Mexican Fiesta - Ole!

Hi ladies,

Upon discovering the most delicious guacamole recipe ever, I was inspired to go with a Mexican/Southwest theme this month, drawing on some of my favourites. I hope you all enjoy! :)

- Zoe

Guacamole

Serves 4-5

This is the only guacamole recipe you will ever need. If you aren't in the mood to chop onion and garlic, or pressed for time, you can substitute onion powder and garlic powder to taste. It still tastes yummy!

3 ripe avocados, diced
2 vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped
1/3 cup onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice from 1/2 lime
1/2 tsp salt

Mash avocado in bowl. Add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, cilantro, lime juice and salt, and combine well. You can serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap to refrigerate overnight (just remember to press the plastic wrap directly onto the guacamole to keep it from turning brown). Serve with tortilla chips or as an add-on for tacos, burgers, etc.

Tortilla Soup

Serves 8

My mom first made this soup for family dinners, and it is one of my all-time favorites. I guarantee that, even if you don't like soup, you will love this recipe.

8 cups (8 L) vegetable stock (either store-bought or homemade - if you're going with store-bought, try to get a low sodium version)
2 tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil
2 yellow onions, finely diced
1 tbsp (15 mL) salt
10 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp (30 mL) minced oregano
1-2 jalapeno peppers (depending on how much heat you can handle), seeded and minced
3 cups (720 mL) corn kernels, fresh or frozen
2 large red peppers, seeded and finely diced
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) liquid smoke
2 tsp (10 mL) chipotle puree (you can buy canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and blend or finely chop)
4 corn tortillas, yellow or blue
2 avocados, diced
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, stemmed
asiago cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler
1 lime, cut into thin wedges

Heat the stock and keep it warm on the back burner while preparing the soup. In a heavy-bottomed soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and 1 tsp (5 mL) salt and saute until translucent. Stir in the garlic, oregano, half of the minced jalapenos, and another tsp (5 mL) salt; saute 5 minutes.

Pour the hot stock into the pot and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer 20 minutes. In the final 5 minutes, stir in the corn, red peppers, remaining jalapenos, the remaining salt, liquid smoke, and chipotle puree. Simmer until the corn is tender. Meanwhile, prepare the garnishes and season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.

To make tortilla strips, slice each tortilla into thin strips 1/4 inch thick. Toss gently with a light coating of oil, a pinch of salt, and chili powder (optional). Spread the strips out on a baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven until crisp (5 minutes). Remove from the oven and let cool until ready to serve.

To serve, ladle the broth into bowls and divide the diced avocado, cilantro leaves, and asiago shavings among the bowls. Arrange 8 tortilla strips in a tepee in the center of each bowl. Serve immediately with a bowl of lime wedges on the side.

Beef and Pinto Bean Chili - from "Cooking Light Magazine"

Serves 6

The first chili recipe I ever tried to make, and so so good! Feel free to omit the radish if you aren't a fan.

Cooking spray
1 pound boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (I cheat and buy pre-cut kabob meat, which most meat counters have in stock)
3/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp canola oil
4 cups chopped onion (about 2 medium)
1/4 cup seeded and minced jalapeno peppers (about 2 large)
10 garlic cloves, minced
1 (12-ounce) bottle beer (you can substitute water in a pinch)
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 cups fat-free, low-sodium beef broth
1 (28 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup thinly sliced radish
1 avocado, diced
6 tbsp small cilantro leaves
6 tbsp sour cream
1 lime, cut into six wedges

Heat a large pot over high heat. Coat inside with cooking spray. Sprinkle beef evenly with 1/4 tsp salt. Add beef to pan; saute 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove beef from pan. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and jalapeno; saute 8 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occassionally. Add garlic; saute 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in beer, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; bring to a boil. Cook until liquid almost evaporates (about 10 minutes), stirring occasionally. Stir in paprika, cumin, and tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add beef, broth, tomatoes, and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until mixture is thick and beef is very tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in remaining 1/2 tsp salt.

Ladle 1 cup chili into each of 6 bowls. Divide radish and avocado evenly among bowls. Top each serving with 1 tbsp cilantro and 1 tbsp sour cream. Serve with lime wedges.

Mexican Paella - from "The Cook's Book of Everything" (one of my food bibles)

Serves 4

1 large garlic clove, peeled
1 onion, quartered
2 firm tomatoes
1 red pepper, seeded and quartered
1/4 cup (60 mL) olive oil
55 g (2 oz) bacon, chopped
1 1/3 cups (265 g) long-grain rice
2 1/2 cups (625 mL) hot fish stock (recipe to follow)
2 tinned and drained, or fresh, poblano chilies, finely shredded
16 raw prawns (shrimp), peeled and deveined, tales intact
250 g (9 oz) firm white fish (i.e. snapper, halibut), cut into chunks
2 tbsp chopped coriander (cilantro)
lime wedges, to serve

Dry-roast the garlic, onion, tomatoes and red pepper in a heavy-based frying pan over low heat, turning often, for about 45 minutes, or until the ingredients are browned all over.

When cool enough to handle, peel the tomato and red pepper, and roughly chop. Put the flesh in a food processor with the garlic and onion, and blend to a puree (a handheld blender will work too, or you can finely chop the ingredients by hand).

Heat the olive oil in a deep frying pan. Add the bacon and cook until crisp. Add the rice and cook for 1 minute, stirring the grains to make sure they are completely coated in oil.

Add the pureed tomato mixture and cook for 3 minutes. Add the stock and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil and stir once. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook gently for 15 minutes.

Add the chilies, prawns and fish to the pan, and cook for another 5 minutes. Add a little hot water to the rice if it is becoming too dry. Check the seasoning, sprinkle with coriander and serve with lime wedges.

Fish Stock

Put 2 kg (4 lb 8 oz) fish bones and heads in a stockpot with a bouquet garni, 1 chopped onion and 10 pepper corns. Add 10 cups (2.5 L) cold water, bring to a boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Skim off any scum. Drain the stock, then cool in the fridge. When cool, lift off any congealed fat.

Avocado, Prawn and Mango Salad - from "The Cook's Book of Everything"

Serves 2

1/3 cup (80 mL) olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp finely grated orange zest
24 raw prawns (shrimp), peeled and deveined, tails intact
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 avocados, sliced into wedges
2 mangoes, flesh cut into wedges
mixed salad greens (I use the pre-washed salad mix)

To make the dressing, combine the oil, vinegar, mustard, and orange zest. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat a barbecue grill or stove-top grill, brush the prawns with a little of the dressing and cook for 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl with the onion, avocado, and mango.

Add the salad greens and pour in the dressing. Toss lightly before serving.

Summer on the Mediterranean...or at least dreaming of it!

Hello Ladies!

I've gone with a (I think, please ignore spelling errors) Mediterranean theme, pretending that just outside my window there is a beach and the sea...Enjoy!

"Greek" Pita Pockets (Meat or Vegetarian)

An easy favourite from my mom that has never failed me with any crowd! It's also very easy to brush the marinade on veggies and then grill them for a vegetarian option--yum!!!

-1 lb either boneless pork, chicken or turkey OR assorted veggies (oh, the possibilities!)

-2 T extra virgin olive oil

-2 T fresh lemon juice

-1/2 T prepared mustard

-1 garlic clove, sliced or crushed

-1/2 t fresh oregano (dried works fine too)

-adjust amounts to taste

Add-ons to the pita to prepare:

-crumbled feta cheese

-Fresh Tzatziki (recipe included)

-Hummus (recipe included)

-butter leaf lettuce (any lettuce will do, but this one you don't even have to use the pita with if you are going the low-carb route)

-sliced cucumber

-seeded tomatoes

-fried onions and peppers

-pitas or tortillas

Marinade meat in refrigerator for at least an hour. It is best to pre-cut all your veggies, cheese, etc., because it cooks fast! Stir-fry meat over medium heat until cooked through. I stir-fry any veggies I am adding in a separate pan, as they tend to not all cook at the perfect speed. For a little extra crispiness brush pitas or tortillas with olive oil and brown just slightly in a medium heat pan. Add whatever you love and eat away!

I'm sure many of you have your own recipe for these, but I really enjoy these two versions.

Fresh Artichoke Tzatziki-from Julie Van Rosendaal's "Grazing"--I love this low-fat cookbook!

This dip is actually best just with pita chips, but the plain stuff goes great in the above pita.

-2 C Tzatziki (home-made or store-bought) NB: Home-made: grate 2 small cucumber and squeeze into towel to get rid of excess water. Add to 2 crushed clove of garlic and 2 C plain yoghurt (Balkan-style if possible), salt and pepper to taste)

-1/2 C Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

-2 red peppers, roasted and chopped (home-made OR bottled from the store)

-170mL jar of marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

-4 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

-2 green onions, chopped

Mix ingredients together, chill if needed and serve with pita chips. Add salt and pepper to taste if necessary. Yummo!

Fresh Spicy Hummus-also from "Grazing"- remove coriander and red pepper flakes if you want it plain

-540mL can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained

-2 T tahini (apparently you can use light peanut butter, but I didn't love it)

-2 T plain yoghurt

-2 cloves garlic, peeled

-1 T olive oil (I actually forgot this once, and it was a little stickier, but tasty none the less)

-juice from 1 freshly squeezed lemon

-1 t ground cumin

-1 t coriander

-1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes

Mix ingredients together in a food processor (if you have one, if not beat up and mix well) and puree. Add salt and pepper to taste, or a little water if it's too thick. Mmmm...

Mediterranean Style Seafood Pasta

Now technically you can add whatever seafood you want to prepare with this, I have only used talapia, halibut and tuna (not together, separately). Basically, as long as you use something fairly mild that will easily take on the flavours of the dish you'll be set.

-1/2 C Caesar Salad Dressing (Newman's Own if you can get it!)

-1/2 white onion, chopped

-2 cloves of garlic, minced

-preferred seafood choice--I have to admit, I've never actually measured it out...the more the merrier I say! chopped into eatable bites

-1/2 C sliced Kalamata olives (but the recipe is good without for those of you who are foolish enough to hate black olives)

-1 T fresh basil

-1/4 T hot pepper flakes (fresh is also good! I usually add a few more for a little zing)

-1 C chopped, seeded tomatoes

-crumbled feta cheese (again, the more the merrier! I just go by the look)

-spaghetti, linguine, penne, I have tried all of these ones with it and like the look.

Start cooking pasta. In a skillet, heat the salad dressing over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, stirring occasionally until softened. Add the seafood, olives, basil and hot pepper flakes and cook for a few minutes, until the seafood is cooked through. Add the tomato and feta cheese last, and cook until they are just warmed and the cheese is melting at the edges. Remove from heat, add to pasta. Delicious!

And finally Summer Pizza

-pre-baked pizza crust (you can bake your own of course, but I have never had ANY luck with bread products where I live, I have no idea how some of you do it!!)

-1/2 C basil pest0 (store-bought OR basil, olive oil, garlic, pine nuts mixed in a food processor to taste)

-1/3 C sun-dried tomatoes, re-hydrate in boiling water, drain and chop

-1 C shrimp, de-veined and peeled

-1/2 C crumbled feta cheese

Spread pesto all around pizza curst. Add on and spread out sun-dried tomatoes, shrimp and feta cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes, until the edges are golden. Also delicious served cold!

If you are a wine drinker...(these will not be perfect, I am not an expert despite what people think! Personally, in the summer I much prefer Kendall's Sangria recipe :)

Red: think Tempranillo (mostly Spanish), or (I can't believe I am saying this) a Merlot--but one with spiciness, the Americans do a couple that are not bad at all

Rose: solid and not sweet rose to go with these dishes--in fact there are one or two Australian ones (Mitolo if you can find it!) if you can get them that are very full-bodied, if not, the French and Spanish always do lovely roses.

White: Dry, dry, dry. Not sweet! Whatever you prefer from there is good, I find sauvignon blanc usually works out well with almost everything.

Happy Eating in July everyone!

Guaranteed Good Time BBQ Food

Hello ladies, sorry for the belated post, but I'll try to make it worth the wait! We had our first summer BBQ last weekend so I thought I'd share our party favorites. Enjoy.

Portuguese Sangria (this is Cait's mum's recipe but has been a mainstay at our summer...and sometimes winter...parties)
1 bottle (750 mL) dry red wine
1/3 cup frozen lemonade concentrate
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup orange-flavored liquer
1/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 cans (or 3 cups) ginger ale
fruit

Mix all ingredients except ginger ale; refrigerate until chilled.
Just before serving, stir in ginger ale. Garnish with fruit.
Call a friend to drive you home. :)

Kendall's famous Pulled Bison on Baguette (not to be confused with "beef on a bun")
5-6 lbs Bison (any roast seems to work for me)

2 cups ketchup
3 Tbsp brown mustard
2 Tbsp worchestershire sauce
1/4 cup dark molasses
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup barbeque sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar

1-2 baguettes

Cook meat in water (almost enough to cover) with tight lid around 250 degrees for 8-10 hours (I use a slow cooker but you could do it in the oven). Drain off liquid and pull the meat apart using two forks. Mix sauce; add bison. Mix thoroughly and heat. Toast slices of baguette in broiler. Serve bison on baguettes.

Seafood Dip to feed a crowd
This is a multi-layered, pretty dip. I like to use a glass dish to show it off. Unfortunately for you, I don't ever use a recipe, so I'm basically making up the quantities. I really don't think you can mess it up though, so just go with what feels right. :) I use a 9X12 dish but you could do different sizes, it just makes your layers different thicknesses.

Base
1 block cream cheese, softened (feel free to use low-fat, I don't think anyone ever notices)
~1/2 cup mayonnaise
---mix ingredients together in bowl using electric mixer until smooth. Spread in bottom of dish.

Second layer (can substitute seafood dip if you prefer)
~5 Tbsp ketchup
~3 tsp horseradish sauce
3 glugs of worchestershire
--mix together in bowl, spread over previous layer.

Third layer
cut up crab (I use crab-flavoured pollock)
cut up pieces of shrimp (not necessary, but a nice addition)
--sprinkle over previous layer

Fourth layer
very small pieces of cut up tomato (as an uber-picky person, I use cherry or grape tomatos cut up small)
--ditto

Fifth layer
grated cheese (I prefer marble cheese)
--and again

Final layer
sliced green onions (one bunch is enough)
--done!

Chill for at least a half hour. Can be made the day before. Serve with tortilla chips. You can't leave it out too long, but it doesn't usually last that long so you don't have to worry.

Ritz Toffee Square (A.K.A. the most ridiculous recipe... but so darn good it hurts)

1 Box original Ritz crackers (~250g)
1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk (300 mL)
1 package Hersey Chipits - Skor Toffee bits (200 g)

Crush Ritz crackers to crumb-like consistency (I do this before opening the bag - good to get your agression out) place in bowl
Add Skor Toffee bits
Add sweetened condensed milk
Mix thoroughly
Place in 8X8 pyrex pan (I don't have one this size so I use a metal pan, but I grease it up first)
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Let cool, then cut and serve.
Ridiculous.

Change your life BBQ Sauce
Okay, maybe it won't change your life, but the fact that I can make BBQ sauce, how I like it, whenever I want, changed the game in my house (oh how I loathe bottled barbeque sauce now!).
Here's the basic recipe, then you can get creative and make changes to suit your tastes:

1 1/2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup mollasess
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp hot sauce
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
salt and pepper

other exciting additions to try: minced chipotle chiles, jalepenos.

I also like to do a dry rub on the meat prior to saucing it up - it would include things like dry mustard, paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, celery salt, cayenne pepper. Mix these all together, rub on meat and let sit for a bit. Save a little bit and you can mix it into the sauce. Mmmmm.....

Happy grilling!

May - Greek Goddesses

May's theme : Greek Goddesses

You don’t have to make all the recipes I’ve submitted for this theme. The dips and pita chips work well as appetizers to take to a party, and the chicken could go with just about anything. Still, if you make the dips and chips ahead of time, they can be stored for a few days until you’re ready to make the entire big fat Greek feast. Serve chicken and oven fries with a Greek salad or with grilled vegetables.

*= Cait’s notes

Pita Chips – From ‘The Girl Can’t Cook’

- ½ cup virgin olive oil

- 3 cloves crushed garlic

- 2 packages pita breads (a white and a whole wheat make a nice contrast)

variety of dried herbs and spices

1)Combine the olive oil and garlic in a bowl and heat in microwave (about 10 -15 seconds is all it takes) to infuse the flavour of the oil. Using kitchen scissors, cut each pita into 2 rounds (cut around the edge and separate). Then cut the rounds into wedges.

2)Preheat the oven to 400F (200C). Using a pastry brush, brush the rough side of the pita lightly with olive oil and lay them rough side up on a cookie sheet.

3)Sprinkle with your choice of herbs and spices.

* Because we’re going with a Greek theme, I’d stick to some salt and oregano and leave the Cajun or paprika for another time.

4) when the sheet is full, pop it in the oven for 3-4 minutes.

* I found that generally one side of the pita was thicker than the other. It would probably help to put all the thin chips on one sheet and the thick chips on another, because the thick ones took at least 5 mins to bake until crispy.

Spicy Whipped Feta Dip – From ‘The Girl Can’t Cook’

- ½ lb (250g) feta cheese

- 2-3 long green chilli peppers (Anaheim or Hungarian), seeded and chopped

- 1/3 cup (75ml) extra virgin olive oil

- 3-4 Tablespoons (45-50ml) fresh lemon juice

Crumble the feta and combine with the remaining ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until blended. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving with pita chips.

* If you don’t have a food processor, you can also make it using a blender or an electric hand mixer. I don’t like to chop chillis, so I got lazy and added a can of diced green chillis instead. It wasn’t spicy enough so I had to add some cayenne pepper.

- Pita chips and feta dip

Tasty Tzatziki – From my many attempts to make the perfect Tzatziki

- 1 large cucumber, peeled and seeded, then minced and drained (place cucumber in sieve, salt to draw out excess liquid, then rinse and pat dry)

- 2 cups Greek yogurt. The key to this sauce is to find the richest, creamiest yogurt you can. If you can’t find Greek yogurt, buy the full fat kind and place in a cheesecloth-lined sieve over a bowl and allow to drain for a few hours.

- 3 or 4 garlic cloves, pressed

- 1 teaspoon lemon juice or malt vinegar (add more to taste if desired)

- 1 teaspoon dried dill

- salt and pepper to taste

Greek Chicken Brochettes (or breasts)

This recipe is courtesy of my very non-Greek mother, who says the secrete is to use LOTS of garlic.

Marinade (for 1.5kg or 3.5lb)

- zest of 1 lemon

- juice of 1 lemon

- olive oil (2 or 3 to 1 oil/lemon ratio)

- 5-6 garlic cloves minced or pressed

- 2 teaspoons dried oregano (or more to taste)

- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary (or more to taste)

- salt and pepper to taste

If you have a barbecue, and some skewers, cut the chicken breasts into medium sized chunks. If you make this in the oven, keep the breasts intact. Remember, if you’re using wooden skewers, don’t forget to soak them in water first.

Marinate the chicken for at least 4 hours. Grill on medium heat or broil carefully in oven until chicken is cooked through but still tender.

Oven Fries – from ‘Greek with Gusto’

- 6 medium-size new white potatoes

- ¼ cup olive oil

- crushed dry oregano

- salt

- garlic powder

Preheat oven to 375F (190C). After washing potatoes (not necessary to peel them), cut into finger shapes. Toss with oil in large bowl. Arrange potatoes on a baking sheet in single layer. Bake for 15 mins. Turn and bake for an additional 10 minutes (or until tender). Remove from oven and place in paper bag. Sprinkle oregano, salt, pepper and garlic powder into the bag, shake gently, and serve.

-Cait

Lucy especially liked the crunchy pita chips-

Guidelines

Hello all,

Before we begin I just wanted to set up some guidelines (or tips rather) for this club. Basically, we are all spread out over the northern hemisphere, in Canada and the UK, so I just thought I'd let everyone know to keep this in mind. I think we all live in cities that are large enough to offer us lots of choice of ingredients, so I doubt that will be a problem, however there will probably be differences.
- Keep in mind that any recipe that involves the barbecue may need to be adapted for the oven. Some of us don't have one.
- Ditto with food processors or any very specific kitchen tool. Just keep in mind that some people might not have it, and see if your recipe will work using another tool (e.g. processor --> blender or electric mixer).
- We are all working girls, so let's not get carried away with super expensive ingredients (e.g foie gras, lobster etc.). If there is anything really expensive on the menu of the month, feel free to leave it out. Nobody's going to think less of you for saving money.
- Ovens --> we all have different ones, in different countries, with different markings. I've provided a conversion chart below, but you can also print one off the internet if you need to.

Anyway, I think that's it for now. Feel free to comment on anything about the recipes (from likes/dislikes to ways you might adapt it to be low-fat/tastier/spicier etc.). Photos are great too!
- Cait

Gas Mark	Fahrenheit	Celsius	Description
1/4	225	110	Very cool/very slow
1/2	250	130	---
1	275	140	cool
2	300	150	---
3	325	170	very moderate
4	350	180	moderate
5	375	190	---
6	400	200	moderately hot
7	425	220	hot
8	450	230	---
9	475	240	very hot