Lakehouse Tex-Mexicana

September 25, 2008

Labor Day at the Monahan Compound in Holland, MI was restful and a lot of fun, as always. I did some reading, card playing, swimming, walking, talking, joking, chatting and, of course, cooking. We ate like kings and queens because there were (too) many delicious things, including:

Sean's Passion Fruit Cocktail

1. Caramel brownies from Peggy
2. Tracy's Asian slaw
3. A wonderful meal of farmer's market treats prepared by Margaret and her crew
4. More M&Ms than anyone should eat
5. Blueberry Buckle
6. John's chipotle almonds
7. Ice cream from moi (I drove this year, so got to pack the ice cream maker. I think everyone was pleased.)
8. Sean's delicious, fruity and potent cocktails
9. Katie's guacamole and margaritas.

Avocado Enchiladas

The list could go on and on and on. John and I prepared a Tex-Mex inspired meal for Sunday evening and it was a lot of fun. We started with chips and salsa along with some little nibblies I constructed from cantaloupe and cucumber. For the main course, we had avocado enchiladas (John will share the recipe later, natch.) and a taco bar with three different fillings. Each was delicious, but after I kept thinking about the very simple mole. I guess John was too, because on the way home at the same moment, we both said, "I wonder if it freezes?" Dessert, well-deserved, was a tres leches birthday cake for Margaret.

Recipe: Spicy Lime Cucumber and Cantaloupe

I had been reading some articles about what people all over the world do with melon, and got the idea of combining my favorite melon with the crisp, green flavor of cucumber. It's simple, light and is the perfect thing to stimulate the palate before a wonderful Latin meal.

1 medium-sized cantaloupe
2 English cucumbers, peeled, cut in half lengthwise and seeded
2 large or 3 medium limes
kosher or coarse salt
chili powder
toothpicks

Cut the cantaloupe into thick slices, then into 1 to 1 1/2 inch chunks.
Cut the cucumber into large, haphazard slices.
Assemble the cantaloupe and cucumber with toothpicks, one piece of each per toothpick.
Mix together (enough) salt with (enough) chili powder. I would say, 1 tbsp. of salt and add 1 tsp. of chili powder. Taste and add more chili powder if you like.
Cut the limes in half and squeeze juice over fruit. Sprinkle with chili-salt and serve.

Recipe: Black Bean Mole with Seitan

Mole is one of the traditional sauces of Mexico. It has as many interpretations as there are cooks in the kitchen. This one goes together simply, but is still delicious. You could use it over any type of protein. Simply prepare each separately and then combine until heated through. Does it freeze beautifully? I'll let you know. This recipe is from Emeril, believe it or don't.

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 tablespoons pure ground Pasilla chili powder
1 cup cooked black beans (rinsed if using canned)
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 cup vegetable stock
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, loosely packed
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper

In a small skillet, toast the cumin seeds, oregano, sesame seeds, and chili powder, stirring constantly for 3 minutes, and then place in a blender. Add the beans, tomatoes, vegetable stock, honey, cilantro, lime, butter, and salt and pepper to taste. Puree until smooth. Now transfer the mole to a medium saucepan and heat until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Cook seitan, tofu, or whatever separately, then add to the sauce.

Recipe: Black Bean Salad or Taco Filling

This could be a simple salad or a scrumptious taco filling. The addition of pineapple gives it a new, tropical flavor and sets it apart from your everyday black bean salads.

2 cans black beans, drained, about 30 ounces
1 (15-ounce) can corn, drained
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup diced green onions
1/4 cup diced pineapple
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
4 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Juice of 1/2 lime
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch ground cumin

Mix all of the ingredients together, then chill to let the flavors meld. Serve with corn tortillas, or just alone with the chips on the side.

Recipe: Potatoes Rajas (aka potatoes with onions and roasted red peppers in a creamy, cheesy sauce)

Did you get that? Potatoes AND onions AND roasted red peppers in a CREAMY, CHEESY SAUCE. Yes, it's as good as it sounds. Perfect in a corn tortilla, you could serve this just as a side if you wanted. Likewise, the rajas would be fine sans potato with a big bag of chips. I am picturing it now: me, sofa, rajas and chips. Perfection.

3 medium boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
4 cups creamy rajas, recipe follows

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil and cook the potatoes until just tender, being careful not to overcook, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain, pat dry and spread in a single layer on a tray to cool. When ready to serve, heat the rajas in a medium saucepan over medium low heat, stirring frequently, just to heat through. Add the potatoes and stir occasionally until heated through. For potato and rajas tacos, toast 24 small Corn Tortillas and keep warm. For each taco, stack 2 tortillas and layer with the potato rajas mixture. Top with Salsa Fresca and an avocado slice and serve.

CREAMY RAJAS

1/2 cup olive oil
2 medium onions, halved and cut in 1/4-inch slices, lengthwise
1 16 oz jar roasted red pepper, drained and patted dry, sliced into thin slices.
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup grated Manchego or Monterey Jack cheese
2/3 cup grated Cotija, Romano or Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the onions with the salt and pepper until they begin to wilt and brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the julienned red peppers. Pour in the heavy cream, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook 4 minutes or until the cream begins to thicken. Stir in the grated cheeses and remove from the heat. Serve immediately.

Recipe: Tres Leches Cake

This recipe is simple, direct and constructed in a traditional manner: egg yolks and sugar are mixed together, whipped eggs whites and flour are folded in and the baked cake is doused with a mixture of milks. Topped with whipped cream, what could be better? Rosa said it was as good as her grandmother's, which is the ultimate compliment in my book.

Unsalted butter, room temperature, for baking dish
6 large eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 325°. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs yolks and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy. In another bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks. Using a rubber spatula, fold whites into yolks until almost combined. Gently fold in flour (do not overmix).

Spread batter in prepared dish. Bake until golden and pulling away from sides of dish, 20 to 25 minutes. Using a small knife, scrape skin from top of cake; discard. Cool cake for 20 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the three milks; pour evenly over cake. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to one day.

To serve, prepare topping: In a mixing bowl, whip heavy cream with sugar to soft peaks. Chill cake and cut into squares; serve topped with whipped cream.

Mangez!

Holiday 2007 Rehash

January 13, 2008

This year, we did the tour of the 'ahs' for the holidays--Wichit-ah, Omah-ah and Tuls-ah. Here are some dining highlights from the long, long....LONG (but fun) trip.

Wichit-ah
In Wichita, we saw lots of friends. It was a super-fast visit, but we squeezed every bit of friend-time in we could. Sorry if I missed you this visit, but you're top of the list next time I'm in town! Wednesday night we went to N&J Bakery which is one of the best Lebanese restaurants in the city--and there are many. I think they have the tastiest fattoush salads in Wichita, crisp and perfectly seasoned. Barb was planning on having a few people over on the following night and ordered their hummus, homemade pita and pistachio cookies. I love the pistachio cookies, but more on that later.

When we got back to Barb's, we kept her company as she began some of the prep for her Thursday night menu. One of the sweet treats was 'crispy crackers' which involves baking club crackers that have been topped with nuts and a buttery caramel. They are like crack, once you start you are hooked. Barb and I are carefully watching them in the over as they bake.

Thursday morning, Mitchell and I had breakfast at the Beacon Restaurant with an old friend from work and his new bride. The Beacon is the greasy spoon of all greasy spoons. It's located right next to the newspaper office (Which used to be the Eagle-Beacon back in the day) and is decorated with a lighthouse theme. Many of the very artistic items are for sale. If you eat meat and find yourself 'dining' at the Beacon, be sure and order the Beacon Traditional which is an open-face, lightly toasted English muffin topped with 2 eggs cooked to order, your choice of bacon or ham, and cheese melted over the top.

Thursday night at Barb's was fun and we got to hang out with many of our Wichita friends. I even got to have Molly sit in my lap, which is something I really miss being so far away from her. Barb made tons of delicious treats and served her wonderful mulled wine, but I think everyone enjoyed the pumpkin biscuits more than anything else. They're a classic and even better served with the maple pumpkin sauce which Barb had never tried before. Make them, but don't even think about serving them without the sauce!

Recipe: Barb's Pumpkin Biscuits with Pumpkin Maple Sauce
Biscuits 2 ½ cups all-purpose baking mix (like Bisquick) 1/3 cup instant non fat dry milk ¼ cup packed brown sugar 1 ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice ¾ cup 100% pure pumpkin 1 tablespoon water

Sauce
1 cup maple syrup 1 cup 100% pure pumpkin ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Combine baking mix, dry milk, sugar and pumpkin pie spice in medium bowl. Stir in pumpkin and water until just moistened.
Knead 10 times on lightly floured surface.
Roll dough to ½ inch thickness; cut into 12 biscuits.
Place biscuits on ungreased baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
Heat syrup, pumpkin and cinnamon in a small saucepan until warm.
Spoon sauce over warm biscuits.

Of course, no visit to Wichita would be complete without a trip to the Nifty Nut House. They have all of my favorites, so I stocked up. Plus, it's always fun to be there during the holidays because there is so much electricity in the air. People are crazy for nuts! I bought:

Double-dipped chocolate covered peanuts (the size of gum balls)
Dark-chocolate covered pistachios
Bridge Mix (with fruits)
Yogurt-covered pretzel Christmas trees. (I swear their's are the best!)

Omah-ah
Old Town Omaha is filled with lots of great shops and restaurants, and we were sure to hit several of our favorites. We stayed at the Magnolia Hotel (which is in a converted office building and very nice if you're looking for a place to stay in Omaha) and it was easy walking to breakfast or dinner. Plus, the Magnolia has a complimentary continental breakfast, cocktails in the evening and a milk and cookie bar at night. Not kidding. Milk and cookie bar.

Zio's pizza is always a special treat and by the slice. You can order whatever toppings you wish and they're happy to oblige with piping hot slices right to your table. We had broccoli and onion (I won't apologize. I love broccoli on pizza.) and tomato and spinach. They have so many topping choices it will boggle your mind.

Even though we live right smack dab in the epicenter of Indian culture in Austin, TX, that doesn't keep us from ordering it when we're out of town. The Indian Oven, also in Old Town, serves all of your favorite Indian treats and has a great wine list to boot. Cold night? Fresh curries and a glass of wine will warm you right up.

Reader, are you eating your lunch at your desk while you catch up on my blog? Are you using a plastic spoon? I thought so! Do you know how it's made? Well a visit to the Omaha Children's Museum will cure you of that ignorance. Push a single button and moments later, a fresh plastic spoon emerges from the injection machine. Like magic.

Sammy and Jakalee (two and three respectively) were more interested in the car and the balls and the millions of other things you can do at the Museum.

Of course, I had to stop and pay me respects to Quan Yin while I was in Omaha. Driving down the Sorrenson Parkway, you just kind of come across her, perched on a hill and surveying the white, snowy world. The gate was locked, but I hopped it easily and trudged up the snow-covered steps to the top. I guess there were rabbits nesting behind because when I reached the top they ran quickly away in that breathy, panicked rabbit sort of way. I left Quan Yin an offering of four pistachio cookies that Barb had sent us away with, piled at the base of her feet. I didn't stay long because I thought since the gate was locked, some angry Buddhists might come after me from the temple in the distance. I spent the rest of the day with the Smith's song Stop Me if You've Heard This One Before running through my head. "And the pain was enough to make a shy, bald Buddhist reflect and plan a mass murder."

Tuls-ah

In Tulsa we ate and gorged ourselves on Christmas fare at the parents, including our traditional dinner of fried chicken. It's a long story, but tasty nonetheless. We still found time to join Paula, Brennan and Loren for a little pizza at the Hideaway. Probably the best pizza in Oklahoma, the Hideaway is a Stillwater/OSU tradition, but we don't hold that against them. Good pizza is good pizza!

Menu, Week of January 5

January 7, 2008

My new feature for bYb is a weekly menu update. I plan on listing what I'm preparing at home as well as what's left in the fridge that needs to be eaten along with some recipes for the week. The purpose is to inspire you with a new flavor or ideas, but also as a personal focus on what I'm consuming or need to include in my dietary thoughts.

On the menu:

Mududara (lentils & rice or lentil pilaf)--more on this and a recipe later
Chickpea Salad (photo above, recipe below)
Curried Cauliflower Soup with white beans
BBQ Riblets
Smoked Apple Sage Field Roast 'Sausage' with onions and butter lettuce

To be eaten:

Assorted soups (tomato, tom ka & butternut squash)
Snapea Crisps (I think I have recommended these before, so forgive the repetition, but they are so good. They're tasty, nutritious, low in cars and high in protein. And tasty. You can find them at Whole Foods or Cost Plus World Market. There's also a Caesar flavor, but I'm not as found of that.)
Almonds
Citrus (we bought Texas oranges which were ugly, but tasted sweet. Remember, it's what's on the inside that counts!)
One huge Honeycrisp apple

Recipe: Chickpea Salad
This recipe comes from Jeanne Lemlin's Simple Vegetarian Pleasure, which was one of the first vegetarian cookbooks I owned. It's filled with many great recipes I return to frequently. If you have a vinaigrette recipe you like, feel free to substitute it for the one below. I find that salad dressings are the perfect place to sneak in a little healthy twist. Here, you can substitute flax seed oil for all or some of the olive oil in the dressing and it will still be delicious.

1 can of chickpeas, drained a rinsed
1 small fennel bulk, stems and fronds removed, halved a thinly sliced
10-12 black olives of your choice, coarsely chopped (I used niçoise, which are one of my favorites.)
1/2 cup, thinly sliced red onion
3 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
10-15 large, cherry tomatoes halved or quartered

Dressing:
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
3 tbsp flax seed oil, olive oil or a mixture
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients in a big yellow bowl. For the dressing, combine the mustard, garlic, vinegar, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine and then drizzle in oil as you continue to whisk. Pour the dressing over the combined ingredients and allow to mix and mingle for about an hour. Serves three as a main course, or more as a side.

Update: Here's the smoked apple sage 'sausage' in a salad with onion and tomato. It wasn't over meaty, but very delicious!