Taxes and Toast

Alright.  I admit it.  It is only mid-April and I've already botched my New Year's Resolution.  All I have to offer for my excuse is one word: TAXES.  Somehow, I got myself into a job that mostly revolves around them.  I don't want to talk too much about work, but I will summarize by saying that nine months of my year are spent planning for tax season, and the other three are spent actually dealing with and doing taxes.  So, I'm hoping you can accept this and we can move forward in our culinary relationship!  So, while I haven't been writing, I certainly have been eating.  That being said, today's post is dedicated to the most fabulous French TOAST my mom and I whipped up during a girls' weekend about a month ago.  This endeavor was jointly inspired by my finding some awesome gluten-free bread AND the amazing sauteed pears my mom's been cooking up lately.  Additionally, a 'bacon challenge' deserves some of the credit...  The maple mixes with the smoky-salty flavor of the bacon to make the dreamiest combo.  Start off by making some gluten-free French toast, however you like to do it.  I just make it how I always have, but substitute some of the awesome bread from Be Well Bakery at Downtown Grocery.  Next, proceed to making the pears!  The recipe is for one serving, so simply multiply the ingredients by number of people eating!  (You may find yourself making this just to nosh on alone.  It's that tasty.)

French Toast with Sauteed Pears and Maple Whipped Cream

*Start with French toast your way, then top with the following*

Ingredients (per person)

1 pear, sliced thin
1 pat of butter
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon dried chopped dates
1 tablespoon chopped walnuts or pecans
1 strip bacon, cooked and chopped
whipped cream (one pint)
maple syrup (2-3 tablespoons)

Directions

Begin by heating the butter and pear(s) in a pan over medium-low heat on the stove top.  Cook for about 7 minutes, until pears are mostly softened, then add the brown sugar, dates and nuts.  Cook for about 2 more minutes, until pears are cooked through, and the other ingredients have formed a 'sauce.'  Plate the French toast, then top with the pears and chopped bacon.  (You don't want the bacon to get soggy, that's why you don't want to add it sooner.)

Next, whip up the whipped cream, substituting maple syrup in place of sugar for sweetness.  Then, put a dollop on top of the French toast and pears!  (If you want to go lighter, this is the optional part.  But it is seriously SO good.  Do it.  Even if it's just once.)

Fabulous French toast with sauteed pears and maple whipped cream

Fish Tacos

I can tell you difinitively the first time I heard of fish tacos: on a trip to San Diego for my uncle's wedding when I was a sophmore in high school.  My great uncle David was on a quest for fish tacos, and I remember being incredulous that such a thing even existed.  It just didn't sound right!  However, this was before I had ever been to Mexico or really experienced latin culture or cuisine.  I didn't try the mysterious fish taco on that trip, and every time I saw it on a menu I shied away.  Then, a few summers ago, my mom prepared some fish tacos and I tried them for the first time.  To my surprise, I enjoyed them, but I DID think I could make some subtle improvements.  My homemade mango salsa is just the ticket!  The ground chipotle seasoning also adds a smokey flavor as well as some spice.  I'm sure there are fish tacos out there that are made with battered and deep fried fillets, but this recipe is made with non-battered pan-fried fish, making it a healthy as well as g-free meal.  I like to serve it with an avocado salad (like guacamole, but instead of mashing the avocado, cube it instead), and some refried black beans.  Ole!

Tacos de Pescado

1 lb white fish fillets, I use lake perch (thanks Dad!)
2 cups shredded red cabbage
1 ripe mango, diced
1 large red or orange bell pepper, diced
1 small red onion, diced
1 jalepeno, minced
juice of 1 lime
1-2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
low fat sour cream
corn tortillas
seasoning for fish: salt & pepper, chipotle seasoning

I like to prepare the salsa a day ahead or the morning of to let the flavors meld a bit.  Simply combine the mango, bell pepper, onion, jalepeno, cilantro and lime juice and store it in the fridge overnight.  Before cooking the fish, I gently sautee the cabbage in a little olive oil until it becomes slightly tender.  To prepare the fish, season to taste and pan fry in olive oil over medium heat.  When the fish is cooked, use a spatula to flake it into smaller pieces.  Warm the corn tortillas and fill them with small amounts of cabbage, fish, salsa and sour cream.  This is a fresh, light meal that evokes tropical climes.  It's a perfect summer dish, or a great break from the winter doldrums!

Serves 4.

A fish taco with avocado salad and delicious refried black beans.

