Tamales

This is my favorite thing to make out of my leftovers from pulled pork tacos.  It's very time-consuming, but I love tamales.  It's worth the effort!

Equipment:

--large pot (typical stock pot)

--steamer basket

(or you can use a steamer appliance, whatever)

Ingredients:

--About 3 cups of filling (I use the pulled pork but you can use whatever you want)

--3 cups masa harina (regular or the stuff specifically for tamales - both work well)**

--1 tbsp ground oregano

--2 tbsp chicken bouillon

--2 tsp cumin

--1 tsp garlic salt

--1 tsp cayenne pepper

--1/2 tsp chili powder

--1-1.5 cups oil

--2-4 cups of water, as needed

--1 pkg corn husks

**This amount of masa harina will generally make enough tamales to cook one batch in the stock pot, about 30 tamales, give or take.

1.  Soak the corn husks in warm water for long enough to soften them up.  (They're impossible to work with if you don't soak them well.  Chop the filling up so there aren't large pieces of meat.  Place the steamer basket in the stock pot and fill with water to just below the steamer basket. 

2.  In a large bowl, combine the masa harina and all the seasonings (oregano through chili powder).  Mix this well with a fork.  Add the oil and mix well.  The mixture should be sort of crumbly.  Add water about a cup at a time and mix it with your hands.  This is the tricky part - getting the right consistency - the dough should not really stick to your hands much, but you want it to be thick like peanut butter.  So creamy sort of, but not too wet and sticky...

3.  Tear a few corn husks into thin strips; you'll use these to tie up the tamales, so be sure they are long enough to wrap around. 

4.  Lay down two corn husks, overlapping them by an inch or so at the widest point.  Take about a golf ball sized amount of dough and press it onto the husks, making a thin layer in the shape of a rectangle.  (This should leave a few inches of husk on the ends, enough to fold over.)  I like a thin layer (as opposed to a thick layer) because you can taste more meat, so press it as thinly as you like.  I use the heel of my hand and my fingers to get it in the shape and depth I prefer.

5.  Layer the filling along the center of the dough, leaving a little space on either end (to close up the masa). 

6.  Take the husks and fold up the top and bottom to close the masa around the filling.  (Make sure you have enough masa to cover it all; if not, take out some filling.)  Pinch the husks just above the masa and roll it up, fold the ends of the tamale across it, and tie it with a husk strip.

***This is hard to explain without pictures!***

7.  Heat the water in the stock pot to boiling; while it's heating, place the tamales in the steamer basket, standing upright.  

8.  Turn the heat down to medium-low.  (Just low enough to keep making steam, like maybe around a 4 setting.)  Cook the tamales for at least 2 hours and 15 minutes; I usually check one around 2 hours and see how the masa is cooking.  If it's not done, keep cooking it.

There are tricks to the masa, too - I don't really use them, but you can try to float a ball of masa in a cup of water to make sure you have enough oil in the dough.  If you have trouble with the dough and it won't cook, then you can finish them off in the oven; that will help dry the masa out.  They don't taste as good, but it does dry the dough out so they stick together.



Pulled Pork Tacos

A twist on my favorite carnitas recipe!  You can use either a slow cooker or a pressure cooker (or a pot, if you want) for this recipe.

Two main components - the pulled pork and the slaw with dressing.  I'll break them down separately:

For the pulled pork:
--2-3 lbs of pork (I use tenderloin because it's lean and easy to cut, but shoulder/roasts work fine)
--28-oz can of tomatillos (similar to canned tomatoes)*
--28-oz can of Rotel*
--1/2 a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (about 3-4 oz)
--Cumin
--Chile powder
--Garlic powder or salt
--~2 tbsp Mexican oregano
--Black pepper
--3 tbsp cooking oil
*If you can't find this stuff, improvise - use fresh ingredients, or just use the same amounts of red and green enchilada sauce.

1.  Cut the pork into large chunks, approximately 3" square.  Season all sides of the pork with the spices (cumin, chile powder, garlic powder, pepper).  Take liberty to add what you want here (cayenne, etc.).  I don't over-coat the meat, but put enough because then you don't have to add much seasoning later on.

2.  In a skillet, heat oil over medium-med. high heat.  When oil is ready, brown the pork on all sides; set aside.  (Pork will still be raw in the middle.)

