Green Chiles & Corn Stuffed Tomatoes

Yum!

That's right. No story, no random paragraph of intro. No complicated analogy. Just, Yum! Because Yum! was unexpected, but Yum! was what we got. Who would have guessed it?

Because, when I tagged this in this month's CL issue, yum! wasn't what I was expecting. What I was expecting was healthy, filling, tasty.  All of which this was.  But inhalable goodness?  I never would have guessed it.

Even more amazing is that is in fact quinoa stuffed in those tomatoes. Quinoa! I’ve tried to like quinoa for awhile now.  Ben bought me a giant Costco bag worth way back when I lived in Greenville.  And, well, I wanted to love it.  I tried to love it. And I failed, miserably. But now, now I actually have a way to use my 27 lb. bag of quinoa. And enjoy it. Who would have guessed it?

Green Chiles and Corn Stuffed Tomatoes
Adapted from CL's June 2012 issue

I cut this recipe in half because I wasn't sure on how well the leftovers would hold up.  I plumped it back up to it's original size just for you though.  Oh, also important, for a true meatless main dish, do not use chicken broth.  Use vegetable broth or water.  I'm still calling this meatless because there is no actual meat, but I wouldn't use that logic with your local vegetarian.  Also, this is a bit time consuming!  So as a heads up, plan for at least an hour, start to finish, maybe even longer.  Enjoy!

6 large tomatoes
1 tsp. salt, divided
1 c. uncooked quinoa
1/2 c. chicken broth
2 poblano chiles
4 ears fresh sweet corn
1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Juice from 1 lime
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
4 oz. colby-Jack cheese, shredded (~1 c.)

Wash tomoatoes well.  Slice tops off.  Using a large spoon, gently scoop out tomato insides and reserve.  Leave shells in tact.  Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt into empty tomatoes, and invert on wire rack over paper towels to dry out for 20-30 minutes.  Using fine mesh sieve, drain tomato pulp for juice (you are aiming for 1 cup of liquid here!)  Reserve liquid and discard pulp.

Rinse quinoa once or twice, using sieve.  In medium sauce pan, combine quinoa, 1 cup of tomato juice, 1/2 cup chicken broth (if you don't have 1 cup of tomato juice, add chicken broth or water to make 1 1/2 cups liquid), and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until quinoa is cooked and liquid is absorbed.  Fluff with fork.

Preheat broiler.  Cut poblano chiles in half.  Discard seeds and membranes (leave membranes if you want more heat).  Place cut side down on foil lined rimmed baking sheet.  Flatten with hand.  Broil for 8-10 minutes, close to heat, until chiles are black.  Remove and place in paper bag (this will help with peeling!).  Meanwhile, cut corn from cob.  Combine with onions.  Spread out on same foil lined rimmed baking sheets and broil for 8-10 minutes, stirring a few times.

Remove chiles from paper bag.  Peel ski from chiles and chop.  Add broiled corn and onions.  Mix together with oregano, cumin, oil, lime juice and pepper.  Combine corn mixture with cooked quinoa, mixing well.

Turn oven down to 350.  Dry out tomato shells with paper towels and place on foil lined rimmed baking sheet.  Stuff quinoa mixture equally into tomato shells, really packing in as necessary.  Divide cheese equally among tomatoes, patting to secure on top of tomatoes.  Bake in oven at 350 for 15 minutes.  To brown cheese on top, place under broiler for a few minutes.  Serve warm!

Homemade Corn Tortillas

Psshhh... Check this out. I made corn tortillas. Homemade - like from scratch. The quarter Mexican in me is gloating whilst salsa dancing. You'll have to forgive her a little, she's quite the horn-tutting multitasker. You also have to admit, that's kind of cool. And delicious.

Yes, it only has 3 ingredients. But it requires the use of a specialty gadget called a tortilla press. Or, if you're an ameteur kitchen MacGyver like me (read--cheap), two sheets of plastic wrap and a glass pyrex pie plate. Which also means, this was a little time consuming. There is an hour built in wait, which is no bigger, the dough is just chilling out and you're free to chill out too, but the ball rolling, squashing, pressing, pan frying deal? It's going to be a little bit of a time commitment.

I read everywhere that once you've gone homemade, you won't go back. I kinda see myself able to go back.  About half way through all the ball rolling, squashing, pressing, pan frying assembly line I had set up for my self, I found myself wondering, is it really worth it?  I can get a dozen of corn tortillas at my local market of 39 cents.  That is less than 4 pennies per tortilla.  These are delicious, yes, and you get to parade around the whole evening boasting your accomplishment ("I made corn tortillas!"!), but you can get a dozen for less than two shiny quarters. I know myself, and when I want a lazy Taco Tuesday night, this isn't the way to go. I'm going to be reaching for a 39 cent bag.

This is absolutely a BGCB recipe.  I homemade corn tortillas for crying out loud!  And they were damn tasty. You should try it yourself too. So that your inner Mexican can salsa-around with accomplishment. They just aren't Taco Tuesday ready yet. I'm going to do a little researching, if these are pre-pan frying freezable maybe we might just have to revisit this conversation. I'll let you know!

