Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Guacamole #1 (Two Pepper and Tapatio)



Green Girl Goodies, June 2012

Summer is here and one of my favorite summer foods is the avocado.  Not only is the avocado versatile in cooking but it is a great source of “healthy” monounsaturated fats, fiber and vitamins B, E and K.  Look for a variety of different preparations involving avocados over the next couple of months!  Below enjoy the recipe for Two Pepper and Tapatio Guacamole.


Yield approximately 3 ½ c

2 ea Large Avocados
1/3 c Red Pepper, minced
1/3 c Yellow Pepper, minced
1/3 c Red Onion, minced
1/3 c Roma Tomato, very small dice
¼ c Cilantro, finely chopped


1 tb Garlic, minced
1 ½ tb Tapatio Sauce
1 tb Lemon Juice
1 tsp Kosher Salt

-          Cut the avocados in half.




-          Remove the flesh into a bowl using a metal soup or teaspoon.


-          Add the remaining ingredients into the bowl on top of the avocado.


-          Using a fork, gently mash the avocado as you stir in the other ingredients.



-          Once all the ingredients are combined, cover the guacamole with plastic* and chill for at least 30 minutes to let flavors combine.



-          The guacamole will be good for up to 3 days properly refrigerated.

*Make sure to place the plastic up against the surface of the guacamole to minimize air contact.  This will help prevent browning. 

Up Next…
Avocados stuffed with Sweet Chile Lime Chicken Salad

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Grape Pico de Gallo



Green Girl Goodies, June 2012

As you may have already figured out, I am a huge fan of Latin inspired dishes.  I was at home one day eating some perfect grapes when this idea came to me.  Nice firm grapes work the best in this case. 

Yield Approximately 2/3 c

½ c Red Grapes, fine chop
2 tsp Red Onion, minced
½ tsp Jalapeno, minced
1 tsp Cilantro, minced
Juice from ½ a Lemon
Juice from ½ a Lime
Salt To Taste (I used 2 Pinches of Kosher)

-          Prepare all ingredients and mix! 
-          The pico should be good for up to 2 days but I ate all mine in one night on top of some crispy pan-fried Pepper Jack and Corn Tortilla Quesadillas. (Shown below with a side of black beans topped with Cholula and Crema)


My boyfriend ate more quesadillas and less pico (above) but I went heavy on the pico and it was delicious :)


More Serving Suggestions:
-          All alone with chips
-          With Grilled/Pan-Fried/Baked Chicken
-          As a taco or tostada topping with lettuce and feta/cotija cheese

Up next…
Guacamole #1 (Two Pepper and Tapatio)





Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Quick Quinoa and Vegetable Pilaf



 Green Girl Goodies, June 2012


This pilaf is great as a meal on its own or as a side.

Yield 1 serving

For the Quinoa:

¼ c Quinoa
½ c Water
1 pinch Sea Salt

For the Pilaf:

2 ½ tsp Garlic, minced*
¼ c Yellow Onion, small dice
¼ c Green Pepper, small dice
½ c Roma Tomato, small dice
1 tb Lemon Juice
1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 pinches of Sea Salt
20 grinds of Fresh Black Pepper

-        -   Place the water, quinoa and salt in a covered pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook for approximately 12 minutes until the water is mostly absorbed and the quinoa is 90% cooked (soft but still a slight bite to it and the grains are translucent)*.  Remove the quinoa from the pan and set aside.
-         - Heat a saute pan over high heat and add oil, garlic, onions, and peppers.


-          - Cook until lightly charred and then deglaze the pan with the lemon juice.
-          - Add the quinoa, salt and pepper to the pan and toss or stir to mix. 
-          - Turn off the heat and add the tomatoes.  Toss or stir to mix.


*Mincing – to cut or chop into very small pieces.  Mincing is best done by hand with a chef’s knife or in a food processor.

Up Next…
Grape Pico de Gallo


Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Making Up for Lost Time and Tasty Latin-Inspired Cuisine: Huevos de Cebollas

When preparing to write this post I had no idea it has been over 3 months since I posted last! Thinking back it all makes sense because a month ago I picked up another job. 2 weeks later quite my first job and almost simultaneously picked up a new second job. As a chef and hopeful one day restaurateur it is important to build your skill set by exposing yourself to many different work environments and that has certainly been the case!

After moving to the Midwest I started out as a Line Cook at a corporate monster. After a long time of travel and relaxation I really needed a job and the Midwest isn’t exactly a culinary mecca. I have however been impressed and pleasantly surprised with my dining out experiences. This inspired me to move on and I now find myself as a Sushi Chef at the Drunken Fish learning more about the art of sushi from 2 awesome young sushi masters. I am also working in the kitchen and FOH (Front of House: serving, hosting, bartending) at a crazy, fun-filled family run Greek restaurant called Tasso’s. Happy to be involved in 2 of my favorite types of food, Japanese and Greek, I am also happy the adjustment period is over. 70 plus hours a week was getting a bit rough…I am hoping 60 to 65 will give me a little more time to keep sharing my passion for food and cooking with you!


 Huevos de Cebollas
 



 Green Girl Goodies, June 2012

The dish is great for a weekend breakfast or brunch for a party of 2 or 20. When preparing it for a small group you can assemble the stacks individually as seen above. The stack in the back ground has 2 eggs and the stack in the fore front has one. If you serve this dish for a large group set up the various ingredients for people to design their own. If you want to make cooking such a large volume of eggs a bit faster and simpler, scramble them!

This dish uses the Mild Salsa and the Spicy Cilantro Lemon Crema featured in the Southwest Black Bean Taco Salad so you can save yourself some preparation time by planning ahead and making these items in larger batches.

Below is our serving for 2:

3 Eggs

2 ea Corn Tortillas

1/3 c Yellow onion, julienned

 

1 Roma tomato, medium, sliced in rounds then in half moons



2 tb Cotija Cheese, crumbled



2 1/2 tb Extra Virgin Olive Oil

½ tsp Sea Salt

1/8 tsp Black Pepper, preferably freshly ground

- Preheat the oven to 375.

- Combine 1 tb olive oil and ¼ tsp salt. Rub the mixture evenly over both sides of the tortillas.






























- Place the tortillas on a baking sheet and place in the preheated oven. Cook for 6 minutes, then rotate the pan and cook for another 6 minutes. Flip the tortillas and cook for an additional 2 minutes or until golden brown. Let the tortillas cool to room temperature before using.
 


- Heat a small sauté pan over medium high heat and once hot add 1 tb olive oil.

- Add the julienned onions, ¼ tsp salt and pepper. Cook the onions until carmelized. They will be appear opaque and golden brown.

 

- Hold the onions warm by placing them on a plate covered in foil or just wrapped in a piece of foil as seen below.



- Assemble your tostada by first spreading a thin layer of salsa.



- Next spread on a thin layer of crema.


















-      -  Place an even layer of onions on top of the crema. 


-           
  -



















-  Place the completed stacks in the preheated oven for 2 – 4 minutes until heated thru.

- While the stacks are heating, heat a medium sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the remaining oil and add your desired serving of eggs.

 

- Cook the egg/eggs to desired doneness and set on top of your baked tostada.





 - Top with tomatoes, cotija and a sprig of cilantro and serve immediately.  First the 2 egg version…

 

 Then the solo huevo!

 


Up Next…

Quick Quinoa and Vegetable Pilaf