Tortilla Soup Redux

Since I moved to the south,  I see tortilla soup on almost every menu, but usually with chicken. I had a mean craving for it, and hadn't made it in quite some time- This recipe was originally published on my blog back in 2010!! So, here is my new and improved homemade veg version, now with a make-your-own broth!!! Hopefully, it will bring as much comfort as this heartwarming movie I've never seen.

Ingredients:
-olive oil
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
-Tomato paste- 1/2 tsp
-black beans, rinsed
-1/2 white onion
-1/2 red onion
-3 cloves garlic
-1/2 jalapeño, seeds in for heat, out if not.
-1/2 red bell pepper
-tortillas
-cumin
-salt
-fresh ground pepper
-sliced avocado
- cilantro
-corn kernels, rinsed
-1 lime

Directions:

Preheat over to 425 Degrees.

1. Pour a small amount of olive oil in a large soup pot. Sweat the garlic and onions over low heat. Once they turn translucent, add in the jalapeño and continue to cook over low heat.

1A. While the onions and garlic cook down, put 2 or three tortillas into the oven, and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove and let cool.

2. Once the peppers, onion, and garlic are fragrant and soft, add in the tomato paste, cumin, salt and pepper. Continue to cook for a few more minutes.

3. Add in the stock, beans, corn, red pepper, and cilantro. Bring to a boil.

4. Turn soup to simmer. Add in lime juice.

5. Cut tortilla and avocado into strips. Stir the tortilla strips into the soup.

6.Taste and adjust seasonings.

7. Serve soup and garnish with the avocado.

Hatch Chile Fajita Tacos and Avocado Salad

One exciting culinary event in Texas each year is the arrival of hatch chiles from the neighboring state of New Mexico. Only available for a few weeks every August, these regional specialties have an awesome flavor and range from mild to spicy, about the same heat as a jalapeno, but with a less acidic and biting flavor. TO celebrate, they are baked in corn bread, diced into marinades, and in this recipe, sauteed with onion and bell pepper to make a fajita filling for a soft taco! (For the rest of the year, or those living outside the southwest region, poblanos can substitute).

1 medium hatch chile
1 hot hatch chile
bell pepper
onion
garlic
salt and pepper
chili powder
cumin
paprika
beer or tequila
flour or corn tortillas
shredded cheddar cheese
cilantro
black beans and corn
sour cream (optional)

Slice the vegetables into thin strips. In a wide pan, saute, and season with the spices. Add in some beer (any kind will do, we used negro modelo). Continue to stir, being careful to not let the onions burn.

Heat the tortillas and top the tacos with the fajita vegetables, black beans, corn, cilantro, cheese, and sour cream.

On the side, I like to make spanish rice and an avocado salad:

Ripe avocado
1-2 small tomatoes
lime
cumin
salt and pepper
olive oil

Cut up the avocado and tomatoes. Squeeze on lime, and season with cumin, salt and pepper to taste. Top with a small amount of the olive oil, stir, and serve!

For the salad:

Stuffed Poblano Peppers

This recipe is from my dad and stepmom, vis a vis Martha Stewart. I've made almost no changes- except to perhaps shake slightly more cumin on top, and leave some seeds in to kick up the spice. I've also paired it with a nice salad. Oh yes, and heed the warning below!!

Ingredients:
1 can(s) (28-ounce) whole tomatoes in puree
1 jalapeño chile, seeds in for heat, seeds out for a little less
2 small onions, chopped
3 clove(s) garlic, 2 whole, 1 minced
Coarse salt
Ground pepper
1 can(s) (19-ounce) black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup(s) yellow cornmeal
1 cup(s) shredded pepper Jack cheese
A really good shake of ground cumin
Handful of Cilantro leaves, garnish
sour cream, garnish, optional
4 large poblano chiles, halved lengthwise, stems left intact (for pretty, if you want), ribs and seeds removed

**** DO NOT TOUCH PEPPERS WITH YOUR HANDS --- YOU WILL DIE***** NO, REALLY. Put on gloves, or use sandwich bags- try not to touch the seeds. No amount of scrubbing will get the burn off your fingers- and then you will touch your eye, or nose, or mouth... and no bueno. You have been warned!


Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a blender, combine tomatoes in puree, jalapeño, half the onions, and 2 whole garlic cloves; puree. Season with salt.

Pour 3/4 of the sauce into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine beans, cornmeal, 1/2 cup cheese, remaining onions, minced garlic, cumin, and 3/4 cup water; season with salt and pepper.

Dividing evenly, stuff poblano halves with bean mixture; place on top of sauce in baking dish.

Sprinkle poblanos with remaining 1/2 cup cheese; cover baking dish tightly with aluminum foil.
Bake until poblanos are tender, about 45 minutes.

Uncover, and continue to cook until sauce is thickened slightly and cheese is browned, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let cool 10 minutes.

Garnish as desired and serve with yellow rice and avocado or mixed green salad with a cilantro-lime vinaigrette!!

Haab

The newest mexican restaurant in Williamsburg- and wow, the best. Finally, a place with fresh ingredients and non-gentrified flavors. My constant complaint about Mexican food in NYC is that it all tastes anesthetized- no spice, no seasoning- just tons of heavy nacho cheese, stale tortilla, and microwaved beans and chewy bits of rice. At the other end, we have some very upscale mexican joints- but come on, who really wants to pay $30 every time they want a decent enchilada?

Compared to the flavors and freshness of mexican food in California and Texas- it's really just unacceptable.

So, you can imagine my joy at finding a spot committed to creating good, authentic mexican food at a reasonable 'neighborhood' price point.

Ryan has tried the chicken, pork, and steak tacos. He loves the chicken- they spice the chicken itself, and each taco comes in a double shell (According to Anthony Bourdain, the sign of the real deal). The salsas are all amazing- and there is definitely some spicy heat to them all.

Ryan has also tried the chicken enchiladas with red sauce, which he really liked. I've had the vegetarian enchiladas- which impressed me, because they weren't stuffed with cheese- but actual vegetables! Spinach and mushrooms, topped with a tomatillo green sauce, and several different salsas. I found the same was true for a vegetarian quesadilla special- full if veggies, not cheese, and lots of flavor.

I've also tried three soup special- all of which were soooo good! A chilled avocado soup, which was creamy, rich, and full of 'green' flavor, a cauliflower soup that had a slight curry flavor to it- really interesting and unique- and a squash soup that tasted a little like stuffing at thanksgiving- lots of sage, celery, onion, and butter flavor- and all that tastes gooood.

Finally, we tried the flan, which was tasty, too!

This is such a welcome addition to our subway stop, and to the city in general!! Can't wait for my next order....

Lime-Cilantro Dressing

Oh man, a new favorite. I am so sick of oil and vinegar and even balsamic vinaigrette- and this is a light, summery, refreshing dressing! We served it with an arugula, spinach, and mesclun salad, topped with cherry tomatoes, and it complimented the bitter greens perfectly.

The recipe is adapted from Frontera Kitchens- a Rick Bayless Restaurant/ product line- and it is just amazing. Check them out!!

2 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

2 small cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

1/2 of a fresh hot green chile, such as chile serrano, seeded and roughly chopped (I used jalapeno)

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2/3 cup olive oil

Mix together in a food processor or blender, shake well, and voila!

Margaritas: Ryan's Recipe, Elote, Arriba, Arriba & Border Cafe

Sometimes when the heat and humidity rise, the only thing that makes sense is to drink copious amounts of margaritas. That more or less sums up the last two days of my life. My husband is a huge fan from the first nice warm day of spring right on through labor day- and for good reason. Nothing like a little lime and tequila to while away the hot summer days... So here is Ry's homemade recipe, and reviews of two margarita joints we like. We avoid any place that uses a mix- that is just a no go. But here is a sampling of margarita spots for refreshment seekers!

Ryan's Recipe:

In a shaker, put two pinches of sugar, squeeze 1 1/2 -2 limes, add about 2 handfuls of ice, a shot of triple sec, 2-3 shots of tequila, (I like Suarza gold), shake and serve!



Elote is always a fun stop with some friends. We shared a pitcher of margaritas, not sure what they normally run, but tonight a mere ($18). The chips and salsa are free and tasty, and the backyard is good for a summer night. We've been coming here for a while, and though the service is consistently inconsistent and the food comes and goes, the drinks are always great! And seeing as Arriba Arriba charged us for a large goblet-glass what this spot charged for a pitcher, worth the money!



Meanwhile, in the city, we stopped in Arriba Arriba for several margaritas as well- these bad boys go down like candy! A little less tart than those at Elote, but silent killers. My one complaint is the price tag- the papa size, which I had two of, are $9 a pop, and the mama- a large daiquiri-goblet-ful, runs a breathtaking $18. So, if you like to drink your gold away, then brave it and pop in here. We sure felt a lot better leaving than we did walking in, which is the point, after all..



And a final shout out to those up in Cambridge, where The Border Cafe serves up mediocre mex, but incredibly cheap and amazing margaritas. For god's sake, it's the best $5.50 anyone could spend, and no wonder a popular place with the students, myself included, for the better part of this past year.

Happy Summer, and Ole!

Huevos Rancheros y Migas y Breakfast Tacos

Buenos dias. One thing I love is mexican-style breakfast. So today, I present eggs three ways!

Breakfast Tacos
-Scrambled Eggs/whites
-red onion
-cilantro
-black beans
-red pepper
-tomato
-hot sauce
-sour cream
-tortillas

Scramble the eggs with a splash of water. Add in the veggies, serve on tortillas!




Huevos Rancheros:
-tortillas
-fried eggs
-red 'ranchero' sauce or salsa

The sauce:
tomato, onion, garlic, cilantro, chiles, chili powder. Mix in pan, let simmer.
Layer the tortilla, then the eggs, and spoon the sauce/salsa on top.




Migas:
eggs
-veggies
-mexican cheese
-pieces of hard corn tortilla

Mix all ingredients into scrambled eggs. Top with salsa.

Austin, Texas

Ryan and I love this town. We made our third trip to the great state of Texas, and spent a lovely weekend with two of our favorite people- Lori & Brendan. As always, there was a fair amount of eating and drinking, and good times to be had! If you haven’t been, put it on the list. SO great! Beautiful weather this time of year, warm sunny days (enough for me to get a sunburn) cool nights, and for the music lovers, the SXSW festival. Here are a few highlights from this trip, and a shout out or two for places that are just must-visits:



Gueros- This place is awesome goodness. Now on our third trip, I can confirm that this is a time & again classic. I highly recommend the chicken enchiladas with verde sauce. The salsa is spicy and fresh, the chips are great, but the margaritas really steal the limelight! I seem to remember from prior visits that the queso here is pretty damn amazing too. Don’t miss it!

Doc’s- Cute little lunch spot with ample outdoor seating. Nothing special bar food, good ice tea, and a convenient location.

Uncle Billy’s- barbecue joint offering items like “brisket” “moist brisket” and the like. Try the beer sampler of their house-made brews and receive 6 different tastes.



Steiner ranch steakhouse- We had cocktails at the outdoor bar and watched the setting sun over the lake. Live music added to the vibe, and the place definitely can boast an amazing view. I was a little disappointed that the wine list was fairly limited by the glass, but did have a tasty pour of a blanc de blanc. We didn’t try the food, though rumor has it the steak is quite good. Worth a drive on a pretty day!




Carlos & Charlies- Right on the marina, somewhere outside of Austin, this place is more or less a bucket of fun. The restaurant has a kitschy vibe, with outdoor bars and seating, and lots of neon. We snacked on some wings, which my husband declared both very spicy and really good. Ry & Brendan sampled the oysters and peel & eat shrimp, and Lori & I had Caesar salads. I have to admit that the wings smelled pretty amazing and tempted me to eat some meat, but I managed to get a hold of myself! There was a plethora of fruity drinks and margaritas to be had to wash down our tasty food.


Buenos Aires Café- Another South Austin restaurant we tried on this trip was the BA Café. I have to preface this by saying Ry & I are totally snobby about Argentinean cuisine, having found most of the restaurants to be somewhat inauthentic in flavors and quality. That being said, this place had charm and very good dessert, though maybe not all we dreamed of for our entrees. We started with empanadas, not really the first food that pops to mind when I think of the Tango nation, and they were a bit disappointing. The shells seemed heavy and as though they had sat a while after hitting the fryer. The spinach and cheese filling was a bit bland, and Ryan suspected that the tuna empanada was not the freshest. I had a spinach salad for my entrée, that was fresh and tasty, but perhaps a little overdressed. Ryan ordered a steak special that he really enjoyed. The steak was well seasoned and cooked, and served with asparagus and mashed potatoes. Brendan had the beef Milanese, but after seeing Ryan’s, wished he’d gone with the steak special too.



Hiball- One of Austin's "hot spots" of the moment, this new bar features an old-fashioned bowling alley and private karaoke rooms!! The wait for bowling was quite long, but the rooms were open ASAP, so we went for the karaoke! Ryan was a beast unleashed- singing all sorts of songs, and really rocking out to "Rapper's Delight". Fun times!! I of course had to sing a song by my all-time fav- Madonna.


Mighty Fine Burger- The burger, Ry tells me, was indeed fine- and for a fast food joint, high quality. It has a large, real beef patty- and tasty fixins. But what really knocked my socks off was the chocolate milkshake! They use vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup- and it tastes like a chocolate milk- milkshake! SO good. Thank god this is in Austin or I would be here about once a week, no joke!!



Baby Alcapulco’s

Last but not least, we visited "Baby A's" for Queso and slushy margaritas- complete with secret ingredients: everclear. There were a ton of flavors to pick from- including prickly pear- and all packed a punch! Two seems to be the limit- though I abstained, Ry and Brendan were feeling quite good!!

Oh yes, and a shout out for the best BBQ EVER, though we did not return on this trip, but have loved in trips past-

THE SALT LICK



Don't ask questions, just take my word for it. Best BBQ EVER.

Fish Tacos with Adobo Mayo and Slaw

This recipe has all my favorite things: lime, chipotle, more lime, adobo pepper, even more lime... It's a bit work intensive, but well worth it for the flavors.

2 tilapia filets
1/2 cup lime juice

Marinate the tilapia for 2-3 hours in the lime juice

Glaze:

1/3 cup lime juice
honey- 2 tblsp
veg oil 1 tblsp
cumin- 1 tsp

Mix glaze in small bowl and set aside.

Mayonnaise:
1 adobo pepper (If dried, heat @ 400 for 5 minutes, remove stems and seeds and soak in hot water)
2-3 chipotle peppers
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic
1/3 tsp cayenne
squeeze lime

Blend mayo ingredients in cuisinart until smooth, adjusting chipotle pepper and other seasonings to taste.

Slaw:
shredded red/ white cabbage
shredded carrots
shredded kohlrabi
Shredded
rice wine vinegar
cilantro
lime
adobo mayo (see above)

Mix slaw and other ingredients in a bowl, set aside.

Cook fish, either grilling or in a pan. We like to bread it with flour and italian bread crumbs, salt and pepper, and cook it in the pan. After finished cooking, glaze each piece with glaze mixture, and cut into small pieces.

To make tacos:
pre-heat tortillas in oven.

Place handful of slaw, pieces of the fish, and a dollop of mayo in tortilla, sprinkle with cilantro.

We like to serve this dish with yellow rice, margaritas, and our favorite salsas!!!

Oh yeah, and a garnish of... lime.

Mushroom and Chipotle Quesadillas

So, as part of my pledge to eat less meat, I have been searching out hearty and flavorful foods that would be easy to make in vegetarian and carnivorous servings, one for me, and one for my must-eat-meeeeaaat husband. Hence this quesadilla recipe. I've made them before, and they are super yummy, but a bit work intensive. I make them in advance and keep them warm in the oven until dinner.

