Hot Dish Review

Aha! Now I have confirmation that my guacamole recipe is authentic!

Before B and I arrived at Capella Pedregal, I emailed my grocery list to the personal assistant of the residences. In addition to groceries, guests could also request snacks to be made by the assistant in their residence, including guacamole.

Naturally, I was curious to see if they used the same ingredients and method as my now-famous kickass guacamole, the recipe given to me by a Mexican cleaning lady twenty years ago.

When we arrived our refrigerator was stocked with goodies….eggs, queso, strawberries, Corona Light! The assistant explained that, due to the residences being nearly fully occupied, they would be unable to make the guacamole. They did, however, provide the ingredients: ripe avocadoes, tomatoes, a white onion, cilantro, jalapenos and limes. No garlic or mayo, honey!

I made a big batch on our third day after lounging around the pool. Chips and salsa to-go from Don Manuel’s completed our afternoon snack on our balcony, overlooking the breathtaking resort.

Heaven.

I’m off to Cabo folks! In honor of my trip I thought I would rerun some of my favorite Mexican inspired posts….hope you enjoy ‘em! (secretly curious to see if the guacamole there will be as good as mine)

OK, this is the real deal. I got this recipe from an old Mexican cleaning lady 20 years ago and have made it according to her standards ever since. Perhaps she prepares it with loving care in a traditional molcajete, a lava rock mortar and pestle. I make mine in my traditional Pillsbury Doughboy bowl!

(Note: the photo of ingredients includes a Corona Light. This ingredient is not mandatory, however, I find that it helps the culinary process. You may substitute a shot of Herradura Silver if you prefer.)

3 ripe avocadoes
1/2 white onion (I use Vidalias)
1 large tomato, peeled
1 jalapeno
bunch cilantro
salt
lime juice

Split the avocadoes and scoop them out into a medium bowl. To keep the guacamole chunky I use the spoon to coarsely cut up the avocadoes just a bit. Very small dice the onion by first cutting it in half, then making 1/8″ cuts in both directions (like a checkerboard pattern). Slice it across the pre-made cuts to make tiny diced pieces. Use the same method for the jalapeno, being careful not to touch the pepper and then your eyes (or other sensitive areas)! Chop a shitload of cilantro to taste. Rest the tomato in hot water to ease peeling, then peel, seed, dice and add to bowl. Add the juice of half a lime. Fold all the ingredients together and salt to taste. Refrigerate for up to 8 hours, completely covered in plastic to avoid oxidation.

Is that f*ckin’ delicious or what? Buy restaurant chips and salsa to serve with it….my new favorite is Uncle Julios.

Sure, there are a couple of acceptable variations but authentic quacamole contains no sour cream, no garlic, no mayonaisse. Mayonaisse is a French sauce like bearnaisse….not invented in a trailor park in Mississippi as you may have suspected. Mexicans do not use French sauces. There was no sour cream in Mexico in the 1700’s.

Just use the real ingredients above and you will have quacamole as good as what I had in Playa del Carmen a few years ago…..Ole’!

OK, it was not from my garden or even my parents’ garden, but it grew somewhere in the US, presumably in a garden. Publix had this packaged okra, vibrant and fresh. I grew up eating okra, in gumbo or fried….love it!

My parents are growing okra too, in addition to zucchini, tomatoes, green beans, squash, and cucumbers. Mom has already canned her first batch of beans which we had with grilled pork tenderloin, onions, zucchini, and peppers in Helen, along with a salad of cous cous, edamame, and black olives. Healthy and delicious!

Like the fried green tomatoes, this is my first attempt at frying okra. Mom usually makes and freezes several bags for me but today I decided to cook up a mess of it myself!

Talk about easy! Here is the method: wash the okra, cut into pieces 3/8″-1/2″, toss with cornmeal, season with a little salt and pepper and panfry over medium heat in about 2 tbsp. canola oil for 20-25 minutes, until tender and browned.

I made a big batch so I froze half of it. So good!

The first time I attempt any dish there is that moment of uncertainty, especially when I am trying to duplicate a family recipe like my Grandma’s fried green tomatoes. And especially when I have critisized so many chefs for turning them into something they are not.

Fried green tomatoes are, in fact, a side dish to be served along with meat and other veggies. They can often be found on restaurant menus as appetizers, drizzled with aioli and topped with goat cheese or some other atrocity, their delecate, tangy flavor obliterated by heavy breading and deep-frying. Shameful.

Lovingly reproduced by my Mom, here is my Grandma’s recipe (if you can even call it that, it is more of a method). I probably could have made them by memory but I got the verbal instructions from her to be safe. Just so you know, I used two medium/large green tomatoes and ate every last bite….they were that f*ckin good!

Green tomatoes
Corn meal
All-purpose flour
Canola oil
Salt & pepper

Slice the green tomatoes about 1/4″ thick or a little thinner. Season with salt and pepper and lightly dust with half corn meal, half flour, just until coated. Heat about 3 teaspoons oil to medium/high. Add the tomato slices in a single layer to hot pan and cook 15-20 minutes turning several times. Watch carefully and turn heat down, cooking until tomatoes are tender and browned.

If I can make them right on the first attempt there is no excuse for the pathetic execution of this dish at most restaurants.

How long can you store cooked barley in the fridge? I was hoping a week was not too long last Saturday when I stopped by Whole Foods after the funeral to pick up some cheese and ended up perusing the food bars for accompaniments for my fourth and final serving of leftover barley.

Wanting to stick with the vegetarian theme for my lunch I decided to get some carrots and chana masala, an Indian curry made with chickpeas. I had an odd hankerin’ for the braised greens as a side dish.

