Enchiladas with Fresh Mango Salsa

Enchiladas with Fresh Mango Salsa

INGREDIENTS:

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 12 6 - 7 inches flour or corn tortillas
• 1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium jalapeno or serrano chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or cooking oil
• 1/3 cup dairy sour cream
• 1/4 cup purchased mole sauce (available in the Hispanic food section of supermarkets or at Hispanic specialty markets)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 16 ounce package firm or extra-firm tub-style tofu (fresh bean curd), drained and cut into 1/2-inch cubes; or two 15-ounce cans black beans or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 8 ounces asadero cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, or sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups)
• 1 cup dairy sour cream
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 recipe Mango Salsa (see recipe below) or 1-1/2 cups purchased salsa

DIRECTIONS:

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Coat one 13x9x2-inch (3 quart) rectangular baking dish or two 11x7x1-1/2-inch (2-quart) rectangular baking dishes with cooking spray; set aside. Stack the tortillas and wrap tightly in foil, and bake for 10 minutes or until warm. Or microwave half of the tortillas at a time between 2 pieces of waxed paper on 100 percent power (high) for 30 seconds.

2. Meanwhile, for filling, in a large skillet cook onion, garlic, and jalapeno pepper in hot oil until tender; remove from heat. Stir together 1/3 cup sour cream, the mole sauce, and water; add to skillet along with tofu and half of the cheese. Spoon 1/3 cup of the tofu mixture onto one edge of each tortilla; roll up. Place, seam side down, in prepared baking dish or dishes.

3. For sauce, in a medium bowl combine the 1 cup sour cream, flour, cumin, and salt; whisk in milk. Pour evenly over filled tortillas.

4. Bake, covered, for 25 minutes until heated through. Top with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 5 minutes more or until cheese melts. Serve enchiladas topped with Mango Salsa. Makes 6 servings.

From the Test Kitchen

• Note Cooking Club Directions:Prepare as above for each member of the club except do not bake. Cover baking dishes with foil. Divide cheese among resealable plastic bags. Prepare salsa as above for each member of the club. (Mango salsa cannot be frozen. If freezing enchiladas, prepare salsa just before serving.) Divide among resealable plastic bags.
• Tip Test Kitchen Tip:Make multiple batches of sauce and filling at the same time. It's also quicker to shred all cheese at the same time. You can make a quadruple recipe of the Mango Salsa in a single bowl as well.
• Tip Reheating and Serving:Refrigerate up to 72 hours, or freeze up to 1 month. Chill or freeze remaining cheese separately in resealable plastic bags or freezer bags. If frozen, thaw enchiladas and Mango Salsa in the refrigerator overnight before reheating. To serve, bake, covered, in a 350 degree F oven for 40 minutes. Top with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted. Serve with Mango Salsa.

Mango Salsa

Start to Finish: 10 mins

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large mango, seeded, peeled, and chopped (1-1/2 cups)
• 2 halapeno or serrano chile peppers, seeded and finely chopped (3 tablespoons)
• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice

DIRECTIONS:
 

In a small bowl combine mango, jalapeno or serrano chile peppers, fresh cilantro, and lemon or lime juice. Place in a storage container and refrigerate up to 2 days.

Read more »

BLACKFIN TUNA TARTARE WITH AVOCADO AND SOY SAUCE DRESSING

BLACKFIN TUNA TARTARE WITH AVOCADO AND SOY SAUCE DRESSING

INGREDIENTS:
Crispy Shallots:

• Peanut oil for frying
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots 
• 2 tablespoons flour
• Fine sea salt
• 2 tablespoons rice crispies

Dressing:

• 1-1/2 teaspoons wasabi powder
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce 
• 2 tablespoons white mirin
• 1 tablespoon mustard or sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar 
• 1 teaspoon honey
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 18 ounces fresh tuna, trimmed and cut into 1/8-inch dice 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 ripe avocadoes, peeled and diced

DIRECTIONS:

Fry the Shallots: Pour the oil into a small saucepan to a depth of about 1 inch. Heat the oil until a small piece of shallot sizzles rapidly when added to the pan. Toss the shallots with the flour. Carefully add the shallots to the oil and fry until golden brown, 30 to 60 seconds. Remove the shallots with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Mix the rice crispies. Season with salt. Make the Dressing: In a medium bowl, stir together the wasabi powder and 1 tablespoon water to make a smooth paste. Whisk in the soy sauce, mirin, mustard oil, vinegar, and honey. Add black pepper to taste. Set aside. Make the Tartare: Toss the tuna with the olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Season the avocadoes with salt and pepper to taste. To Serve: To mold the tuna into a disk, place a 3-inch tartlet ring or an empty tuna can with the top and bottom lids cut out on a chilled plate. Fill the ring with a layer of avocado and top with the diced tuna and fried shallots. Lift off the ring. Drizzle the sauce around the tuna. Serve with the ciabatta or homemade potato chips and a side of kimchee sauce.

Read more »

Apricot Chicken

Apricot Chicken

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 firm apricots, medium size, halved and pitted
• 2 lbs chicken tenderloins, diced
• 2-3 tbsp oil
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp ginger, grated
• 2 tsp garlic, grated
• 1/4 large onion, chopped fine
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 3 dried red chillies
• 1 stick cinnamon (cassia)
• 5 cloves
• 3 cardamom pods
• 1 tsp red chilli powder (optional)
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 tbsp sugar
• Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oil in a kadhai
2. Add thinly sliced onion and cook on medium heat until they are soft and golden brown in color.
3. Add ginger and garlic and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
4. Add the whole spices: cumin, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and red chillies. (Wow! All of them start with a C!) Cook for a few minutes, stirring until the spices have released their aroma.
5. Add chopped onions and diced chicken tenderloins. Cook on medium-high, until the chicken is lightly browned on the outside. Stir only as necessary.
6. In another saucepan, add 2 tablespoons of sugar and allow it to caramelize over medium heat. Do not burn the sugar.
7. Add the warm water, a little bit at a time, disssolving the caramelized sugar as you do so.
8. Add halved apricots to the warm water, bring to a boil, lower the heat and cook covered until apricots are soft and tender. About 5-7 minutes depending on how firm your apricots are.
9. Add apricot mixture to the chicken when it is almost cooked.
10. Add red chilli powder, if using, and salt. Break down any large chunks of apricots so that they form the base of the sauce.
11. Simmer on low until the chicken is cooked. 
12. Garnish with chiffonade of mint, if you wish. I did. Serve with rotis or over steamed basmati rice.

Read more »

Flourless Fudge Chocolate Chip Cookies

Flourless Fudge Chocolate Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2/3 cup unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa powder
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 2 to 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups cacao chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Set aside two baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar with cocoa powder and salt. 
4. Whisk in the vanilla and egg whites starting with just two.
5. Beat just until the batter is moistened. If it seems too thick, add another egg white– then a 4th one if it still seems too thick. 
6. Stir in the chocolate chips.
7. Scoop the batter by the tablespoon full onto the prepared baking sheets. Leave enough space between each cookie for them to spread. 
8. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the tops are glossy and lightly cracked. 
9. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet

Read more »

Southwest Chicken Panini

Southwest Chicken Panini

INGREDIENTS:

• For the filling:
• 2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts pounded thin
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¾ tsp. ground cumin
• ½ tsp. chili powder
• ¼ tsp. kosher salt
• 1 chipotle in adobo sauce, seeded and minced
• ½ cup tomato sauce*
• Juice of 1 lime

To Assemble:

1. Sliced sourdough bread
2. Olive oil
3. Shredded pepper jack or cheddar cheese
4. Chopped fresh cilantro

Read more »

Cilantro-Lime Shrimp and Plum Kebabs

Cilantro-Lime Shrimp and Plum Kebabs

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 tablespoon(s) canola oil or toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoon(s) chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon(s) freshly grated lime zest
• 3 tablespoon(s) lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
• 12 raw shrimp (8-12 per pound), peeled and deveined
• 3 jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded, and quartered lengthwise
• 2 plums, pitted and cut into sixths

DIRECTIONS:

1. Whisk oil, cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside 3 tablespoons of the mixture in a small bowl to use as dressing. Add shrimp, jalapeños, and plums to the remaining marinade; toss to coat.
2. Preheat grill to medium-high.
3. Make 4 kebabs, alternating shrimp, jalapenos and plums evenly among the skewers. (Discard the marinade.) Grill the kebabs, turning once, until the shrimp are cooked through, about 8 minutes total. Drizzle with the reserved dressing.

Read more »

Colcannon

Colcannon

INGREDIENTS:
Serves 4 as Side dish

• 4 Cups Chopped Potatoes, I like Yukon Gold
• 4 Cloves Garlic, minced (optional)
• 3 Tbs Earth Balance Margarine
• 4 Cups Chopped Kale
• 1 Cup Chopped Seitan
• 1 tsp Soy Sauce
• 1 Tbs Nutritional Yeast (optional)
• 2-4 Tbs Soy Milk or Soy Creamer, warmed
• 3 Sprigs Thyme, leaves leaves only (optional)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Chop your potatoes into 1″ cubes and bring them to a boil in some salted water. You can peel your potatoes if you like, but I keep the skins on for added flavor, texture, and nutritional value. Meanwhile, add Earth Balance and garlic to the bottom of a pot. Cook until the margarine is melted and the garlic is fragrant, then add kale and toss well to coat. Add seitan and soy sauce and cook over medium heat until kale is tender and reduced in size. If you think it’s cooked enough before the potatoes are finished, reduce heat to the lowest setting to keep the mixture and pot warm. When it comes time to add the potatoes, the warm pan will ensure they won’t get cold while finishing the dish.

Drain potatoes when they’re fork tender but not waterlogged. Add well-drained potatoes to the warm kale and seitan mixture. Mash as you usually would. You can also rice or mill your potatoes directly into the warm pot; this prevents lumps if you worried about that kind of thing.

Mix in the nutritional yeast (if using), herbs, and 2 Tbs of the warmed soymilk. Add more if needed for a smooth and creamy texture, but not so much it loses its fluffiness. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Read more »