Flour tortillas
mexican cheese mix (Or go authentic and buy several quesos and grate your own!)
red onion
cherry tomato (organic, a splurge, I know)
2 chipotle peppers- if dried, heat at 400 degrees til puffy (a few minutes) then soak in warm water. Discard water, chop and remove stem and seeds. wear gloves, as the spice WILL get in your hands, and not leave for a long time.
bella mushrooms- I went farmers market fresh on these and did not regret it. Amazing flavor, very tender.
(chicken browned in butter with chili powder and cumin)
(chorizo)
Pam cooking spray
hot sauce
salsa
sour cream or guacamole if desired

I spray the pan with Pam and both the tortillas- I find Pam does a better job than butter of holding up in the slow-heat method required to make these. Dice up the veggies, and prep the chipotle.

Heat the pan over LOW heat. Place the tortilla in the pan, sprinkle in a handful of each desired ingredient. Top with second tortilla. Let the ingredients soften and watch for the cheese to start to melt. Gently tap down the edges of the top tortilla to seal in the goodness, and when sealed, flip. Let tortillas get a light golden brown color, but avoid cooking them until crispy.

Rinse and Repeat. Much like a grilled cheese, the challenge is getting the insides gooey without burning the outsides!!

Mesa Coyoacan

So tonight Ry and I decided to try a new edition to the neighborhood: Mesa Coyoacan. Now, the name is totally impossible- I had to google it to remember it even after being there- so from now on, I"m just calling it "that mexican place". It was delish! And seeing how my last review was of Rosa Mexicano, it was prime for comparisons.

The outside is an uber-modern building, nothing special. We were pleasantly surprised by the interior, sort of a family kitchen look, with two large communal tables. Not expecting that, in a good way. We sat at the bar and had some cocktails to start. Ryan tried a habanero margarita: grapefruit, habanero-infused tequila, and lime, for $9. Now, as a good friend of mine pointed out, this is half price from the pomegranate margaritas at Rosa mex, so was it as awesome at half the price? Ry gave it two thumbs up. It had a tart and fruity start and a fiery finish, and the heat built as he continued to drink it. I'm not a fan of spicy beverages (which is ironic, as I like all my food covered in hot sauce), but I thought the sip was pretty tasty. The drink was garnished with a nice big slice of grapefruit, which was a refreshing treat. I opted for the strawberry sangria. Very strawberry, although the champagne did not bubble through as promised.

For dinner, we started with a quesadilla appetizer. We tried two: one was mushroom, and another chorizo. The mushroom had a nice earthy flavor, but needed salsa. The chorizo was really yummy and nice, with a little smoke and spice.

For my entree, I went with the enchiladas verde with chicken. The meat was tender and flavorful, and the green sauce was tangy, not as citrusy as the one at rosa mexicano, but very tasty. However, the stars of the show were the three salsas. A smoky red, a medium-spice green, and a blazing habanero. By mixing the three into the verde sauce, wow. The dish was totally awesome! A small side of black beans and avocado as a garnish was delicious as well.

Ryan ordered the carnitas tacos- berkshire pork, a little sweet. He was a little surprised that his tacos, unlike the portions of almost everything else, were quite pequeno. They were bite sized, but amazingly flavorful. We saw salads and soups that came out rather large, so I think next time we might get the tacos as an appetizer to split, and try more of the entrees. The Carne Asada looked great, with a grass-fed marinated skirt steak, and I would like to try the tilapia.

We tried two other drinks, a glass of spanish white, which was ok, and Ryan tried a chile margarita, still spicy, but this time with pineapple and a little bit of smokiness.

For dessert, we ordered the coconut flan, which was just the right size, and had clean, light flavors. Ryan doesn't usually like coconut ("Tastes like sunscreen"), but there was none of that to be found. Just a really nice vanilla and hint of coconut, with sliced almonds on top. Strawberry and mint garnish added to the flavor.

Overall, we were really impressed with the intensity of flavor in each bite. Usually this is my biggest complaint about mexican food: it's bland. But that was not the case at "The new mexican place". Compared to Rosa Mex?? At half the price, it really gave them a run for the money. (The service was attentive, and we thought we did pretty good with 5 drinks, an appetizer, two entrees, dessert, and a cappuccino for $85 before tip...)

