cotija, black bean, and mango casserole

Lately I have been analyzing- probably over-analyzing- why it is that I blog.

One reason is to document, in words and photos, our life while the kids are young. Since I average about five hours of sleep per night, it will be nice to have reminders of the days I can't remember.
Another reason is the community. I love learning about other people's lives through their blogs, and sharing my life through my own.

Yet another reason I come back to blogging over and over is that this blog serves as a recipe index for me. Just in the past few weeks I have come back to several recipes, including: Vietnamese baguettes, dutch baby pancakes, granola bars and these quesadillas. In fact, I have been craving the quesadillas, but I needed a more family-friendly version.

Quesadillas are not so "family-friendly" because in the midst of filling sippy cups, tearing food into tiny pieces, setting the table, stuffing one large baby into a high chair, making sure little boy hands are washed, and hollering at Lane that dinner is ready, I don't really have time to stand over a stove and cook four individual quesadillas.

With this casserole, all I have to do is assemble the ingredients and let the oven do its magic.

Cotija, black bean, and mango casserole

1 mango, peeled and chopped
1 cup crumbled cotija + another 1/2 more for top
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
9 corn tortillas
lime wedges
cilantro, for topping
cooking spray

Combine the mango, red onion, sour cream, and 1 cup of the cotija in a bowl. Set aside.
Spray a 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange two tortillas side by side on the bottom of the dish, and cut up a third tortilla to fit in the gaps. Spread half the mango mix evenly over the tortillas, then top with another layer of three tortillas. Repeat with the remaining mango mixture and the last three tortillas. Crumble the remainig 1/2 cup cotija over the top layer of tortillas.

Bake at 350 for 12 minutes, or until cotija is beginning to brown over the top. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and serve with lime wedges. Enjoy.

Read more...

sweet and salty tempeh fajitas

I am not sure if I have ever confessed to you that I am a picky eater. But, it's true. I am extremely picky. There are many things I dislike. Among them: mayonnaise, cucumbers, and meat. Honestly, I can't really stand the taste of meat. I also despise preparing it. I would surely be a vegetarian if it were not for my wonderful husband, who doesn't consider a meal actually a meal unless it contains a component that once had a face.

I do, however, very much enjoy meat substitutes. Especially tempeh. The grainy texture is much better than tofu, and it takes on whatever flavors you marinate and cook it in.

If you have never prepared or eaten tempeh before, this is a great recipe to start with. It is sweet and salty (obviously, hence the name), easy, and quite satisfying.

Sweet and salty tempeh fajitas
adapted from this recipe

1 cup diced pineapple
2 limes
1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp cumin
freshly ground pepper and salt
8 oz multigrain tempeh, cut into thin strips
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 bell pepper, cut into strips
1 white onion, cut into slices the long way
1 bunch green onions, chopped
about 1 cup broth
cilantro
whole wheat tortillas

Place pineapple, juice of one lime, soy sauce, and cumin in a food processor and puree. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour pineapple mixture over tempeh strips and refrigerate for at least two hours.
Heat a large pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add one tbsp of olive oil, then place bell pepper, onion, and tempeh in the pan, reserving marinade. Cook, and cook, and cook, stirring occasionally. Add the other tbsp of olive oil, then the broth little by little as the mixture cooks and the moisture is used up. Sprinkle in green onions and add the reserved marinade just before done.
Once the tempeh is browned and the veggies are tender, take off the heat. Warm tortillas. Place tempeh mixture into a tortilla, sprinkle with cilantro, and fold up. Serve with lime slices. Enjoy.

Read more...

Poultry Patties with Poblano Peppers and Polenta

Happy three day weekend everyone! (As for those who don't have a three day weekend, well, sorry I rubbed it in...)

The sun is out in the Northwest! Which is rare and exciting. Everyone seems to be walking with a bounce in their step and a voluntary smile on their face. The mood is more relaxed and carefree. The smell of freshly cut grass and barbecue is in the air, and all the wonderful sounds of summer can be heard: people laughing as they relax in their yards, kids playing out doors, lawn mowers, birds chirping... and, of course, kids lighting off fireworks at all hours of the night and early morning, starting June 27th. (That one I could do without.)
This is the perfect weekend to avoid making big messes in the kitchen, or even spending much time in the kitchen at all. So, here is a recipe that is twist on the classic burger, and is cooked completely outdoors. Unfortunately, the day I decided to make it was overcast, so I ended up cooking on my stove-top grill. But today (and supposedly the next few) will provide the perfect weather to whip this one up on your outdoor grill. Now, who's excited to grab a spatula and start flippin' some burgers?

