Recipe: Calabacitas Rellenas con Molito de Jitomate Asado

Maru’s maternal grandma, abuelita Chela, came up with this recipe while she was raising seven kids. She’s full of great vegetarian recipes, since meat would have been costly for her large family. This recipe is simple, but it will be a bit time consuming as many of these older Mexican recipes are. I would not consider this dish an everyday, after work type thing for your average working family. Chela often did it that way and wouldn’t consider it anything fancy, but those were different times with pretty obnoxious expectations placed on housewives. You have got to respect the amount of work that women would put into daily meals and make it look like any old day.

You’ll see in this dish what has become a regular practice in the Mexican kitchen, dredging things in beaten egg whites and frying them. Someone figured this technique out at some point, realized it was delicious, and now it’s the go-to method for all sorts of things. Usually, it’s how you do chiles rellenos. When you get to the part where you have to dredge the zucchini through the egg whites, don’t worry about it being perfect. It kind of just works out.

I had never actually made this before, but a series of facts led me down this road tonight; Maru had just purchased a big bunch of epazote, I found a 2 lb bag of bruised tomatoes at the store for $1, and I found this beautiful fresh cheese that is targeted at an Eastern European audience, which was obvious from the Slavic on the label and the poorly translated ingredient list. (We have an incredible amount of Eastern European goods available in our neighborhood. Lots of Poles and Ukrainians.)

I took creative license with Chela’s recipe by roasting the tomatoes, but I think she would approve. The sauce was one of the most delicious things I’ve made in a while. Normally, you would use Mexican calabacitas for this recipe, but you can’t always find them. They are basically a small variety of zucchini with a very thin, light-colored skin, and they are less watery than the regular dark-skinned zucchinis we’re used to. I just bought small regular zucchinis and peeled strips of their skin off to avoid some of the toughness. They came out perfectly.

So, if you are feeling up to it, I highly recommend these. You will not be disappointed!

Calabacitas rellenas con molito de jitomate asado

2 small zucchinis (or 4 Mexican calabacitas)

¼ lb. or so queso fresco (Basically, you want a fresh cheese that is a little harder than fresh mozzarella, although that would work well too. You should be able to find queso fresco in round wheels in most stores that carry Mexican products.)

½ cup white flour with ¼ teaspoon salt mixed in

3 egg whites

Oil for frying

For the sauce:

2 lbs fresh tomatoes

½ cup thinly sliced onion

1 dried chipotle diced into small pieces (another dried chile would also work, but I like the smoky chipotle)

2 sprigs fresh epazote

½ teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons veggie oil

1. Heat your oven’s broiler. Wash the tomatoes and put them into a 9x13 glass baking dish. Place them under the broiler. Check them and rotate them every few minutes. They should roast until they are starting to blacken all over, about 10-15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them cool slightly. Once cool enough to touch, remove and discard the blackened skins.

2. While the tomatoes are cooking, make the calabacitas. Slice the zucchini in ¼ inch thick rounds. Slice the cheese in ¼ inch thick squares. Make little sandwiches with a slice of cheese between two slices of zucchini.

3. In a frying pan, heat a ½ inch of oil over medium-high heat.

4. Put the egg whites in a large bowl. Beat the egg whites with an electric beater until soft peaks form. (You can do it by hand, but it’s a workout!)

5. Working in batches, roll each zucchini “sandwich” in the salted flour (this helps the egg stick and seasons it), and then dredge it through the beaten egg white. You can do this with your fingers. The coating won’t be even, but that’s ok. As you remove the zucchinis from the egg, gently place them in the oil. Fry for about 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate or cookie sheet.

6. In a large sauce pan, heat the 2 Tablespoons of veggie oil over medium heat. Throw in the onions with a pinch of salt. Cook until starting to soften, about 3 minutes.

7. Add the chipotle and cook for another 3-4 minutes until the onions are just starting to brown and the chile becomes very fragrant.

8. Dump in the tomatoes. You can toss them in whole, and they will break down quickly. Make sure that you pour in all of the juices that will have collected at the bottom of your baking dish.

