice spongy yeast mixture which assured me the crust would rise well. When taking this step remember you have already used 1/4 cup of the 4 cups of flour & adjust accordingly.

Hungry yet? Don't forget to check out the Focaccia at Fresh from the Heart of Texas!

Natchitoches meat pie, the original hot pocket.

2010-10-19T08:29:00.000-07:00

Think comfort food to in the 1700's in Louisiana & you might well be dreaming of the Natchitoches Meat Pies; that's pronounced (NACK-uh-tush) for those less familiar with Louisiana names & places. These tasty meat pies are a hold over from the early Spanish settlers in the Louisiana territory. Which is to say they were similar to beef Empanadas & were taken literally across the Spanish empire by early settlers. We often dined on Empanadas in Mexico which were very much like these "north of the border" meat pies, hence my addition of Chohula hot sauce to my meat pies! These days you are likely to find the meat pies at the New Orleans Jazz festival, a football game or at a boucherie deep in the heart of Cajun land. Sometimes they are called Cajun meat pies but whatever one says about them they are a crowd pleasing, taste tempting pastry filled with meat & spices. Natchitoches meat pies are great for a main dish with a salad or as an appetizer. They need nothing other than a napkin to catch any filling which may tumble out however I made an easy Avocado dip we thought was perfect for these treats.

Natchitoches Meat Pies

for meat filling
1 1/2 lb ground beef
1 1/2 lb ground pork
1 c chopped green onions
2-3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp coarse black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp Sherry vinegar
2 tsp hot sauce, Cholula, Tabasco, etc
1/3 c flour
Combine all ingredients except flour & cook till meat breaks up and is no longer red. Sift flour over the meat mixture , mix well, remove from heat. Drain meat into a colander, cool to room temp.
Crust:
2 2/3 c flour
1/3 heaping solid shortening
1 lg egg
3/4 c Milk
Vegetable oil for frying pies
Sift flour, use pastry cutter&cut shortening into flour. Mix in egg & milk. Form dough into a ball. It will be semi sticky.

Flour board and rolling pin. Rolling out about 1/3 of dough at a time roll about 1/8 in thick. Cut into 5in circles (use coffee can or similar size) To assemble pies place heaping spoon of filling dampen edge of pie dough with an *egg wash & seal shut then prick each top twice. These can be frozen or fried in deep fat fryer at 350 degrees. Drain on paper towels, serve warm. *Yolk of 1 egg + 1 tsp H2O, beaten & then brush on the inside edges of dough before pressing edges shut & crimping.

Avocado Horseradish Dip
2 large ripe avocados, peeled and pits removed
2 Tbsp Milk
16 ounces sour cream
4 Tbsp prepared horseradish*
2 tsp garlic, peeled & coarsely chopped
3 green onions, chopped (or)
*1 small shallot can be used
juice of 1 fresh lime
2 tsp Cholula hot sauce

Place all ingredients in blender or food processor & chill before serving. *I use the prepared horseradish found in the deli, do not use a horseradish spread which is more than horseradish. It is less pungent & has less bite to it for this recipe.

This dip was so good we even tried it with chips & veggies. Oh, the possibilities any dish with an avocado presents...

The "un-birthday cake"

2010-10-14T07:47:00.000-07:00

A very merry unbirthday to you

Our youngest daughter has always been the "un-birthday" cake girl! When she was little she would stick her fingers in the frosting & pose for those cutesy photos parents have of their toddlers. You know the pics with the fingers dripping with sugary sweetness. In truth though when she was able to express her opinion at birthday events she never wanted a birthday cake. She was that kid at a birthday party who didn't want a sugary piece of birthday cake loaded with frosting. The "un-birthday cake" girl ate Cookie cakes for years. Now that she is older she actually has a little more variety in her dessert repertoire but still manage to keep it simple. When she had a birthday this week I stumbled upon a great idea for a small gathering birthday celebration. Why not make a loaf pan sized birthday cake? Our family tends to have a birthday every 4 weeks in the summer & fall. We get overloaded on cake to be honest. The smaller sized cake seems like the perfect way to celebrate & have our cake too! Why did it take me so long to come up with this "small un-birthday cake" idea?

Lemon Pound Cake
1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons salted butter, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon Paula's Texas Lemon Liqueur
Juice from two medium lemons (approx 1/3 cup)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease & flour a 9x5 loaf pan well. (I used a Nordic Ware loaf pan with many nooks & tiny spots) make sure to get the entire pan greased & floured so the cake will have nice clear definition.

In a medium bowl sift flour, baking soda, and baking powder.

In mixing bowl or stand mixer, cream butter. Add sugar, eggs, vanilla, lemon extract, lemon juice and oil until mixed well.

Gradually add dry ingredient mixture to your mixer and blend until smooth.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until wooden skewer comes out clean. Edges should be golden brown & will continue crisp upon cooling.

Let cake cool before spreading the icing over the cake.

Ingredients for Lemon Liqueur Icing
1 cup plus 1 teaspoon powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons whole milk
1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon Paula's Texas Lemon Liqueur
For icing blend powdered sugar, milk, and lemon extract & Lemon Liqueur until creamy. Ice the top of your cake and let the icing drip down the sides of your pound cake. Let icing set on the pound cake before slicing.

When making a flavored Pound Cake try using a local liqueur. Austin Texas has many local flavors but this one really caught our interest & has so many possibilities. Paula's Texas Lemon Liqueur also has a delicious Orange Liqueur.

Brave Potatoes on family Tortilla night.

2010-10-08T09:13:00.001-07:00

In Mexico the simple tortilla is at times a spoon, a plate as well as bread. The contribution of the tortilla to the cuisine of Mexico is irrefutable & there is really no way to describe the flavor of a handmade tortilla hot off the stove. Whether you enjoy corn or flour the one thing you should do if only once is to try making your own tortillas.

Last weekend we had family Tortilla night. Bytes from Texas, (one of my daughters) served up a menu of Fajitas, roasted corn & my Patatas Bravas all of which required fresh tortillas. The highlight of the evening was when my daughter's boyfriend made flour tortillas the way his Grandmother taught him to make them. Nothing was measured, everything was by feel & touch. It was almost therapy watching him figure it out with a pinch of this & a handful of that. His flour tortillas were perfect. I on the other hand used Masa Seca for my corn tortilla dough. Masa in Mexico means "dough". The true masa is made from field corn, called maiz blanco or "cacahuazintle" which was dried, treated with a lime water solution, then ground. For a few dozen tortillas I will always start with a quality Masa Seca. The masa can be used for corn tortillas or for tamales.

Flour Tortillas
3 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
4-6 Tbsp. vegetable shortening or lard
about 1 1/4 cups warm water

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Add vegetable shortening or lard. (Or use a combination of half lard, half shortening.)
Use a fork or a pastry cutter to cut in the shortening or just do it the old fashioned way and use your hands.

Next add warm water a little at a time until your dough is soft and not sticky. You do not need very hot water.
Knead the dough for a few minutes.

Let the dough rest a few minutes then divide the dough into 12-15 golf ball sized round balls. Heat the comal (griddle) to medium high heat. Roll out with a rolling pin or press the tortilla dough between two pieces of wax paper & press in a tortilla press.

Lay the tortillas on the comal & cook for brief 20-30 seconds or till they brown slightly. As the tortillas cook they will develop brown specs on the tortilla. Wrap the cooked tortillas in a fresh tea towel & keep warm in a basket or tortilla keeper till all the tortillas are cooked.

Corn Tortillas

2 Cups Maseca Corn Masa mix
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 1/8 Cup Water

**Use the same process as above for the flour tortillas but keep in mind that the corn dough will be more dense to work with. There are very good instructions on almost all masa packages. The reason many people use pre-packaged masa is that finely milled masa is perfectly ground for making corn tortillas.

The process of tortilla making can be a family experience. There is something for everyone to do.

This potato dish is unique to Spain. Often served with a simple glass of wine in as a tapas dish in bars throughout Spain. It is as commonplace in the countryside as it is in the big city restaurants. The potatoes can be eaten as a side dish or appetizer with toothpicks on small plates. The "Bravas" or Brave title comes from how brave one may have to be to eat this spicy potato dish. However you decide to try this dish remember both the heat & the amount of paprika are up to the discretion of the chef! It is a great addition to any Mexican meal.

Patatas Bravas

* 3 Tbsp olive oil
* 4 - 5 Lg Russet potatoes, peeled, and cut to 1-inch cubes
* 2 tablespoons minced onion
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* Salt & Pepper
* 1 1/2 tablespoons Spanish paprika
* 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
* 1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
* 1/2 cup Ketchup
* 1/2 cup mayonnaise
* 1 tbsp. sherry vinegar
* Chopped parsley, to garnish
* 1 cup olive oil, for frying

In a saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic cook until the onion is soft. Turn off the heat, and add the paprika, and thyme, stirring well. Transfer to a bowl and add the ketchup and mayonnaise, sherry vinegar & Tabasco or preferred hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Sprinkle the potatoes lightly with salt and black pepper. In a large skillet fry the potatoes in 1 cup olive oil until cooked through and golden-brown, stirring occasionally. Drain the potatoes on paper towels, check the seasoning, add more salt if necessary, and set it aside. (*if you wish to use other vegetable oil it is fine but the olive oil imparts a nice flavor on this traditional dish. )

Keep the potatoes warm & pour sauce over them while warm. Serve immediately.

If you are lucky enough to have any left the next morning be brave & serve them with eggs & tortillas.

Who, why and the simple Torta.

2010-09-12T22:19:00.001-07:00

I am competing in the Project Food Blog Challenge by Foodbuzz, for our first challenge, each competitor is asked to create a post that defines us as a food blogger. My blog was born out of Expat need to blog & therefore reach out to others from a quiet spot in a desert in Northern Mexico. Most of you read this in my previous "Blogiversary" post. That certainly doesn't describe the reasons phrases like demi-glace, stock, reduction or taste before you season have impact for me or have had meaning most of my life.

The main & simple reason can be narrowed down to a place & 2 people who have had profound effect at how I look at food. I lived as a child in a fabulous city which was & still is a cultural hodgepodge of sights & flavors. Most people who visit San Antonio Texas today have visited "El Mercado" in downtown San Antonio think of it as a fun touristy attraction which has restaurants & shops. It is now more commonly known by the gringo name of "Market Square". When I was a child it was the very encapsulation of food & where people actually shopped for vegetables, fruits & seasonings in a true farmer's market setting...long before farmer's markets were "trendy". There was even a wonderful shop in El Mercado which till the early 1980s still sold chili powders, cumino & other authentic Mexican seasonings as well as hierbas. We could also find the standard fare one would see in a Mercado south of the border in Mexico. El Mercado made a leap to prosperity at some point in the 1970s with Urban Renewal some of those more simple traditions by the wayside. I still enjoy going to El Mercado, the experience though never fails to dredge up memories of going there as a child even if I am partaking of those touristy margaritas & ogling the colorful pinatas. San Antonio for me is all about the food. San Antonio is a big part of my Food heritage.
My earliest memories as a child are of my Grandfather(check out the vintage photo of him serving customers at Ft. Sam in San Antonio, Texas, late 1940's). He worked most of his life in restaurant business in San Antonio Texas. He would have the entire family over for Sunday dinner. His meal repertoire was simple & yet truly wonderful. He would made an incredible Yankee pot roast, though I hardly think he called it that. As I grew older he told me how to reduce, thicken that roast gravy or even darken it with coffee if need be. He also made large pots of old school Italian Spaghetti Sauce much like the old fashioned Brown Sauces from the 1940s. My Grandfather would strain the sauce, correct the seasoning & then strain it again. Granddaddy was a very practical man but he always tossed out the bits & pieces we now keep in our contemporary Spaghetti sauces. Back then every process he used was like a slow, methodical dance step in the small kitchen. My mother on the other handmade made use of everything she had. She truly must have lived that phrase in the kitchen "waste not, want not". She used everything at her disposal, never throwing out a key ingredient, which created a continual feast. She made flavorful cornbread with grains of corn, jalapenos & cheese. That is common enough now but in the 1960s it was cutting edge & unique. She made frijoles & chilis which were legendary. When our family moved to Alaska she learned how people there lived off the richness of the land & cooked accordingly. As part of that experience our family would go out collecting mushrooms & berries where we learned what was ripe, flowering or non edible. We ate the best fish & game my father would bring home as is still commonplace in the 49th state. In this day it is rare when I am lucky enough to encounter a morel mushroom or a high bush cranberry but knowing the differences in such things at a young age made me the cook & food blogger I am today. The travel to or living in other countries as an adult has just been the cream on the coffee. Travel changes you, people touch you but it is the flavors which feed your soul.

To celebrate the start of Project blog I thought I'd post an easy recipe of a typical Mexican street food. Between Texas & Mexico so many of these foods could sum up who I am & my inner foodie philosophy. I love simple, hearty & food which make an impression on the palate. Those very impressions don't have to be expensive or extravagant to hit the mark. These simple sandwiches became very popular in Mexico around WWII. (I have checked this story out with several sources & all say the same thing) They are a very hearty sandwich which truly could keep a hungry working man or woman going for hours till the traditional late evening dinner hour in Mexico. While we lived in Mexico I marveled at how many varieties of these sandwiches I saw & how virtually any street corner might have a Torta vendor show up mid-day with a steady stream of customers well into the late afternoon. I am so glad I discovered the original "Belt-Buster" south of the border! Is there anything more portable or satisfying as a simple Sandwich?

How to make a Torta:

Use Bolillos Rolls found at a Latin American Market
2) Cut it in half, scoop out a little of the actual bread. (the roll can actually be toasted)
3) Spread the bottom half with a thin layer of refried beans
4) Layer sliced or shredded cold pork or beef. Leftover roast is perfect for this sandwich.
5) Use any or all of the following ingredients for the filling:garnishes such as guacamole, tomato, diced sweet white onion, jalapenos, chopped cilantro. lettuce.
To this squeeze lime & add a squeeze of mayo or Mexican. Give yourself time to finish this meal & plenty of napkins or share this generous sandwich.

A Boom Boom Blog-i-versary

2010-09-03T15:07:00.000-07:00

A Blogiversary seemed like a great occasion to ponder the past four years and roll out another meal featuring Boom Boom Enchiladas at the Texas to Mexico house.

I'm reflecting this week as I celebrate my 4 year Blogiversary of Texas to Mexico. Thanks to leaving Texas in 2006 & heading off to the arid, dusty desert of Mexico I can now look back at a 4 year Blogging adventure. Back then I desperately needed a way of letting friends & family know about our life south of the border. (That was also shortly before we had a voice over phone & were speaking on a daily basis to everyone back in the states) Little did I know back then posting photos, yammering on about things I saw on my daily travels I would truly broaden my horizons. In truth, taking photos & blogging exposed me to a whole new adventure which extended far beyond Texas & certainly Mexico. I was soon speaking with people in Europe, South Africa & the Middle East. It seemed I had more in common with those people than I had differences. In 4 years I have heard countless times from people who sought advice on making a cultural change or traveling through Mexico. Regardless of the Expatriate Assignment, the lifestyle is certain to change the way of viewing life. My viewpoint was forever changed. Back then as now as I toured the blogging world, I sought to broaden my horizons & expand my world. In 2006 I added a recipe here & there mostly discussing the life or people around me. My blog followers have been with me through astounding shopping experiences, visa & passport photo mishaps (exhibit below, yikes!! Those {bad hair, señora ninguna sonrisa} FM3 photos were awful.), dangerous border crossing incidents & horrifying hair coloring disasters which one can only appreciate fully once cyber friends say they understand it will all work out. For these things I want to say thank you. You have fed my soul & spirit from Mexico & back to Texas. In turn I hope I have done the same in Texas to Mexico.

To celebrate my 4 year Blogiversary I thought I would make a slight variation on one of my favorite Tex-Mex Enchiladas I have eaten many times at Chuy's. Chuy's is an Austin original restaurant which celebrates 2 things I can both appreciate & enjoy. Each year they celebrate Elvis Presley's Birthday (January 9) & Green Chile Festival. Not only do they celebrate but they do it in wonderful style with an array of menu items on both occasions to make everyone a follower of either Green Chilis or Elvis (for any of those non fans...seriously??) I hope all the Texas to Mexico fans will be sure to try this recipe or drop into a Chuy's location near you to taste the original Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Enchiladas. One taste of that Boom Boom sauce & even non believers will be Green Chili fans.

Boom Boom Blogiversary enchiladas were great with Golden Corn Salad with Fresh Basil from Sept. 2010 Cooking Light check the recipe out here:

My variation on the familiar "Chicka Chicka, Boom Boom Recipe" involves little more than using jalapenos versus serranos & I made more of a filliing for the tortillas rather than using the chopped roasted chicken. The filling adds a little more moisture to this version.

