Author: toothpicktales

Fried Chicken Therapy

/ toothpicktales / 2 Comments

Sometimes I embrace the South with open arms and a willing heart, and this is one of those times.  Of course my willing heart will probably resent the heavy dose of cholesterol that the fried chicken will impart but the rest of me is fully satisfied by this delicious, crunchy delight! 

I like to think that this sort of indulgence is okay, every now and then, as long as it is followed by rigorous exercise and several days of green salads and fresh fruit.  At least that is what my brain tells my arteries and my heart every time I indulge in this sort of foolish behavior.

What is it about recovering from a cold that makes me turn to the most unhealthy foods?  Maybe it’s just my newly awakened taste buds that make me crave the decadent things in life. 

Buttermilk is key here.  Crispy, fried chicken can be achieved by other means but the combination of the buttermilk and the flour/cornstarch dredge makes this chicken stay crispy.

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts

4 Tbs cayenne powder

3 Tbs garlic powder

2 cups buttermilk

2 cups flour

3 Tbs cornstarch

3 cups fresh green beans

¼ cup chicken stock

4 or 5 medium russet potatoes

4 Tbs butter

3 Tbs sour cream

¼ cup whole milk

2 tsp all-purpose Greek seasoning (Cavender’s)

Directions:

Cut the chicken breasts by separating the tender from the rest of the breast.  Place the chicken pieces in a mixing bowl and dust with 2 tablespoons cayenne and 1 tablespoon garlic powder.  Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes.  Cover the chicken with buttermilk and refrigerate for one hour.

Wash the green beans and snip off the stems.  Set aside.

Peel the potatoes and cut into roughly 1” to 2” cubes.  Add the potatoes to a 4 quart pot and cover with water.  Boil the potatoes until they are soft.  Strain the cooked potatoes and return to the pot.  Add the butter, sour cream and Greek seasoning.   You can substitute the Greek seasoning with salt and pepper but if you have never added Greek seasoning to mashed potatoes you are missing a real treat.  There is something so very right about Cavender’s Greek seasoning! 

Add some splashes of milk and beat the potatoes with a fork or spatula.  Add more milk until you get the creaminess that you desire.  I usually use about ¼ cup of milk.  Cover the potatoes and keep in a warm place.

Add 1 tablespoon of butter to a hot skillet and sauté the green beans for a minute.  Add the chicken stock, turn the heat down to low and cover.  Stir the beans occasionally until they are tender.  Keep warm until ready to serve.

And now, for the chicken!

Mix two cups of flour, 3 tablespoons of cornstarch, 2 tablespoons of cayenne powder and 1 tablespoon of garlic powder to a large mixing bowl.  Whisk until thoroughly blended.  Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture and let the chicken rest in the bowl for 5 to 10 minutes. 

Heat a skillet and add enough cooking oil to fill the skillet about half way.  The oil needs to be good and hot before adding the chicken…350° is just right.

Dredge the chicken in the flour again and add the chicken pieces to the hot oil.  Don’t start messing  with the chicken right away.  Let it cook for a few minutes before turning over with tongs.  Keep turning the chicken until it is golden brown all around.  Boneless chicken breasts cook quickly…maybe 10 minutes total.  Once you think the chicken is done, take a large piece out and cut it.  If the chicken is white and firm in the middle (not pink), the chicken is cooked.  Remove to a paper towel lined platter and keep warm.  Sprinkle some salt on the chicken…because anything fried deserves a little salt. 

Serve hot. 

Eat salads and fresh fruit for the next several days.  Get plenty of exercise and get good sleep!

“Something for Dinner”

/ toothpicktales / 2 Comments

I know when I’m over a cold when I start thinking about food again.    

I have been working overtime at work, which means waking up at 4:00 am and getting home around 5:00 pm.  That doesn’t leave much time for dinner preparation and relaxing before going to bed. 

I was on my way home, enjoying the rush hour traffic, when it dawned on me that I had not gone to the grocery store recently and I didn’t know what I would make for dinner.  So, I stopped off at the grocery store and started thinking about what was in my refrigerator and what I might buy for dinner.  I knew I had some cooked white rice at home.  White rice is like a blank canvas.  Anything is possible when you have rice.

