Fabulous cold! Easy to make.
4 servings, 1 cup each
TIME: 35 minutes
from: Eating Well Magazine
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 cups peeled, seeded and thinly sliced cucumbers, divided
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 avocado, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 1 to 4 minutes. Add lemon juice and cook for 1 minute. Add 3 3/4 cups cucumber slices, broth, salt, pepper and cayenne; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and cook at a gentle simmer until the cucumbers are soft, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Transfer the soup to a blender (I used the stick blender.) Add avocado and parsley; blend on low speed until smooth. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.) Pour into a serving bowl and stir in yogurt. Chop the remaining 1/4 cup cucumber slices. Serve the soup warm or refrigerate and serve it chilled (better I think.) Just before serving, garnish with the chopped cucumber and more chopped parsley.
MAKE AHEAD TIP: Refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Friday, June 20, 2008
Potato tortilla (Esti's fabulous recipe)
1 medium potato chopped into 1/2 inch chunks and salted quite a bit
(1-2 tsp, tortilla will be very bland if you forget this step)
1/2 onion chopped as above)
1/2 green or red pepper
medium heat, slowly (deep)fry potatoes for about 3 minutes in 1-2 cups olive oil (depends on pan*, potatoes should be mostly covered). Add onion and peppers and continue to fry until potatoes are slightly browned and soft in the middle (be patient). drain and store oil somewhere else (can use oil for other recipes)
whisk 3 eggs. add the drained mixture into eggs and pour back into hot pan. *use a smaller pan that will make the mixture about an inch thick and is smaller that your plate because once the eggs are no longer runny you have to flip it over by placing a plate over the pan and sliding it back in.
cook until eggs are fully cooked. Serve with pimento slices on top.
this is delicious hot or cold.
(1-2 tsp, tortilla will be very bland if you forget this step)
1/2 onion chopped as above)
1/2 green or red pepper
medium heat, slowly (deep)fry potatoes for about 3 minutes in 1-2 cups olive oil (depends on pan*, potatoes should be mostly covered). Add onion and peppers and continue to fry until potatoes are slightly browned and soft in the middle (be patient). drain and store oil somewhere else (can use oil for other recipes)
whisk 3 eggs. add the drained mixture into eggs and pour back into hot pan. *use a smaller pan that will make the mixture about an inch thick and is smaller that your plate because once the eggs are no longer runny you have to flip it over by placing a plate over the pan and sliding it back in.
cook until eggs are fully cooked. Serve with pimento slices on top.
this is delicious hot or cold.
my CSA 2008
CSA: Community Supported Agriculture
We split one share with our neighbors and it is the most delicious food ever.
Here is what we have received so far (this is 3 weeks worth):
1 and a half dozen eggs, a quart of strawberries, sugar snap peas, garlic scapes, gorgeous swiss chard (recipe anyone?), bok choy, kale, chinese cabbage, about a pound of mixed mesclun greens (crunchy), about the same of baby spinach, a few yellow squash and zucchini, parsley, a few heads of lettuce, green onions and radish.
Mom, you don't have to worry if I am eating my greens...
So far we have eaten everything delivered, barely. the eggs might start piling up, will need to make that potato tortilla (I will post next)
We split one share with our neighbors and it is the most delicious food ever.
Here is what we have received so far (this is 3 weeks worth):
1 and a half dozen eggs, a quart of strawberries, sugar snap peas, garlic scapes, gorgeous swiss chard (recipe anyone?), bok choy, kale, chinese cabbage, about a pound of mixed mesclun greens (crunchy), about the same of baby spinach, a few yellow squash and zucchini, parsley, a few heads of lettuce, green onions and radish.
Mom, you don't have to worry if I am eating my greens...
So far we have eaten everything delivered, barely. the eggs might start piling up, will need to make that potato tortilla (I will post next)
Ginger Dip
the best 2 ingredient pot luck dish ever!
1-2 TBSP chopped crystalized ginger
1 package cream or neufchatel cheese
mix. serve. get raves.
1-2 TBSP chopped crystalized ginger
1 package cream or neufchatel cheese
mix. serve. get raves.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Jaxon Stallard's Churrros con Chocolate
1 c. water
4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperatures
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup all purpose flour
3 eggs, room temperature
¼ cup sugar, for dusting
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon, for dusting (optional)
1. Prepare to fry the churros by heating oil in a deep pot 1 to 1 ½ inches deep to 260 degrees. In a small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon; set aside.
2. In a 3-quart saucepan, heat water, butter and salt to a rolling bowl; stir in flour. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute; remove from heat. Dump flour mixture into bowl of an electric mixer; add eggs one a time.
3. Spoon mixture into a decorator’s bag fitted with a large star tip. Squeeze 4-inch strip of dough into hot oil; fry 3-4 strips at a time until golden brown, turning once, about 2 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels, dump sugar/cinnamon mixture over top.
