Stuffed Pasta: Shells and Cannelloni

When we all lived in the same town, my adult children would gather at my house to celebrate their birthdays. Our tradition was for them to choose the main dish they wanted and I would prepare it as their birthday dinner. Invariably the choice was something Italian and most often it was stuffed shells, a delicious…but labour intensive…pasta dish, overflowing with cheeses and swimming in a rich red sauce.

I make this dish vegetarian, but you can make it with a meat sauce if you’d like.

Stuffed Pasta: Shells and Cannelloni
Ingredients:
2 boxes large pasta shells or cannelloni, uncooked
2 qts (8 cups) Sicilian Pasta Sauce (Basic recipe)
1 quart (4 cups) ricotta cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese (Asiago or Scarmozza can be used)
1 cup each finely grated Romano and Parmesan cheese
1 large onion, finely minced
6 cloves garlic, crushed or put through garlic press
1 tbsp olive oil
½ cup finely minced fresh basil
1 tbsp dried oregano or Italian seasonings, ground to a powder

Preparation:
Boil pasta in salted water. Remove from heat as soon as they are flexible and plunge into cold water to stop the cooking process. If the pasta is cooked until soft, it will tear more easily while handling. Keep pasta in water to prevent sticking together.

Procedure:
Spray a 9” x 13” x 3” baking pan with cooking spray. It would be a good idea to use a nice pan, like a Correlle dish, as this is usually served in the same dish in which it was baked. Set oven to 350°F (180°C).

Sauté onion, garlic, and seasonings together in oil until onion is translucent. Set aside to cool a bit, then mix thoroughly with the ricotta cheese. Add egg and ½ cup each Romano and Parmesan cheese and mix thoroughly.

Ladle a half cup of sauce into bottom of pan and spread around.

Fill a pastry bag, with largest nozzle attached, with cheese mixture.

To fill shells: remove a shell from water and gently shake off excess water. Cradle shell in the palm of left hand, open side up. Insert nozzle of pastry bag into opening and squeeze gently, filling shell until a bit of the filling mounds out the opening. Gently lay shell, open side up, on the sauce in the pan and repeat until shells or filling is gone.

To fill cannelloni: remove a tube from water and gently shake off excess water. Cradle tube in the palm of left hand, one open end against the base of your thumb. Insert nozzle of pastry bag into other open end and squeeze bag gently, filling tube until a bit of the filling sticks out the opening. Gently lay tube on the sauce in the pan and repeat until tubes or filling is gone.

Once all shells/cannelloni are filled, cover with sauce and sprinkle each shell/tube with the remaining cheeses. Cover the dish with foil, tenting slightly to prevent the foil from sticking to the cheese. Bake for a minimum of 45 minutes or until the cheese in the middle is melted.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Variations:
Florentine: Thaw a packet of frozen chopped spinach. Squeeze 1 cup spinach tightly with your hands over the sink to wring out as much water as possible. Chop finely and add to ricotta mixture. Continue with recipe.

With Meat: Use the Meat version of the sauce


Photos by ninjapoodles and madaise, flickr

Easy, Cheesy Lasagne

Just like every family has its own recipe for sauce, so does every family have its own recipe for lasagne . There is no single “right way” to make it, although I have tasted quite a number of “wrong ways” over the years.

Here in South Africa, lasagne has very little cheese in it. Instead, they make it layered with what they optimistically call “béchamel sauce,” which is actually nothing more than a simple flour-based white sauce, gooey and tasteless. Personally, I find it disgusting and will not buy lasagne here. So, when I want lasagne, I have to make it myself…and the recipe below is how I do it.

Again, this qualifies as an authentic dish since Old Joe taught this to me and he learned it from his mother. The original recipe must be more than 100 years old by now. This can be made vegetarian by using the Basic Sauce recipe instead of the meat sauce recipe.

This is the perfect “pot luck” dish…in fact, whenever I took this to a potluck dinner, it was always the first dish to be emptied. Everybody loves lasagne!


Lasagne

Prepare a 9”x 13”x 3” baking pan by spraying well with cooking spray. Set oven to 325°F (165°C). Cut a piece of aluminium foil 1 ½ times the width of the dish and its full length.

Ingredients:
2 quarts (8 cups) Meat Sauce
1 package dry lasagne noodles
1 quart (4 cups) ricotta cheese
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese (Asiago or Scarmozza can be used)
1 cup each grated Romano and Parmesan cheese
1 large onion, finely minced
6 cloves garlic, crushed or put through garlic press
1 tbsp olive oil
1-2 cups sliced mushrooms (optional)
½ cup coarsely cut fresh basil
1 tbsp dried oregano or Italian seasonings

Preparation:
Boil noodles in salted water. Remove from heat as soon as they are flexible and plunge into cold water to stop the cooking process. If the noodles are cooked until they are soft, they tear more easily while handling. Keep noodles in water, otherwise they will stick together.

Sauté onion, garlic, seasonings and mushrooms together in oil until onion is translucent. Set aside to cool a bit, then mix thoroughly with the ricotta cheese.

Ladle some sauce into the bottom of the pan and spread it around. Place a layer of noodles on the sauce. Cut length of noodle to fit if necessary. Generously spread a layer of the ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles, then sprinkle generously with mozzarella, followed by Romano and Parmesan, then a layer of sauce. Now put another layer of noodles on top of the sauce and repeat the process. End with a layer of sauce, then sprinkle with any remaining cheeses.

Cover the dish with foil, tenting slightly to prevent the foil from sticking to the cheese. Bake for a minimum of 45 minutes or until the cheese in the middle is melted.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. This allows the cheeses to set a bit. Cut into 3” squares and serve with a salad on the side and more grated cheeses at the table.


Photo by lachlan, flickr

Italian Meatballs

So, when you think of spaghetti, what is the first accompaniment that comes to mind? Why, meatballs, of course!

Firm, finely textured meatballs make a fabulous addition to sauce. It is important, however, to make sure they are fully cooked and their fat rendered out before adding them to the sauce or they can disintegrate in the sauce and even make it greasy. It is also important to make sure ingredients like onion and garlic are finely minced so that the meatballs will compact well and hold their shape.

Sorry, but I don’t have a vegetarian version for this one! You are welcome to include your own in a comment, though!

Italian Meatballs
Ingredients:
2 lbs (1 kg) extra lean ground beef (ground chuck is best)
1 large onion, finely minced
1 large egg, beaten
⅔ cup catsup or tomato paste
6 slices moistened (see below) white bread (or 1 cup sieved bread crumbs)
2 tbsp dried oregano or Italian seasonings
1 clove garlic minced or put through press
½ tsp salt

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

If using bread: hold each slice of bread under cold running water until thoroughly moistened. Squeeze firmly to remove water.

Combine meat, onion, garlic, seasonings, egg, salt and bread or bread crumbs in a large bowl. Add half the catsup. Mix thoroughly with hands, making sure to rub bread crusts so they disintegrate and blend into the meat mixture. The mixture should be firm but not dry: if too dry, add a little catsup so soften, if too moist, add a little bread crumbs to absorb excess moisture.

Make meatballs by taking handfuls of meat slightly larger than a walnut and rolling the mixture firmly in the hands to make a ball. Meatballs can be slightly larger, but anything bigger than a golf ball can have problems retaining its integrity as it cooks and the fat renders out.

Place the meatballs on the baking sheet, allowing a small space between them. They should shrink slightly during cooking, so they don’t need much space. You can “crowd” the pan with them.

Bake until a meatball, pierced with a skewer, releases clear juices. If the juices are pink, they are not done. Begin checking after they have been in the oven for 25 minutes.

When the meatballs are done, remove from the oven and set aside to cool on absorbent paper. This is an important step, because as the meatballs cool they will contract further and the outside will dry and toughen up a bit, allowing them to go into the sauce later without disintegrating.

During the last 20 minutes of cooking the sauce, add the meatballs. Remove them to a separate platter for serving.


Photo of meatballs by Powi, Flickr

Pasta Sauce Sicilian

Many years ago I was married to a man of Sicilian descent. His father, horrified at what I called spaghetti sauce, took it upon himself to teach me how to make proper sauce.

This is not a quick sauce. It takes several hours and a lot of attention to make properly, so I like to make it on a weekend or holiday. Often, I make a double or triple batch of the basic sauce and freeze it in quart-sized containers, allowing me to have the lovely flavour of this long-cooking sauce without having to spend the time.

This is an authentic sauce, a Sicilian-style sauce exactly the way I was taught to make it by a 58-year-old Sicilian man back in 1966. He learned it from his mother, so it goes back a long way. You may make your own variations, of course, but remember that when you do, the sauce you end up with should not be called Sicilian-style because it will no longer be.

The basic (vegetarian ) sauce is used in a variety of dishes other than spaghetti, like lasagne and cannelloni, and the variations Old Joe gave me are shown at the end of the recipe.

Pasta Sauce Sicilian Style
(Basic Sauce)

Ingredients:
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
6 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 large cans peeled Roma tomatoes (Progresso (with basil) recommended)
2 6 oz. cans tomato paste (Contadina recommended)
5 tomato cans water
1 tomato can red wine (optional…water can be substituted)
½ cup fresh basil leaves, cut coarsely
1 tbsp oregano (or mixed Italian seasonings)
Salt to taste

Preparation:
In a deep pot, sauté onion, garlic and herbs in oil until onion is translucent. Add one can of tomatoes, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, mash the tomatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon and add the second can of tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, stir the pot, then mash the tomatoes against the side of the pot and add the wine and one can of water. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, add the tomato paste, stir the pot, then mash the tomatoes against the side of the pot and add two cans of water. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cook for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, add the last of the water and some salt (keeping in mind that the canned goods are already salted), stir the pot and, if any remains, mash tomatoes against the side of the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook, uncovered for a minimum of two hours. Stir the pot regularly to keep the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

The sauce is ready when it turns from bright tomato red to a darker red-brown and it no longer has tomato as a dominant flavour. Cook until desired thickness is achieved, adding water ½ cup at a time if needed.

Serving:
Serve the pasta separate from the sauce so that people can dish the amount of sauce they want on their pasta. Set out fresh Romano and Parmesan and a small hand grater so that diners can grate the amount of cheese they like over their food.

Such additions as meatballs and Italian sausage should be removed from the sauce and served in separate dishes.

Variations:
Meat Sauce (Bolognaise)
While sautéing the onion, add 1 lb (500g) fresh ground beef and chop up while frying. Drain off the rendered fat and continue with the Basic Sauce recipe.

Marinara Sauce
Peel and devein a pound (500g) of fresh uncooked shrimp. Rinse and drain well. When the sauce is ready to serve, add the shrimp, stir well, cover and let sit 3 to 5 minutes. The residual heat of the sauce will cook the shrimp without toughening it. You can add other seafood in the same manner.

Mushroom (and Olive)
Add 1-2 cups cleaned and sliced mushrooms (Portobellini recommended) to the pot as the onion is being sautéed. Continue with the Basic Sauce recipe. If olives are desired, add 1 small can of sliced olives, well drained, just before serving the sauce.

With Italian Sausage
Add fully cooked and drained Italian sausage to the sauce in the last 20 minutes of cooking. Remove from the sauce and serve on a separate platter.

With Meatballs
Add fully cooked and drained meatballs to the sauce in the last 20 minutes of cooking. Remove from the sauce and serve on a separate platter.

Photo by Brokenarts, Stock.xchange

Sandwich fillings: tuna, chicken, and egg salad

Sometimes you just get tired of the slice of ham, slice of cheese, mayo and lettuce on soft white bread, ya know? When I get tired of the same old, same old, I like the “salad” fillings for a change. Check the serving suggestions at the end, give ‘em a try and see what you think!

Tuna Salad
Ingredients:
2 cans light meat tuna packed in water, drained
½ onion (or small bunch of scallions) minced finely
1 hard boiled egg, chopped fine
1 tsp sweet pickle relish (optional)
French’s prepared mustard
Miracle Whip or other salad crème (not mayo!)
Sprinkle of ground black pepper

Preparation:
In a mixing bowl, flake drained tuna with a fork. Add egg, onion, pickle relish and toss well. Add just enough Miracle Whip to achieve a dry but spreadable consistency. Add mustard, half a teaspoon at a time, until the taste of the Miracle Whip is no longer dominant and identifiable. Sprinkle with pepper. Tastes best if allowed to rest in refrigerator for at least an hour.

Chicken Salad
Prepare Tuna Salad recipe with the following changes:
1 cup finely minced, cooked chicken breast meat in place of tuna
Omit pickle relish
Add 1 tsp fresh minced herb of your choice (I use marjoram)
Salt to taste

Egg Salad
Ingredients
6 extra large eggs, hard boiled, shelled and chilled
¼ onion (or 3 scallions) minced finely (optional)
1 tsp fresh dill or your choice of fresh herb, chopped coarsely (optional)
French’s prepared mustard
Miracle Whip or other salad crème (not mayo!)
Sprinkle of ground black pepper
Salt to taste

Preparation:
In a mixing bowl, mash egg against side of bowl with fork until egg is thoroughly broken up. Add onion and herb s and toss well. Add just enough Miracle Whip to achieve a dry but spreadable consistency. Add mustard, half a teaspoon at a time, until the taste of the Miracle Whip is no longer dominant and identifiable. Sprinkle with pepper. Tastes best if allowed to rest in refrigerator for at least an hour.

Serving:
It isn’t just the filling that makes a good sandwich, it is the bread and the additions. Try some of these:

Serve on toasted bread or bagels or rye
Serve on a stout artisan bread
A soft sourdough is fabulous with any of these
Stuff a pita with the tuna and add some well-drained Salsa Fresca
A slice of provolone cheese is wonderful with the tuna
Melt some cheese over the top of the filling before putting on the top slice
Add some feta to the tuna or chicken
Stuff a hollowed-out tomato with the tuna or chicken and reduce the calories!
Serve with a slice of tomato and a leaf of crisp lettuce on top
Crumble crisp bacon over the egg salad
Or add some sliced black olives to the egg salad
Sliced avocados on the chicken salad is fab!
A piece of roasted green chili on the chicken salad is also great
Make a wrap with the tuna or chicken salad and take to work for lunch
Spread on crackers, add a tiny herb garnish and you have instant canapés!
Use them as fillings for finger sandwiches for tea

Comment me with your favourite ways of serving!


Photo by jslander flickr

Breakfast Burritos

It’s not really Mexican food, but a delicious, convenient way to make a yummy…and portable…breakfast. You can eat these at the table, by the pool, even in the car (if you wrap it well).

Breakfast burritos have been a personal favourite for years…easy to prepare, easy to eat, and tasty!

Breakfast burritos

Ingredients:
1 large flour tortilla, warmed
2 eggs, whisked
¼ cup cream
1 tsp butter
2 slices bacon, fried, drained, and crumbled
¼ cup chopped green onion tops (optional)
¼ tsp garlic oil (or a dash of garlic powder) (optional)
1 tbsp Salsa Fresca (thoroughly drained) (optional)
1 slice yellow cheese (optional)
Salt to taste

Preparation:
First fry, drain, and crumble bacon.

Melt butter in skillet over very low heat. Combine egg and cream in a cup or bowl and whisk together. Pour egg into butter and stir around. When the egg is almost set, add other ingredients (except cheese) and mix together.

When egg is set, turn out onto tortilla, break cheese into two pieces and lay over hot egg mixture, and wrap into a burrito. (Instructions to wrap a burrito at the link.)


Photo of breakfast burrito by bradley j flickr

Drinks: Cocktails and Warm Fuzzies

With summer comes entertaining and with entertaining comes drinks. I’m not into trendy combos that exist either to see how many different kinds of booze you can combine without grossing out the drinker, nor am I into trendy drinks. I’m old and I like the classics. Here are some of my favourite libations, both cold and hot:

Mimosa
Ingredients:
Chilled champagne flute
Fresh orange or tangerine juice
Chilled dry champagne
Preparation:
Fill champagne flute half full with juice. Tilt and gently fill to the top with champagne

Passionate Mimosa
Ingredients:
Chilled champagne flute
Fresh orange or tangerine juice
Passionfruit (granadilla) juice
Chilled dry champagne
Preparation:
Fill champagne flute one third full with citrus juice
Fill it another third full with passionfruit juice
Tilt and gently fill to the top with champagne