Since I didn’t have a clue about what I was going to buy at the store I decided to look for good deals on vegetables and meat and let that be my guide.   The first low-priced vegetable I found were Brussel sprouts.  I’m not a huge fan of Brussel sprouts but I stuck with my plan and picked them up.  I found some whole button mushrooms at a really good price and I grabbed those.  I still had fresh tomatoes from the garden and I had onions and garlic at home.  So, the vegetables were a done deal. 

I went to the meat case and found a good deal on center cut pork chops.  They looked good and the price was very good.  I spent less than $8.00 for everything and it was enough food to make a meal for 4 to 6 people. 

For the rest of my trip home I thought about what I would do with all of this stuff.  I started thinking about pork schnitzel, which got me thinking about paprika.  I love a good schnitzel but just thinking about the work that goes into making schnitzel made me tired.   I wanted the paprika, without the fuss.

I thought about stewing the Brussel sprouts with tomatoes and onion and mushroom and serving with the rice and I quickly kicked that idea out of my head.  Yuck!  Brussel sprouts!  What was I thinking?

And then, as I pulled into the driveway, it all came together.  Sauté the Brussel sprouts and put a char on them to get a nutty flavor.  Add that to cooked pork chops, tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms and rice and cook it all in one pan.  Coming home after working overtime means that I have about one hour to make dinner, one hour to eat it, and one hour to relax and digest the food before heading off to bed.  Making dinner in one pan means quick prep and quick clean up.  I knew I was over my cold now.  I can’t make those sort of mental leaps when I am sick. 

I dumped all of the groceries on the counter and pulled the rice out of the refrigerator.  I put the cast iron skillet on the stove and started warming it.  My daughter came into the kitchen to welcome me home and we had a wonderful time sharing stories about our day as I began prepping the food.  She asked me what I was making and, as I often do when I’m not sure, I said, “I’m making something for dinner.”  My daughter has watched me work in the kitchen long enough to know when I am winging it. 

Skillet Pork Chops with Vegetable and Rice

Ingredients:

4 center cut pork chops

1 quart cooked white rice

2 cups Brussel sprouts, sliced in half

16 oz white button mushrooms

2 medium sized tomatoes

½ yellow onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, smashed

2 Tbs butter

2 Tbs flour

2 cups chicken stock

½ cup tomato sauce

Directions:

Heat an oven to 325°.

Tenderize the pork chops by piercing both sides with a fork.  Flatten the pork chops with the broad side of a meat cleaver or mallet. 

Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat.  Add about 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan.  Lay the pork chops in the pan and dust liberally with paprika.  Allow the chops to sear for about one or two minutes and then turn.  Dust the other side of the chops with paprika.  Turn once more after a minute and remove after another 30 seconds.  Set the chops aside. 

De-glaze the skillet with a half cup of chicken stock.  Add the whole mushrooms, onion and garlic to the skillet and stir.  Allow the mushrooms to absorb the flavor from the pork and stock.  Remove the mushrooms to a large mixing bowl.

Add the Brussels sprouts to the hot skillet, placing them cut side down.  Don’t mess with them.  Let them char for about two minutes.  Turn them with a spatula and brown the other side for a little while.  Remove the Brussel sprouts to the large mixing bowl.

Add the tomatoes and cooked rice to the large mixing bowl.

Turn the heat down to low.  Wipe the skillet with a paper towel to remove any charred bits.  Melt the butter in the skillet and add the flour and whisk to make a roux.  Once the flour has incorporated, add the chicken stock and tomato sauce.  Stir to thicken into a sauce. 

Mix the items in mixing bowl with a spatula.  Add the prepared sauce and mix. 

Arrange the seared pork chops on the bottom of skillet.  Cover with rice, vegetable and sauce mixture.  Cover the skillet and cook in a 325° oven for 25 to 30 minutes. 

How do you like my “redneck” lid for the skillet? Hey, it works and it’s one less thing to clean!

To serve, pull a pork chop from the bottom of the skillet and lay on a serving dish.  Ladle the rice mixture next to the chop. 

Fried Egg *and Garlic Salt* Sandwich

/ toothpicktales / 3 Comments

Believe it or not, I wanted this to be my first post on my blog.  You see, I wanted to show an example of the humble beginnings that have led me down the culinary path where I find myself today.  But I chickened out.  After giving it some thought, I thought it might be a little too lowbrow to open with. 

