Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Chiles Rellenos




In my opinion chile rellenos exemplify New Mexican cuisine. In fact, if they had pork in them, they would contain New Mexico’s four favorite ingredients—the other three being chile, cheese, and cilantro. Perhaps I should start experimenting with a bacon chile relleno…

This recipe was adapted from one taught to me by the amazing Chef Michelle Roetzer at Santa Fe Community College. She teaches classes for tourists and does food tours at the Santa Fe School of Cooking, which I highly recommend, for anyone who visits the Land of Enchantment.



Chiles Rellenos

4 New Mexico green chiles (Anaheim or poblano chiles will work as well)
4 oz jack cheese, grated
2  scallions, chopped
½ bunch cilantro, chopped
½ cup flour
3 eggs
¼ cup 7-up or Sprite
Cayenne
Garlic powder
Salt
Pepper

Roast chiles and place in sealed ziplock bag until cool. Peel carefully and use a paring knife to cut a one-inch slice toward the top of the chile. Gently remove the seeds and set chiles aside.

Combine the grated cheese, scallions, cilantro and a pinch of cayenne, salt, and pepper. Form into marble sized cheese balls.

Carefully place 3 cheese balls in each of the chiles without overfilling them or causing rips. Set stuffed chiles in the freezer until ready to batter.

Make a seasoned flour with ¼ of the flour and pinches of salt, pepper, cayenne,  and garlic powder.

Separate the egg whites and yolks into two bowls. Whisk egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Add 7-up and remaining ¼ cup of flour to egg yolks and mix well.

Heat 1 inch of oil in pan. Lightly coat stuffed chiles in seasoned flour and then dip in batter before frying. Fry with the slit up and spoon oil over the top of the chile before flipping. Repeat with remaining chiles and place on paper towels to remove grease. Serve with arroz verde and enjoy!


Monday, August 27, 2012

Chile, Chile, Chile!




Growing up in New Mexico meant that I had an endless supply of green chile and ate it with almost anything. Since moving to the Pacific Northwest I have had to somewhat change my New Mexican diet. I have been hoarding chile like treasure and I currently have two jars and one pound of frozen taking up space. Despite this stockpile I have really been missing the late summer smell of freshly roasted green chiles. Luckily Whole Foods flew in to my rescue! Not only are they currently selling fresh Hatch green chile, but they are roasting it in their parking lot. I am now the lucky possessor of fresh chile and some extra hot roasted for freezing. Tomorrow I will making a batch of chile rellenos and will share the recipe, but for tonight, here is a list of my top 5 green chile dishes. Thanks to my bountiful harvest, I will be able to do recipe based posts on each of these meals in the next few weeks.

Chile Rellenos
Green Chile Bacon Cheeseburgers
Green Chile Stew
Bacon Chile Breakfast Burrito
Green chile tempura

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Simply Delicious




Sometimes the best meals in the world are the simple ones. They don’t need to have expensive ingredients or require hours of preparation; they can be ready at a moment’s notice. Any good chef’s repertoire should contain several quick and easy meals both for groups and individuals. My dinner tonight was one of my favorite simple snacks and is always delicious, despite how many times I make it. This kind of meal doesn't require a recipe, but I have provided some guidelines, just in case.

Gourmet Simple Sandwich

2 slices toasted sourdough bread
lightly salted butter
2 slices extra hot capocollo or prosciutto
½ avocado, sliced

Put a thin layer of salted butter on both pieces of toast. Top with capocollo and avocado slices. Enjoy as an open face sandwich.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Sandbar Views




On Granville Island, most restaurants are 75% view and 25% decent food. It can be difficult to find a place to eat that is both delicious and beautiful. Luckily there is the Sandbar to provide both excellent food and atmosphere. Recently a friend and I had a lovely simple meal at the Sandbar that ended with fireworks over English Bay. I was in the mood for a simple meal and settled on the fresh mussels in a coconut curry sauce. Now any true mussel lover knows that the sauce is the best part, and luckily the Sandbar provides plenty of bread for dipping. The food itself was perfection. The mussels were juicy, the sauce was delicious, and at the end of the meal I felt like I had received my money’s worth.



My only complaint about the whole night would be the service. It is rare for me to feel wholly uncomfortable in a server’s presence, but the young man who waited our table would simply not stop staring. Apparently I reminded him of his cousin and he called me by her name for the rest of the night. In addition to calling me his cousin, he was difficult to find, frustrating to communicate with, and very slow to respond to simple requests such as water with no ice, and a bowl for mussel shells.



Despite the poor service, both the food and the view at the Sandbar make me certain that I will return.

Please forgive the poor quality photos. The lighting was not great and this was before I received my fantastic birthday camera!


The Sandbar Seafood Restaurant on Urbanspoon

Monday, August 6, 2012

An Excellent Day's Work

The best part of cooking for a crowd is seeing the different reactions as people try new foods, develop new tastes, and expand their horizons. I recently catered a team building retreat for twelve very different people. The way the event was organized allowed the guests to be in and out of the kitchen. There were no real boundaries and it was more like a large family gathering than a paid job. Having conversations with the guests made the compliments at the end of the meal all the more heartfelt. At the end of the day, my two amazing chefs and I went out for champagne to celebrate a job well done. As far as the food goes, a picture is worth a thousand words.


Freshly picked carrots of all colors

Ready for roasting

Coconut prawns with sweet chili sauce

Dessert trio of lavender earl grey creme brulee, blueberry lemon curd tart, and pecan brownie

(Forgive the lack of an entree photo. Kitchen chaos is entirely to blame. For those who are curious, it was chicken breast with garlic wine sauce, citrus rice pilaf, and roasted carrots)