Tomato and Avocado Quesadillas with Mango and Red Pepper Salsa

August 9, 2010 – 4:20 pm

Love, love, love quesadillas and salsa.  Easy, forgiving, zingy, sloppy, cheap, pretty and the girls like them.  What more could a person ask for?

Wait for them to cool a bit before slicing as it gives the cheese time to set up and not ooze out the sides.
You can hold these in the oven at 200º for up to one hour.

Tomato and Avocado Quesadillas

8 plain flour tortillas, 8-inch
2 avocados, peeled, pitted and sliced
2 tomatoes, peeled pitted and sliced
3 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
Pinch of salt for each quesadilla, use sparingly as the cheese is also salty
3 tablespoons olive oil, approximately

Prepare the quesadillas by laying out four tortillas and dividing the avocado, cheese and tomatoes evenly between  them.  Sprinkle with salt.  Place the other tortillas on top like a sandwich.  Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium  high heat.  Add a tablespoon of the oil and carefully place one quesadilla into the skillet.  Cook for 2 minutes  on one side or until golden brown and flip.  Cook for another 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool on a cutting board or hold in the oven on a cookie sheet at 200º.

Repeat with the other three quesadillas adding oil to the pan at the beginning as needed.  Cut into 6 or 8 pieces each.

Serves 4-8

Mango and Red Pepper Salsa

1 mango, diced
1 tomato, diced
1 red pepper, diced
2-3 tablespoons of lime juice, 1 to 2 limes
1 tablespoon minced onion
1/2 teaspoon minced jalapeno pepper (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh black pepper

Combine all ingredients together and serve.

Makes 2 to 3 cups

Annie

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By Annie Mahle | Posted in Appetizers, Cheese, Columns, Main Dishes, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Cook the Book – Banana Salsa

July 26, 2010 – 2:09 pm

This is a great topping to go with grilled salmon, tuna, pork or chicken.  It’s really important to make this salsa just before you seve it. It will sit for maybe half an hour, but is better is served immediately. It’s also important to finely dice the peppers and onions because they don’t have time to marinate.

Banana Salsa

2 bananas (firm, but rip), diced
2 tablespoons finely diced red onion
1 tablespoon eachfinely diced red and green pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 teapoon honey
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
juice of one lime
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste; use sparingly

Gently toss all ingredients together; season with salt and pepper. Serve ontop of your choice of grilled meat, seafood, or chicken.

Makes 4-6 servings

By Annie Mahle | Posted in Cook the Book, Fish & Seafood, Fruit, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Cook the Book – Summer Vegetable Strata

July 23, 2010 – 6:21 am

Summer Vegetable Strata

 

12 slices of day old or dry French or Italian Bread, cut in 1/2-inch slices
1 clove garlic, slightly crushed
5 large eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup loosely packed fresh chopped basil leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 medium summer squash or zucchini, washed and cut into quarters lengthwise, then cut into pieces about 1/2-inch thick
2 tomatoes, seeded and roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 350°.  Lightly butter a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Rub the top of each slice of bread with the garlic clove. Lay the slices in the dish in one layer, cutting them into pieces when necessary. Season lightly with salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs then whisk in the milk, half of the cheese, and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Add the basil and stir gently.  Set aside. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it softens and colors lightly. Stir the squash into the onion, spread everything in a single layer, and let it sit undisturbed for 1 to 2 minutes to encourage browning; turn and continue cooking another 1 to 2 minutes until browned. When the squash is lightly browned on both sides, stir in the tomatoes, stir to toss, and remove from heat. Use a slotted spoon to drain off any excess liquid and spread the vegetables evenly over the bread. Give the milk and egg mixture a stir and gently pour it all into the dish. Top with the remaining cheese. Bake until the milk and egg mixture sets, about 40-45 minutes. Cool at least 5 minutes, cut into squares and serve.

Serves 6-8

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By Annie Mahle | Posted in Breads, Cheese, Cook the Book, Main Dishes, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Cook the Book – Couscous & Chickpea Salad

July 16, 2010 – 9:10 am

Couscous and Chickpea Salad

1 1/4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup uncooked couscous
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
2 small red bell peppers, seeded and diced
4 scallions, minced
1 large carrot, diced
1/2 cup pitted and diced Kalamata olives
3/4 cup chopped fresh mint (save a few sprigs for garnish)
6 ounces crumbled feta cheese

Bring the water and salt to a boil. Add the couscous, stir briefly, cover, and remove from heat.  Let it sit 5 minutes. While the couscous is sitting whisk together the vinegar, garlic, mustard, sugar, and olive oil. Fluff the couscous then toss it with the in the chickpeas, peppers, scallions, carrots, olives, and vinegar mixture. Add the feta cheese, chill, and serve.

Serves 6-8

By Annie Mahle | Posted in Cook the Book, Grains and Pasta, Salad, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Cook the Book – Blueberry Orange Muffins

July 11, 2010 – 11:27 am

I use this recipe as a base for many different kinds of muffins.  The recipe below is as written in the cookbook, but as I’ve proven to myself many times before, I’m not capable of following a recipe, so I mess with it.  One change that I especially like is adding 1 teaspoon orange extract, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon orange zest and substituting sour milk for the milk.  Sour milk is something that is always hanging around our fridge now that we buy unpasteurized milk.  It only lasts a week and when it goes sour, it adds a mild, rounded, tang to all baked goods.

It’s summer now and therefore easy to find fresh blueberries, but if you hang on to this recipe for the fall and winter months, frozen blueberries may be your only option.  If that’s the case, add them very last and only stir until just mixed.  This will stave off the gray, greenish color that comes from even just a few extra turns of the spoon.

Blueberry Muffins
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, beaten
2/3 cups milk
1 1/3 cups blueberries

Preheat oven to 350°.  Grease (or line with muffin papers) muffin pans.  Sift together dry ingredients.  Add oil, egg, and milk. Stir until just mixed.  Gently fold in the blueberries; then fill the muffin cups two-thirds full.   Bake for 20 minutes, until the muffins spring back when lightly pressed in the center.  Makes 12 muffins

I also make pumpkin, honey and walnut muffins with this recipe.  Reduce the milk to 1/3 cup; add 2 tablespoons honey and 1 cup canned or fresh cooked pumpkin with the other liquid ingredients, then stir in ¾ cup chopped walnuts instead of the blueberries.

Other favorite variations: replace the blueberries with
Dried cranberries
Raisins
Dried apricots
Chocolate chips

Annie
And then go brush your teeth because your whole mouth will be happy, but blue!

Blueberry Muffins

I use this recipe as a base for many different kinds of muffins.  It’s very forgiving and tasty too.

2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs, beaten

2/3 cups milk

1 1/3 cups blueberries

Preheat oven to 350°.

Grease (or line with muffin papers) muffin pans.

Sift together dry ingredients.

Add oil, egg, and milk. Stir until just mixed.

Gently fold in the blueberries; then fill the muffin cups two-thirds full.

Bake for 20 minutes, until the muffins spring back when lightly pressed in the center.

Makes 12 muffins

I also make pumpkin, honey and walnut muffins with this recipe.  Reduce the milk to 1/3 cup; add 2 tablespoons honey and 1 cup canned or fresh cooked pumpkin with the other liquid ingredients, then stir in ¾ cup chopped walnuts instead of the blueberries.

Other favorite variations: replace the blueberries with

Dried cranberries

Raisins

Dried apricots

Chocolate chips

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By Annie Mahle | Posted in Breads, Breakfast, Desserts & Sweet Endings, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Cook the Book – Mom’s Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

July 9, 2010 – 8:58 am

Mom’s Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

This dressing will hold in the refrigerator for two weeks.

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 to 4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup salad oil

Pulse all the ingredients except the oil in a food processor. With the food processor running, gradually add the oil (this doesn’t need to be slow, just don’t dump it in all at once).

Makes approximately 1 cup

By Annie Mahle | Posted in Cheese, Cook the Book, Salad | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Cook the Book – Clam Chowder

July 2, 2010 – 8:41 am

Clam Chowder

There are three ingredients that make this a very traditional recipe:  salt pork, day old biscuits or saltines and milk.  The more you substitute the less traditional your chowder will be.  Notice that there is no butter or flour to thicken the chowder.  If there were, then it would be Cream of Clam Soup, not chowder. 

This is a very versatile recipe.  I’ve listed some of my favorite variations below the basic recipe.

1/4 pound salt pork, scored or 2 strips of bacon, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 large or two small potatoes, diced
1/2 cup Saltines or oyster crackers, crumbled (it’s even better if you have day old biscuits to crumble)
1 8-ounce bottle clam juice
2 10-ounce cans chopped clams (with liquid)
1 can evaporated milk
2 cups water
Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Heat a medium sized stockpot on medium high heat.  Place the scored salt pork in the pot.  Render the pork for several minutes. Add the onions and celery to the pot and cook until translucent. Reduce heat to medium, add the potatoes and crackers, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the clam juice, evaporated milk, water, and fresh pepper. Reduce to low and cook, uncovered, for at least one hour. Add the canned clams and cook another 5 minutes before serving. 

Serves 4

 Chowder Secrets

A few tips for making the most flavorful chowder:

Once the salt pork is rendered it’s very important to give the onions and the celery time to become translucent.  If a little brown develops on the bottom of the pan, even better, just don’t burn it.  Brown is good, black is not!  This is what makes a flavorful soup.

The same is true when you add the potatoes and the biscuits or Saltines; let the bottom of the pan become a little brown before you add the water and the clam juice. 

