Carnitas Nachos and Margueritas- My Way
Posted on July 1, 2009 - Filed Under Uncategorized | 4 Comments
For a very satisfying dinner on the patio, by the pool or just lounging about the table let me recommend one of our favourite quick dinners- Carnitas Nachos.
Made at home- nachos resemble nothing similar to the day-glo cheese version of your favourite fast food joint. When you make them yourself you can control the layering and ingredients and make them just as you like. I, personally, love to layer fresh salted corn chips with onion, black beans, Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese or a bit of Cotijo, some lovely home made carnitas (and some chilies when I’m feeling in the mood.) I bake my nachos for a few minutes in a 350F oven before finishing with the broiler. It makes everything in the inner layers melt evenly without burning the top.
Here is a link to my Carnitas Recipe if you want it- you can also usually pick some up at a Latin market if you don’t have time to make them.
I try to make sure to layer them evenly and top off with a last layer of cheese. I don’t put salsa directly on top before broiling because that makes them a bit sog-bog. So what I like to do is put half of a luscious ripe avocado on a side plate and fill it with sour cream or Crema and pool a bit of roasted salsa around it. It looks pretty with the colours of the Mexican flag and it allows each of us to control our condiments. A little minced cilantro and green onion is nice on top as well- if you have it. 
As for the Margueritas- I put a can of frozen lemonade concentrate in a blender and add half of a can of limeade frozen concentrate. (You could make your own lemon and lime syrup instead but the frozen concentrate is easy and makes nice frosty drinks in a hurry.) I fill half of the empty lemonade can with good quality Tequila and add that to the concentrates in the blender, then fill a 1/4 of the can with Triple Sec with just a splash of Gran Marnier or Cointreau and add that. Squeeze in two fresh limes and fill the rest of the blender container with ice. Blend until smooth and frosty! Run a lime around the rim of your glasses and put a little medium coarse salt on a plate and dip the rim into the salt then fill the glasses and serve. Ole!
New Salsas from Pace and a Contest for you
Posted on June 17, 2009 - Filed Under Faves, Rants and Raves, Fun Stuff, Herbs/Spices/Condiments, Recipes, blog events, faves, health focused recipes | 2 Comments
I’d like to let you know about some exciting new specialty salsa flavours from Pace Picante Sauce:
“ ·Pineapple Mango Chipotle Salsa — “Many people think of fruit salsas as extremely sweet and this variety is the perfect blend of sweet and savory – a “true” salsa. The fruit adds the freshness and twist to meals that people are looking for, while the chipotle adobo adds the savory taste.”
Elevate your grilling and dipping: Use Pineapple Mango Chipotle Salsa as a marinade for any seafood or pork, or as a dip for shrimp.Black Bean and Roasted Corn Salsa — “The hearty ingredients of black beans, corn, and red peppers with a hint of lime and chipotle spice will make this an instant family favorite. The fire-roasting of the corn and peppers give it an extra kick of smokiness, heat and a deep roasted flavor. All the ingredients are roasted to perfection, maintaining their integrity.”
Make it hearty: Add Black Bean and Roasted Corn Salsa to fish, to enhance a favorite wrap sandwich or make your own gourmet-style burger.
Salsa Verde — “This salsa has a complexity to it, is full of flavor and has a smoky note from Spanish paprika. Hand-selected jalapeños and chunks of tomatillos splashed with lime will tantalize your taste buds! The smoky flavor of this salsa would pair nicely with steak, pork or ham.”
Pace Grilled Steak Salad: Marinate your favorite steak in Salsa Verde, and broil or grill. Slice steak and serve over mixed greens, with additional salsa and crumbled tortilla chips.
·Pico De Gallo — “Pico De Gallo is always a favorite. Inspired by this classic, our Pico has fresh jalapeños, and onions and diced tomatoes with a touch of fresh cilantro, for a refreshing taste with zing!”
Pace Shrimp & Avocado Salad: Toss Pico De Gallo with cooked shrimp, sliced avocado and serve on a bed of mixed greens.
·Mexican Four Cheese Salsa Con Queso — “You can’t beat the combination of cheeses in this unique blend, including distinctive asadero and queso blanco cheeses. Jalapeño peppers, sweet red peppers and onion add to the extraordinary flavor.”
Pace Mucho Queso Pizza: Spread Mexican Four Cheese Salsa Con Queso over a pre-baked pizza crust. Sprinkle with your favorite pizza toppings and bake!
For creative recipes and serving suggestions, visit www.pacefoods.com “
Oh -and a little contest with a prize package for one lucky reader of this blog!
That lovely Nicole from M80 contacted me and offered a prize package for one of you:
“…the lucky winner will recieve: 1 flavor of the specialty salsa plus a regular picante sauce, a coupon (free 16 oz, on the next purchase) and a recipe guide.
All they have to do is submit their favorite salsa recipes including a story about why it means so much to them.”
Updated: ” Sorry, due to the nature of the prize this contest is only open to those residing in the U.S.A.”
Of course you are always welcome to submit for the roundup but non US residents will not be eligible to win the prize.