But now, I present…the fried egg sandwich.

There was a time when this was a real treat for me.  Several days of eating nothing but ramen can have that effect on someone, I suppose.  This recipe originally called for two pieces of bread, an egg and some garlic salt.  Simple and surprisingly delicious.

Ingredients:

2 Tbs butter (or margarine)

Cheap white bread –  2 slices

An egg

Cheap bologna – 1 slice (optional)

Cheap processed American cheese – 1 slice (optional)

Garlic salt – as much as you want

Dill pickle slices – optional

Directions:

Fry and egg in butter.  Break the yolk with a fork, but don’t mix the egg.  Cook the egg just to the point where the yolk becomes firm.  Set the egg aside.

Add a little more butter to the pan and add a slice of bread.  Lay the egg on the bread. Sprinkle copious amounts of garlic salt on the egg.  Top with the other slice of bread.  Toast both sides of the sandwich and serve. 

If you choose to add the bologna and cheese, pan fry the bologna until the edges char.  Add the bologna and cheese to the sandwich before toasting in the pan.   I rarely made it this way, years ago, because I didn’t usually have bologna and cheese on hand.   But I almost always had an egg and cheap white sandwich bread.  Yum!

And of course, the sandwich is even better with some pickles and a toothpick!

Summer Cold

/ toothpicktales / 2 Comments

“Summer cold”.  Now, that’s an oxymoron! 

I haven’t come down with a cold during the summer months in a long time and this one came at me quickly and with a vengeance.  I slept for two days and, on the few occasions I got out of bed, I staggered around the house like Frankenstein’s monster, wandering aimlessly from room to room, only to collapse back into bed after a few minutes. 

At one point, during a semi-lucid moment, I thought it would be “fun” to submit a post about my favorite chicken broth recipe but I was so exhausted that my fingers refused to type and my brain was operating on emergency reserve power.  I really don’t have a favorite chicken broth recipe, but I like to think that I do, when I’m sick. 

I’m feeling a little better now…still drained of energy but at least my brain is firing on more than one cylinder. 

So, let’s see if I can reconstruct the broth I made while I was feeling ill.  I’m glad I took a few pictures because I can barely remember making this, even though it was only a few days ago!

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken broth (I used boxed chicken broth)

1 handful of dry, wide, Thai rice stick noodles (why, why, why?)

1 small jalapeño

2 habaneros

A tiny bit of thinly sliced onion

1 garlic clove

¼ cup fresh spinach

1 Tbs soy sauce

1 lime

Directions:

Use a mandoline to slice the chilis and garlic.  I couldn’t tie my shoes because I was so deliriously sick but did that stop me from using a razor sharp kitchen instrument…heck no!  Slice the lime into quarters…again with the sharp tools!  Set these aside before you hurt yourself.

In a 4 quart pot, add the chicken broth and simmer over medium/low heat.  Add the garlic and soy sauce.  Add the Thai noodles.  Simmer for a few minutes.  Hover over the stove for a moment before realizing that the noodles will probably take FOREVER to cook.

Walk away and forget that you are cooking something.  Go back to the kitchen for a glass of water and remember that you have something on the stove.  Check to see if the noodles are soft.  They probably won’t be.  Lean over the broth and slowly breath in through your nose and out through your mouth several times.  Toss a sliver of habanero or jalapeño into the pot and keep breathing.  This is the therapeutic part of the program.  You may not enjoy the broth when it is done but you will at least have had a moment to clear your sinuses!

Once the noodles have softened, Pour the broth into a large bowl.  Add the spinach, onion and as much of the chilis as you dare to.  Squeeze some lime juice into the broth. 

Why on earth did I add the Thai noodles?  The darn things are so wide and slippery that they defy chopsticks, forks and spoons.  The only way I could eat them was to slurp them from the bowl.  And, since I was sick, that was totally acceptable.

Leftovers…I mean, Nachos!

/ toothpicktales / 5 Comments

I was pondering what to make for dinner the other day.  I didn’t really want to cook but I was hungry.  Sound familiar?  I opened my refrigerator and saw several small containers of leftovers.  After a quick survey of the items it became obvious that Nachos was the best, and easiest solution. 