Soup (#2)

Today's post is one I've been saving for awhile.  Over the summer, I decided to turn a carton of tomato & roasted red pepper soup into a seriously souped-up and delicious main dish.  This straight forward meal is inspired by flavors I've experienced in soups of Mexico, and it's not only tasty but also nutritionally balanced.  The tomato & roasted red pepper soup that I got from my grocery store's natural food section was gluten free, but you'll have to check the label before you buy (like any of your other ingredients).  Hint: Trader Joe's low sodium version of this soup IS g-free.  The thing that makes this soup simple is that other than a few fresh ingredients, you mostly just have to open cans!  (But shhhhh, you can still tell your guests it's gourmet)

Anita's Latin Chicken Soup

1 quart carton tomato & roasted red pepper soup
1 quart carton (g-free) chicken broth
2 cooked chicken breasts, pulled into small pieces
2 cups (roughly) cooked brown rice
1 14.5 oz can black beans, drained
1 14.5 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes
4 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 zucchini, sliced into half circles
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
hot sauce, salt and pepper to taste
lime wedges
chopped avocado

Add carrots and a little olive oil to large stock pot.  Sautee on stove top over medium heat 5-10 minutes until they begin to soften.  Next, open all cartons and cans and add to stock pot, bringing to a simmer.  Then, add zucchini and rice, continuing to simmer until zucchini is cooked.  Season with hot sauce, salt and pepper.  Add cilantro right before serving.  Top with some chopped avocado and serve with lime wedges and toasted corn tortillas.

Serves 4 as a main course, 8 as a starter, plus leftovers.

Brussels Sprouts Etc.

I don't like to brag.  And I certainly don't consider myself a boastful person.  I turn up my nose at people who think they are all that and a bag of chips.  But, I can't help but say that my dad and I made an AMAZING out-of-this-world dinner last night.  To say anything less would be straying from the truth.  It all started with the brussels sprouts.  You could say that I have a bit of an obsession.  There was honestly a time when my mother said: "Anne, I don't want to hear another word about brussels sprouts!"  It started last fall when I tried them for the first time.  I prepared them simply, halving them and sauteeing them in a moderate amount of butter and seasoning them with salt and pepper.  Then, a time or two later, they wound up being sprinkled with a bit of left over shredded parmesan cheese.  Yum!  Then I saw them featured in a magazine with all sorts of other stuff in the pan, which led me to make them with carmelized onions, toasted pecans, dried cranberries AND parmesan cheese.  Holy cow!  Every way I made them, I loved them more.  If you've never had the pleasure of eating a brussels sprout, I would describe them as a cross between cabbage and broccoli, both in flavor and appearance.  And wouldn't you know, they are all cruciferous vegetables, so I'm not off my rocker in that assesment!  Last night, I was somehow inspired to make the best sprouts I've ever dished up: with bacon, toasted walnuts and shredded parmesan.  Talk about a flavor explosion.  And this was just one third of the meal.  The rest of the plate was occupied by a perfectly grilled (venison) steak and expertly seasoned oven fries.  A meal fit for a queen, if you ask me.  Especially when followed with a slice of decadent flourless chocolate cake!  (Can that be our secret?)  I refused to count yesterday's calories.  There is no way I would undermine food bliss with that kind of regret.

Brussels Sprouts a la Anne

Ingredients

1 lb. brussels sprouts, rinsed and halved
3 strips of bacon, chopped into small pieces
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Begin by frying the bacon in a large pan or skillet.  When it is done to moderate crispness, remove it from the pan and set aside.  Dispose of most of the bacon grease, leaving a thin coating in the pan.  Then, add the sprouts to the pan, flat side down and cook over medium heat, rearranging regulary with a spatula to prevent burning.  When the sprouts are golden brown, add the walnuts to the pan and cook for an additional minute or two, allowing them to become toasted.  Turn off the heat and add the bacon back to the pan, stirring the mixture so that the bacon and nuts are evenly dispersed.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Plate the sprouts and top with the parmesan cheese.  Serves 2-4, depending on the level of sprout obsession!

Succulent Sprouts, flanked by steak and oven fries

Happy New Year! (Lasagna)

It's the beginning of the new year, which means it's time for resolutions.  I for one have resolved to do more than one blog post per month.  It's just not fair to regular readers.  I had every intention of squeezing in a second December post but, alas, the craziness of the holiday season got the better of me.  So, I will save that post for another day.

While driving home from a family holiday celebration with my sister yesterday, I was overcome with a craving for lasagna.  Since my Celiac diagnosis, I've had one special friend prepare a gluten free version of her legendary lasagna, so I wanted to give it a try myself.  Believe it or not, lasagna is something I've never made before, g-free or otherwise, so I decided to take a shot at it while my motivation was strong.  After getting back in town, I dropped off my sister then headed right to the grocery store.  After getting home, I immediately put a pot of water on the stove in preparation for my noodles.  About an hour later, I took a lovely, bubbling, golden brown lasagna out of the oven.  I ate two servings, no sweat.  (I DID keep driving through lunch...)  You may find that without gluten, your lasagna noodles break into pieces after having been cooked, so handle them with as much care as possible.  If they break, just piece them together in the baking dish, it will still taste wonderful.  :)

Ingredients
1 (8 oz.) package gluten free lasagna noodles
1 (1 lb. 10 oz.) jar your favorite pasta sauce
1 lb. ground chuck
8 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms
8-9 oz. bag of fresh spinach
15 oz part skim ricotta
1/2 cup sliced fresh basil
8 oz shredded mozzarella

