Mango Salsa

I read somewhere that one of top 10 things that Americans miss the most when overseas is Mexican food.  I completely get this...in fact it frightens me a bit.  I think we are a bit spoiled and used to eating a variety foods here in the US....chinese, mexican, thai, italian and vietnamese in the same week is pretty normale. While you can definitely find more variety in larger cities while traveling, it's a bit more difficult in smaller towns.  My mom made Thai food all the time growing up so it's definitely one of my favorites, but after just two weeks in Thailand eating only Thai food, I was craving anything in the world that was not Thai food.  There was definitely never a mexican restaurant to be seen.

Rumor has it that Mexican restaurants are a bit few and far between in Italy as well.  While I know I will happily eat all of that fresh seafood that's abundant near Italy's shores, I also know I will miss my Mexican, and well, let's be honest here, TexMex.   I've been gorging myself on brekkie burritos, enchiladas, chile rellenos and my favorite...fish tacos. 

How traditional are fish tacos?  I have no idea but in my mind they fall somewhere in the Mex or TexMex category also known as bites of heaven on earth.  They have to be one of the most perfect foods because they encompass just about every ying and yang out there: sweet salsa with savory fish, crunch cabbage with soft, chewy tortilla shell and of course spicy hot flavors with creamy cooling yogurt.  

Fish tacos are also about one of the easiest things to throw together too.   I think it's all about the mango salsa. 

Mango, tomatoes, cilantro, onion, lime juice and a bit of salt.  I used frozen mangoes that I thawed out because my freezer is bursting with food to be finished off.  Fresh mangos are obviously better but the frozen kind are still pretty good if you are in a hurry or not in the mood to peel and dice fresh ones. 

I've used mahi mahi, salmon and halibut and all were fantastic.  Just sprinkle with your favorite blackening spice and grill or bake. 

I add a bit of fresh chipotle or chipotle powder to my greek yogurt but if you think the spice in the salsa is enough, you can top with just plain 'ole greek yogurt. 

I'd packed away most of my baking pans and tools and thrown out my masa, so needed to pick up tortillas.  I found these at Sprouts--flour and corn all in one?!  They were awesome--soft and tender and slightly chewy like a flour tortilla with all the flavor of a corn tortilla.  Who knew such magic even existed? 

Store bought tortillas, blackened fish, chopped cabbage, yogurt and salsa...it doesn't get any easier or better than this. 

Rumor has it that people who go to Italy also miss puppy kisses and snuggles.  A lot. 

Mango Salsa

Ingredients

2 c chopped pitted peeled mango

2 c chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 jalapeño, seeds removed and finely diced
salt to taste

Mix all ingredients in small bowl.  Serve at room temp or chilled.

Homemade Tortillas

I've had a life-altering experience, a surprise realization, a food epiphany really.  

The homemade tortilla. 

Yes, this simple little culinary treat that takes mere minutes to make is seriously a happy hello in my life.  Who knew that in mere minutes, you can replace those rubbery cardboard corn tortillas with homemade  ones?  These fresh ones are not even a distant relative of what you buy at the grocery store.  

I'd watched  tortillas being made on Food Network.  You'll always lose me the minute the word lard is thrown out.  Sadly I didn't realize that flour and corn tortillas were completely two different beasts when it came to ingredients. 

There is no lard in corn tortillas.  Nada.  Zip. Zilch.  The ingredient list is as simple as masa (not to be confused with cornmeal), salt and water and the preparation is as easy as mix, roll, press, cook. I had fresh homemade tortillas in less than 10 minutes. 

You can buy a tortilla press and I did because I was told they are absolutely essential.  Truthfully though, I got the same exact result by placing a large baking sheet over the plastic and dough and placing all my weight on it.  If you envision making these often, it might be worth the kitchen space.  If not, the baking sheet got them just as thin. 

Homemade tortillas have a subtle corn flavor, almost reminiscent of fresh tamales and they are soft and rather than rubbery.   I especially love them with fresh grilled fish tacos, but when I finished up the mahi mahi, I tried them with a chipotle beef barbacoa.  Not too shabby either.  All that just to say homemade tortillas are awesome and definitely worth a try.  They are so ridiculously easy and delish, that you may find yourself trying to make taco filling out of everything like I did. 

Chipotle Beef Barbacoa can be found here.

Homemade Tortillas

Ingredients:
2 cups Masa Harina
1+ cup warm water
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Dissolve salt in warm water.  
2. Measure out masa into a medium bowl. Pour warm water into masa, stirring and kneading until dough comes together. Dough should be soft but not sticky. 
3. Preheat griddle or pan to medium heat.
4. Toll dough into golf size balls Place between two pieces of parchment paper or half gallon size baggie split up the sides, and flatten out with tortillas press. 
5. Cook for 1-3 minutes on each side. Cover done tortillas with a damp towel and place in oven, or place in a tortilla warmer to keep warm. 

Quinoa Burrito Bowl

I'm still not over you burrito bowl.  

Burrito bowls are apparently a forever kind of love in my life.  

I'm not going to lie to you.  The below recipe post is a cut and paste recycle of this original burrito bowl post.  The original post also has a few more photos on the different layers that make up the perfect burrito bowl but trust that you'll be able to figure out how to pile all of the different items together in your own bowl even if you don't click over to the other post.  All that's changed in this version is a layer of quinoa instead of the rice.  If I'm being fully honest I'll say it's not too shabby--that's saying a lot coming from a girl with asian blood that could live off of rice.  Yes, quinoa in a burrito bowl is not too shabby at all. 

Little bit lazier sometimes means maybe you use frozen corn instead.  I just let it thaw and then browned it a bit in a hot skillet before adding it to the salsa.

Just because cilantro is so lovely.

Truly easy, peasy. 

Naked Burrito

Cilantro Quinoa

• 2 cups of hot cooked quinoa 
• juice and zest of 1 small lime
• 1/2 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix lime juice with salt to dissolve salt.  Drizzle over rice.  Add zest and cilantro and toss.

Corn and Tomato Salsa

• 1 cup fresh corn cooked and cut from cob, or frozen corn defrosted in warm water and drained
• 3 large tomatoes, diced
• 1 jalapeno (optional) seeds removed and finely minced
• 1/4 finely diced red onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• salt to taste
• juice of 1 lime

Combine all ingredients and set aside 

Black Beans

• 1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 tsp garlic powder

Add garlic powder to chicken broth and stir.  Add beans, cover loosely and microwave for 2-3 minutes

Blackened Chipotle Chicken

• 2 large chicken breasts, butterflied
• blackening spice
• powdered chipotle chilis

Generously sprinkle chicken with blackening spice and chipotle chili powder.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  Heat grill to 450.  Place chicken on grill and cook for 7-9 minutes on each side.  Let cool for 5 minutes and then dice.

Optional Toppings

• hot sauce
• avocados or guacamole
• sour cream or greek yogurt
• shredded jack or cheddar
• tortilla chips

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas

Nothing new to see here folks...buffalo chicken enchiladas have been done a billion times before.  But if you haven't tried them yet and you like enchiladas and/or buffalo wings...this recipe should definitely get a chance to prove itself in your kitchen.  Tangy spicy buffalo sauce....heck, who am I kidding?  That's what it's all about in my book.  Yes there's chicken.  And some cilantro.  Even some black beans and cheese.  But really these are all about that awesome buffalo sauce.  

I adapted the recipe slightly to include black beans and a big 'ole scoop of greek yogurt for a little extra creaminess inside. 

Enough said right? 

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas
adapted from The Novice Chef's version

6 flour tortillas (I had spinach ones)
14 ounce can red enchilada sauce
1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
3 chopped green onions

1/3 cup greek yogurt
1 1/2 cup shredded colby jack cheese

1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped plus additional for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8x10 casserole dish with non-stick spray.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together enchilada and buffalo wing sauce...stopping to taste and adjust as you go. Add more or less buffalo sauce to your taste.
3. In a large bowl, toss together shredded chicken, green onions, 1/3 cup greek yogurt and 1/4 cup cilantro. Pour in 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce mixture and stir until combined.
4. Separate cheese into two 3/4 portions--one for the filling and one for the topping.
5. Pour 1/2 cup enchilada sauce into the prepared glass baking dish and spread mixture to the edges. Working with one tortilla at at time, fill with 1/6 of the black beans and then 1/6 of the chicken mixture. Sprinkle 1/6 of one of your cheese portions over chicken before rolling tortilla up. 
6.  Roll the tortilla and place it seam-side down in the dish. 
7. Once all tortillas are filled, pour the remaining enchilada/buffalo sauce on top of tortillas and top with the remaining 3/4 cup cheese.
8. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sauce its bubbling. Immediately after taking enchiladas out of the oven top with cilantro and serve. 

