Mexicali Preparado Carne Asada, Un Barrio Favorito

Born and raise in the Barrio  (barrios are generally considered cohesive places, sharing, for example, traditions) en la ciudad del Centro, a través de la capital de Baja California, Mexicali, provided the back drop for me to experience some of the best Mexican food on the planet. Earthy, organic, none pretentious and downright tasty.

Here’s the all time standby that brings the taste of the barrio to your kitchen. Trust me, it is not the typical gringo style, it’s the real McCoy!

CARNE ASADA PREPARADA

6-10 lbs Flap Meat (Do not use what the grocery calls carne asada)

6 cloves chopped garlic

1 bunch cilantro (chopped)

Juice from 1 lemon (then chop the lemon and add to merinade)

1 chopped onion

1T cumin (mix together)

4T Taco Seasoning (Optional, albeit I do not use)

1 quart Orange Juice

Wash the meat and dry it off

Mix up all the spices in a small bowl.

Take on piece of meat at a time and coat with spices.
Add to sealable container (plastic freezer bag works well)
Pour in orange juice
Seal and let marinade for 3-5 hours (it is important to nto marinade this more than 5 hours or it will taste like orange juice and nothing else)

When ready, grill or cook over high heat to sear. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving

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So there it is on this day October 27, 2011.  CM-SDH-Wayne

When It Rains, It’s, Well, My Life - Guess I’ll Stuff A Pork Chop

After controlling the blood from slamming my finger in the gate this morning, I was off on my morning jaunt delivering teenagers to seminary and school. Then, if Monday wasn’t planned better, I returned to find my love sitting in the middle of the kitchen covered with cinders and soot. The ol’ girl obviously had a fit last night when she pulled a Kilauea and bellowed a gust of disgust during last night’s evening tryst. And, she was only asked to make Quesadilla’s!

We had flames nearly two feet tall and with an out dated fire extinguisher, it was all we could do to douse our amusement with a few pounds of flour. Although it accomplished what we needed it to do, it created one of the biggest messes I have ever seen. It looked as if Gold Metal met a pyroclastic flow as dust and debris settled in and on every nook and cranny. Black soot and powdering flour was all over the place except on top of the stove where it turned gummy after my son’s added water to ensure it would not burst in to flames a second time.

All dressed in a mask, gloves, knee pads and cleaner I eagerly knelt in despair to pay homage to My Mistress, The Kitchen. As I sprayed her sides and the cabinets surrounding her, I was given a reminder that we still had a hole in the ceiling as a small made the soot and flour turn in to a small whirlwind over the counter. (Last week, another water leak caused the ceiling above the dinette to come crashing down.) Again.

I am not sure what it is about being salary-less that causes the sky to fall, but in the last two years of unemployment, I have replaced a gate, replaced the lawn mower and blower (they died), a water heater, two kitchen ceilings due to water leaks, two stoves that caught on fire, a dryer that burnt up, a washer that had a fit and quite on us, replaced three faucets and clean every filter known to man when the water softener blew up its guts and clogged every pipe and appliance screen throughout the house.

Did I mention that this month we had a $2K car repair, it was my son’s 15^th Birthday last week and all I could do was take him to the Salvation Army to shop and, it is raining outside bringing copious amounts of radiation while gusts last night took out my back fence?

Guess I’ll stuff a pork chop

Parmesan Spinach Stuffed Pork Chops

6            Thick Cut Pork Chops (extra lean – All Fat Removed)

4oz.       Parmesan Cheese

4 c         Spinach Leaves

4            Sliced Thick Cut Bacon

½ c        Beef Stock

Preparing the chop: Trim all fat from Pork Chops. Insert steak knife in the small end of the pork chop. Cut through Chop without breaking through edges with tip of knife.  If you hold the chop in your hand and slice extremely slow, you can feel the knife as it cuts through the inside of the meat.  Do not allow knife to pierce through edges and try to keep the initial hole you make with the knife as small as possible.

Chop bacon in to small pieces and cook until crispy. Drain and dry.

Add Beef stock to pan with bacon grease and keep heated.

In a Cuisinart, add Parmesan Cheese, Spinach and Bacon bits.  Pulse-chop until all is incorporated.  You can make this creamy or chunky. Creamy is easier to insert.

Using a pastry bag without a tip (or a freezer bag with end cut off), fill bag with Parmesan mixture. Squeeze in to hallowed chop. Over filling is okay. If the hole is too big in the chop, tie chop with cooking twine to close.

On a very hot grill, sear Chops until firm. They will be uncooked in the middle.

In a baking dish, place grilled Pork Chops. Top with heated Beef Stock and sprinkle with grated Parmesan Cheese.

Please in a preheated 350^o oven for 30-35 minutes.

Do You Suffer From Cronic Lift Frequency?

From the land of the giants I ask:  Are you always on a diet?  Always looking to shed a few pounds?  Well, skip the fad diets, get plenty of exercise, eat appropriate portions and watch your fork to mouth lift frequency.

health·y  (h l th )

adj. health·i·er, health·i·est

1. Possessing good health.

2. Conducive to good health; healthful: healthy air.

3. Indicative of sound, rational thinking or frame of mind: a healthy attitude.

4. Sizable; considerable: a healthy portion of potatoes; a healthy raise in salary.

One may argue my state of mind, but I will talk to myself about that later. What I will admit too is that I fail on all the above except portion.

Speaking of portion, this recipe is a cholesterol nightmare and should be handled with care. If it helps, compliment it with a lot of Salad and Fruit.

Not being an advocate of preprocessed foods, I am amused when certain items are a foundation to a new creation. For example, this recipe is not unlike finding another way to make hamburger taste like steak.  I took 3 Cheese Tortellini and lasagna’ized it by sandwiching eggplant, cauliflower, capers and garlic between layers. 45 minutes later done

VEGETIZED, LASAGNA'IZED TORTELINNI WITH ROASTED TURKEY

1 pkg      Prepared Cheese Tortellini

2            Japanese Eggplant

2            Cloves Garlic (sliced thin)

½                    Stick Butter

½ c        Olive Oil

2T                   Italian Seasoning

½ hd.     Cauliflower

½ c        Cubed Turkey

3T                    Capers

½ c        White Wine

½ c        Fresh Italian Parsley (diced)

2 c         Mozzarella Grated

1                    Fresh Bunch Basil

1t          Lemon Juice

¼ c        Grated Parmesan

Preheat over to 355^o.

Cook Tortellini for half the time as directed on package and set aside.

In a pan, add sliced Egg Plant, Butter and Olive Oil and sauté for 5 minutes.

Add Italian Seasoning, Capers, Lemon Juice and White Wine. Sauté another minute or two and add Cubed Turkey. Sauté another 3 minutes and remove from heat.  Add finely diced Cauliflower and diced Italian Parsley.

In a baking dish, layer half of the Tortellini, sprinkle with 1/3 Great Mozzarella, add Eggplant mixture and spread over top, add 1/3 Grated Mozzarella, top with remaining Tortellini, sprinkle remaining Mozzarella, layer on Basil Leaves, top with Parmesan.

Cover (with dome) aluminum foil and bake 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes.

Sickly Green and the Smell of Basil

The pleasantry of cul-de-sac living coupled with a soiled minivan and the smell of kid’s feet is the resemblance of what my life is all about; love and family.

Being raised by southern parents (Goosepond, AL and the swamps of LA) you would assume I understood the basic instinct of why put it away. But oh no! Seeking a life in the burbs to raise a family with better etiquette I find myself surrounded by those with a gene pool designed by royalty.  Of course my genes are that of the dust maid as those of my masculine princesses boast something much bluer; the only finger they raise (around here) has an expression tacked adequately to its tip.

Sitting at the computer somewhere between 8:30 am and insanity I sit to read Little Red Riding Hood.  She left a trail of bread crumbs to find her way if she got lost. With that I put on waders, grab a drink and decided to follow the trails left behind by those who adore me so much.  As I tripped over jackets, schoolbooks, boxer shorts and socks I eventually found myself losing my stomach over a pile of half eaten food, dirty dishes and a stash of candy wrappers.  Did I mention the bag of chips the dog got in to? That was under the bed.

Simply put, I have teenagers. Wonderful loving young men that leave me on Mondays with the desire to seek the hind link maneuver as their marked territory leaves me with an all too sensitive gag reflex.

Seriously, tilt this place on its side, open the door, drop in two dogs and two teenage boys; add moisture, give it a shake and let it sit in the sun for a bit and you’ve got my house. Although accustomed to it, it is all I can do to dance with a bottle of pine sol and erase their memory.

I know there is a kitchen in here somewhere.  I just know it!

CHICKEN AND BASIL WITH TOASTED PINE NUTS

4-6         Boneless Chicken Thighs (you can sue breasts but thighs taste better)

1Jar       Prepared Pesto (buy or make your own with a bunch of basil, 1 cup olive oil and ½ cup prepared grated permission cheese)

½ c        Pine nuts

Preheat oven at 350^o.

Wash chicken and remove skin and all fat. Dry and place in a baking dish sprayed with non-stick stuff like PAM. Cover with pesto sauce.

In a shallow pan, toast pine nuts with a little salt. Add ¾ of the nuts to chicken dish and bake for 45 minutes. Shorter time for breasts.

Serve over Vegetable infused rice.

Done

         

BROCCOLI INFUSED BASMATI RICE WITH PINE NUTS

2            Crowns of Broccoli

1c           Basmati Rice

1 ½ c      Water

¼ c        Pine Nuts (toasted in 1t Butter)

1t          Garlic

1t          Chicken Bouillon

½ t         Lemon Juice

Toast pine nuts with 1t Butter set aside.

In a Cuisinart pulse Broccoli until all is about the size of the Broccoli flower (very very small).

In a large pan, add Water, Garlic and Bouillon and bring to a boil. Stir in Broccoli and 1 cup Basmati Rice. Cover with lid and turn burner down to low simmer for 20 minutes.

Done

I Think I’m Going Nuts

Yesterday’s meal was simple as the boys had a small window between homework and Boy Scouts. With the wife being entertained (that evening) by a local City Commerce mixer, I set out on a no stress quickie and delivered Carne Asada. Wrapping that up (pun intended) I rush the boys off and out to Scouts.

I figured I got off easy until it dawned on me that I was again blessed with another opportunity of being at home, alone, again, at home. This is when; somewhere between the commercials of how to taxidermy a sloth, I realized that I’m Going Nuts!

I stood up, regained composure and walked in to the kitchen. Not too disappoint the appliances, I gave another embrace and I love you to the stove, opened the cupboard, grabbed a bag of Walnuts and asked what they might want to do themselves.

Pondering their response (hmm) my eye caught a glance of the cornmeal and noticed how neglected it had also become. So I grabbed it and walked over to the fridge. I saw apples on the counter, chicken breast in the cooler and a hunk of goat cheese. With such an array of perishables at hand, it was all I could do to sit cross-legged on the floor and hold my head.

Somewhere between contemplation and crying I came up with Maple Walnut Chicken, Sweet Spring Walnut Salad and a Caramel Apple-Upside Down-Cornmeal Cake.

MAPLE WALNUT CHICKEN BREAST

4            Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1T          Olive Oil

1T          Fresh Thyme (chopped)

¼ t         Salt

¼ t         Ground Pepper (use a mill to get chunks of pepper)

½ c         Walnuts

5T           Cider Vinegar

½ c          Water

3T            Maple Syrup

NOTE:  Use one skillet and never remove from heat!

Rub the chicken with the Olive Oil and then with the chopped thyme, salt and pepper. Let it hang for a minute or two.

In a skillet toast the Walnuts 4-6 minutes. (When you start to smell their fragrance they are done.) Transfer the Walnuts to a dish.

In the same skillet, add the Chicken breast and cook 12 minutes turning frequently. (Or until golden brown and juices run clear when pierced.) Remove Chicken to an oven safe plate and place in a warmer or the oven at very low heat.

In the skillet, add the vinegar and cook for about a minute, stir frequently. Add the Maple Syrup and Water and let simmer until thickened (6-7 minutes). Stir once in a while so it knows you love it.

Add the Walnuts and cook for another 1 minutes. Plate your Chicken (over rice if you want) and spoon over Walnut Topping.

Done!

SWEET SPRING WALNUT SALAD

1-2         Bunches Watercress (tiny sprigs and leaves only-top 1/3)

1-2         Head Butter Lettuce

1              De Anjou Pear (Julienne sliced)

¼ c        Pear Juice

3t          White Wine Vinegar

3t          Apple Cider Vinegar

5T          Walnut Oil

¼ lb       Goat Cheese (or Roquefort)

½ c        Chopped Walnuts

Salt and Pepper to taste

Rinse Butter Lettuce and Watercress and dry very well. Julienne Pear and sprinkle lightly with Lemon Juice. Add to the greens.

Whisk together Vinegars, Pear Juice, Salt and Pepper.

Slowly but gradually whisk in Walnut Oil. Slow and gradual ensures the integrity (creaminess).

Add Walnuts and toss lettuce with dressing just to coat leave. Plate and sprinkle with Cheese.

Done

  CARAMEL APPLE UPSIDE DOWN CORNMEAL CAKE

6T         Butter

4           Sweet baking apples (cored, peeled, sliced)

½ c        Brown Sugar

2T          Milk

½ c        Chopped Pecans

1/3 c      Dried Fruit (cranberry’s, strawberries, or your choice)

¾ c        Flour

2T          Sugar

1 ½ t      Baking Powder

¼ t         Salt

¾ c         Cornmeal

1c           Hot Water

¼           Melted Butter

2              Beaten Eggs

1 ½ t      Vanilla

Preheat oven 350^o

In an over proof skillet on medium heat, melt ½ the butter and cook apples for about 5 minutes or until tender. Transfer to a bowl.

In the same skillet, add remaining butter and brown sugar. Stir until it boils, remove from heat and add milk slowly while stirring. Add Pecans and Dried Fruit, give it stir.  Arrange cooked Apples on top of this mixture.

In a bowl mix together flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. In another bowl, mix cornmeal, water and ¼ melted butter. Add beaten Eggs and Vanilla and mix. Stir in the Flour mixture (to combine only) and pour over apples.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes clean. Cool for 10-15 minutes, invert on a serving dish.

Done

Four Burners And A Trip To The Island

Every day begins at 5:30am.  Hustle kids to seminary, hustle kids back, hustle kids to school, receive an obligatory kiss from the wife as she heads off to work.  And, before you know it, it’s 8:30a.m. and I am off on a new adventure at home, alone, again, at home.

With several hours ahead of me (again) and nothing else to do (again), I put my thoughts to dinner.  Doesn’t everyone? 

Gazing out the window pondering my loneliness, my eyes of depression saw the lush green gardens of the encroaching backyard.  Palms and ferns brushed against the window as the wind and rain dance across their fronds. As the house grew darker when heavier clouds blew in, it reminded me of the many trips I took to the Islands. Memories danced as I was fondly reminded of people, the smells and fragrances and taste of the isolated civilizations I have visited. Before I knew it I was on another excursion; this time to the Kitchen Islands.

After a gentle embrace and I love you to the oven, I reach for the door of the fridge. And there it was, a fresh kill just waiting for me to prepare it for the tribe I so graciously reported to earlier that day. Okay, not so fresh since it was a “Buy One, Get One Free” pork loin I purchased on discount yesterday. But for adventures sake, stick with me J because that day I created Mango Coconut Pork.

MANGO COCONUT PORK

3-4lb    Pork Loin (the other white meat)

2 foot  Butcher Block paper or 1 large banana leaf

4T        Sweet Mesquite Seasoning

4T        Olive Oil

1/2T     Pepper

1/2T     Salt

4 ft      Kitchen twine (cotton string)

1can     Coconut Milk

2          Mangos (cut in to pieces)

1          Pineapple (cut in to chunks)

2T        Crushed Juniper Berries

¼ t       Pepper Flakes

¼ t       Sage

¼ t       All Whole Spice

1 T       Basil

2T        Red Wine Vinegar

This is an 8 hour slow cooking dinner. Heat oven to 225^o.

Wash and dry the pork.  Rub in salt, pepper and sweet mesquite seasoning. Place the pork at one corner of the butcher block paper and roll tightly folding in edges.  With a banana leaf, start at the stem end and roll folding in the edges.  Wrap twine tightly around the packaged pork loin. It should incircle the package on all sides.

Place package pork loin in a roasting pan and put in to the oven.

In another roasting pan, add all other ingredients and slow cook alongside the pork for 8 hours. 

When done, open the pork in the pan it was roasting in. Shred pork and toss with any remaining drippings from the cooked pork.

In the other pan, puree all the ingredients. Serve pork over rice and top with the pureed mixture.

The wonderful muddy flavor of a fresh water catch. Louisiana Swamps Pecan Catfish

I once took a trip to visit my father’s Uncle Tunk and Aunt Teapie. They live on an island in the swamps of Louisiana and unless you live there, you'll need a local escort. So my dad’s brother (who lived in the area) drove us to the edge of the swamp and walked us down a muddy path and yelled “TUNK! it’s Russ”…  “Comin getus, I got family here!”

Across the murky water came an old worn out boat and a very strange man dressed in what looked to be the same overall’s and hat he took off and put on every day of the week.  He was a tall slender man, wore a very long scruffy beard and only had one hand.   

After a brief introduction, we loaded in to the boat and started rowing. As kids would do, we drug our hands in the water and tapped at the wake the oars created. I asked Uncle Tunk how he lost his had hand and when he shared the story of the alligator, we promptly brought our hands back in to the boat.

At the edge of the bank stood our Aunt Teapie. Wearing a comparative fashion, she had big blue eyes, bright smile and possessed all the warmth, charm and personality this part of the country could offer.  And could she cook!  That night the cabin was filled with the fragrance of the south when Aunt Teapie served up Pecan Catfish.

Oh those muddy tasting Catfish! Yuk!

I have eaten a large variety of foods from many cultures and one thing I cannot learn to appreciate is the taste of fresh water ground dwellers.  They all taste like MUD!  So here’s a tip from my Aunt Teapie. Soak the meat of a fresh water catch in milk/cream for 3 hours and voila! No Muddy flavor.

Louisiana Swamps Pecan Catfish

4             Catfish filets (soaked in milk/cream 3 hours)

¼ c         Ground pecans

½ c         Flour

½ c         Corn flour/meal

Mix this together on a plate

Grab a filet from the milk and dip into this mix

Drop immediately (skin side down) in a hot greased skillet (don’t drown it in oil, just enough to pan fry/sear.

Cook one side for 2 minutes, turn over and cook the other side for 2 minutes.

Done!

Topping

¼            Dijon mustard

½ t          Tarragon

Pinch     Salt and Pepper

2T           Capers

1T           Tabasco

¼ c         White wine

¼ c         Age vinegar (Balsamic is what I use today)

¼ c         White vinegar

Mix together for a topping