This was one of those times when the amount of the leftovers was exactly what I needed to make a meal. 

Ingredients:

1 cup Shredded chicken (left over from chimichangas)

½ cup refried beans  (left over from chimichangas)

¼ cup tomato sauce (left over from salsa roja)

3 Tbs diced onion (left over from chimichangas)

1 chipotle pepper in adobo (left over from chimichangas)

2 slices processed American cheese (left over Egg sandwiches)

1 cup sliced Muenster cheese (left over from white cheese sauce)

2 smoked serrano chiles (left over from salsa verde)

Restaurant style tortilla chips – not leftovers!

Just look at the amount of empty storage containers this meal provided.  This is what victory feels like for the home cook!  I couldn’t be any more proud!

Directions:

Distribute tortilla chips on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.  I like to use parchment paper because it makes for very easy clean up. 

Lay the slices of Muenster cheese across the tortilla chips.  Slice the serrano chiles and scrape away the seeds.  Mince the serranos and sprinkle on top of the cheese.  Mix the refried beans with the tomato sauce and drop dollops of the bean mixture on top of the cheese.  Mash and mince the chipotle pepper and adobo sauce and combine with the shredded chicken.  Mix by hand and distribute the chicken over the refried beans.  Sprinkle the diced onions over the nachos.  Finally, tear apart strips of the American cheese and place on top of the nachos. 

Bake in a 400° oven for five to ten minutes, or until the cheese melts.

Serve with sour cream, salsa, lettuce, tomato or any other toppings you desire…but try to use up leftovers in keeping with the theme of the dish!

Ribeye Steak with Chipotle Butter

/ toothpicktales / 4 Comments

Some people say they dream in color and some say they don’t.  I dream in color and I can dream in taste and smell, too.  Afternoon, weekend naps start with thoughts about what to make for dinner.  Trying to recall what is in my pantry and my refrigerator makes me drowsy.  Those thoughts roll over and over in my mind and before long, I fall asleep.  But, afternoon naps are short-lived.  I sleep just long enough to catch a glimpse of a dream and when I awake, I know what I will prepare for dinner.  I can taste it.  I can smell it.  I have already prepared the meal in my dream.   I get out of bed quickly and get to work. 

This afternoon’s dream was of the vivid Tex-Mex variety.  Vibrant colors and bold, spicy flavors are what I have in mind for my ribeye steaks.  This is food worthy of celebration!

Ingredients:

3 beef ribeye steaks (1 pound each and 1” thick)

2 Tbs cooking oil (Canola or Olive oil is good)

2 Tbs cumin powder

1 Tbs coarse salt

1 Tbs freshly ground black pepper

½ red bell pepper

½ yellow bell pepper

½ green bell pepper

4 Tbs softened butter

2 Tbs chipotle adobo sauce

Directions:

Remove the steaks from the packaging and allow them to warm on a platter, at room temperature, for about 20 minutes. 

While the steaks rest, slice the bell peppers into ½ inch rings and set aside. 

Prepare the chipotle butter by combing the softened butter with the chipotle adobo sauce.  Set aside.

Prepare the charcoal grill. 

I use a charcoal chimney to heat the charcoal briquettes. 

If you are not familiar with a charcoal chimney, you need to be.  Starting coals with a charcoal chimney means that you don’t have to use lighter fluid.  Lighter fluid can impart a greasy, oily flavor to meats and vegetables. 

I like to rip apart old newspapers or paper grocery bags, or even pieces of the charcoal bag, to start the fire for the chimney.  This is a good way to recycle paper and it gives me an opportunity to tear stuff up and burn things.  The primal urge to destroy and burn things runs deep…

While the coals heat, prepare the steaks.  Brush the steaks lightly with olive oil and sprinkle each side with cumin powder.  Liberaly apply salt and pepper to both sides.

Once the coals turn gray, dump them in the charcoal grill and spread them out evenly.  Add some mesquite wood, if you have it.  Clean the grill with a steel brush and then swab the grill with a some cooking oil and carefully lay the steaks on the grill, keeping at least 1” between each steak.  

Add the sliced bell peppers and grill them for a minute or two, until they start to char.  Remove the peppers.

Grill the ribeye steaks for 3 minutes and then turn them over.  Cook for another 3 minutes to achieve medium rare steaks.  Remove the steaks and brush with chipotle butter.  Rest the stakes under a foil tent for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. 

That sounds simple right?  Well, it is and it isn’t.  When it comes to grilling meat to a desired level of doneness, there are many factors to consider.  Grilling for 3 minutes on each side will probably produce a good, medium rare steak but my preferred method for checking doneness is by pushing on the meat with a finger.  Assuming that the steak is one inch thick, or more, I give it 3 minutes on the first side, at high heat.  This produces a good char and thoroughly cooks the meat on that side.  Then, after flipping the steak over, I let it go for about 2 minutes and then press the center portion of the steak with my finger of side of my thumb.  If the meat yields easily and feels soft or mushy, it is still rare.  When I push down and feel a slight resistance and the meat returns to its form, like a mattress would, I know that it is medium rare. 

If you are in doubt, pull the steak.  You can always pop it in the oven or put it on a skillet to finish.  You can’t un-cook a steak. 

Serve family style on a large platter with grilled corn on the cob and baked potatoes. 

Grilled Corn on the Cob and Baked Potatoes

/ toothpicktales / Leave a comment

I like to grill corn on the cob in the husk but, since I could only find corn cobs with the husks already removed, I used heavy duty aluminum foil to prevent the corn from burning.

Ingredients for the corn:

4 corn cobs

4 Tbs softened butter

1 tsp salt

½ tsp chili powder

¼ tsp cumin powder

Directions:

Wash the corn and remove any corn silk.  Allow the corn to dry.  Combine the butter, chili powder and cumin powder until it forms a paste.  Smear the corn cobs with the buttery mixture.  Wrap each corn cob tightly in heavy duty aluminum foil.

Place the corn on a hot grill and grill for about 20 minutes, giving the corn a quarter turn every five minutes.  Keep the corn in the foil until ready to serve.  Leaving the corn in the foil will allow the corn to continue steaming.

Baked Potatoes (on the grill)

As I see it, there are two types of people.  Those who eat the potato skins and those who don’t.  Baking them on the grill allows for both options.  Coating the potatoes with oil and salt and wrapping them in foil will produce a baked potato with a soft skin, or jacket, if you prefer.

Ingredients for the potatoes:

4 large baking potatoes (I’m only making 3 this time)

1 Tbs olive oil

1 ½ Tbs kosher salt

Directions:

Wash potatoes and let them air-dry.  Rub the potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle each one generously with salt.  Wrap tightly in heavy duty aluminum foil and place on a hot grill. 

Bake on the grill for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the potatoes yield when gently squeezed.  Use an oven mitt when squeezing the potatoes. 

Corn and Potatoes…ready to come off the grill

Cashew Chicken

/ toothpicktales / 2 Comments

Making a stir-fry doesn’t need to be a complicated process.  Decide what you want in the stir-fry and prepare those items by cutting them into bite sized pieces.  Determine the type of sauce you would like and have it ready.  You can use a bottled sauce from the store or a homemade sauce or you can say the heck with it and skip the sauce all together.  Choose appropriately sized serving platters or bowls and keep them close at hand. 

Most of my stir-fry dishes are accompanied by steamed rice.  The method I use for making steamed rice takes about an hour, which may seem strange for “20 minute rice” but it has two advantages.  First, and most importantly, the rice comes out nice and fluffy every time.  And second, an hour gives me plenty of time to prepare the vegetables and meat and enough time to finish the stir-fry. 

For the rice:

Add 1 cup of white rice to a strainer or colander.  Rinse the rice under cold water from the kitchen faucet and swish the rice around by hand for several seconds.  This removes some of the starch from the rice.  Add the rice to a 4 quart pot and cover the rice with water.  2 cups of water should do the trick.  Cover the pot and let it sit for 15 minutes, without heat.  Turn the heat on and bring the water to a boil.  Remove the lid and stir the rice with a fork and cover the pot again.  Turn the heat down to the lowest possible setting.  Let the rice simmer at low heat for about 10 minutes.  Turn off the heat.  Don’t open the lid until you are ready to eat.  Allow the rice to steam for at least 30 minutes.  I like to let it steam for 40 minutes.  When you are ready to serve, remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.  Turn it out to a serving bowl.

