I don't pretend this is either an authentic, or the only way to make guacamole, but as with my other Mexican inspired dishes, it gets GREAT raves.
Take 5 ripe avocados (the skin should be black, and they should be soft to a slight squeeze, but not mushy and there should be no gap between the skin and the fruit), cut them in half, remove the pits, and scoop the fruit out into a bowl.
Add the juice of 2 limes (lemons are an acceptable substitute, but I prefer limes), 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 red onion diced into small pieces, and 1/4 cup of your favorite salsa. With your hands (I'm not kidding about this part -- it's the best way to do this!), start mushing the avocados and mixing in the other ingredients. I prefer my guacamole with some good avocado chunks still in it, but you can mix as much or as little as you like.
If you want it to have a bit of a kick, either use a hot salsa, or add a few shots of Tabasco sauce.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Enchiladas and quesadillas
OK -- a disclaimer first -- I don't pretend that ANY of this is even remotely authentic Mexican food in the least. But these are some great Mexican inspired dishes I make for us on weeknights that we all love, I can cook up ahead of time, and that are really filling.
For my version of enchiladas or quesadillas, you start with the same filling:
1 large onion, diced
1 large red pepper, diced
1 pound of ground chicken or turkey
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of Tastefully Simple Fiesta Party dip mix OR 1 tablespoon each of chili powder and cumin, plus a pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and add the onion, pepper and salt. Saute until the veggies get soft, and a little bit brown to develop the flavors. Once they are done, add the ground meat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or spatula, and cook until it's well done. Add the remaining seasonings, cook for another minute or two, and remove to a bowl to cool.
For quesadillas, take fajita size tortillas, and spread shredded cheddar, jack, or some preferred blend of cheeses on half. Place about 2 heaping teaspoons of the meat and veggie mixture on top, put more cheese on top of that, fold it over and place on a hot skillet on the stove top. I like to put another skillet on top to weigh them down. Cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side, slice into 4 pieces, and serve with your favorite salsa, guacamole (recipe to follow), and/or sour cream.
For enchiladas, generously cover the bottom of a baking disk with mild green salsa. Then take fajita size tortillas, put about 2-3 heaping teaspoons of the meat mixture in the middle, and roll them up. (You can also spread about a tablespoon of refried beans, straight from a can, on the tortilla before you add the meat). Place them in the baking dish and when it's full, cover with either mild, medium or hot salsa (whatever is your preference), and cover with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35-40 minutes, until it's all hot and bubbly.
The enchiladas can be made and stored in the fridge days ahead of time. (I often make this on a Sunday and pop it in the oven when I get home). If it goes from the fridge to the oven, it'll take at least 15 minutes more to warm through.
As an equally quick and non-authentic side dish, we're partial to Uncle Ben's Spanish style rice -- in microwavable pouches. As I said, these dishes aren't about authentic -- they're about quick and healthy ways to feed your family on a worknight! Though I will say that I've served the enchiladas for company on many occasions and get real raves about them.
For my version of enchiladas or quesadillas, you start with the same filling:
1 large onion, diced
1 large red pepper, diced
1 pound of ground chicken or turkey
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of Tastefully Simple Fiesta Party dip mix OR 1 tablespoon each of chili powder and cumin, plus a pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and add the onion, pepper and salt. Saute until the veggies get soft, and a little bit brown to develop the flavors. Once they are done, add the ground meat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or spatula, and cook until it's well done. Add the remaining seasonings, cook for another minute or two, and remove to a bowl to cool.
For quesadillas, take fajita size tortillas, and spread shredded cheddar, jack, or some preferred blend of cheeses on half. Place about 2 heaping teaspoons of the meat and veggie mixture on top, put more cheese on top of that, fold it over and place on a hot skillet on the stove top. I like to put another skillet on top to weigh them down. Cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side, slice into 4 pieces, and serve with your favorite salsa, guacamole (recipe to follow), and/or sour cream.
For enchiladas, generously cover the bottom of a baking disk with mild green salsa. Then take fajita size tortillas, put about 2-3 heaping teaspoons of the meat mixture in the middle, and roll them up. (You can also spread about a tablespoon of refried beans, straight from a can, on the tortilla before you add the meat). Place them in the baking dish and when it's full, cover with either mild, medium or hot salsa (whatever is your preference), and cover with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35-40 minutes, until it's all hot and bubbly.
The enchiladas can be made and stored in the fridge days ahead of time. (I often make this on a Sunday and pop it in the oven when I get home). If it goes from the fridge to the oven, it'll take at least 15 minutes more to warm through.
As an equally quick and non-authentic side dish, we're partial to Uncle Ben's Spanish style rice -- in microwavable pouches. As I said, these dishes aren't about authentic -- they're about quick and healthy ways to feed your family on a worknight! Though I will say that I've served the enchiladas for company on many occasions and get real raves about them.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Antipasti dishes
For holidays, my Grandma Conti always put out a spread of antipasti so big and delicious, that it was amazing we had room for anything else, let alone the three additional courses that were coming! But we started early, paced ourselves, and usually left the table so full we didn't need to eat for days.
There was a great array of cheese and meats, but also lots of other dishes to snack on. Caponata was always at the table, and I posted a recipe earlier, although there are some very good pre-prepared brands of caponata, especially Progresso. Some other ideas follow. All of these dishes are best served at room temperature for maximum flavor. Make them a day ahead of time for the flavors to really soak in, and then remove from the fridge about an hour before serving.
Marinated artichoke hearts:
2 cans of quartered artichoke hearts, packed in water, drained
Juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon of minced, fresh Italian parsely
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
A pinch of salt
Roasted red peppers:
1 large jar of roasted red pepper, drained and cut into bite-sized slices
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove of garlic, very finely minced
1 tablespoon of red wine or balsamic vinegar
Marinated cannellini beans:
1 can of canellini beans (white kidney beans), drained and rinsed
1/4 red onion, diced finely
1/2 teaspoon of fresh cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
Other ideas for your spread include pepperoncini (the small, hot Italian peppers) and olives.
There was a great array of cheese and meats, but also lots of other dishes to snack on. Caponata was always at the table, and I posted a recipe earlier, although there are some very good pre-prepared brands of caponata, especially Progresso. Some other ideas follow. All of these dishes are best served at room temperature for maximum flavor. Make them a day ahead of time for the flavors to really soak in, and then remove from the fridge about an hour before serving.
Marinated artichoke hearts:
2 cans of quartered artichoke hearts, packed in water, drained
Juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon of minced, fresh Italian parsely
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
A pinch of salt
Roasted red peppers:
1 large jar of roasted red pepper, drained and cut into bite-sized slices
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove of garlic, very finely minced
1 tablespoon of red wine or balsamic vinegar
Marinated cannellini beans:
1 can of canellini beans (white kidney beans), drained and rinsed
1/4 red onion, diced finely
1/2 teaspoon of fresh cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
Other ideas for your spread include pepperoncini (the small, hot Italian peppers) and olives.
Caponata
Caponata is a delicious Sicilian eggplant relish, usually served as part of an antipasti spread. It's sweet and savory, and one of my favorite dishes. It can serve many functions other than antipasto -- I've used it as a pasta sauce, it can be part of a hearty salad, or a delicious side-dish. And it'll keep in the fridge for at least two weeks -- so make a big batch and enjoy it again and again!
1 medium sized eggplant, diced into small cubes (keep the skin on)
2 ribs of celery hearts, chopped
1/2 red onion, diced
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 cup of green olives, chopped (I prefer the basic cocktail olives with pimentos in them -- you don't need anything fancier or more expensive)
2 tablespoons of capers
3 tablespoons of either red wine or balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon of sugar
16 ounces of crushed tomatoes (San Marzano tomatoes are best)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of dried oregano
In a large saute pan, saute the celery, onion and garlic in olive oil -- don't allow them to brown, just "sweat" them until they become translucent. Once they are, add the eggplant and toss together to coat the eggplant with the oil and aromatic veggies. Then add the vinegar and toss quickly so that it distributes throughout the eggplant. Add all the rest of the ingredients, in any order you'd like. Saute on low heat, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes. It should be pretty thick, and not at all runny, when it's done.
As an antipasto or salad, this is best served at room temperature, so if you've chilled it, take it out about an hour before serving.
A few options:
Instead of using sugar, some prefer honey or a few handfuls of raisins to add sweetness.
If you REALLY hate eggplant, you can substitute 2 zucchini for the eggplant.
A friend of mine uses caponata as a sauce for her lasagna -- haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure it's FABULOUS!
1 medium sized eggplant, diced into small cubes (keep the skin on)
2 ribs of celery hearts, chopped
1/2 red onion, diced
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 cup of green olives, chopped (I prefer the basic cocktail olives with pimentos in them -- you don't need anything fancier or more expensive)
2 tablespoons of capers
3 tablespoons of either red wine or balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon of sugar
16 ounces of crushed tomatoes (San Marzano tomatoes are best)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of dried oregano
In a large saute pan, saute the celery, onion and garlic in olive oil -- don't allow them to brown, just "sweat" them until they become translucent. Once they are, add the eggplant and toss together to coat the eggplant with the oil and aromatic veggies. Then add the vinegar and toss quickly so that it distributes throughout the eggplant. Add all the rest of the ingredients, in any order you'd like. Saute on low heat, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes. It should be pretty thick, and not at all runny, when it's done.
As an antipasto or salad, this is best served at room temperature, so if you've chilled it, take it out about an hour before serving.
A few options:
Instead of using sugar, some prefer honey or a few handfuls of raisins to add sweetness.
If you REALLY hate eggplant, you can substitute 2 zucchini for the eggplant.
A friend of mine uses caponata as a sauce for her lasagna -- haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure it's FABULOUS!
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