Boom Boom Chicken Enchiladas (slight variation**)

12 white corn tortillas
1 1/4 lb chicken cooked, roasted, fork shredded
1/4 c. diced yellow onion
8 oz. cream cheese or queso panela (Mexican cheese)
1/4 tsp. ground cumino salt, pepper to taste

Boom Boom Sauce ingredients
1/2 c vegetable broth
1/4 c water
1/4 T each salt and pepper
3/4 lb roasted Hatch Green Chilies
2 oz tomatillos
1 1/2 oz cilantro
1 oz green onions
3/4 oz minced jalapeno peppers
1/2 oz lime juice
1 1/4 lb American cheese

additional mixed shredded cheese for topping

In a saucepan, add vegetable broth, water and spices and place over a medium to high flame. Using a food processor, puree roasted green chilies, tomatillos, cilantro, green onions, jalapenos and lime juice. (This entire mixture also works well with an immersion blender or standard blender)

Add to saucepan, stirring in well. Bring mixture to a slow boil. Lower flame and slowly add American cheese, whipping as needed to remove clumps and make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom. When the cheese is melted and mixed, remove from heat. Yields 1 Quart.

Prepare mixture for enchiladas filling: Roasted chicken, fork shredded, mix with queso panela (or cream cheese), 1/4 cup of onion, diced. To make enchiladas, fill a corn tortilla* with 3 Tbsp of cooked, roasted chicken mixture. Roll up and place in a lightly oiled baking dish (9X15). Top with mixed cheese, as needed. Warm in a hot oven for 10 minutes, until cheese is melted. *I steam the tortillas briefly so they will easily roll. Top with Boom-Boom Sauce.

**First published as SAL HERNANDEZ / CHUY'S MEXICAN RESTAURANT here:

***On a very personal note, our first assignment in Mexico seemed to be at the epicenter of extortion, kidnappings & gunfights following the election of President Calderon & his declaration of war on the drug cartels. While these things were gripping we never felt more at home or cared for among an entire group of warm & friendly people. We continue to miss & pray for our friends in Mexico each and every day.

And last it is with a well known quote that I leave a thought for my friends & family in Mexico:

The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. -Thomas Jefferson

Cauliflower Zipped up a Notch with Hatch Chili

2010-08-18T11:49:00.000-07:00

Is your food spicy & hot or just hot? We had an experience last weekend where we thought we'd figured out the heat level of some jalapeno peppers. I seeded & de-veined them however once the peppers were pulled off the grill we were all crying from the pain. (literally!! Did something happen to this late summer jalapeno crop? We love them but seriously way past habanero heat level these peppers were...) The family is not short in the heat tolerance area so we thought we'd better temper the jalapeno intake this week. We opted for the Hatch peppers, a nice spicy change of pace after the over the top jalapenos. (the smoke is still drifting from my ears...) As the saying goes: “Variety's the very spice of life, That gives it all its flavor” and so I was in search of flavor with or without that tall glass of ice water close at hand~ For a kinder gentler jalapeno recipe check out our New Blog at Fresh from the Heart of Texas.

Hatch Chili festivities have begun here in town. While we are a lengthy drive from New Mexico, Texans do love a good spicy chili & a reason to celebrate. At several local stores around the area, the large roasters full of Hatch Chilis are set up outside (in our 100+ summer temps) searing those Hatch Chilis. The peppers can be purchased fresh or straight out of the chili roaster.
Inspired by a side dish challenge from fellow blogger Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice I searched for a way to incorporate one of my favorite spicy peppers into a side dish. Not to be a double dipper but I also follow Gloria Chadwick's blogs & love her Hatch Chili Heaven blog where she is positively green about all things Hatch. She inspired me to zip up the spice in my Cauliflower dish. Searching through several cookbooks I came across an Indian recipe which blends a wonderful array of spices & flavors into a thick flavorful sauce topping cauliflower. While I enjoy the flavor of several curry mixtures, Mr Texas to Mexico is not really a fan. I am however happy to say this sauce contains no curry blend. The tomato, ginger & garlic sauce really create a magic that can transport even an average menu into something exciting with a head of cauliflower. The heat in this dish can be taken up or down depending on what your preferences are.

Two books I've been reading are: The complete Hot & Spicy Cookbook & on the Chile trail, 100 Great Recipes from Across America. ( a birthday gift from Hornsfan) The last by Coyote Joe, also known as Mad Coyote Joe Daignaeult. I can recommend both books & believe the Hot & Spicy cookbook goes a long way towards helping cooks decipher some of the special ingredients involved in cuisines of 5 different countries featured in the book.

Cauliflower for me is great steamed with a squeeze of lemon & pepper...that was before I tasted this recipe.

Chili Roasted Cauliflower
3 Medium Tomatoes. sliced
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 inch of peeled, sliced, ginger root
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
2 Tbsp. Ghee, or clarified butter
3/4 tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 tsp. ground chili powder
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1 c. peas, if frozen thaw
1 Hatch Green Chili, seeded, diced
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Med. Cauliflower, cut heart out & blanch

Blend tomatoes, onion, garlic & ginger in the blender forming a nice paste. Heat butter or ghee in a skillet over medium heat, add the paste, turmeric, chili powder, garam masala. Stir fry until the paste & spices separate. Mixture will be pulling away from skillet & have loose texture to it. This process takes 5-6 minutes. Add the peas, Hatch Green Chilis & salt then continue to cook 4-5 minutes more, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat. Place the Blanched Cauliflower in a large ovenproof dish, pour the spices over it. Place in preheated oven *375 for 30 minutes or till the Cauliflower is the texture you want it. I like this vegetable to maintain a crisp quality to it. Serve flat on plate with the spices on the Cauliflower florets. Serves 4, great served with warm nam bread.

Chicken with a savory Gravy~Pollo Guisado

2010-08-13T10:35:00.000-07:00

"The fact is that it takes more than ingredients and technique to cook a good meal. A good cook puts something of himself into the preparation -- Pearl Bailey, 'Pearl's Kitchen"

Since our return from living in Mexico I have craved certain Mexican dishes which are not as easily found in restaurants here in the states. Some meals are just good homemade versions of things which are probably comfort foods in any culture. Any one dish meal that a cook puts their heart & special touch to has bound to be well recieved. Pollo Guisado is just that type of meal. A Mexican comfort food. Like your Grandmother's steak & gravy or Chicken & dumplings, Pollo Guisado translates to Chicken in Gravy. Simple & hearty this poultry dish is easy and hits home with the depth of flavors as well as being an all in one pot meal. Browned chicken, an easy roux and veggies are all that are needed for this Guisado.
This summer I have had a bounty of tomatoes & peppers from the garden which are an essential part of this dish. Moreover making this meal gave me reason to travel to a favorite grocery store to pick up a few extras for this dish.
On a recent trip to our local Fiesta Mart grocery store my daughter Bytes from Texas & I found Yoki Cheese bread mix (Pan de Queso) a typical Brazilian preparation for a very tasty cheese bread. There are certainly recipes I could try to locate for this bread but we had very much enjoyed the unique warm bits of bread during an evening we spent at Fogo de Chão. Upon finding the boxes of Yoki mix we added them to our shopping cart without another thought. Any foodie knows that a trip to an ethnic grocery store can yield astonishing surprises. Keep an open mind & don't miss a single aisle. We have been shopping Fiesta Mart for more years than I can count & I am always amazed by some new product I've never seen before. We will continue to scour the local stores & shops keeping up with current trends & flavors. Some of those adventures will bring us here to the New Blog, Bytes from Texas & I have started. Enjoy the last days of summer & buen provecho~

Simple ingredients can scent the kitchen with flavors that satisfy & soothe.

Pollo Guisado
4 Tbsp Oil
2 lbs fryer parts, or Chicken thighs (your choice)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 cup diced yellow onion
1 large seeded, sliced red or yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup diced fresh tomatoes
1 clove garlic, minced
4 Tbsp flour
1 tsp ground cumino
1 tsp fresh or dried thyme leaves
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup tomato sauce*el Pato brand with chilis is preferred,
(found in Latin American grocery stores)

Sprinkle chicken parts with salt & pepper tossing so the seasonings are coating the chicken. Saute the chicken parts in oil in a deep Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown chicken for approx 15 min turning so that the pieces are evenly browned. Set the browned chicken pieces on a plate & scrape up bits which may be at the bottom of the Dutch oven. Those bits are just an additional flavoring to the roux which you make next.
Saute the garlic in the oil, browning slightly before adding in the 4 Tbsp flour & then brown oil, flour mixture till it attains a "tawny brown" color. Add the onion, peppers & fresh tomatoes. Stir continually so this mixture does not burn, scrap any pieces which stick to the bottom of the Dutch oven, cook 2-3 min.
Add in slowly 2 cups of chicken broth, mixing continually, to this add the tomato sauce, cumin & thyme. Place the Chicken pieces back into the Guisado/Gravy. Bring all of this to a slow simmer. Cook approx. 30 - 45 minutes. The chicken will be very tender & flavored with the rich gravy once it is ready to serve. If the gravy reduces, add a little more chicken stock. Skim any excess oil off the Guisado-Gravy. (Grease is not gravy) Serve this hot with either tortillas, french bread or cornbread. Enjoy!

*I cooked this dish with Chicken thighs because the moist dark meat tends to have a little more flavor for a Guisado.
Shopping a Latin American or Grocery store can yield many surprises, try something new to give a standard dish a new twist. My daughter & I frequent a large Latin American grocery store here & found easy to prepare Yoki cheese bread mixes such an great "go to" addition for a weeknight meal. (they are gluten free too!) If you cannot find Yoki Cheese bread but would like the mix you might check here.

Summer Pico, New Blog & Cooking Inspirations~

2010-08-10T08:56:00.000-07:00

Food & Family have close connections in our home~

After a Summer of rushing about, having company & life in general I am very much behind the curve with my blog. I have had much
time during the off-blog time to get together with Bytes from Texas & come up with a mother daughter blogging adventure. We love Farmers Markets & enjoy cooking with garden fresh ingredients we find on our jaunts around the state of Texas. What could be more appropriate than a dual adventure through cyber Foodie world? We named our blog....(drum roll please!!)
Fresh from the Heart of Texas. We thought it most relevant given our location. We will both continue to keep our original blogs posting (from whence it all originated) & just do some postings now & again on the new one when the mood strikes us! In the meantime this summer we have been experimenting with cool recipes from new foods we find. Both of my daughters tend to inspire me in different directions however this one challenges me in the kitchen in more ways than one. She was trying to cook as early as 6 yrs old when she would come in early on Saturday mornings & let me know she had "made something for she & her sister". She was well known back in the day for her microwave breakfast specials. (microwave is the only thing I allowed her to use when Mom was not in the room) She has surpassed herself as a cook and as a young woman & I am so proud of her along with her blogging adventures. Little sister is even heading in the blogger direction. Seems like it has taken hold of our entire family.
We have a contact locally who is growing Thai melons. The flavors are somewhere between cantaloupe & honeydew melon. The Thai melons ripen very quickly from farm to table & my guess is we don't see many of these melons in the grocery store because they would soften quickly & ruin. I am inspired when I see some new veggie or fruit I have never tried to use it in some fun recipe which really makes the flavors pop & the senses come to life. Hope you give it a try & enjoy the new blog~ Fresh from the Heart of Texas from our life into yours.

Mango & Melon Pico de Gallo
1 Mango, peeled, cut off the seed & diced
1 cup of Melon (honeydew or cantaloupe fine), seeded, skinned & diced
1 grapefruit, sectioned & chopped
2 fresh jalapenos, cut into 1/4 in. strips
1/4 cup onion, sliced
2 green onions, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 sprig of fresh lemon thyme, leaves only (1/4 tsp)

Combine melon, mango, grapefruit, onions, jalapeno strips & toss with oil & lime juice. Add salt to taste & lemon thyme. Marinate for 3-4 hours in refrigerator. Serve over fish or chicken. I show mine served over Talapia (my fillet was disappointingly thin & frail) but it would be even better over a more sturdy fish filet such as Amber Jack or Tuna. Buen Provecho~

5, 6, 7, 8...What a difference a year can make!

2010-05-05T20:51:00.000-07:00

Last year's Cinco de Mayo meal was eaten South of the Border. Back then I made an Asian fusion meal which suited my Cinco tastes of the day. I noted in 2009 that Cinco de Mayo is not a holiday celebrated with such exuberance throughout Mexico as it is in the states. In Mexico the holiday is barely a blip on the party throwing scale unless one is in the state of Puebla Mexico. For a review of the holiday check here. This year I tried a more traditional "state-side" route. Living back in the states now we join in with the rest of the Cinco de Mayo, Margarita swigging fiesta goers.

We served our Tacos for Cinco de Mayo with plenty of Guacamole, Salsa, cold Jarritos & Cervezas. Hope your Cinco de Mayo was wonderful wherever you celebrated it. Buen Provecho, Enjoy!

Guacamole con la Bandera is simply this: Avocado mashed & topped with diced tomato, diced onion & a combination of diced jalapeno (or Serrano pepper)& Cilantro. Guacamole served in this manner throughout Mexico is considered "con la bandera" since it has the colors of the Mexican flag. I serve mine with lime wedges. Let the diners mix in the ingredients they would like.

As I scrambled mid day to place a small pork loin roast in the slow cooker for a few hours I decided to mix it up a bit & cook the pork roast with local favorite, Jardine's 7J Ranch, Campfire Roasted Salsa. It was wonderful over our tacos we made from the pork roast too.

Salsa Roasted Pork Loin
3 lb Pork Loin Roast
1 small Onion. sliced
1/3 cup of Jardine's Campfire Roasted Salsa
1 Lime, juiced
1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
3 Cloves Garlic, chopped

Season the Pork Loin roast with peppers, garlic & place the Pork loin roast in crock pot. Pour the salsa over the top of the roast, lay sliced onions over the top of the roast, squeeze the lime juice over the top & bake on high for 4 hours & 30 minutes. Cool roast approx. 15 minutes, then slice & roughly chop the slices. Serve in corn tortillas with chopped cilantro, dice onion, baby spinach leaves, diced pineapple & Jardine's Campfire Roasted Salsa. We served this on locally made fresh corn tortillas....many tortillas!!
D.L. Jardines has a great online store where you can order this salsa & many more of their products.

Five Ingredient Salad for Cinco de Mayo
1 Avocado, seeded, pealed & sliced
1 Mango, pealed, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
4 oz. Queso Fresco, crumbled or sliced into 1/2 inch bite sized pieces
1/4 small onion, diced
1/2 head of Red Leaf Lettuce, loosely shredded by hand.
Arrange clean lettuce into the bottom of serving bowl then layer on the rest of the ingredients ending with Avocado. Serve with Green Chili Dressing, recipe found in previous blog entry.

Day 7 Week ~Turkey, Dry Milk & Pasta=Comfort

2010-04-30T19:41:00.001-07:00

On this last day of the last meal for the Hunger Awareness Program we certainly will not look at ground turkey quite the same. While the meals were all tasty & challenging too much of a good thing does become just that...too much!! Both Bytes from Texas & Texas to Mexico (we are Mother & Daughter) thought ground turkey would be a good choice for our "Meat" of the week on our Food Pantry grocery list. I was reminded of an old episode of M*A*S*H where the character Hawkeye Pierce throws his tray down in the mess hall complaining about the same meat item they had eaten for far too many meals. No, this was not a "river of liver" Hawkeye was complaining about but variety truly is the spice of life. Even with Help from the "Hamburger Helper"; our conceptualizing for Ground Turkey was starting to stagnate. The meatless meals were actually some of our best or maybe we just enjoy Breakfast for Dinner too much at our house. As we read the other Austin Food Bloggers entries for this Blog event we thought chicken seemed to be a much more versatile meat. We enjoyed this challenge & look forward to the next Capital Area Food Bank event. The upcoming Stamp Out Hunger event is only a week away (May 8th) but I am already setting my sights on what donations I will leave next to my mail box. Whatever we take part in a Local or Mobile Food Pantry, Food Drive or Disaster Preparedness & Relief we are helping to strengthen our community.

This Florentine Meatball Casserole made a warm comforting meal. The creamy sauce, spinach & oven browned meatballs were able to be made in less than an hour. A pleasant spin on the standard Spaghetti & Meatballs.

Florentine Meatball Casserole
1 lb ground turkey
1/4 cup rolled oats
1 egg
1/4 cup minced onion
1 Tbsp fresh Oregano
1 Tsp pepper
1 cup (8 oz) wilted spinach, squeeze excess moisture out
1 cup shredded cheese, Cheddar, Monterrey Jack or Parmesean
8 oz. Spaghetti noodles, cooked & drained

To make meatballs; mix together turkey, oats, egg, pepper, oregano then form meat into 16-18 medium large meatballs (golf ball size). Bake on cookie sheet in oven at 375* for 30 minutes or till they are browned on all sides.
Make Alfredo Sauce as follows.

Powdered & Evaporated Milk Alfredo Sauce
1 (12 ounce) can Evaporated milk
2 tablespoons Powdered Milk
1/4 cup Butter
2 tablespoons Flour
3/4 cup Grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder
1/4 cup milk
Shake together powdered and evaporated milks; set aside.
Melt butter in medium saucepan; stir in flour to make a roux; cook until bubbly.
Gradually whisk evaporated milk into the roux; cook sauce over medium heat, stirring, until bubbly.
Reduce heat; add Parmesan cheese and garlic salt; stir until melted.
Thin sauce to desired consistency by stirring in up to one half cup milk.