Chocolate for Churro Dunking
4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
2 cups milk
1 tbsp. cornstarch
4 tbsp. granulated sugar
1. In a medium saucepan, place the chocolate and half the mile and heat, stirring, until the chocolate has melted.
2. Dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining mild and whisk into the chocolate with the sugar. Cook on low heat, whisking constantly, until the chocolate is thickened, about 5 minutes.
3. Add extra cornstarch if it does not start to thicken after 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk until smooth. Pour into small bowls for dunking churros.
4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperatures
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup all purpose flour
3 eggs, room temperature
¼ cup sugar, for dusting
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon, for dusting (optional)
1. Prepare to fry the churros by heating oil in a deep pot 1 to 1 ½ inches deep to 260 degrees. In a small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon; set aside.
2. In a 3-quart saucepan, heat water, butter and salt to a rolling bowl; stir in flour. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute; remove from heat. Dump flour mixture into bowl of an electric mixer; add eggs one a time.
3. Spoon mixture into a decorator’s bag fitted with a large star tip. Squeeze 4-inch strip of dough into hot oil; fry 3-4 strips at a time until golden brown, turning once, about 2 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels, dump sugar/cinnamon mixture over top.
Chocolate for Churro Dunking
4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
2 cups milk
1 tbsp. cornstarch
4 tbsp. granulated sugar
1. In a medium saucepan, place the chocolate and half the mile and heat, stirring, until the chocolate has melted.
2. Dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining mild and whisk into the chocolate with the sugar. Cook on low heat, whisking constantly, until the chocolate is thickened, about 5 minutes.
3. Add extra cornstarch if it does not start to thicken after 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk until smooth. Pour into small bowls for dunking churros.
Jaxon Stallard's Chiles Rellenos de Queso
Makes 4 servings
4 large fresh poblano chiles
½ lb. Monterey Jack cheese
(we also added Mexican Queso Anejo)
(we also added about ½ cup golden raisins that were soaked in rum – yum!)
Sauce:
1½ lb. tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 c. water
¼ c. white onion, chopped
2 lg. cloves of garlic
1 tbsp. distilled white vinegar (we used “O Olive” brand Champagne vinegar)
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. dried Mexican oregano
2 tbsp. canola or 0-trans fat oil
For Coating and Frying Chiles:
2 to 3 cups canola or other oil
4 large eggs, separated
¼ c. all-purpose flour
1. Roast chiles on their sides on rack of gas burners over medium-high heat, turning with tongs, until skins are blistered and slightly charred, 4-6 minutes. Immediately transfer to a large bowl and cover, then let stand 20 minutes.
2. Make the Sauce: Purée all sauce ingredients except oil with 1 ¼ tsp. salt in a blender until smooth, then strain through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on solids, then discarding them.
3. Heat oil in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it simmers. Carefully pour in sauce and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes (sauce should still be thin.) Season with salt.
4. Stuff and Fry Chiles: Carefully rub off skins from chiles, leaving stems attached. Cut a slit lengthwise in each chile with kitchen shears, then carefully cut out seed pod without tearing chile. Wipe chiles clean with paper towel if necessary.
5. Stuff chiles with cheese, enclose filling by overlapping slit slightly if possible then transfer onto plate. (If there are splits in the chiles, you can tie with string using surgeon’s knot – wrapping ends without actually tying.)
6. Heat ½-inch oil in another 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it registers 360 degrees on thermometer. While oil heats, beat egg whites with 1/8 tsp. salt using an electric mixer until they just hold stiff peaks (we used a double whisk and Jaxon suggest using a copper bowl.) Whisk egg yolks with 1/8 tsp salt in a large bowl then gently fold into whites.
7. Put flour in a fine-mesh sieve and dust chiles, turning them lightly to coat all sides. When oil is ready, dip chiles, one a time in egg coating, spooning over chile to cover completely, then fry, turning once, until golden on all four sides, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer chiles with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
8. To serve: Spoon sauce in a small plate then lay one chile over sauce.
4 large fresh poblano chiles
½ lb. Monterey Jack cheese
(we also added Mexican Queso Anejo)
(we also added about ½ cup golden raisins that were soaked in rum – yum!)
Sauce:
1½ lb. tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 c. water
¼ c. white onion, chopped
2 lg. cloves of garlic
1 tbsp. distilled white vinegar (we used “O Olive” brand Champagne vinegar)
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. dried Mexican oregano
2 tbsp. canola or 0-trans fat oil
For Coating and Frying Chiles:
2 to 3 cups canola or other oil
4 large eggs, separated
¼ c. all-purpose flour
1. Roast chiles on their sides on rack of gas burners over medium-high heat, turning with tongs, until skins are blistered and slightly charred, 4-6 minutes. Immediately transfer to a large bowl and cover, then let stand 20 minutes.
