Slaw with Cucumber and Jicama

I don't think it is possible to use an entire jicama at one time, so I ended up with half of one that needed to be used.  I also had some other miscellaneous partly used veggies in the fridge.  This is the resulting slaw.


Cabbage, jicama, cucumber, red bell peppers and red onion.  Dressing of rice vinegar, a tiny bit of agave nectar  (used because I am told it does better things to your system than refined white cane sugar), some olive oil, and a bit of salt.


As an aside, the oil is from the olive business that has been developing over the last several years right here in the Texas Hill Country.  And while I think some people from Texas tend to brag about their state just a bit too much (especially about its politics), I have to say the olive oil here could stand up to just about anything from Italy, Spain, or California.


This slaw should go well with the Los Angeles food truck carne asada that I am going to try this afternoon. It is a Korean-Mexican fusion recipe that you can read on the NY Times. (see the link)  Interesting article even if you think the recipe sounds odd, although I am betting the recipe will be a keeper.   

Chiles Stuffed with Picadillo

Made these chiles poblanos (the dark one), anaheims (long green one), and jalapenos (small one) stuffed with picadillo yesterday, and I would have to say I am pretty proud of how they turned out.  I served them over a tomato-chile sauce, with mexican rice, and a really good, simple salad that Kathy made -- romano, avacado, and parmesan cheese  with a simple vinaigrette.


Roasting and peeling the chiles takes a little time but is really simple.  Just put them under the broiler turning occasionally until the skin blackens, then put into a plastic bag for a while.  The skin can then be rubbed off with a paper towel.

The picadillo filling is a flavorful mix of beef, tomatoes, herbs and spices, raisins, olives, and capers that can also be used as a filling for empanadas or enchiladas.  The recipe comes from Diana Kennedy, one of the leading experts on Mexican food --  I think of her as the Julia Child of Mexican cooking.


The tomato-chile sauce recipe comes from Rick Bayless, who owns Frontera Grill and Topolobampo in Chicago, my favorite Mexican restaurants anywhere in the USA. 

I chose not to batter and fry the chiles because I was thinking healthy, and wanted to avoid the mess, and mainly because I was just too lazy.  Instead, I just baked them at 375° until they were piping hot.

I love the battered and fried chiles, but these turned out so good that I think I will leave the frying to restaurants in the future.  

Recipes follow. Great way to spend a Saturday afternoon when you are just hanging around the house!

Picadillo

Apart from chiles, this stuffing can be used for enchiladas and tamales. Some cooks prefer to use a variety of meats or one or the other of pork, beef, or chicken. Any leftover stuffing can be frozen.

Yield: About 4 1/2 cups.

Ingredients 3 Tbs melted lard or vegetable oil 1 medium white onion, finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped 1 ¼ lb tomatoes, finely chopped 3 black peppercorns, crushed 3 cloves, crushed ½ tsp dried thyme or 1 t. fresh leaves ½ tsp dried marjoram or 1 t. fresh leaves 1 Tbs dried Oaxacan oregano leaves or ½ T. Mexican oregano 2 Mexican bay leaves or 1 bay laurel, finely crumbled ½ cup raisins, roughly chopped 20 almonds, skinned and roughly chopped 1 Tbs large capers, roughly chopped 10 green pitted olives, roughly chopped 3 cup meat (pork, beef, chicken or mixture), cooked, shredded and chopped Approximately ½ c. reserved meat broth 1 Tbs pineapple or other fruity vinegar (optional) Salt to taste 2 Tbs sugar, or to taste

How to Make 1  Heat the lard in a wide pan or deep skillet and fry the onion and garlic until translucent. Add the tomatoes and fry over fairly high heat until reduced and thickened. 2  Stir in the herbs, spices, raisins, almonds, capers, and olives and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. The mixture should be fairly dry. Add the meat and the rest of the ingredients and continue cooking until all the ingredients are well combined. The mixture should be moist, not juicy, and shiny.

Author: Diana Kennedy Source: Oaxaca al Gusto, published by University of Texas Press

Quick-Cooked Tomato-Chile Sauce

Quick and easy, and very good. Great with Chiles Rellenos.

Yield: about 2 cups

Ingredients 1 1/2 lbs ripe tomatoes, boiled or roasted, peeled and cored OR 1 28 ounce can good quality tomatoes, drained Fresh hot green chiles to taste (roughly 3 to 5 chiles serranos or 2 to 3 chiles jalapenos) stemmed 1/2 small onion, chopped 1 large garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped 1 tbs lard or vegetable oil salt, about 1/2 teaspoon

How to Make 1  The tomatoes: For a more refined sauce, seed the tomatoes. Roughly chop the tomatoes and place in a blender or food processor. 2  The puree: If you want a milder sauce, first seed the chiles. Then chop them into small bits and add to the blender or processor, along with the onion and garlic. If using a blender, stir to distribute the ingredients evenly, then process the mixture until pureed ( but still retaining a little texture). 3  Frying the sauce: Heat the lard or oil in a medium-large skillet over medium-high. When it is hot enough to make a drop of the puree really sizzle, add it all at once and stir constantly for about 5 minutes, as the puree sears and cooks into a thicker, more orange-colored sauce. Season with salt and remove from the fire.

Author: Rick Bayless Source: Authentic Mexican - Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico

Rick Bayless' Essential Simmered Tomatillo-Serrano Sauce

This last weekend, Kathy and I had what was possibly the best meal we have had all year.  Not at a restaurant, but at home.  Kind of odd combination, but it was amazing.  


It started out with a stop in a little grocery store after my haircut in Comfort on Saturday.  A bag of tomatillos and some serrano chiles came home with me.  (Also some all-natural Kim Chee, but that's a story for another time.)

The tomatillos and serrano chiles became Essential Simmered Tomatillo-Serrano Sauce, prepared from a recipe by Rick Bayless, who operates Frontera Grill and Topolobampo restaurants in Chicago, and who has a number of excellent cookbooks including Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen. When you make this sauce, make sure you use the roasting method -- it makes all the difference in the world.

We had pork tenderloins in the freezer just begging to go on the grill before freezer burn set in, so they got a quick bath in olive oil and a sprinkling of a spice rub called Ozark Seasoning from Penzey's Spices, where we buy most of our spices. This was not a natural choice when thinking of a Mexican Sauce, but it turned out to be a perfect combination. Pork was grilled over charcoal and pecan wood until just medium (slightly pink with internal temperature about 150-155°.)


Some of the tomatillo-serrano sauce got mixed in with some sliced onions that had been fried over medium-high heat until brown but still crunchy (almost all the way to the high setting on most stove tops like most of you and I use), then simmered briefly over medium heat.  Perfect with the tenderloin.


Served with some chunks of potatoes roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper until golden brown, and a tangy cole slaw.  Since we are being eclectic - maybe a nice India Pale Ale.  Yumm!