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and begin by cooking the lasagna noodles according to package instructions.  (Probably 6-8 minutes)  Meanwhile, sautee mushrooms in a little butter over low-medium heat until golden brown, then add the spinach, continuing to cook until just wilted.  Transfer to a bowl and set aside.  Next, add beef to pan, cooking over medium heat until browned, then add pasta sauce and cook until heated through.  When the noodles are cooked and drained, place one layer of noodles in the bottom of a 13 x 9 glass baking dish.  Next, layer on the mushrooms and spinach followed by half the sauce and meat mixture.  Then drop on the ricotta a spoonful at a time, covering the sauce layer evenly.  Then comes the second layer of noodles, the sliced basil, and the remainder of the sauce and meat mixture.  It's all topped off by the shredded mozzarella.  Place in the oven and bake at 350 for about 40 minutes.  If the cheese begins to brown too soon, cover the lasagna with aluminum foil.  Let cool 5-10 minutes prior to serving.  Serves 8-10.

Tinga

The weeks I spent studying abroad in Cueranvaca, Mexico during the winter of my senior year in college were some of the best of my life.  Cuernavaca is known as the land of 'eternal spring' for it's appealing climate all year round.  Located in the tiny state of Morelos, just south / east of the federal district, Cuernavaca bursts with friendly people, places to explore and flavors that exemplify the cuisine of Mexico.  During my stay there I ate in a first class restaurant, patronized street vendors and churro carts (pre-celiac diagnosis) and was spoiled daily by my host mother's cooking.  She was suprised by my affinity for the guyaba, a small, fleshy and seedy fruit which is eaten whole, and she quickly caught on to my and my roommate Amy's love of anything avocado.  Among the amazing homemade tacos dorados, enchiladas verdes and quesadillas oozing gooey Oaxaca cheese was one obvious standout: Tinga.  Tinga, as I was introduced to it, is a mouthwatering preparation of shredded chicken simmered in a sauce of tomato, chipotle and garlic along with sauteed pieces of thinly sliced onions.  Our host mom and a relative showed us how put together our meal.  Start with a corn tostada, then spread it with a thin layer of refried black beans and top with shredded lettuce.  Next comes a generous portion of Tinga!  Top it all off with some crumbled queso seco, guacamole and crema and you're ready to go.  This might just be one of the messiest, most delicious things I've ever had the opportunity to eat.  And thanks to an assignment from a teacher, I sat down with my mama to copy the recipe as she dictated, and now get to share it with all of you!

Tinga

Ingrdients

3 chicken breasts, boneless or otherwise
3 small onions
1 can chipotles in adobo sauce (Read the ingredients!  Some include wheat starch.  San Marcos brand is safe)
1 can (14.5 oz) diced or crushed tomatoes
3-6 cloves of garlic, depending on your taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt to taste

Directions

Either bake or sautee chicken until mostly cooked through.  I like to bake it, especially if it's on the bone.  While your chicken is cooking, you can prepare the rest of the Tinga.  Peel and mince your garlic, then add it to a large skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Sautee briefly over low-medium heat, then transfer to blender.  You won't need all the chipotles (!), just 3-5 depending on your heat tolerance.  Remove them from the can and rinse the adobo sauce off them, then add them to the blender, along with the tomatoes.  Puree them until you've acheived a pretty smooth consistency.  Next, thinly slice your onions into half-rounds and add them to your skillet with another tablespoon of olive oil.  Cook over medium heat until they start to soften, then remove from heat.  When the chicken is still slightly pink on the inside, you can go ahead and shred it.  (Just make sure you take the proper steps to prevent food-borne illness!)  Add the chicken and sauce to the skillet of onions and simmer, stirring often, until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.  For maximum flavor saturation, add 1/3-1/2 cup water to the skillet and continue to simmer until the sauce has thickened back up.  Serve with tostadas, refried black beans, lettuce, shredded cheese, guacamole and sour cream.  Oh, and lots of napkins!  I've also been meaning to try this over polenta instead of on a tostada, so I'll have to let you know how that goes.  From Irene's table to yours, Buen Provecho!
Serves 4-6 +leftovers.

The delicious final product, with a side of avocado salad

Off Limits!

Unfortunately, I haven't been doing a ton of cooking lately, but I didn't want to totally neglect the blog.  So, today I am writing about something I encounter on a fairly regular basis: foods I SHOULD be able to eat, except for cross-contaminants.  Sound familiar?  A lot of times I feel pretty frustrated when I approve an ingredient list, only to read further and find out that the produce was manufactured in a shared facility/on shared equipment with wheat.  Why does this have to happen?  After some deep thought, I've come up with an answer: to stop me from eating junk.  Most of the foods that present this problem are things I probably shouldn't eat anyway, like potato chips.  My initial frustration ends up transforming into relief, because there is a more concrete reason I shouldn't eat the chips (besides obvious nutritional ones).  In retrospect, I almost wish this happened more often!  But, then I eventually submit to the cravings and buy the potato chips that I CAN eat.  :)  Oh well, at least I will battle myself internally for a bit longer first...  But I will always be vigilant about checking lables.