Virgin Mimosa
Ingredients:
Chilled champagne flute
Fresh orange or tangerine juice
Chilled ginger ale
Preparation:
Fill champagne flute half full with juice
Tilt and gently fill to the top with ginger ale

Bloody Mary
Ingredients:
Tall chimney glass filled with ice
Chilled tomato juice or V-8 juice
Tobasco® sauce (optional)
Worcestershire sauce
Angostura bitters (optional)
Salt and pepper (optional)
One shot of vodka
Thin stalk of celery
Preparation:
Pour vodka over ice
Fill to near top with juice
Add one shake of Worcestershire and bitters and stir with long spoon
Add Tabasco® and seasonings
Insert celery like a stirrer

Virgin Mary
Same as above except omit vodka

Margarita
Ingredients:
Chilled Margarita or Martini glass
Mixing container and strainer
Ice
Table salt poured into a saucer
Fresh lime, quartered
1 part Triple Sec
2 parts lemon or lime juice
3 parts silver tequila
Preparation:
Run cut side of lime around the rum of the glass; turn glass upside down and place in salt; twist back and forth until rim is crusted with salt.

Pour Triple Sec, juice and tequila into mixing container. Shake or stir until liquid is chilled. Strain into salt-rimmed glass to prevent ice from getting into the glass and diluting the drink. Garnish with the lime quarter.

Gin and Tonic
Ingredients:
Tall chimney glass filled with ice
1 shot gin (recommended: Bombay Sapphire)
Tonic water (can be sugar-free, recommended: Schweppes)
Slice of lemon or wedge of lime
Stirring stick
Preparation:
Pack glass with ice and pour in gin. Top up with tonic water, run lemon or lime around rim of glass and toss lemon or lime into drink. Add stick and stir.

Sangria Blanca
Ingredients:
1 small tube frozen lemonade
3 cups white wine (sweet is best but dry works)
1 lemon, sliced
1 orange, sliced
A lot of ice
Preparation:
Mix lemonade according to package directions in a punchbowl or large pitcher. Add wine and ice. Float lemon and orange slices on top.

Sangria Rosa
Ingredients:
1 small tube frozen pinklemonade
3 cups rosé wine
1 lemon, sliced
1 blood orange, sliced
A lot of ice
Preparation:
Mix lemonade according to package directions in a punchbowl or large pitcher. Add wine and ice. Float lemon and orange slices on top.

Irish Coffee
Ingredients:
Large (8oz or larger) coffee mug
6 oz hot coffee
1 shot cognac, brandy, or Irish whiskey
Sugar or sweetener (optional)
Whipped cream
Powdered cocoa or ground cinnamon
Preparation:
Warm mug by rinsing with hot water. Pour in cognac then hot coffee, leaving 1” headspace. Add sweetener if desired and stir. Top with a froth of whipped cream and dust with either cocoa or cinnamon. Serve with long spoon.

Mocha Irish Coffee
Ingredients:
Large (8oz or larger) coffee mug
6 oz hot coffee
1 shot cognac, brandy, or Irish whiskey
1 spoonful hot chocolate mix
Sugar or sweetener (optional)
Whipped cream
Powdered cocoa
Preparation:
Warm mug by rinsing with hot water. Mix hot chocolate mix in bottom of cup with a small amount of hot coffee. Stir to dissolve. Pour in cognac, then hot coffee, leaving 1” headspace. Add sweetener if desired and stir. Top with a froth of whipped cream and dust with cocoa. Serve with long spoon.

Hot Toddy
Ingredients:
8 oz lemonade, prepared
1 tsp honey
1 shot rum or Southern Comfort
Preparation:
Heat lemonade to just below boiling and pour into a tall mug. Add honey and stir until honey is dissolved. Add rum and stir.

Mulled Cider or Wine
Ingredients:
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp orange zest
1 tsp lemon zest
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp whole cloves
2 tsp whole allspice
4 cups red wine or cider
Several long rolled cinnamon sticks
Preparation:
Combine first 7 ingredients in a pot with two cups of wine or cider. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from stove and strain into a pitcher. Add remaining wine/cider to the spiced mixture. Pour into individual cups and add a long rolled cinnamon stick as a stirrer.

Photo of margarita by Ralph and Jenny, Flickr
Photo of mimosas by Rick, Flickr

Mild, Marvelous Chili con Carne

Chili con Carne is a Tex-Mex dish that has as many interpretations. There is no one authentic recipe, so what I offer here is my version, a mild dish with enough chili powder for taste but not enough to burn…seriously, folks, you can feed this chili to little kids! And, by omitting the meat, you can make it vegetarian…just serve with rice to make a complete protein!

This is a particularly tasty chili…it substitutes flavour for heat. At the end of the recipe are a bunch of variations, ways to spice it up or make it more fancy. Make the dish according to the basic recipe the first time, so you know how it is supposed to taste, then go for your own variations in subsequent renditions. Of the many things I cook for him, this is my husband’s absolute favourite.

This is fast for a home-cooked chili. It takes about 15 minutes to assemble, then you leave it to simmer for about 2 hours. It is a great winter dish as the bubbling pot will warm your home and perfume it with a delectable spicy scent, but this works well for outdoor cooking as well. Put the ingredients together and take it along for picnics, beach parties, barbeques, tailgate parties, and let it simmer along on a bed of coals or on the barbeque until the ingredients turn a brownish colour and the flavours marry.

