Pork and Cheese Tamales

When I was in school in Boulder, I worked at the Africa Travel Center one summer. Going to the farmers market for lunch was often a highlight of my day. My favorite stop - the tamale cart. I'd never had them growing up, I didn't even know what they were! And since then, I don't really order them if I'm out for dinner and never thought that I could make them myself. But they're EASY! They just take a little bit of time. Our local grocery store sells the corn husks, Whole Foods also has them too. And all you need is masa - a corn flour that's usually sold in the Mexican section of the grocery store (or also available at Whole Foods). These are best using pulled pork - a great way to use leftover carnitas. I like to fill them with extra cheese. This recipe makes a load of them. Steam them all and freeze the leftovers. I often wrap them individually in plastic wrap. Take them out of the plastic and microwave for 1 minute and you have a great lunch or snack.

24 dried cornhusks

2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups corn
3 3/4 cups masa harina
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter, melted

3 cups shredded pork, with salsa mixed in
1 package of shredded cheese - mexican combo or chedder and jack

1. Place the corn husks in a large pot of boiling water, cover and remove from heat.

2. Combine the broth and the corn in a blender and blend until still a little chunky.

3. In a large bowl, combine the masa harina, baking powder, and salt. Add the broth mixture and the butter and stir until a dough forms.

4. Drain the husks but leave them in the pot with the lid on.

5. To assemble the tamales, take one husk from the pot and cut a thin strip from one edge (1/4 inch). Place the husk in front of you so that the cone end is away from you. Take a couple tablespoons of dough (about the size of a meatball) and roll it gently in your palms. Press the dough into the husk so that it's pressed out into a square on the flat edge of the husk, leaving an inch or so on each side without dough. You don't want it too thick. Place a couple spoons of the pork and a bit of cheese in the middle of the dough so that it extends the length of the dough vertically. Roll the dough so that it covers the filling and the husk forms a tube. Fold up the bottom of the husk twice and tie down with the strip you cut before making the tamale. The other end should be open.

5. When all of your tamales are rolled, put enough water in a large pot with a steamer so that the water reaches just below the steamer. Place the tamales vertically (open side UP!) on the steamer so that they're snug standing in the pot.

6. Cover and bring the water to a boil and then reduce heat so that the water is simmering and steaming the tamales. Steam for 45 minutes - but make sure your water doesn't completely evaporate. Keep the temperature lowish.

That's it!

Zuppa Gallurese (Cheesy Bread Soup!)

I've been watching a lot of Lidia's Italy on PBS lately - she's my new favorite. No frills or fancy airbrushed camera shots, just really good food. I saw her make this a while ago and although I was a little unsure about the cabbage, once she took it out of the oven and took a bite - I was dying for it. Soooo ooey gooey and cheesy. When I made it a couple of weeks later, it was as good as I hoped. This is not the healthiest meal and you do have to be a cheese lover...

12 slices of whole wheat country bread, cut 1/2 thick
1/4 tsp salt
1 head Savoy cabbage
2 TB olive oil
1 lb provolone (have the deli cut it in extra thick slices - 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick)
1 TB soft butter
1/2 cup grated romano
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Trim the crusts from the bread and lay them flat on a baking sheet in the oven as it heats. Toast the slices, turn them over once. Remove and let cool and let the oven continue to preheat.

3. Slice the cabbage head in half and cut out the core so the leaves can separate. Lay the halves cut side down and slice into 1 inch strips. Drop them into a large pot of salted boiling water. Cook 10-15 minutes or until tender.

4. When the cabbage is done, drain them in a colander and rinse under cool water. Let drain and put them in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and a touch of salt. Toss well.

5. Butter the sides and bottom of a deep baking dish. Add a layer of bread to cover the bottom of the dish. Spread half of the cabbage in a layer over the bread. Lay all of the provolone on top of the cabbage in a single layer. Sprinkle half of the grated cheese. Spread the remaining cabbage and top it with another layer of bread. (If the bread is over the edge of the dish, press down to compress the layers a bit)

6. Slowly pour the stock all over the bread so that everything is moistened. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top.

7. Tent the dish with aluminum foil and place the dish on a baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes until the juices are bubbling. Remove foil and bake for another 20 minutes until the top is brown all over.

Roasted Asparagus and Tomato Penne Salad

This is from Cooking Light and it's really easy and yummy. The best part about it is that it's combination of pasta dish and salad. You can eat it warm or cold so it's good for all seasons!

