Pumpkin or Squash Enchiladas

Courtesy of New Seasons Market chefs... I love that store! I did not add any meat and these were perfectly filling.

1 16-oz can enchilada sauce

12 corn tortillas

3 c. cooked squash or pumpkin, cubed

1- 15oz can black beans, drained

1 1/2 c. frozen corn, or 1 can of corn, drained

1- 4oz. can mild or hot green chiles, diced

3 c. shredded jack or pepper jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350. In a 9"13 inch pan, spread 1/4 c. enchilada sauce over bottom. Layer tortillas over, breaking them as needed to evenly cover the bottom. Evenly spread half the squash, half the beans, half the chiles, half the corn, and half the remaining enchilada sauce and then 1/3 of the cheese over tortillas. Repeat, layering tortillas, but no enchilada sauce on second layer. Layer last 4 tortillas, remaining enchilada sauce and remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake 30 min. or until bubbly.

Options: Add shredded cooked chicken or beef.

Caesar Dressing

This is really good... courtesy of Tyler Florence.

Carpe Diem!

1 clove garlic, smashed with a pinch of salt and a little olive oil
4 anchovy fillets
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 lemons, juiced
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnish
Freshly ground black pepper

Tyler suggests you smear the garlic paste on your salad bowl, I just added it to the food processor. Either way, it's great.

Then, Put the anchovies, egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice, and water into a blender and process for 30 seconds until the mixture is smooth. With the blender running, pour the olive oil in slowly for the dressing to emulsify. Stir in the Parmesan, a pinch of salt and a couple of grinds of black pepper; set aside. (Refrigerate the dressing if you will not be using it right away.)

Puebla Chicken and Potato Stew

Enjoy this on a cold fall evening!

Serves4
Active Time:40 min
Start to Finish:1 hr

2 lb chicken thighs (with skin and bone)
6 cups water
1 large white onion, quartered
2 teaspoons salt
2 garlic cloves (not peeled)
1 (14-oz) can whole tomatoes in juice
4 teaspoons chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo
1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
1 (1 1/2-oz) link dried Spanish chorizo (spicy cured pork sausage), finely chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 lb boiling potatoes
2 oz crumbled queso fresco, ricotta salata, or farmer cheese (1/2 cup)
Accompaniments:
avocado slices; warm corn tortillas
Bring chicken, water, 2 onion quarters, and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil, covered, in a 4- to 5-quart pot over moderately high heat. Boil 10 minutes, then remove from heat and let stand, covered, until chicken is just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate, reserving broth with onion. When cool enough to handle, coarsely shred chicken, discarding skin and bones.
While chicken is cooking, heat a dry well-seasoned small cast-iron skillet over moderate heat until hot, then brown garlic and remaining 2 onion quarters on all sides, turning with tongs, about 5 minutes. Peel garlic and transfer with onion to a blender. Add tomatoes with juice, chiles, and oregano, then purée until smooth.
Cook chorizo in oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat, stirring, until fat is rendered, about 2 minutes. Carefully add purée (it will splatter and steam) and cook, stirring frequently, until thick, about 10 minutes.
Peel potatoes and cut into 3/4-inch pieces, then add to reserved broth with remaining teaspoon salt. Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are almost tender, about 10 minutes.
Add potatoes and onions to chorizo mixture along with 2 cups broth (save remainder for another use). Stir in chicken and simmer 10 minutes. Serve sprinkled with cheese.

Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip, and Pecan Cookies

These easy drop cookies are crisp on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside. Chocolate minichips disperse better in the batter, but you can use regular chips.

Yield

3 dozen (serving size: 1 cookie)

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 5 1/2 ounces)
• 1 cup regular oats
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate minichips

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt), stirring with a whisk; set aside.

Place sugars and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add vanilla and egg; beat until blended. Gradually add flour mixture, beating at low speed just until combined. Stir in pecans and minichips. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until edges of cookies are lightly browned. Cool on pans 2 minutes. Remove cookies from pans; cool on wire racks.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

81 (33% from fat)

Fat:

3g (sat 1.4g,mono 1g,poly 0.3g)

Protein:

1.1g

Carbohydrate:

12.9g

Fiber:

0.5g

Cholesterol:

10mg

Iron:

0.5mg

Sodium:

76mg

Calcium:

12mg

Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Swiss Chard and Percorino Cheese

From Food Network

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 2 bunches Swiss chard, trimmed and chopped (about 14 cups)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
• Salt and pepper
• 8 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti
• 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino cheese
• 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the chard and saute until it wilts, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes with their juices, wine, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer until the tomatoes begin to break down and the chard is very tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Season the chard mixture, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring frequently, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the spaghetti. Add the spaghetti to the chard mixture and toss to combine.

Transfer the pasta to serving bowls. Sprinkle the olives, cheese, and pine nuts and serve.