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Is it true that farmer's market season will soon be over?  I'm enjoying the produce hoarding while it lasts.  Every week I head over and pick up my juicy Palisades peaches, fresh sweet corn on the cob and of course, now that they are in season, fresh roasted Hatch green chiles. 

Except.

Yes, except that this past weekend  the line for the chiles was atrocious and they couldn't roast them to keep up--Coloradans love their fire roasted Hatch chiles it seems.  The options were to either skip green chiles for a week or figure out another plan.  Since going without chiles even one week wasn't really a true option at any point, I picked some up at the grocery store and tried this roasting business myself. 

I'm fairly embarrassed to admit it was so very easy.  Super simple easy.  Super deduper easy.  My whole life I've labored under the conviction that chiles had to be roasted by those super cool guys who put them in the large cylindrical bingo cage and spin them while they roast.  

But alas, these can be done at home.

Throw them on a grill preheated to high and just toss them around every couple of minutes.  Literally.  No oiling them, no laying them evenly across the grates.  Grab a pair of tongs and toss, toss, toss.   Remove when charred and place in plastic bag.  Tie tight and let steam so peels will slide right off. 

When the chiles are cool you can slide the skins off, remove the stem and seeds and rinse to clean.  Then you just dice them up.  The hardest part by far is the cleaning and you still have to do that with the roasted ones you buy at the market.  Even better is the cost savings--roasted chiles at the farmer's market are $3.50/lb.  Home roasted chiles are $.99/lb.  I'll still end up supporting the man that spins them at the market because I always want him to be there happily spinning and fragrancing the air with roasted chile goodness, but $.99/lb is the kind you buy to dice up and store in baggies in the freezer for your winter green chile feasts. 

When you buy chiles each week though, it becomes a challenge as to what to make next.  I've made omelets, chicken green chili, green chile tortilla soup, quesadillas, and about a zillion other things I could think of.  This weekend I was craving enchiladas.  

I threw some chicken on the grill, shredded it up and mixed it with diced chiles, grated cheese and a bit of enchilada sauce.  Roll filling inside of a corn tortilla....

Gratuitious Boston Terrier shot. 

Pour enchilada sauce into bottom of baking dish, add enchiladas and top with enchilada sauce and some more green chiles because these are green chile enchiladas.  You might opt for the medium or mild chiles if the spice level is a bit higher than your taste buds like.  I used hot chiles and these were on fire.  In that delicious green chile way of course. 

Top with more cheese

Bake for 20 minutes and serve.   I'd never had green chile enchiladas before they are a little reminiscent of chili rellenos.  How bad can that be right?

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

3 cups shredded chicken

1 1/2 cups dice green chiles

2 cups shredded cheese

1 can (28 oz) green chile enchilada sauce

corn tortillas (room temp)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325
2. In a large bowl, mix together shredded chicken, 1 cup green chiles and 1 cup of the shredded cheese.  
3. Add 3/4 cup of the enchilada sauce and mix well
4. Spread 1 cup enchilada sauce across the bottom of an 11x7(ish) baking dish
5. Spread a heaping spoonful of chicken filling down the center of a tortilla.  Roll sides up and place seam side down in prepared baking dish.  Repeat until all filling is gone. 
6. Top with 1 cup of sauce and remaining 1/2 cup of green chiles.  Sprinkle remaining cheese over top
7. Cover with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes or until heated through and cheese is bubbling. 

Mac & Cheese Stuffed Poblanos

I love fusion food.  Is it japanese or is it mexican?  How awesome is combining vietnamese with cuban?  Thai and french? With fusion, you don't have to decide on one nationality of food, you can have the awesomeness of all different kinds of food rolled up into one presentation. 

Maybe I like it so much because I'm the human equivalent of fusion.  When people can't guess my nationality because my features go back and forth between my two nationalities, they usually just ask "what are you?"  I think I'm going to just start saying I'm fusion.  "Who me? I'm fusion."

This fusion recipe all began with this cheddar. Yes, it's chipotle cheddar.  That's pretty remarkable cheddar right?  I knew I wanted to make mac and cheese with it.  American with a mexican twist. 

