E is for Enchiladas

After tackling poblano peppers in my paella, I feel more confident about broadening my pepper repertoire.  I've always loved jalapeños, but after getting some serious pepper burn on my hands (and face!) last summer while making a southwestern salad, I went through a pepper scare.  I thought jalapeños were the most accessible!  The easiest!  Now though, I understand that they're just the most popular and you can't accurately judge the hotness of any pepper until you taste it.  Those jalapeños made my hands burn for hours and no aloe gel, burn ointment, ibuprofen, or milk and oil soak eased my pain.  I was miserable!  And so I swore off peppers, other than the ever-friendly bell variety, until my hands and my heart healed.  You know what brought me back?  I ordered a black bean and corn chili relleno at Zocalo, one of my favorite restaurants downtown.  I let those brilliant chefs do the pepper chopping and handling.  My dinner was served with smoked tomato grits, pico de gallo, and cilantro-buttermilk honey.  It was seriously delicious and served as the exposure therapy that I needed.  

Now that the pepper scare of 2011 has come to an end, I've been experimenting with different varieties.  The poblanos were absolutely wonderful in my paella and so I decided to try another similar pepper: the anaheim.  I bought three anaheim peppers to include in roasted chicken and quinoa lettuce cups.  Peter thought they were delicious, but I was less enthused.  It wasn't the pepper flavors that bothered me; I would just rather eat lettuce cups in the heat of summer and they hardly seemed appropriate in January.  I should have known better.  

And so I tried again, with something warmer and cheesier.  I prepared a dish more comforting in the barren winter months: enchiladas.  I bought jalapeños with a fresh attitude and made my own ranchero sauce.  I delicately wrapped tortillas around black beans, chicken, and a mixture of cheeses.  I smothered them with the spicy sauce and baked them until hot and bubbly and then Peter and I devoured them.  

Black Bean and Chicken Enchiladas with Ranchero Sauce
adapted from Cooking Light, October 2011

1. 2 tsp. olive oil 
2. 1 c. chopped onion 
3. 5 garlic cloves, sliced 
4. 1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
5. 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
6. 2 c. chicken broth
7. 1 tsp. dried oregano
8. 1 small jar (8 oz.) tomato sauce 
9. 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
10. 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice 
11. 1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
12. 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained 
13. 2 c. (8 oz.) shredded cheese (I used white and sharp cheddar)
14. 1 c. shredded chicken 
15. Cooking spray 
16. 12 (6-inch) tortillas
17. diced cilantro
18. light sour cream 

1. Preheat oven to 400°.  Heat oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add onion; saute 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium; add garlic, jalapeños, and salt. Cook 5 minutes or until onions are golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add broth and oregano, tomato sauce, and cumin; cook 8 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.  Pour onion mixture into a blender.  Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in lid. Blend until smooth; stir in lime juice and ground red pepper.  Combine the beans, 1 cup grated cheese, and shredded chicken in a medium bowl.  Spread 1/2 cup sauce in the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon bean and chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla; roll up. Place, seam-side down into the sauce. Pour remaining sauce over filled tortillas. Top with the remaining cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with sour cream and a salad.  

       

P is for Paella

Ever heard that rule about eating shellfish?  Some people say that it's best to eat clams, mussels, scallops, and oysters in months spelled with the letter R.  Basically, don't eat filter feeders during the warmest summer months.  Why is it better to order a dozen blue points in January rather than in June?  What happens to clams in July?  Why can't I serve steamed mussels in August?  I'd heard this rule before and Peter and I have generally followed it when it comes to buying oysters on the half shell, but I never understood why summer was a bad time for shellfish.  Until today.

I did a bit of online research and learned that filter feeders can become toxic to humans during summer months if they are harvested from areas affected by algal blooms.  Warm coastal waters overcome with algae are sometimes called "red tide" because the water turns a reddish brown color.  Harmful toxins build up in filter feeders and can be poisonous to humans and animals if eaten.  Most shellfish you would get from a fishmonger has been tested for harmful toxins, so it should be safe to eat them year round.  However, if you like to rake for oysters on your summer vacation, watch out for local warnings and beach closures due to algal blooms.

