Mexican Pizza

May 23, 2013 By 1 Comment

IMG_2966

Last night, I ate Mexican Pizza for the first time in about twenty-five years.  I decided to make a meal I knew would be a home run for my kids after a week of very adult eating.  My mother didn’t make meals aimed at getting kids to eat; she didn’t have to, everything she made was delicious for everyone at the table.  I can’t imagine my mother ever owning a book like we all have now with surreptitious ways to get vegetables into children or creative plating tactics to “trick” kids into eating a balanced meal.  Mexican Pizza was as close as she came to tailoring something for us.  That’s what I thought when I made it last night, anyway.

But, then I ate it and remembered how good it is.  I got worried there wouldn’t be any leftovers for me to eat today standing in front of the refrigerator alone, Nigella-style.  Forget kids, I’m making this the next time we don’t have to arm wrestle those jerks to get the last piece.

We piled each piece with lettuce, tomatoes, diced avocado, jalepeños, salsa and used plain Greek yogurt as a stand-in for sour cream.  So, even for a “kid’s meal”, it wasn’t entirely unhealthy.   No sneakiness required.

IMG_2957
Mexican Pizza

1 lb of ground beef, cooked using Andra’s taco recipe

3 oz Monterey Jack Cheese, grated

3 oz Cheddar cheese, grated

1 can of refried beans (I used pinto beans that I mashed myself)

6-8 flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 400°.  Line a non-stick baking sheet with flour tortillas, overlapping as necessary, leaving about an inch overlapping the edge of the pan.  Use a spatula to spread the refried beans over the tortillas.  Spread the beef mixture and top with the cheese and bake until cheese has melted and the tortillas are crisp and starting to brown, about 15-20 minutes.  Cut into squares and pass Greek yogurt, lettuce, diced tomatoes and avocado and salsa at the table.

Filed Under: Beef, Pork and Lamb Tagged With:

Thai Chicken Curry

May 22, 2013 By Leave a Comment

IMG_2941

We eat Thai-style chicken curry often but I’ve never posted it here, mostly because it’s hard to take an appealing picture of braised meat and vegetables swimming in a brownish/reddish curry sauce.  But it’s so delicious I thought it was worth mentioning.  I’m not Thai and I’m sure my version is nowhere near authentic, but I’ve eaten curry at enough Thai restaurants to know what I’m going for:  thinly sliced pieces of chicken and vegetables in a curry sauce with an almost stew-like consistency finished with lots of fresh basil on top.  And it needs to come to the table piping hot with Jasmine rice on the side.

I make this when I have small amounts of a variety of vegetables that need to be used and I have all the necessary canned items in the pantry.   These are all from the Asian section of my grocery store and it’s by no means cosmopolitan here, so I’m sure they’re in yours too.  I prefer the red curry paste, the one on the bottom, but I keep the more mild, yellow one on hand as well.

There are two keys to great Thai curry at home.  The first is to use a lot more curry paste than the recipe on the container calls for.  I discovered this because the recipe on the container uses metric measurements and I have a strict policy of ignoring the metric system in my kitchen.  I only realized later when I did the math that I was doubling the recommended amount.

The other key to great curry is to let the mixture cook for at least 30 minutes, longer if possible.  When I first starting making curry, I had a liquid management problem.  When the chicken, vegetable and coconut milk mixture looked like it wouldn’t yield that piping hot sauce I wanted, I would add chicken stock, water or more coconut milk.  The result was either watery or overwhelmingly coconut-y.

The solution is to not panic when you see that your curry needs liquid and wait for the vegetables to release their starch and liquid into the sauce, thickening it up.  That’s why a longer cooking time and using vegetables that will release lots of water (like cauliflower or bell peppers) will get you the consistency you want.

IMG_2949

Last night, I used most of a head of cauliflower, three small diced potatoes, a red bell pepper and the canned bamboo shoots and straw mushrooms above.  I only used two chicken breasts and four of us ate with enough leftovers for another meal or a couple of lunches.  (I should mention that two of us are under five-years old.)

IMG_2937

Pretty in pictures or not, it’s delicious.

Thai Style Chicken Curry

2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp of red curry paste

1 13.5 ounce can coconut milk

1 onion, diced

1 bell pepper, roughly chopped

3 small potatoes, diced

1/2 head of cauliflower

Bamboo shoots, canned

Straw mushrooms, canned

Non-flavored cooking oil, I use canola

Heat 2 Tbsp of canola oil over medium heat.  Add curry paste, breaking it up with a wooden spoon and cook until fragrant.  Add 1/2 can of coconut milk and stir until combined and thickened with the curry paste.  Add the chicken and cook until liquid boils, then reduce heat to a simmer and add the remaining ingredients.  Cover and continue to simmer until the vegetables soften and the mixture is thickened.  Season to taste and finish with fresh basil.  Serve with Sriracha sauce and bowls of Jasmine rice.

Filed Under: Poultry

Wilted Spinach Salad with Warm Black Pepper and Honey Dressing

May 14, 2013 By Leave a Comment

IMG_2818

This salad was inspired by a Tyler Florence recipe, but I made some changes based on what I needed to use and what I knew my kids would eat (more hard-boiled eggs than his recipe calls for and diced apples).  Wilting the spinach gives it a more substantial texture.  Together with the warm vinaigrette, this feels hearty and would make a great wintertime salad.  Perfect for these freezing New Jersey Spring evenings.