2 cups uncooked penne
handful of asparagus spears
1/2 container of cherry tomatoes
1 shallot, minced
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 TB dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp honey
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
2 cups baby arugula
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. Cook pasta, drain and set aside.

3. Put asparagus and cherry tomatoes on a cookie sheet and drizzle with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss gently. Bake for 5 minutes or until asparagus is tender but still crisp. Then remove asparagus and bake tomatoes for another 4 minutes. Take out of the oven when done and let them cool a bit.

4. Cut the asparagus into 1-inch lengths and halve the tomatoes.

5. Whisk together the shallots, lemon juice, mustard, and honey. Add 3 TB olive oil, salt and pepper.

6. Put pasta, asparagus, tomato, olives, and arugula in a large bowl. Drizzle with the dressing and mix to coat everything. Top with the goat cheese.

Steak Tips with Mushroom Red Wine Sauce and Roasted Brussels Sprouts

When cooked right, steak tips are buttery nuggets of goodness. I think the best steak tips are at Silvertone in Boston. Comfort food mecca of the East Coast, Silvertone marinates its tips in some sort of sweet and savory juice that makes them absolutely delicious. I'd never cooked them myself before, I'd just to go Silvertone for them. But I was at Wilson Farm the other day and couldn't resist. I tried to recreate Silvertone's version and I think I came pretty darn close.

The brussels sprouts on the other hand - those are a different story. When I was little, they'd make me gag and I once foolishly followed my sister's secret instructions to fill my mouth with them at the dinner table, go to the bathroom and flush them down the toilet so I wouldn't have to eat them. Brilliant plan except that my sister then went to the bathroom right after and asked Mom and Dad why there was lettuce floating in the toilet.

I've overcome my intolerance for the BS (pun intended). I LOVE them now, especially roasted. Here's a quick and easy way to make them.

TIPS

1-1.5 lbs of steak tips
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
2 cups of mushrooms, sliced (can use any kind, I actually use rehydrated shitakes which were great!)
1.5 cups of red wine
2 TB butter
Olive oil
1 sprig fresh rosemary
2 cloves garlic, sliced

Brussels Sprouts

1 bag of sprouts
2 TB olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Marinate the tips with the soy and honey all day.

2. Preheat the oven to 425 degree.

3. Trim the stems off the sprouts and cut them in half. Mix them with the olive oil and salt and pepper (sometimes I add a small sprinkle of cayenne and a few drops of maple syrup - mmmm!). Lay them face/cut side down on a baking sheet and throw in the oven for 20 minutes or so...until they get brown.

4. In the meantime, remove the tips from the marinade, reserving the marinade! Dry each tip using paper towel.

5. Heat a large skillet on medium-high and add a bit of olive oil and the butter.

6. When the butter's melted and the pan is good and hot, add the tips, rosemary and garlic. Cook until they are nice and brown on all sides, only moving/flipping once per side. Some may be weird shapes so try to get all sides without too much jostling.

7. Cook them for about 7 minutes (this will depend on their size). The bottom of the pan will start to have a thick brown film.

8. When done, remove the tips and place on a plate and cover with foil.

9. Add the mushrooms to the pan and sautee until just soft. Add the wine and half of the remaining marinade and scrape up everything from the bottom of the pan. Simmer until reduced by about half.

Serve the tips with the sauce on top and the sprouts on the side.

Cheesy Baked Pesto Pasta & Tomato

I was feeling totally uninspired the other night. I'd forgotten to take the chicken out of the freezer and didn't know what to have. This turned out to be a new favorite and I think it'll be reappearing in our kitchen a lot from now on.

1/2 box of penne or rigatoni
1/4 to 1/3 cup pesto
1/2 small container of ricotta
1-2 large fresh tomatoes - thickly sliced
Shredded parmesan
Shredded asiago - really needed for the extra flavor (and a good one to have on hand in the fridge anyway!)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Cook the pasta until just al dente - it'll cook more in the oven so not too tender! Save 1 cup of pasta water and drain the pasta.

3. Put the pasta in a large bowl and add the pesto. Mix well. Add a little pasta water at a time to help it incorporate and cover the pasta. Add the ricotta and mix well. Salt and pepper to taste.

