Onion Relish

Onion Relish

(about 12 servings)

 

Ingredients:

2 large Fresh Red Fresno Chiles

1 tsp. Allspice berries

½ tsp. Black Peppercorns

1 tsp. Dried Oregano

2 large White Onions

2 cloves Fresh Garlic, peeled

1/3 cup White Vinegar

1 cup (scant) Cider Vinegar

as needed Salt

Directions:

Skewer the chiles lengthwise and roast over a gas flame until skins blister (do not burn flesh) or dry-fry them in a pan until skins are scorched.  When done, place in a strong plastic bag, seal and set aside for 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, place the allspice, peppercorns and oregano in a mortar and coarsely grind using a pestle.  Cut the onions in half lengthwise and then slice thinly.  Place in a large mixing bowl.  Dry-roast the garlic over medium heat until golden, then crush and add to onions in bowl.  Remove chiles from bag and peel or scrape off skins.  Slice open and remove seeds before making a fine dice of chiles.  Add to bowl followed by the ground spices.  Now stir in the vinegars and season with salt to taste.  Place mixture in a covered container and refrigerate at least 1 day before using.

Note:               This relish goes well with chicken, turkey and fish dishes.  Also works well with cheese and crackers.

Note:               You can substitute Spanish (yellow) onions or shallots in this recipe for the white onions.

Note:               If you cannot find Fresno chiles, substitute red Serrano or Jalapeno chiles.  Fresno chiles have about the same heat as a Serrano, which is a little more than a Jalapeno.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Carnitas

Carnitas

(6-8 servings)

 

Ingredients:

2 Dried Bay Leaves

2 tsp. Dried Thyme

1 tsp. Dried Marjoram

3-3½ lb. Boneless Pork

½ tsp. Salt

1 cup (scant) Lard

3 cloves Fresh Garlic, peeled

1 large Fresh Orange, wedged (8)

1 small White Onion, thickly sliced

1 bunch Fresh Cilantro

1 small White Onion

8-10 slices Pickled Jalapeno chiles

3 tbsp. Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

Directions:

Crumble the bay leaves into a mortar and add the dried thyme and marjoram.  Grind mixture with a pestle to a fine powder.  Cut the pork into 2 inch cubes and place in a large nonmetallic bowl.  Add the ground herbs and salt.  Using your hands, rub the spice mixture into the meat.  Cover and marinate a minimum of 2 hours to overnight.  Heat the lard in large sauté pan with lid.  Add the pork mixture along with the garlic, orange wedges and onion.  Brown the pork on all sides.  Using a slotted spoon, lift out the garlic and onion and discard.  Cover the pan with the lid, reduce heat to low and continue to cook for about 1½ hours.  Remove lid and lift out orange wedges and discard.  Continue to cook uncovered until meat juices have been absorbed and pork is crisp on the outside and tender inside.  While pork is cooking, remove stems and chop cilantro leaves roughly and place in a medium bowl.  Slice onion in half and then into thin slices and add to the bowl.  Finely chop the jalapeno slices and add to bowl.  Mix the ingredients in the bowl.  Then pour the orange juice over and toss gently to mix.  Cover and refrigerate until needed (at least an hour).  Serve meat and salsa with warm tortillas

Note:               If Carnitas are to be served in tacos or burritos, shred or chop the pork cubes.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Part 5 Mexican (Molcajete or Mortar & Pestle) Cuisine

New Course Stone Mortar & Pestle (Molcajete)

A staple in Mexican cooking equipment is the "Mortar & Pestle"  or "Molcajete & Tejolote" as it is called in Mexico.  In Mexico, these are made from porous volcanic rock.  They must be tempered or seasoned before using.  In other parts of the world, the mortar & pestle are made from many different sources.  Many are already smooth and ready to use.  Avoid these if possible as you want one that is of porous stone of some type.  The volcanic rock is best if you can find one and it fits your budget.