3.  Place the tomatillos, Rotel, and chipotles in a food processor.  Blend until well-mixed.

4.  Place the browned pork on the bottom of the cooker; then pour the tomato mixture over the top.  Add the oregano.  If using a slow cooker, cook on high for about 6 hours or until the meat starts to come apart.  For a pressure cooker, I used the high pressure setting for 1 hour, then quick release.

5.  After the meat has cooked, shred it with a fork (just tear it all apart).  Leave it in the juice and simmer for an additional 15 minutes.

Slaw Topping:
--Bag of cole slaw (undressed) or make your own shredded cabbage, about 5-6 cups
--1 cup milk
--1 cup sour cream
--1 package ranch dressing mix
--1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro (adjust as you like)
--1/2 cup pickled jalapenos (adjust as you like)

1.  Place everything but cabbage into a blender and mix well. 

2.  Toss this dressing with the cabbage; refrigerate until ready to serve.

Assembly Ingredients:
--Refried black beans, heated
--Quesa fresca, crumbled
--Avocado, cubed

I served them as follows:
--Start with Laurel's homemade corn tortillas
--Spread some warm refried black beans on the tortilla
--Layer the pulled pork in the center
--Top the pork with the cabbage mixture
--Crumble some quesa fresca on top

This can make a pretty thick taco, so you may need to make those tortillas a tad larger!

This amount of pork will feed about 4-6 people.

Cajun Breakfast Skillet

I've made this a time or two but never committed it to the blog, but it is one of my favorite breakfast splurges. Reminds me of this wonderful place in Denver called Lucile's that serves the best Cajun breakfast you'll ever have. 

Ingredients:
--1 russet potato, in 1/2" cubes
--1 tbsp coconut oil
--2 tbsp Cajun seasoning (Tony Chacheres or Slap Yo Mama)
--8 eggs
--1 med tomato, coarsely chopped
--1 med bell pepper, coarsely chopped
--1 med onion, coarsely chopped
--1 jar pickled jalapenos, coarsely chopped
--6 oz Jimmy Dean reduced fat breakfast sausage (uncooked)
--1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
--1 pkg white gravy, prepared

1. Preheat oven to 350F; arrange potato cubes on a pan in a single layer. Bake until golden brown. (You CAN fry them in the skillet if you want - that's the point of the skillet - but much less healthy.)

While potatoes are cooking:
2. Heat a large cast-iron skillet on the stovetop on medium-high heat. Add coconut oil and heat until melted.
3. Add bell pepper and onion; saute for 1-2 minutes (so they're still firm).
4. Add Jimmy Dean and cook until still slightly pink.
5. Add tomato, jalapeno, and all eggs. Scramble until eggs and sausage are fully cooked. Kill the burner, add cheese and stir well.

When you have about 3 minutes left:
6. Prepare gravy according to package, adding about 1 tbsp of Cajun seasoning to mixture.

To serve, layer potatoes on bottom of a soup bowl, then egg/sausage mixture, and top with gravy. This should serve about 4 people.

You could also use turkey crumbles instead of Jimmy Dean pork, but I can only find those already cooked, so you lose some flavor by not getting the juices in the pan while cooking. And you can make gravy from scratch, but that takes more time. Or you could make sausage gravy and omit the sausage from the skillet...too many options to list.  Enjoy!

Plat du Jour

I modeled this recipe after a shrimp & grits dish I had at this amazing Cajun restaurant recently -- in Seattle of all places. Thankfully my years of waiting tables at Pappadeaux in Texas served me well because this turned out amazing. I was really happy with it. Anyways, here it is, hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Cajun-style Shrimp & Grits

Ingredients

Shrimp Mixture

½ lb gulf shrimp

1 link Cajun andouille sausage (pre-cooked), sliced diagonally

5 garlic cloves, minced finely

1 tbs fresh thyme leaves

½ onion, chopped

Handful of finely chopped fresh parsley

½ cup chopped green onion (white & green parts)

½ cup dry white wine

2 tbs olive oil

juice of 1 lemon  + lemon wedges for garnish

Cajun seasoning

Grits

¾ cup stone-ground grits

2 ½ cups water

½ cup skim milk

1 cup sharp aged cheddar cheese

½ cup parmesan cheese

2 tbs butter

sea salt + fresh ground pepper

Directions

Shrimp Mixture

1.     Throw shrimp in a zip lock bag and squeeze half of lemon’s worth of juice over shrimp. Season with your favorite Cajun seasoning or essence. Store in fridge while you prepare the rest.

2.     Caramelize onions in olive oil in a large skillet (medium heat) for about 20 minutes or until they barely start turning brown. While onions are caramelizing, start grits.

3.     Add thyme, garlic, sausage, and wine to onions and sauté for another 10 min or so, until sausage is heated through/ slightly browned on edges and some of the wine is cooked off. 

4.     Add shrimp, remaining lemon juice (sprinkling with a little more Cajun seasoning) and sauté for 3 min, or until just turned opaque. Take off heat and season with salt & pepper. Sprinkle with green onion.

Grits

1.     Pour milk and water into saucepan and boil. Slowly add grits and stir so they do not clump.

2.     Cook about 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring every now and then.

3.     Add butter, stir until melted. Add cheese and stir until blended. Add salt and pepper to taste. Take off heat and cover until ready to serve.

To serve:

Spoon grits into medium sized bowls and top with shrimp mixture. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and lemon wedges.

One for Senore... and one for Bellissima...

A rustic Italian classic. Gnocchi is my most favorite pasta and I always wanted to make my own from scratch so I did and followed this self-tailored recipe. I wanted to try something different besides your textbook marinara or pesto sauces so I chose a twist on a gorgonzola cream sauce. There is something magical about the pear + gorgonzola combination so hopefully y’all try it out and agree! For those calorie-counters out there (I am one of them), guilt not! I chose low-fat/ fat-free ingredients where I could :-) My plan is to eventually link a few more sauces to this gnocchi recipe so you can mix and match according to what you're in the mood for that day. Anyways enjoy! Bellissima!

Gnocchi with Bosc Pears and Gorgonzola

Ingredients

Gnocchi:

2lb Yukon gold potatoes (finer consistency than Russet)

2 ½ cups flour (keep more on hand)

1 tablespoon sea salt

2 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Sauce:

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) light butter
2 Bosc pears, cored & sliced into 1/3-inch-thick strips
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
4 ounces light Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
3/4 cup grated light Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fat free half & half cream
1/3 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Gnocchi (can make ahead of time and store in fridge for up to 12 hours)

1.            Lightly flour a baking sheet. Put potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with cold water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cook until potatoes are very tender when pierced with a sharp knife, about 25 minutes.

2.            Drain potatoes. When they are just cool enough to handle, peel, and then pass through a potato ricer into a medium bowl (if you don’t have a ricer, just mash with a fork until there are minimal lumps). Sprinkle with flour, and add eggs. Season with black pepper and 1 tablespoon salt. Stir mixture with a fork to combine.

3.            Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface; gently knead until it is soft and smooth, about 3 minutes. If dough is too sticky, keep adding flour until it is more manageable. Divide dough into handfuls. Roll each piece into a long rope about 3/4 inch thick. Cut ropes crosswise into 1-inch gnocchi.

4.            Roll a cut side of each dumpling against the tines of a fork with your thumb so each piece has ridges on one side and an indentation on the other. Place on the floured baking sheet until ready to cook.

Sauce

5.            Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pears and sauté until tender and beginning to brown but not soft, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, carefully transfer pears to bowl.

6.            Reduce heat to medium-low and allow pan to cool slightly. Add rosemary to same skillet and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add broth, Gorgonzola cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and half & half. Simmer until sauce thickens enough to coat spoon, whisking occasionally, about 10 minutes. Return pears and any accumulated juices to sauce.

When ready to cook pasta….

7.            Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add half the gnocchi; when they rise to the top (after about 2 minutes), continue to cook until tender, about 15 seconds more. Transfer gnocchi with a slotted spoon to the sauce. Repeat process with remaining gnocchi.

8.            Add pecans to sauce. Toss mixture over medium-low heat until sauce coats pasta, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in shallow bowls and sprinkle servings with remaining ¼ cup Parmesan cheese.

Just for kicks I attached a video of one of my fav SNL sketches to get you inspired for some good Italian cooking….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeDHFxT-qnY

Chicken Souvlicious... OPA!!