4. Pour the pasta mixture into an oiled/sprayed baking dish.

5. Place the sliced tomatoes on top and generally cover the top with both cheeses.

6. Place in the oven uncovered until the cheese is brown and bubbly on top.

Carnitas

We were having some friends over last week and I was trying to think of something that wouldn't have me in the kitchen the whole time they were here. So, I pulled out the glorious slow cooker that we got as a wedding present and decided it was the perfect time to try it out. My mom's big into her slow cooker and I have to be honest, I never felt the need or desire for one until lately. The idea of throwing everything into a pot and pressing a button sort of takes the fun out of cooking...unless you have a pork shoulder that only 8 hours of untouched braising could make into the most wonderful juicy meat for tacos. I'm sold. After turning the magic machine on before bed, I kept waking up throughout the night to the smell of slow-cooking pork. I almost needed to have it for breakfast. People with real houses whose bedrooms are upstairs and not located next to the kitchen: I have to say, you're really missing out on this one.

For the pork:

2.5 lb pork shoulder (can vary in size, doesn't really matter - the more the better!)
1 jalapeño
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
2 TB chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 TB smoked paprika
A generous handful fresh oregano
1 can (28 oz) tomatoes - with roasted garlic is good, fire roasted even better.
3/4 cup fresh or canned pineapple, chopped
1/2 cup pineapple juice (go to the Goya section of the store - buy a can)
1 chipotle in adobo for smokiness if you like.

For the tacos:
1 package of corn or flour tortillas - small ones for tacos (I actually prefer flour but Kel will kill me if she sees this)
2 avocados
2 limes
1/2 head of red cabbage, sliced thinly
Cilantro
Tomatoes - diced
Queso blanco - crumbled, or shredded monterey jack

1. Put the jalapeno through the chipotle into a blender and blend until you have a smooth/smoothie consistency.

2. In a dutch oven or large cast iron pan, heat some oil. When good and hot, sear the pork on each side until you get a nice brown coating on the outside of all sides.

3. Remove the pork from the pan and place into the slow-cooker. Add all of the blended contents except for a cup or so into the slow cooker with the pork. The meat should be mostly covered. You can add a little water or broth if you need to - just want to make sure there's plenty of wet ingredients in there.

4. Turn the cooker on and let it do its magic - best overnight or before you go to work...8hrs if you can.

5. When pork is done, remove from the cooker and shred the pork with forks, it'll be very tender. Either put in a container and reheat later in a frying pan when you're ready to use it, or serve it up immediately. I like to use the sauce that was cooking with the pork and mix it in when reheating or to add extra flavor after it's shredded. If it's too fatty or if you want extra, use your reserves.

6. To make the guac, cut open the avocados and mash the insides with a fork in a small bowl. Squeeze half a lime (or a whole depending on taste) and season generously with salt and pepper.

7. About an hour before serving, place the sliced/shredded cabbage in a bowl and squeeze the juice of one lime in with it. Season with salt and pepper and stir occasionally to soften and flavor the cabbage.

8. Assemble your tacos with the pork, guac, sour cream if you have some, cabbage, cheese, tomatoes, cilantro and anything else you love.

Corn & Quinoa Salad

So Kel and I hit up Nubar for Restaurant Week last week, it's the new place at the Sheraton Commander in Harvard Square. It was VERY GOOD. And as always, I use these special restaurant week indulgences to get ideas for new stuff, new very good stuff. Kel's first course was this Corn & Quinoa salad - it was delicious and light and healthy and I had to make it at home. It's incredibly easy, a good use of leftover or uneaten corn on the cob this time of year and it's high in nutrition. I'm generally not big on seeds, yes it's a seed not a grain, but this is very yummy and has proven to be one of Paddy's new favorites.

It's great on its own but I like it with grilled chicken and steak. You could add chicken to it, warm or cold or mix in other ingredients/spices too to jazz it up or to go with your meat.

1 cup quinoa
1 1/4 cups water or chicken broth
3 ears of corn, steamed or grilled
1/4 cup of olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper
Green leaf lettuce

1. Cook the quinoa according to directions. Like anything that needs to be boiled or rehydrated, I found that it's tastier if made with broth instead of water.

2. Cut the corn off your cobs.

3. Make your salad dressing by mixing the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. You may not need all of the olive oil, so go easy and add more after if you need to. Add some lemon zest for good measure if you feel like it.

3. When the quinoa is done cooking, transfer to a medium bowl and mix in the corn. Add the salad dressing and mix well. It's good to do this while it's warm because it'll bring out the flavors of the oil.

4. Once it's cooled down, serve on a bed of green lettuce.