                           

And then I was roasting peppers for the corn salsa recipe I made last week and  wondered what would happen if the mac and cheese and the poblano had a little meet and greet.

They look pretty happy together. And of course a generous topping of more cheese on top can't hurt.

Here we have the mini cast iron skillets again.  I wasn't lying when I said I use these ALL the time.  I throw them on the grill sometimes and they look no worse for the wear.

Mac and cheese inside of roasted poblanos is a pretty outstanding flavor combo.  Love the fiery spicy flavor, but it still has the creamy noodle goodness you associate with mac and cheese. If you can't find chipotle cheddar you could opt to leave it out, or you could throw in 1 minced chipotle pepper with a teaspoon of sauce into the mac and cheese if you like more fire.  Either way, the flavor of the poblano still shines and that's what it's all about. 

Don't let this one fool you, she's fusion too.  She's only one part cuteness. The other part is pure rotten. 

Mac and Cheese Stuffed Poblanos

5 poblanos
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups milk
2 cups grated chipotle cheddar cheese, plus more for topping
1/2 cup grated Gruyère
1/2 cup chipotle cheddar--cubed smallish
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
1/2 cup bread crumbs mixed with additional 2 tbsp butter, melted

Directions:

1. Place a large pan of water onto boil  and preheat grill to high
2. Preheat grill to high and char poblanos until blackened, turning often to char each side equally. Place in bowl and cover with plate.
3. Cook macaroni until outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone, 5 to 6 minutes.
4. Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well.
5. Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour and spices.
6. Cook, stirring, 2 minutes. This is super duper important as it cooks out the grainy raw flour taste.
7. While whisking, pour in milk and whisk vigorously while heating. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.
8. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in shredded cheddar cheese, and Gruyère and stir well. 
9. Peel poblanos, slice one side open and remove seeds.
10. Add cubed cheddar to the mac and cheese and stir again.  The cubes shouldn't melt in the sauce--they'll melt inside the pepper leaving melty oozy pockets of cheese
11. Stuff mac and cheese into peppers, sprinkle additional cheese on top, place in cast iron pan or casserole dish and cook on med grill for 10-15 minutes or in 375 oven for 15-20 mins.

Poblano Corn Salsa

I'm not a huge fast food person but when it's necessary, I am utterly predictable...Chipotle all the way. Last week when I was in training, I went to Chipotle every day.  You'd think it would get old, but as it turns out, I could eat those burrito bowls every day.  In honor of Cinco de Mayo coming up, I've been keeping mexican type flavors in the kitchen this week.  I'm guessing burrito bowls are hardly the most authentic mexican food, but the grilled, charred, spicy chili and lime flavors in this salsa is a nod to the fabulousness that is mexican food.

I know I already posted the recipe rather recently on making these burrito bowls at home, but just recently tried my hand at a corn salsa that similar to Chipotles.  Food Network posted a recipe in their Copycat recipe area and it's pretty delish.  I opted to grill the veggies and all the peppers for a slightly more charred flavor, but the corn could also be boiled or you could even use frozen corn that's been cooked for a few minutes.

Grilling is so yummy though...

Anyone else think that  flame roasted peppers are one of life's beautiful sites to behold?

And of course it all comes together.  I threw it on the burrito bowl but truthfully, the salsa was just as good by the spoonful....sweetness from the corn is balanced by the fire from the chilies and the tang of the lime and salt.  

Almost-Famous Corn Salsa

adapted from Food Network Magazine

Ingredients
1 poblano chile pepper,
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4-5 medium-large ears of corn
2  small jalapeno peppers
3-4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
1/4 c fresh lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat a grill to medium high. 
2. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook corn for two minutes.  Remove from water and drain well.
3. Brush the poblano with  olive oil and grill turning as each side chars 
4. Add corn and and jalapeños to grill and turn to char on each side
5. Remove all from heat and allow to cool slightly
6. Cut corn from cob and place in medium bowl
7. Peel poblano and remove seeds and stem.  Chop into smaller dice and place in bowl with corn
8. Remove seeds and step from jalapeños and and dice.  Add to corn and poblanos
9. Add onion and cilantro to bowl and toss ingredients
10. Stir in the olive oil, lime juice, and salt and pepper and mix well