Holiday Crack

My friend David sent me a recipe for New Year's Eve Crack.

Warning! This is a highly addictive treat and you won't be able to eat just one piece. I would never make this to have around the house, but I'd gladly make it for a party at someone else's house.

I plan on taking this "crack' to my friend Joni's New Year's Eve Party tomorrow night.

After I read the ingredients, I realized I would have to modify it just a bit. I don't care for the product sold here for brown sugar, because is it simply raw sugar with caramel added, and it doesn't pack down well. I like using the real thing... traditional sugar cakes sold as Tapa de Dulce. In my opinion, Tapa de Dulce has more of a natural molasses flavor I find delicious.

Ingredients:
20-24 saltine crackers
2 sticks (1 cup) butter
1 cup packed Tapa de Dulce (or brown sugar if you must)
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup of holiday sprinkles (think 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Year's colors)

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F.
• Line a cookie sheet with foil and coat it with nonstick cooking spray. 
• Lay the saltine crackers on the cookie sheet in a single layer with the salted side down.
• Grate the Tapa de Dulce with a cheese grater, or food processor until you have enough to firmly pack one cup of sugar.
• Melt the butter and Tapa de Dulce in a saucepan over medium heat and stir frequently to prevent the butter from scorching.
• Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil for 3-5 minutes to create toffee.
• Remove from the heat and carefully pour the butter and sugar mixture over the crackers on the cookie sheet.
• Place the cookie sheet with the crackers and toffee in the oven for 3-5 minutes, until the toffee is bubbly all over. Carefully remove the cookie sheet from the oven.
• Immediately top the toffee crackers with the chocolate chips, and allow them to sit for a minute to soften and melt. When the chocolate chips are soft, take an offset spatula and spread the melted chocolate into an even layer over the toffee crackers.
• Top with holiday colored sprinkles.
• Place the cookie sheet in the freezer for a least 30 minutes.  Once the "crack" is set, break it into small uneven pieces by hand.
• The Holiday Crack can be stored in a airtight container for about a week (if it lasts that long.)

Snacks

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Waffle Iron Hashbrowns

We make hashbrown potatoes all the time on an old cast iron griddle. Yesterday I stumbled upon an interesting recipe on Pinterest that is very similar to the one I've created.

Here in Costa Rica, you don't just pop on over to the local grocery store and pick up some frozen shredded potatoes. Here, you shred your own potatoes, or you go without hashbrowns. This is my version of Waffle Iron Hashbrowns.

Ingredients:
• 2 cups freshly shredded potatoes
• 1 tablespoon of butter, melted
• 1 one egg
• 1½ teaspoons flour
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon black pepper
• pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions:
Preheat the waffle iron to it's highest setting. Rinse the shredded potatoes thoroughly to remove as much starch as possible (this prevents them from becoming gummy). Blot the potatoes dry on a clean dish towel and set them aside.  In a medium size bowl, mix the egg with all the remaining ingredients. Add the shredded potatoes to the egg mixture and toss until the potatoes are well coated.

Spray the waffle iron with some non-stick spray and layer the potatoes evenly on the waffle iron.  Bake for a minimum of 10 minutes. If your timer on the waffle iron beeps before the baking time is up, ignore it, and pay attention to the steam escaping.  When the steam stops, the hashbrowns are done.


Carefully remove your finished waffle iron hashbrowns and enjoy!

Servings: 2

Side Dish

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Sopa de Ayote estilo Caribe (Caribbean Calabaza Soup)

Many years ago I was served “Pumpkin Soup” while on vacation in Jamaica. I have never forgotten the wonderful party in my mouth with the incredible blend of sweet, savory, and spicy ingredients.

The Costa Rica climate is not suitable for the traditional pumpkin, but we do have many other type of squash. One of them is called Ayote, or Calabaza.  This squash is round like a pumpkin, but it has a dark green skin, or rind, with tinges of yellow when it is ripe, or as the Ticos say, “Sazon.”

Yesterday, for lunch, I oven roasted Ayote that I had tossed with olive oil salt, black pepper, and some red pepper flakes.  Since John has never been a vegetable kind of guy, we had a lot left over.  Today, I decided to make Caribbean Calabaza Soup with the leftovers.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups cubed ayote, calabaza, pumpkin, or butternut squash
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
¼ teaspoon of thyme
1 teaspoon fresh oregano
2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons of tapa de dulce shavings (unrefined sugar cake), or dark brown sugar
1 cup coconut milk
1 minced chili pepper (to taste)
Natilla, or sour cream (optional)
Chopped chives (optional)

 INSTRUCTIONS

1. Remove the rind, or skin from the squash and remove all the seeds. Cut the squash into about 1-2 inch cubes.
2. Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepan and add the squash, tossing to coat. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, and then add the onion and garlic. Cover and sweat the vegetables for about 3 minutes. (Note: If you have left over roasted squash like I did, you just need to sauté the onions and garlic, then add the squash. No need to sweat the squash again)
3. Add the stock, thyme, oregano, cilantro, hot chili pepper and salt. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, then remove the lid and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes more, or until the squash is tender.
4. Remove the pan from the stove and use a hand blender to puree all the ingredients.  If you don’t have a hand blender, remove the vegetables and herbs from the soup with a slotted spoon and place in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.  Be careful to not fill the blender or food processor too full or the hot ingredients will expand and make a mess. Return everything to the soup pot, add the sugar and coconut milk, and mix well.
5. Simmer the soup for 5 minutes, or until reduced to a nice thick consistency. Serve hot, garnished with a dollop of sour cream and some chives.

Vegetable

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Tomato Basil Soup

Tomatoes are plentiful right now and the Farmers Market was selling them this morning, for about $2 USD for 3 kilos, or 6.6 pounds.  I set aside a few to dehydrate later for "sun-dried tomatoes" and I made some cream of tomato soup with the rest.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of olive oil
½ cup onion
2 cloves of minced garlic
6 cups fresh tomatoes, cored, peeled, and chopped (8-10) or 6 cups canned whole tomatoes, crushed. (The easy way to peel fresh tomatoes is to drop them in boiling water for 20-30 seconds.)
4 cups tomato juice
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
12 -14 fresh basil leaves, washed and chopped
2 cups of milk, or heavy cream (I use half & half)
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 tablespoon honey
salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)

Directions:
Saute onion and garlic in the olive oil in the same saucepan you will use for the soup.

Add the tomatoes, tomato juice and stock to the saucepan.  Bring it to a boil on medium heat and then turn to low and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the fresh basil and use a hand held immersion blender and puree, along with the basil leaves, in the saucepan.  If you don't have an immersion blender, use a regular blender, but use small batches, because hot liquids expand in a blender.

If you used a regular blender, return the puree to the saucepan and add milk, cream, honey, lemon juice and butter, while stirring, over low heat.  If you used heavy cream, do not let it boil or it will want to curdle.

Garnish with basil leaves and serve with your favorite bread or a grilled cheese sandwich.

Soup

1

Barbecued Pulled Pork – Crock Pot Style

Ingredients:
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1½ tablespoons chili powder
1½ tablespoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
4½ -5 pound boneless pork
2 cups barbecue sauce

Directions:
Place the onions and garlic in the bottom of the crock pot. Add the chicken stock.

Combine all the dry ingredients in a small bowl to make a dry rub.

Rinse the pork meat and pat it dry with paper towels.

Thoroughly coat the pork with the dry rub and place the meat on top of the onions and garlic.

Cover and cook until the pork is fork tender. It will take 6-8 hours on high, or 10-12 hours on low.

Turn off the crock pot. Carefully remove the pork and place it on cutting board. It will be so tender it will want to break apart. Let the meat rest for about 15 minutes.

Slice it cross grain in one-inch slices. Then shred the sliced meat into bite-size pieces with 2 forks and discard any fat.

Pour all of liquid in the crock pot into a medium size bowl.

Use a skimmer, or strainer, to collect the solid onions and garlic from the liquid and return it to the crock pot.

