My first guest blog- Rodger does Chilaquiles!

Chilaquiles con crema and grilled chicken, scrambled eggs, refried beans, queso blanco and avocado.

(pronounced Chee-lah-KEE-less, alternately, I've also heard Chee-lah-KEE-layes)


This is one of my favorite Mexican foods, partly because the base is basically recycled food, partly because a variety of salsa/sauces can give this basic recipe very different tastes and partly because you can have this dish anywhere in mexico, where it is universally loved.

It is a widely spoken idea that chilaquiles are good for helping with hangovers, but if you are forking these down hungover, you'll be missing out on the deliciousness.

People from different regions across mexico will be very particular about the preparation of this dish and so I readily admit that my interpretation is a bit of a generalization, although still true to form.


Makes approx enough to serve 6-8 people (this version became breakfast for 7 with leftovers).

You will need:

~30, 20cm (~8in) corn tortillas.

3 medium chicken breasts, grilled and pulled apart (I cheated and used chicken I had previously grilled and frozen)

800g ( ~30oz) of refried beans (again, cheating here, I used two cans of Trader Joe's refried beans)

Queso Blanco, crumbled, to be spooned on as garnish (I purchased mine from Whole foods market)

3 avacados, sliced

2 cups cilantro, chopped. Alternately you can use epazote (delicious and authentic, but somewhat tough to find easily) but go easy with the epazote as it has a pungent taste.

4 whole eggs, scrambled with 3tbs Crema Mexicana

Crema Mexicana, is a cool, smooth, general topping for many foods. I made this with equal parts heavy cream and sour cream. Alternately this can include buttermilk.

Salsa. This is where regional variation can have a heavy influence. A white sauce can be used in north western mexico, whereas in other areas a salsa verde, spicy or mild red salsa or even mole are thought appropriate. In any case, fresh salsa is best. Epipurists will doubtlessly want to make their own and I invite you to use your salsa of choice (they've probably already scoffed at my hack recipe and will gasp at what I'm about to say next). I've cheated even more here, and used two jars of Trader Joe's Salsa Authentica. I then used the time I saved making salsa to write this Guest-blog!

Preparation

In addition to the preparation (or lack thereof ) suggested above:

Crema Mexicana. Bring the whole cream to room temperature in a saucepan and whisk in the sour cream. When the whole mix is again at room temperature, let cool in the refrigerator for 4-8 hours for a consistency somewhere near room temperature honey. I cheated and quick-cooled mine in the freezer. Yes, heretical but functional.

¡The Chilaquiles!

Here is where the recycling comes in. Ideally, these are stale-ish tortillas you've had lying around for a few days so they've become slightly leathery/crispy. Alternately, if you are making this from fresh tortillas, you can dry them in the oven. Tortillas are cut radially into triangles ~5cm (2in) at the base). Coat a large sauté pan with corn oil and heat on medium to high. When the oil is hot, add the proto-chilaquiles and stir fry gently until they are golden brown and slightly crispy. Lastly, sprinkle on a bit of salt. If you prefer to use alot of oil, be prepared to place the chilaquiles on paper towels to soak up the excess oil. Less oil works fine. Let the chilaquiles cool slightly and combine them in the pan with the salsa, folding over the chilaquiles until they are warm and coated with salsa. Fold in 1.5 cups of cilantro and serve (save the other 1/2 cup of cilantro as garnish).

This is the central part of the dish where the rest of the portions can be combined with it around the plate. Cilantro and queso blanco can be sprinkled and crema drizzled on top of everything.

Enjoy!



¡Thanks! to Teri & Bernt for inspiring me to Guest-blog and, in alphabetical order, as they were equal contributors in preparation and potential victims in the eating, I thank Emily, Marga, Megan, Mollie and Will for allowing me to practice this recipe on them.

Borja-Westins come visit. Liam is excited to see his girlfriend Bea.

Breakfast quesadillas with quinoa and green salads

Sesame-Ginger Dressing, Oh My!

Flank steak, quinoa, and pear salad with sesame-Ginger dressing

This is my new favorite dressing. Period. I even managed to sneak a little flax oil into the mix, as the sesame flavor covers up the grassy/slightly fishy flavor of the flax pretty well.

Makes approx 3/4 cup of dressing, enough for 2 large salads.

The measurements for this recipe are a little loose, but it is hard to really mess it up. If you decide to use fresh ginger, make sure to add a little honey or brown sugar to sweeten things up a bit

a few pieces (approx 2-3 tablespoons) of candied ginger with syrup (recipe follows, but you can also use freshly grated or store-bought candied ginger)
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons flax oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
about 1/4 cup water

Use an immersion blender or regular blender to make this recipe. Blend all ingredients except the sesame seeds. Adjust ingredients to taste. Thin with a little water if you like. Stir in sesame seeds at the end so that you don't end up with sesame puree.