Homemade Corn Tortillas
Adapted from Bob's Red Mill

2 c. Masa Harina (aka Corn Flour)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 - 2 c. hot water
Canola Oil

In large bowl, whisk together masa harina and salt. Slowly drizzle in hot water and mix. Give up with the spoon and start kneading with your hands. You are looking for a consistency that is "firm and springy when touched, not dry or sticky". Think Play-Dough. Cover with a clean towel and let rest about an hour.

Heat up a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Using a brush, lightly coat with canola oil. If you have a tortilla press, bust it out. If you have a tortilla press, you probably don't really need much instruction...

For those without: roll dough into about a 1-2 inch ball. flatten into a disk shape in your palm. Place between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using a flat bottomed pan or pie tin (I used a glass pie plate. It was nice to see through to the tortilla underneath), press dough ball until very thin and flat. Carefully remove from plastic and put in hot cast iron. Cook 1-2 minutes (bubbles will start to rise inside) before flipping. Flip once, cooking 3-4 minutes total. Brush cast iron with canola oil as needed.

To keep warm, keep under foil tent.

Bob says this makes 12 6-inch tortillas. Mine were a little smaller and I got 20.

I made these two Thursday night's ago. A week later, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, they were still good in my fridge.

Lemony Ricotta Fettuccine

Hey.  How’s it going?  I feel like I’ve been away from you for awhile.  Which isn’t true of course, I was just here last Saturday going on and on about the bliss that is blackberry mojitos.  So, why do I feel like I miss you?  Because last Saturday was also the day my blessed camera-to-computer-cord finally returned to me.  And then it was a day of playing catching up.  And a day of blackberry mojitos.  But now, blackberry mojitos all gone (ssiigghh.....), it’s time to get back into the rhythm of things.  With sensible things, like crisp pancetta, fresh ricotta and early summer time dinner recipes.

So, what have I missed telling you?  The big news it, they built a new grocery store near me.  It’s a Valli Produce.  Totally ok if you have never heard of them, it’s an Illinois thing.  There’s an older one near my work, older being the operative word.  There’s an even older one near Ben, which we avoid unless necessary, aka the need for fresh mozzarella arises.  But this new one?  It’s kinda shiny and big and well-lit.  And not only does it have fresh mozzarella, it also has fresh ricotta, fresh feta and fresh pasta.

So, following suit from CL’s April issue, I bought some fresh pasta.  I doctored up my fresh ricotta with lemon and pepper.  Then I cooked up some bell peppers and shallots and spinach.  I toasted pecans and crisped up leftover pancetta.  Then I got a little crazy.  Pasta and vegetables were tumbled into ricotta.  It got creamy and thick and fabulous.  On top, the crumbled, crisp bits of cured pork deliciousness helped the toasted pecans bring some real crunch.  It was bright and textured and fabulous.  And all that?  It took less then 15 minutes.  That’s less time then it took to write this post.   And let’s face it, there is sun outside.  Let’s not waste it.

Lemony Ricotta Fettuccine
Adapted from CL's April 2012 issue

The best part is that you don’t need a recipe.  Of course, I’m still going to give you one, but you don’t need it.  Take trip through the farmer’s market or produce section.  If asparagus and spring onions are looking like their normal gorgeous selves, grab them and run with it.  If it goes with cheese and lemon, you’re good to go.  By the way, crisp pancetta goes with everything basically, so you’re safe there...

9 oz.. fresh fettuccine
9 oz. ricotta cheese
Zest & juice of 1 lemon
3/4 tsp. salt, divided
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp. EV olive oil, divided
1 bell pepper (orange or red), diced
1 shallot, diced
1/3 c. pecans
0.75-1 oz. Pancetta, chopped
4 garlic cloves, diced
3 c. baby spinach

Cook pasta.  Reserve a coffee cup-full of pasta water before draining pasta.

Combine lemon zest, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper with ricotta cheese.  Mix well.

In large skillet, add pecans.  Toast for 3-5 minutes until fragrant.  Remove and roughly chop, set aside.  In same skillet, crisp up Pancetta.  Remove and let drain on paper towel.

In same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat.  Add bell pepper and shallot.  Saute about 2 minutes, until bell peppers are soft.  Add garlic and remaining salt, continue to saute 1-2 minutes longer.  Stir in remaining olive oil and lemon juice.  Add cooked pasta and spinach, tossing so veggies and garlic are evenly distributed.  Add pasta water  to desired consistency and cook until spinach wilts, about 1 minute.  (I only added a little less than 1/2 cup).

Top with ricotta mixture and chopped pecans and Pancetta.  If you have leftovers, leave off ricotta, pecans and Pancetta.  Heat pasta then add toppings.