Recommended Wine: 2001 Clerico Trevigne

Origin: Alba, Piedmont

Grape: Barbera

Wine Notes: This wine is from the north in the Piedmont region of Italy. I chose a Barbera because I needed a wine to to stand up to the bitterness of the swiss chard and the strong taste of the pecorino cheese. This wine's texture is smooth and the color is a dark ruby red. Its bouquet is scorched earth and blackberries with a kiss of oak. The pasta's flavors do not fight with the taste of the wine but is an explosion of flavor every time you take a bite of spaghetti or a sip of wine.

Wine Pouring Notes: Do not fill above the curve of the bowl, never more than 1/2 full, that way you can get a true sense of the wine's aroma and a better sense of its bouquet. To get the full experience of the wine, place your nose into the glass and take in the wine's beautiful aroma.

Savory Autumnal Strata

This is from New Seasons Market and is just what I needed to get me in the mood for fall... yes, it did begin today! This is a warm quiche-like dish and very rich. Just a small portion will do and served alongside a salad makes one feel less guilty about it! Please note: this must chill for 1 hour prior to baking!

1 loaf French bread or 2 baguettes, sliced

6 eggs

2 c. milk

1 c. cream

2 tbsp butter

1 1/4 cups apple butter or applesauce

1 lb. sharp or regular cheddar, grated

1 1/4 c. carmelized onions- directions below if needed

2 apples, diced, skins on if you like

1 c. chopped pecans

Whisk together eggs, milk and cream in a large bowl and set aside. Butter or spray a deep 9x13 inch baking dish (must be nearly 2" deep or will overflow). Cover bottom of dish with a layer of bread slices, then layer apple butter/sauce, diced apple, carmelized onions, and 3/4 of the cheddar. Cover with remaining bread, then sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Pour egg and cream mixture over entire strata, then sprinkle pecans on top. Refrigerate for at least one hour before baking. Bake, uncovered, until fluffy and golden, 45 min- 1 hour (mine only took 45 min.)

Enjoy!

Carmelized onions:

3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 pounds onions, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons sugar
1. In a large skillet, melt the butter in the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper, and cook, stirring constantly, until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

2. Stir in the sugar and cook, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan frequently, until the onions are golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Salsa Verde

The Lake Oswego Farmers Market had fresh amazing-looking tomatillos and I just had to make some salsa verde to eat while watching the football games. This recipe is so easy and as you can see below, this is the color that salsa verde should be... very fresh green!

1/2 lb small fresh tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1-2 large garlic cloves, to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh serrano chile with seeds, or to taste
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons water
Coarsely chop tomatillos, then purée with remaining salsa ingredients and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender until smooth.
Cooks’ note: Salsa can be made 4 hours ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature, about 1 hour, before using. Leftover salsa keeps 2 days.

*** I doubled this and used 1 lb. of tomatillos and added 3 garlic cloves and used ALL serrano seeds. Absolutamente Perfecto...

More texe

Indian Feast

Courtesy of Orangette, finally found a good recipe for both Chana Masala or "chole" as
Meera calls it and also Sag Paneer from Tea and Cookies. I upped the cayenne and garam masala on this one a bit.

CHANA MASALA
This chana masala can be served in two different styles: with a half-cup of whole-milk yogurt to smooth and soften the flavors, or sans yogurt, served with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of fresh cilantro. Either way, this dish is even better the second—or third—day.

Good-quality olive oil

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

2 medium cloves garlic,

minced1 tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp ground coriander

¼ tsp ground ginger

1 tsp garam masala

3 cardamom pods, lightly crushed

1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste

1 Tbs cilantro leaves, roughly torn, plus more for garnish

A pinch of cayenne, or to taste

2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

6-8 Tbs plain whole-milk yogurt, optional

A few lemon wedges, optional

Film the bottom of a large saucepan or Dutch oven—preferably not nonstick—with olive oil, and place the pan over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until it is deeply caramelized and even charred in some spots. Be patient. The more color, the more full-flavored the final dish will be.Reduce the heat to low. Add the garlic, stirring, and add a bit more oil if the pan seems dry. Add the cumin seeds, coriander, ginger, garam masala, and cardamom pods, and fry them, stirring constantly, until fragrant and toasty, about 30 seconds. Add ¼ cup water, and stir to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the water has evaporated away completely. Pour in the juice from can of tomatoes, followed by the tomatoes themselves, using your hands to break them apart as you add them; alternatively, add them whole and crush them in the pot with a potato masher. Add the salt.Raise the heat to medium, and bring the pot to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, add the cilantro and cayenne, and simmer the sauce gently, stirring occasionally, until it reduces a bit and begins to thicken. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Add the chickpeas, stirring well, and cook over low heat for about five minutes. Add 2 Tbs water, and cook for another five minutes. Add another 2 Tbs water, and cook until the water is absorbed, a few minutes more. This process of adding and cooking off water helps to concentrate the sauce’s flavor and makes the chickpeas more tender and toothsome. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as necessary.Stir in the yogurt, if you like, or garnish with lemon wedges and cilantro. Serve.Yield: About four servings