The reason that you add evaporated milk rather than fresh milk is that fresh milk will curdle – not so pretty or tasty. 

It’s important to wait to add the clams (or any fish) until the end.  If you don’t you’ll have rubber bands in your chowder rather than clams.

 Whole Clam Chowder

Replace the canned clams with 1 pound of clams in the shell

Corn meal

Before starting the chowder, place the clams in cold, salted water and sprinkle them with the cornmeal.  Leave the clams to soak while you prepare the broth.

When the broth is ready, rinse the clams and add them to the pot cover, and turn off the heat when the clams open (about 5-10 minutes)

Serve immediately.

By Annie Mahle | Posted in Cook the Book, Fish & Seafood, Main Dishes, Soups, Stews and Chowders | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Cook the Book – Drop Strawberry Shortcake

June 25, 2010 – 8:57 am

Whether you pick or grow your own, or you pick up a quart at the local farm stand or farmers market – these sweet, juicy red beauties are a summertime favorite.

Fresh strawberries just picked from Chef Annie Mahle's garden

Drop Strawberry Shortcake

1 quart strawberries washed and sliced
3/4 cup sugar

Shortcake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold, unsalted butter
1 cup buttermilk

Whipped Cream:
1 cup cream
3 tb sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Mix the sliced strawberries and sugar together in a large bowl and set aside for at least 1/2 hour (to allow the juice to develop). In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, zest, and nutmeg. Cut in the butter using a pastry knife or fingertips until coarsely mixed. Stir in the buttermilk until the mixture is just blended. Drop onto an ungreased baking pan and bake until lightly browned, about 12 minutes. When the biscuits are done, whip the cream, sugar, and extract. To serve, cut the shortcakes in half, spoon the berries on top of the bottom half of the shortcake, place the top half of the shortcake on the berries, and top with whipped cream.

Serves 6-8

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By Annie Mahle | Posted in Cook the Book, Desserts & Sweet Endings, Fruit, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Comments (2)

Cook the Book – Sautéed Greens

June 18, 2010 – 9:30 am

This is a simple way to use all those greens you are finding at your local Farmers Market and are ready for harvesting in your own garden. Sometimes there is nothing better than sautéed greens with little or no embellishment.  Other times I’ll boost the flavor with Parmesan or feta cheese, roasted nuts, and/or diced tomatoes.

Sautéed Greens

1 pound greens (spinach, Swiss chard, or dandelion greens are all good)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper

Wash then roughly chop the greens. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and garlic; cook the garlic for 30 seconds. Add the greens, tossing gently, then add the rest of the ingredients and toss again.  Cook until the greens are tender.  Cooking times will vary depending on the green.  Spinach will go the fastest.

Serves 4

By Elizabeth | Posted in Cook the Book, Garden, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Lobster, Mushroom, Spinach Risotto

June 11, 2010 – 4:21 pm

This recipe is the perfect balance of colors with the bright reds and pinks of the lobster nestled alongside the gentle white of the risotto and the brilliant green of the spinach.  The flavors also balance well.  The spinach is a slightly bitter taste that pares well with the soft, cheesy risotto and the salty, creamy sea taste of the lobster.

Me, I’ll take risotto any way you can think of making it, but this one?  Tops.

Risotto has such a reputation for taking a long time to cook while the said cook stands over the stove with limp hair and a little damp with the heat as they endlessly stir and stir.  It doesn’t have to be so serious.  Just some coming back to the stove to stir, add more liquid, move away and repeat as needed, but not continuously.

Lobster, Mushroom and Spinach Risotto

2 tablespoons olive oil
8 oz. mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 t. salt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3oz. or 4 cups lightly packed spinach, washed, drained and deribbed
1/2 pound cooked lobster meat
2 tablespoons butter

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add oil and then mushrooms.  When the mushrooms begin to brown on the edges slightly, add the white wine and salt.  Bring to a boil and add the spinach and lemon juice, stirring quickly with tongs.  When the spinach has wilted, remove from heat and add the lobster meat and the butter.  Swirl the pan or stir with a wooden spoon and serve on top of risotto.

Serves 4

Risotto

4 tablespoons butter, 1/2 stick
1/2 cup diced onion
2 cups Arborio rice
4 cups low-salt chicken stock
1/8 teaspoon salt
pinch of white pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the onions and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.  If the onions begin to brown, reduce heat.  When the onions are done, add the rice and stir for one minute.  Add the salt, pepper and 1 cup of the stock and stir.  Continue to add the stock one cup at a time until it is all incorporated stirring frequently.  The rice is done when the liquid is completely incorporated and the grains are just the tiniest bit al dente in the center.  Add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and reserve the second 1/2 cup for garnishing at the table.

Serves 4

Annie

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By Annie Mahle | Posted in Columns, Fish & Seafood, Main Dishes, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments (0)