#1 Comfort food, for me.
Chilaquiles Verdes
Serves 4-6
1 medium onion, quartered
6 whole peeled cloves garlic
2 larger boneless/skinless chicken breast halves
12 serrano chiles
1.5-2 lbs tomatillos, husked
1/2 bunch cilantro
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar or melting cheese
Tortilla chips (stale is good)
Boil the chicken with the onion and two cloves garlic. Reserve the stock and vegetables in the pot, and shred the chicken.
Boil the tomatillos for a few minutes, and then add the peppers and rest of the garlic. Boil for about 10 minutes.
Add half the tomatillos, garlic, onion, peppers, and cilantro to a blender with 3/4 cup of the chicken stock. Puree and add to a very large shallow pan.
Repeat, and simmer the sauce for 10 minutes.
Add chicken and sour cream. Season. Once it's all mixed through, mix in the cheese.
Serve with chips (I smash everything together and top with cheese)
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Sweet Potato Clam Chowder
Sweet potato soup - always reliable.
Sweet Potato Chowder
Yield: 3-4 servings
Chowder Base:
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 medium Spanish onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 large sweet potatoes, roasted, peeled and pureed (375 for 45-1hr)
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 bottles clam juice
1 tsp cayenne
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into small dice
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 slices slab apple wood smoked bacon, cut into small dice
Sweet potato chowder base
2 teaspoons honey
3 cans/1 Lbs chopped clams, juices reserved
1/2 cup cream
2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon
Heat a soup/sauce pan over medium heat, add the bacon and cook until
golden brown and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with
paper towels.
Heat the butter and add the onions and garlic and cook until soft. Stir
in the sweet potato puree and salt and pepper and cook until the puree is
slightly thickened. Increase the heat to high, add the wine and cook
until completely reduced. Add the clam juice and cook for 15 to 20
minutes, stirring occasionally. If the mixture appears to be too thick,
thin with a little extra clam juice or water, season with salt and
pepper.
Heat the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the potatoes and
cook until golden brown and caramelized. When the potatoes are almost
cooked through, sprinkle with the sugar and toss until the sugar is
dissolved and the potatoes are cooked through.
To Finish:
Bring sweet potato chowder base to a simmer. Add the cooked bacon, sweet
potatoes and honey and cook for 1 minute. Add the chopped clams and cook
for 2 minutes. Add the heavy cream and cook an additional minute or until
just heated through. Add clam juices if needed. Garnish with tarragon.
Sweet Potato Chowder
Yield: 3-4 servings
Chowder Base:
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 medium Spanish onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 large sweet potatoes, roasted, peeled and pureed (375 for 45-1hr)
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 bottles clam juice
1 tsp cayenne
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into small dice
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 slices slab apple wood smoked bacon, cut into small dice
Sweet potato chowder base
2 teaspoons honey
3 cans/1 Lbs chopped clams, juices reserved
1/2 cup cream
2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon
Heat a soup/sauce pan over medium heat, add the bacon and cook until
golden brown and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with
paper towels.
Heat the butter and add the onions and garlic and cook until soft. Stir
in the sweet potato puree and salt and pepper and cook until the puree is
slightly thickened. Increase the heat to high, add the wine and cook
until completely reduced. Add the clam juice and cook for 15 to 20
minutes, stirring occasionally. If the mixture appears to be too thick,
thin with a little extra clam juice or water, season with salt and
pepper.
Heat the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the potatoes and
cook until golden brown and caramelized. When the potatoes are almost
cooked through, sprinkle with the sugar and toss until the sugar is
dissolved and the potatoes are cooked through.
To Finish:
Bring sweet potato chowder base to a simmer. Add the cooked bacon, sweet
potatoes and honey and cook for 1 minute. Add the chopped clams and cook
for 2 minutes. Add the heavy cream and cook an additional minute or until
just heated through. Add clam juices if needed. Garnish with tarragon.
Pickles...
My Pickles
3 lbs (about 6) kirby cucumbers, halved
2 dried thai chiles
2 tsp black peppercorn
2 tsp fennel seed
4 cloves garlic, coarse chop
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp coriander
2 tsp mustard seed
2 star anise
pinch tumeric
1.5 cups cider or plain vinegar
1.5 cups water
1/4c salt
1/4c sugar
Pack the cucumbers and any whole spices into two recycled pickle jars.
Boil everything else in a pan for a few minutes.
Pour the picling liquid evenly over both jars, topping off with vinegar.
Let cool.
Once cool, shake well and leave in the fridge for at least 10 or 14 days.
They're a little strong before that...
Brine can be re-boiled and re-used.
3 lbs (about 6) kirby cucumbers, halved
2 dried thai chiles
2 tsp black peppercorn
2 tsp fennel seed
4 cloves garlic, coarse chop
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp coriander
2 tsp mustard seed
2 star anise
pinch tumeric
1.5 cups cider or plain vinegar
1.5 cups water
1/4c salt
1/4c sugar
Pack the cucumbers and any whole spices into two recycled pickle jars.
Boil everything else in a pan for a few minutes.
Pour the picling liquid evenly over both jars, topping off with vinegar.
Let cool.
Once cool, shake well and leave in the fridge for at least 10 or 14 days.
They're a little strong before that...
Brine can be re-boiled and re-used.
Pasta with Poblanos and Chipotles
Pasta with Poblanos and Chipotle Sauce
Serves 4-6
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1/2 lb fresh poblano chiles, seeded and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
7 oz chopped bottled roasted red peppers
1 lb penne
3 canned chipotles in adobo
1 1/2 cups low/no fat sour cream
5 chopped scallions
Handful chopped cilantro
2 cups cooked (smoked) chicken/turkey
Cook onion, poblanos, and 1/2 tsp salt in oil in a heavy medium pot over
medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden, 8 to 10
minutes. Add red peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is
tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook ziti in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (2 Tbsp salt
for 6 qt water) until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain
ziti.
While ziti cooks, purée chipotles with sour cream in a blender.
Add purée to onion mixture with scallions, cilantro, 1/4 cup cooking
water, and 1/2 tsp salt and bring to a simmer, stirring. Add ziti and
toss, moistening with additional cooking water if desired. Season with
salt.
Serves 4-6
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1/2 lb fresh poblano chiles, seeded and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
7 oz chopped bottled roasted red peppers
1 lb penne
3 canned chipotles in adobo
1 1/2 cups low/no fat sour cream
5 chopped scallions
Handful chopped cilantro
2 cups cooked (smoked) chicken/turkey
Cook onion, poblanos, and 1/2 tsp salt in oil in a heavy medium pot over
medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden, 8 to 10
minutes. Add red peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is
tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook ziti in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (2 Tbsp salt
for 6 qt water) until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain
ziti.
While ziti cooks, purée chipotles with sour cream in a blender.
Add purée to onion mixture with scallions, cilantro, 1/4 cup cooking
water, and 1/2 tsp salt and bring to a simmer, stirring. Add ziti and
toss, moistening with additional cooking water if desired. Season with
salt.
Bison Meatballs
bison meatballs with cilantro-yogurt sauce
Makes 4 servings
Cilantro-Yogurt Sauce:
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 bunch chopped cilantro
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
3-4 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped mint
1/2 a lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped sage
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon honey
Meatballs:
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small finely chopped onion
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 tablespoon whole milk
2 minced jalapeño chile
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
1 pound ground bison
1 egg
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon chopped sage
salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
For cilantro-yogurt sauce:
Toast all seeds in small skillet over medium heat until aromatic and
slightly darker in color,stirring often, about 2 minutes. Cool.Finely
grind seeds in spice mill or coffee grinder. Place cilantro and all
remaining ingredients in blender. Add 1 teaspoon ground seeds and process
until smooth sauce forms, scraping down sides frequently. Season to taste
with salt and pepper. Cover sauce and chill. Reserve remaining ground
seeds for meatballs.
For meatballs:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil inheavy small skillet over medium heat.Add onion
and garlic and sauté until soft, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes (do
not brown). Cool. Toss bread crumbs withmilk in small bowl to moisten.
Place cooled onion mixture, bread crumb mixture,reserved ground seeds
from cilantro-yogurt sauce, jalapeño, and yogurt in processor.Using
on/off turns, process until coarsepuree forms. Transfer mixture to
mediumbowl. Add bison, egg, cilantro, sage,1 teaspoon coarse salt,
pepper, and allspice. Using hands or fork, mix until just blended. Using
damp hands, form bison mixture into 1 1/4-inch balls.
Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large nonstick skillet over
medium heat. Working in 2 batches, cook meatballs until brownedon all
sides, about 8 minutes per batch.Transfer meatballs to rimmed baking
sheet. Place in oven to keep warm up to 15 minutes.
Serve meatballs with cilantro-yogurt sauce for dipping, rice, veg, etc.
Makes 4 servings
Cilantro-Yogurt Sauce:
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 bunch chopped cilantro
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
3-4 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped mint
1/2 a lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped sage
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon honey
Meatballs:
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small finely chopped onion
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 tablespoon whole milk
2 minced jalapeño chile
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
1 pound ground bison
1 egg
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon chopped sage
salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
For cilantro-yogurt sauce:
Toast all seeds in small skillet over medium heat until aromatic and
slightly darker in color,stirring often, about 2 minutes. Cool.Finely
grind seeds in spice mill or coffee grinder. Place cilantro and all
remaining ingredients in blender. Add 1 teaspoon ground seeds and process
until smooth sauce forms, scraping down sides frequently. Season to taste
with salt and pepper. Cover sauce and chill. Reserve remaining ground
seeds for meatballs.
For meatballs:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil inheavy small skillet over medium heat.Add onion
and garlic and sauté until soft, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes (do
not brown). Cool. Toss bread crumbs withmilk in small bowl to moisten.
Place cooled onion mixture, bread crumb mixture,reserved ground seeds
from cilantro-yogurt sauce, jalapeño, and yogurt in processor.Using
on/off turns, process until coarsepuree forms. Transfer mixture to
mediumbowl. Add bison, egg, cilantro, sage,1 teaspoon coarse salt,
pepper, and allspice. Using hands or fork, mix until just blended. Using
damp hands, form bison mixture into 1 1/4-inch balls.
Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large nonstick skillet over
medium heat. Working in 2 batches, cook meatballs until brownedon all
sides, about 8 minutes per batch.Transfer meatballs to rimmed baking
sheet. Place in oven to keep warm up to 15 minutes.
Serve meatballs with cilantro-yogurt sauce for dipping, rice, veg, etc.
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