Mix together alfredo sauce, spinach & noodles. Layer 1/2 into a greased 9x13 casserole dish. Lay cooked meatballs over the top of the noodle mixture & top with the last 1/2 of the noodles. Spread Cheese over this layer. Bake 20 minutes till bubbly & cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

7 Days of Breakfast.

As part of the Austin Food Blogger Hunger Awareness program we made breakfast all 7 days which fell in the guidelines of our Food Pantry, SNAP/WIC food purchases. Eating a healthy breakfast each morning really is the most important part of the day. Whether it was Cheerios, Oatmeal, Rice Porridge or Eggs the meals were simple & used few ingredients. We were able to use all of our pantry items save a can of fruit & a few potatoes. I look forward to taking part in this project again, the challenge was both a reality check & made me think grasp the concept of walking in someone's shoes if even for a week.

Soup to Share~ Enough is as good as a feast. Day 5

2010-04-29T08:17:00.000-07:00

What can a few cans do for someone else? Have you walked though your local grocery store & noticed an elderly person with less than a few pantry items in their cart? Have you checked out in the grocery store just behind someone who is buying meat items you did not know existed or so few items for the amount of children they have with them you are baffled? When we lived in Mexico I saw hunger & need around me each day. The government programs & volunteer organizations are over run with need versus ability to meet the needs. Here in the United States we are so fortunate to have so many volunteer organizations as well as well run government programs to meet the needs of our population. No, I am not talking government expansion, more red tape or anything radical, just neighbors helping neighbors. The issue often is matching those in need to the programs which can meet their needs. The Capital Area Food Bank will help guide & assist those in need here in Central Texas.

The Soup we made from our Food Pantry items was rather like the proverbial Stone Soup. Once we added the canned Spaghetti Sauce, Garbanzo beans & the H2O the soup seemed to grow. The veggies from the Austin Farmer's Market & my garden it just seemed to be more than a meal for our family alone. By the end of the meal we were making up containers of soup for Bytes from Texas boyfriend & trying to find a place for our leftovers. Isn't it all about sharing? Grandmother used to talk about giving out food to strangers who came to the door during the Great Depression. She taught us a long time ago to use our resources wisely & take care of others along the way. Next time there is a can for donations at your local grocery store or your mail carrier puts a note in your box saying they will collect donations make sure you make an effort & help others help themselves. Let's Stamp out Hunger.

Italian Veggie Crock Pot Soup
1 Can of Hunts Spaghetti Sauce + 2 cans of water
1 cup of sliced fresh Carrots
1 Parsnip, sliced
1 small Onion, diced
1 can of Garbanzo Beans (chick peas)
1 cup of fresh green snow peas, garden peas or green beans (frozen is okay)
3 zucchini, sliced
1 small cabbage, sliced = 3 cups of cabbage
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp fresh Oregano
1 Tbsp fresh Thyme
1 cup pasta, uncooked

Put the Spaghetti sauce in the crock pot, mix in 2 cans of water. place all the vegetables in the crock pot but not the pasta. Stir in the herbs, pepper & celery salt. Cook on low in the crock pot for 5 hrs. in the last hour I placed the uncooked pasta noodles into the pot. Once the pasta is cooked serve the soup with a slice of crusty bread & garnish with Parmesan cheese.

For a simple desert we had canned pear halves with cottage cheese. A very sweet ending to our Soup Feast!

Breakfast for dinner, Day 4

2010-04-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

Day 4 of the Hunger Awareness Blogger Project. Some of the comfort meals I remember most from childhood were those meals which my mother made which were designed to stretch the budget. As kids we loved the entire concept of breakfast for dinner. Never realizing that it was a great way to be economical & fill the belly at the same time. Generally speaking we begged for something like pancakes or biscuits. When our family moved from San Antonio Texas to Alaska in 1969 a loaf of bread in Texas was .10-.20 cents a loaf. When my mother realized a loaf of bread in Alaska was over $1.00 a loaf then she began stretching her food budget & getting creative. Moose meat & wild berries made it into our meals & she also became an excellent bread baker. Kids do not realize the budget is tight when the meals are creative. As an adult I still enjoy a simple meal of an omelet or an otherwise "breakfastie" type meal when I am needing comfort food. This Frittata is really an Italian style Omelet. Easy & inexpensive, it is fabulous for any meal.

For very little money anyone can make this simple Frittata. Any veggie will do & day old pasta is fine.

The Capital Area Food Bank has seen a 60 percent increase in usage compared to a year ago. Wonder how you can help fight Hunger? Contact Capital Area Food Bank here:

**If the Days seem out of sequence the rest of Hunger Awareness week is here*** at Bytes from Texas.

Zucchini Frittata
6 eggs
1 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. water
3 Zucchini squash, trimmed & sliced
1 small onion, halved & sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups whole grain pasta, cooked, (leftover best)
2 Tbsp. Butter
Cooking Spray
1 green onion, sliced & reserved for garnish
Salt & Pepper to taste

Place eggs in a bowl with the flour, water & beat well till smooth. Spray skillet with cooking spray, melt butter. Saute onion, garlic & zucchini 2 minutes. To the vegetables add the pasta. Stir the pasta/vegetable mixture blending all ingredients well. Over this pour the egg mixture tilting the skillet so it covers the base & is around all veggie pasta blend. Once the bottom is set & edges of frittata are lifting from the edge of the skillet well gently make certain that the bottom will lift out of the skillet in once piece. Briefly remove skillet from heat, place a dinner plate over the top of the skillet & invert the frittata onto the plate. Then gently slide the frittata (Uncooked side down) back into the skillet & cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat & place onto clean platter & slice into wedges. Garnish with green onion tops & shredded cheese.
Serves 4

**This meal uses the Pasta from our Food Blogger Hunger Awareness provisions. Fresh eggs & produce from the Austin Farmer's Market. Eggs are a wonderful protein packed value which are packed with vitamins & high in lecithin--the emulsifier that keeps fats and cholesterol from clumping together in the blood.

Uniting & Helping to Stamp out Hunger Day 2

2010-04-25T13:01:00.000-07:00

Every community has activists & those particular activists have those they help. The Austin area is full of such people. Anyone who picks up the Austin American Statesman each Wednesday very likely reads the Life & Arts as well as take in the weekly food column Relish Austin by Addie Broyles. Addie is indeed one of those community minded people who brings concerns to the hearts & minds of fellow Texans helping to make Austin a better place. More often than not I find myself jotting down or clipping a recipe out of the Statesman from the Wednesday paper. This week she has extended an invitation for a group of fellow bloggers to come together for the Hunger Awareness Blog Project.

Austin Food Bloggers met this past week to discuss blogging as well as cooking with food the Capital Area Food Bank Recipients would receive if they were a client at a food pantry in an effort to raise awareness of the hunger crisis in Central Texas.

The face of hunger in Central Texas & across America would surprise many. There are many folks out there working, trying to make ends meet & living on a fixed income, elderly or simply needing a stop-gap to fill a short term need. In helping those around us we ultimately help ourselves.
Average Food Bank offerings for a week that we will be cooking with are as follows:
2 cans spaghetti sauce
4 canned veggies
4 canned fruits
1 meat selection example: 1 lb. of ground beef (the Capital Area Food Bank said they receive everything from hams, chickens to pig trotters)
3 drink items (choice of lg. bottle of cranberry apple juice & or powdered milk
1 bag spaghetti or egg noodles
1 bag of beans
1 bag of white rice
1 package of jalapeno slices
1 ready-made dinner (example: Hamburger Helper)
1 bag/container of oats
1 bag of cheerios
5 lb. bag of potatoes
This list can be offset by many of the food bank recipients being able to use Lonestar/WIC to help modestly augment the food at local grocery stores or even the Austin Farmer's Market.

What could you do for your family for a week with this same food? How can you get involved in the Capital Area Food Bank?

My daughter & fellow blogger Bytes from Texas: One Longhorn's Adventures agreed to do this project together since our numbers are the same as a family unit. We shopped the food pantry items & made small Fresh Vegetable/Dairy WIC selections based on the guidelines for the WIC & SNAP food benefits program. We will be posting a weeks worth of Meal choices based on the Hunger Awareness Project list.

Any spice used can be altered or omitted. Spice & flavors can be so individual.

I am posting a main meal made with Rice, Spaghetti Sauce, a Meat portion *I use Ground Turkey, it was served with mashed potatoes. Our family makes potatoes with the skin on for more nutrition. We also used a portion of a large Cabbage & Onions purchased at the Austin Farmer's Market.

STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS
1 lb Ground Turkey
1 cup Rice, uncooked
1/2 cup bread crumbs (optional)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 celery salt
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp.cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/2 Mexican oregano, Italian is fine
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 med. Onion, diced, reserve a few slices for onions
large cabbage leaves***
1 1/4 cups canned Spaghetti Sauce
Grind day-old bread in a blender(or break it up finely with fork before blending into meat), and add seasonings.
Mix bread crumbs, onion, rice & turkey well, combine all ingredients other than the cabbage.
Remove the core of the cabbage & then cut off while carefully removing the outside leaves, approximately 14-18 large leaves
Fill a large stockpot with salted water and bring to a boil & then reduce the water to simmer. Place the cabbage leaves into the Simmer for a few minutes and remove as the outer leaves begin to turn a bright green. (save the liquid as it can be used to thin sauce or add veggies & make stock for another meal.)
The object is to cook the cabbage for as little time as possible, but long enough to tenderize the outer leaves. Remove from the water and allow to cool on a dish until the outer leaves are still hot but are cool enough to handle.
Remove as many outer leaves as you can by cutting them or tearing. Reserve the rest of the leaves for other dishes or lining the pot when cooking.
NOTE: As you remove leaves, some will tear and otherwise not be suitable for using as a wrapper. Do not discard these, as they can be used to line the pot, or you can shred them to add to the filling mixture.
At the bottom of each leaf there will be a thick stem; sliver a slice off this to thin it out (I cut a V-notch to help with the roll process). The purpose is to make the base flexible so that you can roll it up.
Stuff each leaf with a healthy serving spoon of the filling mixture. Starting at the bottom of the leaf, roll up one turn, then turn in the sides of the leaf to cover the filling, then roll up some more until you reach the top of the leaf and have a little bundle.
You can now either place the rolls a slow cooker or dutch oven pan.
Layer the bottom of the Crockpot or pan with broken cabbage leaves (the ones that weren't complete or too small to use for rolling). Stack the filled cabbage leaf bundles on top of the bed of leaves, a single layer at a time. Top each layer with a few spoons of sauce or even tomato paste, and repeat with another layer of leaves, another layer of cabbage rolls, etc.
Stack the bundles in their layers carefully with the end of each leaf underneath (some people fasten with a toothpick but this is not really required). Finish off the final layer with any remaining filling.
Alternatively, you can bake these in the oven. Prior to baking I mixed in an additional pinch of cayenne pepper with my Spaggheti sauce & thinned it out slightly with the liquid I blanched the cabbage leaves in.
To bake, stack bundles over cabbage leaves in a casserole dish, pour on the tomato sauce, cover with foil, and bake in a slow oven, 300 degrees F., for about 2 hours.
Cover and simmer on the low heat setting of your stove top for 2-3 hours or in the slow cooker for 4-5 hours.
Whichever method you use to cook the cabbage rolls, be sure not to overcook, so test often and remove when the cabbage leaves are tender.

***My husband's Grandmother was one of the premiere cooks in a large family of fabulous southern cooks. She always said to buy or ask the produce manager for the leaves from the outside of the Cabbage which people often discard or pulled away from the Cabbage back years ago in order to only pay for a compact head of cabbage. Cabbages are full of Vitamins K & C as well as an excellent source of dietary fiber. Avoid the wilted or limp cabbage leaves. This combined with the nutritional goodness from the protien & the portion of mashed potatoes make up an excellent & healthy meal.

Cascarones translates to: Easter Celebration!

2010-04-05T08:26:00.000-07:00

The egg cracking, confetti flying traditions of Cascarones have been in the Southwest for a very long time but it has certainly made a come back in recent years. What are Cascarones? Cascarones traditionally were carried from Spain to the Americas over a century ago. Carlotta, the wife of Emperor Maximillian, was so fascinated by the eggs that she brought them to Mexico during her husband’s rule in the mid 1800’s. Originally the eggs were filled with perfumed powders. In Mexico people replaced the perfumed powder with brightly colored confetti. It was that point when Mexicans labeled the egg shells.... Cascarones... the word derives from the Spanish "Cascara" which means shell. In Mexico Cascarones were popular at one time, but the tradition eventually faded. Only in the late 1960s and early 1970s Cascarones regained popularity in South Texas. As a child in San Antonio Texas I can remember learning how to make the Cascarones in school. The Cascarones are a regular cottage industry in San Antonio from Easter to Fiesta time. I have seen very artistic creations which look like animals & popular cartoon characters. They are usually sold by the dozens however the more creative the Cascarones the higher the individual price. To make your own Cascarones prick a hole in one end of the egg & blow the yolk/white out of the egg through a larger hole in the other end. Once the egg is removed from the shell wash & dry the shell fill with confetti & seal the end with tissue paper. It is believed that the Easter Cascarones represent the Resurrection of Jesus & breaking the egg symbolizes Christ rising from the tomb. Also who ever receives a shower of confetti on the head will have good luck & fortune. So be not offended when you are showered with this goodness, someone is just showing you some love & sharing the luck! This year we did not make our own as I bought Cascarones pre-made & so we enjoyed hand dying Easter eggs along with our showers of confetti & Easter goodies!
Our recent meal of Ancho Enchiladas reminded me of a recipe I had years ago I had long since lost for Pork Enchiladas with Ancho sauce. I am still working on recreating that exact recipe but found this Vegetarian version of Ancho Enchiladas very nice, especially with the addition of the crumbled fresh Panela Queso.

For the recipe for those adorable Bunny Cakes check here:

Cottage industry?? Nope, just a little father/daughter egg dying hilarity & artistic creativity!

Ancho Veggie Enchiladas
1 Red Sauce recipe
1 Red Bell Pepper, sliced
1 yellow Bell Pepper, sliced
2 Zucchini, sliced
1 12 oz. Panela Fresca Queso, crumbled
10 White Corn Tortillas, softened
Saute Bell Peppers & Zucchini slices in 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil till vegetables are slightly tender while still crisp. Ladle 1/4 cup of Red Sauce over bottom of greased 9 X 13 dish. Soften Corn Tortillas & fold veggie strips into the enchiladas, layer Panela crumbles into the Tortillas. Layer the Enchiladas evenly over the sauce in the bottom of the pan. Pour Red Sauce over the enchiladas, top with remaining Panela crumbles. Bake @ 350* for 20-25 min. or till cheese starts to look slightly toasted & sauce is bubbly. Serve immediately.

Red Chili Sauce
8 oz Dried Ancho Chilis,
1 quart of water
14 oz. can of Roma Tomatoes
1 Chili Chipolte, stem removed + 1 tsp of Adobo liquid*
1 small Yellow Onion, roasted under broiler or on a Comal
5 cloves Garlic, roasted briefly, peeled & finely chopped
1 Tbsp. Mexican oregano (if using fresh only 1 tsp.)
1 tsp. ground Cumin
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
Remove stems & seeds from Adobos (seeds which do not remove easily will fall away once the chilis are cooked in the water.) Dry roast the Chilis Anchos for 3 to 4 minutes. Do not burn. Add to 1 quart of boiling water simmer for 10 minutes. Remove once the chilis are re-hydrated. Cool then remove rest of seeds & set aside. Reserve liquid for blending process. Roughly chop the Chilis Adobos, place in blender or food processor, to this add the Roma Tomatoes, 1 canned Chili Chipolte, 1 tsp. Adobo liquid the chilis are packed in, sugar, cumin, diced onion, garlic, oregano. Blend slowly by pulsing the blender or food processor. To this liquid I add the reserved water I simmered my Anchos in 1 Tbsp at a time. I like my sauce to be the thickness of catsup & not as thin as some of the store bought enchilada sauces. You might want a thinner sauce. It is your choice. This yields aprox 2 3/4 cups of Red Chili Sauce. Any extra sauce I have freezes well to use another day. **As with any of my more spicy recipes, this can be made with less heat, omit the chipolte if needed.

Koshari, Kosheri or is that Koshary?

2010-03-31T21:23:00.000-07:00

What is in a word? Koshari is Egypt's answer to American Chili...kind of, sort of! It is made of lentils, rice, beans, some type of pasta & it has a spicy tomato sauce. It is a street food along the streets of Cairo, can be found throughout the Middle East & as far away as Hong Kong. The national dish of Egypt aka: 1st rate Egyptian comfort food intrigued me long before I tried it. I watched an episode of No Reservations where Anthony Bourdain visited Cairo & ate at a Koshari restaurant. I was decidedly intrigued then began seeking out a recipe & the ingredients to make this dish. My recipe incorporates a bit more heat but there are as many recipes of this online as our American Chili. Comfort foods tend to take up a life of their own. Making Koshari for the very first time while we were still living full time south of the border was not all that difficult. I would venture to say that many cooks have most of the ingredients on hand in the pantry save the Hot Siracha Sauce. I made a trip to our local Asian market to buy the Hot Siracha sauce. (Of course I think I just needed an excuse to visit the Asian Supermarket.) They seem to have one of the largest selections of products under one roof & I am always up for the slightly exotic shopping trip. Our large MT Asian Supermarket has groceries offered from around the globe with a nice selection of Middle Eastern products. Believe it or not there is actually quite a large influence from the Middle East on the foods in Mexico. We knew people in Mexico with Middle Eastern surnames & traditions. I believe I had mentioned this previously in another blogpost. The Middle Eastern dishes are quite popular with the younger foodies as many of the side dishes are vegetarian. They are both inexpensive to prepare as well as high in protein & a good way to change up the average meatless meal. I recently made this meal as a modest addition to Tangled Noodle & Savor the Thyme's Eating Your Words contest. I do not know that my meal is particularly challenging however if anyone had seen me trying to pipe the words of my Spicy Tomato Sauce for the Koshari I seemed plenty challenged. Why pipe it onto the plate one might ask? We tend to dab everything into the sauce & if a little is good on top of the Koshari, more is better!

Egyptian Koshari

The national dish of Egypt which may have found a permanent place on the Texas to Mexico table.

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked Rice
2 cups cooked Vermicelli (Fideo) pasta*
2 tablespoons Cider Vinegar
1 teaspoon Ground Cumin , divided
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 cup cooked Lentils
1 1/2 can tomato sauce (16 oz)
1/2 cup Water
4 tablespoons hot Siracha Sauce from Asian grocery
1 1/2 tablespoons Sugar
3/4 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
1 15.5 oz can Chick Peas (Garbanzo beans), drained
2 med. Onions, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)**
1 Green Chili, roasted, seeded & diced

Instructions:

1. *In large saucepan saute Fideo or Vermicelli pasta in 1 Tbsp Oil till lightly golden, then slowly add water needed to cook pasta. Drain any remaining water from pasta.

Combine rice and pasta; spoon in bottom of large shallow bowl or platter.

2. Whisk together vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, and garlic powder in a medium bowl. Add cooked lentils and stir to combine. Spoon over rice and pasta.

3. Combine tomato sauce, water, sugar, cinnamon, salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin, hot Siracha sauce and red pepper in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally. At this point set aside & reserve 1/2 cup of the Spicy Tomato Sauce. Stir in chickpeas. Spoon tomato mixture over lentil layer. Partially stir tomato mixture into other layers, but do not completely combine all layers. If desired, prepare crisp-brown onions as directed below and add as a topping. To this layer I added Green Chili Peppers & served with the reserved Spicy Tomato Sauce on the side. I realize this takes Koshari into a Southwest direction but it is so very good. Omit the green chilies if you don't want the added heat.

**Cook onions in large skillet with 1 tablespoon oil over high heat, stirring frequently, until brown and slightly crispy, about 10 - 15 minutes.

The Parsnip Rutabaga question.

2010-03-18T08:04:00.000-07:00

My Saint Patrick's day bit of luck came to me in the local produce section while shopping for our yearly Irish meal. I've always said I did not care for Parsnips. But I decided to make a well known Irish potato dish & it required purchasing some of root vegetables of the unknown type. As a kid I told my mother I hated Parsnips. I was dead certain it was parsnips I had disliked all those years ago. Strange how our minds have a bit of revisionist history at times. The long story short of it is that I found a great recipe for Dublin Parsnip Colcannon & I thought I would give the much maligned Parsnip a try once again. Much to my surprise I found that Parsnips were not the sharp tasting, bitter rootie veggie I remembered. On the contrary, I enjoyed the hint of sweet flavor the fresh Parsnips added to the potato dish. In my mind I remembered hating this vegetable, maybe it was the Rutabaga instead? If this is true then I have to revisit several root veggies I disliked as a kid! Who knew our taste buds would change as we age. Is the Rutabaga next on my list of newly acquired flavors?? No, I doubt it. Lightening cannot strike twice in my culinary world....

The traditional Irish Colcannon has a history of being prepared on All Saints Day. Traditional charms were put in the Colcannon that symbolized different things. A button meant you would remain a bachelor and a thimble meant you would remain a spinster for the coming year. A ring meant you would get married and a coin meant you would come into wealth. We enjoyed our Colcannon even if I left the charms aside this time. Colcannon can be made with a variety of greens mixed within however I opted for the Green Onion & Parsley variety this time around.

Dublin Parsnip Colcannon
1 lb. Parsnips
2 lb. Yukon Gold Potatoes
1 cup Half & Half or Milk
3 Tbsp. Salt
3 Tbsp. Butter
1/4 cup Scallions or Spring Green Onions, sliced green tops with small amount of white bulb.
1/4 finely chopped flat leaf parsley

Scrub & peel the parsnips & potatoes, cover with cold water then add salt. Bring to a boil in large saucepan, When the potatoes are almost cooked, heat the milk or half & half bring to a simmer, add scallions along with the parsley & remove from heat. Once the potatoes/parsnips are tender, drain water and mash well. Slowly stir in the warm milk & parsley/scallions mixture. Stir just until fluffy & well blended careful not to over beat the potatoes. (I have on occasion used the electric blender to help whip my mashed potatoes however they can get sticky & gummy quickly with this method.) Serve immediately in a hot dish with the Butter placed into the center of the Colcannon. Colcannon might also be prepared ahead & reheated later in the oven at 350* for about 20 minutes.

My Irish Ancestors never had the ease of Corned Beef in a crock pot. With a busy St. Patrick's Day I was thrilled to be able to turn on the crock pot & walk away for several hours. The traditional Corned Beef Easter Sunday meal was eaten after the Lenten fast, with fresh cabbage & some form of potatoes. Now most American born of Irish heritage connect Saint Patrick's day meals with Corned Beef. however I am certain I speak for most when I say that we eat better on St. Patrick's Day than most of our Irish ancestors did. I somehow think my Irish Grandfather would have loved the fact that I cooked my Corned Beef this year with a bottle of Mexican Beer. He lived much of his adult life in San Antonio Texas & loved the cuisines of the culturally diverse town. Buen Provecho, my friends & the luck of the Irish be with you this year. For a peek at what Irish dessert we enjoyed check out the Irish Apple Tart here:

Crock pot Corned Beef
4-5 lbs Corned Beef Brisket
2 medium Onions, peeled and quartered
1 clove of Garlic, crushed
1 Bay Leaf (or two small ones)
1 packet of Corned Beef spices, usually included with Corned Beef
1 Bottle of Sol, Mexican Beer, of course any beer will do.

Place 1 well trimmed Corned Beef into Crock Pot, sprinkle the Corned Beef with the pickling spices (about 1 Tablespoon), garlic, toss in onion wedges & then cover with beer. Cook on High for 5-6 hours. 5 hours for 4 lbs & 6 for 5 lbs. See crock pot instructions for leaving it at low for a longer time period. Remove from heat, rest & slice in 1/4 inch slices. We served this with our Parsnip/Potato Colcannon & glazed carrots. Chilled this brisket makes excellent sandwiches. FYI, this Crock Pot meal was almost a no show for St. Paddy's Day. My Crock Pot died after a short life of slow cooking at my house & I had to rush next door to borrow my neighbor's crock pot. A big Thank You for the Desselles!! The moral of the story remains do an equipment check when the family is coming for dinner!

An Irish blessing-
May the sound of happy music
and the lilt of Irish laughter
fill your heart with gladness
That stays forever after.

The Toujouse Bar, Treemont House Galveston Texas. In the heart of Galveston Island's Strand Historic District.

Celebrating Independence Texas Style.

2010-03-01T22:16:00.000-08:00

Texas Independence Day is the celebration of the adoption of the Texas Declaration of Independence on March 2, 1836. From the Battle of the Alamo to the declaration of independence from Mexico; Texas has always had more in common than differences with the culture & traditions of Mexico. As our friends in Mexico love to remind us Texas & Mexico used to be all the same country...
Never is that commonality less obvious than when I see our love for both the traditional Mexican or Tex-Mex cuisine right here in the Lone Star State.

Frijoles de Olla is the classic bean dish which is brought to the table in a Cazuela or Olla (the traditional earthenware pottery found throughout Mexico) after the main course has been eaten. I made a brief trip last week to the Mercado Zaragosa, in Pedras Negras, Coahuila. The Mercado Zaragosa is where my father bought me my first Olla many years ago. I continue to use that same Olla to this day when I want to make traditional Frijoles de Olla. I was relieved to see that the small market place in the heart of old Piedras Negras was still as quiet & tranquil as I remembered it. The recent troubles along the border regions in Northern Mexico have missed the sleepy burg of Piedras for now. I saw rows of traditional pottery (including several Ollas) on the familiar sidewalk in front of the Mercado. I made my way inside to purchase bottles of La Vencedora vanilla & honey. Those flavors are but just a few of the items I enjoy searching for each time I travel to Mexico.

In our quest to remove some of our meat from our weekly diet I decided to make our Frijoles de Olla without any meat or animal fats. The delicious Frijoles both North & South of the Border often have Lard in the recipe. While the taste might be more in keeping with tradition, this recipe has enough flavor the meat & lard is hardly a passing thought. I also prepared this dish with a soy chorizo sausage rather than traditional chorizo. There are several varieties of Soy Chorizo available here in the states however I suggest buying it to cook before you use it in the beans. Not all Soy Chorizos are created equal, ha,ha! (Trust me on this.) You do not have to cook these beans in anything other than a large pot or dutch oven. I served the Frijoles with Veggie Tacos. I have posted this recipe before on my blog & here is the link. Whether you are avoiding meat for Lent, dietary or life choice give these a try.

Frijoles de Olla
2 cups dried *Pinto beans, sorted & washed, soaked overnight and drained
1 medium White Onion, peeled & chopped
2 large Garlic cloves, peeled & chopped
4 Roma Tomatoes, roasted, peeled & diced
1 12 oz. Soy-rizo link, removed from casing
2 tsp. Chili Powder
1/4 cup Cilantro
4 quarts water
Salt & Pepper to taste

Place the beans in a large Olla - clay pot - or stockpot with the onion, garlic, the 4 roasted tomatoes and water. Bring to a boil & then lower to slow simmer for the next 3 hours. Do not add salt until the beans have finished cooking. Cover and cook for 3 hours or until tender. During the first hour of cooking saute the Soy-rizo, Soy Chorizo. (real chorizo or sausage may be used.)

When the beans are done, remove about 1 cup of them and mash or puree them with some of their liquid. Add the mashed beans back to the pot, and continue cooking a few more minutes, until the mashed beans have thickened the bean broth a bit. Add salt & black pepper to taste.

Serve the beans in the clay pot or an attractive, heat-proof bowl. Pass a platter of garnishes - chopped onions, crumbled cheese, chopped cilantro - so that they can be individually added to taste.
*In Southern Mexico black beans may be used but in much of Mexico as well as the Southwest Pinto beans or a small red bean are used more often than not.

Veggie Tacos are fast becoming a favorite at our home while I am scaling back the meat consumption for a bit of a healthier Texas to Mexico dining experience. I have made these tacos or a version of them many times before. You can be creative & use a never ending variety of vegetables or spices to make them as simple or as spicy as you handle. For some extra heat you might try adding finely diced jalapenos along side of your garnishes.
My Veggie Tacos recipes can be found here on a previous blog. I garnished the tacos this week with sliced radish, alfalfa sprouts & avocados.

Meatless Monday & Snowy Tuesday

2010-02-25T19:55:00.000-08:00

When Taco Tuesday is blurred by the weather in Texas, hang on...it's going to a bumpy ride!

My Meatless Monday endeavors since the New Year have been making me put more thought into the post weekend meals. We typically get more indulgent on the weekend. Thinking about more positive choices since the New Year have been a goal of mine for our household. This past week was a busy week as we knew on Monday evening that we could receive several inches of snowfall in Central Texas. Seriously, folks Texas does get snowfall now & again. I have friends who are shocked each time they hear we had snow in Texas! A state of this size has alot to offer weather wise & as the old saying goes: "If you don't like the weather, wait a minute & it will change". This Meatless Monday I was busy planning a meal while; figuring out which plants I needed to drag into the house from the garden or were worth salvaging after our previous freezes this Winter.

When the weather folks talk about the three P's.....plants, pets & pipes you had better buckle down & prepare for a real cold snap! I've recently heard family stories of storms in the Hill Country in the 1930's which caused my Grandfather, Aunts & Uncles to haul all the baby livestock into the old Ranch house in Hayes County & bottle feed dozens of goats & sheep in front of the fireplaces for days while the storms raged & the countryside froze. It is a fact in the Lone Star state it can & will drop as much as 50 degrees within hours when a Texas Blue Northern front blasts down through the plains. By Tuesday morning the Austin area had sleet & snow flurries. I saw larger snowflakes than I even remember from living in Alaska as a child. Across Texas weather forecasters & bloggers were in a frenzy as the road crews covered the bridges & overpasses with sand. School age kids were excited to be released early from school & our local golf courses turned ski slopes for an afternoon. We may not see snow often here in Texas but when we do it is a sight to behold & everyone enjoys the excitement.
Of course I digress from the Meatless Monday since Snowy Tuesday temporarily replaced Taco Tuesday at our home!(sheesh!!!)Weather truly was the big event of the week. But quite possibly the best meal of the week was the meatless meal which always gives us a little bounce to our step & manages to make us feel a bit more virtuous for a few days. Taco Tuesday? Well let me just say this Tuesday I thought a pot of soup was good for the soul. Next Tuesday we will tackle the tacos again!

For a little history about Meatless Monday, long before the modern food movement made it cool & hip....Please, people! We reinvent the wheel over & over again. Everything is a cycle, the longer I live the more I realize what is "in" one moment, will be back again if you wait long enough. Thank goodness, this movement is back again~

Two of my top 10 favorite ingredients, how can any meal be bad with Artichokes & Mushrooms?

Artichoke & Mushroom Stuffed Eggplant
1 1 1/4 lb Eggplant
2 tsp. Olive Oil
1 cup Onions, chopped
1 cup Mushrooms, chopped
1 cup frozen Artichoke hearts, thawed & chopped
1 clove Garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. Oregano
1/2 tsp. Basil
1 tsp. Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp salt & pepper
1/4 cup Vegetable stock *more may be added if needed
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 cup Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded

Cut Eggplant in half, lengthwise, carefully scoop pulp out leaving 1/4 inch shell on the outside. I use a melon scoop to help with scooping process. Chop pulp into 1/4 inch pieces. Preheat oven to 350*.
Heat oil in a large non stick skillet over medium heat. Add eggplant pulp, onions, mushrooms, artichoke hearts & garlic. Add spices, soy sauce & stock. Cook 10 to 12 minutes, stirring frequently until vegetables are tender. During this process if more liquid is needed add more vegetable stock to keep the eggplant mixture moist. Remove from heat & stir in rice & half of the cheese.
Lightly oil a shallow baking dish. Spoon cooked mixture into eggplant shells. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the tops. Pour 1/4 inch liquid either stock or water into the bottom of the dish so the eggplant shells will steam tender. Cook uncovered 30 minutes.

If it's Fat Tuesday we must have Gumbo & plenty of Seafood.

2010-02-16T07:57:00.000-08:00

Whether you call it Shrove Tuesday or Fat Tuesday, the same day seems to mean one last culinary celebratory event leading up the the date Lent begins on the Christian calendar. Festival season in many cultures encompasses the period between Epiphany & Ash Wednesday. Fat Tuesday is the celebration of & end of Mardi Gras as we know it in the South. In our family whether we are in New Orleans, Mexico or Texas it is cause for Gumbo, stews, etoufee or jambalaya. Wherever you find yourself this day let the good times roll & make it hot, hot, hot!!

Start your Fat Tuesday off with Shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico over Poached eggs. A quick 10 minute breakfast. In the words of my Cajun friends; "Talk about good, Cher, nes pa?"
Poached Eggs & Shrimp for two
2 large eggs
2 jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined
Lemon wedges
2 tbsp. white wine
2 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. garlic
salt, pepper & red pepper flakes
2 slices Roma tomato
fresh baby spinach leaves
2 whole grain English muffins, sliced & toasted

Poach the 2 eggs at the same time you are sauteing the shrimp for this dish. If you have never poached an egg, here is a quick how to Poach guide.
In small pan saute garlic in butter, add shrimp, quickly sautee shrimp till opaque. Add seasoning & white wine. Remove from heat. Place toasted English muffins the serving plate, add 3 to 4 fresh baby spinach leaves over the bottom half, ease the poached egg onto the spinach (as you can tell from the photo I enjoy my eggs soft), garnish with 1 slice of tomato, carefully set the jumbo shrimp onto the tomato & serve with lemon wedge on each plate.

“Gumbo, of all other products of the New Orleans cuisine, represents a most distinctive type of the evolution of good cookery under the hands of the famous Creole Cuisinieres of old New Orleans.”
The Picayune’s Creole Cook Book (1901)

My friend Vickie Thibodeaux said years ago as she taught me to make Gumbo..."the Roux is all important but the onion, celery & bell pepper are the holy triumvirate!" She taught me to make the roux & get it nice & dark like a cup of Cajun coffee. Roux is equal parts oil & flour which is browned & used as thickening in many South Louisiana & French style dishes. A roux makes or breaks a pot of gumbo. Anytime I have tried to rush that process I have been truly disappointed. If I do not have a full 20 minutes to make a good roux then I'd better not bother. This seafood gumbo is based on a recipe I have used for years from one of my favorite Louisiana cookbooks. A book called "Cajun Cooking" has recipes compiled from kitchens across South Louisiana & like any community or church cookbook the tidbits are endless & the flavors superb. The cover has a great photo of a sweet Cajun Grandmother peeling shrimp which puts a smile on my face each time I see it.