They are used for many different functions.  Grinding spices, seeds and nuts dominate.  But the best guacamole is made in these too.  It is also great for making salsa, pico de gallo and mole, just to name a few recipes.  The Molcajete also works well for sauces and pastes

The Molcajete is the preferred way of preparing food in the traditional way of Mexican cooking by the chefs of the country.  Natural stone ones release the food's flavors and aromas.  A Molcajete will darken with age and use to develop a beautiful patina.  And it performs better with age and use as well.  They truly will last you a lifetime.  In fact, many are handed down in the family.  It's like a cast iron skillet to cooks in the USA.

To temper or season your Molcajete, it is best to use rock salt or white rice.  Put about a half cup into the it and work the pestle around the bottom and walls grinding whichever ingredient you chose.  Be sure to grind it into a fine powder.  Repeat this process 4 or 5 times making sure you covered all of the interior surface.  next wash it in hot water before using with food for the first time.

When using it to grind ingredients, never fill it more than 20% full.  A little less is even better.  Once the ingredient or ingredients are in it, take the pestle in one hand and push it against the ingredients using a twist of your wrist.  This makes a circular motion and helps to grind the item better and quicker.  Depending on the size of your Molcajete, you may hold it in one arm and keep it on a tabletop.  If holding, try to hold at an angle (about 20%) as you grind the contents.  You, also, want to push more against where the bottom and wall meet.  You'll want to stop periodically to stir up the ingredients.  This helps mix the items up and gives you an idea of how much more needs to be ground.

When it comes to cleaning up, never use soaps or any kind of cleaner on your Molcajete.  If you have a porous one, it will absorb the soaps or cleaners into the stone.  This will effect the flavors of the foods you use in your Molcajete.  Just clean with hot water and a plastic brush for scrubbing.  Just let it dry on it's own.

Both recipes this week call for the use of the mortar & pestle.  If you don't have one or until you get one of these great pieces of food equipment, you could use the food processor.

On Wednesday the recipe is for "Carnitas" which are succulent little pieces of pork.  This is great for putting on tacos and burritos.  Thursday has a recipe for "Onion Relish" which goes well on chicken, turkey and fish.

I hope this has been helpful to you and gives you the desire to get your own "Mortar & Pestle."  It will come in handy for all other foods you make as well.  It's not limited to just Mexican cuisine.  Until next week, "Happy Cooking" and I hope you enjoy trying this week's recipes.

Orzo Salad with Carrot Dressing

Orzo Salad with Carrot Dressing

(6-8 servings)

 

Ingredients:

8 oz. Orzo

2 cups Fresh Green Beans, cut to 1½ inch length

1 large Red Pepper, diced

4 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided

6 large Carrots, thinly sliced

1 cup Vegetable Broth

¼ cup White Wine Vinegar

3 tbsp. Fresh Dill, chopped

¼ tsp. Black Pepper

2 tbsp. Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

In a large pot of boiling water, add orzo and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the green beans and continue cooking another 5 to 7 minutes or until tender.  Drain and place in large mixing bowl.  Add the red pepper and toss with 1 tsp. of olive oil and set aside.  In a 3 qt. saucepan, combine carrots, broth, vinegar, dill, black pepper and remaining olive oil.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce temperature to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until carrots are tender.  Transfer mixture to a food processor and process until smooth.  Pour over orzo mixture, sprinkle with cheese and toss to mix well.  Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.  Mix well again just before service.

Note:               You could use yellow beans or yellow, orange or green peppers to mix up the color for this salad if desired.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Sweet Potato Salad

Sweet Potato Salad

(8-10 servings)

 

Ingredients:

2 lb. Sweet Potatoes

1½ cups Mayonnaise

2 tsp. Dijon Mustard

¼ tsp. Salt

4 large Hard Boiled Eggs, peeled & chopped

1 ½ cups Celery, finely chopped

8 Green Onions, sliced (white & green parts)

Directions:

Place cleaned sweet potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water.  Cover and boil gently until the potatoes can easily be pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, about 30 to 45 minutes.  Drain and let potatoes cool.  Then peel and dice into about ½ inch cubes.  While the potatoes are cooling, combine mayonnaise, mustard and salt in a large mixing bowl.  Now add in the eggs, celery and onion mixing to combine.  Gently stir in the diced sweet potatoes.  Cover and refrigerate 2 hours to overnight before serving.