Chili con Carne

Ingredients:
1 lb (500g) ground meat of your choice (I like coarsely ground chuck)
1 onion coarsely chopped
4 (or more) cloves of garlic, crushed (I like roasted garlic in this)
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)
½ tsp chili powder (more if you like it hot)
2 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp garam masala (available in any Indian grocery or on the internet)
2 to 4 roasted chilies (canned Ortega chilies are fine), chopped
2 cans crushed tomatoes (400g ea)
2 cans red kidney beans (400g ea)
2 cans 4-bean mix (that does not include green beans) (400g ea)
2 cans water (fill up the bean cans to rinse them out and put water in pot)
Salt to taste (you won’t need much as the canned items are already salted)

½ lb (250g) shredded mild cheddar
One onion, finely minced

Preparation:
In a deep pot, sauté ground meat with onion, garlic, pepper, spices, and chillies until meat is brown and crumbly. Add canned items (including the liquid the beans are packed in) and water.

Bring to a fast boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook uncovered for two or more hours, stirring occasionally to keep the chili from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add small amounts of liquid if it becomes too thick too quickly. Chili is ready when it loses its tomato smell and becomes a rich brownish-red colour. It should not need thickening, as it will thicken on its own.

Serving:
Ladle chili into shallow bowls. Top with a handful of shredded cheese and a generous sprinkle of minced onion. Serve with corn tortilla chips and hot sauce on the side for those who want to heat it up.

Variations:
Make a “Chili Size”
   Grill the cut faces of a hamburger bun
   Fry two hamburger patties and put one on each grilled bun face
   Smother with chili
   Top with cheese and onion

Substitutions
Use beer instead of water after adding the beans
Use leftover shredded beef instead of ground meat
Use leftover pinto beans instead of the 4-bean mix
Use black beans and corn instead of the 4-bean mix
Cook until very thick and use as a burrito filling
Add hot chilies (Serrano, jalapeño, habañeros), seeded and chopped, to the meat while cooking
Increase amount of chili powder
Use a stronger-flavoured cheese
Use chopped green onion (scallions) as a topping
Serve with cornbread
Serve with a coarse “artisan” bread
Go vegetarian and make it without the meat


Photo by liberalmind1012 flickr

Terrific Taco Salad

This is a great dish not only for a summer supper, but for a winter meal when you really need a reminder of those lovely summer days.

You can use refried beans in a can (Rosarita is a good brand) and purchased guacamole and salsa, and if you want roasted chilis, canned ones from Ortega are excellent (drain well before using). You can even make it vegetarian by omitting the meat, doubling the portion of beans, and then frying them with the ingredients specified for the meat.

An excellent choice for a pot luck, buffet, or to feed a horde of hungry kids, it’s quick, easy, cheap and tasty!

Taco Salad
Ingredients:
1 lb (500g) very lean chopped or ground meat of your choice (ground chicken or turkey are recommended)
1 onion finely minced
2 to 4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp ground cumin
1 bullet chilli or small jalapeño, seeded and finely minced (optional)
2 (or more) roasted Anaheim or green Pimiento chillies, chopped (optional)
½ tsp chili powder (optional)
Salt to taste
1 bag corn tortilla chips, plain or your favourite flavour
1 head of iceberg lettuce, coarsely chopped
1 cup guacamole
½ cup sour cream
2 cups refried beans
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
½ cup mild red taco sauce
1 small tin sliced black olives, drained (optional)
2 cups Salsa Fresca
OR
1 cup chopped and seeded tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes
1 onion, minced
⅓ cup chopped cilantro
Small bullet chili, seeded and minced (optional)
¼ cup lemon or lime juice

Preparation:
Sauté the first 8 ingredients together until meat is browned and crumbly. Drain well to remove fat and allow to cool. When meat has cooled, toss with cheese, taco sauce, black olives, and Salsa Fresca.

Line a large salad bowl with corn chips. Add refried beans…you can use the beans like paste to get the tortilla chips to stick to the sides of the bowl. Add the lettuce, then a layer of tortilla chips. Add the meat mixture. Top with cheese, guacamole and sour cream, in that order. Garnish with cherry tomatoes, sliced or whole jalapeños, sprinkles of chopped cilantro, and/or a few slices of olive.

Serving:
Set out salad bowls or plates with tortilla chips on them and serve the salad onto the chips. Set taco sauce or hot sauce out for condiments.


Taco salad photo by EditorB, Flickr

Enchiladas in three varieties: cheese, beef, chicken

I like enchiladas almost as much as I like burritos. I say “almost” because with burritos, I just put out bowls of ingredients and the family rolls their own…with enchiladas the work is all mine.

I first tried making enchiladas when I was looking for something original to do with the leftover Christmas turkey. We were turkey sandwiched to death and I just wanted something different from the banal turkey vegetable soup. I started hunting around for chicken recipes and found one for chicken enchiladas. This is not that recipe…I didn’t like the looks of that one…but the idea for turkey enchiladas had been planted in my head and I soon added this little gem to my repertoire.

Try making more than one kind of enchilada at a time: maybe two meat, two chicken, and two cheese (which are vegetarian). Cook them all in the same dish at the same time, providing a variety of tastes at the table.

Caveat! This is not an authentic Mexican recipe, it is my interpretation of the enchilada. So if doesn’t look like it will make the enchiladas you love from Tia Maria or Pepe’s Restaurant and Panaderia, that is to be expected. But it tastes fabulous, just the same!

