Yummy For My Tummy

If there is one thing that I definitely excel in when it comes to my kiddos is getting them to eat their vegetables.  It probably comes down to the fact that almost every vegetable I make is either covered in butter, cheese, or some variation of garlic.  Savory is my thing -- al dente is not.  I always have a little bit of an internal giggle when a new person offers one of my girls a raw vegetable. I swear there is a little tilt of their head every time, like a little puppy dog who just doesn't understand.

On my last trip out to California to visit Lollyblogger, while I was answering her question of what in the heck would one use garlic salt for and when I replied "green peas,"  my daughter with her infallible comedic timing piped up in the back row and screamed, "Mommy are you gonna make those peas with that extra creamy cheesy sauce that I love?"  It really didn't help my case.

Anyway, now I have a very close friend and client who is now trying to teach her son to eat vegetables.  And the first step is teaching herself.  She can't get him to eat them because frankly, she's not a big fan of them either.  So I've been trying to help give her a few ideas to ease her into things a bit.  The following recipe is one of those.  It is for cauliflower puree.  I use it in place of mashed potatoes, since mashed potatoes make me blow up like a blow fish.  I find that they actually have a lot more flavor than mashed potatoes.  And if you are embarking on something as divine as Coq Au Vin which is traditionally served on top of a bed of mashed potatoes, you will find this recipe works better than the original.  It simply has more flavor. Plus, if you wanted to get "low fat" technical, even though it calls for a little butter and cream it definitely uses far less of these ingredients than its counterpart.  So try it.  You just might find it yummy for your tummy too!

But, consider yourself warned.  This is a general guide.  It is impossible to strictly follow this recipe to the letter.  Each head of cauliflower is different, and you have to taste as you go along.  Most importantly you have to be careful not to add too much liquid.  It quickly goes from puree to soup if you do not pay attention.

Yummy Cauliflower Puree

1 extra large head of cauliflower (I buy these at Central Market in Houston).  If it does not look ginormous to you, please buy 2 regular sized ones from the grocery store of your choice.

3 tablespoons of butter 

2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Brand Chicken Base (You can find this in a glass jar on the same aisle as chicken broth.  It is similar to a paste -- it is not a granule)

1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt (under measure this if desired)

2 tablespoons dried minced onion

2-3 tablespoons of heavy cream

For "crust"

2 tablespoons of butter

paprika

grated Parmesan

Chop up the cauliflower into 2-3 inch chunks, discarding the green parts and the inner core.  Place in a large stock pot or dutch oven and cover with water.  On high heat, bring the water to a boil.  Boil for 15 minutes, or until the cauliflower is easily pierced with a fork.  It needs to be very tender.  Drain in a colander when done.

Place the drained colander in a large 14 cup food processor.  If it does not all fit you might have to do it in two batches. Add the butter, minced onion, bouillon, salt and a little bit of the heavy cream.  Pulse for a few seconds until the large chunks become more pureed.  Here is the important part -- if it does not seem that it is easy to puree it probably means that you need to add a little more cream.  I prefer to puree the cauliflower on the pulsee setting so that it does not become over processed.  If you puree it too much then it becomes loose and runny.  Taste and adjust for seasonings.  You want it to be just slightly under salted and not too buttery, since this is alleviated in the "crust" portion.  

Next place the puree into a buttered, broiler safe pan (I use a Calphalon skillet for this).  Even the top off with a spatula. Take a little bit of paprika and sprinkle it over the top.  Then sprinkle with a fair amount of grated parmesan.  Use the spatula to "rub" the parmesan into the paprika a bit.  Top off with a few evenly spaced, small pats of butter.  Place under the preheated broiler and broil for approximately 4 minutes, or until the top is browned and bubbly.

Remove from broiler and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.  And make sure to keep a pot holder placed on your skillet handle.  I have burned myself very badly a few times by going for that "stay cool" handle after removing it from the broiler.  Sleeping with an ice pack on your, aloe vera-ed hand is not as easy as one might think.

Shrimp and Cotija Enchiladas

Unless I am baking, I rarely follow a recipe to the letter.  It feels stifling and there is always some twist you can provide to "make it your own."  I love to read recipes though.  One can find great inspiration from a new combination of ingredients or a new twist on an old stand-by.  I collect cookbooks and love to read cooking magazines.

I recently started receiving Bon Appetit thanks to some leftover airline miles.  After many years and many cooking magazines, I believe a lot of the recipes featured are simply a sales pitch to try the featured chef's new restaurant or buy a product featured in the recipe.  Very few of the cooking magazine recipes are truly geared to the home cook with basic equipment and easy-to-find basic ingredients that are within the average family budget.  Many are simply terrible or just don't work right.  In the last few months since I have been receiving it, however, Bon Appetit has provided me with really great ideas and delicious food.  While my mother in law was here last month, I tried a couple of recipes from the June issue that were just screaming to be eaten from the pages.  I have reprinted the recipe here and I even followed the recipe to the letter.  These were unbelievably good.


Shrimp and Cotija Enchiladas with Salsa Verde and Crema Mexicana

If the poblanos aren't hot enough, add some chopped jalapeños to the salsa verde. Garnish enchiladas with fresh avocado slices and drizzle with crema mexicana (a nutty cultured cream available at some supermarkets and at Latin markets) or stirred sour cream if crema is unavailable.

6 servings

Recipe by Lena Cederham Birnbaum

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 1/2 pounds tomatillos,* husked, rinsed

4 large fresh poblano chiles,* halved lengthwise, cored, seeded

4 unpeeled garlic cloves

2 cups (packed) coarsely chopped fresh cilantro plus additional for garnish

1 cup (packed) chopped green onions

1 1/4 cups chopped red onion plus thinly sliced red onion rounds for garnish

48 uncooked medium shrimp, peeled, deveined (about 1 1/2 pounds)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

12 5 1/2- to 6-inch-diameter corn tortillas

12 oz crumbled Cotija or feta cheese, divided

* Available in the produce section of some supermarkets and at Latin markets.

Preparation

Preheat broiler. Line large rimmed baking sheet with foil; brush lightly with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Arrange tomatillos, poblano chiles, cut side down, and garlic cloves on prepared baking sheet. Broil until tomatillos and chiles begin to soften and blacken in several spots, watching closely to prevent burning, about 10 minutes (do not turn). Remove from oven. Let stand until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes.

Transfer tomatillos to processor. Peel garlic and add to processor. Peel charred parts of chiles; coarsely chop chiles. Add generous 1/3 cup chopped chiles to processor (reserve remaining chiles for enchilada filling). Add 2 cups cilantro and 1 cup green onions to processor; using on/off turns, blend until coarse puree forms. Season salsa verde to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer 1 1/2 cups salsa verde to shallow bowl.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped red onion and sauté until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle shrimp with salt and pepper. Add shrimp, oregano, cumin, and remaining chopped chiles to skillet; sauté just until shrimp are almost opaque but not completely cooked through, tossing often, 3 to 3 1/2 minutes. Remove shrimp mixture from heat.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush 15x10x2-inch glass baking dish with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Spread 1/2 cup salsa verde from processor in bottom of dish. Stack tortillas; wrap in damp paper towels and place on plate. Microwave tortillas on high just until soft and pliable, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Working with 1 tortilla at a time, dip tortilla into bowl with 1 1/2 cups salsa verde, turning to coat both sides evenly. Transfer to prepared baking dish. Place 4 shrimp and some onion-chile mixture down center of tortilla, then sprinkle rounded tablespoonful cheese over. Roll up tortilla, enclosing shrimp and onion-chile filling. Place seam side down in dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas, shrimp, onion-chile mixture, and cheese. Spread 2 cups salsa verde from processor over enchiladas.

Bake enchiladas just until heated through and cheese melts, about 20 minutes. Using spatula, transfer 2 enchiladas to each of 6 plates. Spoon any remaining salsa verde over; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Drizzle with crema and garnish with red onion slices and additional chopped cilantro, if desired.

Really Good Chicken Salad

I am a big, big fan of good chicken salad.  When I went on Atkins years ago, it was a huge staple to my diet.  If I managed to make a big batch at the beginning of the week, I would have enough to make it through my lunches for the rest of the week.  The following recipe is one of my favorites. Granted it has a little bit of apricot jam in it and dried apricots to boot, so it doesn't technically qualify for real "low carb" induction phases, but I have never had any trouble eating it on a maintenance phase.  Plus the dried apricots are high in fiber, so they tend to help "cleanse" your system out a bit, which can also be helpful;)

Apricot Almond Chicken Salad

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced (I usually cook these in the pressure cooker for 12 minutes under high heat, but you could also cook them in the oven Ina's way, or even poach them)

2 tablespoons Apricot jam

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, stems removed and leaves chopped finely

1/2 cup sliced almonds

4 green onions, diced white and some green parts

2 tablespoons honey mustard

1 tablespoon country style dijon mustard

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

15 dried apricots, chopped

Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Mix by hand until well incorporated.  Adjust any seasonings as desired, including adding fresh cracked pepper if needed.  Chill in refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours before serving.

This little piggy

Sad how long it has taken to respond to this challenge of delicious porkiness.  Here is my most delicious list:

• country style ribs slathered in BBQ sauce with a sticky touch of sweetness, a lot of tang and bit of a kick
• bacon wrapped anything but especially bacon wrapped clams
• pulled pork sandwich ditto the sauce above
• the charcuterie plate at Cochon in New Orleans.  It includes head cheese which always scared me at the grocery store but this stuff is true manna from heaven in the hands of their chef
• the many joys of sausage, especially made from scratch or eaten in New Orleans while watching Kermit Ruffins perform

I could go on and on.  What I will not eat and cannot believe was even attempted in my home is this:

Yes, Dietz really did make that nasty bacon wrapped sausage nonsense from thisiswhyyourefat.com.

This is what this evil concoction turned into after trying to turn it on the grill:

 Not sure why this picture will not post upright and centered but you get the idea.  It was nasty!  So let this be a warning to you all.  Pork can be done wrong but only if you are too overzealous.