Blackberry Mojitos

I get all jealous when I hear people waxing on poetically about the perfect summer drink that they sip relaxingly on lazy Sunday afternoons, on a porch, with their significant other.  For some reason, I want that.  And really, I don’t have anything that has been holding me back from this lazy summer nirvana.  I’ve got the porch, with a cute wrought iron table and chairs set, with French doors that open into my living room and kitchen, with my cute, little herb garden.  I’ve got the boy, and he’s cute too.  What I don’t have is the perfect drink.   So without further ado, may I introduce round one, contender numero uno in the “Let’s find Liz a good summer drink” contest: blackberry mojitos

And what a winner we have already. I was already in love with this drink just from muddling the sugar and mint leaves. The fragrance was delicious and all I could think about was making a sugar scrub out of it and then wanting to bathe in it. So very luck for me, I was able to refrain. And then it gets better. You add the blackberries, rum and lime, crush it up a bit and... really, all I can say is that there should be a mint blackberry lime jam, and I would probably want to bathe in that too. Sure, it might die my skin purple, but I'm thinking it just might be worth it. Alright, we've gotten on a weird tangent here, so let's just put our computers down, whip up a glassful of blackberry mojito and call it a wonderful, sun shine filled, summer day.

Blackberry Mojito
adapted from fork vs. spoon

For 1 serving:
1 Tbsp. Sugar
~10 mint leaves (I used a mix of spearmint & sweet mint)
6-8 blackberries
1 oz. rum (2 Tbsp.)
1/2 lime
3-4 oz. sparkling water

Add sugar and mint leaves to glass. Muddle together to release oils and fragrance from leaves. Add blackberries, rum and juice of lime half. Muddle again to create drink base. Add ice and top off with sparkling water.

Sit on porch, kick back and enjoy!

Cumin Spiced Fish Tacos & Mango Avocado Salsa

Happy Memorial Day!  Happy Unofficial, but every knows real deal, start of Summer!  (The technical first day of summer, for all you PC-lovers out there is June 20th).  But let's be honest here.  Summer and everything that embodies it - BBQ's, outside drinking games, picnics, lakes, tans - Summer.  Officially.  Starts.  Today.  I am quite literally humming with excitement.

Actually, singing.  Cause that is what I do.  In the summertime, I sing oldies.  Because summer belongs to the golden oldies.  Trust me on this one.  Just this morning, it was a verse of In the Summertime, which went into the whistling from Dock of the Bay, and ended in a little ditty about Jack and Diane.  It was wonderful.  I am so ready for some sunshine, some water, a lazy round of beersbee, and, oh yeah, fish tacos.  Ready or not, Summer, here we come.

In the summertime, when the weather is hot

you can reach right up and touch the sky

When the weather's fine, you got women

you got women on your mind. 

Have a drink, have a drive,

Go out and see what you can find.

P.S. - This was so me on Friday.  And quite literally I checked it at 3:12 PM Friday afternoon.  It feels nice to feel so connected to someone feeling the Exact. Same. Way.  Camaraderie.  I love the internet.  Well, sometimes.  I love three day start of summer weekends all the time though.  Hope yours was fantastic!

Cumin Spiced Fish Tacos & Mango Avocado Salsa

Adapted, hardly, from Cooking Light's.... 

YUM!  These guys right here is how you want to start your summer.  They take less than 30 minutes to throw together, they are cool and spicy,  and you can eat them with your hands.  Plus, they taste especially great washed down with a cold beer.  And the mango salsa?!?  FANTASTIC.  Make extra.  And then eat like you would any salsa, on tortilla chips.  And it will totally disappear before nightfall.  The tart mango with the smooth avocado?  I don't even like avocado that much and I'm telling you.  YES.  Make these.  Tonight.  Have a cerveza.  Toast Summer.

(These guys, in case you were wondering, are totally 100% BGCB material)

Mango Avocado Salsa:
1 medium mango, peeled and cubed
1 medium mango, pitted and cubed
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 small jalapeno, diced
5-10 sprigs of cilantro, chopped, no stems
1 1/2 limes (for juice)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Juice limes over avocado (this will help with keeping the avocado green and not brown).  Toss all ingredients together.  Let sit 10 minutes so flavors marry.

Cumin Spiced Fish Tacos:
1 Tbsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 lb. tilapia fillets
1 Tbsp. canola oil

In large skillet over medium heat, toast cumin seeds for 2 minutes until fragrant.  Shake pan often to keep from burning.  In spice grinder, grind cumin with salt and peppers until finely ground.  (Leave a comment if you want a tip on how to clean out the spice/coffee grinder afterwards!)  Add cumin mixture to garlic and use as dry rub on tilapia fillets. Let sit 5-10 minutes.

Return skillet to burner and heat oil over a medium high flame.  Add tilapia and pan fry for 2 minutes.  Flip and cook for 2 minutes more, or until fish is cooked throuogh.  Remove and flake into large bite sized pieces.

Warm corn tortillas.  Lay a few chunks of fish and cover with mango avocado salsa.  Eat, drink, repeat!