Set the remaining liquid aside to cool.

Add all of the shredded pork back to the crock pot with 2 cups of barbecue sauce.

When liquid has cooled, skim off the grease and discard.

Now add 1 cup of the strained liquid to the crock pot with the meat and barbecue sauce and discard the remaining liquid.

Heat the pork until ready to serve on hamburger buns.

Garnish with fresh sliced onions, dill pickles and Jalapeño peppers.

Pork

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Mock Graham Cracker Pie Crust

Graham crackers are not found in Costa Rica, let alone a Graham cracker pie shell. The pie shell can probably be found in one of the high-end super market that caters to expats with expensive imported foodstuffs. The lack of Graham crackers should not deter you from making a pie.

I remember years ago, my sons' Tica grandmother used to make a pie crust with Galletas Maria. The Galleta Maria is a very popular sweet vanilla cookie with the crispness of a cracker. You can find it everywhere in Costa Rica, and this is my substitute for the original Rev. Sylvester Graham's cracker.

Preheat oven to 300° F.

Crush about 25-30 Galletas Maria until you have about 1½ cups of fine crumbs.

Mix this with ¼ cup of sugar, ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon and ¾ of a stick of butter, melted.

Firmly press the crumb mixture into a pie pan making sure to evenly cover the bottom and side.

Bake for 15 minutes and allow it to cool to room temperature before you add your pie filling.

Pie

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Zesty Salsa Picante – Canning Recipe

Ingredients:
12 cups roughly chopped tomatoes
6 cups chopped and seeded sweet peppers
6 cups chopped onions
8 Jalapeño peppers, minced & seeded (Warning: wear gloves while preparing the Jalapeños)
1 ½ cups cider vinegar
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon ground cumin
6 large garlic cloves, minced
½ cup chopped cilantro
4 teaspoons salt
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

Directions:
• Combine all ingredients except the tomato paste in large sauce pot.
• Bring to a boil and simmer until desired thickness. We like it chunky so 5 minutes is more than enough
• Stir in tomato paste.
• Ladle hot salsa into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch head-space.
• Process the jars for 15 minutes in a hot water bath

Adjust the amount of Jalapeño peppers for a hotter or milder salsa.

Yield: 8 pints

Snacks

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7-UP Sour Cream Biscuits

These biscuits are melt in your mouth goodness!

Ingredient:
2 cups bisquick (click to see recipe for Homemade Bisquick Mix)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup 7-up
1/4 cup melted butter

Directions:
Melt butter and pour it into a baking pan/cast iron skillet. Cut sour cream into the Bisquick with a fork, and then add the 7-up. Mix together and dump the dough onto a surface that has been generously floured with additional Bisquick mix. (Parchment paper will make clean up easy.) Pat out dough by hand or roll it out about 1 inch thick. The dough will be very soft. Divide the dough into about 8 or 9 pieces by hand, and gently shape them into round biscuits. As the biscuits are shaped, add them to the baking pan with the melted butter.

Bake at 450°F for about 12-15 minutes, until golden brown and enjoy.

Yield: 8-9 biscuits

Note: I have used any clear soda I happen to have on hand: 7-Up, Ginger Ale, Sprite, Fresca, etc.

Breakfast

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Homemade Bisquick Mix

Many imported items are expensive to buy in Costa Rica. One of these items is Bisquick Mix from General Mills. I searched the web and found this recipe that was published in the Kansas City Star food section years ago. Try this simple recipe and you’ll never buy the boxed Bisquick Mix again.

Ingredients:
6 cups of all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons of baking poweder
1 tablespoon of salt
1 cup of vegetable shortening (Crisco)

Directions:
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt 3 times into a large bowl.
Cut the shortening in with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs, or sand.
Store the mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 months.
Use as a substitute in any recipe that calls for Bisquick.

Miscellaneous

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Zucchini Soup

This soup is so rich and creamy, you'll think it's full of cream.  