Seafood Gumbo
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup flour
2 lbs shrimp, peeled & deveined
4 oz. Wild Caught Crab claw meat
4 oz. Oysters, *Gulf coast oysters
2 Quarts Water
1 large onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 rib of celery, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 lbs. okra, fresh or frozen
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Salt, Pepper & Cayenne Pepper to taste
Parsley chopped
Cooked Rice
File, a seasoning made from ground Sassafras root used to garnish Gumbo when served.

Saute Shrimp & crab meat with 2 tbsp of the oil in a large pot, add water & set aside.
In remaining oil make the Roux: Mix oil & flour together in a large cast iron skillet, stir every few minutes, at first roux will be light brown (coffee with cream color), continue stirring for several minutes longer till the roux is a dark brown or rich brown coffee color. The roux will be very hot, then add the onion, bell pepper, celery & cook vegetables slightly. Add in the garlic & okra. Continue sauteing till slightly browned.
Add the sauteed vegetables & oysters to the seafood, along with the can of diced tomatoes, stir well. Add seasonings, Worcestershire sauce & cook slowly for about 1 hour.
Finally add parsley & serve over mound of cooked rice. In our home we always serve gumbo with File. A light sprinkle at the edge of the bowl is nice & adds a certain: "Je ne sais quoi!" (a certain "something")

*Anytime I use fresh Gulf Coast Oysters in my gumbo I use the liquid the oysters have along with the water or stock for my gumbo.

Quiche, the language of love~

2010-02-12T07:05:00.000-08:00

Love means Quiche this Valentine's Day.

Quiche has a history of being feminine or ...not for men! I first learned how to make Quiche when I visited my Grandmother one summer. My Grandmother had been a home economics teacher for years & told my sister & I we could cook anything we wanted that Summer. My sister & I tried our best to cook things which sounded different or exotic to our impressionable palettes. We chopped, sauteed & cooked our way through my Grandmother's vast library of cookbooks. Our endeavors were not limited either. Grandmother told us to choose recipes & would then purchase any ingredients she could locate in Greenville Texas in the mid 1970's. We used the old Royal typewriter to type out the recipes we wanted to replicate in the future. My sister & I felt like the reigning Cooking Queens that summer long ago. We certainly thought so anyway. Several years later when I was engaged to my husband I asked the future Mr. Texas to Mexico if he liked Quiche? He replied yes. I then told him "Great, I know how to make 4 things, Chili, Gumbo, Spaghetti Sauce & Quiche!" He was a man in love & very patient. I made those few things many times the first year we were married.

Considered part of French cuisine, quiche actually originated in Germany, in the medieval kingdom of Lothringen, under German rule, and which under French rule was later renamed Lorraine. The word ‘quiche’ is from the German ‘Kuchen’, meaning cake. Quiche is great for lunch, dinner or my family has enjoyed it for breakfast on occasion. I ran across my time worn, type written copy of Quiche Lorraine not too long ago. I thought fondly about the summer my sister & I were the cooking Queens in my Grandmother's kitchen.

Spanish Mushroom & Spring Onion Quiche
1/2 recipe Simple Pastry Dough
8 large eggs
2 cups plain low fat yogurt**
1 cup fat free half & half
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme
8 oz. Chorizo, Mexican or Spanish
1 cup Crimini mushrooms, sliced
3 medium sized *Spring onions, tops & bulbs sliced
1 cup Monterrey Jack Cheese or Queso Chihuahua, shredded

On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough into a 16-inch round. Brush off any excess flour; fit dough into a 2-inch deep-dish tart pan with a removable bottom, gently pressing it into the sides. Using a sharp knife, trim the dough evenly with the edge of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap; chill tart shell until firm, about 20 minutes. (for my heart shaped pans I used 1 recipe cut into quarters, following the same instructions.)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Line the pastry dough with a sheet of parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Transfer to oven and bake until light brown, about 25 minutes. Remove weights and parchment paper and continue baking until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together 1 egg and flour on high speed until smooth. Add the remaining 7 eggs and continue mixing until well blended.
In skillet, saute mushrooms & Spring onions till slightly tender, set aside & the use the same skillet to cook the chorizo till browned. Cut chorizo into bites if it is in sausage link form, otherwise cook & then drain well onto paper towels.
Place plain yogurt in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth; add half & half and continue whisking until well combined. Add to mixer along with salt, pepper, and thyme; mix until well combined.
Place chorizo, mushrooms, onions & cheese in prepared tart shell. Pour over egg mixture until tart shell is full (you may not need to use all of the egg mixture). Bake 20 minutes; reduce temperature to 325 degrees, and continue baking until filling is slightly firm, rather than liquid, and crust is a deep golden brown, 40 to 50 minutes more. Transfer quiche to a wire rack to cool until set, about 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. To reheat, cover quiche with aluminum foil and bake in an oven heated to 325 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Simple Pastry Dough
recipe for two 9 or 10 inch pie shells

1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup ice water
3 cups plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1 cup(2 sticks)plus 5 Tbsp. very cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

In a small bowl, mix together salt and water. Keep very cold until ready to use.
Place flour and butter in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse briefly until mixture forms large crumbs. Add the salt water mixture and continue pulsing until a dough has just formed but is not smooth.
On a lightly floured surface, evenly divide dough. Form each piece of dough into a round about 1 inch thick. Wrap each pastry round with plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours and up to overnight. I have even frozen these prepped pie crusts for a few weeks in a Ziploc bag.

*Spring Onions are the onions which look like very large Green Onions. They have nice plump round bulbs & a very mild flavor.
**I began using plain yogurt when we lived in Mexico & creme fraiche was difficult to come by.

Of Saints & Sinners....

2010-02-07T07:25:00.000-08:00

The phrase, "I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints..." keeps running through my head on this day. No, I am not drawing lines calling anyone a Sinner here. We all know the literal version of what that statement means however I am thinking of the New Orleans Saints today & Drew Brees our Texas born quarterback....

When I was living in Louisiana during college I initially noticed the die hard rabid fan base of the New Orleans Saints were not that different from our beloved Dallas Cowboys fans. There was one big difference in Louisiana. In Louisiana the fierce love of the game, the sport & the team left little room for the outsiders. It is an all or nothing Saints fan base. The State of Louisiana was behind the Saints & cared not who else was in on the gig! Seriously, all Texans want people to like our football teams. We do think we perfected or invented the sport!! They are a tough group of fans too, even when they sat in the stands some years ago with paper bags over their heads watching the Saints loosing game after game. Saints fans held onto the hope that their day would come. Well that day has arrived & the Saints have marched through much more than most Football franchises could imagine in the past 5 years. The "Who Dat" nation is now set in stone in Louisiana & the fans are beyond proud. If anyone doubts that there will be partying in the Big Easy tonight regardless of what happens in Miami they do not know the resilience of the people of Louisiana. My money is on the New Orleans Saints. The Colts may have an incredible quarterback but the Saints have all that & more! The Colts may be out to bring home another trophy but Saints are searching for a triumph & the sweet fragrance which should follow Victors who have come through more than just a game.

**A typical Mexican Artesania showing an image of a Saint resisting the temptations of the ultimate "Sinner".

Our Superbowl Appetizers are full of typical Texas to Mexico kick. For the first time in several years we will watch the Superbowl without Spanish broadcasting voice over (yipee) & we will not miss those great Superbowl commercials. It is odd what bits of Americana one misses when living abroad!
Chorizo stuffed Jalapenos
3 tbsp. olive oil
12 jalapeno peppers, seeded, halved & membranes removed
10-12 Crimini mushrooms, chopped
1/4 cup of diced onion
8 oz. Mexican Chorizo
1/4 cup black Spanish olives, seeds removed & roughly chopped.
1 cup whole grain breadcrumbs
3 Tbsp. melted butter
1 large egg, beaten
3 tbsp. chopped green onion tops
1/2 cup of Monterrey Jack Cheese, reserve extra for top of peppers

Saute the Chorizo over medium heat in a large skillet until the pieces begin to crisp and brown, about 5 minutes. Drain Chorizo well & set aside. *I drain mine onto a paper towel to remove grease. Into skillet add onion & mushrooms, saute 5 minutes. Remove to medium mixing bowl, add Chorizo, chopped olives & green onions. Next add in breadcrumbs & cheese. Add beaten egg, melted butter & blend till the stuffing is moist & clumping.

Stuff each peppers the stuffing, rounding it on top of the pepper halves. Once they’re all stuffed, top with small amount of cheese, place into an oven safe dish & bake @ 375 for 20 minutes or until tops of stuffed pepper are slightly browned & cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Spicy Artichoke & Crab Queso Dip
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 cups heavy cream
8 ounces Monterrey jack cheese, shredded
3 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
salt to taste
3 Roasted green chilis, seeded, cleaned & diced
1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded, & finely diced
1 plum tomato, diced
4 oz. Artichoke frozen hearts, thawed, diced
1/4 cup diced yellow Spanish onion
4 oz *Crab claw meat, drained
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground, Chipolte Chili

In a medium saucepan, add butter & onion, allow to melt over low heat. Add flour and stir until it is well blended with butter and mixture is free of lumps. Color will be nice & golden after 1 minute or so.
Add cream and stir to combine, allowing to heat up until thickened, about five minutes. Stir frequently with spoon and do not allow cream to boil. Add cheese, and whisk vigorously until completely creamy and fluid when stirring.
Taste for salt and add accordingly. Add chilis, artichoke hearts, tomato, Worcestershire sauce and cayenne, and stir to combine. Finally add crab meat. Do not over heat or stir vigorously enough to break up the crab meat. Nice lumps of crab within the dip are best.
Serve warm with your favorite tortilla or pita chips. Makes approx . 1 quart dip.
*I used Crab claw Meat since it is in sturdy lumps & will not break up as easily in this dip.

Cold Weather Pressure Cooking

2010-01-29T19:36:00.000-08:00

Pressure cooking or cooking under pressure? Could she keep the kitchen ceiling free of her Yankee Pot roast?

My first memory of a pressure cooker harkens back to childhood when our family lived in Alaska. My Mom expanded the culinary horizons for our family cranking out jams, jellies, pickles, canned veggies. She even canned what seemed to be oceans of salmon. I seriously do not remember too much about the experience except for the hiss of the Pressure cooker steam & the caution we used when it was in operation. It was a large affair which held several quart jars & a pressure gauge on the top which led me to believe I would surely never have need for something so complicated when I was an adult.

I was well into married life when I found out that pressure cookers could save time & had many more uses beyond home canning. When my husband bought me a pressure cooker I was excited & more than a little cautious. I heard tales from my husband's Grandmother & Aunt of exploding pressure cookers & was told of kitchen disasters that made the women of the family fall silent. I seriously wondered if they were challenging me or guessing I would become too overwhelmed to use my new cooker. I wondered what if anything I could make with such a frightening kitchen instrument? I had visions of food exploding from the steam vent or an entire roast blown to bits on my kitchen ceiling. I discussed pressure cooking with my mother & soon realized I could certainly handle the challenge. After all the first commercial pressure cooker in the U.S. made a debut at the New York World's Fair in 1939, it was made by National Presto Industries. I had a Presto Pressure cooker, how difficult could it be? I eventually found the meats I prepared were more tender while the time I could spend cooking was reduced. I ultimately became a fan of cooking "under pressure". While I still use my pressure cooker for steaming the perfect artichokes or the yearly Corned Beef Roast on Saint Patricks Day, truth be told it does sit collecting dust much of the time. I felt challenged this week to make an entire meal with my pressure cooker. I craved French Onion Soup when the latest Mid Winter storm blew across the United States. I also thought I could get my husband to try a new rice pudding recipe as well (he is not a big fan of rice pudding). I found a recipe by Giada de Laurentis for Chocolate Rice Pudding. While Giada's is a stove top version & mine uses different Chocolate, it was a great starting point from which I could come up with the Pressure Cooked Mexican Chocolate Rice Pudding.

Pressure Cooked Mexican Chocolate Rice Pudding
2 cups whole milk + 1/4 cup reserved for later
1 cup water
1 cup Arborio rice
2/3 cup raw sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest (from 1 tangerine)
1 teaspoon vanilla, Mexican La Vincedora vanilla
1/2 of 1 3.1 oz round Mexican Chocolate, either Ibarra or Abuelita brand**
1/2 - 4 oz Special Dark Hershey's Baking Bar, melted
1 egg, beaten

Melt butter in cooker and pour rice in and stir rice to cover totally with butter.
Add the sugar, 2 cups of milk, water & ground Mexican chocolate which has been finely ground. (see below) Put cover onto the pressure cooker, keep at medium heat.
Pressure cook for 8 minutes at 15 p.s.i. Don't begin timing the 8 minutes until the cooker is fully up to pressure and constantly emitting a gentle stream of steam. Please check Pressure cooker directions & or refer to Pressure Cooker Safety

In a small bowl mix 1 egg with 1/4 cup whole milk and 1 t vanilla.
Temper egg mixture by adding a bit of the hot rice mixture and stirring. Repeat several times at least. Then mix the egg mixture into the pot and cook (uncovered) until it just begins to bubble a bit.
Stir the orange zest into the mixture. Add the melted Hershey's baking chocolate and stir until well blended. Allow the mixture to cool for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Spoon the rice pudding into serving bowls. This is delicious served warm or cover and refrigerate for 2 1/2 to 3 hours and up to 1 day ahead. Maybe garnished with whipped cream or fresh orange zest.

I actually use a coffee grinder to grind my Mexican chocolate into a fine powder for this Rice Pudding.

**Break 1/2 of the hard round Mexican chocolate & break apart with a large knife, then put into food processor/grinder & blend the chocolate into a fine powder. This type of Mexican Chocolate is found in a octagonal or round cardboard box in Latin grocery stores. It is hard & comes in individual round cakes.

Surely everyone has a favorite restaurant they order French Onion at or a much loved recipe but even this soup can be improved upon in the Pressure Cooker. This French Onion soup has Fresh Ginger & Herbes de Provence, Pressure cooking cuts work & time down to less than 30 minutes for a bowl of one of our family favorite soups.

Pressure Cooked French Onion Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups thinly sliced Spanish Onions
2 cloves garlic, sliced very thin
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
1 teaspoon fresh grated Ginger
1/2 cup dry sherry
5 cups beef stock or broth
sea salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese
Sliced Baguette rounds toasted, 2 per bowl

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes. Add herbes de provence, ginger, dry sherry, and 2 cups of stock.

Cover and bring to high pressure over high heat. Lower the heat to stabilize the pressure. Cook for 6 minutes. Remove from the heat. Let the pressure release or drop by using the quick release method. Make certain you review Pressure Cooker Safety methods before cooking with a pressure cooker
Unlock and remove the pressure cooker cover.
Add the remaining 3 cups of stock and bring to a simmer. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
Ladle the soup into heatproof bowls. Float 2 baguette rounds on top of soup and sprinkle with the grated cheese.
6 servings

For anyone new or newly returning to Pressure Cooking I recommend Gina Steer's "The Pressure Cooker Cookbook", very good selection of recipes & techniques.

Leisure time & a big bowl of Spicy warmth!

2010-01-28T08:16:00.000-08:00

He enjoys true leisure who has time to improve his soul's estate.
~Henry David Thoreau

When asked in recent weeks "where I have gone", I could only respond that I had taken time off. The move from Mexico home & subsequent moves of "our life", people & animals had about worn me out. I felt I needed to take the Holidays off to recuperate & regroup. I spend the past few weeks & months getting back into the groove as well as slowing down to enjoy life. We had a slow holiday spent at home with our daughters & enjoyed what is most important. We cooked, relaxed & recharged our spirits. Of course that means Spicy foods at the Texas to Mexico household. If we don't take time to enjoy the everyday we may miss the small but important things around us.

My daughter & I recently enjoyed a day at Austin's Chinatown Shopping Center where we explored the exotic & impressive array of foods at the M.T. Supermarket. Our family enjoys the spicy array of foods & cuisines available at the market. In the past I loaded up a suitcase & hauled spices & teas back to Mexico from this wonderful grocery store. We have long enjoyed the Thai Coconut Soup we find at our favorite local restaurants. My daughter shared a recipe she enjoys & she even helped me locate the elusive Red Curry paste on our trip to the Asian market. This recipe can take more or less heat which is derived from the Curry Paste so use sparingly & taste frequently. I was under the assumption as I made my first pot of this soup that if a little was good more would be great! It was a wonderful but fiery & fierce bowl of soup.

Spicy Thai Chicken & Coconut Soup

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 to 2 stalks lemon grass, outer sheath removed, bottom 3 inches trimmed and minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 to 3 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
6 cups homemade or canned chicken stock
3 tablespoons fish sauce or soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 (14-ounce) cans unsweetened coconut milk
1 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 12 ounces), cut into 1 by 1/4-inch strips
1 (15-ounce) can straw mushrooms, drained and rinsed
4 oz. of shitake mushrooms, roughly chopped
lime wedges to garnish & squeeze juice over soup.
• Salt
• 1/2 cup loosely packed whole fresh cilantro leaves
• 3 scallions, greens only, sliced
Heat the oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the lemon grass, ginger, and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until aromatic, 30 to 60 seconds. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.
Add 1/2 cup chicken stock to the pot and stir to dissolve the curry paste. Add the remaining stock, fish sauce, and sugar and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover, and simmer to blend flavors, about 20 minutes.
Stir in the coconut milk, chicken, mushrooms, and lime juice. Bring back to a simmer (do not boil as this will cause the coconut milk to curdle) and cook until the stock is hot and the chicken is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately, garnishing each bowl with cilanto, scallions & a lime wedge.