Enchiladas Fabuloso
(Makes 12)

Ingredients:
12 flour tortillas, warmed until they are flexible
2 lb (1 kg) ground meat or chopped chicken (optional)
2 medium onions, minced fine
2 to 4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder (optional)
2 cans (410g) La Victoria Enchilada Sauce
2 cans (410g) Old El Paso Enchilada Sauce
1 lb mild cheddar, grated
1 lb Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1 small can sliced black olives, drained
6 roasted Anaheim chilies (canned Ortega chilies are OK) (Optional)
Salt to taste

Preparation:
Set oven for 350°F. Line a 13” x 9” x 3” baking dish with foil or spray well with cooking spray.

Cook meat, one onion, garlic, bell pepper and seasonings until fully browned and broken up and crumbly. If using left over meats that are already cooked, sauté the onion, garlic, pepper and seasonings in a small amount of oil until onion is translucent and add meat and sauté just until warmed.

Open the cans of enchilada sauce and mix them together in a shallow dish (I use a pie dish). Ladle a small amount of sauce into the bottom of the baking dish and coat the bottom.

Reserve back ¾ cup enchilada sauce and ½ cup of each cheese.

Cheese enchilada: Warm a tortilla, dip it in the enchilada sauce, and lay on a plate. Spoon some of each cheese onto tortilla in a line to the side of the centre. Sprinkle with chopped onion and sliced olives. Add strips of roasted chili, if desired. Starting near the filling, roll the tortilla to enclose the filling in a “tube.” Lay the rolled tortilla, flap side down, crossways in the baking dish. Repeat until baking dish is full.

Meat or chicken enchilada: Warm a tortilla, dip it in the enchilada sauce, and lay on a plate. Spoon some meat onto tortilla in a line to the side of the centre. Cover with some of each cheese and sprinkle with chopped onion. Starting near the filling, roll the tortilla to enclose the filling in a “tube.” Lay the rolled tortilla, flap side down, crossways in the baking dish. Repeat until baking dish is full.

When baking dish is full, pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas, then top with remaining cheese, onions and olives.

Cover with foil and seal foil to baking dish. Bake until cheese is melted, about 45 minutes.

Serve with refried beans as a side dish.

Variations:
Use chopped leftover turkey in place of chicken
Shred leftover beef and use it in place of ground meat
Add some roasted Anaheim chili to a cheese enchilada before rolling up
Experiment with new kinds of cheeses
Use corn tortillas (heat first to make them flexible)
Add vegetables, like corn kernels, to the filling


Photo by wordridden, flickr

Burritos: the original “wrap”

I had to laugh the first time I saw a “wrap” on a restaurant menu. C’mon…is the word “burrito” too humble? Not chic enough? Because the first wrap I saw was just an unassuming burrito with a trendy new name.

The great thing about burritos is that you can put just about anything in them. And wrapped to enclose both ends, a burrito travels well, making a terrific lunch that, depending on the ingredients, can be eaten cold or after a short turn in the microwave.

My favourite burrito is Chile Verde, but you can use anything you have handy. Vegetarian burritos are a snap, and a simple bean burrito makes a great snack. Like tacos, burritos can be served as a tasty “assemble it yourself” meal…just put out the tortillas and a variety of fillings and allow your family to build their own
.
The original, basic burrito is presented below, along with instructions for rolling, and variations follow. See the end of the recipe for links to recipes for tortillas, beans, Chile Verde, taco meat, salsa and guacamole..

Burritos
(makes 1)

Ingredients:
1 flour tortilla, warmed and flexible (2 if the burrito is going to be stuffed full of goodies!)
⅓ cup refried or cooked beans, hot
¼ cup grated Monterey Jack (or white Mexican) cheese
Chili sauce to taste

Preparation:
Lay tortilla out flat. Place beans to one side of centre and smear up and down the length of the tortilla.

Top with cheese and sprinkle with chili sauce.

Fold according to illustration.

Eat like a hot dog…hold it in your hands and bite at the top end.

Variations: Before folding, add on top of the beans any of the following hot fillings:
– Chile Verde
– Taco filling
– Shredded beef
– cooked rice (for a vegetarian burrito)
– shredded chicken
– shredded ham
– chopped tongue

Top the filling with as many of the following as desired:
Cilantro
Avocado slices
Salsa Fresca
Guacamole
Sour cream
Shredded cheese

Or use your imagination!

Useful links:
http://svcooks.blogspot.com/2009/06/frijoles-refritos-delicioso-refried.html
http://svcooks.blogspot.com/2009/06/heart-warming-stick-to-your-ribs-bean.html
http://svcooks.blogspot.com/2009/06/chili-verde.html
http://svcooks.blogspot.com/2009/06/tacos-in-three-varieties-hard-soft-and.html
http://svcooks.blogspot.com/2009/05/guacamole-and-salsa-fresca.html
http://svcooks.blogspot.com/2009/05/homemade-flour-tortillas.html

Frijoles Refritos Delicioso (Refried Beans)

The mainstay of the traditional Mexican diet is tortillas and beans. And not just any beans…pinto beans. A common question among English speakers is why they are called “refried” beans, since they are made from beans that have not yet been fried. The answer is in a mistranslation of the Spanish word “refritos,” which actually mean “very” or “well” fried, not fried again!

You actually can use red or black beans for this dish, but the traditional frijoles refritos (and the ones prepared at my house) are made from pinto beans. Sugar beans can be substituted with no significant difference in the outcome.

Beans, whether boiled (see Bean Soup) or fried, are an essential part of the delicious burrito, and a healthy addition to your diet.