SAAG PANEER

3 large bunches of fresh spinach, washed and destemmed (this part is important) (I used frozen- 2 packages and it tasted great)

1 large onion, chopped into a medium

dice1 medium tomato, chopped into a small

dice2 teaspoons tomato paste

1 cup heavy cream (can use half-and-half)

1 1/2 cup paneer cheese (fried in peanut oil, if you would like)

1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

1 teaspoon fresh chopped or pressed garlic

1 1/2 tbs vegetable oil

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

3 green cardamom pods, smashed

1 stick cinnamon

3 cloves (I like to crush the soft, rounded head of the clove with a fingernail)

3 small bay leaves

2 tsp salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Can add dried red pepper or a fresh hot green pepper for spice, if you like

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Sauté the chopped onion in oil until soft and golden. Add cumin seeds, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, garlic and ginger, and chopped tomato. Sauté mixture for about a minute. Begin to add spinach, turning to allow it to cook down. When all spinach has been added and the mixture has turned a dark green, begin to add the remaining dry spices, salt and pepper. Mix well and continue to cook about 3 minutes. [If you would like to fry the paneer, you can do it now, cooking in a small amount of peanut oil to get a brown crust.] Add the cream and tomato paste, continuing to simmer the mixture another 5 minutes. Add paneer and fresh cilantro at the very end. Serve with rice or naan bread.

Sarah! That cake looks great! And sounds so yummy! Thanks for the post and Happy Birthday again! :)

Cream-Cheese Frosting

[Recipe has been doubled to accomodate carrot cake in previous positing.]


12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature (Andy used Neufchatel)

6 tbsp butter

3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted if lumpy

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract


- Combine the cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla in a mixing bowl or the bowl of a food processor. Beat well or process until perfectly smooth and spreadable. You will have enough to fill and frost an 8-inch 3-layer cake.

Dark Carrot Cake

Recipe courtesy of The Fannie Farmer Baking Book

Andy made this cake for my birthday, and it was simply devine - moist, chewy, and, at times, crunchy because of the nuts. Yummy!

[Recipe has been doubled to make a three-layer cake (3 8-inch round cake pans)].

2 cups milk
4 eggs
12 tbsp butter, melted
2 cups dark-brown sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
4 tsp cinnamon
4 tsp nutmeg
2 1/2 cups grated raw carrot
2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
2 cups raisins
Cream-Cheese frosting (see next posting)

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 3 8-inch round pans.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and butter, and beat with a fork until well mixed. Add the sugar and beat well. Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt cinnamon, and nutmeg, and add them to the first mixture. Beat until just blended. Stir in the carrot, walnuts, and raisins. Spread evenly in the prepared pans.
- Bake for 45 to 50 mins, or until a broom straw or wooden skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans for 10 mins, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely. Spread with Cream-Cheese frosting.

[May need to modify baking time, as instructions above are for the original recipe, which is to make one 8-inch square cake.]

This recipe makes a huge amount of cake - three layers, 8-inches across. We had to freeze just over half the cake because there was so much!

Chocolate Ganache and Raspberry Tart

This is a nice summer dessert- esp if you crave chocolate occassionally like I do! :) Use your fresh farmers-market raspberries- the fresher the better. Note: I made a mistake with the topping so yours will not look quite like mine (I accidently boiled the raspberries- dumb- I know! You are just supposed to boil the jam to make a glaze and then sprinkle over the fresh raspberries- see below)
Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons water
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons Kahlú a, other coffee flavored liqueur, or strong coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups fresh raspberries (three 6-ounce containers)
3 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam

Preparation:
Using on/off turns, mix flour, butter, and sugar in processor until coarse meal forms.

Mix egg yolks, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon water in small bowl. Add to processor; mix until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic. Chill 30 minutes. DO AHEAD: Dough can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 9-inch diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Roll out dough on lightly floured work surface to 12-inch round. Fit dough into pan; trim overhang. Freeze 20 minutes.

Bake crust until golden, 25 minutes; cool.

Meanwhile, bring cream just to boil in small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; stir until smooth. Stir in liqueur and vanilla. Cool ganache 15 minutes.

Transfer cooled crust to platter. Spoon chocolate ganache into crust and smooth top. Arrange raspberries atop chocolate. Stir raspberry jam and 1 1/2 teaspoons water in small saucepan over medium heat until smooth. Brush warm glaze over berries. DO AHEAD: Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.

Cherry and Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are so good and taste healthy when you get some of the fruit texture. Enjoy!
1 c. dried tart cherries (about 5.5 oz)
1/3 c. cherry liqueur ( I used local Oregon liqueur! Yum! To buy: www.clearcreekdistillery.com)
2 tbsp water
1.5 c. all-purpose flour (I used white whole wheat)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. (packed) golden brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 1/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips (about 8 oz.)
1 1/4 c. white chocolate chips (or chopped bar of Lindt white chocolate)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Bring cherries, cherry liqueur, and 2 tbsp water to boil in small saucepan. Remove from heat and let soak 15 minutes. Drain cherries; pat dry.
Whisk flour, salt, and baking soda in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars in large bowl until creamy. Add eggs and both extracts and beat to blend. Add flour mixture and beat on low just to blend. Stir in cherries and all chocolate chips. Scoop tablespoonfuls of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart.
Bake cookies until edges are light golden, turning baking sheets halfway through cooking, about 13 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool.

