roasted jalapeño-tomato salsa with fresh cilantro

nothing beats fresh salsa. especially really good fresh salsa. especially when the recipe comes from rick bayless - the mexican cooking connoisseur. i knew it was going to be good before i even made it.

roasting the vegetables gives an authentic taste, making you feel like you're eating salsa from a mexican restaurant and not that bottled stuff. i made this for the nanny family a couple weekends ago and they gobbled it up.

ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes (about 10 medium), preferably plum tomatoes
2 to 3 fresh jalapeño chiles (1 to 1 1/2 ounces), stemmed
half of a small white onion (2 ounces), sliced into 1/4 inch thick rings
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, loosely packed
1 generous teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar

directions:

preheat broiler. place tomatoes and jalapeños on baking sheet. set pan about 4 inches below broiler and cook for about 6 minutes. (they should be darkly roasted). rotate tomatoes/jalapeños and cook for 6 more minutes on other side. (the tomato skins will split and curl in places) set aside to cool.

turn the oven down to 425 degrees. place onion rings and garlic on baking sheet and roast for about 15 minutes. onion should be browned and garlic should be soft and browned in spots. set aside to cool.

in a food processor, pulse the jalapeños, garlic and onion. spoon into big bowl. add tomatoes (including juices from roasting pan) to processor giving them a coarse chop. add to bowl.  stir in enough water to give salsa an easily spoonable consistency. add cilantro. taste and season with salt and vinegar.

serve with your favorite tortilla chips and guacamole.

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mexican grilled corn

this recipe comes from ezra pound cake. i didn't really change anything from the original except i substituted the mexican crema for low-fat sour cream. the sweetness from the fresh corn paired with the creaminess of the sour cream and spicy-ness from the chili powder was pure perfection.

ingredients:
corn ears, husked
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup light sour cream

directions:
preheat grill to medium-high. in a small bowl, combine chili powder and salt/pepper. wrap each corn husk in tinfoil. place on grill and cook about 10 minutes, turning frequently.

remove from grill and remove tinfoil.  slather each corn husk with generous amount of sour cream, spreading over entire husk. sprinkle with chili powder mixture. eat immediately!

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grilled flank steak with chimichurri sauce

with the weather in the 70s yesterday, i just had to go home and heat up the grill for dinner. chimichurri is one of my absolute favorite sauces because it packs so much flavor and really isn't that bad for you. it's a tangy herb sauce that originated from argentina and is usually spooned over any grilled meat. i served it with grilled flank steak but kept the steak marinade simple because i knew the chimichurri would outshine anything i paired with it.

ingredients:
1/2 cup evoo + 2 tablespoons
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (use more or less depending on how much heat you want)
2 pounds flank steak
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper

directions:
mix 2 tablespoons of evoo, worcestershire sauce, 3 cloves of minced garlic, and s&p in plastic bag. add steak. marinate for at least one hour, turning occasionally.

meanwhile, combine 1/2 cup evoo, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, parsley, basil, 3 minced garlic cloves, minced shallot and oregano in food processor. pulse until well-blended - do not puree. should be a chunky herb sauce, not baby's food. stir in salt and red pepper flakes. transfer to a small bowl and let sauce sit for at least an hour.

when you're ready to cook the meat - remove flank steak from bag and discarde marinade. heat grill over medium high heat and cook steak about 8 to 10 minutes per side or to desired degree of doneness. cut steak diagonally across the grain into thin strips.

to serve, place thin strips of steak on plate and drizzle chimichurri over top. enjoy!

