Chimichurri

Cooking is never simpler when living ingredients are in season. Right about now, I start getting excited for those first sitings of Taber corn and peaches from the Okanagan. Fantasies of backyard meals aren't far behind following a morning perusing the local outdoor market.

Don't think I would appreciate summer as much without our long, often bleak winters.

Anyhow, I roasted a few red peppers last night and while delicious on their own, decided I'd make a sauce to enhance their sweet and smoky flavour: chimichurri.

This one's easy. If you've got a blender or food processor, you're laughing. If not, you'll be mincing for awhile. I'm on a sauce kick this month. Last week I whipped up a batch of marinara sauce and used it on roasted eggplants with melted havarti. The leftover sauce went on steamed snapper. Delicious. Now, chimichurri doesn't have to have kick, but mine does. I tend to be a little over zealous with the heat. This recipe has a manageable amount, so don't be concerned.

Adapted from: http://www.epicurious.com/

Makes 1.5 cups

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup oil
• 2 cups flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 3 T red wine vinegar
• 1 red chili, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

Place all ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Serve on meat, fish or vegetables.

Pork Molotes with Pickled Onions

I bought a bag of masa harina, or corn flour last year and figured it was time to use what remained of the bag on something new. I found a molote recipe online, a dough-encased meat pocket originating from Oaxaca, Mexico. This version includes pickled onions, a delightful combination and a fun alternative to the standard Western holiday eating I've been indulging in lately. The original recipe calls for an empanada iron in which to cook the molotes. Since I don't have one, I pan fried these pockets in canola oil. These go well with a light coleslaw of your choice. 

Adapted From: http://www.muybuenocookbook.com

Makes about 12 molotes

Ingredients

Marinated Pork

1 t dried oregano
1 1/2 T ground black pepper
1 t ground cumin
1 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground cloves
1 whole head of garlic
1 t salt
4 oranges, juiced
1 lime juiced
1/4 red onion
4 lb pork shoulder

Pickled Onions

2 large, red onions, sliced 1/8 inch thick
1 cup fresh lime juice
2/3 cup fresh orange juice
1 1/2 t salt

A few molote challenges along the way.

Molote Dough

2 cups masa harina corn flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1 t vegetable shortening
1/2 t salt
2 1/2 cups of warm water
canola oil for frying

Method

Marinated Pork

Place all ingredients except the pork in bowl equipped to handle the spray of a hand blender and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into a sealable plastic bag and add the pork to it, ensuring the mix coats all of the surface of the meat. Let stand for 30 minutes or refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 F. Place the pork in a tin foil-lined roasting pan. Cover the roast loosely with tin foil and bake for 2 hours. The meat should be tender and falling off the bone.  Once cooked, cube the meat and set it aside.

Pickled Onions

Combine the juices and salt in a bowl. Add the onions to the mix and cover the bowl. Set aside.

Molote Dough

Mix the flours together with the baking powder, salt and shortening. Add the water and mix until all the flour mixture is combined with it.

Separate the dough into about 12 balls. Roll each ball flat between plastic sheets. Add a spoonful or two of the cubed pork and some onions onto half of the dough. Fold the other half overtop and seal the outside edges by pressing them closed with your thumb.

Heat 3 tablespoons of canola oil on high heat in a large pan. Place a molote in the pan and let brown for about three-five minutes on each side.

We served our molotes with salsa, sour cream and a side of coleslaw. 

Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup

What a difference daylight makes to my poor food photos! Man I need to cook mid-day more often. I also need more soups like this hearty multi-dimensional delight. This could use a little heat, perhaps in the jalapeño or hot sauce form. Anyways, I thought a little heat was in order considering that we are experiencing the coldest day so far this winter.

Adapted From: http://eclecticrecipes.com

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 t salt
• 1 t pepper
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 1 yellow pepper, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2, 15 oz cans of fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1, 15 oz can of black beans
• 1 litre of chicken stock
• 1 t chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
• 1 T smoked paprika
• 1 T cumin
• 1 t chili powder
• 1 t dried oregano
• 1 medium avocado, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• handful of tortilla chips

Method

1. Combine chopped chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Preheat a large soup pot. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add chicken to soup pot. Add red onion, green pepper, red pepper, yellow peppers and garlic. Cook over medium heat until chicken is done and no longer pink.
2. Add fire roasted tomatoes, black beans, chipotle chili peppers and adobo, paprika, cumin, dried oregano and chipotle chili powder. Add 1 quart chicken stock. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 25 – 30 minutes.
3. Garnish soup with chopped avocado, crumbled feta, and tortilla strips.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Coleslaw & Carnitas

  I've made pulled pork in a crockpot earlier this year, but was keen to try baking it in the oven in order to get that crispy surface area that makes pulled pork so noteworthy. Even with a dry rub, the pork retained quite a bit of moisture. It looks like a lump a charred turd once cooked, but should fall apart easily with a little prodding from your fork and knife and I can assure you, this will be the best turd you've ever prepared! Our first meal with it was a simple sandwich with plum chutney as a sauce. If you have soft buns (lunges will help!) and barbecue sauce, I can only assume you would moan at the pulled pork sandwich combo Paula Deen puts together on her recipe available through the coleslaw link below.