Garlicky Spinach Salad with Pine Nuts and Raisins

This salad is so fresh tasting and a great use of Farmers Market spinach. I loved it so much, it was my entire meal!

By MELISSA CLARK
Published: June 4, 2008 in New York Times: Dining In
Time: 20 minutes
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 anchovy fillet chopped
Kosher salt, to taste
Pinch red pepper flakes
2 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 ounces spinach leaves, trimmed (about 8 cups)
1/4 cup golden or black raisins.
1. In a small skillet over medium heat, toast pine nuts, shaking pan and stirring often, until they are barely golden and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Pour onto a plate to cool.
2. Using a mortar and pestle, mash garlic, anchovy, a pinch of salt and red pepper flakes into a paste. Transfer to a small bowl. Whisk in vinegar, then slowly whisk in oil.
3. Place spinach in a large bowl; add vinaigrette and toss well to combine. Add pine nuts and raisins. Toss once more and serve.
Yield: 2 to 4 servings.

Cooking w/ Tamarind

Useful for below steak marinade: :)
Look for three main types of tamarind paste in Asian, Indian or Latin markets: bricks with seeds and seedless pulp. Flat cellophane wrapped bricks contain the pulp and seeds; break off an inch or so and submerge it in warm water for about 15 minutes. Then press the softened pulp and liquid through a strainer over a bowl to separate the usable diluted pulp from the seeds and fibers. Indian markets carry tamarind concentrate, which contains pure pulp without seeds, and can be used straight from the jar.
You can also find tamarind powder and so-called instant tamarind, which takes longer to dissolve than tamarind bricks. Other tamarind products include nam phrik pao, a chile-tamarind paste used in Thai and Filipino sour soups, sauces, dressings, and stir-fries.
When dissolving tamarind pulp, go ahead and make more than you need immediately. After straining the pulp, freeze the liquid in ice cube trays for ready use later.
If you can't find tamarind, you can substitute lemon or lime juice mixed with a touch of brown sugar.

Awesome Oaxacan Steak, Chicken & Veggie Tacos

ACTIVE TIME: 1 HR 45 MIN TOTAL TIME: 2 HRS 30 MIN plus overnight marinating

SERVES: 6
Great recipe from Food and Wine. The sweet Coca-Cola–and–tamarind marinade used to tenderize and flavor skirt steaks was a discovery the author made while traveling through Oaxaca. The chef observed that Mexicans love Coke and they’d offer it to her at breakfast. So true!!! Best fajita/taco recipe I know!!! Enjoy.

STEAK
2 ounces pressed tamarind from a pound block, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
3/4 cup hot water
4 unpeeled garlic cloves
3 scallions, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons thyme leaves
1 tablespoon pure ancho chile powder
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup Coca-Cola
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds skirt steak, cut into 4-inch lengths
VEGETABLES AND CHICKEN
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 serrano chile, thinly sliced
2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise
2 chayote—peeled, halved lengthwise, pitted and thinly sliced crosswise
2 large carrots, thinly sliced on a sharp angle
1 fennel bulb—trimmed, cored and thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, butterflied
36 corn tortillas, warmed
Salsa Verde and Pico de Gallo, cilantro sprigs and sour cream, for serving

Directions
Prepare the steak: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the tamarind and water and microwave on high power for 2 minutes. Cover and let stand until the tamarind is softened, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat a small skillet. Add the garlic and cook over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until the cloves are blackened in spots, about 8 minutes. Peel the garlic.
Mash the tamarind to a pulp. Strain the puree through a fine sieve into a blender. Discard the seeds and fibers. Add the roasted garlic and the scallions, thyme, chile powder and olive oil to the blender and puree until smooth. With the machine on, add the Coca-Cola in a thin stream until blended. Season generously with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a shallow baking dish. Add the steak and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Prepare the vegetables and chicken: Preheat a grill pan. In a large bowl, combine the oil, garlic, fennel and serrano chile. Add the sliced vegetables and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper and toss to coat. Grill the vegetables over high heat, turning occasionally, until tender and lightly charred, about 8 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a cutting board and coarsely chop them.
Brush the chicken with some of the remaining oil from the vegetable bowl and season with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken over high heat, turning once until cooked through and lightly charred, about 8 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes, then cut into thin strips.
Scrape most of the marinade off the steaks. Grill the steaks over high heat, turning occasionally, until charred in spots, about 10 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer the steaks to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes, then thinly slice across the grain.
Mound the steak, chicken and vegetables in 3 bowls and serve with the tortillas, Salsa Verde, Pico de Gallo, cilantro and sour cream.