Note:               You can change out the green onion for a red if you desire.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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It's Picnic Season Again.

Hard Day's Work!

As you can see in the photo, I'm working my assistant to hard.  Actually, I'd really like to have joined her for the nap.  Even Daniel Tiger is napping with her.  I guess she is just worn out.  I'd still love to have half her energy.


We're into summer and that means it's "Picnic Time."  There are all kinds of events going on throughout the summer which call for picnic fare.  Everyone has their favorite side dish to bring to a potluck picnic.  If you don't, you need to get one.

Make sure it is a dish that you enjoy making and eating to begin with or it will never become your signature dish.  Your dish can be a basic staple for picnics or something a little different.  It seems everyone has a potato salad, pasta salad, cole slaw or fruit salad that are quite tasty but are traditional dishes.

There is nothing wrong with traditional side dishes for picnics.  But maybe you want to jazz them up a little.  You could change out an ingredient or two.  Maybe you can find blue potatoes for that potato salad, use Napa cabbage instead of the regular green cabbage for a cole slaw or a unique pasta in a your pasta salad.  Your only limited by your imagination and ingredients available.

Don't forget about fresh corn during the summer too.  All kinds of possibilities there for you with corn salads.  Grilling the corn gives you a different result then if you boil or microwave it as well.

This week's recipes are a little different take on your usual potato and pasta salads.  Wednesday's recipe is for "Sweet Potato Salad" and is just enough different to still be a big hit at your picnic.  The "Orzo Salad with Carrot Dressing" on Thursday is another tasty recipe to try.

It's all about using your favorite ingredients in some fashion for a dish that will have many people asking for that secret recipe of yours.  If you are worried about making an original recipe, don't.  Just take a recipe you like or fits your need and personalize it with some different flavors and foods.

Have fun experimenting as that's half the experience in developing a recipe.  Until next week, "Happy Cooking" and give this week's recipes a try.

Grilled Cauliflower

Grilled Cauliflower

(4 servings)

Ingredients:

1 large head Fresh Cauliflower

Canola Oil for grill

2 tbsp. Unsalted Butter, melted

½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

Rinse cauliflower and remove green leaves. Slice cauliflower into half inch thick or slightly thicker pieces. Do this by turning cauliflower on it's side and slicing across the core. This will give you cauliflower steaks to grill. Heat grill to medium-high and using paper towels and a tong, carefully pour oil onto paper towels and wipe the grill grates. Place cauliflower on grill cooking for about 5 minutes. Carefully turn cauliflower steaks over. Brush steaks with melted butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes before removing to a platter to serve.

Note: You can also just season the cauliflower steaks with salt and pepper. To help them stick to the cauliflower, brush steaks with oil or butter first.

Ideas for Future Efforts

Grilled Sweet Potatoes

Grilled Sweet Potatoes

(4 servings)

Ingredients:

1 ½ lb. Sweet Potatoes

Canola Oil for grill

½ cup Brown Sugar (optional)

Directions:

Wash, peel and slice sweet potatoes a little under a half inch thick (if potatoes are thin, slice on a bias). Heat grill to medium-high and using paper towels and a tong, carefully pour oil onto paper towels and wipe the grill grates. Place sweet potatoes on grill and cook for about 5 minutes. Turn potatoes and carefully top with the brown sugar and continue to cook another 4 to 5 minutes. Remove and serve with your meal.

Note: You could also serve potatoes with butter and/or pure maple syrup instead of using the brown sugar. They are actually great tasting just plain too.

Ideas for Future Efforts

How About Grilling Some Different Vegetables?

