Chilaquiles...it's what's for Dinner

Once again inspired by my visit to the West coast, I remembered the delicious breakfast Jess made for me on my last day there. Tapping into her family's traditions, she whipped me up a plate of chilaquiles, which were to die for.  Explaining that her family's version was quite unique since they kept the tortillas crispy, I was in the mood to try it too.  While mine didn't stay crispy unfortunately, I liked them just the same and instead of eating them for breakfast, I enjoyed them as a special dinner treat.  Dan liked them too and compared them to Matzoh Brie.

Dinner Chilaquiles (serves 1)
2 eggs, beaten
2 corn tortillas, sliced into triangles
1/2 small red onion, chopped fine
2 tbs of pickled jalapenos, chopped (adjust portion to your taste, and if you don't like spicy food, you can omit this altogether)
Small bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
Habanero salsa (or something of your choice, but it should be tomato based)
3 slices of fresh avocado
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Directions:
In a stainless medium sized skillet, heat oil until hot and then add onions, jalapenos and tortillas.  Cook for about 5 - 6 minutes, stirring to make sure that the tortillas get a nice, golden brown color.

Add eggs and stir in slowly with a wooden spoon to incorporate all the ingredients.  Add salt and pepper.  Lower the heat and mix in the salsa and stir for another minute or two.

Transfer to a bowl, season with fresh cilantro and top with avocado.

When in Rancho...Eat Nopales!

During my recent stay in San Francisco, I ended the trip by flying out to LA and visiting friends, Jess, Adrian and their little boy Declan.  They live in a town called Rancho Cucamonga, which is a fabulous name and an even prettier town that overlooks the gorgeous San Gabriel Mountains (see above pic).  

I was welcomed by my friends with a fabulous homemade dinner hosted by Jess' mom, Martha who made a traditional Mexican meal.  It was oh so delicious and made with love that emanated from the food.  My personal favorite that was just so different from anything I've ever had was the Nopales or cactus salad, inspired by Jess' grandfather's recipe.  The salad was fresh and earthy and included not only the smooth cactus but also tomatoes, red onions and a really light dressing.  I asked for the rough recipe and decided to recreate it at home.  I hope you give it a try.

Nopales Salad a La Martin Family

Ingredients (serves 2)
3 fresh cacti, de-prickled (you can get these in any specialty Latin market)
2 medium sized tomatoes, seeded and chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
1/4 cup of red onion, chopped fine
1/2 avocado, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
Olive oil and white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Place the cactus in a saucepan and cover in water.  Let boil and then lower heat to let it simmer for about 1 hour or until the cactus get soft.  Let cool for about 15 minutes and then slice the cactus into 1/2 inch pieces.  Combine cactus with the rest of the above ingredients and stir together with a wooden spoon.  Season with olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper to your liking.  Enjoy with your favorite Mexican entree like enchiladas, fajitas, quesadillas or what have you.

A special thanks to Jess' mom Martha for making this fabulous dish! I hope you all enjoy it.

My Spin on Summery Mexican Chicken

Since it's taken me a little while to get back in the swing of things with cooking (due to my travelling), I was happy to finally make a nice, from-scratch, healthy dish last night that I'd love to share with you.  In the mood for Mexican flavors such as avocado, lime, tomato and cilantro, I used a simple BBQ'd chicken leg and topped it with a homemade chunky guacamole salad you see here.  The whole thing rested on a bed of whole wheat cous-cous, which was also tasty and flavored with toasted pepitas, chopped red onions and cilantro too.  Overall, the flavors were refreshing, light and summery - give it a try, and see what you think.

Fooditka's Summery Mexican Chicken

Ingredients (serves 2)

6 chicken legs (preferably using organic free range chicken)
1 fresh lime
1/2 avocado
Large handful of cherry tomatoes, quartered
A quarter of a small red onion, finely chopped
Small handful of cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 cup of whole wheat cous-cous
Small handful of toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat a grill or a grillpan on high and lightly oil it.

In the meantime, prepare the chicken by seasoning it with salt and pepper (generously) and then rubbing it with a sliced lime, letting the flavors set in a bit.

Place chicken on hot grill or grillpan and cook for about 25 minutes, alternating sides.

Combine the avocado, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lime juice and salt and pepper to make the chunky guacamole that will top the chicken.

Cook the cous-cous according to the directions on the box and mix in a small handful of onions, pepitas and cilantro.