It being January, a month with an R, I decided to add paella to my menu this week.  I was craving a culinary challenge and I wanted to try using a few new ingredients: poblanos and saffron.  I've watched many episodes of Mexican Made Easy on which Marcela Valladolid prepares dishes with poblanos, but I've never attempted a recipe with them in my kitchen.  It was time!  I received a vial of saffron threads in my stocking this year, along with white truffle oil and vanilla beans, so I have been anxious to use some of my epicurean gifts.  Thank you, Santa...er...Peter!      

I found this paella recipe easy to follow and relatively simple.  The toughest part is just waiting for the rice to cook and the clams to open up!  Peter helped me soak the clams in cool salty water so they'd expel sand or debris and that part isn't mentioned in the recipe, but I'd recommend it.  I don't have a snazzy paella pan, but I think my Analon skillet worked nicely.  Perhaps I'll ask Santa for that gift next year, but for for my next paella attempt, I'll probably try one of my cast iron dishes.  I was surprised how much moisture accumulated in the pan after I added the corn, tomatoes, and clams; I'd say the last few minutes on the stove top are crucial for evaporating much of the cooking liquid.  Be patient!  While you're waiting (and not stirring!), busy yourself by preparing crusty bread and a salad to accompany this wonderful dinner.
                      

Paella with Poblanos, Corn, and Clams
adapted from Cooking Light magazine

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 c. chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 poblano chiles, seeded and chopped
• 1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper, divided
• 3/4 c. uncooked short-grain brown rice 
• 1/4 tsp. saffron threads, crushed
• 2 c. water
• 1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
• 1 1/2 c. corn kernels
• 1 c. halved cherry tomatoes 
• 2 lbs. littleneck clams
• chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• lemon wedges
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 450°.  Heat oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, poblanos, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; sauté 3 minutes. Add rice and saffron. Cook 2 minutes; stir constantly. Add 2 cups water, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and red pepper; bring to a boil.  Bake at 450° for 50 minutes or until rice is done. Stir in corn and tomatoes. Nestle clams into rice mixture. Bake at 450° for 12 minutes or until shells open, and discard unopened shells.  Return the pan to medium-high heat, and cook without stirring 10 minutes or until liquid evaporates and rice browns. (It should smell toasty but not burned.) Top with parsley and serve with lemon wedges if you'd like.

C is for Crab Cakes with Mango Cucumber Relish

The series of posts about what I ate for my birthday week and what desserts I've consumed are coming to a close, but not before I share the dish I made myself to celebrate my 26th.  I picked crab cakes long ago and have contemplated the recipe for weeks.  My friend Nicci helped me finally decide on a spicy crab cake mixture with jalapenos and bell peppers topped with a fresh salsa-like relish of mango, cilantro, and cucumber.  I served the crab cakes atop basmati rice cooked with light coconut milk instead of water.  It was divine!    

This meal was a delicious treat for my birthday, but I think this dish would be superior in the summer time, on a porch with a margarita on the rocks.  

Crab Cakes with Mango Cucumber Relish

adapted from Martha Stewart 

1/2 c. bread crumbs
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
1 lb. lump crabmeat, picked over
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, diced
1/3 c. light mayonnaise
kosher salt to taste
black pepper freshly ground
1/2 c. vegetable oil for frying

Seed and dice all peppers. In a large bowl, gently mix together the bread crumbs, eggs, crabmeat, cilantro, scallions, peppers, mayonnaise, salt, and ground pepper.  If the mixture is too dry, add some mayonnaise.  If the mixture is too wet, add some breadcrumbs.  Use your hands to shape the
crabmeat mixture into small, thick cakes, about 1 1/2-inch inches in diameter. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking. Cook the  crab cakes for 3 to 4
minutes per side, until golden brown, turning  them with a spatula carefully.  Drain on a plate lined with a paper towel before serving. Serve immediately, topped with mango relish.    

Mango Relish

1 Mango, diced
1/2 jalapeno pepper
1 tsp. minced garlic 

1/2 cucumber, diced
juice of 1 lime
3 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
1/4 tsp. osher salt
1/8 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper

Peel and dice the mango into 1/4" cubes.  Put the mango cubes in a medium mixing bowl, and
toss with the remaining ingredients.  You can refrigerate this mixture beforehand if needed, but it is not necessary.