Harvest to Heat: Tacos with Greens and Seared Onions

As you may already know, I am currently in love with the Harvest to Heat cookbook. I made the Burrata with Speck, Peas, and Mint, a Chef Nancy Silverton creation, and it tasted fantastic.

Tacos with Greens and Seared Onions is a dish by Chef Rick Bayless of Frontera Grill, Chicago. This tastes so familiar, almost like a childhood meal, yet so different at the same time. It's clean and flavorful.

Tacos with Greens and Seared Onions

I served grilled fajitas with bell peppers on the side as another taco filling option. Such a fun meal for the weekend!

Tacos with Greens and Seared Onions
Ingredients

• 8 to 10 corn tortillas
• coarse salt
• 9 cups loosly packed, stemmed lamb's quarters (or 6 cups of chard leaves sliced 1/2 inch thick)
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 1/2 lb of shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 1 medium white onion, sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 3/4 cup of chicken broth
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 3/4 cup Chipotle Tomatillo Verde Salsa* for serving (see below)
• fresh cilantro sprigs

Recipe

1. Wrap tortillas in a kitchen towel and put it in a steamer (with boiling water). Cover and steam for 1 minute. Turn off heat and let stand for about 15 minutes.
2. Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot and add the greens to cook until barely tender (1-2 minutes for lambs' quarters and 1-2 minutes longer for chard). Drain and cool. Roughly chop and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Add onions and cook for another 5 minutes. Add garlic and fry for 1 minute. Add chopped greens, broth, and salt to taste. Cook for 3 minutes. 
4. Serve warm tacos with cooked greens, cheese, salsa, and cilantro (and a side of fajitas if you prefer).  

*Toast 3 large cloves of unpeeled garlic in a skillet over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes until slightly blackened. Let cool, slip off skins and chop. Turn broiler on high and broil 5 to 6 medium tomatillos about 4 inches from the broiler for about 5 minutes. Turn them over and roast the other side. Let cool. Scrape tomatillos and any juices accumulated into a food processor. Add garlic and puree mixture. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in 3 to 6 canned chipotle chiles in adobo (stemmed and finely chopped) along with 3 tbsp of water to give salsa a nice consistency. Season with 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of sugar.  

5 Star Makeover: Farm to Table Tamale Pie

It is always so much fun to participate in the monthly 5 Star Cooking Group, hosted by our friends Natasha at 5 Star Foodie and Lazaro at Lazaro Cooks! This summer's June and July theme is "Farmers' Market". We all love farmers' market. The fruits never disappoint and the unique produce always bring surprises like gorgeous flowers, exotic herbs, and cute heirloom tomatoes. This is the first 5 Star Makeover where I decided to browse and buy all the ingredients first before making a dish.
 

Farm to Table Tamale Pie

As I stared at the beautiful and colorful herbs, edible flowers, corn, heirloom tomatoes, I was reminded of Mexican cuisine. I envisioned a delicious tamale pie made with beans, corn, and tomatoes and served over a bed of mixed herbs, greens and flowers. I couldn't help but thinking it's a wonderful idea as I inhaled the fresh scent of all the herbs, mixed with the enticing smell of a baking corn tamale pie.


Tamale Pie on a Bed of Herbs, Greens and Edible Flowers



Tamale Pie
Serves 4-6
Ingredients

Filling

• Butter for greasing casserole
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 lb of ground turkey
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed through garlic press
• 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp of chili powder
• 1 tsp of table salt
• 1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup of fresh corn kernels
• 1 tbsp of minced fresh oregano
• 2 ounces of shredded monterey jack cheese
• Ground black pepper

Crust

• 4 cups of water
• 2 tsp of table salt
• 1.5 cups of coarse cornmeal

Recipe

1. For the filling, butter 3-quart casserole. Preheat oven to 375F. 
2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat and add ground turkey to cook until no longer pink (about 5 minutes). Add onion and jalapeno and cook for 3 minutes, then add garlic cayenne, chili powder, and salt, and cook for 30 seconds. 
3. Add tomatoes with juice, black beans, and corn and simmer until most of liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in oregano and season with salt (I added quite a bit of salt here) and pepper to taste.
4. For the crust, bring water to boil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat. Add salt and slowly pour in cornmeal while whisking vigorously. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook while whisking until cornmeal mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat.
5. Spread 2/3 of cornmeal mixture on sides of buttered casserole (optional: you can also spread them on the bottom if you like). Spoon turkey mixture evenly into casserole and sprinkle with cheese. Spread remaining cornmeal mixture evenly on top of cheese, spreading it out to edges of casserole to seal filling.
6. Bake for 15 minutes uncovered and serve. 

hosted by 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro Cooks!

Spice it up, Jalapeño!

I tend to get addicted to one ingredient and crave it for months and months. For now, it's jalapeño or any kind of hot pepper.

Seared Ono with Jalapeño Cilantro Sauce
served with Spicy Jalapeño Black Bean Salad and Brown Rice

So for tonight's dinner, it is seared ono, which is also known as Wahoo fish in Hawaii, with a jalapeño cilantro sauce. I served the fish with a spicy jalapeño black bean salad and brown rice. Similar in texture and taste to mackerel, ono pairs best with a creamy sauce. I brushed the ono lightly with some olive oil and seasoned it with a pinch of salt and pepper to bring out the freshness of the fish.

If you ever want an alternative to mahi mahi or mackerel, I would recommend ono!