I believe most people think of asparagus, onions, green peppers and mushrooms when grilling vegetables comes up. But there are so many other vegetables to think about when it comes to grilling.  There are very simple recipes for some vegetables to more complicated ones.  The choices are truly endless.

There may be more but basically there are 3 methods to grilling vegetables.  One can put them straight on the grill grates which works well for many of them.  You can purchase a grill pan or basket that works well for the smaller cuts or a mixture of vegetables,  And you can always put the vegetables in a foil wrap or package to grill.

Some vegetables that are good for this grilling method include potatoes, large mushrooms, asparagus, tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, cauliflower steaks and onions.  One of the recipes for this week is "Grilled Cauliflower" and they are cut like half inch steaks so they hold together.  You could use the second method and cut the cauliflower up into flowerettes, but I prefer the steak type cut.  When grilling onions, it is best to cut them into thick slices and run a skewer through them so they hold together.  If using wood skews, make sure you soak them well before inserting through the onion.  In using this method, make sure to cut vegetables into large planks or thick slices so they don't fall through the grill grates.  The second recipe of the week is for "Grilled Sweet Potatoes" and these I cut into slices on the bias after peeling.

The second method mentioned was to use a grill pan or basket. The grill pan I'm talking about will have small holes throughout it.  This keeps the small cuts of vegetables from falling through while it lets heat in and juices dripping out.  The grill basket is a metal mesh connected to a wire frame.  I've used both and prefer the grill pan over the wire basket.  The reason is many of the grill pans are non-stick and easy to clean.  The same can't be said for the wire baskets I've tried.  They tend to be hard to clean unless you can find a non-stick one.

The last method is using foil to hold the vegetables while on the grill.  In my cookbook, "More Than Your First Cookbook" I have a recipe for "Potato & Onion Packets" that uses this method. Be sure to check it out, as they are delicious.  In this method you place all your vegetables in the foil and seal it so that everything stays inside the packet.  You can do individual packets or large packets to put on a serving platter after removing the contains from the foil packets.  This method allows you to put butter or sauces in the packets without worrying about losing it during the grilling time.  Remember when using foil packets to turn them more often to keep the vegetables from burning.  In fact, I will put the individual packets on a hanging basket rack that many grills have inside them and cook with the lid closed.  This really helps in keeping them from burning and opens up grill grate space for the main dish to grill.

There is another vegetable that everyone eats in the summer, corn on the cob.  Many people will drop  it in boiling water or microwave it.  Both work well, although I go for the microwave method if I'm doing corn in the house.  One, it keeps the house cooler, it's quicker and in my opinion tastes better too.  You can find the recipe for in the microwave in the "Sides" recipe tab above.  There is a video for a second way to do corn in the microwave worth watching above under the "My Favorite Links" tab.

I've a link below to some more grilling recipes for vegetables. They are a little more involved recipes but are fun and tasty. "Happy Cooking" until next week.

http://www.foodandwine.com/slideshows/grilled-vegetables?xid=DISH052314GrilledVegetables

Grilled Pineapple

Grilled Pineapple

(4 servings)

Ingredients:

1 large Fresh Pineapple

Directions:

Cut off the top and bottom of the pineapple. Next slice down the outside of pineapple from top to bottom removing outer skin. Cut the pineapple from top to bottom in half. Lay each half, cut side down, on cutting board and halve to make 4 sections. Along the inside of each section, cut off the center core and then cut each section in half again. This will give you 8 nice sized wedges. Place the wedges on oiled grates of a medium-high to high heated grill. Grill each of the 3 sides of the wedge for about 2 minutes each and serve as a side dish to your meal.

Note: If you have the tools or a store the sells pineapple already cleaned and cored, you could cut this into rings to grill. I would cut them a half inch thick and grill for about 3 minutes per side. Remember to make a quarter turn halfway through grilling each side

to create nice grill marks.

Note: Pineapple goes especially well with pork or chicken. Could also be served as a dessert with drizzled chocolate and/or ice cream too.