Big Chocolate Chip Cookies

- This recipe is from the Moosewood Restaurant New Classics cookbook (2001 edition).

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter, at room temp.
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (I used reg. whole wheat flour)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp water
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts and/or raisins (optional)

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter a baking sheet (I used parchment paper and it worked fine).

2. In large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until smooth. Beat in the eggs until well blended. In separate bowl, sift together the white flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, mixing well. Add the vanilla and water. Stir in the chocolate chips and, if you wish, the nuts and/or raisins.

3. For 3-inch cookies, drop the batter by scant 1/4 cups onto the baking sheet, leaving 2 inches of space between the cookies. Bake for about 10 mins, or until the edges and bottoms are light brown and the tops golden. Check after 8 mins to avoid overbaking.

Remove the cookies to a rack to cool.

Yield: 20 three-inch cookies

Prep time: 15 mins

Baking time: approx. 10 mins per batch

- Believe it or not, I forgot to add the eggs to this recipe today! I was wondering why the dough was so dry, so I ended up adding a little bit of milk to make the dough moist. It worked out though because Andy had used all the eggs in another recipe yesterday anyway! To my delight, the cookies turned out just fine - if anything, they were a bit on the sugary side. I'm sure the eggs would have helped tone that down a bit.

Enjoy!

Excellent, moist Blueberry Coffee Cake - Cooking Light

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 3/4 ounces)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup granulated sugar

6 tablespoons butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 large egg white

1 1/3 cups low-fat buttermilk

2 cups fresh blueberries

1 tablespoon turbinado sugar


Preparation


1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.
3. Place granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 2 minutes). Add vanilla, egg, and egg white; beat well. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix after each addition.
4. Spoon half of the batter into a 9-inch round baking pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup blueberries. Spoon remaining batter over the blueberries; sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 cup blueberries. Sprinkle the top evenly with 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.


Yield

8 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 287(31% from fat); FAT 9.9g (sat 5.9g,mono 2.6g,poly 0.6g); PROTEIN 5.4g; CHOLESTEROL 51mg; CALCIUM 93mg; SODIUM 294mg; FIBER 1.5g; IRON 1.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 45.4g.



Marcia Whyte Smart, Cooking Light, MAY 2008

Baked Potato at Mile 75

Hot Tater

melting butter

salt & pepper

plastic fork

hunger of a ravaging gorilla

(and yes, i am distantly related to the lasanga girl below)

Sarah's popovers

Hello chefs out there,
Sarah's Fannie Farmer popover recipe turned out excellent the other night. Did not touch the oven to peak, just to turn down the temps. Don't be afraid if the batter looks slightly lumpy... and mine was alarmingly thin. They popped so beautifully but fell a little as they cooled out of the oven. I put a little of the strawberry icing I had leftover in the porous middle and they were to die for. Enjoy and thanks Sarah!
Here is a link to the online 1918 version of Fannie Farmer's cookbook for those interested:
http://www.bartleby.com/87/

hope you enjoy as much as I did

Curtin Yacht Club Lasagna

SUPER EASY! rich and creamy lasagna. Barry's mom used to make it after sailing events at the yacht club :) Great reputation all the way from London...

15 minutes prep time, 40-5o minutes bake time, serves 10-15

Ingredients
5 cups Milk
1 cup flour
1 cup butter
No Boil Lasagna noodles
4 cups mozarella cheese
1 lb hamburger meat
1 jar pasta sauce

Pre-Heat oven to 35o degrees
Prepare casserole dish 13x9 with PAM
Brown hamburger in skillet, drain, add pasta sauce

(White sauce) Melt butter, stir in flour, add milk (whisk to mix)
Boil for one minute

Layer dish with noodles, cheese, hamburger + sauce, white sauce (repeat until dish is full)
top with white sauce and cheese

Bake for 40-50 minutes until top is slightly brown and noodles are soft

Enjoy!

Popovers - 2 recipes!

Hello readers,

Here are two recipes for Popovers (aka "Yorkshire Pudding"), per Courtney's request. These are a favourite in our house at Thanksgiving. There is debate, though, about whether to start Popovers baking in a cold or preheated oven - you can try it either way with these two recipes.

From the "Fannie Farmer Baking" cookbook -

**Start these in a COLD oven.

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tbsp butter, melted
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt

Butter muffin pans or popover tins.

Mix the eggs, milk, butter, flour, and salt just until thoroughly blended, without overbeating - a 1-quart glass measure with a spout is a good for mixing, because you can pour the batter right into the pans. Half fill the prepared pans, and set them in a cold oven. Turn the heat to 450 degrees F and bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and bake about 15 mins longer, until they are puffed and golden brown on top. Remove from the pans and serve piping hot.

Variation: whole wheat popovers - use 2/3 cup whole-wheat flour and 1/3 cup all-purpose flour instead of 1 cup all-purpose flour. These will not rise as high as regular popovers.