FLANK STEAK, QUINOA, AND PEAR SALAD WITH SESAME-GINGER DRESSING

I had some leftover flank steak that I had marinated with a Korean BBQ sauce and seared on the grill. For a 2 person meal, I used:

6 ounces grilled flank steak, sliced thin
1 small head of green lettuce
a few handfuls of mizuna
1 ripe pear, sliced thin
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup red quinoa, simmered for 15 min with 2/3 cup water and a little salt
about 1/3 cup sesame-ginger dressing


CANDIED GINGER IN SYRUP

This is a great way to preserve ginger for later use. I always purchase more ginger root than I actually use and the poor rhizome sits around my crisper drawer getting more and more shriveled out and dejected looking. In a more inspired moment about 6 months ago, I made a nice jar of candied ginger in syrup that I finally am getting around to actually using.

The syrup is great in cocktails and lemonades. The ginger can be used in the dressing as above, chopped up in baked goods, or as a neat way to sweeten herbal teas.

There are really no measurements to this recipe, though the proportions may be helpful.

2 parts granulated sugar
1 part water
1 part ginger root, peeled and sliced thinly

Melt sugar and water together until a thick syrup forms. Add ginger and simmer for at least 30 minutes to infuse the syrup and to make sure the ginger gets cooked and sterilized to preserve it. Pour while hot into a sterilized glass jar and store in the fridge once cooled.

Korean-veggie-blast

Ingredients for Korean style veggie packed dinner

Korean-veggie-blast: Spicy ramen with summer squash noodles, fresh "pickled" mizuna, and a rockin' green salad with mizuna, green lettuce, avocado, and my special sesame-ginger dressing

Oh, how I love Korean food. The combination of savory, sweet, and spicy really does it for me. One of the few types of packaged foods I actually keep around the house is this Korean brand of ramen noodles called Nong Shim Shin Ramyun Noodle Soup in the "Gourmet Spicy" flavor. One package is more than enough for 2 people if you beef it up with tons of veggies and a protein source like a fried egg or some tofu.

BEEFED UP KOREAN RAMEN NOODLE SOUP
Serves 2

I beef this soup up with a bunch of yellow squash "noodles". That way, two people can share one package of instant noodles, thus halving the calories and saturated fat, and simultaneously getting a belly-filling veggie kick. Watch out, because these noodles are spicy!

1 package (4.2 ounces, 120g) of Nong Shim Shin Ramyun noodle soup
3 yellow squash
4 small eggs
1 green onion, chopped
salt

Use a vegetable peeler to peel off long strips of squash, making a "pasta". Keep peeling all the way around the squash until you get to the center part with seeds. You can either throw this away or dice it and save it for another use (i.e. in soups, or sauteed in an omelette).

Boil water with about 1 teaspoon of salt in a saucepan. Add the ramen noodles and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the squash and simmer 2-3 minutes more until the squash is just cooked but not squishy. Drain and rinse briefly with cool water to stop the cooking process.

Heat about 2 cups of water in a saucepan. Add the soup base and seasoning mix that comes in the ramen package. Taste, and add another cup or so of water if it seems too concentrated. If you don't do very spicy, take it easy on the soup base package (the one that is bright red with red pepper flakes).

While the soup base is simmering, fry eggs in a little oil in a pan. Sunny side up works great in this recipe because the yolk gets extra cooking from the hot soup.

Divide the noodle/squash mixture into two serving bowls. Top with soup, then eggs, then green onions.



"PICKLED" MIZUNA WITH SESAME SEEDS

We get a ton of mizuna in our CSA shares. It is a mild mustardy flavored green that tastes great in salads and stir fries. I quickly "pickled" these for this recipe because I rarely plan far enough ahead to pickle things properly (though I do love kimchee).

1 large bunch mizuna (or spinach or radish greens)
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon flax oil (I keep trying to find new ways to work flax oil into my diet)
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
salt to taste

Wash and coarsely chop the mizuna. Place in a heatproof bowl. Sprinkle with a couple of teaspoons of salt. Heat up a pot of water until boiling and pour it over the mizuna until the greens are covered. Let sit for 5 minutes until the greens are just tender but still retain some crunch. Drain and squeeze out any remaining water.

Toast sesame seeds in a small saucepan over medium heat. Be careful, because they burn quickly. Watch them like a hawk!

