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Mexican Pot Roast Tacos!

4 Nov

I finally got around to buying a Dutch oven, something I’ve been promising myself for months. (Yes, I promise myself kitchen toys.) The great thing about Dutch ovens is that they function like a giant cast iron pan: they retain heat beautifully. You can get them nice and hot so you can sear your meat properly, but then you can turn the heat way down and make all sorts of tasty meals in just one pot. I lugged that sucker home and picked up beautiful beef blade roast from a wonderful butcher just a few blocks from the house. (Royal Beef - check ‘em out if you’re in the neighbourhood!) This is a great cut of meat for low-’n'-slow cooking and so it was perfect for these tacos. I adapted the recipe from Tyler Florence, a foodNURD fave, and it was delicious as usual. We had enough leftover for snacks the next day, always a bonus!

Serves 2.

Ingredients

1lb shoulder/blade beef roast
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tb extra virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 14oz can crushed tomatoes
2 tb chile powder
2 tb cayenne pepper
2 tb cumin
3 bay leaves
2 dashes hot sauce, optional

Directions

1. Generously salt and pepper all sides of the beef.
2. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven (or heavy duty pot with a tight lid) on high. Add in the garlic and sear the beef, getting a nice crust on all sides.
3. Toss in the onions and cook til they’re softened and lightly browned, roughly 3-4 minutes.
4. Add in the tomatoes, 1 can of water, spices and hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add in enough water (again) to cover the beef.

Happily simmering away…

5. Cover the pot, lower the heat and let simmer for 3-4 hours, until the beef is tender. Allow the beef to cool in the liquid.
6. Shred with a fork and serve with warm tortillas, guacamole, cilantro, pickled red onions and salsa.

Ready to be eaten!

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Mussels in Spicy Tomato Sauce

22 Jul

I’ve had a hankering for seafood lately and decided this would be a good weekend to make an old classic (mango over soba noodles) and try out a new variation on a sauce for tasty, briny mussels. Normally, I opt for either Italian or Thai flavours with mussels but I came across a can of chipotles and decided I’d go Latin instead.

Fixin’s!

That’s the great thing about mussels: you can pretty much use anything that inspires you to make a delicious dinner!

Serves 2.

Ingredients

3 tb canola oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, diced
2 c crushed tomatoes
2 chipotle peppers, diced
1 ts salt
1 ts black pepper
1 ts cumin
1 ts chili flakes
1/2 ts chili powder
1/2 ts oregano
2 lbs mussels, cleaned
1 handful cilantro, roughly chopped

Directions

1. In a large (and wide, if you have it) pot, heat the oil to medium and add the onion and garlic. Sauté 5 minutes.
2. Add in the tomatoes, chiptoles, salt, pepper, cumin, chili flakes, chili powder and oregano. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add in 3/4 of the cilantro. Taste and adjust as necessary. Simmer another 15 minutes.

Simmering away

4. Turn up the heat to medium and add in the mussels. Cover and let the mussels steam for 7-9 minutes. Shake the pot a couple of times, ensuring the lid stays on so no steam escapes.
5. Plate the mussels and sauce, discarding any mussels that did not open. Top with remaining cilantro and serve with crusty bread.

Mussels in Spicy Tomato Sauce

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Cochinita Pibil (Slow-Roasted Pork)

23 May

This one is all on Eat St. I was at home watching it and one of the food trucks had their version of cochinita pibil, a traditional Mexican shredded pork dish. For me, shopping for the ingredients was as much fun as making it. I headed off to Wychwood Barns on Saturday to get the pork from my fave farmers at Marvellous Edibles. (Best. Bacon. Ever. Go try it, people.)  Then it was off to St. Clair West to La Tortilleria for fresh tortillas and the achiote paste. It is imperative that you not substitute the achiote paste for anything else:  it is the dominant flavour in the dish. If you can get your hands on banana leaves, so much the better as the pork is traditionally cooked in them. Having said that, foil will work.

Best to get this started the day before you want to cook it. The pork should marinate in the fridge for 6-24 hours, but no more than 24 hours as the enzymes in the citrus juices will break down the meat too far and give it an unpleasant texture. It also takes 3 – 4 hours to cook, so ensure you’ve left yourself enough time to cook it!

Serves 4.

Ingredients

3lb pork shoulder, cut into 2″ pieces (do not trim fat)
1c orange juice
1/2c lime juice, (4-5 limes)
1 ts salt
3 oz of red achiote paste (also called “annato paste”)
Pickled red onions (optional), for garnish
1c cilantro, chopped, for garnish
Lime wedges, for garnish

Directions

1. Blend together the paste, salt, orange and lime juices in a blender. (Make sure you rinse out your blender quickly as the paste will stain.) In a non-reactive bowl, combine the marinade and the pork pieces. Mix well, cover and refrigerate for 6 – 24 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a large casserole with a triple layer of regular foil – you want a good seal. Pour in the pork and the marinade and close the foil tightly. Put the casserole in the oven and bake 3.5 hours. At this point, remove from the oven and check to see if the meat is falling apart. If so, you’re done! If you think it could use a little more time, put it back in for 30 minutes.
3. When the pork is tender, take it out of the oven and open the foil. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon to a bowl, then shred it with two forks.  If necessary, pour some of the remaining sauce over the pork to make sure it’s juicy.
4. Serve with either fresh tortillas or rice. For garnish, add lime wedges, cheese, avocado, cilantro and/or pickled onions.

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foodNURD is Officially on Vacation!

18 Feb

Hey, all! I’m off on vacation for a couple of weeks, so foodNURD won’t have any updates for a while. J and I are off to Belize for the second time in two years. Spectacular country with amazing people and, importantly, delectable fresh food. Looking forward to getting my fill of fresh seafood: conch and shrimp ceviche, grouper, red snapper…it goes on. Not to mention excellent, homemade Latin American faves like panades, salbutes and garnachas! And let’s not forget the $2.50 Belikin beers…

I’ve posted a few pics below for you to feast your eyes on. Many more to come upon my return!

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Chicken, Mango & Brie Quesadillas

28 Jun

I came across this recipe while surfing the net and knew I had to try it out. I was already planning to do a roast chicken over the weekend, so I knew I’d have some leftovers that I could use. But even if you don’t have any chicken already cooked up, you could just buy a couple of chicken breasts and poach them for 20 minutes or so. Let ‘em cool and pull them apart – easy peasy!

Serves 2 hungry people.

Ingredients

4 large tortillas
1/2 cooked chicken, shredded
1 mango, sliced
125g brie, cut into small pieces
1/4 c cilantro, chopped
3 tb picked jalapenos (or fresh – up to you), diced
1/4 c sour cream
zest & juice of 1 lime

 

 

Prepping!

Directions

Lime Dip

1. Heat a non-stick surface to medium-high. (I used my Griddler, but a non-stick pan, sprayed with oil, will work!)
2. Place one tortilla on the heated surface. On half of the tortilla, place 1/4 of the chicken, mango, brie,  jalapeno & cilantro.
3. Fold the tortilla in half over the ingredients. If using a Griddler, lower the top half and press. Leave for 4 minutes. If using  a pan, cook for 2 minutes per side. Repeat process for remaining three tortillas, keeping the cooked quesadillas in a warm oven.
4. Meanwhile, mix together the lime zest, juice & sour cream. Season with a little salt & pepper to taste.
5. When all the quesadillas are ready, cut the halves into quarters and serve with the dip!

 

Finito!

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Crispy Chicken w/ Lime & Poblano Sour Cream

4 Apr

Many thanks to a girlfriend who sent this recipe along! (Check out her blog here!) The roasted chiles provide a smoky background in the smooth sour cream while the lime brightens it. This recipe could also be modified to make it healthier with low-fat sour cream and skinless chicken breasts instead of thighs. If you’re going to use breasts, I’d recommend roasting them as opposed to using the broiler!

Serves 4.

Ingredients

4 poblano/cubanelle peppers
1 lime
1/2 c sour cream
2 tb cilantro, chopped
2 ts Kosher salt
1 tb ground coriander
1 ts cumin
1/2 ts ground black pepper
8 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on, trimmed of fat
3 tb extra virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Position oven rack 5″-6″ below the broiler.  Line a baking sheet with foil and place chiles on top.  Broil 12-15 minutes, turning several times, until the skin of the chiles has charred.
2.  Remove the chiles, put them in a bowl and place a plate on top. Allow to rest of 5 minutes.
3. In a bowl, add the juice of half a lime, the cilantro and sour cream.
4.  Once the peppers have cooled, remove the skins, stem and seeds. Chop them into a 1/2″ dice and add them to the sour cream mixture. Season with salt to taste. (You could also add in a little hot sauce if you need more heat!)
5. In a small bowl, combine the salt, coriander, cumin and pepper. Coat the chicken with the olive oil and then with the seasoning.
6. Place the thighs skin-side down on a foil-lined sheet and broil for 7-10 minutes. Turn the chicken and broil another 7-10 or until a meat thermometer reads 180F. If the chicken looks like it might burn, lower the oven rack.
7. Plate the chicken with the sour cream sauce on the side. Garnish with a few cilantro sprigs and lime wedges from the other half of the lime et voila!

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Roasted Poblanos w/ Chicken & Cheese

14 Mar

So many things about our trip to Belize made a lasting impression, not the least of which was the food.  I am seriously missing the flavours of Central America! I stumbled across a recipe for stuffed peppers a while back and, since I had some leftover roasted chicken in the fridge, it was clearly time to bust this one out!

Serves 2.

Ingredients

4 poblano/cubanelle peppers
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 white onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
1 ts dried oregano
1 ts cumin
1 ts cinnamon
1 ts salt
1 ts pepper
1 tb olive oil
2 c shredded chicken
1 1/2 c cooked rice
2 c cheddar, grated
1/4 cilantro, chopped
1 tb lime juice

Directions

1. Position oven rack 4 inches from broiler. Line sheet with foil.
2. Slit peppers from step to tip. Place on the sheet and broil, turning several times, until they are blackened.
3. Let the peppers cool then peel the skins, cut out the cores and return to the baking sheet.
4. Meanwhile, puree the tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Cook 8-10 minutes on medium-high heat until all the liquid evaporates.
5.  Remove the pan from the heat and add the chicken, rice, 1 cup of the cheese, cilantro and lime juice. Season with salt to taste.
6. Divide filling among the four peppers. (This gets a little messy – don’t worry if some spills out.) Broil for 4 minutes.
7. Top the peppers with the remaining cup of cheese and then broil 2 more minutes.

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Cilantro-Chipotle Tilapia

1 Nov

Super easy and quick! (OK…most tilapia recipes are easy & quick, which is why I keep buying it…)

Serves 2.

Ingredients

2 tilapia filets
2 tb extra virgin olive oil
1 chipotle in adobo, diced (plus some of the sauce)
1 c cilantro leaves, chopped
1 tb water
1 ts cumin
1/2 ts each salt & pepper

Directions

1. Puree the chipotle, adobo sauce, cilantro, water, olive oil, cumin, salt and pepper. Adjust seasoning to taste. Add more liquid if it’s not thin enough.
2. Crank up the broiler, with the oven rack about 4 inches from the heat.
3. On a foil-lined pan, pour half of the marinade over the tilapia. Flip the fish over carefully and pour the rest of the marinade.
4. Broil six to nine minutes, depending on the thickness of the filets. (You’re better to go shorter than longer in this case. Overcooked fish…yuck.)
5. Serve with Tropical Salad and rice.

Side note: the tilapia goes beautifully with coconut rice with a little cilantro stirred in at the end of the cooking process.

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Huevos Diablos

8 Oct

Translated as “devil eggs” this breakfast dish is not to be missed.  It’s our go-to breakfast dish whether just for ourselves or for guests. Easy, not too many ingredients, incredibly flavourful. Also, an excellent hangover brekkie. :)

Eggs poached in salsa (you can choose your level of heat), served on a crispy tortilla with avocado, topped with cheese, cilantro and green onion. Satisfying, simple & scrumptious!!

Serves 2.

Ingredients

4 eggs
2 cups salsa
4 tostadas
1 avocado, sliced
1 1/2 c cheese (cheddar, marble, cotilla, feta will all work), shredded
1/4 c cilantro, chopped
2 green onions, chopped

Directions

1. Pour the salsa into a sauce pan and bring to a simmer at medium-low heat.
2. Carefully crack the eggs into the salsa & poach the eggs until the whites are cooked, approximately 3-5 minutes.
3. In the meantime, heat the tostadas in the oven/microwave oven. They burn quickly, so keep an eye on them. 20 seconds in the toaster oven usually does it.
4. Place two tostadas on each plate. Cover with the avocado slices.
5. Gently remove the eggs from the salsa and place over the avocado slices. (A slotted spoon will work, as will a wide spatula.) Pour the salsa over the eggs.
6. Sprinkle with the cheese, then cilantro & green onion.


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Tilapia Tacos

17 Aug

OK, so “fish taco” might not be the most appealing phrase on the planet, but these tilapia tacos are downright yummy. And simple. I promise. Tilapia is one of those great white-meat fish that doesn’t have a ton of flavor, so this dish is great if you’re feeding folks who don’t like things that, “taste too fishy.” I *was* one of those people, so I know of what I speak!

You’ll see very small measurements in this recipe. I don’t really measure the spices – a shake or two will do. If you like lots of cumin, add more! I wouldn’t recommend adding too much more cinnamon, though: it’s really potent and can dominate the rest of the flavours.

Serves 4.

Ingredients

2 tb olive oil
1 ts cumin
1/2 ts cinnamon
1/2 ts salt
1/2 ts pepper
4 garlic, minced
1 small handful of cilantro, chopped
1 lime, juiced
2 tilapia filets
1/2 red onion, diced
1 ear of corn/1c corn kernels
1/2 bell pepper, diced
2 chipotle peppers in adobo, minced
1 c sour cream

Directions

1. Mix the chipotle peppers and sour cream in a bowl and set aside.
1a – if you’re using an ear of corn, boil a large pot of water and cook the corn for 3 minutes. Toss into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Using a good, sharp knife, remove all the kernels and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat and add everything from cumin to the cilantro in the above list. Saute for 3-4 minutes.
3. Add the tilapia fillets, onion & pepper. The fish will take anywhere from 3 minutes/side to 5/side, depending on how thick the fillet is. Regular, supermarket fillets will be closer to 3 minutes.

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