So go for it!! Post your own salsa recipe, send me a link and a photo (no bigger than 480 x320 please) by June 30th. Or if you don’t have your own blog you can still enter by sending the recipe and a photo to gabi(at)thefeastwithin(dot)com. I’ll post a roundup of the recipes and announce the winner by July 3rd, 2009. Then Nicole will send the lucky winner his or her prize.
Best of luck to you all!!!
Thanks to Buitoni and Foodbuzz and Congratulations to the other winners!
Posted on June 16, 2009 - Filed Under Fun Stuff, Main Dishes, Pasta, Recipes, Uncategorized, Vegetarian, blog events | 5 Comments
Remember this dish? Well I’m excited to send a great big “Thank you” to Buitoni and Foodbuzz for picking my recipe for Manchego Mornay Sauce over Wild Mushroom Agnolotti as a runner up winner in the Buitoni Riserva Pasta sauce contest over at Foodbuzz. I’ve won a lovely colander and an even greater assortment of coupons for Buitoni Riserva Pasta. I’m looking forward to them because memories of the Manchego Mornay sauce over the lovely Wild Mushroom Agnolotti do still haunt us.
Many congratulations also to Lori Lynn at Taste With The Eyes for being chosen as the grand prize winner- her recipe for Wild Mushroom Agnolotti with Veal, Portobello, Fried Sage and a Pinot Noir Cream Sauce sounds glorious. Congrats also to the other eight runners up- you can read their recipes and link to their sites from here:
PrincessBacon
Luscious Smoked Tomato Sauce with Portabellas & Fennel
FoodMuse
Fried Wild Mushroom Agnolotti with Tomato, Fennel, and Olive Gremolata
dvmamg2001
Wild Mushroom Agnolotti with Garden Vegetables in a Creamy Sweet and Savory Sherry Sauce
Wild Mushroom Agnolotti with Cognac-Cream Sauce and Baby Pea Shoots
Wild Mushroom Agnolotti with Spring Vegetable Ragout
Buitoni Wild Mushroom Agnolotti with Champagne Chile Cream Sauce
Here is a link to my original recipe post and here is a link to the congratulatory post at Foodbuzz!
Whoo hooo!!!!!
Lemon Verbena Galettes au Beurre Bretagne
Posted on June 11, 2009 - Filed Under Cookies, Recipes, Uncategorized | 8 Comments
I’ve become addicted to these biscuits (cookies) that are also known as Brittany Butter Biscuits. They are shortbread made even more rich with egg yolks. With ingredients that are few and simple, the quality of ingredients is very important- no chocolate here to mask inferior butter or vanilla. So do use the best you can find. I decided to use lemon verbena infused sugar to add a very slight hint of herbal citrus note to the basic shortbread flavour. I think it was a hit and now I’m thinking of other complementary combinations to try- maybe lavender or orange zest?
These are similar to a cookie called Traou Mad from Brittany that you can buy in some gourmet food stores. Traou Mad means “good things” in the Breton language. And they are! Making them at home is simple and they are so good when fresh. That said- they do keep for a long time so if you are baking for someone far away and need a cookie that will stand some shipping time, these are a great choice. They are absolutely made for that so French habit of dunking one’s biscuits into hot coffee or tea. I love them with a cup of Orange Dulce tea from Mighty Leaf Tea Company.
Lemon Verbena Galettes de Bretagne (Brittany Butter Biscuits or Galettes au Beurre Bretonne)
- 6 large egg yolks
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1-1/4 cups Lemon Verbena infused granulated white sugar- see below, or regular granulated sugar may be substituted
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1 cup best quality butter, at room temperature
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1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
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4 cups AP flour
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1/4 teaspoon fleur de sel, ground finely before measuring
For Glaze:
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2 large egg yolks
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2 tablespoons water
At least two days before you plan to make these, take ½ cup of fresh lemon verbena leaves and bruise them slightly. Add 2 cups of granulated sugar, making sure the leaves are covered by the sugar, and store in an airtight container in a dark place. Shake the container now and then. After two days use a medium strainer and strain the leaves out. You will have a bit more sugar than needed for the recipe but any left over is very nice in a cup of tea.
Combine six egg yolks and the lemon verbena sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix for a couple of minutes at medium high, until the mixture is smooth, thick and pale yellow. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the butter in softened knobs and the vanilla extract. Combine the flour and salt and add them slowly, blending until a thick stiff dough forms. You can add a bit more flour if needed to achieve this. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour. If you have to leave the dough in the fridge longer, remove it and let it warm slightly at room temperature (about 15 minutes should do) before rolling.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Stack 2 full size baking sheets together and line the top sheet with parchment paper. Or use 4 half sheet pans with two stacked together and the top lined with parchment.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to a thickness of 1/2 to 3/4 inch. Use a 3-inch round fluted cookie cutter to cut the cookie rounds; place them about 1 inch apart on the stacked/lined baking sheets. Use the tines of a fork to make a small crisscross on the center of each cookie.
For the glaze: Whisk together the two egg yolks and water in a small bowl. Brush each cookie generously with the mixture.
Bake 1 sheet at a time for 50 to 55 minutes, until the cookies are golden on top and brown around the edges. Cool completely on the baking sheet. This makes about eighteen 3” cookies. You could make them smaller if desired and just adjust the baking time down a bit by keeping an eye on them after 30 minutes.
Kenavo!
xo
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