Poultry Patties with Poblano Peppers and Polenta
serves 4
1 1/2 cups polenta, or yellow corn meal
4 cups water
1 tsp salt
a good amount of freshly ground pepper
cooking spray
olive oil
To make polenta (from Williams-Sonoma "Essentials of Grilling"): Combine polenta, water and salt in a deep sauce pan, whisk together. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, stirring often until polenta thickens and pulls away from sides of pan. (This was about 20 min for me.) Remove from heat and season with good amount of pepper. Then pour into an 8 or 9 inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. The recipe says to refrigerate 24 hours, I did about 8 and it was fine.
To grill polenta: Turn polenta out of pan onto a flat surface and cut into 4 squares. Brush both sides of each square lightly with olive oil and grill about 5 minutes each side on medium-high heat

For burgers:
about 3/4 lb ground turkey
1/2 white or red onion, chopped (use about 1/4 cup if you don't love onions as much as I do)
1 slice bread, finely crumbled or pulsed to small crumbs in food processor
1/2 tsp cumin
pinch red pepper flakes
about 10 drops Tabasco
1 egg, lightly beaten
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well and use your hands to form 4 patties. Grill on the stove-top or barbecue for about 8 minutes each side over medium-high heat, or until a meat thermometer registers 165 degrees.

Toppings:
2 poblano pepper

4 slices cheddar cheese (optional)
1 tomato, cut into thick slices
1/2 red onion, cut into thin slices
salsa, for serving
Cut peppers in half and remove seeds. Place peppers on a sheet o foil over medium-high heat, and grill about 20 minutes, or until the skin becomes black and blistery. At this point, wrap the foil around the peppers and let them sit about 20 more minutes, off the grill. Unwrap and remove skins from peppers. Discard the skins.

To assemble burgers: place one half pepper on each polenta square. Top with burger, cheese (if desired), tomato, onions, and salsa. Enjoy.

Read more...

Corn encrusted chicken with fruity pico de gallo and cilantro lime rice

I have had corn encrustment on the brain lately. "Oh gross," you are thinking,"is she really going to tell us about her foot disease on a cooking blog?" But no, I'm not referring to some sort of foot disease. I'm talking about encrusting meat with corn meal, and then cooking it.

I really don't know why this idea popped into my head, but it has been there a while, and it won't go away. So today I decided I would finally do it.
Originally I kept thinking about corn encrusted halibut, but something (we'll call it lack of monetary means to support possible culinary disaster with expensive fish) stood in my way. So, the old standby: skinless, boneless chicken breast.

On a day like today- in the mid-seventies- you don't want to turn on the oven, so I decided to barbecue the chicken, and I was shocked (for some reason) when it actually turned out really good. This is a great summer meal because its light and fresh tasting, really simple, fairly healthy, and the rice dish could even be served cold so you wouldn't have to turn the oven on at all.

Corn encrusted chicken with fruity pico de gallo 
and cilantro lime rice
serves 2
1 jalapeno, minced
1 cup pineapple, diced
1/2 cup mango, diced
1 cup red onion, diced
1 tbsp lime juice
3/4 cup chopped cilantro, divided + more for serving
2 chicken breasts
1/3 cup cornmeal (such as Maseca)
salt and pepper
cayenne pepper
cumin
about 3 cups cooked rice
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp lime juice
several turns freshly ground pepper

for serving:

sour cream

cotija cheese

lime wedges

cilantro

Combine first five ingredients in a medium bowl, add 1/4 cup of the chopped cilantro. Mix and set aside.

Rinse the chicken breasts and pat dry with a paper towel. Season both sides of both chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Spread corn meal out in an even layer on a plate and sprinkle with cayenne pepper and cumin. Lay both chicken beasts onto the corn meal, then flip them, so that the corn meal sticks to both sides of the chicken. Heat a bbq to medium-high heat. Cook chicken on each side for about 8 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reaches 165.

Mix pre-cooked rice together with salt, lime juice, pepper, and 1/2 cup of the chopped cilantro.

Serve each chicken breast with a scoop of rice, the fruity pico de gallo, sour cream, cotija, lime wedges, and the remaining cilantro. Enjoy. 

Read more...

Arepas con Frijoles

 My Latino heritage has been calling me: I have been absolutely craving good Latino food lately. Not just a generic burrito or quesadilla, but something fresh and homemade, and simple of course. When this sort of craving strikes, I always turn to the same food: arepas. 

