I Heart Cooking Clubs--Curtis Stone-What's for dinner? (and cookbook countdown #91)

Yes, I realize I'm like that weird uncle who shows up every 3 or 4 years with gifts--the kids love him, the adults tolerate him, because he's family, but pretty much a wacko on the run.

Okay, this might be a tad bit extreme, but what I'm trying to say is that while I show up to "I Heart Cooking Clubs" once or 2x a year with well meaning intentions of joining in from now on-- there is a dedicated group of ladies who are there every week!  Every time!  Every Chef!

I'm just here for a visit.

I cannot commit to every week, but I'm hoping for every other week, because

I really do

LOVE this group, this idea, this club!

This 6 month time periods's featured chef is Curtis Stone and I just happened to have a cookbook of his on my shelf, so why not join in?

Wait, wait wait! 

To understand the concept behind 

I Heart Cooking Clubs--please click on the link.

It's great, it's easy and it's fun!

This is my cookbook...

This is the assignment....

Express Meals: 30 Minutes or Less!

Yep--we will do just about anything to not be sweating in the kitchen any longer than we have to be this month, so this week's theme has us in-and-out quickly!

Here is what I made.....

Shrimp Rolls with Herb Aioli

The result?

They are perfect!

Perfect for a summer evening --a light dinner or lunch--not sweating in the kitchen--and oh-so-yummy!

Shrimp Rolls with Herb Aioli

1 1/4 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used salad shrimp)

1/4 cup mayonnaise

3 T finely chopped chives

3 T finely chopped scallions

2 t finely chopped fresh tarragon

finely grated zest of 1 lemon

1 1/2 T fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1/8 t cayenne pepper

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

4 good-quality hot dog buns, preferably top split.

2 T unsalted butter or as needed

1 1/2 cups finely shredded iceberg lettuce

1 red chili pepper such as Fresno or jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped, for garnish.

Prepare the shrimp.  (cook in salted water until opaque, drain)

In a medium bowl whisk the mayonnaise, chives, scallions, tarragon, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic and cayenne pepper together.

Toss the chilled shrimp with the aioli to coat.  Season with salt and pepper.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Heat a large griddle. Open the buns and spread lightly inside and out with butter.  Grill buns on all the buttered sides, turning occasionally for about 2 minutes or until toasted and golden brown.

Fill the buns with lettuce and top with the shrimp salad. Sprinkle with the chopped chili and serve.

We really liked these simple shrimp rolls.

Since this is the first time I've used this cookbook  (I have many of these on my cookbook shelf)  I am counting this as  #91 in my personal cookbook countdown.

To see the rest of them---the other 90 I've cooked from-- click here.

Go ahead--check it out--you want to see my cookbook collection, right?

If I keep on buying new ones--this will keep me busy  for the rest of my life.

And Beyond!!

I Heart Cooking Clubs

Here it is, another  'semi' week for me with I Heart Cooking Clubs, where we are featuring Chef  Yotam Ottolenghi for the next 6 months.

This week it's all about the roots.   Root vegetables.  I have to say that  I love them-- I always have.  They just seem so rustic and homey--and they are very good  roasted with a bit of olive oil and kosher salt. 
That's how I would do them, BUT  Yotam Ottolenghi doesn't roll that way--he actually takes something and makes it better.

The potato latke  is something you might think of as common.  You hear about them often, especially around the holidays ( Hanukkah.)
I've never had them with parsnips though. I've never had a parsnip in my life, perhaps the only root vegetable I haven't had.   So, I thought I'd go out on a limb and do the Ottolenghi way with parsnips.  

And guess what?  I liked them.  I knew I would like them if made with potatoes, but the parsnips?  I was a bit cautious to be honest.  I didn't want to ruin a good thing,  but what do I know?   They were good.
They are my side dish for some ribs tonight---I personally wonder why we wait until a holiday to do this side dish--you needn't,  they'd go good with any type of  roasted meat. 

Latkes
from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi  and Sami Tamimi

5 1/2 cups peeled and grated waxy potatoes, such as Yukon Gold
2 1/2 cups  peeled and grated parsnips
2/3 cups finely chopped chives
4 egg whites
2 Tbs cornstarch
5 Tbs unsalted butter
6-7 Tbs sunflower oil
salt and freshly ground peppper
sour cream to serve

Rinse the potato in a large bowl of cold water, drain in a colander. Squeeze out any excess water and then spread out onto a clean kitchen towel to dry completely.

In a large bowl, mix together the potato, parsnip, chives, egg whites, cornstarch  1 tsp of salt and plenty of black pepper.

Heat half the butter and half the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Use your hands to  make patties of about 2 Tbls of the latke mix, squeeze firmly to remove some of the liquid.
Carefully  place as many patties you can comfortably fit into the pan, push them down gently and level them with the back of a spoon.  Fry over medium high heat for 3 minutes on each side.   The latkes need to be completely brown on the outside.  Remove the fried latkes from the oil, place on paper towels and keep warm while you cook the rest.  Add the remaining oil and butter as needed.
Serve at once with sour cream on the side.


While searching the internet for info on Yotam, I found this Youtube video trailer on the cookbook Jerusalem.   Um....I want them to come cook for me!  (no more me messing up their stuff)  They make everything look gorgeous.

Spicy Beet, Leek & Walnut Salad-- I Heart Cooking Clubs

Here I am--participating in "I Heart Cooking Clubs" once again.  It's been over a year, but I really wanted to  try it again, but...  (and this is the nice thing about I Hearts Cooking Clubs---no pressure at all. Thank you, thank you IHCC)    I will probably only be participating every other week.  I can't keep up with the mega food bloggers.  I wish I could, but I just can't.

So, here we are, week one and it is anything goes to welcome the new chef:  Yotam Ottolenghi.  (only new to me and to IHCC).  (Check out IHCC to learn more about him--it should be an interesting 6 months.  I bought one of his cookbooks --Jerusalem-- and it is gorgeous!  Lots of veggies and healthier meals.  I hope the Handyman can handle this.  He's pretty much  a meat and potatoes kinda guy)

My 'anything' goes is a beet salad.   I wasn't as organized as I had wanted to be so I was at the market at  7am this morning, trying to find  what I needed.  We both like beets, so I figured this was quick and easy.  To be honest, I didn't think we would like this.  I was just doing it because I really wanted to participate in IHCC from the beginning. 

But guess what?  I really did like it.  We both did.  It's just a slightly spicy dressed cold beet on arugula with some leeks and walnuts and pomegranate   seeds.   (there really were a lot of walnuts in there, hiding, I suppose, under the beats)

I followed the recipe except for a couple of things in the dressing...it called for walnut oil, but I didn't want to spend  $8.99 for   1/2 tsp walnut oil.  I just used a little extra peanut oil.
And  tamarind water.  I had to  Google it to see what it was, and then Google how to make a substitute for it.  It said to use lemon or lime juice with a couple of pinches of brown sugar.  So, that's what I did. 
I think it turned out great.

Spicy Beet, Leek and Walnut Salad

Ingredients

• 4 medium beets
• 4 medium leeks, cut into 4-inch segments
• 1/2 oz cilantro, coarsely chopped
• 1 1/4 cups arugula
• 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds (optional)
• 1 cup walnuts, coarsely copped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoon tamarind water
• 1/2 teaspoon walnut oil
• 2 1/2 tablespoon walnut oil
• 2 1/2 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

Cooking directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Wrap the beets individually in aluminum foil and roast them in the oven to 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on their size. Once cooked, you should be able to stick a small knife through to the center easily. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Once cool enough to handle, peel the beets, halve them and cut each half into wedges 3/8 inch thick at the base. Put in a medium bowl and set aside.
3. Place the leeks in a medium pan with salted water, bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes, until just cooked; it's important to simmer them gently and not to overcook them, so they don't fall apart. Drain and refresh under cold water, then use a very sharp serrated knife to cut each segment into 3 smaller pieces and pat dry. Transfer to a bowl, separate from the beets, and set aside.
4. While the vegetables are cooking, mix together all the dressing ingredients (starting with walnuts through salt) and leave to one side for at least 10 minutes for all the flavors to come together.
5. Divide the walnut dressing and the cilantro equally between the beets and the leeks and toss gently. Taste both and add more salt if needed. To put the salad together, spread most of the beets on a serving platter, top with some arugula, then most of the leeks, then the remaining beets, and finish with more leeks and arugula. Sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds, if using, and serve.