When I got home I heated up my barley, seasoned it with black pepper, then topped the bowl with the warm chana masala and carrots. I garnished the concoction with golden raisins and a handful of cilantro.

Creative and delicious! The raisins added sweetness and an awesome chewy texture. I was surprised at how spicy the chana masala was, great choice. The greens, slightly bitter, paired well with the grains and sweet carrots.

The barley experiment was a total success! From the nutritious meals with my julienned veggies to the wholesome breakfast with figs and honey, everything I tried with the toothsome barley was hearty and satisfying.

Barley, batch #2 coming up. I think it is a perfect go-to staple to keep in the fridge for emergencies. Try it and let me know what you come up with!

I divided the barley I made last weekend into four equal servings for experimentation. Sandy, my holistic nutritionist, suggested I try it for breakfast instead of eating so much breakfast sausage and bacon which are both full of nitrates.

Honey, cinnamon, dried figs, golden raisins, and slivered almonds make a delicious topping for Greek yogurt so I thought it would also be great to flavor the barley. I really like the chewy texture of the grain and it was actually better than I expected with the honey and dried fruits.

Unfortunately, being the reckless carnivore that I am, I ate my bowl of barley with two links of turkey sausage. (sorry Sandy!)

I kept the bag of Bob’s Red Mill Pearl Barley from my mushroom barley soup recipe in the freezer for future experimentation. My nutritionist is vegetarian so she is a big advocate of barley, quinoa, any grain really. Combined with vegetables, fruit, and tofu, this is the basis of her diet.

So I thought I would give a vegetarian dish a try last weekend….a combination of the barley plus a veggie recipe I started making last year. A savory combo of zucchini, squash, onion, scallions, carrot, and poblano pepper, I cut the veggies julienne giving them a spaghetti-like texture and season them with black pepper, celery salt, and a dash of cayenne.

I made a batch of barley according to directions on the bag….3 cups of water to one cup of barley. It said to simmer for 50 to 60 minutes, however, after just 20 minutes or so I had to add more water, which I continued to do to prevent scorching, cooking it for a total of 45 or 50 minutes.

Then I divided it into four equal servings, the first of which I flavored with a few drops of hot sauce and a handful of cilantro. I spooned half of the veggies over the top…..tasty! I really like the toothsome quality of barley.

Remaining veggies made a satisfying lunch today with another portion of the barley. And a third portion will be a breakfast experiment!

What to do with the fourth serving?

As a child me and my Mom always colored eggs for Easter. I continued that tradition on my own until just a few years ago when I switched to making deviled eggs….appropriately inappropriate!

This is so elementary it’s not even a recipe, really.

Omega 3 eggs (I use Eggland’s Best)
Dijon mustard
Lite mayo
Salt and pepper to taste
Cayenne
Paprika for garnish

Boil the eggs for about 9 minutes. Let cool and peel. Cut the little guys in half lengthwise and scoop out the yolks. Mix with desired amount of mustard and mayo with a fork until creamy (start with a tablespoon of each for about 4 eggs). Add a pinch of cayenne, maybe a dash of hot sauce if you like. Fill the eggs halves with the yolk mixture and sprinkle with paprika.

This year I tried to be fancy and piped the yolk mixture in with a plastic bag with the corner snipped off. Not a bad effort!

Want to add a little white trash to your Easter celebration this year? Try this twisted yet fun take on s’mores! The idea was taken from an Easter party favors segment on the Today Show. The ingredients for s’mores bars, arranged in Mason jars, included colorful Peeps….check ‘em out!

I just substituted hot pink bunny Peeps in place of regular marshmallows in this recipe.

How to:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place graham crackers on a baking sheet. Put a thin piece of chocolate, either milk or dark on top of each cracker. Then place a Peep on top of the chocolate. Any color will do. You can use chicks instead of bunnies, of course. (I was drawn to the hot pink bunnies!) Bake for 4-6 minutes, then make each one into a sandwich with an additional graham cracker.

Careful, the Peeps are hot! They will ooze out of the edges when you take a bite. Surprisingly delicious.

Although I didn’t have the chance to eat moqueca in Brazil last month, I have had it several times at Beleza. It is a simple and delicious curry-like fish stew made with coconut milk. I thought it would make an excellent dish to eat while trying out my uva (black grape) caipirinhas!

Well….the caipirinhas were weird. I’ll have to practice to get them right. But the moqueca was excellent! I combined several recipes, mainly using the one on Whats4Eats, cutting it in half for me and ST.

Here is my version:

3/4 lbs. prawns (12 large of the 16-20 count)
juice from 1 lime
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. canola oil
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 red jalapeno, chopped
1 green jalapeno, chopped
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
cilantro (shitload)
black pepper
avocado

Marinate the shrimp in the lime juice and salt for 30 minutes in a glass bowl. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet and cook the onions until translucent (I used a little of the chicken broth so they wouldn’t get too dark). Add the jalapenos and garlic and saute for another minute or two. Stir in the tomatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes until they soften. Add the coconut milk, chicken stock, some cilantro, fresh ground pepper, and shrimp with their marinade. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes or until shrimp are opaque.

The healthy section at Kroger has this awesome instant rice called Annie Chun’s Rice Express. There are three varieties, this time I got the multi-grain sticky rice. (Man, I still miss sticky rice in New York, delivered in plastic wrap.)

Serve the moqueca in a bowl over rice and top with sliced avocado and cilantro. So easy and so delicious! We opened a bottle of cheap tempranillo from Trader Joe’s (I call it “the pig”) since my caipirinhas failed.