From "The Joy of Cooking" cookbook -

We prefere a preheated 450 degree oven. Popovers like soufles, need bottom heat only, so be sure if your oven is the type that supplies top heat when set on Bake, to remove the upper heating element. Have ready buttered deep muffin or popover tins. If you use highly glazed deep custard cups, grease them lightly and - depending on what you are serving with the popovers - dust the cups with sugar, flour, or grated Parmesan cheese. This will give the egg something to cling to. Have all ingredients at about 75 degrees.

Beat until just smooth:
1 cup milk
1 tbsp melted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

Add, one at a time, but do not overbeat:
2 eggs

The batter should be no heavier than whipping cream. Full the buttered deep bakers 3/4 full. Don't overload - too much batter in the pans will give a muffinlike texture.

Bake at once. After 15 mins, lower the heat without peeping, to 350 and bake for about 20 mins longer. To test for doneness, remove a popover to be sure the side walls are firm. If not cooked long enough, the popovers will collapse. You may want to insert a sharp paring knife gently into the other popovers to allow the steam to escape, after baking.

Variation: whole wheat -
Prepare:
popovers, above

Substitute for the flour:
2/3 cup fine whole-grain flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour

Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

Tonight I had a craving for a delicious cupcake. I pulled out my Food and Wine magazine and went to work. I used the basic yellow cupcake and then made strawberry icing.
"Golden" Cupcake:
Active time: 20 min. ; Total: 45 min.
Makes 12 cupcakes
1 c. plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour ( i used white whole wheat flour)
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 c. granulated sugar (i used raw sugar)
2 large eggs, at room temp
1 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1/4 c. vege oil
1/2 c. milk, at room temp

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil liners (i used silicon- works great)
2. In a med. bowl, whisk the flour with the cornstarch, baking powder and salt.
3. In a lg bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the sugar with the eggs and vanilla extract at med-high speed until smooth and thickened slightly, about 3 mins. Add the butter and oil and beat until incorporated, scraping the sides and bottom of bowl. Add the dry ingredients in batches, beating well b/w additions. Carefully pour the batter into the lined muffin tins, filing them about 2/3 full.
4. Bake the cupcakes in the center of the oven for 20-23 mins, until springy and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool slightly in the muffin tin, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Frost and top the cupcakes.
MAKE AHEAD: The unfrosted cupcakes can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temp. for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.

White Buttercream Frosting w/ Strawberry Variation:
Total: 15 minutes
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt
2 tbsp. heavy cream or milk
strawberry jam***

In a med. bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the softened butter at medium speed until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat the mixture at a low speed just until combined. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until smooth. Add the milk or heavy cream and beat unti llight and fluffy- about 2 minutes. Mix in strawberry jam with the frosting to make your "strawberry shortcake" icing.
*** I didnt have any strawberry jam, so i decided to make a strawberry syrup of sorts. I chopped 4 organic strawberries and added about 1 tbsp. of raw sugar in a small saucepan on med-high heat. I crushed the strawberries as they softened, about 5 mins, with a pestle and stirred occasionally. I put this "jam/syrup" into my frosting and it was magnificent! Maybe it was the fresh strawberries or the fact that the frosting was warm... it was like warm strawberry cake. I am sure that if you used the jam, the frosting would be much more fluffy and less runny. Your choice! Enjoy.

Spanish food, pantry items online

Food and Wine magazine introduced me to 2 useful sites for spanish cooking.
www.latienda.com
www.spanishtable.com

La Tienda has a wide selection with an easy user interface. It has varities of paprika- which I cannot seem to find anywhere in Portland. They sell smoked, sweet and hot. And combos of those... not to mention, they sell great gift sets (paella ones come with a nice paella pan) for the chef in all of us! Hint to the spouses out there!!! :)

Spanish Table apparently has a shop in Seattle near Pikes Place market. I'll have to check it out soon and write a report. Meanwhile, they have online sales as well.

Happy tapas and paella cooking!

Curried Chicken Salad

This is a great variation on regular-old chicken salad. The curry flavor is just right- not too overwhelming. I made it without the mango and it was still excellent.
For salad:
4 skinless chicken breast halves
2 tbsp kosher salt
1 med. red onion, chopped
1 firm, but ripe, mango
1 c. red seedless grapes
1/2 c. salted roasted chopped cashews or sliced almonds
For Dressing:
1/2 c. mayonaise
1/3 c. plain yogurt
5 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. honey
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Poach the chicken: Coat chicken with kosher salt in a bowl. Let stand at room temp. for 15 minutes- turning once or twice. Rinse salt from chicken. Poach chicken in a 3-4 quart saucepan of barely simmering well-salted water, uncovered, for 6 minutes. Remove from heat and let chicken stand in cooking liquid, covered, until just cooked through, 10-12 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and cool for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the dressing: Whisk together mayonaise, yogurt, curry powder, lime juice, honey, ginger, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
Assemble the salad: cut chicken into 1/2 inch pieces and addt o dressing. Add onion, mango, grapes and nuts and stir gently to combine. Enjoy!