Mayan Cuisine and Us

Somewhere between life, career, and traveling, I took a hiatus from blogging. It was good because it made me realize how much I missed writing random snippets about my love for cooking and food, reading and browsing all your talented cooks' blogs, and simply taking the time to slow down time a bit. In this post, I want to share some very happy moments I spent with my husband at Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.

A Serene, Secluded Section of the Resort

 As coffee lovers, or caffeine addicts if you would, imagine our excitement when we saw the French Press in our hotel room. Every morning, we would wake up lazily, set the hourglass, and begin our fresh French Press coffee with Cafe Britt's coffee grinds. I am not quite sure if it was the mood or the coffee itself, but it definitely was some of the best coffee we've ever had.


French Press Coffee in the Mornings

Food, of course, like always, was a highlight of the vacation. The authentic, delicious and beautifully presented Mayan cuisine dishes are sorely missed!

Seafood Involtini

We also ordered Moloch, a combination of different Mayan flavors. The plate below consists of Pibxcatic, Papadzul, Shrimp Panucho, Tsotolbilchay and Tsic.

Moloch - Mayan Cuisine

At the resort restaurant, we had the privilege to try the most amazing mouthwatering quesadillas.


Blue Corn Quesadillas with Braised Short Ribs
topped with Oaxaca Cheese and Cilantro

PDC, we'll be back!

Mend the Broken Toasts, with Pesto

Every cook understands the beauty of simplicity. Oftentimes, a complex dish brings out the simplest form of an ingredient.

Red Chile Chicken Bowl
with Red Pepper Pesto Toasts, Truffle Cheese, and BBQ Almonds

After tossing together a quick rice bowl with red chile chicken (marinaded in homemade mexican chile sauce) and some lettuce and avocado, I peeked into the fridge and noticed my new purchase - truffle cheese. So I decided to serve some ezekiel bread with melted truffle cheese and red pepper pesto with smoky BBQ almonds. Odd combination, I know, but the tinge of lime flavor in a freshly made red pepper pesto combined with salty BBQ nuts really brings out the creamy melted truffle cheese.

I heard rumors that red pepper pesto is the new "pesto". I doubt most would ever give up the beloved green pesto for good, but I do believe that variations of red pepper pesto are going to be increasingly popular. It's not just tasty, it's gorgeous! Did I mention that I used smoky BBQ almonds in the pesto? I wish I had a few more of these broken toasts!

Simple Indulgence - Movie Night

Life has been so fast paced lately, in a good way, though I would hate for life to just pass us by without even realizing it. This theory also explains why my husband and I are not TV people. Yes, we rarely watch TV, shows, or anything. News is easily accessible with radio, phone, laptops, etc. right? Though there are good shows that I occasionally get addicted to like LOST or BSG. So when we decide to have a quiet movie night at home, it really is a special occasion! Every special occasion deserves something delicious, of course.

Argentinian Flank Steak with Chimichurri
served with Green Chile Cornbread

For our quiet night in, I made an Argentinian flank steak with chimichurri. I served the steak with a spiced up green chile corn bread. In my opinion, grilled flank steak tastes best when it is accompanied with a flavorful sauce like chimichurri. The pairing is just perfection. To add a little more excitement to the plate, I made a spiced up green chile corn bread to munch on. Enjoy the present and indulge in the simplicity of life!

Quesadilla

I had the most amazing tasting quesadillas in Playa Del Carmen. Unlike the quesadillas I was used to, usually consisting of a flat tortilla + melted cheese + some sort of meat + additions like guacamole/sour cream, the quesadilla I had actually resembled a soft taco with flavorful shredded beef and oaxaca cheese inside. The quesadilla is then topped with sour cream, shredded lettuce, and some more crumbled oaxaca cheese. Oh, did I mention that it was blue corn tortillas? I never thought a quesadilla could taste so filling, yet light and refreshing.


Quesadilla with shredded beef brisket, cotija cheese, whipped sour cream, cilantro, and pickled onions

To satisfy my craving for that experience, I decided to replicate the quesadilla. I used a basil tomato tortilla here, along with shredded beef brisket that has been roasted in the oven for 2.5 hours. I couldn't find oaxaca cheese in the local grocery stores so I used cotija cheese instead, which was perfect for the dish because of its sharper, saltier taste. The onion was pickled in Mexican seasoning, water, and vinegar. Finally, I added some whipped sour cream and chopped cilantro to complete the quesadilla. I would definitely trade the usual quesadilla for this version any day!

Spiced with Salsa Ranchera + Salsa Verde

Our weekend getaway to Denver a few weeks ago has left me with lingering memories of green chiles, the very, very hot kind. Although my Mexican dinner tonight failed to match up to the same level of spiciness, it at least tasted very, very good.

I think I may have to experiment with "ghost peppers" one day, the hottest peppers on earth. Spiciness of peppers is measured in terms of Scoville units. To give you a broad idea, the Serrano Peppers I used tonight are between 10,000 - 23,000 units. Tabasco is between 30,000 - 50,000. Habanero, which I consider very hot, is between 100,000 - 350,000. Well, these "ghost peppers" exceed 1 million Scoville heat units. It was even recently offered to be used in hand grenades!



Huevos Rancheros & Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde



Anyway, back to my dinner. I made a chicken enchiladas with salsa verde sauce and huevos rancheros with salsa ranchera. I was excited to combine both types of salsa into one dish for dressed up colors and added variety, despite the fact that huevos rancheros is a traditional breakfast dish comprised of fried tortillas, fried eggs and salsa ranchera. I thought the dish turned out both refreshing and satisfying, all thanks to my green chiles craving!