Frijoles Refritos

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked pinto or sugar beans
1 cup liquid from the bean pot
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 roasted Anaheim chili, cut into small pieces
1 small jalapeño, minced and seeded (optional)
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp chili powder (optional)
2 tbsp lard or oil
Salt to taste

Grated Monterey Jack or other mild white cheese

Preparation:
Mash beans into a paste with potato masher or fork. If too dry, add liquid, a few tablespoons at a time, until a creamy paste is achieved.

Heat lard (oil) in bottom of heavy skillet. Sauté onions, garlic, chili, cumin and chili powder until onion is translucent. Add bean paste and cook until beans are warm through. Salt if necessary,

Serving:
Top with a spoonful of cheese and serve as a side dish or as part of a burrito or other Mexican dish.

Heart warming, stick-to-your-ribs Bean Soup

There are as many ways to make a bean soup as there are kitchens and cooks! And while I have been known to occasionally put a pot of white beans on to cook, in our house, it has always been pinto beans. Not only do they a more robust flavour than white beans, the leftovers make fabulous frijoles refritos (refried beans) the next day for burritos!

Bean soup! Yum!
Ingredients:
1 lb (500kg) dry pinto or sugar beans
Water to cover
4 potatoes, cut into quarters
1 onion, coarsely chopped
2 to 4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp cooking oil
2 bayleaves, broken
4 smoked hamhocks
1 cup cubed fresh carrots (optional)
3 stalks celery, sliced (optional)
4 roasted chilies (you can used canned Ortega chilies) (optional)

White vinegar
Minced onion
Grated mild cheddar
Hot pepper sauce

Preparation:
On the night before cooking, sort the beans, rinse them, then put in a large bowl and cover with water to a depth of 2” above the level of the beans. Soak overnight.

On the day of cooking, drain and rinse the beans and set aside.

Heat oil in a deep pot and sauté onions and garlic until onion is translucent. Add beans, bay leaves, and hamhocks, then cover with water to a depth of 2” above the food. Bring to a rolling boil, reduce heat to a slow boil and cover.

Cook for 2 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally to keep beans from sticking, adding water as needed. An hour before serving, add the potatoes (and other vegetables, if using them). Soup is ready when you can squash a bean against the side of the pot with a fork or the back of a spoon. Taste before serving in case the hamhocks didn’t have enough salt in them for the whole pot of soup.

Serving:
Ladle into shallow bowls. Add 1 tsp vinegar, a sprinkle of fresh onion, some shredded cheddar, and hot sauce if you like it.

Fresh hot bread or cornbread is the perfect accompaniment.


Photo by haniela, flickr

Tacos in three varieties: hard, soft, and rolled

Who doesn’t like tacos? If the crunchy ones are too messy or the hard shells hurt your mouth, there are soft ones, and if even those are too messy, there are the much tidier rolled tacos. With a variety of fillings and toppings, no two tacos have to be alike…truly something for every taste!

Tacos
(makes 8)

Filling ingredients:
2 lbs (1 kilo) chopped or ground meat of your choice
2 onions finely minced
2 to 4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 bullet chilli or small jalapeño, seeded and finely minced (optional)
2 (or more) roasted Anaheim or green Pimiento chillies, chopped (optional)
½ tsp chili powder (optional)
Salt to taste

Other ingredients:
8 flour (for soft or rolled tacos) or corn tortillas (for crispy tacos)
½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1 cup shredded cheese (mild cheddar or Monterey Jack)
1 cup chopped and seeded tomatoes
1 cup guacamole
1 cup salsa fresca
1 cup fresh minced onion
1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
½ cup sliced black olives (optional)
½ cup sour cream
Taco or hot sauce of choice

Preparation:
Sauté filling ingredients until ground meat crumbles finely. Drain off fat and remove to a warmed, covered bowl.

For soft or rolled tacos: warm flour tortillas and stack in a warmed towel-covered plate.

For crisp taco shells: buy ready-made taco shells and warm them in the microwave
. OR
Heat 2” of oil in a pot wide enough to float a corn tortilla

When oil is boiling, drop in a corn tortilla

When hot, the tortilla will be flexible enough to fold without breaking: use tongs to fold tortilla in half with it reaches this point.

Continue to fry until tortilla becomes stiff. Remove carefully and drain on paper towelling.

Place on paper towel-covered plate and cover with a cloth towel to keep warm

Serving:
Place meat, tortillas and other ingredients on table, assembly line fashion: first the tortillas, then the meat, then the various other ingredients. Allow diners to assemble their own.

Assembly:
Crispy: fill shell half full with meat, then top with diner’s choice of other ingredients
Soft: cover one side of flour tortilla with meat, then top with diner’s choice of other ingredients; fold over the other side of the tortilla and eat.
Rolled: place meat to one side of flour tortilla, top with cheese, then a sparing amount of other ingredients. Starting at the side with the meat, roll the taco into a tube. Frequently eaten by dipping the end of the tube into guacamole and/or sour cream.

Photo of tacos by jspatchwork, flickr

Chili Verde

Verde means “green” in Spanish and Chili Verde (sometimes spelled Chile Verde) takes its name from the roasted mild green chilies that are its primary flavourant. This delicious Mexican dish can be served in a variety of ways: as a stew, as filling for burritos, or ladled over rice. It is a filling, comfort-food kind of dish that will warm the kitchen as it cooks and fill the hungriest family with satisfaction.