I have always been a a huge fan of Greek food... I mean what's not to love about hummus, the amazing spicy meat, the tabbouleh... delish! have been honing my gyro-creating skills over a few iterations now and I think I finally have a great, simple recipe that you can throw together on those nights where you want to eat healthy but don't have the energy to make it into a "big thing". Most of these things I'm sure you'll find stocked in your fridge already. And the rest... well suck it up and drive 5 min to the grocery store!!!! ... heh, sorry - that was my attempt at being a pushy Greek aunt who also wants you to eat more... or is it a pushy Italian aunt? ANYWAYS, enjoy and OPA!!


Chicken Souvlaki
(makes 4-5 gyro style sandwiches)

INGREDIENTS
Chicken Marinade
1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing
juice of one lemon wedge
1 teaspoon oregano
4-5 healthy grinds of fresh black pepper

Tzaziki Sauce
8 oz non-fat plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cucumber, seeded and chopped
juice of one lemon wedge
splash of red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
3 cloves garlic

Souvlaki
1 lb chicken breast
2 roma tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 cups hearts of romaine, chopped into chunks
small red onion, thinly sliced
Italian flat-leaf parsley sprigs (optional)
4 oz crumbled feta
4-5 flatbread pita rounds (not the weird crumbly kind with pockets, get the good stuff that is more like flatbread -- Whole Foods is my go-to for this)
Extra-virgin olive oil for pitas

DIRECTIONS

• Slice chicken thinly and place in medium bowl. Coat chicken with all marinade ingredients and marinate for 30 min to an hour (or more if you'd like) but that's all the time I personally have patience for.
• In the meantime make your tzaziki sauce. I like to use my magic bullet but you can also make the sauce in a food processor. Place all ingredients in the processor and blend until smooth. Place in fridge. 
• Pre-heat oven to 350. Lightly brush olive oil on each side of pita bread rounds and cover stack of rounds in foil. Bake in oven for 10 min. 
• Once the chicken is ready to go place in a skillet and pan fry on medium heat until cooked through, draining any excessive juices.
• Now, to build your gyro, lay a piece of flatbread on each plate. Arrange pieces of chicken, romaine, tomato and red onion on top. Sprinkle a little feta and drizzle with tzaziki. Garnish with fresh ground pepper and parsley sprigs. Eat as is with knife and fork or fold in half to eat like a taco!

Valentine's Dinner

I have a LOT of "favorite" recipes, as you may notice.  This is one of them.  I started making this when I got my Cooking Light cookbook, and I am still soooooo in love with it.  It's reasonably healthy, but a bit more of a splurge than, say, baked fish.  :)  I included my serving suggestions below as well.  Enjoy!

Pork Saltimbocca with Polenta and Green Beans



For the pic, I sliced the pork chop so you could see the stuffing.



Ingredients:

--1 pkg thin-cut pork chops (about 8 pieces)

--1 pkg fontina or fontinella cheese, grated (8 oz or so)

--1 pkg sliced prosciutto (to match the 8 chops)

--4 oz sage leaves

--Flour (I use whole wheat) to dredge chops

--4 tbsp olive oil

--Salt/pepper to taste

Directions:

1.  Trim fat from chops.

2.  Lay chops flat.  Layer a slice of prosciutto across the pork chop.  Top one-half with crumbled or chopped sage leaves, then a tbsp of cheese.  Fold the chop over and secure with toothpicks.

3.  Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.  Dredge stuffed pork chops in flour.

4.  Heat oven to 350 deg F.  Grease pan.

5.  Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a skillet; when hot, brown 4 stuffed pork chops on all sides.  Repeat with remaining 4 pork chops.  When browned, place on pan and into preheated oven for 20 minutes to finish cooking.

For the side dishes, this is what I do while the pork chops are baking:

Green beans:

--Trim the beans and thinly slice the shallots.

--In a medium skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil.  Add shallots, green beans, and salt/pepper to taste; saute until tender.

Polenta:

--Add 3 cups water and 2 cubes chicken bouillon to pot.  Heat to boiling.

--Add 1 cup uncooked polenta; stir constantly until thick.  Be careful not to burn on bottom of pot. (Note - there is pre-cooked polenta in a little tube you can buy; if you do this, just follow those directions.  This is for raw polenta in a bag.)

To serve, ladle a spoonful of polenta on plate; add 1 or 2 pork chops on top.  Finish with a serving of the sauteed green beans. 