Ideas for Future Efforts

Grilled Bananas & Strawberries

Grilled Bananas & Strawberries

(4 servings)

Ingredients:

2 large Bananas, peeled & halved lengthwise

8 jumbo Strawberries, hulled & halved top to bottom

as needed Powdered Sugar (optional)

as needed Ice Cream (optional)

as needed Chocolate Syrup (optional)

Directions:

Oil grill grates and place fruit on them over medium-high to high heat cut side down. Grill both types of fruit for about 2 minutes and then make a quarter turn for nice grill marks. Continue to grill another 2 minutes and then remove to a cutting board. Cut banana into large chunks and strawberries in half again. Serve while warm over ice cream.

Note: The heat source and fruit may vary so adjust grilling time accordingly.

Ideas for Future Efforts

Grilled Marinaded Peaches

Grilled Marinated Peaches

(6 peaches)

Ingredients:

1 clove Fresh Garlic, minced

1 medium Shallot, minced

2 tbsp. Honey

1/3 cup Balsamic Vinegar

½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

as needed Salt & Black Pepper

1 tsp. Coriander, toasted & ground

¼ cup Fresh Cilantro (leaves only), chopped

1 medium Orange, zested & juiced

6 Large Fresh Ripe Peaches, halved and pitted

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together garlic, shallot, honey, vinegar and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper before adding the coriander, cilantro, zest and juice of the orange. Once well incorporated, add the peach halves to the marinade and leave at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes. Place peaches cut side down on hot oiled grates over medium-high to high heat for 2 minutes. Turn a quarter turn for nice grill marks and continue grilling another 2 minutes. You can turn the peaches over and grill the other side for about 2 minutes if desired (this part optional). Remove to a rimmed serving dish with marinade and serve with your meal.

Note: This dish goes well with pork or chicken dishes.

Note: If you want to serve peaches for dessert, just skip the marinade and grill the peaches as directed above in recipe. They really don't need anything to sweeten them. Serve warm with ice cream.

Ideas for Future Efforts

Have You Ever Grilled Fruit?

I'm sure you are all aware of dietitians always pushing us to eat more fruit and vegetables in our diets.  It really is a good thing but don't you get tired of eating fruit because they always taste the same.  Well I have news for you, grilling fruit changes the taste.

When you put fruit on a grill and cook it, the natural sugars in them change.  This creates a different flavor profile for that particular fruit your grilling.

I'm sure many of you have heard, if not tasted, of grilled fruit.  The most popular are probably pineapple, peaches and apricots.  Nothing wrong with these and if fact 2 of this weeks 3 recipes use the pineapple and peach (Grilled Marinaded Peaches" & "Grilled Pineapple").

But use your imagination and try other fruits.  Ever thought of grilling bananas and strawberries?  Well that is the 3rd recipe (Grilled Bananas & Strawberries") of the week.  You could make banana splits or strawberry shortcake with these grilled fruits.

There are other fruits out there to grill too.  Think of trying apple slices, pears and watermelon.  You  want to keep fruit pieces about 1/2 inch thick so they don't break or fall through the grates.

Another fruit to try is an avocado.  Yes it truly is a fruit.  Here you want to leave them in their skins.  Just cut in half and remove the pit.  Grill them cut side down.  They are great to just scoop out and eat.  But putting the grilled avocado in guacamole gives it a little different result.

The same is true for citrus fruits too.  Lemons, limes and oranges are a real treat to use after grilling.  Cut them in half and grill just the cut side.  Now juice them and you have a different result to your dish.

Please be brave and imaginative and try grilling some fruit this year.  That expensive grill of yours is not just for meat.  By grilling the meat and some vegetables with the fruit, your whole meal can come from the grill. That helps keep the house cooler too.

I'll talk about grilling vegetables next week.  Until then, "Happy Cooking" and let me know how you like grilled fruit.  Also share my blog link to your Facebook friends, co-workers and family. Thank you!