Mango and Black Bean Salad

Cooking Light magazine- great use for my mango sitting in the fruit basket. And easy to boot!

1 1/2 c. chopped, peeled ripe mango

1 c. thinly sliced green onions

1/2 c. cooked wild or brown rice

3 tbsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro

2 tbsp. roasted tomatillo or fresh salsa

2 tbsp. fresh lime juice

2 tbsp. evoo

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 (15-oz) can organic no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Toss gently to mix. Serves 6. Enjoy!

Strawberry Cream Cake

I actually made this cake last summer for David's birthday. It was so airy and light, perfect for a very hot Austin summer day. :) The cake layers absorb the berries' juice, so make sure to assemble cake at least 8 hours before serving. Btw, I always substitute pure cane sugar for white refined sugar. It always turns out fine and is better for you.

For strawberry filling:

2 pounds strawberries (about 3 pints)

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

For custard:

3 large egg yolks

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup half-and-half

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon Punsch (Swedish liqueur) if desired

For cake layers:

1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

9 large eggs

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla

For whipped cream frosting:

1 1/2 cups chilled heavy cream

2 tablespoons sugar
Garnish: strawberries

Make filling: Trim and slice strawberries and in a bowl stir together with sugar and lemon juice. Let strawberry mixture stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally, 4 hours. In a large sieve set over a bowl drain strawberry mixture and reserve strawberries and liquid separately.
Make custard: In a saucepan whisk together all custard ingredients except Punsch until combined well. Bring mixture to a boil over moderate heat, whisking constantly, and simmer, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Whisk Punsch into custard and transfer to a heatproof dish. Cool custard, its surface covered with a round of wax paper. Chill custard, covered, at least 3 hours, or until cold, and up to 2 days.

Make cake layers: Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter two 9- by 2-inch round cake pans and line bottoms with rounds of wax paper. Butter paper and dust pans with flour, knocking out excess flour.
Into a small bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. In bowl of a standing electric mixer combine eggs and sugar and beat, beginning at moderate speed and gradually increasing to high speed, for a total of 9 to 10 minutes, or until very thick and pale and mixture forms a ribbon when beaters are lifted. Transfer egg mixture to a large bowl (for ease of folding).
Sift one third flour mixture over egg mixture and with a large rubber spatula fold in gently but thoroughly. Sift and fold remaining flour mixture into egg mixture in 2 more batches in same manner. Fold in butter and vanilla gently but thoroughly.
Divide batter between pans, smoothing tops, and bake in middle of oven, rotating pans on oven rack after 15 minutes (to ensure even baking), a total of 25 to 30 minutes, or until cake is springy to the touch and a tester comes out clean. Cool cake layers in pans on racks 10 minutes and invert onto racks. Peel off paper and cool completely. Layers may be made 1 day ahead of cake assembly and kept, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, at room temperature.
Assemble cake:
With a long serrated knife halve each cake layer horizontally to make a total of 4 layers. Put 1 cake layer, cut side up, on a serving plate and top with half of reserved strawberry slices, arranging them in an even layer. Drizzle half of reserved strawberry liquid evenly over berries.
Top filling with second cake layer, cut side down. Whisk custard until smooth and spread layer evenly with custard. Top custard with third cake layer, cut side up. Spread layer evenly with remaining strawberries and drizzle with remaining strawberry liquid. Top filling with remaining cake layer, cut side down. Chill cake, covered with plastic wrap, at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.

Make frosting:

In a chilled bowl beat cream with sugar until cream just holds stiff peaks.
Spread frosting over top and sides of cake. Cake may be frosted 4 hours ahead and chilled. Bring cake to cool room temperature before serving.
Garnish top of cake with strawberries.

Ancho Chiles

This post is courtesy of Frontera's website. http://www.fronterakitchens.com/cooking/pantry/chiles.html
Helpful explanation for the recipe that follows. :)
Ancho (literally “wide”) is the name for a dried poblano. The dried chile will be in the neighborhood of 3 _ to 4 inches long, with board shoulders (2 to 2 _ inches wide) that taper to a point; the skin will be quite wrinkled, and in the package the chiles will look almost black (though holding one up to the light will show it to be a very dark burgundy). An average ancho weighs 1/2 ounce. Always look for untorn, clean, soft, aromatic chiles (they’ll smell a little like prunes). A puree of soaked chile anchos will be brownish red with a mild, rich, almost sweet taste (it reminds me a little of milk chocolate) and a bit of residual bitterness. Per ounce, anchos give more pulp than most chiles.
Regional names include: chile pasilla (Michoacán and vicinity, plus California); the generally descriptive chile de guiisar or chile de color/Colorado (Mazatlán, Tampico, Querétaro, among the smattering); and in the northwest and northern West-Central areas there is a small ancho they call chino.
Uses: Used almost exclusively in cooked dishes (like mole), crumbled toasted bits are a common garnish on soup in Michoacan and whole ones are ocasionally stuffed.

