Quinoa Esquites

Esquites is a Mexican corn salad. I sort of morphed two recipes to make this one- okay actually, I just added quinoa to one.
It's a delicious comforting and healthy main dish. I served it with a simple salad with radishes,thinly sliced onion, red pepper, etc. It would actually be tasty mixed with a salad as well.

Try it with avocado too.

Photo and Adapted Recipe from Closet Cooking

Esquites (Mexican Corn Salad)

A tasty Mexican street corn salad with an amazing blend of sweet corn, salty cheese, sour lime juice and a hint of spicy chili powder; pure summer in a bowl.

(Adapted from Serious Eats)

Servings: makes 4 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa

2 cups no-chicken or vegetable broth

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 cups corn (about 4 ears), cut from the cob
• 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 glove garlic, grated
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1 handful cilantro, chopped
• 1 lime, juice
• 2 tablespoons cotija (or feta), crumbled
• chili powder to taste

Directions

1. Bring quinoa and stock to boil in small pot. Once boiling, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes. 
2. Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Add the corn, toss and let it sit cooking until charred, mix it up and let it char again, about 6-10 minutes.
4. Add the jalapeno, saute for a minute and remove from heat.
5. Mix everything and serve warm or at room temperature.

Leek, Chard and Corn Flatbread

Holy Flatbread this is good.

I love leeks. I love swiss chard. I love fresh corn, I love goat cheese, and I love flatbread- so it was a match made in heaven.

The only change I would make is spread some goat cheese on the bread before adding toppings, it helps keep the toppings in place a little better. Then a little more on top.

         leek, chard and corn flatbread

Makes 2 large (9x13ish inches) flatbreads or 4 smaller (Serves four) 

About 1 1/2 pounds pizza dough (from two of these, or store-bought)

1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 large leeks (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 12-ounce bundle chard or about 6 cups (6 ounces) of leaves, cut into 1/2-inch ribbons
1/2 teaspoon table salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup fresh corn kernels (cut from 1 to 2 medium ears corn)
Cornmeal, for sprinkling baking surface
4-ounce goat cheese log, cold

Trim the ends off your leeks and halve them lengthwise. Cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch half-rings. Fill a medium bowl with very cold water and drop in sliced leeks. Swish them around with your fingers, letting any sandy dirt fall to the bottom. Scoop out the leeks and drain them briefly on a towel, but no need to get them fully dry. Do the same with your chard ribbons, but you can leave the leaves on towels until they’re nearly fully dry, while you cook the leeks.

Heat your oven to 450 degrees.

Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add butter and oil and once they’re fully melted and a bit sizzly, add the leek slices. Reduce heat to low, cover with a lid and cook leek for 10 to 13 minutes, stirring occasionally. Raise heat back to medium, add the chard ribbons and cook until they wilt, about 4 minutes. Season mixture with salt and freshly ground black pepper, adding more if needed. Finally, add your corn kernels, cooking them with the leeks and chard for just another minute.

Sprinkle two baking sheets with cornmeal. If you have pesky old baking trays like I do, and your breads really like to stick to them, I find things will release more reliably if you first lightly spray them with an oil before sprinkling on the cornmeal. Roll or stretch half your dough into a rectangular-ish shape (flatbreads are prettiest when they’re irregularly shaped, in my humble opinion) and arrange it on the prepared sheet. Spread half the leek-corn-chard mixture on it. Sprinkle it with half the log of goat cheese, crumbled into small bits.

Bake flatbread in oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until the edges of the bread begin to brown slightly (they might brown more deeply in a better oven than they did in my lousy one). Repeat with remaining dough, filling and goat cheese.

To serve, slide each flatbread onto a cutting board and cut into 8 rectangles. Serve immediately.

Vegetarian Pozole

My Spanish speaking sister turned me onto Pozole, and we tried a vegetarian recipe this week that was pretty satisfying. I like it with lots of lettuce/radishes and lime on top. mmm.
hot & spicy and cold & crunchy

Recipe from
Photo from Looks good tastes good. I think I will try this version next time.
http://looksgoodtastesgood.blogspot.com/2012/05/vegetarian-pozole.html

Vegetarian Pozole Stew

Ingredients:

• 1 15 ounce can hominy (maíz pozolero)
• 1 small onion, whole
• 1 small garlic head, whole
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ to ¾ tsp oregano leaves
• 2 small chilacates or chile ancho (dried poblano chiles)
• 10-12 cups water or vegetable broth
• 1 pound chopped mushrooms
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Salt to taste
• Cabbage or iceberg lettuce, radishes, onion and key lime to garnish

Preparation:

In a big pot bring the water or vegetable broth to a boil and add the hominy. You want enough water or vegetable broth to cover the hominy and a little bit more; it is supposed to be "stocky".

Add the onion whole, the garlic head whole and unpeeled, and the bay and oregano leaves.

In a separate small pot add the chilacates (dried poblano chiles) in just enough water to cover them, then bring to a boil just until soft. Set this pot aside.

When the big pot boils and the onion and garlic are soft, take them out and process in the blender the chilacates with about half boiled onion and 3 or 4 boiled garlic cloves, sift and add to the big pot.

Add salt to taste.

In skillet heat olive oil and sautee the mushrooms and add to the big pot, check salt, add more water if necessary and let the preparation boil complete for a last time.

Serve the pozole garnished with the cabbage or lettuce chopped in fine stripes, finely chopped onions, round sliced radishes and key lime juice. Enjoy your vegetarian and vegan pozole stew!

If you cn get your hands in a bottle of "Valentina" hot sauce, add as much as you can stand and it will be delicious.

Spaghetti with Artichoke Hearts and Tomatoes

Just realized I didn't post this recipe. Strange- because this tomato cream sauce is, well incredibe. Pioneer woman certainly doesn't count her calories-, however the flavor convinces me it's worth it. I use about 1/2 cup less cream and substitute more broth to make it a tad healthier. As well as adding swiss chard.

I'm an artichoke looover. Especially in pasta- so this is a fav.

Spaghetti with Artichoke Hearts and Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1/2 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
• 1 can Artichoke Hearts (14.5 Oz. Quartered Or Whole) Drained
• 1 can Diced Tomatoes With Juice (14.5 Oz.)
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 1/2 cup Chicken Broth (More As Needed)
• 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 1 pound Thin Spaghetti
• 1 cup Parmesan Cheese, Freshly Grated
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Chives (or Other Herbs) Chopped
• 1 bunch swiss chard, cut and rinsed.

Preparation Instructions

Cook spaghetti till al dente. Drain and set aside.

Melt olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add swiss chard and saute for 3-4 minutes until they begin to wilt. 

Add artichoke hearts and tomatoes. Stir and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cream and chicken broth. Add salt and pepper to taste (do not undersalt!) Cook over low heat until heated through, then turn off heat.

Place drained pasta in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 cup Parmesan. Pour sauce over the top. Add chives. Toss lightly to combine and coat; add a tiny bit of reserved pasta water if sauce seems too thick.

Delicious!

Idaho Potato Bar

I have never eaten potatoes like this until moving to Idaho- so I guess it's an Idaho thing.

Really easy and filling. Plus not your average baked potato. You can substitute basically whatever veggies you have in your fridge.

This method of baking the potatoes is my favorite- if you like the skins (which we loove)- you must try it.

                                  Idaho Potatoes

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 Baked Potatoes, washed and scrubbed

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/3 tube ground soy sausage

1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup sliced green onions

2 tomatoes, diced

1/3 cup grated cheese of choice

3-4 Tb Olive Oil

S+P

Preheat Oven to 450 degrees

Prick potatoes with a fork all over. Cover potatoes with Olive oil and sprinkle all with Salt and Pepper. Place potatoes directly on the oven shelf. Bake for 40min- check for doneness. 

Meanwhile, Saute sausage with mushrooms until sausage gets a little crispy and mushrooms are done.

Warm cream of mushroom soup on medium heat and add mushroom and sausage. 

Serve Potatoes by forking a line down the middle and squeezing the opposite ends. Careful of the hot steam. Top with soup mixture, tomatoes and onions, and cheese. Enjoy.

"Meat" Lovers Pizza

Okay- I'm not going to lie, sometimes it's nice to have some meat substitutes that feel a little heavier and comforting than our average meal. This is a husband favorite.

"Meat" Lovers Pizza

Pizza Toppings:
1/3 tube Soy Ground Sausage
4 pieces Tofurky Bacon
1/4 small sliced Red Onion
5 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup Pizza Sauce
1/4 cup Mozzarella
3 Tb Shaved Parmesan
S + P

1. Saute the Soy Sausage in a saute pan until a little crispy. Then Cook the bacon and chop with done.

I use the same pizza dough I always use and have in my freezer.

Pizza Dough
Adapted from Todd English’s The Figs Table
Makes four 8- to 10-inch pizzas (Serves 1 to 2 people per pizza, dough freezes beautifully)

¼ cup whole wheat flour
3½ cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for rolling
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 2/3 cups lukewarm water
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons active-dry yeast
2 teaspoons olive oil

1. Place the flours and salt in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. (Or knead by hand. I have not had luck making this in the food processor — the engine starts smoking after about five minutes.) Combine the water, sugar and yeast in a small bowl and let sit for five minutes until the mixture bubbles slightly. Add the olive oil and stir. With the mixer on low, gradually add the oil-water mixture into the bowl. Knead until the dough is firm and smooth, under 10 minutes. The dough will be very wet and sort of difficult to work with. I liberally coat my hands with flour before attempting to remove it.

2. Divide the dough into four balls, about 7½ ounces each. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. (Be sure to oil the parchment paper.) Place two balls on a sheet. Lightly rub the balls with olive oil, then cover loosely with plastic wrap. The dough is very sticky and wet, so, be sure to coat the balls or the plastic with oil. Let the balls rise in a warm spot until they have doubled in bulk, about two hours.

Note: This dough freezes beautifully. After the initial rise, punch down the dough, wrap it in plastic and place in a Ziplock bag. Freeze for several months. When ready to use, let sit at room temperature for about an hour, then proceed with rolling/topping/baking.

3. To roll out the dough: Dab your fingers in flour and then place one ball on a generously floured work surface. Press down in the center with the tips of your fingers, spreading the dough with your hand. When the dough has doubled in width, use a floured rolling pin (or continue using floured hands if you are skilled at making pizzas) and roll out until it is very thin, like flatbread. The outer portion should be a little thicker than the inner portion. Note: If the dough is being very stubborn, let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes. In this time, the gluten will relax, and the dough will be much easier to work with.

Baking:

1. Preheat the oven to 500ºF. Line a sheetpan with parchment paper or grease lightly with olive oil. Place rolled out dough onto parchment paper or greased pan. Drizzle dough with a little olive oil and with your hand, rub it over the surface to coat evenly.

2. Cover the dough with Pizza Sauce. Then top with sausage, bacon, tomatoes, red onion. Finish by sprinkling mozzarella and some shaved Parm, and S+ P . Make sure to keep toppings a little thinner in the middle. Place pizza in your very hot oven and bake for about 10 minutes or until the crust is slightly brown and the cheese is melting.

3. Remove from the oven ,let cool a few minutes. Slice and serve. Yum.

Pinto Bean Avocado Tacos

Perfect balance between the pinto/soyrizo, salty feta, creamy avocado, lime and red onion.

Recipe and photo from Vegetarian Times

Serves 6

30 minutes or fewer

Soy chorizo sausage is a favorite among VT staffers because it adds spice and texture without a processed "fake meat" flavor. Queso fresco is a crumbly, mild Mexican cheese. Look for it near the refrigerated salsas or next to Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses.

• 12 6-inch corn tortillas
• 1 Tbs. canola oil
• 1 small red onion, divided: half of onion diced, half sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
• 4 oz. soy chorizo sausage, such as Soyrizo
• 1 10-oz. can diced tomatoes with chiles
• 2 15-oz. cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 small avocado, sliced
• ⅓ cup crumbled queso fresco or grated Cheddar cheese
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Wrap tortillas in foil, and place in oven to warm.

2. Heat oil in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced onion, and sauté 3 minutes. Add garlic, and cook 1 minute more. Crumble soy sausage into pan, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in diced tomatoes, and bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 4 to 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Stir in beans, and cook 2 minutes more, or until beans are warmed through.

3. To assemble tacos: Fill tortillas with 3 Tbs. bean mixture. Top with sliced onions, avocado, cheese, and cilantro. Serve with salsa and hot sauce, if desired.