Arrange the dish in a bowl, first adding the cous-cous, then topping it with the chicken and then the chunky guac.

Enjoy and get a beer to wash it down while you're at it!

Happy Cinco With My Homemade Guacamole

Hope everyone is having a happy and safe Cinco de Mayo.  Whether you're out partying or staying in and making your own fiesta, I wanted to provide you with a fun recipe for something simple and quintessentially Mexican - Guacamole. 

I've made the below recipe on so many occasions that I've lost count.  It's always well received and people comment on how flavorful it is.  I have to say, the secret to making really good guacamole is to not skimp on salt.  There are so many mediocre guacs out there that would be oh so fabulous with just a pinch of salt.  You can make the version below chunky or smooth, that's up to you.  Enjoy it with good homemade tortilla chips.  See recipe for that below as well.

Foodista's Homemade Guacamole (serves 6)

Ingredients:
3 large, ripe avocados

The juice of 1/2 lemon or lime

1/4 cup or less (eyeball it) of chopped red onion
Small handful of golden raisins

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Cut the avocado in half and take out the pit.  Scoop out all the avocado flesh and place it in a medium bowl.  Add the onions and the lemon/lime juice and mash with a fork or a pestle.  Mash to the consistency that you prefer (I like it slightly chunky).  Add golden raisins at the end and mix roughly with a fork.  Season with salt and pepper.

I like to save the pit and serve it in the guacamole for a fancier presentation.

Homemade Tortilla Chips (serves 6)

Ingredients:
10-12 rounds of soft flour tortillas
Vegetable oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a large deep pot (I like to use my Les Creuset), pour enough oil to cover about 1/3 of its depth.  Put the heat on medium - high to make sure the oil is super hot.

Cut the tortillas into eights and separate the pieces with your fingers.  When the oil is very hot, submerge the tortilla pieces into the oil.  Let them fry for about 2 - 3 minutes or until they look crispy and golden and float to the surface. 

Remove with a spider and drain.  Season with salt and pepper.

Meg's Salsa Verde Chicken - Simple, Healthy and Bursting with Flava

Meg and I were sitting at Da Franco's one day when she told me about the most amazing (yet simple) chicken dish she made for her and her boyfriend Tom.  Her instructions, using poached chicken cooked in basically no fat (water instead of stock) made me curious to try a new way of making chicken.  I'm not a big poacher and usually bake or sautee my protein. However, since trying this dish, I'm a total convert.  Try it on a casual weeknight or make it for friends - you can certainly dress this baby up or down. 

Meg's Salsa Verde Chicken (serves 2)

Ingredients

1 full chicken breast, preferably organic/humanely raised

Water

Spices - Amounts undetermined, whatever you like.  Meg used salt, black pepper, cumin, Mexican oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes.  I used salt, pepper and spicy Mexican seasoning from Crema restaurant.

Salsa Verde - 1 12 oz jar.  We both used the one from Trader Joe's
1 cup of brown rice
Generous handful of Mexican cheese such as a cheddar/jalapeno mix

Fresh cilantro, chopped (about 1 small handful)

Directions:

Make rice according to directions on the packaging.

Cut up the chicken breast into pieces like chicken tenders.

Bring water and spices to a boil and add chicken.  Turn heat down to encourage a gentle boil.  Cook chicken in liquid for as long as it takes to cook all the way through - maybe 15 minutes or so.

Drain the chicken, and put on a plate. Rinse out the pot.  Shred the chicken using two forks (one to steady the warm chicken and the other one to do the shredding).  No need to wash off any errant spices, they just add to the dish.

Put shredded chicken back in the pot and dump in a jar of Salsa Verde.  Further shred any chicken you would like. 

Simmer for about 15 minutes.

Plate by putting the rice on the bottom of a medium bowl, then top with Salsa Verde chicken, cheese and fresh cilantro.  Since the chicken will still be warm, it'll melt the cheese, providing a wonderfully gooey texture.

Note from Meg:

This is a "base dish"- chicken breasts cooked in spiced liquid with sauce.   You could make this with salsa roja, moles of all kinds, Moroccan sauce, Thai sauce - anything!  Use a corresponding grain and/or legume.  It could be made into an Indian dish with a curry sauce, basmati rice, and dal.  If you cooked it simply in chicken broth and salt and pepper, with white rice it would be a mild dish when you're not feeling so great but need nourishment.

Thanks for a great idea Meg!