Cashew Chicken Ingredients:

2 Tbs cooking oil

2 chicken breasts (cut into bite sized pieces)

½ onion (diced)

2 bell peppers (diced)

3 Tbs thinly sliced ginger

1 cup cashew nuts

2 green onions (diced)

Marinade:

2 Tbs baking soda

2 Tbs corn starch

1 tsp rice wine vinegar

Sauce:

1 Tbs oyster sauce

1 ½ tsp soy sauce

1/3 cup water

¼ tsp white ground pepper

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp rice wine vinegar

½ tsp sesame oil

Sauce Thickener:

1 Tbs cornstarch

1 Tbs water

A splash of soy sauce

Directions:

Marinate the chicken in the baking soda for about 15 minutes.  Rinse the chicken to remove the baking soda and pat the chicken dry with paper towels.  Marinate the chicken with the cornstarch and vinegar for 15 minutes.  This two-step marinade will allow the sauce to adhere to the chicken.

Prepare the sauce and the sauce thickener and set aside.

Once all of the items for the stir-fry have been prepped, heat the wok and add a tablespoon of cooking oil.

Add the chicken.  Stir-fry until the chicken is solid white and firm.  Remove the chicken to a bowl. 

Add the onions, bell pepper and ginger.  Stir-fry briefly.  Do not overcook the vegetables. 

Dump the chicken back into the wok and mix with the vegetables.  Continue to stir until the chicken is fully cooked.  Add the sauce and continue stirring. 

Move some of the vegetables and chicken away from the center of the wok and take a look at the sauce.  If it looks thin, you might want to add the sauce thickener.  I almost always add a thickener.  You can shove everything away from the center and add the thickener to the sauce and whisk until the sauce thickens but I find that it is easier, in the long run, to remove everything from the wok except the sauce and then add the thickener and whisk.  Then, return everything to the wok and add the cashews.  Stir again and turn everything out onto a serving platter or serving bowl.

Serve with steamed rice and stir-fried broccoli.

Mexican Flag Chimichangas

/ toothpicktales / 7 Comments

Chimichangas have been a staple of Tex-Mex cuisine for longer than I can remember.  They’re really just glorified, fried burritos, but ‘chimichanga’ sounds mysterious and exotic!

For me, chimichangas are a kitschy comfort food and they can be made with all sorts of fillings and toppings.  This recipe showcases the colors of the Mexican flag, red, green and white and it will make 6 large chicken chimichangas.

Ingredients for braising the chicken:

4 large chicken breasts

2 cups chicken stock

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1 bay leaf

1 Tbs butter

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp paprika

½ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

Ingredients for chimichangas:

6 large burrito sized tortillas

Shredded chicken

About 2 cups of cooking oil

1 cup green sauce: (see the recipe here…)

1 cup red sauce: see the recipe here… (see the recipe here…)

1 ½ cup white cheese sauce (see the recipe below)

The 4 chicken breasts that I used were enormous.  I’ve seen turkey breasts that were smaller than these monsters!  I forgot to check the weight on the package but I am sure that it was at least 5 lbs.  I sliced them down the middle, separating the tenderloin from the breast.

Directions for preparing the chicken:

Add all ingredients, except the chicken to a 4 quart pot.  Cook at medium heat and stir to combine.  Add the chicken and braise for 5 minutes, turning chicken over occasionally.  Reduce heat to low, cover the pot with a lid and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes.  Remove the chicken and allow it to cool.  Strain the stock from the pot and reserve for later.  The stock is perfect for making Mexican rice, or anything else that calls for chicken stock.

After the chicken has cooled a little, shred with forks and seal in a plastic bag until needed.

Fill a skillet (I used cast iron) with about 2 inches of cooking oil and set the heat to medium. 

Lay a large tortilla on a clean work surface.  Put about 1 cup of the shredded chicken on the bottom third of the tortilla.  Fold the sides over and roll the tortilla from the bottom to the top.  Secure with a toothpick.  – Yes, my stalwart kitchen friend, the toothpick.

Once the oil is hot, carefully lay a chimichanga in the pan.  After about a minute, turn the chimichanga over with tongs.  Keep turning the chimichanga until it is golden brown.  Remove chimichangas to a warm area while the other ones cook.  You should be able to cook two chimichangas at a time without crowding in the skillet.