Mix greens with the sesame seeds, oils, and hot pepper flakes. The greens should already be pretty salty, but if not, season with salt to taste. Serve chilled or at room temperature as an accompaniment to the food.

Watermelon Mojitos!

Summer has arrived, and with it comes watermelon, mint, and refreshing alcoholic beverages. We got the idea for this drink from a fantastic Peruvian-fusion restaurant in Sarasota, Florida, called Selva Grill. Bacardi melon rum reminds me distinctly of watermelon flavored Jolly Rancher candy. If this conjures up good memories for you, you will love this drink. If not, skip it.

Makes 2 stiff and refreshing drinks

1 sprig mint
1/2 lime or lemon, sliced
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup watermelon chunks
3 ounces Bacardi melon rum
seltzer water
watermelon slices for garnish
ice

Prepare mint flavored simple syrup: Pour 1/4 cup boiling water over the sugar and a few crushed mint leaves. Allow to steep for at least a few minutes before making the drink.

In a large cocktail shaker, muddle lime/lemon slices and remaining mint with a wooden spoon or muddler. Add watermelon chunks and smash into bits to release juice. Add rum and continue to mix. Stir in mint syrup. Pour into two tall glasses filled with ice. Top with seltzer water to taste.

Shrimp and snow peas

Tex-Mex Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients for stuffed acorn squash

Southwestern stuffed acorn squash with baby beets done two ways

I bet this would be -even- more delicious stuffed into a roasted portobello mushroom cap. I had 2 lonely acorn squash sitting on my counter for the last 3 weeks. After my acorn-butternut-kabocha squash overload last year, I have almost shuttered at eating another squash. However, I wanted to give a quinoa stuffed squash recipe a try.

The quinoa and squash can be prepared ahead of time. They can be assembled about 30 minutes before you want to eat them.

Serves 4

2 acorn squash
4 teaspoons butter
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 cup quinoa (I used red, but the regular variety works)
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small vidalia onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small bunch green onions, sliced thinly
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen or canned
1/2 cup canned black beans
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon spicy salsa
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 ounces of queso fresco, mild fresh white cheese

Bake acorn squash on a baking sheet in a 350 F oven for 1 hour. Cool, then cut in half to make 4 bowls. Place back on sheet, cut side up. Dot with butter, sprinkle on cumin seeds and salt to taste, and return to oven at 400 F for about 30 minutes until squash is nice and soft.

While squash is baking, prepare quinoa. Rinse quinoa to remove any traces of bitter saponins that coat the kernels. Set aside to drain. In a medium sized saucepan, heat oil on medium heat and saute onions until translucent. Add garlic and green onions (saving a small handful for decoration) and saute until fragrant, about 1-2 min. Add quinoa and stir well. Then add corn, black beans, tomatoes, salsa and salt to taste. Pour water over the top, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender.

Arrange roasted squash bowls in a heatproof pan (I used a glass 8x8 inch pan). Pile in the quinoa mixture, though you will almost certainly have nearly half leftover. Sprinkle on the fresh cheese and green onions. Bake at 400 F for 20-30 minutes until heated through and the cheese is beginning to melt.

Glorious baby beets

BABY BEETS DONE TWO WAYS

The baby beets themselves are roasted whole and then peeled and sliced. The delicate greens are sauteed with a little olive oil and garlic. Everything is tossed together with a generous squeeze of lemon.

1 large bunch of baby beets (or any old beets, cooking times will just be longer)
a tablespoon or two of olive oil
1 sprig of rosemary
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Wrap the baby beetroots in some aluminum foil along with a sprig of rosemary and a drizzle of olive oil. Bake at 450 degrees F for about 20-30 minutes until the beets are softened. Larger beets will take more time. Cool, then slip off peels and either serve whole or slice into halves or quarters.

Wash and roughly chop the tender beet greens. Heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and beet greens and sautee until just softened, about 2-3 minutes. Toss into a bowl with the roasted beetroots and squeeze lemon over the top. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Shrimp on the Barbie

This makes enough marinade for about 2-3 pounds of shrimp. You can make this ahead of time, then toss it in a bag with the shrimp and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours before threading the shrimp onto skewers (use two so that the shrimp don't spin around).

1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon (heaping) cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
4-6 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon honey
4 limes, zest and juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
large handful cilantro, minced if you don't have a stick blender

Heat a few tablespoons of the oil. Add cumin seeds and pepper flakes and sizzle until golden (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat. Pour the hot oil mixture over the minced garlic cloves in a heatproof bowl or cup. Add the remaining ingredients and either stir or blend.