2. Make the Sauce: Purée all sauce ingredients except oil with 1 ¼ tsp. salt in a blender until smooth, then strain through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on solids, then discarding them.
3. Heat oil in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it simmers. Carefully pour in sauce and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes (sauce should still be thin.) Season with salt.
4. Stuff and Fry Chiles: Carefully rub off skins from chiles, leaving stems attached. Cut a slit lengthwise in each chile with kitchen shears, then carefully cut out seed pod without tearing chile. Wipe chiles clean with paper towel if necessary.
5. Stuff chiles with cheese, enclose filling by overlapping slit slightly if possible then transfer onto plate. (If there are splits in the chiles, you can tie with string using surgeon’s knot – wrapping ends without actually tying.)
6. Heat ½-inch oil in another 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it registers 360 degrees on thermometer. While oil heats, beat egg whites with 1/8 tsp. salt using an electric mixer until they just hold stiff peaks (we used a double whisk and Jaxon suggest using a copper bowl.) Whisk egg yolks with 1/8 tsp salt in a large bowl then gently fold into whites.
7. Put flour in a fine-mesh sieve and dust chiles, turning them lightly to coat all sides. When oil is ready, dip chiles, one a time in egg coating, spooning over chile to cover completely, then fry, turning once, until golden on all four sides, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer chiles with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
8. To serve: Spoon sauce in a small plate then lay one chile over sauce.
Jaxon Stallard's Tortilla Soup
Makes six first course servings or four as a light main dish
6 corn tortillas
Canola oil for frying
4 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
1 small white onion, sliced
2 dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
1 (15-oz.) can whole tomatoes in juice, drained
6 cups of chicken stock
1 lg. sprig fresh epazote (optional)
½ tsp. salt or to taste
6 oz. Mexican ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into ½-inch cubes
1 lg. lime, cut into wedges
1. Cut the tortillas into halve, then into ¼-inch strips. Heat the ½-inch oil to 350 degrees in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add half of the tortilla strips. Fry, stirring nearly constantly until they are golden brown, and crispy. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
2. Pour off all but a thin coating of the hot oil and return the saucepan to the heat. Add the garlic and onion to the oil and cook, stirring regularly, until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to scoop out the garlic and onion, pressing them against the side of the pan to leave behind as much oil as possible. Transfer the garlic and onion to a blender or food processor.
3. Add the chiles to the hot saucepan. Turn quickly as they fry, toast, and release a delicious aroma, about 30 seconds in all. Too much frying/toasting will make them bitter. Remove and drain on paper towels. Set the pan aside.
4. Add the tomatoes to the blender containing the garlic and onion then process to a smooth puree, strain if using fresh tomatoes. Heat the saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the puree and stir nearly constantly until it has thickened to the consistency of tomato paste, about 10 minutes. Add the stock and ezpazote and bring to a boil; then partially cover and gently simmer over medium to medium-high heat for 30 minutes. Taste and season with salt, usually ½ tsp., depending on the saltiness of your stock.
5. Divide the cheese and avocado among soup bowls. Ladle a portion of the soup into each bowl, top with a portion of the tortilla strips, and crumble on a little toasted chile. Serve hot with a wedge of lime to squeeze over the soup.
6 corn tortillas
Canola oil for frying
4 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
1 small white onion, sliced
2 dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
1 (15-oz.) can whole tomatoes in juice, drained
6 cups of chicken stock
1 lg. sprig fresh epazote (optional)
½ tsp. salt or to taste
6 oz. Mexican ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into ½-inch cubes
1 lg. lime, cut into wedges
1. Cut the tortillas into halve, then into ¼-inch strips. Heat the ½-inch oil to 350 degrees in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add half of the tortilla strips. Fry, stirring nearly constantly until they are golden brown, and crispy. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
2. Pour off all but a thin coating of the hot oil and return the saucepan to the heat. Add the garlic and onion to the oil and cook, stirring regularly, until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to scoop out the garlic and onion, pressing them against the side of the pan to leave behind as much oil as possible. Transfer the garlic and onion to a blender or food processor.
3. Add the chiles to the hot saucepan. Turn quickly as they fry, toast, and release a delicious aroma, about 30 seconds in all. Too much frying/toasting will make them bitter. Remove and drain on paper towels. Set the pan aside.
4. Add the tomatoes to the blender containing the garlic and onion then process to a smooth puree, strain if using fresh tomatoes. Heat the saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the puree and stir nearly constantly until it has thickened to the consistency of tomato paste, about 10 minutes. Add the stock and ezpazote and bring to a boil; then partially cover and gently simmer over medium to medium-high heat for 30 minutes. Taste and season with salt, usually ½ tsp., depending on the saltiness of your stock.
5. Divide the cheese and avocado among soup bowls. Ladle a portion of the soup into each bowl, top with a portion of the tortilla strips, and crumble on a little toasted chile. Serve hot with a wedge of lime to squeeze over the soup.
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