Remove toothpicks from the chimichanga.  Please don’t forget this VERY important step.  Your guests will thank you.  Actually, they may never know you used a toothpick but they will surely know you used one when they swallow it!

And now…the white cheese sauce, or as I like to call it, my weekly confession…

I was a fool to think that I could whip up a white cheese sauce without a roux.  What was I thinking?!  Well, I’ll tell you what I was thinking.  The meal was nearly ready to eat and all that remained was a simple cheese sauce.  I didn’t want to make a big production out of it and I knew that I could just heat some milk and slowly introduce cubes of white cheddar and stir until everything became creamy.  But, I over heated the milk and once that happened, there was no going back.  The sauce separated.  In an act of desperation, I continued stirring the sauce.  The result was a big wad of string cheese sitting in milky water.

I pulled the pan off the stove and stared at the disaster.  Starting over was out of the question.  I didn’t have more cheese and I would have rather admitted defeat than go back to the store to get more cheese so, I decided to attempt to revive the existing mess.  I laid the ball of cheese on a cutting board and cut it into small cubes.  Then, I prepared a roux.  I added a healthy splash of chicken stock and slowly added some of the milky liquid and little bits of the cheese, alternately, all the while keeping the heat very low.  I mixed for about 10 minutes and turned the heat off.  The resulting sauce turned out pretty good.  It had some clumps of cheese in it but it tasted good.  I was lucky.

Beloved, Broken Sauce – Rejuvenated!

Think of a roux as a safety net.  Sauces are  tricky business and peril awaits at every turn.  Too much heat or adding components too quickly can lead to a broken sauce.  If you’re a thrill seeker and like to live your life on the edge, go ahead, skip the roux, but don’t say I didn’t warn you as you’re crying over your beloved, broken sauce!  I won’t go into the science behind sauces and roux because whenever I hear about emulsifiers and viscosity I grow weary and all I hear is, “blah, blah, blah, emulsifier…”

Just remember that good sauces start with a roux and good cooks aren’t thrill-seeking trapeze artists.  A safety net, such as a roux, is not the same thing as training wheels on a bicycle.

Smother the chimichanga with cheese sauce.  Cover one end of the chimichanga with red sauce and the other end with the green sauce.  Add a big dollop of sour cream in the center. 

Serve with Mexican rice and refried beans.

Salsa Roja

/ toothpicktales / 1 Comment

This red sauce works well with lots of Mexican dishes. It’s rich, smooth and mild. It should provide a nice counterbalance to the chunky,spicy green sauce.

Since the grill is still hot, I am going to put a char on the tomatoes. This can be done in the oven at 400° but, like I said, my grill is ready and waiting and, since it’s summertime, I don’t want to heat the house up if I can avoid it.

This recipe calls for chiles en adobo, which are smoked, dried jalapeños (chipotles) that are packed in a sort of barbecue sauce, called adobo.  I prefer to buy chiles in adobo in little 8 oz cans.  One can carry me through several recipes and they last a long time, in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:

6 dried guajillo chiles

6 small to medium tomatoes

1 Tbs olive oil

½ onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, smashed

1 cup water

1 chipotle jalapeño in adobo sauce

1 tsp adobo sauce

½ teaspoon Mexican oregano

1 teaspoon salt

A pinch of freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:

Cut the ends off of the chiles and slice them lengthwise.  Remove and discard the seeds and fibers.  Chop the chiles a little and set them aside. 

Roast the tomatoes on a hot grill.  When the tomatoes start to char, remove them. 

In a large skillet, sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil on very low heat.  Once the onions have softened, add the water, chipotle jalapeño, adobo sauce, guajillo chiles, oregano, salt and black pepper.  Cover and simmer for a few minutes.  Chop the tomatoes roughly and add to the pan.  Simmer for 10 minutes and then turn the heat off.  Leave the sauce alone for 10 more minutes, which should be long enough for the chiles to soften. 

Pour the contents into a blender and puree.  Strain the solids and discard.  You may need to scrape the strainer with a flexible spatula.  Pour the sauce into a jar and allow it to cool.  Refrigerate until needed.