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top taco - best shredded beef taco ever.

picture via gimmesomeoven.com
i forgot to take one myself, but this is pretty close to what they looked like.

last weekend, my roommates and i hosted "top taco".  we got together with a group of our guys friends that live together to stage the ultimate cooking showdown with a mexican fiesta. the rules were simple - each team had to cook three dishes - queso, guacamole and tacos - and each round would be judged individually.  the boys ended up with the winning queso and the girls with the winning guacamole. that meant it was up to the taco round to decide our fate. inspiration came after my visit to salt lake city last month. we had stopped by a diners, drive-ins and dives favorite - red iguana - where we sampled a little taste of heaven in their shredded beef tacos. i tried googling to find the recipe but came up with no luck. i even called red iguana and asked for the recipe where a little mexican man simply laughed on the other end. so i ended up watching the ddd segment on youtube and wrote down all the spices they used to marinate their meat and came up with my own recipe.  the meat turned out absolutely delicious - it was moist, juicy, packed with tons of mexican flavor and just a little bit spicy. in the end, we won the taco round and became the champions of top taco!

ingredients:
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
4 lbs boneless chuck roast
3 bay leaves
28 oz can of tomatoes
2 cups low sodium beef stock
3 chipotles in adobo sauce
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
toppings: flour tortillas, monterrey jack cheese, sour cream

directions:
in a small bowl, combine cumin, chili powder, oregano, thyme, paprika, marjoram, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. trim fat from beef. using your hands, rub spice mix over all sides of meat and set aside. meanwhile, add can of tomatoes, bay leaves, onion, garlic, chipotles in adobo, more salt, and beef stock to slow cooker. add beef to slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.

remove the beef from the slow cooker and shred with two forks. add back to slow cooker and keep on warm until ready to serve.

to assemble, heat small skillet with a little evoo. take a flour tortilla and smother it with sour cream. add a good about of cheese and beef (make sure to get some of the juices that the beef was cooking in). fold in half and sear for 1 minute on each side in the skillet until tortilla is a little bit crispy. eat it up immediately before someone else does. repeat for the rest of the tacos.

feel free to use your own favorite mexican toppings - we just went with something traditional!

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asian steak fajitas

i know it seems a little silly to be posting another fajitas recipe, but this one was different. this was a fusion between asian and meixcan flavors. let me explain.

denise (meagan's mom) had us over for dinner on monday night. she made grilled asian flank steak and her signature hashbrown casserole (seriously you guys must make this asap.) she sent us home with leftover steak to eat up this week. meagan and i were craving something mexican so we decided to make fajitas. i sauteed up some sweet bell peppers and onion, re-heated the beef and topped it off with our favorite extras - sour cream, monterrey jack cheese and pre-made guacamole salsa from wholly guacamole.

i was a little skeptical at first to be mixing the two cultural flavors, but it actually turned out pretty delicious. the sweetness from the asian marinade paired nicely with the creaminess of the guacamole salsa and sauteed onions and peppers. below is the recipe for the steak marinade. it's best to let it sit over night to get the maximum flavors.

ingredients:
1/3 cup canola oil

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup diced scallions
s&p
2 pounds flank steak

directions:

combine the marinade ingredients together in a plastic resealable bag with steak. coat well with the marinade and chill/marinate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight. preheat the grill (indoor or outdoor) with high heat. take the steak out of the marinade bag and sprinkle generously on all sides with coarse s&p. grill about 5-10 minutes on each side, depending how rare/cooked you like it. meanwhile, make another batch of marinade. cook on stove over low heat while meat is cooking. 

remove steak from grill, cover with aluminum foil and let rest for at least 20 minutes. make very thin slices, against the grain, and at a slight diagonal so that the slices are wide. serve with reserved marinade.

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tamale pie

suz is back at it again, showing all of us roomies just how southern food is done. i'm amazed every time she shares her family's recipes with us. they are so delicious, so comforting and just have that down-home feeling. last night was no exception when she whipped up a tamale pie - it's basically ground beef mixed with all your favorite mexican flavors and topped with a cornbread crust and baked to perfection.

ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon evoo
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons cumin
15oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed (you could use black beans too)
8oz diced tomatoes
2 chipotles chiles in adobo sauce, plus 1 teaspoon sauce from can
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup fresh cilnatro
1 (8.5 oz) package cornbread mix + egg & milk

directions:
preheat oven to 400 degrees. grease 8 inch dish with butter and set aside. heat evoo in nonstick skillet over medium heat. add ground beef, onions, green peppers and garlic. cook until beef if no longer pink, about 8 minutes. drain excess fat and sprinkle meat with cumin.

add beans, tomatoes, chiles and adobo sauce and bring to boil over high heat. reduce heat to medium and simmer until heated through and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. remove from heat. add cheese and cilantro. spread beef mixture in baking dish, pressing down with spoon to make an even, compact layer. combine cornbread mix according to direction on box. spread batter evenly over beef mixture and bake until cornbread is golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. let stand 5 minutes and cut into squares.

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chicken and vegetable enchiladas

i found this recipe for healthier enchiladas at a blog called hungry mom on the run. she's a mom of three little ones, an avid runner and somehow finds time to whip up healthy meals. anddddd i'm not sure she knows i read her blog - so hi karen!

back to the recipe, i only changed a few things from karen's version. they turned out pretty delicious and we didn't feel that bad eating them since it was packed with so many veggies. here's how to do it:

ingredients:
8 flour tortillas
2 cups cooked, chopped chicken
1.5 zucchinis, chopped into small pieces
2 ears of corn, kernels taken from cob
1 can tomatoes, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
12 oz enchilada sauce (i used trader joe's brand)
2 cups cheddar cheese
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons cumin
s&p
evoo

directions:
preheat oven to 350 degrees. heat evoo in large skillet over medium heat. saute zucchini and corn for about 5 to 7 minutes, until zucchini is a little bit soft. in a large bowl mix together chicken, zucchini, corn, tomatoes, black beans, 6oz enchilada sauce, 1.5 cups cheddar cheese, spices and s&p. working one at a time, place a a generous scoop of the chicken/vegetable mixture in center of tortilla, roll it up like a burrito and place in a 13x9 casserole dish. repeat with the rest of the tortillas, placing them in a uniform line. drizzle rest of enchilada sauce on top of casserole and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. cover the dish with tinfoil and bake for 20 minutes. remove tinfoil and cook for an additional 5 minutes until cheese is bubbly. serve with reduced fat sour cream and low-fat guacamole.

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the "i'm not on a diet" enchilada

yello. i'm gorgeous.

today is thursday. the last time i blogged was sunday. please consider taking the following excuses as an explanation. 

1. i joined a gym on monday. between the 6pm elliptical sessions and 6am spinning classes, food hasn't been on my mind. cellulite has.
2. i've been preparing for my trip to the hamptons this weekend with sis (aka spending my free time picking out the perfect outfits)
3. meagan (roommate) has become the new domestic goddess of the house

all in fact, are true. meagan has really stepped up her game this week and prepared most (all) of the meals. let's take a quick recap. 

we started off monday with a grilled steak seasoned with bobby flay's signature rub. i whipped up buttermilk garlic mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach with tomatoes and garlic for side dishes. 

tuesday i roasted a whole chicken with a chipotle chili rub and meagan made trader joe's red quinoa and black bean salad with cilantro dressing. all the ingredients for the salad can be bought at trader joe's, including the bottled dressing. roasting a chicken is easy - clean, rinse and dry a 5 lb chicken. place on roasting pan and drizzle evoo all over chicken, including under the skin. using your hands, rub chili rub all over chicken. do this liberally. cook for 1.5 hours at 425 degrees. 

last night was the best night by far. meagan made smokey cheese enchiladas with red rice and beans. with over 3 pounds of cheese in the recipe, this wasn't a night for dieting. it was a night of seizing the moment. when someone puts a casserole dish full of goey, cheesy mexican deliciousness in front of you- you seize the moment and eat them. just look at the picture - you'll go weak in the knees too.

so i leave you this week with some great recipes to try and a promise to be better about blogging next week. i must sign off now to keep an eye on my 70+ bus driver taking me to the city...aka keep checking him for a pulse.

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sizzling chicken fajitas

as i said yesterday, this week's meals are simple, but tasty. i used a bottled fajita marinade to flavor the chicken. the brand i used is called world harbors and you can get it at about any grocery store in the salad dressing/sauce aisle. i served the fajitas with homemade reduced fat guacamole that was made with peas. get the recipe here.

ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup premade fajitas marinade
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 yellow onion, cut into thin slices
favorite fajita toppings - cheese, sour cream, black bean dip, refried beans, lettuce
flour tortillas
s&p
evoo

directions:
cut chicken breasts into thin strips and marinate in fajita sauce for up to an hour. keep in fridge. heat skillet over medium high heat with evoo. add bell pepper and onions, cooking until onions have softened - about 5 to 7 minutes. remove veggies from pan, add more evoo and cook chicken about 5 minutes. season with s&p. meanwhile, wrap tortillas in tinfoil and keep warm in 350 degree oven. the next step is easy - take a warm tortilla, add your favorite condiments, top with chicken, fold it up and dig in. don't know how to fold up a burrito (ahemmmm ton)? here's a quick demonstration.

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chili lime tilapia with avocado, corn & pepper salad

last night i made this simple dish for the roommates - it was my twist on a rachael ray recipe where she deep fried fish fillets. i decided to make it a little healthier by searing it in the pan and adding a fresh corn avocado salsa on top. i know the ingredient list looks long - but you probably already have a lot of the things in your pantry.

ingredients for fish:
4 tilapia fish fillets
1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon cumin
Zest of two limes
s&p
evoo

ingredients for corn avocado salsa:
3 ears of fresh corn
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 ripe avocado, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
2 tablespoons diced fresh cilantro
1/2 jalapeno, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
zest of one lime
juice of two limes
evoo
s&p

directions for fish:
in a small bowl, mix together flour, spices, lime zest and s&p. drizzle each fillet with evoo and dredge in flour mixture. add evoo to skillet (enough to coat entire bottom of pan) and cook fillet on each side about 4 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fillet.  serve immediately with salsa.

directions for corn avocado salsa: 
preheat outdoor grill to medium heat. in a small bowl mix together 1/4 cup evoo, chili powder, cumin and s&p. coat evoo mixture over corn with brush and then wrap in tin foil. place corn on grill and cook for about 10 minutes, flipping every so often. meanwhile, mix together another 1/4 cup evoo with cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, zest of limes and s&p. slowly whisk in lime juice, making a vinaigrette.  if it tastes too much like lime, add 1 tablespoon of evoo at a time until it's a good balance of juice and oil. when corn has finished cooking, cut kernels off cob and mix together with avocado and bell pepper. toss with lime vinaigrette and season with more s&p if needed.

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spicy mexican lasagna pie

this was the third installment of last week's meal plan. it was a great way to end the hectic week and a even better beginning to a wonderful holiday weekend. this was definitely what you would classify as a "hearty" meal. the combination between the beans, cheese and beef was enough to make our bellies burst. my favorite part was the short list of ingredients - we had most of them on hand already!

ingredients:
6 flour tortilla
black bean spread/dip
jar of your favorite salsa (i used roasted garlic salsa from trader joes)
1 cup fresh corn
1lb ground turkey
1 packet of taco seasoning
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
evoo

directions:
preheat oven to 450 degrees. cook ground turkey in skillet with some evoo.drain fat and add taco seasoning packet. cook according to directions. stir in corn and cook just until heated through. spread equal amounts of black bean dip over each tortilla. working in layers, top each evenly with beef mixture, salsa and cheese in the bottom a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. top pie with one more tortilla cheese and sprinkle with more cheese. bake for 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated and cheese melts. top with your favorite mexican condiments - guacamole, sour cream, hot sauce, salsa!

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