Chili Verde

Ingredients:
4 Anaheim or green Pimiento chilies, roasted, peeled, seeded, cut into large pieces (you can use canned chilies)
4 medium potatoes, cut into 8 pieces each
4 to 6 green tomatillos (optional), roasted, peeled, and coarsely cut into bite-sized chunks
1 jalapeño pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped small (more if desired)
4 lean boneless pork loin chops, ¾ in. thick, cut into 1” cubes
(boneless, skinless chicken breasts may be substituted)
2 medium yellow onions, coarsely chopped
2 to 4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 heaped tsp ground cumin
2 tsp cooking oil
½ tsp chili powder (more if desired)
1 cup dry white wine
Water
Salt to taste
½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro (coriander, dhania)

Preparation:
Remove husks from tomatillos and wash thoroughly to remove sticky residue. Roast per directions for Roasted Peppers and Chilies ( http://svcooks.blogspot.com/2009/06/fire-roasted-peppers-and-chilies.html ). Cut into bite-sized chunks.

Saute onion, garlic, jalapeño, seasonings, and pork in hot oil, stirring constantly to brown the meat on all sides. Add remaining ingredients (except cilantro) and enough water to completely cover the meat and vegetables.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover pan. Cook slowly until meat, potatoes and tomatillos are fork tender. More water can be added if necessary to keep the meat and veg covered. When cooking is complete, add cilantro.

Thicken broth if desired. Serve over rice or with tortillas.

Topped with grated Monterey Jack cheese and sliced avocado, this makes excellent burritos!

Fire-Roasted Peppers and Chilies

Any number of recipes call for roasted peppers and there are numerous ways to get from raw to roasted, but nothing beats a truly fire-roasted pepper or chili!

Fire roasting peppers is surprisingly easy and the use of live flame makes a distinct difference in the taste. You can use the open burners of a gas range, a gas or charcoal bbq, a gas broiler or even a chef’s torch. Whichever you choose, know in advance that roasting chilies and peppers over an open flame imparts a flavour that you simply cannot get by roasting in a stove-top pan or in the oven.

This recipe is primarily oriented towards the large, mild Anaheim chili, but the same method works for all kinds of chilies and peppers. When roasting small peppers, it may be necessary to put some kind of screen over the flame to keep them from falling through.

Fire-Roasted Peppers and Chilies

Ingredients and tools:
2 large Anaheim chilies (in places where these are not available, large Pimiento peppers that are still green will work well.)
Open flame (I use the burners of my gas stove)
Tongs
Clear plastic bags large enough to hold the peppers
Cutting board
Small sharp knife

Preparation:
Set flame to high. Lay the chilies on the burner grids. Allow skin of the chili to blister and blacken down its length. With tongs, turn chili to a green side and repeat. When entire chili is blistered and blackened, remove from the flame and put into the plastic bag. Twist bag shut and allow chili to steam in the bag for 10 minutes.

Remove chili from bag and place on cutting board. Cut off stem end and discard. Split chili down its length and open. Scrape out seeds and discard. Turn chili over and scrape off blistered and blackened skin. When chili is scraped clean, rinse in cold water.

The chilies may now be used or wrapped in plastic and frozen for future use.

Small chilies:
Small chilies should have their skin scraped before removing stem end and opening to seed. They are easier to handle that way. Be sure to wash hands thoroughly, especially under the nails, after handling hot chilies.

What to do with fire roasted chilies:
My favourite use is to make a pot of Chili Verde with them.
They are delicious with chicken, especially a chicken sandwich with cheese.
Substitute roasted chilies where a recipe calls for cooked bell pepper
Fabulous with fajitas!
Add to meat for burritos or tacos
Place a strip in a cheese enchilada

Photo of roasted peppers by jspatchwork, flickr

Fast, fabulous fajitas!

These are so amazingly easy to prepare, you can even make them at a tailgate party! Delicious, with enough variations to satisfy virtually anyone, fajitas are a quick-fix solution for snacking or dinner.

Chicken Fajitas
(makes 6)

Ingredients:
6 flour tortillas, warmed
2 chicken breasts, pounded flat and cut into ½ inch wide strips
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely minced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 large onion, cut into rings
1 medium bell pepper, seeded and cut into narrow strips
⅓ cup chopped cilantro leaves (coriander, dhania)
1 tbsp oil
Chili powder (optional)
Mesquite flavouring (optional)
Sea salt to taste
Fresh salsa (recipe on list at right)
Guacamole (recipe on list at right)
Sour cream
Grated Monterey Jack cheese or Queso Fresco (optional)
Hot sauce (chili sauce, taco sauce, etc.)

Preparation:
If preparing outdoors on a grill, tortillas can be warmed directly on the grill.

Fajita fillings must be prepared on a griddle or in a skillet. Heat oil in skillet until it sizzles. Add chicken, onion, garlic, jalapeño, bell pepper, chili powder, salt and mesquite flavouring. Cook on high heat, turning and stirring constantly until peppers and onions are soft and chicken is cooked through. Remove to a heated plate or bowl.

Serving:
Serve hot mixture and warmed tortillas with salsa, guacamole, sour cream, grated cheese, and a hot sauce. Each person assembles his own fajitas.

Assembling:
Lay a warm tortilla flat on a plate. Spoon hot mixture onto tortilla, then top with choice of condiments. Roll up (see picture) and eat.

Variations:
Use roasted Anaheim chilis in place of peppers

Use red, green, and yellow peppers for colour

Make vegetarian by using firm tofu strips in place of chicken

Substitute strips of tender steak for the chicken, or shrimp

Substitute scrambled eggs for the chicken and have a breakfast fajita

Fire roast the bell peppers before cutting and seeding

Use roasted garlic in place of fresh

Marinate chicken in some yoghurt and chili powder before cooking

Use your imagination for more variations!