My only wish for the future was that the salsas appear immediately to be enjoyed throughout the meal. Next time I will be requesting them. Also, they do serve chips with the salsa, but only by request and for a small fee. This is always BS to me. Give me the chips, and forget the charge. Alas. It would be worth it to smother myself in the salsa goodness. Finally, as we mentioned, the waiter did not warn ry that the tacos were more appetizer than entree sized, and as we noted, the salads and soups seemed larger than appetizers, so some unexpected portion sizes. Glad to welcome a gourmet mexican option to the 'hood, and looking forward to our next trip south of the border.

Rosa Mexicano

So I had the good fortune to have dinner with a wonderful friend at one of my favorites, Rosa Mexicano. This was now probably trip 5 or so for me, and I have to report, I just love this place. I like to start with the house special, a pomegranate martini that is delicious, and usually a little stiff. I love the smoky red salsa, and I like that the chips are still free. That is for sure one of my biggest pet peeves. Chips and salsa in a mexican restaurant should always be free!

I have to admit being stuck in a wonderful rut when it comes to entrees- I always order the chicken suiza enchiladas. The chicken is served in an amazing cilantro sauce, with rice and black beans. Lots of flavor. Rosalia had the same thing, damn.

There are several locations throughout manhattan, I've been in 3 and ate at 2. I have to admit, the meal I had at the mid-East side location was disappointing, and the environment isn't nearly as snazzy as the Lincoln Center spot. The new one- at Union Square, is loud, but looks like fun. I still vote for the one right across from the met. Three times I've gone pre-show, and they've always done a bang up job of getting us out for our curtain, without feeling rushed. This last time, we cut it super close, and got there just an hour before the show. We let the waiter know, and our entrees were out within 15 minutes- Ole!

A Farewell Fiesta: the enchilada recipe

Last week I hosted a little dinner party with some friends before my departure to Boston. I've always enjoyed cooking mexican food, and I have trouble finding a restaurant that creates the flavors I can create in my own kitchen. Last week I served a crazy concoction that I call a baked enchilada. I basically use an enchilada filling, but no sauce, and I bake them until the tortillas crisp on the outside. I can't stand the smothered-in-cheese- soft -shell enchilada in restaurants- it just doesn't have the zip I crave.

I also serve grilled corn and a black bean salad on the side or rice, and usually I'd mix up some guacamole and salsa, too. Ryan will mix up some of his insane margaritas, and voila. One delicious meal.

If you, like I, are seeking a different kind of enchilada, here is the recipe!!

Ingredients- makes 8 enchiladas- eyeball the veggies, about a fistful or two of each.

cilantro

tomato

red onion

green/red/yellow pepper

jalepeno pepper- 1/2 to a whole, seeded or unseeded, depending on spice preferences

2-3 cloves garlic

cumin

cayenne

recaito or mexican seasoning

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 small container sour cream- 8 oz

salt

pepper

1/2 lime

1 bag mexican shredded cheese

chicken cutlets or 2 breasts

tortillas

1. Saute the chicken in butter until cooked just past pink. Set aside to cool.

2. Preheat oven to...350

3. Dice all the vegetables into small pieces

4. shred the chicken with your hands. Mix the vegetables, seasonings, cream of chicken, and 1/2 the sour cream together. Mix well, add in 3/4 of the bag of cheese.

5. butter two baking pans. fill the enchiladas and wrap them.

6. bake for 40 minutes, put remaining cheese on top, bake additional 5 minutes.

Sides:

Black Bean Salad-

You need to make this one a few hours in advance and let it chill. Light and refreshing, a healthier alternative to refried beans.

1 can black beans- drained and rinsed thoroughly.

jalepeno

cilantro

1/2 lime

1 clove garlic- use sparingly and to taste

red/green/yellow pepper, very finely diced

red onion- finely chopped

tomatoes- tiny as possible

cumin

recaito

corn kernels

salt & pepper- you're going to want a healthy pinch of salt here!

Mix all ingredients together, tasting to adjust the amount of lime and cilantro. Chill until ready to serve.

Hope you enjoy the fiesta- maybe later this week I'll reveal the secrets of Ryan's margaritas. It may or may not involve a lot of lime and booze...