Each Christmas eve our family dines on Tamales & either Chili or some similar kin in the Tex-Mex culinary family. This past Christmas Eve we had Chili & Tamales from Juarez Mexican Bakery. The local Round Rock restaurant & bakery known for the long lines of customers patiently waiting for dozens of savory Juarez Tamales. The owner of Juarez is from Guanajuato, Mexico & so much of the true "Sabor de Mexico" is what keeps locals coming back again & again for the food at Juarez.
My favorite Chili recipe is the Lady Bird Johnson Pedernales River Chili. I use the basic recipe & kick it up a tiny bit with a few extra chili peppers. (somehow I am certain LBJ would have approved of this bit of heat!) This recipe is one of the most widely circulated Chili recipes thanks to her husband's great love of the official "state food" of Texas. Lyndon Baines Johnson was once said: "Chili concocted outside of Texas is usually a weak, apologetic imitation of the real thing. One of the first things I do when I get home to Texas is to have a bowl of Red. There is simply nothing better." Texans are as unapologetic about our foods as our politicians, having said that; this my favorite bowl of Texas Red!

Pedernales River Chili

4 pounds coarsely ground beef (chili-grind, ask butcher if there is none available)
1 large chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
6 teaspoons chili powder
2 (16-ounce) cans tomatoes
Salt to taste
2 cups hot water
In a large frying pan, brown meat with onion and garlic until meat is lightly browned; transfer ingredients to a large kettle cast-iron Dutch oven.
Add oregano, cumin, chili powder, tomatoes, salt,**2 Soaked, seeded & skinned Chili Anchos and hot water. Bring just to a boil; lower heat and simmer, covered, for approximately 1 hour. Remove from heat. Skim off grease and serve.
Serves 12.
**These are the flat wrinkly Dried Chili Peppers found in the Latin section of most grocery stores. They have to be soaked in hot water 20 minutes then remove seeds, stems & scrape the pulp from the inside of the skin. The dark mahogany color adds a rich color as well as a deep rich flavor. If you are partial to heat you might add Chili Petin peppers threaded onto a toothpick so they can be removed later before serving your bowl of Red!

Our family garnishes this Texas favorite with diced onion & the occasional sprinkling of cheese....of course for the not so faint of heart there is always the liberal toss of locally grown Chili Petins also known as Chili Pequin or Bird Peppers. This native chili is one plant which seemed to thrive in my garden the Summer of 2009. **Take note fellow Texans this plant is beyond hearty if it could survive our drought & lack of rainfall.

Farmer's Markets & Spicy Favorites

2009-09-03T22:30:00.000-07:00

The Farmers' Almanac predicts numbing cold this winter. If that will hold true or not only time can tell but it is hard to see that far right now as our days slowly slide the mercury down the thermometer towards something bearable. Many Texans felt we had almost hit a cold spell this past week when temperatures that day only hit 95. I'll be mixing up a batch of those Hatch-a-ritas the moment the Texas temps drop below 80. Something with that much heat needs a little cooperation from Mother Nature!

While Fall is many weeks away here in Central Texas the tiny break we've had from our 100* temperatures gave us reason to hit the Farmer's Markets once again. Hornsfan & I loaded the dogs in the car (note the photo below which shows Jack sleeping in his doggie seat belt) last Saturday & left everyone else snoozing as we hit the road early to visit the Austin Farmer's Markets. We first went to Sunset Valley & bought produce & strolled the vendors booths amazed that so much produce could exist during our intense late Summer weather. Somehow as my backyard garden has sizzled & popped it's way to the compost pile our brave Texas Farmers had great things in store for lucky Austin folks. Next we headed downtown to the Republic Square Farmer's Market & were in awe once again of the produce, plants, live music & array of wonderful locally produced goodies. Our dogs were impressed with the number of Canine friends they met as well as the array of pet items for sale. We even found our favorite Green Chiles at one booth. As you know Gloria is still running her Green Chile Contest over at Food & Flavors of San Antonio. That leads me to the recipes I've cooked up once again using those Sizzling, Sirens of the Spice world! I've been on the go much of this week but still managed to whip out a couple of Green Chile Pepper items for even the most uninitiated Foodie with semi-Spicy interests. I have relied upon my Crockpot more than once recently. Family needs food & I am too busy to stir a big fuss up in the kitchen & "voila" I can slow cook it & be done with it. My Crockpot Roasted Chicken & Vegetables has 2 Fresh Green Chiles in the recipe & while the peppers added flavor they did not make the chicken hot. The Green Chile Mashed Potatoes were delicious the first night, had a bit of a kick but the leftovers the following evening had even more heat! We loved them but fair warning, Green Chiles add heat & at times just keep on adding...

Crockpot Roasted Chicken & Vegetables
1 3-4 lb whole Natural Chicken, remove giblets
4-5 Red Potatoes, cut into quarters
2 Fresh Green Chile Peppers, seeded & halved
1 Red Onion, quartered
12 Baby Carrots
1 Tbsp dried Herbs de Provence
1 tsp Adobo seasoning (Goya brand)
1/2 c water or white wine
1 clove chopped Garlic
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper
Preparation:
Prepare the potatoes, baby carrots, and onion, and chopping potatoes & onions into quarters.

Lay 1/2 of the vegetables on the bottom of the Crockpot. Sprinkle Adobo Seasoning and pepper to taste.

Sprinkle the garlic over the vegetables.

Sprinkle dried herbs over the vegetables.

Wash and dry the chicken.

Rub salt in the cavity, place 1 Fresh Green Chile Pepper, seeded & halved.

Rub olive oil on the outside of the chicken.

Lay the chicken breast side up on top of 1/2 of the vegetables and sprinkle with Herbs de Provence, black pepper, arrange remaining vegetables & top Chicken with other Green Chile Pepper halves.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 5 hours.

Hatch Green Chile Mashed Potatoes
4 large baking potatoes, or about 2 pounds, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup heated milk
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
4 ounces shredded or crumbled Mexican Cotija Cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Roasted Green Chile Peppers, seeded & diced
pinch Smoked Paprika
Preparation:
Cook potatoes in boiling water until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well.
Put potatoes back in saucepan; stir over low heat until dry, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Mash, adding about 1/2 cup milk and the 2 tablespoons butter. Add grated or crumbled Cotija cheese and Roasted, diced Green Chile Peppers. Beat with a spoon, adding remaining milk until desired consistency is reached.
serves 4.

Hatching up some Spicy Food!

2009-08-25T22:11:00.000-07:00

What do Green Apples, Sage & Hatch Green Chiles have in common? Why...my Hatch Green Chile Stew of course!

When cooking up some Spicy foods & using Hatch Green Chiles I've been testing the limits of dishes which I can mix in these fleeting seasonal favorites. Gloria Chadwick of Foods & Flavors of San Antonio has even created a new blog to pay tribute to this quintessential pepper!

Excitement was in the air the last 2 weeks at our local Grocery stores & markets as the famed Hatch Green Chile Peppers arrived in Texas. So much was the excitement when Hornsfan called me, that I rushed to our grocery store to see if the Hatch Peppers had arrived & had started roasting yet. I'm certain the produce people at our grocery store were thrilled to be rid of the crazy woman who seemed to be stalking them for hot peppers! The New Mexico Hatch Chile folks were even giving away CDs of cooking demos & helpful chile pepper advice. After living South of the Border our Pepper consumption has jumped a heat level or two! When the peppers hit the markets here they are hard to miss as most of the grocers set up a large gas or wood roasting pit. As the Chile Peppers roast they are turned to ensure even roasting & are manned by someone standing nearby with water to keep the flames from getting out of hand. Roasted, blackened & cleaned the Chiles are the perfect addition to so many dishes. How did I know the delectable peppers added enough heat enough at our house? My husband was eating his second bowl of my Green Stew when he had to keep wiping his forehead...one of those hurts so good meals!

The history of the Hatch is a bit murky since the origin somewhere close to 1896 when New Mexico rancher Emilio Ortega carried pepper seeds back to California which became the Anaheim Pepper....those seeds may have indeed been from what was later known as the Hatch Chile. Hybridized, refined & widely touted, the Hatch Chile Pepper is only from Hatch, New Mexico & can have quite a kick when compared to the somewhat milder Anaheim cousin. It is worth noting that these Peppers are in season once each year so if you are lucky enough to find them buy enough to roast an extra pound or two & freeze them. We have eaten them mixed into countless bowls of guacamole as this is probably one our favorite Hatch appetizer to eat this time of year. For a little more information about Hatch Chile Peppers check out this New Mexico site! I'm thinking we might have to try whipping up a batch of "Hatch-a-ritas" before the season is over.

Hatch Green Chile Stew

2 1/2 lbs Pork Loin, trimmed & cut into 1-inch cubes
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Med Onion, diced
2 Cups Water
8 Hatch Green Chile Peppers, roasted, seeded & chopped
4 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Red Bell Pepper
3 Green Granny Smith Apples, cored, seeded & chopped
5 Fresh Sage leaves, cut into slices or thin strips
1 Tsp. Salt
1/2 Tsp. Celery Salt
Queso Cojita, semi soft Mexican white cheese, grated

Heat oil in large wrought iron dutch oven or large heavy skillet. Brown pork, add the onion, pepper & garlic. Add 2 cups of water, green apples, Hatch Green Chile Peppers, sage & salts. Simmer stew covered for 30 min. Remove lid & simmer for 30 min more till pork is tender. Add water as needed no more than 1 cup at a time. The stew should be thick not thin & soup-like. Serve garnished with Mexican Cojita cheese either crumbled or grated.
Yields 4 servings

This recipe is based on a recipe which was wildly popularized in San Antonio Texas back in the mid 1960's. My mother has a worn Sunday school church cookbook from that time period which this is recipe is based on. This corn bread really can be a meal alone. Enjoy!
Hatch Green Chile Corn Bread

1 Cup Stone Ground Cornmeal
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
2 Eggs
1 Cup Buttermilk
1/2 Cup Melted Shortening or Bacon Renderings
1 Cup Cream Style Corn
1/2 lb. Grated Cheddar Cheese
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Small Onion, diced
2 Roasted, Seeded Green Chile Peppers diced**

In a bowl stir together cornmeal, soda, salt. Beat eggs slightly & add to buttermilk; stir this into the dry ingredients. Add melted shortening or bacon fat. Stir in cream style corn. Mix, add grated cheese, onion, garlic & chile peppers to the cornmeal mixture. Pour into a greased baking pan (9 X 13 inches) Bake @ 375* for 35 min. or till cornbread tests done & is golden brown.
**2 diced pickled jalapenos may be substituted.

Green Chile Dressing
1/3 c. lightly packed cilantro with stems
2 roasted, seeded Green Chilies, chopped
3Tbsp white wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic
1/2c oil
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt,
1/2 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
Mix in blender till smooth...makes 1 1/4 cup

I served this dressing over a simple Spinach Salad with sliced onion, sauteed shrimp & garnished with sliced almonds.

Sultry Texas Summer & Easy Meals with a Cherry Limeade or 2!

2009-08-19T07:34:00.000-07:00

Bring on the ice & squeeze that lime! Regardless of what else you're drinking; Lime juice over ice can certainly help hold the heat off this Summer.

Only 2 Sisters from Texas could think of sitting outside on a patio to eat in 100+ heat in the middle of Summer.

Returning home & family has been a Texas tonic for my Soul. The sister visit, much too brief. The Sonic drinks, hit the spot! All of it is good though, in fact is it downright well with my Soul!

Of all the things I was certain of when we returned to Texas early this Summer; I was positive I'd experience the blazing Texas heat. Of course at the onset I doubt that anyone could have predicted how hot. We have already had 60 days of temperatures over 100*. Our garden efforts have been fizzling out one by one. The only things which have remained strong throughout this heat are the Peppers & my Herbs. I do have high hopes for some Winter Squash which are starting to show some promise for the Fall. I am hopeful cooler temperatures may be heading our direction before too long. While my sister & her kids were visiting we made several manditory stops to Sonic for Cherry Limeade drinks. If you are from the South you know of what I am talking about, nothing cools you down like a Route 66 Cherry Limeade from Sonic! I even took a photo of my sister snapping a shot of her Sonic drink to send send back home. Somethings are beyond words & only a photo will do! Driving back & forth across Central & South Texas we made many quick side trips through our beloved Sonic Drive In! We actually hit many rest stops along our trek across Texas as a result of those enormous Route 66 drinks but every ounce was worth it! While my sis was here visiting we visited Cascade Caverns (which I'd never seen), had some quality family time out in Uvalde, had more BBQ & Tex-Mex than her kids thought possible & made it an all around Texas pilgrimage for her kids making certain they never forget their Texas roots. There is no place like home or in our case, TEXAS!
With family visits & outdoor activities this Summer I have tried to maintain some easy go-to-meals which keep everyone fed & hot times in the kitchen to a minimum. I made this Southwest Soup in the Crockpot which made a filling, easy 1 dish meal.

Perky Peppers are some of the true garden survivors in the Texas heat right now.

Cherry Limeade Tutorial, Texas to Mexico version
You need, Sprite, Limes, Cherry Juice, Rose's Grenadine, *Cherries & lime to garnish & plenty of crushed ice!
~ Fill a 16 oz glass 3/4 full of crushed ice Pour 12 oz Sprite or 7-up over crushed ice. Add 1/4 cup Cherry, squeeze in juice of 1/2 lime & drop lime half into the drink.
Add the cherry juice & a dash of Rose's Grenadine, for exact color (about 1 tsp.) This does nicely with a quick shake in a cocktail shaker. Serve with straw. & garnish with Cherry or Strawberry. Makes 1~16oz drink. Pretend you are driving down a long stretch of highway & Crank that music up & let your hair down, Baby!

Spicy Southwest Chicken Soup
1 1/4 lb. boneless skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
2 14.5 oz. cans Chicken Broth
2 cups fresh or frozen corn
1 10 oz can Rotel tomatoes, undrained (use original or mild)
1 medium Onion, chopped
1 medium Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1 14.5 oz can of Black Beans, drained & rinsed
1 can (4 ounce size) Roasted Green Chilies, chopped
1 tsp. Thyme leaves, fresh or dried
1 1/2 teaspoon Seasoned Salt, optional
1 teaspoon Chili Powder
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
**Garnish: Avocado, Tomato, Cilantro, Cheese, Baked Tortilla Strips

In a large skillet, saute the chicken, onion & peppers in oil until lightly browned. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. Stir before serving. Serve on the side & garnish with *Baked Corn Tortilla strips, shredded cheese, avocado, tomato & cilantro.

**To bake Corn Tortilla strips: Slice corn tortillas into 1/2 inch strips, place strips in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Spray them with cooking spray, sprinkle with cumin, red pepper & toss to coat strips. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until strips are crisped & lightly browned.
6 servings.

If you can't stand the heat....

2009-06-26T09:45:00.001-07:00

We are dealing with scorching heat & dreadful drought this Spring & Summer from Texas all the way into Northern Mexico. Is there truly enough Sweet Tea or Dr. Pepper in the Lone Star State to break this heat wave we are having?? Texans are no strangers to heat for certain but this heat is seriously cutting into gardens & produce at the local farmer's market. Since returned to Texas I've been doing search & rescue missions out in my yard figuring out what Xeriscape & Native plants survived during the years we were down in Mexico. Some of the Native plants went truly native & have to be pruned during weekend Extreme Makeover episodes out in yard!! More on that in the months to come. I'm digging in & digging up as well as moving things & all seems to be a work in progress from now till the Fall. I've been reworking my herb beds which were inspired several years ago after visiting the Fredricksburg Herb Farm.

While herbs & a few vegetables are growing out back we are taking advantage of our local "Slow Food" movement here. We have been visiting the Farmer's Markets to pick up produce & have been eating both regional as well as seasonal. In that effort we have been enjoying the Corn, Peppers, Onions & a variety of fruits. It is very soothing to feel like we are a part of a slower and more harmonious rhythm of life. While Alice Waters may have pioneered the Slow Food movement our Grandparent's generation certainly lived that live long before it was chic or trendy! Bytes from Texas aka, my daughter has been on those weekend jaunts to the Farm Stands & has cooked up some delicious dishes from her farm fresh findings. As we are just now heading into Summer I'm certain more dog days of Summer are heading our way. While I can truly take the heat, I'll be digging into my Texas roots a little further & keeping cool with tall glasses of iced tea.

You can bury a lot of troubles digging in the dirt.

This corn salad was inspired by Ina Garten better known as the Barefoot Contessa. A cooking Photo friend made this garden fresh salad reminding us all that the best way to enjoy Summertime goodness is straight from the garden to the table. Buen Provecho~

Spicy Fresh Corn Salad
5 ears of Yellow or White Corn, shucked
1/2 cup small-diced Spanish Onion (yellow onion)
1 med. fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded & finely diced
3 tablespoons White Wine Vinegar
3 tablespoons good Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh Cilantro leaves (very rough chopped & loosely packed)
Directions
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the corn for 3 minutes until the starchiness is just gone. Drain and immerse it in ice water to stop the cooking and to set the color. When the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob, cutting close to the cob.