Red Curry Quinoa

This is by far one of my favorite recipes of all time. It's delicious, healthy, simple and it's great as an on-the-go power lunch since the quinoa has twice the protein of any other grain. The mango and cilantro really balance out the spice well.

Red Curry Quinoa

Ingredients

(For pre-cook of quinoa)

1 ½ cups quinoa, rinsed

2 cups vegetable stock

1 cup water

2 tbsp Thai red curry paste

(For stir fry)

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp ginger, minced

1 shallot, minced

1 carrot, sliced thinly

20 snowpeas, halved on the bias

¼ - ½ tsp crushed red pepper

few dashes of sea salt

(To mix in fresh)

1 ripe mango, diced

2 stalks green onion, diced (white and green parts)

handful of cilantro, chopped (I use liberally)

½ cup cashews, chopped

Directions

1.     Add water, stock and curry paste to medium saucepan and bring to a boil, making sure curry paste has dissolved. Add quinoa to pan, stir briefly and cover the pan. Bring down to a simmer and cook quinoa for 15 minutes or until all water has evaporated.  You should see the little mini rings that sprout from the grain. Remove quinoa from pan and place in large bowl/plate to air dry and cool while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

2.     Add oil, garlic, ginger, shallot, red pepper and salt to large pan/pot and turn to medium high heat. Sautee together for 5-7 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients from the stir-fry list to hot pan and quick fry for a few minutes, until carrots are just cooked but still a little crispy.

3.     Add quinoa and fresh-mix ingredients to pan with carrot mixture. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Cover and remove pan from heat. After a few minutes the quinoa will be ready to serve.

Beef & Butternut Heaven

I made this for dinner tonight, and it took 1 hour - INCLUDING a trip to the grocery store.  It is amazingly fast and delicious if you like Moroccan food.  I highly recommend it!  And as you'll notice as we continue this blog...you can't go wrong with cilantro.  This recipe doesn't require any fancy kitchen equipment, but you can also use an actual tagine or dutch oven to cook this.  I left out the couscous to cut back on the carbs, but it was still so great.  The recipe is from the January/February 2011 edition of Cooking Light magazine.

Beef Tagine with Butternut Squash

Ingredients:

2 tsp paprika

2 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 lb of beef roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tbsp olive oil
4 shallots, quartered
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
3 cups cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 lb)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 green onion, thinly sliced

Directions:
1.  Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl; toss beef to coat.
2.  Heat oil in a deep pan over medium-high heat.  Add beef & shallots; cook 4 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally.
3.  Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.
4.  Stir in broth & tomatoes; bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes.
5.  Add squash; cover, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes or until squash is tender.

Serve in shallow bowls; top with cilantro and green onion.

Optional serving suggestion:  Mix 3/4 cup of low-sodium chicken broth and 1/2 cup water; bring to a boil in a saucepan.  Add 1 cup uncooked couscous; remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.  Fluff couscous with a fork and serve with beef tagine.



Penne with Butternut Squash and Sage

I was really craving butternut squash and sage the other night and wanted to incorporate those flavors into one well-balanced entree for the sake of quick convenience so of course Martha never lets me down. I saw this recipe on her website and modified it slightly, adding mushrooms because I thought it really deserved mushrooms and a few tablespoons of low fat butter to coat the pasta a bit better. The result: epic tastebud euphoria!! ...or something like that. Anyways, I thought it was really good and perfect for winter. So here ya go!

Penne with Roasted Butternut Squash, Pancetta, and Sage

Ingredients

1 medium (about 2 1/4 pounds) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3 cups)

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tbs butter/ margarine

Coarse salt

3/4 pound penne pasta

3 ounces pancetta, sliced 1/4 inch thick and finely chopped

2 shallots, thinly sliced crosswise

1 cup sliced white mushrooms

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

10 fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped or torn

1/2 cup finely grated pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place butternut squash on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil; season with salt. Transfer to oven and roast until squash is browned and tender, about 15 minutes.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Generously salt water and return to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, according to package directions. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Set pasta and reserved cooking liquid aside.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add pancetta and cook until just crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Add shallots, crushed red pepper, mushrooms, sage and butter. Cook until shallots are soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add penne and squash and toss gently, adding reserved pasta cooking liquid as necessary to moisten.

Add cheese and black pepper and cook, tossing gently, until pasta and squash are heated through. Serve immediately with more grated cheese, if desired.

From The Martha Stewart Show, November 2008