Okay, okay, so I am not technically Latina. But, my wonderful step-mother, Bertha, is from Colombia, and arepas are her specialty and we have made them together several times. That counts a little bit, right? Bertha serves arepas with scrambled eggs and cheese whenever my husband and I visit around breakfast time (thus making that our favorite time to visit). 

I, however, like to turn my arepas into a sort of tostada with beans and cheese and salsa. Part of my Latino food craving involved cotija cheese, so I incorporated it into this dish. Cotija is a Mexican cheese that is crumbly and salty like feta, but the flavor is more mild. It can be found in any specialty shop that has different cheeses, or in almost any grocery store that has a Hispanic food section. The arepas themselves are pretty much just a really thick tortilla, so they are easier to make than tortillas, and no special tortilla press is needed. Bertha has a specific brand of masa (or, instant corn masa flour) that she uses to make her arepas, but I just use whatever is available, which is usually meseca brand. Masa can be found in grocery stores with Hispanic food sections, or any Mexican tienda you come across will be sure to have it. 

This recipe is really easy to make, and the colors make it eye-appealing as well. It can be doubled or tripled really easily, and its inexpensive, making it a great party dish. So, blast the Celia Cruz music, invite over some amigos, and get cookin'!

Arepas con Frijoles

serves about 4

for the arepas:

2 cups masa

2 cups water

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp vegetabel oil

for the bean mix:

2 tsp olive oil

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 cup white onion, chopped

6 cups beans, rinsed if canned (I used 1/2 black and 1/2 pinto)

1 tsp cumin

for the salsa:

1 cup red onion

2 tomatoes

1 serrano chili pepper, seeds removed

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp salt

juice of 1 lime

for garnish:

1/2 cup cotija, crumbled

1/2 cup cilantro 

2 limes, wedged

To make the arepas, mix the masa, water, and salt with a wooden spoon. Let the mix sit for a few minutes and absorb the water. Then grab a handful; the mix should stick together easily, but not stick to your hands. Add more masa if it is too sticky, more water if too crumbly. Heat vegetable oil on a griddle or large pan over medium- high heat. Scoop out about 1/4 cup of the mixture, form into a ball, and then flatten with you palms, turning the arepa as you go.  Place arepa on the griddle and let cook until golden-brown spots start to form on the under-side. Flip the arepa and cook until golden-brown spots form on the other side. Repeat until all the mixture is used up.

For the beans, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and white onion. Heat until the onion starts to brown, moving pan occasionally so there is no burning. Add the beans and toss with the onions. Sprinkle the cumin over top. Let the mixture cook about five more minutes. Then transfer to a bowl and mash with a potato masher.

To make the salsa, I was lazy and threw all of the ingredients in a food processor. However, if you are wanting something a little more like pico de gallo, simply mince the garlic and chili pepper, and chop up the tomato and red onion and then just stir it all together with the salt and lime juice. 

To assemble arepas, place two arepas on each plate, top with about one cup of the bean mixture, and a couple tablespoons worth of each of the salsa, cotija, and cilantro. Squeeze lime wedge over the arepas. Disfruta. Enjoy. 

Read more...

Brie (or cotija!), mango, cilantro, and red onion quesadillas

So, last night I made these amazing quesadillas. I had to make them again for lunch today so I could photograph them, because I had no idea last night that I would be starting a blog today. Darn.

I originally got the idea from a recipe on Fresh365 ( I love that blog*). I didn't have any walnuts, but I still wanted a crunch, so I substituted red onions. After that addition, the cilantro that is about to go bad in my fridge was a no-brainer. They are so simple, so easy, and so addictive. So watch out, or you may be having them for lunch and dinner also.

update on 6/2/11-okay, a quick note- I just made these with cotija cheese, and they were, if possible, even better. Please try this, you won't be sorry

Brie, mango, cilantro, and red onion quesadillas

• 1/2  cup mango, thinly sliced
• about 4 oz brie, thinly sliced (or a good amount of cotija)
• about 1/4 cup cilantro
• 2 tbsp chopped red onion
• 4 tortillas (i love the wheat flour and corn from trader joe's)

Lay out 1/4 cup of the mango and about 2 oz brie over one tortilla. Microwave 30 seconds.
Heat 2 tsp olive oil on a skillet. Place tortilla on the skillet, with brie and mango facing up (otherwise you will have quite a mess!). Spread 2 tbsp cilantro and 1 tbsp red onion over the brie and mango on the tortilla. Place the other tortilla over the one on the skillet. Heat both sides until golden-brown spots start to appear.
Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Enjoy. (serves 2)

*that blog is, sadly, no longer around... Happily, I think the gal quit because she is a new mama :-)

Read more...