Stacked Enchiladas and Mexican Grilled Chicken

The other evening, in a spur of the moment moment, we invited  friends over  (spur of the moment is hard for me) and we made some grilled Mexican Chicken and stacked enchiladas.

I had wanted to participate in  I Heart Cooking Clubs a few weeks ago when they did their 'grilled' theme, and then it didnt' work out for me, so this week is  potluck week and with potluck you can share any recipe in the theme, so  YAY,  I can still share this.
I really love Mexican food,  Tex-mex food and Rick Bayless and I've missed being able to particiapte in  I Heart Cooking Clubs.

I also love to have people over for dinner and lots of times will make somethng I've never made before.  I am very brave in this, but I've never really made anything that was horrible.  I can pretty much judge what I know people will  like and if the recipe is  good enough.
That sounds really arrogant, but I don't mean it like that.   I know my  limits and I would never try a new dish that's really complicated when inviting people to dinner...but Mexican food, I am fairly confident in making, so trying something new and invitng friends to help us taste it is fun for me.
This time it was  Stacked Enchiladas and Mexican Grilled Chicken.  For the original recipe  (cuz you didn't think  make it up myself, did you? ) for the enchiladas  just click on the item/dish and it will  take you right to the sight I got it from  (The Pioneer Woman's) .  It was an easy,  but so yummy dish to make.  I will make these enchiladas again...probably this weekend.   Everyone raved.

The Chicken came from  the Rick Bayless Website.  It too, was really good.  It is just an easy grilled chicken, but the rub/marinade gives it a real  authentic flair.
I sometimes cringe when I see cinnamon as an ingredient in savory dishes....I don't know why as I love cinnamon but tend to associate it with sweets and desserts---but in this marinade it made a ton of difference for my tastebuds!  It took me to just some spicey grilled chicken that anyone could do, to a  MEXICAN level.  If that sounds weird to you, you'll just have to give it a try.   Invite friends if you do--you won't be sorry.

Rick Bayless Grilled Roadside Whole Chicken


For the marinade:
1-1/2 tablespoons ground Ancho chile powder
1 tsp dried oregano, preferably Mexican
A big pinch of ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, preferably Mexican
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped or crushed through a garlic press
3 tablespoons vinegar
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tsp salt

1 large (3 lb) chicken
About 1 cup roasted Tomatillo Salsa, for serving

Directions:
In a small bowl, mix together all the marinade ingredients.
Heat one side of a gas grill to medium. If you have a grill with three burners, heat the outer two to medium, leaving the center one off. Or light a charcoal fire and let it burn until the charcoal is covered with white ash and about medium-hot; bank half the coals to one side of the grill, half to the other.

While the grill is heating, remove the giblets (if there are any) from the cavity of the chicken. Flip the chicken onto its breast. Using poultry shears, cut down both sides of the backbone from tail to neck; discard backbone. Or, if you don't have shears, lay the bird on its back, insert a long heavy knife into the body cavity and press down hard with a rocking motion to cut down through both sides of the backbone. Open the bird out onto your work surface, breast side up. Make sure that the legs are turned inward. Using your fist or a mallet, wallop the bird on the breast, hard enough to dislodge the center bones and flatten out the breast. Twist the last joint of the wings up over the breast and then down behind the "shoulders," tucking them in firmly to keep them in place during grilling.

Smear both sides of the chicken with the marinade. Lay in the center of the grill (it will not be over direct heat). Cook, without turning, basting from time to time with any remaining marinade, until the juices run clear when a thigh is pierced deeply with a fork (an instant-read thermometer should register about 160 degrees when inserted at the thickest part of the thigh), about 45 minutes. If you're cooking over charcoal, you'll want to add more charcoal to the fire after an hour or so - the internal temperature of the grill should stay at about 325 degrees. Remove the chicken to a cutting board. It will lose less juice if you cover it loosely with foil and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Cut the chicken into quarters (or smaller pieces). Transfer a portion to each of four dinner plates and you're ready to serve. Pass the salsa separately.

It was so spur of the moment, I didn't even do a nice table setting!!   But the company made up for it.

Mexican Scrambled Eggs (for the day after)

If you partied a little too hardy yesterday   If your Cinco de Mayo party lasted long into the night, and you woke with a little headache?   If you are feeling just a tad bit 'off',  then you should really try these  Mexican Scrambled Eggs.

You might be asking yourself right now, Hmmmm, Debbie, why do you say that?
Well, it isn't just because I'm participating  In  I Heart Cooking Clubs, featuring  Rick Bayless, who does  Mexican excelente.  No, it is because I know first hand.  Or second hand....they're just good for what ails you.  After you finish reading this to the very end, go check out   I Heart Cooking Clubs to see everyone's  Cinco de Mayo, feasts.  But you have to read all the way to the end first.   Go check them out....just don't go now.  Have a bit of patience, will ya.
Read mine first.

I first had these eggs at my son's house on the morning after my granddaughter's 2nd birthday  (just last fall).  My daughter-in-law woke up and said she didn't feel so hot (nothing serious, just  a headache ), so she was going to make some eggs. She asked if we wanted any.  At first I said no, but when she began chopping and dicing and heating tortillas...then they pulled out the Tapito, I KNEW I had to have some.
They tasted so good.  SO GOOD.  And they're nothing fancy.  Just a little bit of an ethnic twist on home cooking.

WHICH brings me back to Rick Bayless and the cookbook I own  (the only one),  Mexican Everyday.      I guess this cookbook  must really be what he touts it to be....every day kind of cooking!    In it, I found the recipe for the eggs.  He says  that his book is " a book of simple foundation recipes from the Mexican kitchen."  He goes on to say that "no doubt all of you, at one time or another, have enjoyed a big forkful of scrambled eggs shot through with Mexican Spirit!"
He's got that right!
So in the Mexican Spirit,  I present Mexican Scrambled eggs.  

Oh..but.....
Eggs. Scrambled.  They don't lend themselves to great photographs.   They're all..... scrambly.

Oh well, they taste good!

Mexican Scrambled Egg Tacos

or

Tacos de Huevos Revueltos a la Mexican

adapted from Rick Bayless, Mexican Everyday

3 garlic cloves

Fresh hot green chilies to taste  (Rick uses 2 serranos or 1 jalapeno.  I used the jalapeno),  stemmed and seeded, if you wish (I did wish) and cut into 3 or 4 pieces.  (I diced them)  (I also added some chopped red bell pepper)

1 medium white onion  (I used half a purple onion)

2 T vegetable or olive oil, fresh pork lard or bacon or chorizo drippings (I used oil and butter)

1 pound (2 med tomatoes), cored and cut into cubes

8 eggs

salt

cilantro

avocado

corn tortillas

hot sauce for serving

 Chop veggies chilies and onion and garlic, saute in oil for a few minutes, add tomatoes and cook until liquid is absorbed--about  4 minutes.  Add eggs and scramble slowly, until they are as done as you'd like.

Scoop into a serving bowl and sprinkle with the cilantro and avocado.

Serve with warm tortillas and hot sauce.

*******************************************

Thank to my beautiful daughter-in-law, Mara!

They're great eggs!!  I am totally in love with them.

And one of the cutest mouses ever!!  My granddaughter, Cassie.

I Heart Cooking Clubs-Lime Cilantro Dressing

Lime Cilantro Dressing--YES IT'S A SAUCE, right? 
Since our theme for I Heart Cooking Clubs,  this week is salsas and sauces, inspired by Rick Bayless,  this does qualify as a sauce... a sauce for salad or, in this case: cucumbers.
And guess what?  It's really good! 

To be honest, I was looking for the fastest and most simple thing to make since just this morning, I  returned home after a  fast  3 day trip to California.   I hesitated on even participating this week, but when I found this  Lime-Cilantro Dressing in Rick Bayless's   Mexican Everyday,  I jumped on it.   It was the perfect thing!   Simple and easy.  (geez, I sould like I don't even like to cook, which is NOT the case, as you know.  In fact,  I would like to  pat myself on the back for joining in, as I have been in the middle of a kitchen redo every week so far, but guess what?  That will all be over on Tuesday!!  A sink, counter tops, a dishwasher--woo hoo.   ~smiles~   I can't wait.  )

I will definitely be making this dressing again and drizzling it on cucumbers for a great  'fresh-mex'  appetizer.  It was light and flavorful, had just the right amount of heat.

I can't wait to have a patio party fiesta and make some of these. There are so many heavy, fried, cream cheese laden   appetizers out there, and while they are all great,  this is a nice change up to something a little lighter.

I have a friend who laughs when I say something tastes fresh and cool.   (she says she would never eat anything that wasn't fresh, but you know what I mean, right?  You're not laughing at me like she does.  Are you?)   But this really does taste that way, I can't think of any other way to describe it...  Fresh and cool, but with the right amount of heat.   Which you can adjust by added or taking away the peppers.

As Rick himself says:  One of the most perfect balances of flavor--lime, cilantro and green chilies.   Mmmmmm  MMMMM  Good!   (for the sake of  full disclosure,   or in case I confuse you, with my brilliant writing style, Rick didn't say  Mmmmm MMMM Good!  I did!!)  (But it's the truth....MMMMmmmmm)

Lime-Cilantro Dressing
from Mexican Everyday

3/4 cup vegetable oil, olive oil, or a mixture of both  (I did a mixture)
1/3 cup fresh lime juice (it MUST be fresh)
1/2 tsp grated lime zest
1/2 cup packed, roughly chopped cilantro
Fresh hot green chilies to taste  (I used one jalapeno.  Rick liked 2 serranos), stemmed and roughly chopped.

Combine the oil, lime juice, zest and cilantro and a scant teaspoon of salt in a blender, jar and blend until smooth  (I did not do this because I was in a hurry and didn't read that part.  Oh Man!  and it was still good!)
Taste and add more salt if you think it needs it, keeping in mind that dressings should be highly seasoned. 
Pour into a jar and secure the lid.  Refrigerate until ready to use. 
Shake well immediately before using.

Hurry and  go  check  out the  other  Mexican  Inspired   sauces  and salsa at
 I Heart  Cooking Clubs this week.  

I ♥ Cooking Clubs a stress-free cooking club with a revolving roster of chefs. We feature two chefs (or cooks) a year.

From April 2nd to September 30th, we are Cooking up recipes from featured chef cookbook author - Rick Bayless.

Pineapple Skillet Upside-Down Cake

In my search for something to satisfy my sweet tooth, (which happens to be the theme for  I Heart Cooking Clubs this week) in my Rick Bayless Mexican Everyday cookbook,  I was having trouble finding something that called to me.   There were a few ice-cream desserts and  a cookie or two, but  I finally settled on this skillet pineapple upside down cake. 


I'm down to the wire for my entry into I Heart Cooking Clubs this week, and it started out as   kind of a lazy day.
It's rainy out. And dark and gloomy and cold.   How much work was I ready to put into a dessert?    I wanted something quick and easy and I wanted to use ingredients that I had on hand.  I did not want to go out into the downpour that was going on.  WAL-LAH!  Pineapple Upside down cake---Mexican style!!

 What could be more comforting than a hot, dense, fruit cake?  (and I'm not about the kind of  fruitcake you get at Christmas time. That's an entirely different post ) 

As Rick himself says, this fruity cake is good for breakfast too.   (It really was)  It's best warm from the oven, and if you don't like pineapple, you can substitute a variety of different fruits. 
 I wanted to try the pineapple  upside down cake because it's so classic.  And I wanted to see if I liked it.  YES, I am one of those people who has never tired Pineapple upside-down cake.  When I was a kid, it just didn't appeal to me. 

My opinion now?   I liked it...I liked this one, warm, right out of the oven for breakfast,  and the browned butter gave the batter, as well as the finished cake,  a nutty flavor that I've never tasted in a before in a baked good.   The brown sugar coated pineapple chunks gave a hint of a  caramel flavor. It went well with the nutty flavor from the browned butter.  I liked it a lot.
Having said all that tho, I would probably use a different fruit next time... because while I liked the pineapple, I didn't love it....but that has nothing to do with this recipe, only my preference.  I might try some blueberries or blackberries next time.  Rick Bayless suggested apples too....that sounds great.


This is what it looked liked before I turned it upside down!

Pineapple Skillet Upside-down Cake
source:  Rick Bayless,   Mexican Everyday

3 oz (6 tbls) butter, preferably unsalted
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
3 cups  1/2 inch cubed pineapple
(or other fruit such as: raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, pitted cherries, apple, pear)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour  (or additional all-purpose)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup white sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt

Turn on the oven to 375 degrees and position rack in the middle.  Melt the butter in a large 10-inch skillet with an ovenproof handle  (preferably nonstick, over medium heat. Swirl the butter in the skillet until it turns nut-brown, then pour it into a medium bowl.  Without wiping out the skillet, sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the bottom.  Top with fruit in an even layer.
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
Add the sugar to the butter and whisk until thoroughly combined.  Whisk in the egg, then the buttermilk or yogurt.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Whisk thoroughly to combine.
Pour the batter evenly over the fruit in the skillet.  Slide the skillet into the oven and bake for about 35 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and springy to the touch at the center.  Remove and let sit for 10 minutes.
Invert a plate over the skillet, then holding plate and skillet firmly together with towels or potholders, invert the two in one swift motion.  Remove the skillet and the cake is ready to serve.  It's best right out of the oven.

(Mexican) Cowboy Beans with Rick Bayless

I have to be honest, I've never seen Rick Bayless or his TV shows.  His name sounds very familiar tho and when I looked on-line to purchase a cookbook,  he looks familiar too.

Anyway,  I'm excited to get to know him, which I hope to be doing with 

  I Heart Cooking Clubs

There have been some really dedicated followers of  I Heart Cooking Clubs. Me?  I always have good intentions but I get sidetracked  (by a bird, a butterfly, a good book, a glass of wine) however,   since Mexican food is my favorite...I mean, real homemade Mexican food....I thought I should try to join in with 

I Heart Cooking Clubs once again.

This does not mean I am going back on my word to not join any challenge, BECAUSE with I Heart Cooking Clubs, one can participate whenever they want.

Which brings me to this:

I have no sink... what the heck am I doing participating in a cooking meme this week!!!??

I have no counter top either.... we just laid the old one back on until the new ones are installed, a week to 10 days from TUESDAY.  (as you can probably tell  by the cracks, cuts and pieces of counter top just lying there)

I cook, I take stuff to the  bathroom sink to wash off.   We've mostly been eating off of paper plates and having sandwiches or microwave meals.  It really sucks.

But--I managed to make a Rick Bayless meal last night!

(it felt so good to actually cook something again!!)

I orderd this cookbook, when I knew I wanted to join in with IHCC again and I was very excited to begin to cook some Bayless!

We like beans.   Whole beans/frijoles  better than refried, so when I found this quick easy recipe for  'Cowboy Beans' in  Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless, I thought I'd give it a try.  To be honest, even tho I want to do this challenge, or cook along, a one pot dish sounded fantastic since I don't have a sink or dishwasher right now.

The beans were  phenomenal!! They had bacon and fire roasted tomotaoes and some pickeled jalepenos,  sprinkled with cilantro.  Mmmmm...they were smokey and spicey and  just really good.

I would definately make these as a side dish for any mexican meal.

This is what Rick writes about them

This is a quick version of the beans that are typically served in taquerias (and northern Mexican-sytle restaurants).  Think of them as smoky-spicy  (didn't I just say that??)

spicy-as-you-want, super satisfying version of plain-Jane brothy beans--they're perfect with tacos or grilled meat, really anything that's not cooked with a sauce.

I liked them with BBQ'd chicken. I mean grilled--GRILLED chicken.  Perfect with grilled chicken.

I can't wait to make them again for a 'themed'  party! 

Quick Cowboy Beans

Rick Bayless

Mexican Everyday

4 slices thick bacon, cut into small pieces

2 garlic cloves peeled and finely chopped or crushed thru a garlic press

Half a  15oz can of diced tomatoes in juice (preferably fire roasted)

I used a whole can of Rotel tomatoes

3 1/2 cups home-cooked pinto beans with enough cooking liquid to cover

or

2 15oz cans of pinto beans

1 or 2 canned pickled jalapenos--or more if you like spicy beans

salt

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

In a large 4-qt saucepan, cook the bacon over medium heat, stirring regularly, until crisp, about 4 minutes.  Add the garlic and stir for a minute, then add the tomatoes with their juice.  Cook, stirring regularly for  3-4 minutes to blend the flavors.  Add the beans, with their liquid and simmer over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes.

While the beans are simmering, stem the chilies, cut in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Chop into small pieces and add to the beans.

Taste and season with salt if necessary.

Ladle into small bowls, sprinkle with the cilantro and serve.

It's been fun....and I'm happy to be back to IHCC!

I'm also adding this as cookbook #52 in my own personal cookbook countdown goal.

IHCC

I Heart Cooking Clubs

This week's theme at IHCC is Chocolate Cravings...and just in case you don't know, our chef for the next 6 months is Giada De Laurentiis.
I was planing on using my one and only Giada cookbook,  "Everyday Italian" but  you know what they say, "The Best Laid Plans..."

My phone rang yesterday morning  (It was a state holiday in Nevada)
"Hi Gramma!"
"Hi Cam, what are you doing?"
"oh....nothing.  Just watching some TV.  There's nothing to do"
"oh....would you like to come visit me?"
"YES!"

Visiting, most times means spending the night, so I knew I would not have time to do a complicated  Giada recipe.  My job was to pay attention to Camron for the past two days.
We played Battleship, went to the movie,  he and his Granddad decorated the garage for Halloween, we all played cards.  Things like that.

Lucky for me  (because I didn't want to miss another week of IHCC) I found the easiest cupcake recipe from Giada on the FoodNetwork website.  And Camron helped me with it.  He was very happy to do so.

Check out how easy this is:

Chocolate chip and walnut cupcakes
Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis
Program: Giada at Home

(oh...I did have to do measurement conversions and they didnt' come out exact, they were always just a tad bit off.  For example 110ml vegetable oil is a tad bit less than 1/2 cup.  But for the most part, they turned out well.  At least the 2 I ate did.  I sent the rest home with Cam.)

1/4 lbs finely chopped walnuts
8 oz mini milk chocolate chips (I couldn't find any, so I just used regular sized)
1 box brownie mix  (recommended: Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge)
2 eggs at room temp
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water

For the Frosting:
4 oz cream cheese at room temp
4 oz mascarpone at room temp
1 lb powdered sugar

Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners.
In a small bowl combine the walnuts and mini chocolate chips and 1 tbsp of the brownie mix. Toss and set aside.
In a large bowl mix together the remaining brownie mix, the eggs, vegetable oil and water.  Stir for 20  seconds, until blended.  Fold in the walnuts and chocolate chips.    Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan (cupcake liners will be full).  Bake 22 -25 minutes.
Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before frosting.

For the Frosting:
In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the cheeses together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until smooth and spreadable.
Spread the frosting  on top of the cupcakes and garnish with remaining chocolate chips.

***********************

It's Halloween!  One of my favorite times of the year.  I don't know why I just love it. 
Earlier today Camron and his Granddad decorated our garage.   This year, it's just a small part of our garage, but we have been known to do the whole thing over into a graveyard.  Yeah, we kinda like the spookiness side of Halloween.  

I also like blond, blue-eyed, one-toothed 8 year old boys!

We haven't put up the cobwebs or the picket fence or the tumbleweeds, (we will skip church and do this tomorrow).  Then we will get take and bake pizza's and some of our friends who live in the country or neighborhoods with no kids, will make our house their Halloween "Home Base" and I'll put on  Disney's Ichabod Crane and It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, or Hocus Pocus and we'll have a wonderful evening.

(okay....this really is kinda creepy,  but he wanted to pose in the graveyard)

Happy Halloween everybody!

"Sexy" Spanish Tortilla for IHCC

I live in the desert, so anytime I see some "green" I fall in love...and I love my backyard because it has some green in it.  It is not a pristine, sculpted, well maintained yard.  I let my veggie garden to go to seed this summer, and I haven't pulled weeds in weeks.  But I romanticize my back yard, because I love it so.     (and I know I always say...I live in the desert, but until you do live in the desert, I don't think you know how brown it can be out there.  Not that I don't love it, I do, but I romanticize anything "green" )

Romance.  When I say the word to the Handyman, he think of sex---I think it's a guy thing.  No matter their age.
Where am I going with this?  Well, this week for IHCC, we are to think "sexy" food....we are to make  "sexy" food, we are to eat "sexy" food.  I was figuring that anything I made by Mark Bittman could be considered sexy food, but my mind went to breakfast for this week's entry.
How "sexy" would it to be to sit out here (I was getting ready for a diner party on Saturday night) amongst the birds, the sound of flowing water, the early autumn flowers, in our snowy white, spotless white terrycloth robes, my shaved legs, newly acquired pedicure, of course our teeth brushed and our hair combed, no smudges under my eyes.  We would have our coffee and eat our Mark Bittman Spanish Tortilla.  We might even feed each other bites while reading funny tidbits from the newspaper.

That's fine in theory....but this is what my backyard looked like this morning.....

....because I was tired last night and didn't want to clean up in the dark. 

(or maybe in our "raspberry vodka  lemonade" induced state of glee at hosting a very pleasant dinner party--we ran upstairs when our company left to host our own private sexy food party.  I can't believe I just wrote that--whatever...it still  meant I woke up to a mess)

I did get up (put on flannel jammie pants and a sweatshirt, the handyman had on sweats and a stained t-shirt. We hadn't combed our hair, nor did I shave my legs) and make the Spanish Tortilla and juice. It was really good too. But this  was view  we ate our breakfast by morning.....

ugh....to clean up.

You know what tho?  Sexy was just being out there with the Handyman talking about how nice our dinner party was the evening before and laughing at some memories we had of our friends...and, um....talking about our grandbabies.  The thing is--the food was good, the birds were still singing, the flowers were still blooming and eating with someone you love is just--sexy.  We still read the paper, didn't feed each other anything tho, cuz that's really kind of weird to
me.

Spanish Tortilla*

 adapted slightly from Mark Bittman's

The Minimalist Cooks at Home.

*The Spanish Tortilla has nothing in common with the Mexican tortilla except its name, which comes from the Latin torta --a round cake.

3-4 medium potatoes

1 medium onion

1 cup olive oil

salt and freshly ground pepper

6 extra-large or jumbo eggs

1. Peel and thinly slice the potatoes and onion.  It's easiest if you use a mandolin for slicing.  Meanwhile, heat the oil in a 8-10 inch non-stick skillet over medium heat.  After the oil hand been heating for 3-4 minutes, add the potatoes and onion along with a good pinch of salt and a liberal sprinkling of pepper.  Gently turn the potato mixture in the oil with a wooden spoon and adjust the heat so that the oil bubbles lazily.

Cook turning the potatoes gently every few minutes and adjusting the heat so they do not brown.  You want the potatoes to be tender but not brown.

2. Drain the potatoes in a colander, reserving the oil.  Heat  a 8-9inch skillet  (can be the same one, but wipe it clean.  over med. heat for 1-2 minutes.  Add 2 Tlbs of the reserved oil. 

3.  Gently mix the warm potatoes with the eggs and add them to the skillet. As soon as the edges firm up reduce the heat and cook for 5 minutes.

4.  Insert a rubber spatula all around the edges of the tortilla to make sure it will slide from the pan.  Carefully slide it out--the top will still be quite runny--onto a plate.  Cover with another plate and, holding the plates tightly, invert the.  Add another Tbls of oil to the skillet and slide the tortilla back into the skillet. Cook another 5 minutes, then slide the tortilla onto a plate.

Serve warm (not hot) or at room temperature.  Do not refrigerate.

This is my entry for IHCC and I'm also adding it to my own personal Cookbook Countdown as cookbook #33.