Toss corn with the onions, jalapeno peppers, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Just before serving, toss in the cilantro. Taste for seasonings and serve cold or at room temperature.

A great green Summer meal full of flavor & spice. I might be out of Mexico but the Spice is here for the duration.

Leek & Mushrooms with Green Pasta
1/2 cup roasted Pine Nuts
1 large Leek*
8 oz. sliced Baby Bell Mushrooms
Salt & Pepper to taste
3 tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 1/2 tbsp. finely diced fresh Jalapeno Pepper
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 teaspoon Cumin
1 16 oz. package of Spinach linguine
4 Tbsp. Flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp. Garlic Chives, or Green Onion tops

**Trim the root end of the Leeks, then cut off the hard & keep only the tender green leaves, slice Leeks into rounds 1 inch long, separate the Leek rounds slightly & wash well. Leeks are grown in sandy soil so need washing well so there will be no sand or grit when cooked. Set a large pot of water to boil, and salt it. Once the water boils blanch the Leeks for 3-4 min & drain then plunge into iced water to keep green color & not over cook for the rest of the pasta dish.

Put half the Olive Oil in a large pan, preferably non-stick, on medium-high heat. Add the Garlic and Jalapeno Pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, do not let the garlic brown. Add the Leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until they wilt, about 10 minutes. Add the Red Bell Pepper & Mushrooms lower the heat; add the cumin and continue to cook, stirring once in a while, until the Leeks begin to brown slightly. Cook the pasta until it is tender & drain, reserving about half a cup of the cooking liquid for use later.
Toss the pasta and the Leeks, Jalapeno, Garlic, Red Pepper combination & the Pine nuts, together with the remaining oil, freshly ground Black pepper to taste and all but a little of the Parsley, adding a bit of cooking liquid if the mixture needs moisture, just enough to make it slightly moist. Taste and adjust the seasoning, garnish with the remaining Parsley and serve. This can be served with grated Parmesan cheese.

Veni, vidi, vici, Cordero?

2009-06-04T09:01:00.000-07:00

I came, I saw, I conquered & then there was the Lamb....Of all the things I have fed by hand & I NEVER wanted to eat very much of, top of the list would have to be Lamb! Mr. Texas to Mexico does love a good rack of Lamb & friends of ours in Mexico gave me cause to give it a second thought. True, I can go most Summer months without meat of any form but being the daughter of generations of Texas Ranch folk I would be a bit of a hypocrite to eschew meat or those who eat it. Hope that statement won't get me kicked out of the Veggie establishments I enjoy visiting around in & around Austin~ Having said that I recently brought home a leg of lamb & we had a Roasted Leg of Lamb for dinner. The Earthy flavors of Rosemary & tangy taste of Mustard meld well with the texture & taste of Lamb.
I then conquered our next Lamb related meal by whipping up some Portobello & Lamb Quesadillas. Oven roasted Portobellos sliced thin, shredded Lamb, Black Beans warmed up in a fabulous Central Market Multi-grain Tortilla & served with a mound of fresh Guacamole! The only thing which could have made the meal better would have been an absolute Box Free Existence at our home....Currently we are in Veni, Vidi Vici mode with the hundreds of moving boxes still in our home! Small steps........ seeing & conquering can be very different sides of the coin or moving crate as it might be! I'll be digging out for a while yet trying to mix what came from Mexico back into our Texas lives. In the mean time we continue to settle in, visit Family, Friends & our favorite Farmer's markets on the weekends. The blogging might be slow for a while but slow food, good conversation & enjoyment of life have always been important at our house. ¡Buen Provecho!

Cordero Asado con Mostaza
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Stone Ground Brown Mustard
2 Tbsp chopped Fresh Rosemary
1/3 cup of Honey
1 tsp. each Black Pepper & Salt
1 tsp lime zest
1 Clove Shallots, minced
4 pounds whole leg of lamb, trimmed to remove most fat

Mix the honey, mustard, rosemary, ground black pepper, lime zest and shallots. Mix well and apply to the Lamb. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator 3 to 4 hrs.

Preheat oven to 450*
Place Lamb in a roasting pan after removing some of the marinade with a spatula, reserve for basting purposes.
Bake at medium rare, during this time brush roast with the marinade just keeping moist, meat will gradually glaze & brown. The internal temperature should be at least 145* when taken with a meat thermometer. Rest the Roast for about 10 minutes before carving, slicing into 1/3 inch slices against the grain. t 450* for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 400* and roast for 1 & 10 hour more minutes for medium rare. The internal temperature should be at least 145* when taken with a meat thermometer. Let the roast rest for about 10 minutes before carving.

Portobello y Cordero Quesadillas
2 cups Roasted Lamb, shredded
8 oz. shredded Oaxaca Cheese, fine shredded
2 Portobello mushrooms, oven roasted & sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1/2 cup canned Black Beans, drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh Tomatoes
Whole wheat, Flour or Multi-grain Tortillas
Fresh Guacamole

Prep all ingredients & have all filling ingredients ready next to the cooking area. We made these ingredients available & had everyone prepare their own quesadilla once it was set up & ready to go. Over medium high heated gridle or skillet, heat tortilla & layer in cheese, portabella, lamb, few tsp. black beans & tomatoes & top with a little more cheese then layer on one more tortilla. This creates a "sandwich of tortillas with your fillings caught between 2 layers of tortillas. When it starts to slightly brown flip it over, (careful not to drop any ingredients out of the sides & then toast a few more moments till it is slightly browned, cut into wedges & serve with fresh Guacamole.

Going home~Who says we can't go home?

2009-05-15T20:19:00.000-07:00

The Spirit of Mexico may never leave us but we are certainly going to do just that & leaving Mexico to head back home...

As we leave Mexico & return home I reflect on all the ways Mexico touches our lives. While it is true Texas is never far from Mexico both in distance & cultural connections. During the time we have both lived here & traveled to and from Mexico it has touched our lives in ways one cannot describe or even try to tell someone else. The friends we made in Mexico will be ours for a lifetime & the experiences we had will stay with us even longer. Texas will always be my home & birthplace but Mexico will always have a piece of my heart. **Besides all of the sentiment, I knew it was time to head home to Texas when my husband wanted ice cream & I paid 130.00 pesos for a carton of Blue Bell ice cream. Somethings are just sacred!

I spent last week running around visiting my friends, saying my goodbyes & having a few last cups of coffee. I was able to visit a Festival de Artesanias from Oaxaca which came to town just before we left Monterrey. The festival featured handmade products from across the state of Oaxaca. I was impressed as always by the quality of goods & the skills of the artist from that region. Most of the artist were very friendly & eager to show the wares they had made but one in particular impressed me when she gave me a demonstration of weaving with a traditional back strap loom. Alicia Gomez Navarro showed us several of the weavings she had made several of which depicted animals woven into the patterns. We of course bought some of her beautiful woven pieces, which are true treasures. Many of the typical Artesanias we saw from Oaxaca have been made for generations & the ancient traditions have been handed down from Nahua or Aztec heritage.

A Typical Tex-Mex Breakfast good enough for a meal at any time.
More than once during our moving time period I made up Migas for a meal. When moving easy meals featuring whatever was on hand & didn't require making a run to the "Super" was the comida del día.
"Migas" means crumbs, in Spain the migas or crumbs are actual breadcrumbs mixed into the eggs & scambled. In Texas or Northern Mexico it's Tortillas which are the "crumbs" in the eggs.

Huevos con migas Omlette
3 large eggs
1 Tbsp. Poblano Chili Pepper, diced
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 6-inch corn tortillas, cut into small strips
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 roma tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped
1/2 cup chopped avocado, sprinkled with a little lemon juice
2 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro
2/3 cup grated mild cheddar or Monterrey jack cheese
crema or sour cream

In a small bowl, lightly beat together the eggs, and set aside.

Warm the butter and olive oil in a heavy skillet. Add the tortilla pieces and sauté until softened. Add the chopped onion and sauté until it is transparent. Stir in the chopped Poblano chiles, tomato.

Pour the egg mixture into the skillet, and "scramble" gently eggs are done or set. Remove the skillet from heat, and sprinkle the cilantro and cheese into the eggs, fold Omelette over carefully making certain the cheese is in the center as you would with a regular omelette. the Tortillas add density to folding it over may require both a spatula & silicon spatula. Top with Crema & serve avocado to the side. This omelette serves 2. Serve at once with warm flour or corn tortillas & favorite salsa.

Cinco de Mayo & Why all the Hoop-la?

2009-05-05T19:25:00.000-07:00

For perplexed Cinco de Mayo celebrants & shrimp lovers I offer some South of the Border explanations.

The first year lived in Mexico I asked my Spanish teacher about how people celebrated Cinco de Mayo in Mexico? I seriously thought people strung up those Jose Cuervo banners I saw at home in all the Tex-Mex restaurants & had one day long extravaganza! I mean why not?? Back in the states it's a day of culture & foods. I'd already seen how they threw parties for Diez y Sies & other big events. I was quite surprised to find out that the celebration is called Cinco de Mayo but hardly rates a blip on the radar across most of Mexico. As we leave Mexico soon I have to wonder if I'll be celebrating Cinco de Mayo next year in the Estados Unidos with a different appreciation for the event?

The state of Puebla recognizes the day but it's not a national holiday throughout Mexico. The day actually celebrates the Battle of Puebla when the French under estimated how the Mexicans were seriously fed up with & quite angered concerning French expansion on Mexican soil. It took Mexico several more battles albiet years to clear out foreign intervention in Mexico. The real hero of the Battle of Puebla was a young General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin. Texans may recognize the name Zaragoza as he was born in near the town of present day Goliad Texas. Ignacio Zaragoza moved from Goliad to Monterrey, entered a Seminary then later joined the Mexican Army. There he rose through the ranks & actually fought for reestablishment of a constitutional democratic government in Mexico & defeated the dictator Santa Anna. (I knew there was a reason I liked this historical personage!) General Ignacio Zaragoza died after contracting Malaria & dying at the youthful age of 33. So when you celebrate Cinco de Mayo in the States just remember this true hero of Cinco de Mayo. My tribute to General Zaragoza involves giving some South of the Border flair to a standard Thai dish. All Texans know that premium shrimp can be found in the Gulf. The shrimp I cooked for Cinco de Mayo are from the state of Veracruz & of course the Gulfo de Mexico! Feliz Cinco de Mayo~

Our dinner menu featured Drunken Noodles with 2 Different Chilies (which I am sending onto Girlichef for her Chili Pepper Challenge) & Krupek/Shrimp crackers sprinkled with Tajin, a Mexican Lime & chili seasoning~

Cinco de Mayo Drunken Noodles
16 oz wide Thai rice noodles
1 medium Onion, sliced
1 Red Bell pepper, sliced
1 Yellow Bell pepper, sliced
3-4 cloves Garlic, minced
1 lb raw, peeled shrimp
1 can baby corn, drained & halved
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained
fresh basil leaves, about 2-3 stems of leaves.
fresh cilantro leaves, about 2-3 stems of leaves.
3-4 Chilis Arbol*
oil for cooking
1 large or 2 small limes for juicing in sauce and garnish

Sauce Ingredients:
6 TB Oyster sauce
3 TB rice vinegar
2-3 TB fish sauce
3 TB sugar
3 TB fresh lime juice
1 TB Ground Chipotle Chilis (ground chiles processed or blended into paste)

Start noodles & have boiled & ready to add to dish since the veggies & shrimp come together quickly. Keep them in water so they don't stick together.
Saute onion, garlic & peppers in 2 Tbsp. Oil in large skillet. When the veggies are still crisp add the Chilis Arbol, Shrimp & cook till just pink but not over cooked. Add in the drained baby corn & water chestnuts. Drain the noodles & add them into the skillet, toss the shrimp, veggies & add sauce, stir well enough to blend the sauce over the mixture. The noodles are now drunken with the sauce, add basil, cilantro & serve with limes.
*Chilis Arbol are thin skinny Mexican Chilis the size of a small finger. Leave them whole when cooking with them. It makes it easier for a non-Chili lover to pick them out!

Veggie Tacos & life this week South of the Border.

2009-05-01T10:42:00.000-07:00

This week in Mexico has been tumultuous at best. With the news of the H1N1 Influenza A~aka: Swine Flu becoming the media Feeding Frenzy of Spring 2009 we are certainly taking stock of our lives here South of the Border. Daily the news & rumors seem to mutate into some different form of rules or recommendations of how one should go about daily living here. I had to in fact laugh when we were handed thin, quite useless facial masks with a brief explanation of Influenza prevention methods on the back of a "Vote for me" paper insert. The facial masks as you can see might have been a better political point than true germ barrier. (yes, that is our lips you can see through the thin papery masks) The ultimate Flu prevention as always remains washing hands & avoiding sick people. Common sense & logic tells me this is so & yet it is hard not to become slightly panicked with a whole country wearing masks. Currently the warm Mexican greetings of kisses & hugs are a thing of the past as the government is telling the general populace to avoid even handshakes as well. As the government has asked the country to shut down all but "essential businesses" from May 1-5 we are certainly getting creative at home with our time & talents. Time to get creative & stay on my toes!

To make matters a wee bit more hectic here we have our entire household in an upheaval as we are getting ready to say goodbye to life as we have known it for the last several years here. We are packed up & will be ready to leave Mexico in a short time, returning once again to our home & family back in Texas. Will I continue to keep the blog moniker: "Texas to Mexico"? Yep, it is who I am & after all Texas was once part of Mexico. No matter where one goes in Texas, Mexico isn't all that far away.

These Veggie Tacos are my "Quarantine Creative" meal for the week! I am going through & using things up before we head out of the country. Sending this recipe on over to Gloria at Flavors of San Antonio for Taco Tuesdays!

Spicy, Sweet Veggie Tacos
2 med. white potatoes, diced with peels
2 lg. carrots, diced
1/4 cup onion, sliced thinly
8 large Crimini mushrooms, sliced in half (baby Portabello also may be used)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
1 4 oz. can of Mild Fire Roasted Green Chilies, undrained
2 Tbsp. Cilantro chopped
4 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
1 clove of garlic
Salt & Pepper to taste
Whole Wheat or Flour Tortillas
Avocado & lettuce for garnish

Saute onion, carrot & potatoes in 2 Tbsp vegetable oil for 15 min. or till potatoes & carrots are almost tender then add tomatoes, mushrooms plus 2 tbsp. of Balsamic vinegar then mix in the can of green chilies, remove from heat, adjust seasoning adding salt & pepper then sprinkle with cilantro. Heat tortillas, fill with Veggie filling, garnish & serve. *The Mushrooms have are best kept in larger pieces so as to rather "meaty" quality & add pleasing texture.

Fiestas, Friends & Frijoles

2009-04-26T19:36:00.000-07:00

Last week we had a fabulous Fiesta at our home to celebrate our time here South of the Border & spend an evening with our friends as life in Mexico winds to a close. Celebrations in Mexico are always great fun & the people here love a good party. We took a trip earlier in the week to the large Mercado down on Cuauhtémoc in Monterrey to find the perfect Pinata for the party. The selection, color & size of the Pinatas was nothing short of staggering. We did however make a selection & I rode next to a 3 X 4 foot Fuzzy Butterfly Pinata on the way back home. There were several kilos of candies & little tiny plastic Puerquito toys stuffed inside the Giant Pinata. Nothing says "let's Party" like hitting a swinging paper mache' Pinata & being blindfolded. Even those novices who were new to the Pinata experience got into the fun when our Pinata was strung up from the balcony. We had far more food & beverage than could possibly be consumed by the crowd & it seemed like everyone had a Mexican dish they specialized in. Of course the cuisine in Mexico seems take center stage at any celebration. I made Frijoles Borracho which I learned to make years ago from a friend of ours who is from Mexico. I used my traditional Mexican Olla to cook the beans in. A well seasoned Olla makes the flavor even better for these tasty legumes.

Frijoles Borrachos, Drunken Beans

1 pound dried pinto beans
1 14 oz. can of Diced tomatoes, or 2 fresh tomatoes, diced
1 med. white onion, diced
4 slices of bacon, cut into small 1 inch pieces
1 fresh jalapeno, seeded, finely diced
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. Cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
12 ounces Sol beer
2 quarts water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Wash the beans thoroughly in cold water, sort beans discarding any stones or odd beans. Place the beans in a Dutch oven or well seasoned Mexican Clay Olla, and cover with water. Soak overnight. Next day, cook for 30 minutes & add the tomatoes, onions, jalapeno, garlic, bacon, oregano, and beer. Cook until the beans are tender, about another 2 hrs over low heat. With a potato or bean masher, crush the beans, to thicken the bean liquid. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Serve in bowls. We serve this topped with extra diced tomato, onion & cilantro.

April Beach Escape & Tasty Tortilla Dishes

2009-04-14T13:30:00.001-07:00

Our April run to the border began last week for Semana Santa here in Mexico. Semana Santa is Holy Week in Mexico & people often take the entire week off for the holiday. In Northern Mexico much of that week is spent heading North of the Border to South Padre Island or seeking out relatives in Texas. Driving to Nuevo Laredo we kept uploading the government website for the bridge "wait times" hoping we were ahead of the rush of cars & buses seeking entry at one of several bridges. Smooth sailing at the bridges on the Mexican side looks much like the proverbial lemming rush with thousands of people crushing into too few lanes. Once across we drove several hours through familiar South Texas landmarks to our final destination of South Padre Island. The weather was blustery, the sun intermittent; however the relaxation & family time was premium. For our family the sounds of ocean waves crashing on the sand makes the cares of the world seem far away. For several blessed days we watched nothing more than the setting sun & drifting sands. (Oh there was a large rattlesnake on the sand as well...we gave him a wide berth!)

While in Port Aransas we hit Port A Seafood Company several times for incredible fish & oysters but ate so quickly no photos or recipes are forthcoming (better planning next trip)...So food wise I'll post a couple of Lenten favorites which make the cut even post Easter. Tortillas in Mexico are thought to date as far back as 10,000 B.C. According to a Mayan legend they were created by a peasant to feed a hungry king. Whatever the origin, no one can argue the importance of the Tortilla in Mexico or Mexican cuisine. While living in Mexico I have found that almost everyone who has kitchen help or has lived in Mexico very long has a favorite version of Chiliquiles either Rojo or Verde. I am particularly fond of the version favored by the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. She enjoyed serving company Chiliquiles Verde. Frida loved to entertain & was fond of traditional Mexican dishes of which several are recorded in the book "Frida's Fiestas~Recipes & Reminiscences of Life with Frida Kahlo". The other recipe I have included is a different twist on Pie Azteca which I first blogged in the traditional format in November 2008. I changed it up a bit deleting a few of the vegetables & staying with only chicken, mushrooms & white corn. These type dishes are frequently served with beans & salad of some type. The last of the Padre sand is being swept out of the car, I'm still hearing seabirds in my head but it's a comforting feeling to know my lifetime obsession of the Texas Gulf Coast keeps me anchored back home~

Chilaquiles in Green Sauce
24 medium Corn Tortillas, cut into triangles
Corn Oil1
1/2 cups. of Mexican Crema (Sour Cream can be substituted but needs to be thinned out with milk.)
1/2 lb. shredded Oaxaca Cheese

*Sauce
30 tomatillos, peeled & chopped
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
5 Serrano Chiles
1/2 onion, chopped
Salt
2 Tbsp. Corn Oil
Fry tortilla triangles in hot oil until golden & drain on brown paper.Cover the bottom of an ovenproof casserole (8 X 13) with a small amount of sauce & cream after spraying the pan with cooking spray. Top with 1/2 of the remaining sauce, 1/2 of the remaining cream & half of the cheese. repeat this process ending with cheese. Bake @ 375* for about 20 minutes or till the sauce is hot & cheese is golden & bubbling. *To make the sauce, puree all the ingredients except the oil with salt to taste. Saute the puree in the 2 Tbsp. Corn Oil until the flavors blend & the sauce has thickened.

Pie Azteca con Pollo

18 Flour Tortillas, cut into triangles
1 cup Roasted Chicken Breast, diced
1 small can of fire roasted Green Chiles, (Roasted Poblanos can be used instead)
3 cups Sour Cream or Low Fat Sour Cream
2 Large Eggs, beaten
pinch of ground Cumin
12 oz. Manchego, Oaxaca Cheese or Monterrey Jack grated
Veggies:
1/4 onion, diced
8 oz. Mushrooms, sliced
1 cup frozen or fresh white corn, thawed
1 clove garlic, diced
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 bunch of Green Onion tops, diced
salt, pepper to taste

Lightly bake tortillas @ 350 for 15 min. spread evenly on a cookie sheet, sprayed with vegetable spray.
Prepare the sauce by sauteing the onion, garlic, mushrooms & corn for 8-10 minutes, seasoning with salt & pepper to taste. Remove from heat. Mix in sour cream & 1 beaten egg with pinch of cumin & green onion tops.
In an oven proof, greased 9 x 13 casserole: layer 1/2 of the tortillas, 1/2 of the chicken & green chilis, 1/2 sour cream mixture, top with 1/2 cheese. Repeat layers ending with cheese. Bake in 350* oven for 30 minutes or till bubbling at the edge & slight golden color to the edges. Remove from heat, cool for 10 minutes, cut into squares & serve.

Minnesota Visitor & Tex-Mex Food South of the Border~

2009-04-01T23:10:00.000-07:00

"A friend is one who walks in when others walk out"
-Walter Winchell

We were blessed last week with a visit from one of our dearest friends. Lori & I quite possibly keep the longest running conversations in history. When we reunite each time the conversation threads just pick up where we left off, whether it is years or months it matters not. Good friends are meant to be like that. So precious & therapeutic those visits are.... While Lori was here we made a tour of several museums in Monterrey. We saw an incredible Pixar exhibit at the Monterrey Museum of Modern Art, kid friendly of course but totally fascinating for adults. One of the most incredible sights in the exhibit was the Toy Story Zoetrope where claymation figures of Woody & the gang rotated, leaped & jumped. The weather was a bit on the warmish side but Lori seemed content to be thawing out her Minnesota blood & never complained. We enjoyed our time together & she took in beautiful views, the sunrises/sunsets from our idyllic little corner here in Northern Mexico. We shopped, visited & she met some of the kids at Casa Hogar Douglas when we helped feed the kids for a Saturday dinner. I believe I miss her already but then we will just pick up where we left off this visit, another high octane pot of coffee & conversation next time...

I enjoy entertaining good friends & try to keep the kitchen low pressure so the focus is on the visit versus the food. Since Lori was our neighbor in Houston several years ago she has somewhat of an appreciation for our Tex-Mex cuisine. While she was here we noshed on unsightly amounts of guacamole, fresh fruits, frijoles & several varieties of Latin American wines including our favorite Casa Madero wines.
Avocado Basil Dressing

3 Medium ripe Avocados, Peeled & seeded
1 small Shallot, chopped
2 1/2 cups Buttermilk
1/4 cup Mexican Crema
3 Tbsp. Fresh Basil, chopped
2 Tbsp. Fresh Lime or Lemon Juice
2 Tbsp. Olive oil
2 Tbsp. Sugar
2 1/2 Tsp. minced Garlic
1 1/2 Tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. Tsp. Black Pepper

Throw all ingredients into blender or food processor, blend till smooth, cover & chill. Store dressing in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Easy Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

13 oz. canned Chicken, drained
8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
8 oz. sour cream, thinned out with 3 T. milk *Mexican Crema may be used.
2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese
10 oz. can of Mexican Rotel tomatoes
15 oz. Green Chili enchilada sauce, Hatch is preferred
1 small chopped White Onion
24 White Corn tortillas

Save some of the onions and shredded cheese for topping. Mix the chicken, cheeses, Rotel, and onions together. Warm the tortillas in the microwave, (either in a loose plastic bag or damp paper towel) then stuff and roll. Lay them in a pan, pour the sour cream mixture over the enchiladas, pour over the green chili sauce, then sprinkle on the remaining onions and cheese.

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes.

In the News, Cooking & Daughters...

2009-03-29T11:14:00.000-07:00

News worthy time spent South of the Border~

The long overdue trip to Mexico by our first born finally arrived 2 weeks ago. She hadn't been to visit Monterrey since her Birthday Celebration a couple of years ago which happens to coincide with Diez y Seis (aka: September 16th, Mexican Independence Day.) True, we have seen our girls since we travel home frequently but she had not had a recent opportunity to visit here, wine, dine & relax. I won't give too many details of her trip as the first born kids in our family never lack for words & she did give a fine detailed account of her visit in her Blog here:

Our Bytes-from-Texas girl had the chance to visit & meet up with several friends as well as find out that visiting Gringos often make it on the local television station! We traveled out to Presa de la Boca on Dia de Benito Juarez for sun & fun on the water only to find out when we arrived that a slow news day here can merit a television crew! Seriously, boats on a lake in Mexico are not all that newsy but Gringos as I am told are a tiny bit of comic relief on the evening news! Thank God for a slow news day in Northern Mexico...recent activities put a negative spin on life here & we were only to happy to be a "kinder, gentler, type of news story". I actually turned the camera on a particularly nosy cameraman who trained his camera at length on our boat. A seriously invasive Azteca News camera guy!! What is good for the Americanos is good for the locals in my book. The tiny photo at the top of the blog is a guy beside the news van with the camera trained on our boat.

We thoroughly enjoyed all of our time together. As always in the Texas to Mexico house a good deal of time was spent cooking. Slow meals south of the border are always better with loved ones. I always love cooking with my girls. We especially enjoyed the Spanish Tapas style meals with small bites & our favorite Latin American wines.

Mushroom & Jalapenos with Chorizo Stuffing
3 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
6 jalapeno peppers, seeded & split
8-10 large mushroom caps, stems removed & gills removed with spoon.
8 oz. hard Spanish Chorizo, casing removed & diced
1/4 cup black Spanish olives, seeds removed & roughly chopped.
2 cups homemade breadcrumbs*, divided
1/2 cup chicken stock
3 tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 inch cubes of Manchego Cheese

Saute the Chorizo over medium heat in a large skillet until the pieces begin to crisp and brown, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of breadcrumbs and the chicken stock and saute for another couple of minutes. Remove to a bowl.

Make the toasted breadcrumbs by brushing the breadcrumbs with the butter and quickly running them under the broiler. You’ll want to watch them the entire time to ensure they don’t burn. Once they come out of the oven, mix them with the parsley, olives, next add in the cubes of Manchego cheese & blend well.

Stuff each pepper or mushroom cap with as much of the stuffing as you can fit and set aside. Once they’re all stuffed, place into an oven safe dish & bake @ 375 for 20 minutes or until tops of stuffed peppers/mushrooms are browned & crispy looking. Serve immediately. *We ate these with a nice Alamos Malbec wine.

A Taste of Texas in Mexico, an Independent Meal

2009-03-02T20:07:00.000-08:00

As surely as the Battle of the Alamo transformed the likes of Davy Crockett & Jim Bowie into epic heroes, the cuisine of Mexico has shaped the taste buds of Texas. In celebration of Texas Independence Day we shared a meal this evening which combined a true favorite: Texas Chicken Fried Steak & with a tangy Mexican Salsa Veracruzana. Salsa Veracruz is normally served with Fish however this tangy sauce is great with fish, chicken or beef or even served as a side.
Texas Independence Day celebrates the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence in 1836 & is an official holiday in the State of Texas. While this is hardly a celebration South of the Border (hmm, can't imagine why...) March 2nd is a holiday for any true Texan no matter where they reside. John Steinbeck in fact stated facts quite well when he said "A Texan outside of Texas is a foreigner". This evening regardless of where we dined, we were Texans! Even in Mexico our hearts were deep in the heart of Texas this Independence Day.

Salsa Veracruzana
3 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 Garlic clove; peeled & minced
1 Onion; chopped fine
1 1/2 lb Tomatoes, diced
12 Capers, large
12 Pimiento-stuffed olives
4 Tbsp. fresh diced Poblano Pepper
1 Bay Leaf
2 Tsp. Fresh chopped Thyme
2 Tbsp. Chopped Fresh Parsley
Salt & Black Pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add garlic clove & onions cook,
stirring often, until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes,
stir well and cook, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Add capers,
olives, poblano peppers, bay leaf, thyme and parsley. Cook,
partially covered, until thickened, about 15 minutes more. Add salt to taste.

Texas Chicken Fried Steak~like your Grandma would make!

cube or tenderized round steak
flour seasoned with salt, black pepper & red pepper
2 beaten eggs + 1 Tbsp. water
bread crumbs or cracker crumbs
oil for frying

1) Dredge the meat in flour seasoned with salt & peppers
2) Dip in egg wash (=2 beaten eggs + 1 Tbsp H2O)
3) Press bread crumbs or soda cracker crumbs into meat.
4) Fry in about 1/2 inch vegetable oil, heated @ medium high. Cook turning once till golden brown. Drain on brown paper or paper towels, serve immediately.

Texas Cactus Fritters

2009-02-22T12:54:00.001-08:00

Cactus: nutritious & delicious too!
Cactus or Nopal brought many a Texas rancher through a long hard Winter in the not too distant past. I have heard my Grandfather talk about burning the Prickly Pear Cactus all Winter long so they could keep cattle fed when grass was scarce in the 1930's. Texas A&M University has done extensive research on the benefits of Nopal for both people & animals. Early Spanish explorers were introduced to the Cactus as food source when they met indigenous peoples who used both the fruit produced by the plant as well as the green pads. In South Texas & Mexico the Nopal or tender pads of cactus are used in Salads, Soups & even scrambled into eggs...my personal favorite. The taste is similar to asparagus or a green bean. Nopal is both high in fiber, vitamins & claims to lower blood sugar levels, as well as help a hangover! For more information check here:

In many Latin grocery stores nopal is easily accessible. The cactus or nopal must be blanched in order to use it in salads or cooked so the texture is acceptable. This recipe simple & can be used as a side dish or appetizer. I made a dipping sauce from Sour Cream & ready made fire roasted Salsa Verde, mixing equal parts. The sauce is nice but by no means necessary.

Texas Cactus Fritters
1 1/2 cups Yellow Corn (can be fresh, canned or frozen as long as it is drained & thawed)
1 cup of Nopal cut into small diced pieces (nopalitos), blanched & well drained
1/4 cup Red Bell Pepper, diced
1/4 cup Poblano Pepper, roasted, peeled & diced
1/4 cup onion, diced1 Jalapeno Pepper, seeded, diced
2 Eggs, beaten
3 - 4 Tbsp. milk
2 Tsp. Cajun seasoning
1 cup Corn meal
2 Tbsp. Flour
1 tsp. Sugar
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Salt
Oil
Mix together corn, peppers, onion, nopal. Add dry ingredients, stir to coat all of the ingredients with the cornmeal mixture. Once this is done add the beaten eggs & then add in the Tbsp. of milk 1 at a time, making the mixture the texture of a sticky texture dough batter. Drop well rounded spoonfuls into hot vegetable oil in skillet & cook over med high heat. Turn them once making certain to brown well on each side. Drain any excess oil onto paper towels & serve at once.

Nopal scrambled into eggs with tomato & green onion.

Smoking Chipotle Brownies heat up my Valentine~

2009-02-13T22:04:00.000-08:00

Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit. ~Peter Ustinov

Year after year I give the same Valentine gift to Mr. Texas2Mexico... this year I was determined to make something a different. Smoking, smoldering & some sizzle make this a Brownie with a South of the Border kick!

When I first arrived in Mexico I remember calling a friend in Texas for her brownie recipe & trying to locate Hershey's Cocoa in the town we were living in then. She told me that with as much history has Mexico had going for it with Cocoa I should be able to find some great alternatives. The Mexican Cocoa we use for making Mexican Hot Cocoa isn't normally used for brownies however I found this addition made a good Brownie recipe even better. The Chipotle Peppers in this recipe make a crisp new flavor added to this old standard. I'm still using the Hershey's cocoa but the new flavors certainly kick the savory Brownies up a notch or two.

The Chipotle Peppers packed in Adobo Sauce I use are ground into a paste which makes adding into the batter easy. 2 things to remember. Before adding to the recipe taste the Chipotle, some of it can be likened to drinking straight from Hell's firehose! The Chipotle Peppers I used were almost mild in flavor so I was able to use the entire 4 inch long pepper. The very small cans of Chipotle peppers found in the states are small cans & they tend to be of the hotter than hot variety. If this is the case measure out no more than 2 tsp. into the Brownie mix. Don't worry about the seeds. What would any dish with chili peppers be without the seeds?

The Chipotles date back to region that is now northern Mexico City, prior to the Aztec civilization. It is conjectured that the Aztecs smoked the chilies because the thick, fleshy, jalapeno was difficult to dry and prone to rot. The Aztecs used the same "smoke drying" process for the chilies as they used for drying meats.**

The Fischer & Wieser Raspberry Chipotle Sauce I use in the Brownie frosting is a Texas original & is now sold in many fine grocery stores throughout the US, we can even find it in Northern Mexico. If you cannot locate it, go to the Website: www.jelly.com

CREAMY CHIPOTLE BROWNIES

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla
2 eggs
1 Chipotle Pepper in adobo, blend or process until it becomes a paste.
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1, 2 oz. Round IBARRA or ABUELITA Mexican Chocolate, broken into pieces
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
RASPBERRY BROWNIE FROSTING(recipe follows)
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 9-inch square baking pan.

2. In food processor or blender grind the 2 oz. broken Mexican chocolate pieces with 1/2 sugar & then add to total cocoa & sugar mixture then proceed with rest of recipe. (Do not use more than 1 cup of Sugar total.) For Chipotle Pepper; drain, remove stem & process into a paste in the blender, adding water if needed to attain consistency of a paste. Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in bowl. Add eggs; beat well with spoon. Add Chipotle Chili pepper, mix well distributing the pepper paste well through the mixture.. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually add to egg mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in nuts, if desired. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.

3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.Do not over bake, these are best when moist. Prepare RASPBERRY BROWNIE FROSTING; spread over brownies. Cut into squares. About 12-16 brownies.

RASPBERRY BROWNIE FROSTING

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
3 tablespoons HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1 tablespoon Fischer & Wieser Raspberry Chipotle Sauce or Raspberry Jam
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
Pecan halves for garnish

Beat butter, cocoa, Raspberry Chipotle Sauce (or Raspberry Jam) and vanilla in small bowl until blended. Add powdered sugar and milk; beat to spreading consistency. About 1 cup frosting. Frost Brownies when cooled & garnish with Pecans.

**Online info for Chipotle Pepper info. http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/chipotle.htm