Cuisine Diva

Sauteed Mushroom Side Dish

Above: Sauteed mushrooms with fresh herbs.

I am a huge fan of sauteed mushrooms. Unfortunately I am the only one in my family that enjoys mushrooms. I wanted to make a brown mushroom gravy, to serve along with the chicken saltimbocca I made as part of our Thanksgiving Day meal, but had to settle for plain brown gravy. Since I was still craving mushrooms, I made a small side dish of sauteed mushrooms with fresh herbs to accompany our holiday meal.

Sauteed mushrooms make a terrific accompaniment to steak, chicken or pork. You could also serve the mushrooms on top of pasta, rice, or a baked potato for a delicious vegetarian dish.

Above: Ingredients to make sauteed mushrooms.

Sauteed Mushroom Ingredients

Any type of mushrooms can be used in this recipe. I used baby portabellas. Regular chives can be used in place of the garlic chives. I used garlic paste in this recipe, but a few cloves of finely minced fresh garlic can be substituted for the paste.

• 8 ounces mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 1/4 cup fresh oregano - chopped
• 1/3 cup fresh garlic chives - chopped

Above: Baby portabella mushrooms.

Sauteed Mushroom Directions

1. Used a slightly damp paper towel to brush off any dirt on the mushrooms.
2. Remove and discard the mushroom stems, then thinly slice the mushroom caps.
3. Add the olive oil and butter to a frying pan placed over medium high heat.
4. Add the mushrooms and saute, stirring occasionally, until they start to release their juices.
5. Stir in the garlic paste, oregano and garlic chives and cook for another minute or two.
6. Stir in the salt and pepper, adding more or less according to your personal preference.
7. Place the cooked mushrooms in a decorative bowl and serve immediately.
8. Leftover sauteed mushrooms will keep in the refrigerator for a few days. Leftovers can be heated up in a microwave.

Above: Mushrooms after herbs and seasonings have been added.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Molasses Pecan Butter

Above: Sweet potatoes.

Sweet Potato Side Dish

Instead of mashed, overly sweetened sweet potatoes, I decided to serve roasted sweet potatoes as part of our Thanksgiving Day meal this year. The sweet potatoes are peeled, tossed with olive oil and spices, then roasted in the oven. See the recipe I posted up in July of 2009 for Herb Roasted Sweet Potatoes. For anyone that wants a sweeter tasting side dish, I serve the oven roasted sweet potatoes along with a side of molasses pecan butter.

Above: Ingredients to make molasses pecan butter for roasted sweet potatoes.

Molasses Pecan Butter Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter - room temperature
• 1/4 cup pecans - chopped and toasted
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Above: Add the butter, salt, spice and molasses to a small bowl.

Molasses Pecan Butter Directions

1. In a small, dry pan, toast the pecans over medium heat until light brown. Let cool to room temperature before adding to the butter.
2. In a small bowl, cream together the butter, salt, spice and molasses until smooth and creamy.
3. Stir in the cooled, toasted nuts.
4. Place the molasses pecan butter in a decorative serving dish, and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Above: Blend the ingredients together until smooth and creamy.

Spice Substitutions

Chinese five spice powder is a combination of star anise, fennel, cloves, white pepper and cinnamon. Here are a few suggestions on other spices that can be used. You can choose from one or more of these spices to add to the pecan butter:

• Nutmeg
• Allspice
• Cloves
• Ginger
• Cinnamon
• Star anise

Above: Stir in the toasted pecans.

 

Molasses Substitutions

If you don't like the taste of molasses, or don't have any on hand, other syrups may be used instead. Here are a few suggestions:

• Honey
• Real maple syrup
• Light agave syrup
• Dark agave syrup

Above: Dry toast the pecans in a small pan over medium heat.

 

Above: Completed molasses pecan butter, ready to serve with roasted sweet potatoes or baked winter squash.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

Cuisine Diva is Featured Author on Cook Eat Share

Featured Author

Lynn Smythe

view my recipes

Hello everyone,

I've just registered the Cuisine Diva blog on the Cook Eat Share site. This should bring me additional traffic to the Cuisine Diva blog. I am also a featured author on the Cook Eat Share website. Here is the link to my Cook Eat Share profile page: Cuisine Diva on Cook Eat Share.

I just started the Herbs & Spices group on Cook Eat Share. The group will be focused on cooking with herbs and spices.

Please visit the Cook Eat Share site when you get a chance.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

How-to Make Traditional Pad Thai

Above: family style serving of pad thai

My previous Cuisine Diva post provides details on how to prepare all the ingredients for pad thai ahead of time: How-to Prepare Recipe Ingredients for Pad Thai. This article describes how to cook pad thai. My recipe for pad thai serves 4-6 people, depending on how hungry you are.

Above: prepared ingredients, ready to be made into pad thai

Pad Thai Recipe Ingredients

Refer to the How-to Prepare Recipe Ingredients for Pad Thai post for complete details on how to prepare each of these ingredients. Pad thai is a stir-fried noodle dish and only takes a few minutes to cook. The ingredients need to be processed and ready to go into the wok before starting to cook the pad thai.

Above: stir fry shallots and garlic

 

Above: stir fry shrimp until they turn pink

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 4 shallots
• 4 cloves garlic
• 10 ounce raw shrimp
• 2 eggs
• 8 ounces thin to medium wide, dry rice noodles
• 1 bunch chives
• 3 tablespoons tamarind concentrate
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons palm sugar
• 2 teaspoons chili paste
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
• 2 tablespoons dried shrimp
• 1/3 cup roasted peanuts
• 2 cups mung bean sprouts
• 4 green onions
• 1 carrot
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 lime

Above: scramble egg in the wok

Pad Thai Recipe Directions

1. Heat half of the vegetable oil in a wok, over medium high heat.
2. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until the garlic begins to turn golden.
3. Add the shrimp and cook for a few minutes, or just until they turn pink.
4. Remove the cooked shrimp from the wok, place in a small bowl, and set aside.
5. Add the remaining vegetable oil to the wok.
6. Add the eggs and stir until scrambled.
7. Add the rice noodles and chives to the wok and cook for 1 or 2 minutes.
8. Stir in the processed tamarind, fish sauce, palm sugar and chili paste.
9. Stir in half of the peanuts, bean sprouts and green onions.
10. Stir in the cooked shrimp.
11. Add the pad thai to a large serving platter.
12. Sprinkle the remaining peanuts, bean sprouts and green onions over the top.
13. Garnish with the carrot, cilantro leaves and lime wedges.
14. Serve immediately.
15. Pad thai is best served fresh, as the noodles tend to get a bit mushy after a short time.

Above: add rice noodles and chives

 

Above: stir in pad thai sauce

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

How-to Prepare Recipe Ingredients for Pad Thai

Above: ingredients to make authentic Pad Thai

Thai Style Cuisine

I've been on a Thai cooking adventure for the past few weeks. I am the Herbs and Spices Feature Writer for Suite101.com and have posted up a few Thai recipes and cuisine articles to that site. I had Pad Thai on my list of Thai recipes to test and finally got around to making Pad Thai today.

Above: tamarind paste concentrate, AKA sour soup base mix

Above: tamarind concentrate soaked in hot water, then stained

Pad Thai Recipe

Pad Thai is a classic stir-fried noodle dish. The recipe for Pad Thai is quite involved, and has a lot of different ingredients. I took a lot of photos as I was making the recipe, as Suite101 limits the number of photos that can be attached to each article, I thought I would post the recipe to Cuisine Diva, where there is no limit to the number of photos I can add.

Also, since the recipe is a bit involved, I've broken it down into two articles. This is the first article on how to prepare all the ingredients for making Pad Thai. The second article will detail how to make Pad Thai, once all your ingredients are ready to go.

Above: dried shrimp added to mortar

Above: dried shrimp pounded with pestle in stone mortar, until light and fluffy

Overview of Pad Thai Ingredients

• 8 ounces thin to medium wide, dry rice noodles
• 10 ounce raw shrimp
• 3 tablespoons tamarind paste
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons palm sugar
• 2 teaspoons chili paste
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 4 cloves garlic
• 4 shallots
• 2 eggs
• 1 bunch chives
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
• 2 tablespoons dried shrimp
• 1/3 cup roasted peanuts
• 2 cups mung bean sprouts
• 4 green onions
• 1 carrot
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 lime

Above: palm sugar disks waiting to be processed in mortar in pestle

Preparing Pad Thai Ingredients

1. Soak the rice noodles in a large bowl of cold water, for 20-30 minutes, or until soft. Don't soak the noodles too long, or they will get mushy once they are stir-fried. Some people use hot water to soak their rice noodles. While this method only takes about 5 minutes, instead of 20-30, it usually makes the noodles too soft, once they are added to the wok and stir-fried.
2. Any size shrimp can be used in this recipe. I used large, 12 count shrimp, i.e. 12 shrimp per pound. All shrimp needs to be peeled and deveined. Large shrimp will require a slightly longer cooking time than medium to small shrimp. Shrimp have their own built in alarm clock, when they turn pink, they are done.
3. Add 3 tablespoons tamarind paste to a small bowl. Pour in the 3/4 cup boiling water, and let soak for 10 to 15 minutes. Use a fine mesh strainer to strain out the stringy tamarind pulp and seeds. The resulting liquid is one of the ingredients used to make the pad thai sauce.
4. Use a mortar and pestle to pound out the disk of palm sugar. My palm sugar disks equally exactly two tablespoons once they are pounded in the mortar. Your palm sugar disks may be larger or smaller than the ones I used.
5. Peel and finely mince the garlic cloves.
6. Peel the shallots, cut them in half, then thinly slice.
7. Add the eggs to a small bowl and whisk together.
8. Wash the chives well, to remove any sand, dry off, then cut into one to two inch long lengths. I like to use a pair of kitchen scissors, to snip my chives, rather than chopping with a knife.
9. Use a mortar and pestle to pound out the dried shrimp, until they are light and fluffy.
10. Roughly chop the roasted peanuts. I used salted, roasted peanuts, with no skin. 
11. Slice the green onions into diagonal pieces.
12. Peel and grate the carrot.
13. Wash the cilantro leaves well, to remove and sand, dry off, then roughly chop.
14. Cut the lime into wedges, to be used as a garnish.

 

Above: rice noodles soaking in cold water

Pad Thai Ingredient Substitutions

I'm using ingredients to make an authentic Pad Thai. Specialty items, such as dried shrimp, palm sugar, fish sauce and tamarind paste, can be found at online gourmet stores such as Importfood.com and Temple of Thai. If you are having trouble locating certain items, here are a few suggestions for possible substitutions.

Above: individual ingredients prepared, and ready to be used to make Pad Thai

1. Use light brown sugar in place of the palm sugar.
2. Use the juice from two limes in place of the tamarind paste and boiling water.
3. Use soy sauce in place of the fish sauce.
4. Fresh parsley can be used in place of the cilantro.
5. Any protein can be used to make pad thai. Instead of shrimp, try using tofu, scallops, chicken or pork.
6. Use a large, thick bean sprout in this recipe, such as mung bean sprouts. Alfalfa and/or broccoli sprouts are much too thin for this recipe.
7. The chili paste can be omitted to make a non-spicy version of pad thai. But the chili paste really isn't hot, it just adds another layer of flavor to the dish. If you are really concerned with using chili paste, try using only 1 teaspoon, instead of 2, the first time you make pad thai.
8. Finely sliced red, yellow or orange bell pepper can be used in place of the grated carrot. They use carrot at my local Thai restaurant, so that's what I prefer.

Thai Recipes on Suite101.com

Here are the links to the Thai-themed articles I have written for Suite101.

• Sticky Rice Recipe 
• Thai Tom Khaa Soup
• Stir-Fried Caramelized Pork with Crispy Shallots
• Fresh Thai Culinary Ingredients
• Dry Thai Culinary Ingredients
• Specialty Food Items Used in Thai Cuisine Recipes
• Specialty Cooking Utensils Used in Thai Style Cuisine
• Thai Style Stir Fried Noodles with Red Curry Sauce
• Stir Fried Green Curry Pork with Eggplant

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

Moussaka; Eggplant Casserole

Individual serving of moussaka.

Moussaka is a Greek entree, which features layers of tomato seasoned ground meat, eggplant and a cream sauce. There are many variations of this classic, Mediterranean dish. I wrote an article for Suite101 on moussaka a few months ago: Eggplant Moussaka Recipe; Classic Greek Style Lasagna.

Potato Laced Moussaka
Yesterday I came up with a potato laced version of moussaka, which I am sharing on the Cuisine Diva site. The inspiration for this recipe came from a moussaka I tasted at Round Green Pie at the Boynton Beach mall. Their version used ground beef, but since I have mostly eliminated beef from my diet, I made my moussaka with ground turkey. The top layer of potato laced moussaka reminds me of au gratin potatoes. Thinly sliced layers of potatoes, mixed with lots of creamy, cheesy sauce - heaven!

Inexpensive plastic mandoline slicer.

Mandoline Slicer
You will need a mandoline slicer in order to cut the eggplant and potatoes thin enough so they don't require pre-cooking. If you have to slice the eggplant and potatoes by hand, you may have to partially cook them, before adding them to the moussaka. You definitely don't want semi-raw potatoes - invest in a mandoline slicer if you don't already have one.

If you have an inexpensive plastic mandoline, like I do, make sure you DON'T place it on a hot stove. In the picture above, the bottom of the mandoline was starting to melt and stuck to my stove. I guess I forgot I had just used that burner to make the cream sauce, and it hadn't cooled down yet. NICE! Maybe it's time to invest in one of those fancy-pants, restaurant grade, stainless steel mandolines.

Ground turkey and tomato mixture spread on the bottom of baking dish.

I use my mandoline slicer all the time - to slice carrots, zucchini, cheese, cucumber and tons of other stuff. I have a cheap, plastic mandoline slicer which came with all sorts of slicing and grating attachments. High quality stainless steel mandolines can cost $100 or more.

Beginnings of cream sauce on the left. Finished cream sauce on the right, after whisking in the eggs.

Ingredients for Moussaka Recipe

• 1 1/4 pounds ground turkey
• 1 cup tomato sauce - divided in half
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
• 1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 large eggplant
• Approximately 1 pound waxy, yellow potatoes - peeled and sliced extremely thin
• 1 cup shredded Italian blend cheese - mixture of mozzarella, asiago and Parmesan

Left - first layer of eggplant, beginning to add tomato sauce. Right - second layer of eggplant added, topped with cream sauce.

Directions for Moussaka Recipe

1. Place the ground turkey in a large frying pan, placed over medium heat.
2. If you are using ground white meat turkey breast, as opposed to dark meat turkey, you may need to add a tablespoon or two of olive oil to the bottom of the pan, to ensure the turkey doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
3. Break up and stir the turkey until it is no longer pink in the center.
4. Stir in 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, sage, oregano and salt.
5. Cook for another minute or two, until the sauce is heated through.
6. Place the ground meat mixture on the bottom of a 13 by 9 inch rectangular, glass baking dish.
7. Peel the eggplant, cut it in half, and slice thin using a mandoline slicer. You need to have enough eggplant slices, to make two layers.
8. Add 1 layer of eggplant slices on top of the ground turkey mixture. 
9. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of tomato sauce on top of the eggplant slices.
10. To make the cream sauce, melt the butter in a medium sauce pan, placed over medium heat.
11. Whisk in the flour and nutmeg and cook for 1 minute.
12. Whisk in the milk, and turn the heat to medium high.
13. Continue whisking until the sauce begins to thicken.
14. Whisk in the Parmesan cheese.
15. Remove the sauce from the stove.
16. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs.
17. Whisk the eggs into the saucepan of cream sauce.
18. Add the 2nd layer of eggplant slices to the baking dish.
19. Top the 2nd layer of eggplant with 1/3 of the cream sauce.
20. Add the first layer of potatoes, and top with 1/3 of the cream sauce.
21. Top with the second layer of potatoes and top with the remaining cream sauce.
22. Sprinkle the top of the moussaka with the grated Italian cheese mixture.
23. Place the baking dish on a large baking sheet and place in 400 degree preheated oven.
24. Bake the moussaka for 45 to 60 minutes, until dark golden brown on top.
25. Let cool slightly before serving, the moussaka will be like molten lava!
26. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

 

Thinly sliced potatoes added to the baking dish.

The moussaka, topped with shredded cheese, waiting to go in the oven.

Complete Meal
Serve the moussaka with other Greek inspired recipes.

• Tzatziki Yogurt Sauce Recipe
• Taboule Salad Recipe
• Greek Vegetable Salad Recipe
• Lemon Herb Pasta Toss

• 

  The completed moussaka, after baking.
  

Take care, Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

Roasted Corn with Green Chile Cheese Tamales

Platter of homemade tamales

For the past couple of weeks I've been blogging about my Mexican inspired cuisine journey. Here are the links to those posts.

Food & Culinary Equipment From Mex Grocer

Pozole; Pork and Hominy Stew

Quesadillas; Homemade Corn Turnovers

More Mexican Ingredients From Mex Grocer

Some of the ingredients used to make tamales

Tamale Time
I've been wanting to try making tamales, and yesterday I finally got around to making them. I made a small batch of vegetarian, roasted corn with green chile cheese tamales. They were a bit time consuming to make, but quite tasty. The nice thing about tamales, is that you can make a big batch of them, then keep the leftovers in the refrigerator for a few days. They can even be stored in the freezer for a month or two.

Soaking corn husks in hot water

Roasted Corn Tamales with Green Chile Salsa

This is a multi-step recipe. You will need to prepare the corn husks, make the tamale dough, make the tamale filing, then assemble the tamales before placing them in the steamer and cooking them.

• Prepared corn husks
• 1 recipe tamale dough
• 1 recipe tamale filing
• Shredded cheese

This recipe makes approximately 1 dozen tamales. You will need to prepare approximately 2 dozen corn husks for this recipe, 1 dozen husks for the tamales, another 3-4 husks to tear into ribbons to tie the ends of the tamales together, and around 6-8 husks to line the bottom of the tamale steamer. To prepare the dried corn husks, soak them in a large bowl of hot water, until they are pliable. This can take up to 3 hours, so start this step in advance!

Stand mixer on left, masa harina blended with margarine and seasonings on right

Ingredients for the Tamale Dough

• 1 1/2 cups masa harina
• 6 tablespoons margarine - room temperature
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth

Tomatillos, left, and green chiles, right

Roasted corn with green chile filling

Directions for the Tamale Dough

I highly recommend using a stand mixer to make the tamale dough. You could use a regular electric mixer, but I think my hands would get tired holding onto it for so long. Kitchen gadgets are your friend!

• Place the softened margarine inside the bowl of a stand mixer.
• Whip the margarine until light and fluffy.
• Beat in the salt, baking powder, sugar and cumin.
• Add the masa harina and beat until it resembles fine crumbs.
• Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the mixer bowl as needed.
• Slowly add the vegetable broth and beat until the dough is light and fluffy.
• Cover the bowl of dough with a clean cloth, or piece of plastic wrap, and set aside while you make the filling.

Line the bottom of the tamale steamer with corn husks

Ingredients for the Tamale Filling

• 1 can corn - drained
• 4 canned tomatillos - diced
• 3 canned mild green chiles - diced
• 2 teaspoons toasted Mexican oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon achiote paste
• 1 tablespoon hot water

Directions for the Tamale Filling

1. Place the corn in a large frying pan over medium heat.
2. Cook until the corn begins to turn golden brown, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in the tomatillos, green chiles, oregano and cumin.
4. Place the achiote paste in a small bowl, and stir in the hot water until a smooth liquid is formed.
5. Stir the achiote liquid into the pan, and cook the filling for another minute or two.
6. Turn the heat off, and set the filling aside until you are ready to fill the tamales.

Building the Tamales

I thought it would be easiest to take a lot of pictures of the tamales, as they are being put together, rather than typing out a long list of instructions.

Spread 2 tablespoons of tamale dough, on the smoothest side of a corn husk. You can either use a spatula, your hands or a tamale spreader for this step.

Place a heaping tablespoon of filling on top of the tamale dough.

Place a couple of teaspoons of shredded cheese on top of the filling. I used cheddar, but you can use Jack cheese, pepper Jack, Mexican blend, etc...

Fold the left side over the filling, then fold the right side over the filling.

Use two strips of corn husks to tie off the ends of the tamale.

The tamale ready to go in the tamale steamer.

Fill the steamer basket with a couple of inches of water, place the steamer insert on the bottom. Cover the insert with corn husks, then place the tamales on top. Place the lid on the pan, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Let the tamales steam for approximately 1 hour. Check occasionally to see if you need to add additional water to the steamer pot.

Carefully remove the tamales from the steamer basket. They will be hot! Unwrap the tamales and eat ASAP. You can either eat the tamales as is, or add a bit of mild red chile sauce, or a bit of hot sauce if you prefer.

My Tamale Future
This was my first attempt at making tamales. They came out better than I thought, but this is another recipe where it would be a big help to have another set of hands. I was going to make 3 varieties of tamales, but once I realized how much time that would take, I decided to only make 1 variety for my first attempt. In the future I would like to try a meat filled tamale and a dessert tamale. YUM!

Take care,
Cuisine Diva AKA Lynn Smythe

Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Salad

Caprese salad plate

Tomato, mozzarella and basil salad is also known as Caprese Salad, or Insalata Caprese. I wrote an article on how-to make a caprese salad, for the Herbs & Spices section of Suite101 on September 14: Insalata Caprese; How-to Make a Classic Italian Salad Platter.

Lunch Salad
I had a caprese salad for lunch yesterday, which is shown in the photo at the top of this blog post. I used perfectly ripe, campari greenhouse tomatoes, layered with marinated mozzarella cheese and fresh basil leaves. The mozzarella had been lightly coated in olive oil, then rolled in a finely chopped mixture of garlic, parsley and red peppers. That must have been red pepper flakes, because the cheese was a bit hot and spicy. I sprinkled the salad with a fruity extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, freshly cracked black pepper and a bit of sea salt.

Platter of caprese salad kabobs

Balsamic Vinegar VS Lemon Juice
I found the balsamic vinegar to be a bit too sweet for my taste. So for today's salad, I used a bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice instead. That was the secret, the tangy lemon blended perfectly with the fruity olive oil. Lots of yummy dressing to sop up with my big chunk of crusty Italian bread.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

More Mexican Ingredients From Mex Grocer

On August 27, I blogged about placing a large order with Mex Grocer. I've been having fun using all the ingredients in a variety of Mexican and Latin American inspired recipes.

 

Above: individual serving of picadillo

Latin American Inspired Recipes
Here's links to my latest Mexican/Cuban recipes, which incorporate some of the ingredients I purchased from Mex Grocer.

Authentic Mexican Hot Chocolate; recipe for a hot chocolate drink.

Mexican Green Chile Cornbread Casserole; recipe for a lightly spicy corn side dish.

Picadillo Recipe; how-to make a classic Latin American meat sauce.

Pozole; pork and hominy stew

Quesadillas; homemade corn turnovers.

 

Above: Mexican green chile cornbread casserole

Last week I placed a second order with Mex Grocer, which arrived this afternoon.

Here's what I've received:

1. Can of mild, whole green chiles. Will use a few in the meat tamale filling and/or to make a green chile sauce to go along with the meat tamales. I'm thinking pork or turkey, but you never know.

2. Can of zucchini flowers - I plan on using them for either a zucchini flower soup, or as part of a corn turnover filling.

3. Bag of tortilla wheat flour, AKA harina para tortillas. I've made corn tortillas before, using masa harina, AKA corn flour, now I want to try making regular tortillas using wheat flour. The wheat flour contains shortening and baking powder, just add water to make into tortilla dough.

4. Another bag of masa harina. I've made homemade quesadilla's, AKA corn turnovers, twice since getting my first order from Mex Grocer. They are super delicious and fun to make. I still want to try making tamales, and will need quite a bit of masa for the tamale dough.

5. Another package of Mexican chocolate tablets. Great cinnamon laced chocolate. I've been using it to make Mexican hot chocolate and hot mocha - delicious!

6. Another couple of packages of corn husks. When I finally get around to making tamales, I'm going to be making a HUGE batch. I want to make three kinds: a dessert tamale, a meat tamale and a veggie tamale for my vegetarian daughter. YUM, I can't wait!

7. Mexican oregano. I have a huge Mexican oregano bush growing out front, but with all the cooking I've been doing lately, I've been using it faster than I can harvest/grow it. Not a bad idea to have some dried Mexican oregano on hand, just in case.

8. Bay leaves. I have an old container of musty looking bay leaves. Time to throw those out and replace them with some fresher ones.

9. Package of short cinnamon sticks, AKA canella. I have ground cinnamon, but there's nothing like grinding your own herbs and spices in a mortar and pestle right before you need them for a recipe.

10. Package of whole cloves. Again, I have ground cloves in the pantry, just not the same as grinding your own.

11. Package of whole cumin, AKA comino. Looks a little bit like caraway seeds. I'll use these both ground and in whole form.

12. Mild, red enchilada sauce. I'll probably use this as the sauce for either the meat tamales, or the veggie tamales when I make them.

13. Chipolte pepper paste. I received a can of whole chipolte peppers in adobo sauce in my last order with Mex Grocer. Since all the recipes I've been following have you finely mince/grind the chipoltes into a paste, I thought it might be more convenient to have a jar of the pre-made paste on hand. Chipoltes are smoked jalapeno peppers, totally different flavor profile than the fresh, green jalapenos.

14. Pickled prickly pear cactus, AKA nopalitos. The pickled cactus pads are packed in a glass jar with  water, onions, cilantro, serrano peppers, salt and vinegar. I'll use these to make a salad, or as part of a corn turnover filling.

I've actually seen prickly pear cactus in a few of my neighbors yards. I suppose I could knock on their door and ask for one. But in this neighborhood, they might shoot first and ask questions later. And I don't think I'd really like dealing with the spines on the fresh cactus pads. 

 

Above: making Mexican hot chocolate

Toast Your Herbs & Spices
Most of the Mexican recipes I've been following, call for dry toasting one or more of the ingredients. It's much easier to toast herbs and spices in their whole form. Use a dry frying pan, set over medium heat, and toast each ingredient until it just begins to turn fragrant. If the items are smoking, either your pan is too hot, or you've left them in the pan for too long. Remove the toasted ingredients from the pan, let cool, then grind to a powder in a coffee grinder or mortar & pestle.

You can also toast dry chile peppers using this method. Once the peppers have cooled, break them open and remove the seeds and membrane, unless you are looking to make a really hot and spicy dish. The peppers can then be torn into rough pieces and added to your recipe, or soaked in a liquid and then added to your recipe.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

How-to Make Caesar Salad Dressing

Individual serving of Caesar salad

Caesar salad can be ordered at most any restaurant. Fancier eating establishments will make the salad table side, which makes waiting for the rest of your meal to arrive not quite so boring. Authentic Caesar salad dressing should be light in texture, yet rich and tangy in taste, and not a gloppy, mayonnaise clogged mess.

 

Making homemade breadcrumbs for Caesar salad

To make an authentic Caesar salad, first you will need to make homemade breadcrumbs. While the breadcrumbs are toasting in the oven, begin to make the dressing. Once the breadcrumbs and dressing have been made, you can assemble the salad.

This recipe calls for a raw egg, which has been coddled in hot water. If you have an aversion to using raw eggs, look for pasteurized eggs in the grocery store. Or you can substitute a tablespoon of mayonnaise for the raw egg if absolutely necessary.

 

Ingredients for making a classic Caesar salad

To make a vegetarian version of the Caesar salad dressing, omit the anchovy fillets. I used to be afraid of anchovies, thinking they were nasty little fishy beasty things, but after making pasta with homemade puttanesca sauce for the first time, I am no longer afraid of this classic, gourmet ingredient.

 

Anchovy fillets packed in olive oil

Making Breadcrumbs

Use leftover Italian or French bread to make the breadcrumbs. I used leftover sesame coated Italian bread that I had purchased a few days earlier at a local Italian market. The bread was pretty much dried out when I went to make breadcrumbs with the leftovers. Fresher bread will require less oil, and a longer toasting time, while staler bread will require more oil and a shorter cooking time.

Ingredients for the Homemade Breadcrumbs

• 4 cups cubed, day old/stale Italian or French bread
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic - minced, or 1 tablespoon garlic paste
• 1 tablespoon fresh, or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions for the Homemade Breadcrumbs

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cut the bread into 1 to 2 inch cubes.
3. Place the cubed bread into a large mixing bowl.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, garlic, oregano and salt.
5. Toss the bread cubes with the olive oil mixture, until all the bread is well coated.
6. Place the seasoned bread cubes onto a baking sheet.
7. Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown, and crisp.
8. Remove to a wire rack to cool until ready to use in the Caesar salad.

Coddle egg in hot water

Caesar Salad Ingredients

1. 3-4 teaspoons minced garlic or 1 tablespoon garlic paste
2. 4 anchovy fillets - finely chopped
3. 1 teaspoon capers - drained
4. 1 teaspoon grainy, Dijon mustard
5. 2 tablespoons lemon juice
6. 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
7. 1 egg - room temperature
8. 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
9. Freshly cracked black pepper
10. Grated Parmesan cheese
11. 2-3 heads Romaine lettuce - chopped

Caesar Salad Dressing Directions

1. Place the garlic and anchovies into a mortar, and grind into a fine paste with a pestle.
2. Add the capers, and mustard and continue grinding until a smooth paste is formed.
3. Use a spatula to scrape the paste out of the mortar, and place it in a mixing bowl.
4. Whisk in the lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce.
5. Place the egg in a large coffee mug, or other heat proof container.
6. Pour boiling water over the egg, and let sit for 3 minutes.
7. Drain the hot water off the egg, and cover with cold water.
8. Whisk the coddled egg yolk into the mixing bowl with the other Caesar dressing ingredients (discard the egg white).
9. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, until well blended. The dressing should have a consistency which is just a bit thicker than heavy cream.
10. Add the Romaine lettuce to a large salad bowl.
11. Toss with a bit of the Caesar salad dressing, then garnish with Parmesan cheese, freshly cracked black pepper and a few of the homemade breadcrumbs.
12. The salad should be well coated, but not drowning, with dressing.
13. Because of the raw egg that is used, any leftover dressing should be discarded.

 

Garlic, anchovies, capers and mustard processed with mortar and pestle

 

The complete Caesar salad dressing

Cardini's Original Caesar Salad Dressing
Read the story about the origin of Caesar salad: Cardini's Caesar Dressing. The salad was invented circa 1924 when Italian born Mexican Caesar Cardini started making the salad in his Tijuana restaurant.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva