Shaved Asparagus Salad with Poached Eggs

Spring, so we meet again… I’ve been looking forward to your arrival for quite some time. I believe that since the conception of this blog, I have had plans year in and year out to make a quintessential spring dish, one that highlights the ingredients that only the months of April and May can provide at their peak and full glory. But sadly, each spring seems to pass by in a blur, leaving my belly and this blog empty of English peas and ramps.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Kale and Pecan Topping

I understand it's been a three month hiatus.  It was a very busy holiday season, as I'm sure it was for all of you. Who doesn't feel a little overwhelmed during that time of the year?  But mine was very busy, you see. I started a brand new job the week after Thanksgiving. A great job. The kind I've been looking for, with generous vacation time and health benefits.  Yes sir, I went and got myself a big girl job.

Spicy Pickled Carrots

I spent the early part of my childhood moving around from city to city: born in Oklahoma, grew up young in Arkansas, briefly settled down in Seattle and moved to Texas at the end of my 4th grade year. So it’s no surprise that I (proudly) consider myself a Texan. After all, I did spend the majority of my life living there. Enough with the history lesson however, my point is this: I’m no stranger to Mexican or Tex Mex food. In fact, I was raised on it. My mom always swore, and still does to this day, that she could eat chips and salsa and an enchilada lunch special every day of her life. I feel the same way. It’s something I could just possibly never get sick of. We must have spicy salsa running through our veins… So, with 27 years of eating Mexican food, most often on a weekly basis, it comes as a surprise, to myself and Jon, that I had never heard of Spicy Carrots- that is until I moved to Arizona.

Jon likes to eat breakfast burritos most weekends and we usually get them at cheap, shack like places titled something along the lines of “Fiesta Burrito” or “Super Burrito”- so you know they’re classy. For those in the know, they ask for a side of Spicy Carrots to go along with their egg, cheese and potato burrito. When I first moved here, Jon could see the quizzical look on my face- the one that gave away that I had never been exposed to these tangy, spicy, crunchy pickled carrots. He was in disbelief. How had I, a long time lover of Mexican food, never experienced this traditional Mexican accompaniment?

Elote- Mexican Street Corn

Food flavor profiles and the combination of ingredients can sometimes surprise you.  Something as simple as chocolate dipped potato chips may sound wildly outrageous to a few of you, but in reality, it is delicious. (Who doesn't like that sweet and salty combination?)  Elote is no exception.  The two main ingredients here are corn and good ol' mayonnaise.  I know some of you reading this are cringing at the mere thought of it.

I've never understood why so many people out there absolutely detest mayonnaise.  I'm not ashamed to admit that I love it.  Cream cheese, sour cream, alfredo sauce- if it's white and creamy, chances are I'm a fan, and yes, go ahead and insert your inappropriate joke here.

So while others may be hesitant to give elote- also called Mexican street corn- a try, the idea of corn rubbed in a mixture of mayonnaise, lime juice and smoky spices was something I was immediately drawn to.  I was first introduced to this dish back in September at The Mission, a mexican restaurant located here in Scottsdale, and was instantaneously hooked.  The idea of it was so simple, but it was unlike anything I had ever had.

Cut to February, the weekend before Valentine's day when Jon and I traveled to Sedona to celebrate our 1 year anniversary, and I had my second encounter with this creamy corn that, honestly, I had been thinking about for months now at this point.  I had been trying to sell elote to Jon ever since my first bite at The Mission, and wouldn't you know that Sedona had a restaurant that went by that very name.

Elote (the restaurant that is) doesn't take reservations, and they are only open for dinner.  As per the recommendations listed on Yelp, Jon and I arrived around 4:45 pm and joined the line of about 100 other individuals who had gotten there before us to eagerly await Elote's nightly opening of its doors at 5 pm sharp.

Of course, elote was obviously featured on the menu, their interpretation served off the cob in a bowl mixed with the mayo mixture, but Jon and I also savored their shredded beef empanada, the Colorado lamb shank braised in a spicy adobo sauce and the smoked duck breast with pasilla chiles.  Needless to say, the meal was spectacular.  It's upscale, yet traditional Mexican cuisine layered with complex flavors of spice and smoke.  And while the lamb was nothing short of perfection, wouldn't you know what Jon's favorite part of the meal was- the elote.

Elote

Recipe Inspired by Elote Café

Ingredients:

4 ears of sweet corn, husks on

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 cup mayonnaise (I prefer to use reduced fat Hellman's)

2 tsp lime juice

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp + 1/2 tbsp paprika

kosher salt to taste

1/4 cup cotija cheese, crumbled (a mexican cheese available at most supermarkets)

1/2 tbsp ancho chile powder (regular chile powder can be substituted)

2 tbsp chopped cilantro 

1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

Directions:

1. Soak the corn in cold water for about 30 minutes. Peel back the husks, making sure to leave them intact, and pull off the silk from the corn. Pull the husks back up around the corn.

2. Heat a grill to medium high heat. Place the corn on the grill and cook for about 20-25 minutes, making sure to rotate a few times throughout grilling to ensure the corn is cooked evenly.  Remove from the grill and let cool slightly. 

3. Once the corn is cool enough to handle, pull off the husks and slather each ear with 1/2 tbsp butter. Mix the mayonnaise, lime juice, cayenne, 1/2 tsp paprika and a little salt together in a small bowl and set aside. Mix the ancho chile powder and 1/2 tbsp paprika together in a different small bowl, set aside. 

4. Brush each ear with the mayonnaise mixture, coat with cotija cheese and top with cilantro and a sprinkling of the chile powder mixture. Serve with a lime wedge and enjoy!

Makes 4 servings

Black-Eyed Pea and Ham Soup with Collard Greens

It's time to usher in a New Year, yet again (I could have sworn I just celebrated this holiday...).  It really is true that the older you get, the faster the years fly by.  Surely, someone can figure out how to slow time, even a little bit?  Just wishful thinking...

Anyways, this was Jon and I's first time ringing in the New Year together, so I thought it would be the perfect time to begin some new traditions.  Jon's mother shared with me a few months ago that every Christmas Eve, their family would come together to share a rich and delectable lobster bisque and toast one another with a glass (or three) of champagne.  I loved the idea so much that I thought Jon and I should pick up the tradition for New Year's Eve.

A few problems have since blossomed.  And as I'm sure you have now guessed, the lobster bisque didn't happen.  First of all, I needed a dish that required much less attention than a labor intensive lobster bisque, as I spent New Years weekend recovering from a respiratory infection.  Second, Jon and I have had to buckle down; we are hence forward following a strict budget.  Therefore, a 3 lb live lobster seemed a little impractical and much too frivolous.

So I thought back to a tradition I grew up with, one that had its roots in the South- and you should all know that I'm utterly eager to make Jon as Southern as I possibly can.  My mother encouraged my family to eat a healthy serving of black eyed peas every New Year's Day growing up.  Whether the black eyed peas were canned, dried or frozen and served either in a dip, casserole or soup- no matter what form you ate them in, they were meant to bring you good luck during the upcoming year.

Now, I've never really been a big fan of black eyed peas, but year after year I ate my share of them, because I could never afford to turn my cheek on the opportunity for a little extra luck.  2012 brings about the same predicament.  I'm in desperate need of little luck as I enter this new year, meaning that once again, I feel I can't abandon this old Southern tradition.  Hopefully this year's helping of black eyed peas will bring me enough luck that by this time next year, just maybe, I'll be able to have my lobster bisque... and eat it too.

Black-Eyed Pea and Ham Soup with Collard Greens

Recipe adapted from Epicurious.com

Ingredients: 

16 oz bag dried black-eyed peas

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1 1/2 medium sweet onions, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

1 large green bell pepper, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

4 cups chicken stock

2 cups water

8-10 oz cooked ham, shredded or diced

3/4 lb collard greens

2 small bay leaves

2 tsp herbs de provence

2 tsp red pepper flakes (or more to suite your taste)

2 sprigs fresh thyme

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Fill a large saucepan with 8 cups cold water.  Add black-eyed peas and set over medium to medium low heat.  Let simmer for 1 hour, but do not let it come to a boil.  Once black-eyed peas are tender, drain, reserving cooking liquid.  Set both liquid and black-eyed peas aside. 

2. In a 3-qt sauce pan or small stock pot, heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.  Add onions, celery and bell pepper and saute until tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic, season with salt and pepper and saute 2 minutes longer.

3. While onion mixture is cooking, remove and discard stems and center ribs from collard greens and cut leaves into 1-inch ribbons.  Add chicken stock, 2 cups of cooking liquid from black-eyed peas, 2 cups water, ham, collard greens, bay leaves, herbs de provence, red pepper flakes and thyme to onion mixture and simmer 20 minutes, until collard greens are tender.

4. Move a quarter of the black-eyed peas to a small bowl and mash with a fork.  Stir mashed black-eyed peas and another quarter of whole black-eyed peas into the soup.  (Reserve remaining black-eyed peas for another use).  Continue to simmer soup for 5 minutes.  Stir in cider vinegar and season soup to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve and enjoy!

Makes 8-10 servings

Vegetarian Wonton Soup

Have I mentioned how much Jon and I like to eat?  Surely, I have.  Because sometimes it feels like that's all we do.  Whether it's snaking, cooking or eating out, the two of us do more than our fair share of consuming.  The upside?  We have a lot of fun doing it.  The foodie in me always knew I would need to end up with someone who loved to eat and try new foods as much as I did.

Jon is a very adventurous eater.  He has helped me expand my food horizons immensely.  I've ventured out and learned to like oysters, mussels and clams thanks to him (Jon is a lover of seafood).  But we've also had many foodie firsts as a couple.  Whilst pushing aside the thought of what a certain food might actually entail, together we have tried bone marrow, sweetbreads (the thymus glands of veal, young beef, pork or lamb), foie gras and just last week, tongue tacos.  Yep, it's been a lot of fun.

The downside of our gluttony?  We've put on a combined weight of about 20 pounds in the four months that we've lived together.  Interestingly enough, the two of us are also very active people.  With winter setting in, however, mountain biking and hiking are becoming less likely weekend activities, while snuggling by the fire in front of the TV has become increasingly more common.  More accurately, snuggling in front of the TV with a glass of wine in one hand and something edible in the other.  Hence, the 20 pounds.

I think it's fairly easy to guess what Jon and I's New Years resolutions will be this year.  Not only is the idea to shed that extra weight, but we would also like to introduce more vegetarian based meals into our diet.  Vegetarian meals can be just as satisfying, hearty and delicious as those loaded with meat (perhaps, with the exception of a bloody ribeye...).  The added bonus: a diet with more veggie filled meals is not only more friendly on the waistline, it's much kinder to your bank account as well.

So, in the spirit of "practice makes perfect", I thought it wouldn't hurt to test out some vegetarian recipes a little early this year.  Don't get me wrong, Jon and I have yet to break our bad eating habits.  I mean, who can really stick to a strict diet around this time of year anyways?  But, as soon as that clock strikes midnight, you can bet that Jon and I are going meat free.  Well, at least two days a week that is.

Vegetarian Wonton Soup

Recipe by Karlie Kiser

Ingredients:
For the stock-
8 oz onions, coarsely chopped
4 oz leeks, outer layer peeled off and coarsely chopped
8 oz carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
6 oz celery, coarsely chopped
½ bunch parsley
5 cloves garlic, peeled
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
5 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp black peppercorns
6-8 cups cold water

For the wontons-
8 oz firm tofu
1 ½ tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
½ tsp sesame oil
2 tsp chili garlic sauce (available in the Asian food section of most supermarkets)
1 egg
2 scallions, minced (both white and green ends)
1 ½-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup carrots, julienned then minced
¼ cup water chestnuts, minced
½ jalapeno, seeded and minced
½ tsp Kosher salt
¼ tsp black pepper
About 25 wonton wrappers

For the soup-
1 lb baby bok choy, leaves halved lengthwise, then sliced crosswise
6 oz shitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
½ cup water chestnuts
2 oz baby spinach
2 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions:
1. Place all ingredients for the stock, with the exception of water, in a 6 qt. stockpot. Add cold water to cover contents by 1 inch, about 6-8 cups and simmer over medium heat 45 minutes to 1 hour; do not let stock come to a boil. Skim off and discard any impurities or foam that rise and settle on the surface.

2. While the stock is cooking, heat a skillet over medium heat, spray with non-stick spray and crumble the tofu into the pan. Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and chili garlic sauce, stir and sauté for about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat, scrape tofu into a large bowl and set aside to cool.

3. Once the tofu is cool enough to handle, add the egg, scallions, ginger, garlic, carrots, water chestnuts, jalapeno, salt and pepper. Mix together with your hands until just combined.

4. Put 1 wonton wrapper on a work surface (keep remaining wrappers covered with plastic wrap). Spoon a rounded teaspoon of filling in center of square, then brush water around the wonton’s edges. Lift 2 opposite corners together to form a triangle and enclose filling, pressing edges firmly around mound of filling to eliminate air pockets and seal. Moisten opposite corners of long side. Bring moistened corners toward each other and pinch together. Make the remaining wontons in the same manner, repeating the process until the tofu mixture is gone.

5. Once the stock has finished cooking, stir in the bok choy, mushrooms and water chestnuts and season the broth with salt and pepper; continue to simmer for 3-4 minutes, until the bok choy is crisp-tender. Add the spinach, sliced scallions and wontons and simmer, gently stirring, for another 3 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Makes 6-8 servings

Stuffed and Grilled Jalapeño Peppers

I have had my eye on the jalapeño grill rack from Sur La Table for quite awhile now, but never had a real reason to buy it- that is until last weekend. Making stuffed and grilled jalapeños part of my Father's Day Menu gave me the perfect excuse to go out and make the purchase. I love jalapeños. Fried, stuffed, sliced, pickled, on top of a taco, wrapped in bacon, puréed in salsa, you name it. I even have several jalapeño plants growing in my new garden in my backyard. I scoured online for different recipes, but never came across one that appealed to my liking. I knew exactly what I wanted from these particular jalapeños. I wanted a creamy cheese filling and plenty of smoke flavor. The grill would take part of the latter. All I had to do was come up with the perfect cheese filling, which I think I managed to come pretty close to. The beauty of cheese stuffed jalapeños though, however, is that any combination of cheeses can be substituted in this recipe to fit your own personal tastes. Give it a Spanish flair by adding Manchego or perhaps try goat cheese. The possibilities are endless really, just remember to pace yourself. 

Stuffed and Grilled Jalapeño Peppers

Ingredients:

18 large jalapeño peppers
6 oz cream cheese, softened
¾ cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup minced green onions
1 clove garlic minced
salt and pepper to taste

Optional Add-ins:
cooked ground spicy sausage
chopped and sautéed bacon
1/2 cup corn kernels

Directions:

1. Cut ¼- inch off the top of each jalapeño; reserve the tops. Using a thin knife, small melon baller, or pepper corer, hollow out the centers of the peppers, removing the seeds and ribs; do not cut through the flesh.

2. Prepare a grill for indirect grilling over medium-high heat.

3. In a bowl, stir together the cream cheese, Monterey jack, cheddar, green onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Stuff the center of each pepper with 1-2 tbsp of the cheese mixture, filling to within 1/8-inch from the top. Place the filled peppers upright in a jalapeño pepper roaster and set the tops back on the peppers.

4. Place the pepper roaster on the grill over indirect heat and cover the grill. Roast the peppers until they are tender and the cheese in melted, about 25-30 minutes.

5. Transfer the peppers to a platter and serve immediately.

Roasted Root Vegetables

Well, I think it's pretty safe to say that fall is officially in full swing. I can't speak for the rest of the country, but up here in the northeast the leaves are beginning to change from green to gold and crimson, fluttering to the ground, and the crisp autumn air has brought about the first chill of the season. I absolutely love this time of year. It's by far my favorite season, and I am grateful that I have the chance to experience one last bona fide fall. (For those of you out of the loop, I am returning to my southern roots in one short week). Growing up in Texas, we never really had four true and distinct seasons. It was more of a hot and cold thing. No gradual temperature changes to ease you into the next quarter of the year. Although, there are some years where the cold part never really even presents itself- I have worn flip-flops through many a December. However, I actually enjoy that barefoot in the winter feeling. After one winter here in New York, I quickly learned that I am with out a doubt a warm weather girl. So while I'm enjoying this brisk breeze here in the Big Apple, I am a wee bit relieved to be skipping out of town before the brutal and bitter cold comes blowing in.

This time of year brings about so many cold weather cravings. Sipping hot coco by a flickering fire, warming the soul with a bowl of hearty stew or a slice of apple pie, tearing into a tender braise... There are so many delicious fall recipes that I can't wait to try! Now, I'm sure your wondering, with all the endless possibilities of sumptuous autumn dishes at my disposal, why would I select root vegetables? Well, I have to tell you, they are actually pretty delicious- in their own way of course, I mean it's no pumpkin pie, but what do you expect? I was introduced to a variation of this recipe in one of my cooking classes I took at Central Market a couple years ago. On a side note, can I just say how frickin' excited I am to go shopping at that food mecca again! It's like Christmas every time I step inside those doors. I'm getting way too excited just thinking about it...

A combination of various root vegetables, roasted in the oven for a good, long hour, lends a surprisingly satisfying dish. The vegetables develop a nice caramelized exterior, providing a rich and more complex flavor. The great thing about this recipe is that it's really more of a template- the outcome is equally as tasty no matter what assortment of vegetables you might decide to use. I settled upon a variety of root vegetables that would lend an array of colors, because like I've said before, visual appeal is just as important as the taste. 

So important in fact, that I ventured out in the pouring rain to Dean & Deluca and spent $6 for one pound of purple potatoes. Now those are some expensive spuds! But I just love the color of purple potatoes, especially when you cut into them, revealing this vibrant, rich, and regal hue. Of course, such painstaking measures are not necessary in order to produce a colorful variation of this recipe. The original recipe I learned at Central Market actually used regular new potatoes and provided a splash of color with green and red bell peppers. My version of the recipe is below, but feel free to use any vegetable that suits your tastes, or perhaps ones that don't necessitate a trip out in the rain. 

Roasted Root Vegetables

Ingredients:
1 medium rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
1 lb baby purple potatoes, quartered (or purple fingerling potatoes halved)
3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
1 fennel bulb, center core removed, and cut into chunks
1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
1/2 lb cipollini onions, outer skin removed
1 bunch radishes, outer edges trimmed
1 head of garlic, separated into individual cloves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano 
1/4 cup olive oil
salt & pepper 


Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 


2. In a large bowl, toss all vegetables together with the chopped herbs and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 


3. Spread the vegetables out on a large roasting pan and roast in the oven for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender.


Makes 6-8 servings

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Lemon and Pistachios

After nearly 25 years of life, I have never actually tried a brussels sprout. They have quite a bad reputation, as I'm sure you know. Since childhood, most people have it drilled into their heads that brussels sprouts are vile, disgusting vegetables; ones that should not be trusted. I guess most would consider me lucky that my mom didn't force them upon my brother and I while growing up. However, I think this has only fueled the fire of my ever growing curiosity. I wanted to know why the majority of Americans had such a disdain for these leafy green veggies. Over the past couple years, as I've poured over my monthly issues of various food magazines, I've come across several recipes for brussels sprouts. I mean, if Gourmet Magazine deems them worthy enough to make the cut, how bad can they really be?

This particular recipe I've selected to try is by Dan Barber of Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns, both prestigious restaurants in the New York area (some of you foodies might recognize the name from an episode of Top Chef). Dan Barber is most well known for his simple approach to food, highlighting the natural flavors of produce by bringing fresh farm goods directly to the table. The trick to getting a tasty brussels sprout, I  believe, is making sure to cook them correctly. Over cooking brussels sprouts results in the bitter, unpleasant taste that I'm sure many of you associate them with.  

Bon Appetit gave some good advice on a couple different ways brussels sprouts can be prepared in order to accentuate their sweet, nutty flavor. Cutting a small X in the stem of each sprout before boiling them in salted water, helps to ensure that the interior cooks in the same amount of time as the exterior, thus preventing over cooking. They can also be blanched, whole, before being sliced and sauteed in butter or fat. As a third option, the technique implemented for this recipe, the leaves can be separated from their cores, and briefly sauteed just until tender. So maybe before you decide to stick to your original opinion of brussels sprouts, give one of the above methods a try. Of course, when in doubt, do as I did: saute the little suckers in some bacon fat- it may not help to highlight the natural flavor of brussels sprouts, but it sure doesn't hurt it. 

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Lemon and Pistachios 

Recipe adapted from Dan Barber, courtesy of Bon Appetit

A dish to convert all the Brussels sprout haters. By cooking the sprouts only briefly, you preserve their great nutty flavor. This side pairs nicely with roasted rack of lamb or whole chicken.

Ingredients:

5 slices of bacon, chopped
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 1/2 pounds of brussels sprouts, leaves separated from cores (about 8 cups), cores discarded
3/4 cup shelled unsalted natural pistachios
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:
Saute bacon pieces in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crispy. Remove bacon and place on a plate topped with paper towel to remove excess grease. Pour out all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease from pan and add the 2 tablespoons of grapeseed oil. Add shallot and stir 20 seconds. Add Brussels sprout leaves and pistachios, and sauté until leaves begin to soften but are still bright green, about 3 minutes. Add bacon bits and drizzle with lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and serve.

Makes 4 to 6 servings