Grilled Pork with Manchamantel Sauce

For this dish out of my Gourmet cookbook, it actually calls for pork tenderloin and for kebab style. All I had were pork chops, so I grilled those instead. They won't be quite as tender but oh well. This is a central Mexican dish, whose sauce translates as "tablecloth stainer," and is a nice balance of sweet fruit and spicy chiles. The pork should marinate at least 4-6 hours, preferably more. I marinated one batch for 6 hours, and then am marinating a second for 24. I'll post how the 24-hour ones compared. The sauce and marinade are fairly time consuming but worth it.

Marinade:
1 dried ancho chile
1 c. cold water
1 onion, chopped
4 chopped garlic cloves
2 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
2 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
1 1/2 tbsp. ground cumin
2 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
2 tsp. black peepper corns, crushed
1/3 c. olive oil
1/3 c. lemon juice
2 1/4 lbs. pork, cut into cubes if you are doing kebabs
24 (1-inch) fresh pineapple chuncks (from a 4 lb pineapple)
24 (1-inch) red onion chunks (only if you do kebabs)

Heat a dry skillet over moderately low heat until hot. Toast chile, turning once and pressing down with tongs, until slightly darker and spotted, about 1 minute. Halve chile lengthwise and remove and discard most seeds, and all of the stem and rib. (Spice it up!) Transfer chile to a bowl, pour boiling water over it and let stand. Meanwhile, prep the other marinade ingredients- chopping etc.
Drain chile and coarsely chop.

Combine chile, cold water, onion, garlic, thyme, oregano, cumin, salt, peppercorns, oil and lemon joice in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour marinade into large gallon size sealable plastic bag, add pork, press out excess air, and seal, turning to coat pork with marinade. Marinade, refrigerated, for minimum 4-6 hours, overnight if you can.

Grilling: Drain pork and pat dry; discard marinade. Skewer pork if doing kebabs, otherwise slow cook pork chops or tenderloin until medium well.

Now for the sauce!
Manchamantel Sauce
Serve this sauce with the grilled pork or shrimp (for another option). Recommended to make the day before since it is time-consuming. Let cool and reheat for serving.

2 oz. (3-5) dried ancho chiles
3 1/3 tbsp. vege oil
1 c. finely chopped onion
1 tbsp. minced garlic
2 1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. plus 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar, or to taste
1 c. chicken or vege stock
1/2 c. water
1 c. chopped fresh pineapple (or 1 can in juice- but go fresh!)
1 small banana sliced
1/2 tsp. ground cinammon
Pinch of freshly ground cloves

Heat dry skillet over moderately low heat until hot. Toast chiles as described above. (See grilled pork recipe). Let chiles stand in boiling water. Then drain and chop. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in 4-qt heavy saucepan over moderately low heat. Add onion, garlic, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp. pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and pale golden, about 15 minutes. (Make sure to have the heat on med-low not med).

Add sugar, vinegar and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Transfer mixture to blender. Add chiles, stock, water, pineapple, banana, cinamon, cloves, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Add addl. vinegar if desired.

Heat remaining 1 1/2 tbsp. oil in cleaned saucepan over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Oil will pop and splatter- caution. Add sauce and simmer for 5 minutes while stirring. Serve sauce warm.
*** Note: A lot of Manchamantel Sauces call to 1/4- 1/2 lb of tomatoes. Adding these would give a very red color and more sweetness to the sauce. Good variation to try.

Bamboo bowls

Check out these great colorful bamboo bowls. Found them at www.branchhome.com
Great eco-friendly gifts! Add some color to your kitchen!

Herbed Buttermilk Dressing

This Dressing is great on cold crudites (veggies). Without hydrogenated oils and preservatives, I feel better eating it!
This recipe is taken from my Gourmet cookbook (a fabulous one):
1 c. well-shaken buttermilk
1/2 c. mayonaise
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Combine ALL ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Covered and refrigerated, the dressing will keep for up to 1 week.
* If you like a stronger dressing, try adding a tad more chives and a large garlic clove as opposed to the smaller ones. :)

Muesli

Muesli has become my favorite breakfast. Served up cold and with plenty of fruit, it is sure to fill you up for an active morning.

Here's a great and easy recipe:

1 1/2 cups muesli (I use Dorset Cereals- featured to the L)
1 1/4 cups milk
3/4 cup plain or fruit flavored yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup orange juice
2 apple, chopped or grated
10 strawberry, thinly sliced
1/2 banana, thinly sliced
1 cup seedless grapes, halved

Directions
1Mix together müesli, milk, yogurt, lemon juice and orange juice. Let stand for 10 minutes.
2Add fruit to cereal and mix well.
3Refrigerate for one hour.
4Remove from refrigerator 10 minutes before serving.

You can find Dorset Cereals at Whole Foods and online at dorsetcereals.co.uk