Wilted Spinach Salad with Warm Black Pepper and Honey Dressing

(adapted from The Ultimate Spinach Salad with Bacon, Black Pepper and Honey, Tyler’s Ultimate Cookbook)

6 large eggs

4 bacon slices, cut crosswise into thin strips

1 onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, sliced

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 pounds baby spinach

1 apple, diced

3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the eggs in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, turn the heat off and let the eggs sit for 9 minutes. Lift the eggs out of the pan and place in a bowl with ice water; peel the eggs. Cook the bacon in a big skillet and cook for 3 to 4 minutes over medium heat to render the fat. Scoop the bacon out and set aside onto a plate, leaving the fat in the pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5-6 minutes, until soft. Add the honey and vinegar and keep cooking until the onion has caramelized, about 5 more minutes. Toss the spinach into the pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss with tongs until the spinach is just wilted, about 30 seconds. Dump the spinach out into a bowl and add the diced apples and goat cheese. Halve the eggs and arrange on top of the salad.  Sprinkle with cooked bacon pieces.

IMG_2812
Filed Under: Soups, Salads and Sandwiches

Tabouli with Mediterranean Meatballs and Yogurt Dipping Sauce

May 10, 2013 By Leave a Comment

IMG_2786

I called these “Mediterranean Meatballs” because I don’t think it’s fair to the Turks that anything with garlic, mint and feta in it gets attributed to the Greeks.  I mean, it’s a region, after all.  They’re not eating “Greek Salad” in Turkey; it’s called “Shepherd’s Salad”.  Thank goodness the Liancourt Rocks don’t have a cuisine, right?  What a mess classifying that would be.

This tabouli is enough on it’s own, but I made the meatballs at the last minute to round out dinner and am so glad I did.  My oldest daughter and husband made sure that every forkful had some tabouli, a little bit of meatball and dipping sauce on it.  No matter what national cuisine you decide to classify them with, you should definitely make them.

- Catherine

Tabouli

2 cups bulgur wheat

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

1 cup of mint, finely chopped

1 6 oz can of black olives, chopped

2 cups of grape tomatoes, diced

1 bunch of scallions, green and light green parts, chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine bulgur wheat,  2 cups of water, lemon juice and 1 tsp of the salt in a large bowl.  Stir and cover with plastic wrap and allow to stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Season to taste and serve.

Mediterranean Meatballs

1 lb lean ground beef

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

1 clove of garlic, chopped

1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1 tsp ground cumin

Handful of fresh mint, chopped

Salt and pepper

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients with hands, careful not to over mix, using olive oil to prevent sticking.  Roll meatballs and place them on a rack on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Bake at 425° for about 15 minutes, until internal temp reaches 130°.

Yogurt Sauce

1 cup Greek yogurt (I used 0%)

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

Lemon zest from one lemon and 2 Tbsp lemon juice

Handful of fresh mint, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in small bowl and serve with the meatballs.

Filed Under: Beef, Pork and Lamb, Soups, Salads and Sandwiches

Landshark.

May 8, 2013 By Leave a Comment

DSC_0076

You get what you pay for.  This is true at the fish counter, beef counter and plastic surgeon’s office.  All places where a two for one deal won’t save you anything in the long run.   It’s scary to find out that we can’t trust the labels on our food.  What we think is grouper might actually be landshark.  Or that our meatball was the last place finisher at the Kentucky Derby.   If you haven’t read about DNA testing for fish in the supermarket, read this article.

We eat a lot of seafood but I am very careful about what I buy.   I try to stick with fish labeled  ”wild” and “produced in the USA”.  I try to stay away from anything that has been processed and frozen in a half a dozen plants in three different countries.  Staples in our house are wild Sockeye salmon and the frozen scallops from Costco.  I also check Fresh Market for local seafood specials each week but price is a driver for me.  There is a fine line to walk between not overpaying for seafood and getting what you pay for.

Our Fresh Market often has  South Carolina shrimp for $12.99 a pound.  That’s not a steal but if you serve it with a pound of pasta and a salad, it works out to about $25 to feed a family of four.   I love this recipe for shrimp and pericatelli with a lemon cream sauce.   Pericatelli is thick hollow tube of pasta normally used in casseroles.   It’s a great way to stretch one and a half pounds of shrimp.  This recipe comes together really quickly but feels very luxurious.    Be sure to pass crushed red pepper at the table.              -Andra

Pericatelli with Shrimp and Lemon Cream Sauce  

3 tablespoons butter

4 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1 cup dry white wine

Juice of 2 lemons

1 clove of garlic, crushed

1 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup fresh basil, finely chopped

1 pound pericatelli

1 cup grated Parmesan or Grana Padana

1 1/2 pounds of medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

extra-virgin olive oil, best quality, for serving

Place a large pot of salted water over high heat to boil.

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the pasta.  While the pasta cooks, assemble the sauce.

Melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat.  Add the lemon zest and stir until it is fragrant but don’t let it brown.  Turn up the heat and add the wine.  Let the wine reduce for a few minutes and then add the lemon juice and garlic and simmer for 3-4 minutes.  Add the cream and simmer for 3-4 minutes more before adding shrimp and cooking until the shrimp are cooked through, about 5-6 minutes.

When the pasta has finished, add it to the sauce and stir to coat the pasta.   Serve and top each portion with chopped fresh basil, grated cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

Filed Under: Pasta, Rice, Grains and Beans, Seafood
« Older Posts
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 76 other followers

%d bloggers like this: