Vegetarian

Asian Mango Salsa

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There are numerous variations on mango salsa. This variation uses ginger to make a nice component for Asian dishes in the summer when mangoes are deliciously in season. I use Cayenne versus Sriracha in this version in order to avoid coloring the salsa. You can custom make this however you like – experiment and have fun!!

Asian Mango Salsa

Two Mangoes, diced
One half a red onion or one large shallot, fine dice
2 garlic cloves, made into a loose paste
1/3 cup minced green onions
1/2 large avocado, diced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Cayenne Pepper to taste
Squeeze of lime juice, about half a lime
Salt and Pepper to Taste
One Jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
A few tablespoons of fresh basil or mint (optional)
2 tablespoons Ginger, minced

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well (but gently) keep in fridge until ready to use.

Little Ears

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One of my favorite pasta dishes is one that created on a particularly lazy “let’s hang out and not go to the store” night. My friend Kelly and I were having a slumber party and the menu was based on the ingredients that we had that desperately needed to be cooked. The original for this dish was created and now it part of my kitchen arsenal for something easy, satisfying and versatile. I also call this the “best pasta ever” in a previous post – a good indicator of how much I love it. I have decided to officially call it “Little Ears” because I always use Orecchiette, which means “small ear” in Italian. You can add as much or as little to this as you want. The original version had only shallot-white wine sauce as a base, fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and basil and it was incredible. This version strays from the original but still boasts the basic ingredients.

Two tips – actually more like two very, very strong suggestions: 1) Use Rustichella d’abruzzo Orecchiette. This is the BEST brand that I have found and this dish really is not the same with other brands. Trust me, I learned the hard way. The Whole Wheat kind of this brand is absolutely incredible – though now I have to special order it as Whole Foods now only sells regular Orecchiette and Central Market sells the brand but not the type at all. 2) You will want to cook the pasta until just under al dente, strain and the allow to finish cooking in the sauce so that the pasta absorbs all that yummy flavor. These are both good tips for any pasta dish that you make in the future =)

Little Ears, about 3 servings

One Half to Two-thirds box of Rustichella d’abruzzo Orecchiette
One pint cherry tomatoes, halved and seeded
Small amount of shredded Pecorino Romano cheese for serving
One cup of Shredded Cheese (half Mozzarella, half smoked Provolone)
Two cups Baby Spinach
One Zucchini, quartered
1 cup chopped fresh basil
Fresh ground pepper
Salt to taste, plus ample salt for pasta water
One Shallot White Wine Sauce Recipe
1/4 Cup Starchy Pasta Water


Boil salted water and cook pasta to instructions, under-cooking by two or three minutes. When straining, reserve some pasta water to add to sauce.

Begin making shallot white wine sauce (make enough for the amount of sauce that you want). Add Zucchini at the stage when the shallots and garlic become glassy. Saute for a minute or so before adding liquid. Reduce liquid, then halved tomatoes and cook until the skins loosen and tomatoes lose their shape slightly, if you have not already (and you need more sauce) add the pasta water. Add spinach and allow to wilt just slightly. Put  Combine with pasta and allow to cook a few more minutes. Add half of the basil, salt to taste, add pepper and cheese and stir gently but well. Garnish with remaining basil and some shaved Parmesan or Pecorino and serve. This is an excellent side for your favorite baked fish or chicken or with Andi’s Favorite Chicken. It is also a great way to use up leftover chicken – you can shred it and throw it in the pasta or serve it alongside!

I literally eat this with my hands for breakfast the next day! Enjoy!

Black Bean – Mango Salsa

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When mangoes are in season, I love to mix them with avocado and such things to top dishes off or as a healthy dip. This is interesting as I do not typically eat mangoes on their own – they are just a tad too sweet for me. But when mixed with other elements, the sweetness is decreased and I enjoy them immensely! This salsa is very versatile and cost effective.  It can be used in tacos, on grilled fish or baked chicken, as a dip or a salad topper.

  • One can Black Beans
  • Two Mangoes, diced
  • Half red onion, small dice
  • One cup cilantro, chopped
  • One avocado, diced
  • One Jalapeno, minced
  • 1.5 cups Jicama, diced
  • Juice from one lime, mixed with pinch of salt and a little bit of olive oil (or garlic olive oil)
  • Cayenne, Garlic Powder, Cumin, and Adobo spices as desired

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well (but gently). Season as desired.

No-Butter Garlic Bread

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I am aware that most people know how to make garlic bread. I am also aware that this is a fairly boring version of garlic bread. However, mixing garlic with cheese is not “garlic bread,” it is cheesy garlic bread (and it is fabulous). There are loads of variations for this, but this particular garlic bread is incredible when floated into  soups or brothy dishes because it is toasted longer than normal and individually sliced instead of toasted as a loaf. It is also fantastic when thrown into a food processor and made into homemade bread crumbs – I promise that you will not get the same crunch from the canned kind. This version is also healthier than the garlic bread that most people typically think about – it is not dripping with butter (not that things dripping with butter are in any way appetite suppressing, they just simply add too much jiggle to my thighs) and it still has a great deal of flavor. That said, man do I love cheesy garlic bread…Advice for cutting your bread if you do not elect to have your baker do it for you – use a serrated knife. You will make your life easier.

Half loaf of Ciabatta bread (or similar), sliced
Five cloves garlic, finely mined
Favorite Oil (I use garlic or basil oil usually), put into a small container
Small handful of fresh parsley, chopped
Paprika
Cayenne (optional)
Fresh Black Pepper, to taste

Brush each side of the bread with a bit of oil, place on a baking rack or tray that has holes or slats. Sprinkle each piece of bread with Cayenne, Paprika, and Pepper. Top with an ample amount of garlic and parsley. Bake for about five to seven minutes at 375. Serve with Soup or baked tomatoes or turn into homemade bread crumbs.


Green Bean Casserole

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Who doesn’t love Green Bean Casserole? I have been (not-so-secretly) pining to do a dinner consisting of ham, green bean casserole, scalloped potatoes and other veggies. I was partially satiated over Easter weekend. We spent a great weekend with D’s family and there were two HUGE hams….D literally ALWAYS wants scalloped potatoes, so I decided to make those and my green bean casserole. I was happy as a clam. Incidentally, I do not think that I have ever had green bean casserole made with canned beans. I always use fresh. Additionally, I usually make my own cream of mushroom soup when I have the time so that I do not have to fill my body (and the bodies of everyone eating) with all the bad things in the processed kind, but this version will be featuring partially processed food. In fact, this sauce is a hybrid of  “made from scratch” and processed – I was trying to use up some cream that was set to expire the next weekend and did not want to buy more because I was shopping at HEB versus my usual stores. Ergo, I did not have quite enough of the ingredients I needed to make the sauce entirely from scratch. Also, I usually fry my own shallots as toppers to my casserole but used the canned french-fried onions in this version. As I was a guest in someone’s house and had already made a good mess (and they had company) so I just wanted to save time and the mess and go the easy, processed route. My apologies to the health nuts and you are welcome to those in a time crunch.

  • 4 Cups fresh green beans, sliced into one inch pieces (and washed)
  • 2 cups fresh mushrooms, halved
  • 5 large shallots, thinly sliced
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup cream
  • 4 TBSP butter
  • Red Pepper flakes, to taste
  • Salt, to taste
  • Pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
  • Handful of French Fried Onions or Fried Shallots
  • Chicken Broth

Boil Green Beans in Chicken Broth (or water with chicken bouillon) until slightly underdone (about 8 minutes) and then transfer immediately to an ice bath. Reserve some of the chicken broth.

In a pan, saute the shallots, garlic, red pepper, and mushrooms in the butter (salt and pepper to season). Add a splash of white wine, cream and mushroom soup and allow to reduce (add pepper and other seasoning to taste). Once the texture is as you like it (I like mine in a semi-tick sauce – combine with green beans and top with fried onions. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Hatch Green Chile Mac and Cheese

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Hatch Green Chile Mac and Cheese

So this might take me a while to get to the recipe as there are about five stories that go into this dish. First, we had dinner at a friends house last weekend and the fare was fajitas. I was going to bring black bean corn salsa and brilliantly garlicky guac (guac turned into pico but that is another story) and then make rice cooked in Hatch Green Chili enchilada sauce (it just sounded so good). But I failed to specify the ingredients I needed to the person buying them, ergo no sauce. The next night we went to my parent’s house and I walked into my bedroom and there was a can of the missing ingredient sitting on the dresser. I laughed and texted my Ervetta (the person doing the shopping the day before) who happened to be in the ER with an extremely broken toe. Needless to say – she did not care much. But I was excited because now I get to make the dish I had envisioned. Fast forward to this weekend, we are heading out to the lake to have Easter with D’s family. D says that I can figure out what I am making in the car and we can stop at the HEB in Marble Falls. This complicates things for me because I am not sure what staples I need to bring, so I pack two grocery bags (yes I pack food to take with me in case the store doesn’t have it) and see the sauce and say – why not? IN goes the sauce, out goes D, Foster Brown, and I on the road. His brother was making flank steak so I started turning the wheels and gave D his options – knowing which one would get picked (the options were roasted mashed sweet potatoes, green beans and hatch green chili mac and cheese – no brainer). We decide on mac and cheese (shocker I know), hit the grocery and relax at the lake for a while before I start cooking. As it turns out, this was the best choice for a side because it ended up being the only thing we ate for dinner. =)

Notes: Use a tubular or shell shaped pasta (I prefer penne). Use good quality cheese for best taste and texture. The cheese needs to be aged over two years to melt properly. Sorry, but you gotta spend the extra $2 here. You can sometimes find canned diced tomatillos (HEB has them), feel free to sub these instead of using the fresh ones in a time crunch. I use less milk than I call for – I sub chicken broth for health reasons. Feel free to use as much butter as you want – again, health reasons limit my usage. You can run the chilis, onions, garlic, and tomatillos through a blender to puree them until smooth if you like. I prefer to leave them as is for a texture contrast and burst of flavor. Spinach is optional and only there because I literally put spinach in everything! Finally, feel free to use spiced corn chips as a topping instead of panko. Central Market has a wonderful chile corn chip crust that would be fantastic (pre-made) or you can make your own. I use seasoned panko because, generally, I am trying to get it in the oven and I always have panko.

Update: This dish has now become a regular part of my cooking rotation. I was asked to make it for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, giving me the impression that it is has now become a new tradition. I also tend to make this for large group gatherings as it feeds a ton of people in a very tasty way and really is not difficult at all to prepare (and can be made in advance). Fourth of July and Memorial Day will never be the same…

Hatch Green Chile Mac and Cheese

Serves 12 – 18

Two pounds pasta of choice
One to two cans Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
Two Hatch Green Chilis – roasted, skins removed, and minced (if not in season sub Jalapeno, Serrano, or Poblano)
Three Tomatillos, hush removed and boiled or roasted
One cup Sharp Cheddar, shredded
1.5 cups Queso Asadero, shredded
One cup Jalapeno Jack Cheese, shredded
Two cups Oxaca Cheese
Two Onions, sliced and diced
3-4 large handfuls of Spinach
one-half lime, juiced
One cup whole milk (I used less for health reasons but the sauce did not come out quite as creamy)
3 tbsp butter
Six to ten large cloves garlic, minced
One pint of Cherry tomatoes, seeded and roughly chopped
Pinch salt
Good amount of black pepper
One cup Chicken Broth
Two to three heaping tablespoons of Wheat Flour
Sriracha (optional)
Parmesan, shredded or grated (optional)

Cook pasta in salted water according to instructions.

Saute (seasoned) garlic, shallots, and flour with butter – stirring well to make a light roux. Add roasted peppers and continue to saute. To the pan, add the Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Sauce, milk, and chicken broth – stir well and reduce slightly. After the tomatillo has been boiled it should be soft, coarsely chop it and add it to the pan. Continue simmering. Remove from heat and put the sauce into a food processor and puree until smooth (this step is optional – if you do not mind chunk then by all means skip – I did). Return the sauce to the hot pan and add in a small handful of cheese (this needs to be done in batches) and stir until melted. Repeat this step until cheese is gone and sauce is thick and gooey. Add lime juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Combine the pasta, tomatoes, spinach, and sauce in a greased oven-safe dish. Stir well. Top with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese if using (feel free to butter your bread crumbs to get them extra brown and delicious – I usually skip this step out of deference to my remarkably expanding derrière). Drizzle the topping with Sriracha to kick up the heat factor if desired. Bake, uncovered, in an oven that has been pre-heated to 375 degrees. Bake until the top is golden brown and the sides are bubbling up. About 45 minutes.

Tomato, Artichoke, and Zucchini Casserole

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I am thrilled that I created this. D wanted baked tomatoes because he loves them. I did not want to buy two types of tomatoes (I was buying cherry tomatoes for a dish later in the week) so I decided to bake tomatoes but inside a casserole dish. The result of my creation was a man friend who did not say a word throughout dinner, licked his plate, and got seconds. These actions were all precursors to a rave review. This is a super easy, super fresh, super healthy, super delicious, super versatile, and perfect for summer or winter (adjust veggies accordingly).Final verdict: Keeper!

Tomato, Artichoke and Zucchini Casserole
Serves 4

  • 3/4 of a pint of Cherry or Grape tomatoes, halved and seeded
  • One zucchini, cut into half moons
  • One can artichoke hearts, quartered
  • 1-2 large shallots
  • 3-5 cloves garlic
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 3 tablespoons chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • handful torn basil
  • a few dots of goat cheese or some shredded Fontina
  • a few pieces of torn prosciutto or pancetta (optional)
  • Bread crumbs (optional – I actually do not think they added anything)

Grease a baking dish. Preheat oven to 400. In a skillet, heat olive oil and add prosciutto or pancetta (if using) and allow to render. Remove from plan and garlic and shallots (properly seasoned) and saute until glassy. Add white wine and chicken broth and reduce a bit to just cook off the alcohol.Add some pepper and the thyme and reserve.While the shallot mixture is cooking, seed tomatoes, cut zucchini and artichoke and combine in the baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix with cheese. Once the shallot mixture is done, pour mixture into the baking dish. Top with breadcrumbs and bake for 15-20 minutes. You can pull out halfway through and top with more cheese (or you can just move the previous addition of cheese to now if using less cheese). Pull out of the oven and spoon into small bowl or onto a plate.

This would be delightful with a piece of toasted garlic ciabatta bread. It would also be delightful with some chicken sausage for a one-pot meal (can you call it a one-pot meal if you also use a pan – in Andiland you can!).

Ricotta Gnocchi with Aspargus and Creamy Pesto

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I have been wanting to make gnocchi for a long time now, so yesterday I gave D his dinner choices – lucky for me he went with gnocchi. I had three potatoes that were leftover from the previous week and needed to use them so I figured – why not try! Luckily I had also bought Ricotta at Whole Foods as a back up in the event the potatoes were not giving the gnocchi the proper texture (freshness, size, type of potato all affects gnocchi texture and I did not want them to be too dense). Glad I had my back up, because come to find out that the potatoes had gone all sorts of bad. Into the trash they went and out came the Ricotta. I really had so much fun making this dish (and the mess that was a side product) and it turned out wonderfully the very first time! Ironically enough, we had just had gnocchi at Sullivan’s – mine was better (we both agreed). It probably could have been a little more light and airy but overall, for the first time, it was light and not rubbery at all. D got seconds of BOTH dishes I served last night – which does not usually happen – so I guess he really, really liked it?

Ricotta Gnocchi
Serves 6 (small portions) or serves 2-3 and leaves half recipe for freezing

  • One 16 Ounce Container of Ricotta (I used Part Skim, feel free to use whole)
  • 1/2 cup flour ( you will likely need more but start with this and add a tablespoon at a time – the idea is to use as little as possible)
  • 1/2 tbsp salt
  • One egg
  • One cup finely grated Parmesan, Pecorino, or Grana Padano

Dough Making
Line a strainer with a cheese cloth. Add the ricotta and let the cheese drain for about an hour. (This can be done several days in advance – this only really needs to be done if you have a particularly watery ricotta – I only needed about five minutes because my ricotta was more firm and I wanted to eat before 10 pm!). In a large bowl, mix the strained ricotta, egg, cheese, and 1/2 cup of the flour until all ingredients are incorporated. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Check the dough by rolling a bit in your hand. If it clings to your fingers, incorporate more flour one tablespoon at a time until you reach a tacky, workable consistency. Refrigerate for another 15 minutes. On the stove, bring water to a boil (salted).

Shaping 
Shaping can be done one of two ways depending on your tools and your preference. Sprinkle a baking sheet with flour and set it close to your work space. Sprinkle your hands and work surface with a little flour.

1) Put dough into a disposable piping bag with 5/8th inch tip (or whatever size that you have or prefer). Pipe out half inch pieces of dough and cut at the top with a sharp knife. To make grooved gnocchi, roll the “Pillow” against the back of a fork with your thumb. Place on a floured surface until all gnocchi are formed.

2) Break off a tennis-ball sized piece of the dough and roll it into a thick log about 3/4-inch thick. Cut the log into 3/4″ pieces. Shape them by rolling the “pillows” off the back of a fork with your thumb.
Transfer this batch to the baking sheet and toss with flour to prevent sticking. Repeat rolling process with the remaining dough.

Cooking
Bring salted water to a rolling boil. Gently drop the gnocchi into the boiling water – they will sink to the bottom. Once they bob to the surface, they are cooked. Remove gnocchi with a slotted spoon and transfer to a colander set over a bowl to finish draining. Repeat with second batch of gnocchi. Toss the gnocchi with sauce and serve immediately.

The Whole Dish – The Sauce from last night was a creamy pesto because I had leftover basil pesto and it is well…divine.

  • 3 cups Ricotta Gnocchi
  • 3/4 pound Fresh asparagus, steamed to slightly undercooked and cut into one inch pieces
  • Handful of Shaved Parmesan Cheese
  • Handful of torn basil (optional)
  • 1/3 cup Basil Pesto (more to taste or quantity available)
  • 2-3 tbsp cream, whole milk or half and half
  • Fresh ground black pepper to taste

In a large skillet, combine cream, pesto, asparagus, and fresh pepper (if you have minced garlic or shallot you need to use throw it in but it is not necessary) and bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes. Gently toss the gnocchi with the sauce, coating well. Remove from heart. Garnish with Cheese, basil, and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

* You can freeze leftover gnocchi for up to a month. Frozen gnocchi can be dropped directly into boiling water for an easy weeknight meal.
**There are so many variations for this dish that I cannot list them. I plan on making different types of gnocchi and experimenting with different sauces and veggies! Will post those as I make them.