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, white or yellow, thinly sliced

8 to 9 cloves garlic, peeled & finely minced

1 kilo, or 2 pounds of zucchini, diced

4 cups salt-free chicken stock

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

¼ teaspoon Chinese 5 spice

½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

¾ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil

Directions:

Melt the butter in a heavy stock pot. Add the onions and cook on medium-low heat until the onions are translucent.  

Add the minced garlic and stir for 2-3 minutes, being careful to not brown the garlic.

When the onion and garlic are very soft, add the diced zucchini (Tip:  If the zucchini is very mature, peel the skin first so it doesn’t give a bitter taste to the soup) and cook everything medium-low heat until the zucchini is soft.

Remove the soup pot from the heat and add all the remaining ingredients, except the basil.  

Use an immersion blender to blend until everything until is creamy.  If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a conventional blender to blend everything in small batches and then return the soup to the stock pot.

Bring the soup back to a boil and then simmer on low heat for about 45 minutes.

Add the chopped basil and serve.

Yield:  About 1½ quarts

Note:  If you want to make this totally vegan, just substitute olive oil and vegetable broth for the butter and chicken stock.

Vegetable

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Texas Ranch Beans

Ingredients:
1 pound or ½ kilo of dried pinto beans
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
1 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
¼ cup salt free chili powder
1 tablespoon of fresh minced oregano, or 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 cup of water
6 cups of beef broth
Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:
Soak the beans covered in water with the baking soda overnight. You can also use the quick method if you are sort on time. Put the beans in a large pot, cover them with water. The water should be an inch, or two above the level of the beans. Bring the beans to a quick boil, remove them from the heat, stir in the baking soda, and cover them for an hour.

Heat a teaspoon of oil in a large pot. Sauté the diced onions in oil for a few minutes; until they are transparent. Add the minced garlic and stir for another minute. Stir in the oregano. If you have an immersion blender, add the tomatoes, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, paprika, cumin, chili powder and water to the pot and puree until smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, transfer the onions, garlic and oregano to a conventional blender, and add the tomatoes, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, paprika, cumin, oregano, chili powder and water and puree until smooth and pour the mixture back in the large pot.

Drain the soaked beans.

Add the pinto beans and beef broth to the pot. Using high heat, bring the pot to a full boil, then cover. Lower the temperature to a slow simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Check the beans for tenderness. Depending on the freshness of the beans, the cooking time will vary from 2 to 4 hours. When they reach the desired tenderness, add salt and black pepper to taste.

Serves: 4 to 6

Beans

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Gazpacho

I love a good Gazpacho!  I especially love it as a way for me to get my better half to eat some veggies.

Gazpacho is usually a tomato-based, vegetable soup, traditionally served cold, originating in the southern Spanish region of Andalucía. Gazpacho is widely consumed in Spanish cuisine.  Since it's so refreshing and served cold, it makes for a great meal in the warm summer months.

Here is my favorite way to make it...

Ingredients:

4 cloves Garlic, Minced

1 whole Red Onion, Diced

2 whole Large Cucumber, Diced

4 whole Medium Tomatoes, Diced

2 whole Large Sweet Red Peppers, Diced

1 whole Jalapeño Pepper, Seeded and Diced

1 whole Zucchini, Diced

2 ribs of Celery, Diced

1 liter of Tomato Juice

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/8 cup Red Wine Vinegar

1/8 cup Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Honey

1/4 Teaspoon of Cumin

Salt to taste

Black Pepper to taste

Directions:

All of the ingredients should be finely diced and the garlic needs to be minced.  The Jalapeño Pepper should be seeded, finely diced and set aside.  Thoroughly mix the garlic, onion, cucumber, tomatoes, sweet peppers, zucchini and celery in a large bowl.  Place half of the mixture in the bowl of a food processor or in a blender and add all of the Jalapeño Pepper and half of the tomato juice.  Pulse until all ingredients are well blended well.  The mixture will have a festive colorful texture. 

Now pour the mixture back into the large bowl with the remaining vegetables, add the rest of the tomato juice, oil, vinegars, honey, cumin, salt and pepper.  Stir well to blend everything and check to see if it needs more salt or pepper.  Chill for a couple of hours because this soup is best when served very cold. 

When the soup is chilled, remove the soup from the refrigerator and stir.  Ladle soup into a bowl and garnish with your favorite toppings:  Sour cream, diced avocado, and fresh chopped cilantro or basil.  This soup makes a delicious meal in hot weather and it is especially yummy when served with garlic toast. 

Yield: About 10 cups

WP

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Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

Here is great way to use up leftover ham and create a wonderful comfort food casserole.

Ingredients:

3 pounds Potatoes, Washed (I like to mix Red and Yellow Potatoes)

4 Tablespoons Butter

1 whole Yellow Onion, Diced

2 cloves of Garlic, Minced

3 cups Diced Ham

1-½ cup Milk

1-½ cup Heavy Cream

¼ cups Flour

Black Pepper to taste

1 cup Cheddar Cheese, Grated

1 cup Monterey Jack, or other mild white Cheese, Grated

Chopped Parsley or Cilantro (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a large casserole dish.

Slice the unpeeled potatoes with a mandolin, or slicer, into 1/8-inch slices.  If you are using a knife, try to get the slices as thin as you can.  Soak the sliced potatoes in a bowl of water to leach out the starch. 

While the potatoes are soaking, melt the butter in a large skillet.  Sauté the onions for a minute or two, just until they start to turn translucent.  Add the minced garlic and quickly add the diced ham.  Cook another 3 minutes, until the meat is thoroughly heated. Remove from heat and set aside.

Combine the milk and cream in a microwave-safe container and heat it just enough to take off the refrigerator chill.   Add the flour and black pepper and whisk it until the pepper and flour is totally combined. Set aside.

Grate and mix the two cheeses. Set aside.

Drain the potatoes and pat out most of the moisture with a clean dish towel or paper towels.

Now you are ready to assemble.  Make a layer of 1/3 of the sliced potatoes in the casserole dish; add a layer of 1/3 of the ham and onion, then 1/3 of the grated cheese, and top with 1/3 of the milk and cream. Repeat these layers 2 more times. 

Note:  Stir the milk and cream mixture between each layer because the flour tends settle on the bottom.

Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake for 50 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes, until bubbly and hot.  Test to make sure the potatoes are thoroughly cooked

Cut into squares and serve.  Top with chopped parsley or cilantro before serving!

Yield:  8 Servings

(Note: If you want to reduce the baking time, boil sliced potatoes for about 3 to 4 minutes before assembling the casserole.  You will need to drain and cool the potatoes a bit before assembling.)

Potatoes

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Tropical Rice Pudding ~ Arroz con Leche Tropical

Yesterday a friend of ours was released from the hospital following an emergency appendectomy.  Doctors orders require her to eat soft & bland foods for a week, while her system gets back to normal.  

I decided to make her some rice pudding, but as I started to pull my normal ingredients together, I found I didn't have everything I needed.  Necessity being the mother of invention, I grabbed what I found in the pantry and came up with a new twist on the basic rice pudding.  

I used less cinnamon and no raisins this time, because my friend doesn't need anything that might be difficult to digest for awhile.  The results were better than expected and I may never go back to my old recipe.  I decided I had to write this recipe down so I can remember how to do it next time.  Give it a try. I think you'll enjoy it for a change up.

Update: 16-April-2013 - This was so good, I decided to make it again for friends we invited for lunch.  This time I modified the recipe a bit and I think the new variation is even better than my original.  See below for both recipes.

Recipe #1
Ingredients:
2 cups of white rice
3½ cups of boiling water
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
½ cup of powered milk (normally I would use a small can of evaporated milk)
¾ cup of granulated sugar
1 - 12 ounce can of Piña Colada mix
2 cups of milk
1 stick of butter
1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Directions:
Cook the rice in the boiling water on a low simmer for 15 minutes and turn it off with the lid on.  While the rice is cooking, use a large sauce pan and mix together the condensed milk, powdered milk, sugar, regular milk and Piña Colada mix.  Bring the mixture to a boil over medium hear, stirring frequently so the milk does not scorch.  Add the stick of butter and cinnamon until the butter is melted, then add the cooked rice.  Bring everything back to a low boil and stir constantly for about 15 minutes until the pudding starts to thicken and the rice absorbs the liquid.

Serve warm, or cold, with a sprinkling of cinnamon on top.

16-April-2013 Variation!
Recipe #2
Ingredients:
2 cups of white rice
3½ cups of boiling water
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
8 ounces of evaporated milk
½ cup of granulated sugar
1 - 15 ounce can of Coconut Cream (Leche de Coco)
1 - cup of Pineapple pulp (I use unsweetented concentrated Piña pulp. The kind used for making fruit beverages.)
1 cups of milk
1 stick of butter
1 tablespoon of cinnamon

Directions:
Cook the rice in the boiling water on a low simmer for 15 minutes and turn it off with the lid on.  While the rice is cooking, use a large sauce pan and mix together the condensed milk, evaporated milk, sugar, regular milk and coconut cream.  Bring the mixture to a boil over medium hear, stirring frequently so the milk does not scorch.  Add the stick of butter and cinnamon until the butter is melted, then add the pineapple pulp and cooked rice.  Bring everything back to a low boil and stir constantly for about 15 minutes until the pudding starts to thicken and the rice absorbs the liquid.

Serve warm, or cold, with a sprinkling of cinnamon on top.

Rice

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Mac 'n Ham 'n Cheese Casserole - Grown-up Style

Ready for some grown-up macaroni and cheese with ham?  It is not your everyday Kraft and it takes a little work, but it is so worth it.

Ingredients:
1 large sweet pepper (a red, yellow or green bell works fine)
1 pound of uncooked Penne pasta
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Palmito cheese in Costa Rica (In North America, you can probably find "Queso Oaxaca" with the Mexican cheeses in the dairy case.)
1 cup diced cooked ham
½ cup cream cheese
2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
1 teaspoon all purpose seasoning salt
½ teaspoon course ground black pepper
¾ cup of milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F
Place the whole sweet pepper on a cookie sheet and roast it in the oven for 15 minutes on each side. While the pepper is roasting grate the cheeses, mix them together in a bowl and set it aside. Dice the ham into small pieces. Cook the Penne pasta in salted boiling water about 10 minutes. It should still be firm since it will finish cooking when it bakes in the oven. Rinse the pasta in cold water. Mix the pasta with the cream cheese, mayonnaise, seasoning salt, pepper and ham until will blended and set it aside. The sweet pepper should be just about roasted by now, so take it out of oven and let it rest for 10 minutes so the skin loosens. Lower the oven temperature to 350°F. Rinse the pepper in cold water and the roasted skin should slip right off. Remove the seeds and stem and coarse chop the pepper. Fold the roasted pepper into the pasta mixture.

Place a layer of the pasta mixture (about a third) in the bottom of a casserole dish and top it with a third of the mixed cheeses. Repeat with two more layers of pasta and cheeses. Pour the milk evenly over the top and bake the casserole at 350° for 30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and it starts to brown on top.

Pasta

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Chicken Enchiladas

Today we had a craving for some good old Tex-Mex, so I found some of my homemade enchilada sauce and whipped up some Chicken Enchilada for lunch.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts cut into thick strips
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium green, red or yellow sweet pepper, diced
1 fresh jalapeño pepper, seeded &  minced
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of canned diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup of canned/frozen corn kernels, drained
¾ cup grated cheddar cheese
¾ cup grated mild white cheese
12 8 inch flour tortillas
1½ cups enchilada sauce (store bought, or go to this link for my homemade red enchilada sauce)
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

1. This part can be done ahead of time, and stored in the refrigerator a few day in advance of assembling the enchiladas. Season the chicken with the salt pepper and cumin.  Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and add the chicken to the hot oil. Sauté the chicken until thoroughly cooked and nicely browned. Set the chicken aside until it cools.  When the chicken is cool, shred it into thin strips.
2. Prepare the filling. Sauté the onion and sweet peppers over medium heat in the remaining olive oil until translucent.  Add the garlic and jalapeño pepper and stir for another minute.  Add the diced tomatoes and the corn. 
3. Lightly grease a large 15-inch x 10-inch x 2-inch rectangular baking/casserole dish.  Pour about ½ cup of enchilada sauce in the dish.  Dip each of the tortillas in the sauce and stack them on a dinner plate.
4. Assemble the enchiladas.  Place about 2 tablespoons of shredded chicken in a tortilla and top it with a heaping tablespoons of the onions, peppers, tomato & corn mixture.  Add a little of the cheeses and roll the tortilla so that it is about an inch in diameter.  Place it in the baking dish with the open seam to the bottom.  Continue with the remaining tortillas.  You should be able to get 10 enchiladas vertically, with 2 at the top horizontally.
5. Cover the enchiladas with the remaining filling, enchilada sauce and cheese.
6. Bake for 30 minutes until all the cheese is melted.  

Serving suggestions:  Top with a dollop of sour cream and fresh cilantro.

Tex Mex

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Brined Fresh Ham with Roasted Potatoes

This week we tried something we'd never done before, we brined a fresh ham and cooked it outdoors, in our wood fired stone oven. All I can say is wow! It has been almost 2 years since we've enjoyed a whole ham, and this was a real treat.

Back in December we split the cost of a freshly butchered pig with a friend and have enjoyed some small pieces on the grill, but we've really wanted to make some sausage and ham. After a little research, we came up with the perfect recipe for the ham. We started to brine the pork on a Thursday morning and the following Monday morning we fired up our stone oven and prepared the ham for roasting. Let me just say, "John is an awesome chef!!

Ingredients:
Brine:
4 cups kosher salt
4 cups sugar
6 bay leaves
1 cup fennel seeds
½ cup mustard seeds
3 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes
2 sprigs rosemary
25 garlic cloves, or garlic bulbs, cut in 1/2 equatorially
1½ large onions, coarsely chopped
5 ribs celery, coarsely chopped
3 gallons water
3 teaspoons of Prague Powder #1 (or Insta-Cure #1)
1 (15-18 pound) bone-in fresh ham

Paste:
6 sprigs of fresh rosemary, picked and leaves finely chopped
½ cup of finely chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup of finely chopped fresh oregano
1 pod of garlic, smashed, peeled and rough chopped
2 large pinches crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
½ cup Extra-virgin olive oil

Glaze:
¾ cup Dijon mustard
¾ cup whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon of mustard seeds
¾ cup honey
¼ cup molasses

Potatoes:
2 pounds medium size unpeeled potatoes, washed and cut in ½
Olive oil
Salt
2 cups chicken stock

Directions:
To brine the pork:
Combine all of the ingredients in a large container. Submerse the ham in the brine and let it soak for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Weight the ham down with a plate and bricks so that it is totally submerged in the brine. (This is a plan-ahead meal, but worth it!)

To cook the pork in wood fired stone oven:
We cooked the ham outdoors in our wood fired stone oven. We brought the temperature up to 500°F and let the oven soak up the high heat for about an hour. Then the oven heat gradually drops to the perfect roasting temperature for the duration of the cook time. If the oven cools below 300°F, you can always add a little fuel (lit wood or coals) to bring the temperature back up to around 350°F. Follow the instructions below for basting and glazing. After following the instructions for the first hour, we found the potatoes nicely roasted, so we removed them prior to adding the chicken stock. We then covered the ham loosely with aluminum foil and returned it to the oven (now at about 375°F) to finish cooking. When the ham’s internal temperature reaches 150°F to 160° F. deep inside, near the bone, its done. A 15+ ham could take up to 5½ to 6 hours.


To cook the pork in conventional oven:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Remove the ham from the brine, pat dry and make slices in the skin to create a diagonal cross-hatch pattern.

To make the paste:
In a food processor, combine the rosemary, cilantro, oregano, garlic, crushed red pepper, salt, to taste, and about 1/2 cup of olive oil. Massage this mixture generously all over the outside of the ham.

Put the potatoes in a roasting pan large enough to accommodate the potatoes and the ham. If the ham hock is exposed, you may want to wrap it in aluminum foil so it doesn’t cook faster than the rest of the meat. Toss the potatoes generously with some olive oil and salt. Nestle the ham on top of the potatoes and place the roaster in the preheated oven. Check the pork in about 30 minutes, and you should find the skin is starting the get brown and crispy. Remove the ham from the oven and rotate it so you can baste the other side with any leftover herb/olive oil paste and rearrange the potatoes so they don't burn. Nestle the pork back onto the potatoes and return to the oven. Roast for another 30 minutes.

Remove the ham from the oven after the first hour. Check the potatoes to see if they are getting a little crispy, rearrange them and add the chicken stock to the bottom of the pan to keep things really moist and juicy. Reduce the heat in the oven to 350°F and roast for another 2 to 3 hours. When the potatoes are done, go ahead and remove them to serve when the ham is finished

To make the glaze:
While the ham is cooking, combine the Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, mustard seen and honey in a small bowl. When the meat’s internal temperature reaches 125°F, remove the ham from the oven and brush it, generously, with the honey mustard mixture. Return the ham to the oven and roast it for about 30 minutes. Flip it over and brush again with the honey mustard mixture (really slather it on the pork). Roast until it reaches an internal temperature of 150°-160°F on an instant-read thermometer.

Remove the ham from the oven, to a cutting board, tent it with aluminum foil and let it rest for at least 20 to 30 minutes before slicing.

Carve that puppy across the grain, and arrange the slices on a serving platter. Re-warm (if necessary) the potatoes and transfer them to a serving bowl to serve with the ham

Dig in and enjoy!!!!

Many thanks go to Anne Burrell of the FoodNetwork for the inspiration behind this fabulous recipe.

Stone Oven

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Hot Pepper Jelly / Jalea de Chili Picante

Found some beautiful sweet peppers at the Farmers' Market (Feria del Agriculture) in Grecia yesterday, so I picked up a couple of dozen for around $3 USD. Today I combined them with the Jalapeño peppers growing in our garden to make some hot pepper jelly. The recipe makes a delicious, mild hot pepper jelly. It's just not hot enough for our palates, so next time I'm going to kick it up a notch with about 3 or 4 more hot peppers.

7½ cups finely chopped sweet peppers
½ cup finely chopped Jalapeño or Serrano peppers (about 6)
2 cups apple cider vinegar
2 (1.75 ounce) packages powdered pectin
10 cups white sugar

Sterilize 6 (16 ounce) canning jars and lids according to manufacturer's instructions. You can use any combination of jar sizes to come up with approximately 96 ounces. I usually boil the lids in a large sauce pans and boil the jars in the rack of the canning pot according to the manufacturer's instructions. I then just leave the lids and jars in the hot water until ready to fill.

The easiest way to chop the peppers is in a food processor. Remove all the seeds and membranes and cut them in large chunks for the food processor. You should wear gloves to trim the hot peppers and avoid inhaling the fumes. Thoroughly mix the hot and sweet peppers together.

Place the peppers in a stock pot over high heat. Mix in vinegar and fruit pectin. Stir constantly until the mixture comes to rolling boil. Quickly add the sugar. Stir constantly and bring it back to a full rolling boil for exactly 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and if necessary, skim off any foam.

Ladle the jelly into sterile jars, to within ¼ inch of the tops. Cover with flat lids, and screw on bands tightly.

Place jars into the rack in the canning pot. The water should completely cover the jars, and it should be hot, but not boiling. Bring water to a boil, and process for 5 minutes.

Remove the jars and allow them to cool completely at room temperature.

Server on crackers, over cream cheese, or mixed with cream cheese and/or sour cream for a sweet and spicy dip.

Experiment with all green, all red, or all yellow sweet peppers for a different eye appeal.

Snacks

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