Pulled Pork: http://thewholekitchen.blogspot.com

Serves 8

Ingredients

•  3.5 lbs. pork shoulder (bone in)

• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup kosher salt
• 
1 T chili powder

• 1 T cumin

• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1/4 tsp. cayenne
• 1 T smoked paprika

1. To make the rub, thoroughly mix together the brown sugar, salt, smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes and cayenne.
2. Pat dry the pork shoulder and then liberally apply the rub to all sides. Place in a leak-proof container. Cover and refrigerate for as long as 24 hours, or as little as overnight. It will give up a cup or more of liquid so make sure your container is big enough to prevent spillage.
3. Remove the shoulder from refrigerator, brush off any excess or caked on rub. Move to a clean roasting pan with the fat side up.
4. Heat the oven to 275F. Place in the oven and let roast for 9 hours. Yes, I’m serious about it taking that long. After about 3 hours, there will be enough fat rendered to allow you to baste the shoulder every 1 to 2 hours. With a large spoon simply pour the rendered fat over the shoulder.
5. You will know it’s ready because the outside of the shoulder is extremely dark, nearly burned looking. The pork should pull easily from the bone and the fat/skin on the top should be nearly crispy.
6. Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 30 min. Using a pair of forks or very clean hands pull the pork away from the bone. This should be very easy to do.
7. Serve on a bun with bbq sauce, on tortillas..this list goes on!

Buttermilk Coleslaw Recipe: http://www.pauladeen.com

Serves 6

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 1½ T Dijon mustard
• 2 T light brown sugar
• 2 T apple cider vinegar
• 2 T buttermilk
• ½ t celery salt
• 1 t kosher salt
• 1 t freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups finely shredded green cabbage (about ½ head)
• 4 cups finely shredded purple cabbage (about ½ head)
• 2 large carrots, grated

Whisk together the mayo, mustard, brown sugar, vinegar, buttermilk, celery salt, kosher salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the cabbages and carrots and toss to combine. Cover and chill until serving time.

 The following night, we made carnitas with the pork. I opted for tortillas from the Argyll Foods on 63 Avenue. Their little corn tortillas are made with masa flour and make all the difference as far as flavour is concerned. With tomatillo salsa, avocado slices, cilantro and a little sour cream, these were delicious little meals. 

Tomatillo Salsa


Ingredients

• 4 tomatillos, finely chopped
• Juice of one lime
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 large red onion, diced
• 2 T chopped cilantro
• 1 jalapeno pepper, diced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Simply combine the ingredients and serve. Tomatillos are firm in texture and not as juicy as a tomato, so don't be surprised when you slice them open. I remove the seeds from one half of the pepper and leave the seeds from the other half in. This gives me a medium salsa.




Carnitas


As far as the carnitas are concerned, heat your tortilla shells in a dry frying pan on high heat for a minute on each side. Pile as much sour cream, avocado, pork, salsa and other treats that you can handle on top and eat carefully: These babies are messy.

Black Bean & Two-Cheese Quesadillas

From: Stern, Bonnie. Heartsmart 2006 p 197.

Serves 6

• 1 cup cooked black beans
• 1 tomato, seeded and chopped
• 1 sweet red pepper, preferably roasted, peeled and chopped
• 1 T chipotle puree
• 1 clove garlic chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
• 2 T chopped fresh chives or green onions
• 2 T shredded fresh basil
• 1 1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack or Cheddar Cheese
• 1/2 cup soft unripened goat cheese or feta
• 6, 10-inch whole wheat tortillas

Combine black beans, tomato, red pepper, chipotle, garlic, cilantro, chives, basil, Monterey Jack and goat cheese. Place tortillas on counter in a single layer. Spread filling evenly over half of each tortilla. Fold unfilled half of tortilla over filled side and press together. Grill quesadillas for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until lightly browned. You can also bake them in a single layer on a baking sheet in a preheated oven at 400F for 7-10 minutes, or cook for a few minutes per side in a lightly oiled non-stick skillet or grill pan.

Fish Tacos & Picture of the Best Cheesecake I've had in Eons

I don't believe I've ever tried fish tacos at a restaurant, but when I went looking for inspiration in an old Best of Bridge cookbook, I found two fish recipes that felt like summer.  I have to admit, my photography skills need a little upgrading. This pic bites. I just hate posting a recipe without a photo. The cookbook that this came from didn't have an accompanying picture and I was miffed that I had to imagine how fabulous the end product looked. Maybe this is why the ladies behind the Best of Bridge didn't bother with a picture.


The tacos were light and delicious, but this post was a bit of an excuse to post a picture of the stilton cheesecake I picked up at Notable, one of my favorite new restaurants in Calgary. I have no idea what was in the rhubarb compote or the berry puree that was served with it. Perhaps crack was folded in. Who cares?! This stuff is magic!!

From Bravo! The Best of Bridge Cookbook. p. 152

Serves 4


Chipotle Sauce

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 t pureed canned chipotle pepper (check the Mexican aisle of your grocer)
• 1/2 t salt

The Rest

• 500 g Skinless cod or other firm, white fish
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 1 T freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/4 t cayenne pepper
• 1/4 t salt
• 8 soft corn or flour tortillas
• 4 tomatoes, chopped
• 4 cups shredded green and/or red cabbage

Chipotle Sauce
In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic, cilantro, chipotle pepper and salt. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour, until chilled.


The Rest
Rinse fish and pat dry with paper towels. Place in a shallow dish. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, lime juice, cayenne and salt. Pour over fish. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, until chilled. Preheat oven to 425F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with greased foil. Wrap tortillas in a foil and place in oven. Remove fish from marinade, allowing excess to drip off and discarding marinade. Place fish on a prepared baking sheet. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Let cool slightly, then use a fork to flake fish into bite-size pieces. Transfer to a serving bowl and stir in enough chipotle sauce to moisten. Remove tortillas from oven. Let everyone make their own tacos with the tortillas, fish mixture, tomatoes and cabbage. Serve the extra chipotle sauce on the side.