9. Add another ½ teaspoon of salt and the epazote sprigs. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then simmer for 15-20 minutes.

10. Remove the sauce from the heat. Using a potato masher, crush any remaining chunks of tomato and blend the ingredients together. You could also blend everything with a blender, but I liked how this came out by hand.

11. Strain the sauce. The easiest way to do this is to dump it into a large bowl, then place a medium mesh strainer over the pan you cooked it in and pour the sauce through the strainer. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the sauce down and around the strainer until you’re left with nothing but almost dry pieces of tomato, seeds, herb, and onion. Now you should have a beautiful, silky smooth, smoky-sweet sauce.

12. To serve, place a few zucchinis on a plate, spoon the sauce over the top, and if you want, add a dollop of yogurt or sour cream. Black beans go really well with this dish, and if you have fresh tortillas, even better.

Kitchen Tip: Saving Berries

Maru and I love strawberries. I actually really like almost all berries, but she is particularly partial to a classic strawberry. The main way we consume them is in smoothies, so we use them up fast. We're not in easy reach of a U-pick farm here in the city, and the 1lb boxes of strawberries can often cost as much as $5 a pop, but sometimes you get lucky and the corner grocery store wants to liquidate boxes of berries that are a little overripe. This happened to me the other day when I found the 1lb boxes for 89 cents each! So I bought 12. Yes, 12 pounds of strawberries. It was all that would fit in my market bag. What can you do with 12 pounds of berries for two people? Why, freeze them for later of course!

Frozen berries are perfect for smoothies, and they are also great for making quick little fruit toppings and compotes. Throw a couple cups worth in a sauce pan with a couple tablespoons of sugar and cook them down, and there you have it! A yummy topping for pancakes, waffles, french toast, crepes, strawberry shortcake, etc.

Here is the process we follow to get our berries in the freezer:

1. Clean them really well.

2. For strawberries, cut off the end.

3. Place the berries in an even layer on a cookie sheet. Strawberries can be set up on their flat end.

4. Put the cookie sheet in the freezer and let them freeze for 1-2 hours.

5. Label a ziploc bag with the date. Break the berries off of the cookie sheet and bag them, then return to the freezer until desired. They will keep really well for a couple of months and reasonably well for a couple months beyond that. Over time, they just start to lose a little flavor.

By freezing them on the cookie sheet first, you prevent them from freezing into one big lump. You'll actually have separate berries in the bag.

Here is our traditional morning smoothie recipe. This makes two large glasses:

2 bananas

1 cup frozen strawberries

1 cup yogurt

Juice of one orange

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup water (just to make it more drinkable)

Throw everything in a blender and puree. Mmmmm.

Recipe: Parsley Walnut Pesto

We love pesto, and really, who doesn’t? While the classic basil and pine nut pesto will always be a favorite, there are dozens of ways to make this simple dressing (I feel like it’s more of a “dressing” than a “sauce”). Basically, you just need a fresh herb or leafy green and some kind of nut. Add olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper, and voila!

One combination that has become a staple for us is this recipe, which uses walnuts and parsley, both of which are significantly cheaper than their traditional counterparts (unless you have basil growing in your garden, which we currently do not L). Parsley is a seriously underappreciated herb in my opinion. When it is good and fresh, the flavor is sharp and bright and can add a lot to a dish. Here, it works perfectly with the walnuts. I am always partial to flat-leaf parsley as opposed to curly-leaf, because I think it has a stronger flavor, but use what you have or can find.

Probably the best thing about this dish, other than the deliciousness, is how ridiculously quick and easy it is. Far and away the step that takes the longest is bringing the water to a boil, which easily makes this a workweek dish. And the leftovers keep really well for lunch the next day! It’s even good cold. You will love this pesto. Seriously.

For some reason, roasted carrots have become our companion vegetable for pesto, probably because they complement the green. We just cut them into spears, put them in a glass dish with a little olive oil, a pat of butter, salt, and pepper, and then roast them at 375⁰F for about 35 minutes.

Also, this is a great recipe for whole wheat pasta, because it stands up well to the strong, nutty flavor of the pesto. Enjoy!

PS You'll note there are some roasted red peppers on that plate too. See the next entry!

Parsley and Walnut Pesto Pasta

1 lb whole wheat spaghetti noodles

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 bunch parsley

¼ cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, still in their paper

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

2 dried red chiles, deseeded (optional, they give it a nice, subtle kick)

½ cup grated parmigiano or romano cheese (either one is good)

Water to boil pasta

1. Put the water in a large pot and start to bring it to a boil while you prepare the pesto. Add ½ tablespoon salt to the water.

2. Place a small non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Put the garlic cloves in the skillet and roast them for about 5 minutes, turning frequently. Most pesto recipes just have you put raw cloves in. It tastes good like that, but can be a little strong. Light roasting mellows them out a bit.

3. Separate out ¼ cup of the nuts. Set aside.

4. In a food processor or blender (it is a little easier to do in a food processor), place the remaining ¾ cup of walnuts, oil, salt, pepper, and chiles if using. Pulse until blended.

5. Remove the roasted garlic from its paper and add it to the food processor. Pulse until blended.

6. Wash the parsley. Twist off the bottom part of the stems, from where the leaves start to come out (usually about 3 or 4 inches up). Discard the extra stems and put the whole top part of the bunch in the food processor (including the tender top stems).

7. Process until a smooth paste is formed. You may need to add another drizzle or two of olive oil for a nice consistency.

8. Scrape the pesto out of the food processor bowl and into the bottom of a bowl large enough to hold all of the pasta. Add the grated parmigiano and mix. Set aside.

9. Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, and then immediately put it in the bowl with the pesto. Using a pair of forks or tongs, toss the pasta until it is evenly dressed.

10. Serve, then top with extra chopped nuts and a little extra parmigiano.

PS

Recipe: Chicken Soup

Fall colds have threatened to rear their ugly heads here now that the temperature has started to drop. Both Maru and I had been fighting off some mild symptoms, today was a gray, rainy day, and we hadn’t had soup in a while, so we decided to do some chicken soup. There really is nothing like good, homemade chicken soup. In Mexico, they call a good soup a levanta muertos, meaning that it could raise the dead. When you get that nice, hot, deep-flavored broth, it can feel totally revitalizing, even if you’re not sick.

Since there are a million different ways to do it and everyone has their own preferences, I feel like chicken soup is the kind of thing that you don’t really need a recipe for. However, I know that many people feel more comfortable cooking from recipes, and for those who can do without one, maybe there will be a tip or two in this entry that you can enhance your own soup-making with.

This recipe is not fast, and it shouldn’t be. It’s chicken soup! It needs time on the stove to develop flavor, and is actually twice as good a day or two after you make it. While it takes time, it is super-easy. I think it’s almost impossible to make bad soup. Even if it’s not spectacular, it will still be tasty and nourishing, and if you follow the recipe laid out here, it ought to be delicious.

I usually use whatever is on hand in the way of vegetables, but here is a recipe for the standard, go-to chicken soup that I make. Like any recipe, you should make it how you like it. There are just a couple things that I think are non-negotiable, mainly making your own stock by using chicken bones. I think that what makes good chicken soup so comforting and feel so nourishing is a nice, rich broth, which you can only get making it yourself. I also think that bacon is a really important part of chicken soup. Unless you do not eat pork, you should use it. If you are concerned about cholesterol, cut it down to two pieces. The serving size per bowl of soup is minimal, and the flavor boost is worth some indulgence. Another key for me is what you do with the soup once it is done cooking. All of those well-developed, deep flavors are great, but they are truly brought to life when you add some vinegar to the pot, and then add some lime juice and fresh cilantro or parsley at the table. Plus, if someone really is sick, the lime juice and vinegar feel great on a sore throat.

Normally for us, chicken soup will be a follow-up dish to something that used a whole chicken, a way to use up the extra meat and bones, but I’ve written this one up so that you are buying the specific ingredients for those days when you just really need chicken soup.

A quick note on the rice; I have a strong preference for rice in my chicken soup over noodles, and I have found that this is a case where brown rice is far superior to white rice. It is definitely healthier, but because of the outer husk, it also stands up better to the soup and won’t get mushy as easily. And I have decided it is best to cook the rice separately, that way you have more control over how much you get in each bowl, and it doesn’t disintegrate over time.

So, just in time for fall’s entry onto the stage, here is my chicken soup. Enjoy!

Chicken Soup with Rice

8 cups of homemade chicken stock (see below for how I do it)

1 whole chicken breast, split, skinless, bone-in (don’t get confused – this means two pieces of breast meat)

4 slices of bacon, diced

1 large onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 bay leaves

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 jalapeños, minced

Other veggies as desired (zucchini, yellow squash, corn, tomato, bell pepper, etc.)

1 small bunch fresh spinach, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

2-4 T good vinegar (white wine, herb vinegar, apple cider, etc.)

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro (or parsley if you prefer)

2-4 limes cut in wedges (depends on whether or not they are the small ones)

1 cup of brown rice, uncooked

For the stock

1 lb chicken bones, rinsed under cold water (back bones, feet, neck, whatever you’ve got or can get)

1 large onion, quartered

2 medium carrots, quartered

2 stalks celery, quartered (if you have the celery leaves, put a bunch of them in too)

5 cloves garlic, crushed

2 bay leaves

10 whole black peppercorns

Other veggie scraps (corn cobs, stems from herbs, peppers wilting in your fridge, etc.)

1. Place everything in a large pot, cover with cold water (about 10 cups), and place over medium-high heat. Partially cover the pot.

2. You want to bring the stock to a slow simmer, not a boil. The water should just be moving around. Boiling the bones and veggies is too harsh and will diminish how much flavor you get out of them. Adjust the temperature accordingly. Also, do not stir the stock. You want fat and impurities to naturally rise to the surface.

3. Simmer the stock for at least 45 minutes and preferably 90 minutes. As it cooks, foam will appear on the top. Using a spoon, skim off the foam as well as the fat you can see. Doing this will make the stock taste better, and it won’t have a greasy mouthfeel.

4. Once it has simmered for long enough, turn off the heat and remove the large pieces of vegetable and chicken bones. After the bones cool, they will probably have some meat on them that you can throw in the finished soup. Just pull it off.

5. Before adding the stock to the soup, run it through a medium-mesh strainer. I usually just hold the strainer over the soup pot and pour it through.

6. Any leftover stock can be frozen either in small quantities in an ice cube tray or in larger amounts in yogurt containers. Don’t let it go to waste!

For the soup

1. Put the rice in a small saucepan with two cups of water. Bring to a boil, cover the pot, turn the heat down to low and cook for 40 minutes. It will be slightly undercooked, but that’s ok. It will soak up hot soup!

2. If it isn’t simmering already, bring the stock up to a simmer and slip the chicken breast pieces in. Simmer them in the stock for about 20 minutes. Remove, let them get cool enough to handle, then shred the chicken with your fingers. Set aside.

3. Heat a large, heavy-bottom pot (like a Dutch oven) over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until the fat is all rendered out. This will take about 6-10 minutes. Remove the bacon pieces and set aside. Pour off all but about 2 Tablespoons of the bacon fat. If you are short on fat, add olive oil to equal 2 T.

4. Raise the heat to medium-high and throw in the onions, celery, carrot, and bay leaf. Add a dash of salt and pepper. Cook for about 8-10 minutes or until the veggies are soft.

5. Add the garlic and jalapeño. Continue cooking for another 3 minutes until very fragrant. (If you are adding other veggies like zucchini or bell peppers, add them at this step too.)

6. Add the cooked bacon, stir, then pour in 8 cups of stock. Add the shredded chicken. Taste and adjust seasoning.

7. Bring the soup up to a simmer, not a boil, and simmer for about 20 minutes.

8. Add the spinach and simmer for another 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Turn off the heat.

9. Add up to ¼ cup vinegar to the soup. I like to add that much. Start with 2 T, taste, then decide if you want more.

10. To serve, put about ¼ cup cooked rice in the bottom of your bowls and ladle the very hot soup on top. Let it cool for a few minutes in the bowls. At the table, add cilantro and squeeze in fresh lime juice.

If you manage to have leftover soup, it freezes really well. Hope you like my version of chicken soup, and if you have any tricks or tips that you use for this classic, please post them here!

Recipe: No-Fry Eggplant Parm

Eggplant is a great vegetable. It can be tricky to use since it soaks up oil and big ones can be a bit bitter, but when it’s done right, I love the flavor of it. I am also a big fan of eggplant parmesan, but it can be hard to find one that’s not swimming in grease. Also, to make traditional eggplant parm involves a bit of a process; salting the eggplant, rinsing it, coating it, frying it. I figured this technique out a few years ago after taking the idea of roasting the eggplant instead of frying. The roasting brings out the sweetness of the eggplant and tones down the bitterness. Plus, the end result isn’t greasy and, more importantly, it’s delicious! If you’re looking for something that is traditional, this is not it, but this is a great dish, and it’s super quick if you have the right things on hand. This one is easily a weekday meal.

One rule here is you must use real parmigiano reggiano, not the stuff from the green can. Now, I know that parmigiano is like $12-16/lb, but you can buy a $6 chunk of it, and it will cover this dish plus some salads, pastas, and maybe some veggies. A little goes a very long way.

A suggestion is to use homemade bread crumbs. I wouldn’t call this one a hard and fast rule, but you get better flavor when they are bread crumbs you make, and it’s so easy! As you get to the end of a loaf or when those last couple pieces start to become stale, start a bread collection in a Ziploc in the freezer. To get crumbs, just take a few chunks and run them through the food processor.

Here is the basic recipe. You can adjust it to your taste with more or less sauce. We just made one with very little sauce and some spinach that was starting to wilt. It was great!

This recipe will serve 6 people generously. You can easily halve it (9x9 pan) or increase quantities to make a deeper casserole.

2 large eggplants

4-5 cups stewed tomatoes or tomato sauce

1 ½ cups bread crumbs (preferably homemade)

1 cup finely grated parmigiano reggiano

Salt and pepper to taste

A few tablespoons olive oil

Dried oregano (optional)

Sliced fresh mozzarella (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375⁰. Slice the eggplants into ¼ inch-thick rounds. Heat a large non-stick skillet, cast iron skillet, or griddle (or a combination to move things along faster) over high heat. When hot, and working in batches, place the eggplant slices down in the pan. Let them cook for about 1-2 minutes per side or until nicely browned but not burnt. You don’t need any oil, you’re just dry roasting. A grill or the broiler can work as well. As the slices finish cooking, set them aside.

Season the breadcrumbs generously with salt, pepper, and oregano if using. Take out a 9x13 glass or corningware baking dish. Build the casserole!

Start with a layer of sauce, then place overlapping eggplant slices down. Top with bread crumbs, then parmigiano, then a quick drizzle of olive oil. Continue with another layer of sauce, then eggplant, bread crumbs, cheese, etc. until all of the eggplant is used up. Save some bread crumbs for the very top layer. If you are using fresh mozzarella, place the slices on the very top. You can also top with slices of fresh tomato. Drizzle a little more olive oil over everything, and then place in the oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the whole thing is bubbling. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Recipe: Faro and Roasted Vegetable Salad

AND... We're back!

So it has been a long while. I haven’t posted all summer, because Maru and I have been in the process of traveling and moving, moving and traveling. It’s been a little hectic! But now we are settled into our apartment in Brooklyn, NY!! We’ve got a great little place, we’ve made the small kitchen entirely functional, and in spite of all the wonderful eating out options this city has to offer, we still plan on making our own food on a regular basis. Take, for example, this hearty salad we made this past week. I actually copied this idea from a recipe in one of Jaime Oliver’s cookbooks. It’s one of my new favorite things. It requires very little actual work and this time of year, with vegetables everywhere, it is really cheap. With tons of vegetables and a healthy, whole-grain base, this one is good for you too. You will be amazed at how tasty this dish is. You could use it as a side dish with just about any entrée, but it also stands as a meal all on it’s own.

The time for this recipe goes into waiting for vegetables to roast. It will not be ready quickly, but this recipe makes a lot of food. You’ll have leftovers for quick weekday lunches or snacks. I’ve listed the ingredients that I used, but you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand and/or that you like. The original recipe calls for faro or spelt, which is fabulous if you can find it; nutty and chewy. Bulgur is much easier to come across and also good. Either way, enjoy!

Faro (Bulgur) salad with roasted vegetables

2 cups faro or bulgur

1 medium-size eggplant

2 medium-size zucchini or summer squash

2 red bell peppers

1 ear of corn

1 fennel bulb

1 large onion

4-6 cloves of garlic

A little under ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar (or an herb vinegar)

Salt and pepper to taste

Up to ½ cup olive oil

¾ cup chopped fresh herbs (a combination of parsley, mint, and basil is best)

Grated parmigiano or romano cheese (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400⁰ F. Slice the eggplant and zucchini or summer squash into ¼” thick half moons. Roughly chop the bell peppers, onion, and garlic. Remove the leafy part of the fennel bulb and set aside. Remove the tough outer later of the bulb, then thinly slice the rest. Cut the ear of corn into three pieces. Place all of the vegetables in a shallow roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Ideally, you want the vegetables to be in one even layer, so you will probably need two roasting pans. Place the pans in the oven and roast the vegetables for 40-50 minutes or until they begin to brown evenly. Every 10 minutes or so, give them a stir with a pair of tongs. Once they come out of the oven, drizzle some vinegar on them and let them cool for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, place the faro or bulgur in a bowl, cover with cold water, and let sit for 20 minutes. Pour off the soaking liquid, put the soaked grain in a large pot, cover with double the amount of water, add a dash of salt, and place on the stove on high heat to bring to a boil. Simmer the grain for about 15-20 minutes or until tender but still slightly chewy. Drain off the water and place in a large bowl. Add a drizzle of olive oil, then let it cool slightly.

Once the vegetables are cool enough to handle, give them all a rough chop. The chop doesn’t have to be pretty. This is a rustic dish. You just want things to be more or less bite size. The corn can be cut right off of the cob. Add the chopped veggies to the grain, and then add the herbs and the leafy part of the fennel. Generously salt and pepper the salad, add another drizzle of vinegar and oil, then mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve warm with grated parmigiano or romano.

Indian feast

We invited some friends over for dinner last night, and we decided to do an Indian feast. My cousin, Aparna, from Chennai, has a food blog. She hasn't updated it in a while, but the recipes that are on there are great. We went all out and even bought banana leaves for our plates, ate with our hands, and thoroughly enjoyed some delicious food.

If you have never made Indian food before, it can seem a little daunting, as the number of spices in some dishes makes for a long list of ingredients. It takes a little time to collect all the spices too, and some can be a bit pricey, but once you have them on hand, all you need are some veggies and you are ready to go! Aparna does a nice job of explaining how to do everything, and I must say that all four dishes we made came out perfectly. The bread wasn't the greatest, but it was still good, and I am pretty sure it's lack of total success was my fault.

Here are the dishes we made with links to Aparna's recipes. Thanks, cousin!!!

Fried Cauliflower : this one is super fast and easy.

Vegetable Kurma: easy, delicious, and you can use whatever veggies you like

Curd Rice: a South Indian classic

Palak Paneer: this is a common dish in Indian restaurants in the US, a little labor intensive, but well worth it.

Butter Naan: mine didn't bake up quite right. they weren't as soft and fluffy as I would have liked, but I'm not faulting the recipe for that.

Those last three links are all to the same post where she did a Sunday brunch. Take a look, give one or two a try, and enjoy!!