Are we there yet?

I can smell Cinco de Mayo from here. It's only three days away! It's actually sort of funny that Americans even celebrate it, however, I will not argue with a holiday that gives me an excuse to gorge myself on Mexican food and margaritas. Fish tacos are a great way to celebrate the Independence of Mexico. Fish tacos come from the influence of Baja California, Texas and Mexico. With their powers combined, we have a light, simple recipe to share with friends. I also made my very special black bean soup to wash it down with!

Fish Tacos

Ingredients:

• Corn tortillas

***Before stuffing the corn tortillas, place in a damp paper towel and microwave for about 30 seconds.

Fish-

• 2 fillets of tilapia
• 2 tbs of ancho powder
• 1 tbs olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Toppings- Just go nuts and do whatever you want here. Here is what I did:

• Frozen corn, thawed and sauteed in oil until charred.
• 3 tbs Queso Fresco
• 1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tbs fresh lime juice
• 1/4 c chopped purple onion
• Pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds. VERY Mexican! :))



Heat oil in a saute pan until hot. Season fish with ancho poweder, salt and pepper. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and saute for 4-5 min on each side. Watch for fish to turn white and the sides will crisps. Remove from heat and place on a plate lined with paper towel.

Break fish into small pieces and add to warm corn tortillas. Add toppings to your liking and enjoy!



Black Bean Soup

• 1 tbl olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves quartered
• 1/2 c onion chopped
• 1/2 tbs cumin
• 1 8oz can black beans. Do not drain
• 1 8oz can diced tomatoes. Do not drain.
• 3 c chicken stock
• 1/4 c cilantro

Heat oil in large soup pot. Add garlic and onion until onion is transparent. Season with cumin. Add the chicken stock, beans and tomatoes. Simmer for about 20 min until flavors have combined. Add the cilantro and remove the soup from the heat. Let it cool down for about 5 min. In batches, blend or process the soup and return to pan and let simmer until ready to serve.

You can decide what sort of texture you want. You don't have to puree the soup if you like it chunky. If you want the best of both worlds, only puree about half of the soup. If you are anything like me, you can puree the whole dang pot! It's totally up to you! Just make sure that the less you puree it, the finer you have to chop your ingredients. If you puree the whole thing, it's a lot less chopping! :)

Sprinkle with Queso Fresco and cilantro.

Tortellini Soup and Parmesan Popovers

You might just popover when you eat this meal! However, I swear I will stop posting so much Italian, but just this last one. I don't know what came over me this last week, but never fret, my kitchen's passport is already on its way to Mexico in light of Cinco de Mayo. I have a few Mexican dishes coming your way so that you can get some ideas brewing for Thursday.

Back to the soup at hand...

If my soup placed an ad in the dating section of the paper it would read: S/W/F. I'm easy and must be paired up with someone rich. Contenders must love garlic!

I think you get the idea. Since the soup is so easy, I just had to add more to it so that my time in the kitchen lasted a bit longer. Does that make me crazy?

So then came the idea for Parmesan Popovers. They are so cute and "filthy rich"! The perfect pairing for a desperate housewife...I mean...the soup.

Tortellini Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 tbs olive oil
• 5 garlic cloves chopped
• 1/2 c chopped onion
• Dash of Italian seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 8oz can diced tomato
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 package of tortellini
• Handful of fresh spinach


Heat a large soup pot with olive oil. Add the garlic and onion until the onion is transparent. Add the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste.

Add the can of tomatoes with their juice. Add chicken broth and bring the soup to a boil. Once the soup is boiling add the tortellini and reduce heat to a gentle boil. Once the tortellini puffs up and almost doubles in size, the pasta is done. Turn the heat to a low simmer and add the spinach. Once the spinach wilts, the soup is done.

Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan and fresh chopped basil.


Parmesan Popovers

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon herbs de Provence or Italian seasoning
• 4 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
• 1 cups whole milk
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan (about 5 ounces)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a Kitchen Aid mixer or blender, combine eggs, flour, salt, pepper, and herbs, milk, and cheese. Blend on medium speed.

Spray a mini-muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the batter into the muffin cups, filling each cup 3/4 full. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.

They will literally pop out of the pan on their own. :)

Pesto Lasagna with a Bechamel Sauce

This lasagna is by far, the MOST decadent thing you will ever taste. The bechamel sauce makes it so rich and moist and the pesto adds the flavor kick. After about five minutes of moaning and groaning through the first bite, I just knew this was worth cooking for guests when they come into town. It's that special!! I made it lighter than the traditional versions and used canned pesto. I would make my own, but I cringe every time I see the cost of pine nuts, which is the best part of a pesto...

A word from the wise-ish about bechamel sauce...I would not call myself a pro at it yet but the first time I made the sauce was last week for a Mac and Cheese gone wrong, I was not patient enough and didn't toast my flour correctly. Needless to say, the whole meal was gross! So, I had to be careful this time and was determined not to ruin it. I am pretty sure I nailed it on the head this time, judging from the symphony in my mouth with each bite of this lasagna. Just stay near the sauce and stir constantly and taste as you go along. Once it loses it's floury taste, it's ready.

Bechamel:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk/ 2 1/2 cups skim milk (this keeps it flavorful but will cut back on the richness and the fat content.)
• Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Other Ingredients:
• 1 jar of pesto
• 1 cup of mozzarella or parmesan ( I used mozzarella because Trevor loves it so much)
• 1/4 cup of parmesan to sprinkle on top before and after cooking
• 1 box of no cook lasagna noodles. I found a box of sheet-like lasagna noodles. They are much easier to layer.


Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter a 13 by 9 by 4 baking dish and add a thin layer of the bechamel sauce. Cover with a layer of lasagna noodles, and then another thin layer of bechamel. Gently spread about 4 tablespoons pesto across the surface, and then top with about 2 tablespoons of your cheese choice. Repeat until you finish layering the lasagna. Top with a final layer of noodles and spread a final very thin layer bechamel, pesto, Parmesan cheese and a little butter to help the cheese crisp-up when cooked in the oven.

Cook the lasagna for about 30 minutes. Serve dressed with some Parmesan and a drop of extra-virgin olive oil.

Beshamel:
Melt the 1/2 cup butter in a pan over medium heat. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon. This is an important moment, as you have to slowly toast the flour without burning it. This will help you lose the flowery taste! It takes about 10 min. It should look like a dark ivory color and bubbly.

Gradually ladle warmed milk into the pot with the butter-flour mixture, whisking constantly while bringing the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes. STIR CONSTANTLY. Season the sauce with freshly grated nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

This meal is WORTH the labor. I made it a little lighter than traditional versions but the decadence and elegance of this recipe with make everyone around you happy!

Porky Goes South

Just think...oven roasted pork tenderloin with a sauce that tastes like it just came out of a kitchen nestled in southern Italy. The flavors are robust and so decadent. Porky will be singin' a new tune!

Now, I am a huge believer in pork tenderloins. For one, they are so easy and so full of their own flavors. Basically, it's a meat that can speak for itself. They even come in various marinades for busy nights..no sauce necessary. I do love making a variety of sauces to drizzle over it for some pizazz but have grown weary of other members of the pork family. To be frank, I HATE pork chops. Mom used to try and make me eat them growing up, and I just never wanted it. Sorry mom...

In my own cooking adventures, to my mom's defense, I have decided that there is NO WAY to make it tender. I am now accepting advice from others out there who know how to make this cut tender. I have grilled it, baked it and "parmesan-ed" it in a pan, but to no avail.

Pork tenderloin, however, is a much fattier cut. Although, I do recommend trimming some of the fat off to stay as healthy as possible...it adds so much flavor. Today I paired it with orzo tossed in a roasted tomato vinaigrette. Both recipes are my rendition of Giada's original recipe.

Enjoy this one!

Pork
* 3 (1-pound) pork tenderloins, trimmed
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sauce
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 1/2 small onion, diced
* 1/2 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
* 1/2 medium yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
* 1/2 medium orange bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* Kosher salt for seasoning, plus 2 tablespoons
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1 cup red wine, such as syrah or cabernet sauvignon
* 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
* 1 (15-ounce) can tomato puree
* 1 dried bay leaf


For the pork: Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Rub 1 tablespoon oil over the pork and season with salt and pepper. In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over high heat. Add the pork and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer the pork to a 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass baking dish and roast for 25 to 30 minutes until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the pork registers 165 degrees F. Allow the pork to rest for 10 minutes.

For the sauce: In the same skillet used for the pork, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, peppers and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently for 8 to 10 minutes until softened. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes, scraping up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in the paprika, tomatoes and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 25 to 30 minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove the bay leaf and transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Season with 2 tablespoons salt and pepper, to taste.

Fire Roasted Soup

This soup should wear a caution sign saying, "Eat with caution, flavors might explode in your mouth and could cause an overindulgence in it's deliciousness." The idea originated from a Rachel Ray recipe, but I can't make anything without putting my own twist on it. I just know how I like things and you can always do the same thing too!

The key ingredient (and this is NOT optional) is the ancho chili. I used two for this recipe and it was the base of the soup. Now these are quite hard to find. The way I found them...three grocery stores later, was packaged in a bag in the Hispanic section of the spice aisle. I do not know if you have a section like this in your store but I am in north Cuba so you can bet I have that section. You may also find them in the produce section near the other peppers. The ones I bought were Badia brand. Now here is a little background on the pepper itself. Ancho chili is a dried poblano pepper. They are bright green when fresh but turn almost black when dried this particular way. They are woody and a bit sweet so they are mild as well. They must be reconstituted but it's simple.


Fire Roasted Ancho Chili Soup

Ingredients

* corn tortillas sliced
* 2 large ancho chilies, seeded and stemmed
* 1 quart chicken stock
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 2 ears corn on the cob, husked, kernels removed or 1 cup frozen kernels, defrosted
* 1/2 large red onion, chopped
* 1 jalapeno chili, seeded and chopped or thinly sliced (wear gloves!!!)
* 1 red chili pepper, seeded and chopped or thinly sliced
* 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked sweet paprika
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 (14-ounce) can fire roasted diced (try to find these, it adds a ton of flavor!)
* 1 tablespoon honey
* 1/2 left over rotisserie chicken, skinned and shredded or just poach some chicken in chicken broth and shred
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 to 2 cups water
* 1/2 lime
* 2 ripe Hass avocados, halved
* Sour cream, for garnish
* Cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions

Add the ancho chilies and the chicken stock to a large pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chilies are tender. Remove from the heat to cool.

While the anchos simmer, heat a medium soup pot with vegetable oil over high heat. Add the corn and saute until charred at the edges, 2 to 3 minutes.

Reduce the heat a little, add the onions, jalapeno, red chile pepper and garlic. Season with cumin, smoked paprika and cinnamon. Saute for 5 minutes, then stir in the tomatoes.

Puree the anchos and the stock in a food processor, then add it to the soup pot. Stir in the honey and the shredded chicken and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Thin the soup with 1 or 2 cups of water and simmer over low heat to combine flavors, about 5 minutes.

Zest and juice 1/2 lime and add to the soup pot. Seed and dice the avocados and add to a small bowl. Dress with the juice of the remaining lime.

Pile some corn tortillas into each soup bowl. Top with diced avocado and ladle the soup over the avocado. Garnish with sour cream and whole or chopped cilantro leaves.

Thank me later! :)

Pasta Rustica

If I had it my way I would die in a pool of noodles. Since I am always on the hunt for new pasta night ideas, I thought I should share this one with you. This is my rendition of a Giada favorite. It is so comforting and rustic that it will please the entire family. I swear by this one. I served it in a cast iron pan for an extra touch of "countryside" service.

Rotini with Sausage and Sun-dried tomatoes

Ingredients
3/4 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, sliced, 2 tablespoons of oil reserved
1 pound Italian hot sausages, casings removed
1/2 cup chopped artichoke hearts
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
16 ounces rotini pasta
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan, plus additional for garnish
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
8 ounces water-packed fresh mozzarella, drained and cubed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions
Heat the oil reserved from the tomatoes in a heavy large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and cook until brown, breaking up the meat into bite-size pieces with a fork, about 8 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a bowl. Add the artichokes and garlic to the same skillet, and saute over medium heat until the garlic is tender, about 2 minutes. Add the broth, wine, and sun-dried tomatoes. Boil over medium-high heat until the sauce reduces slightly, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta in boiling water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta (do not rinse). Add the pasta, sausage, 1/2 cup Parmesan, basil, and parsley to the artichoke mixture. Toss until the sauce is almost absorbed by the pasta. Stir in the mozzarella. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Then pour it into a cast iron pan. Cut some of the fresh mozzarella and sprinkle it over the top of the dish. Put it in the oven for a bit to melt the cheese.

It looks amazing when it comes out and then I sprinkle it with more basil.

The sauce at the bottom of the pan is so rich and decadent that you could even dip some crusty bread into it to top off your meal.

Peruvian Chicken with a "to-die-for" Aji Sauce

Never have I been anywhere near Peru...however, my little kitchen has been there and back. I always love roasting a chicken, but have grown tired of the typical rosemary rub and side of veggies. Hence, when I discovered the Peruvian art of flavor, I just HAD to try it. They use vinegar in a lot of their recipes which is something I never work with. I was intrigued to try this and it was amazing! The chicken marinates for 12 hours in a beer, vinegar and spice marinade. The meat will literally fall off the bone when you eat it. The chicken is perfectly complimented with an Aji sauce made of fresh jalapeños, cilantro and sour cream. This sauce gets better over time in the fridge and can go on anything your heart desires.

Peruvian Roasted Chicken

1 whole chicken
4 oz beer (I used Corona light)
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 lime, juice of
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
salt
paprika

Place whole chicken in a large dish and season generously with beer, vinegar, lime juice, salt, garlic powder, cumin and oregano. Cover tightly and marinate overnight.

Remove chicken from bag, cut chicken in half and place both halves on a large oven safe baking dish, skin side up. Discard marinade. Sprinkle chicken with paprika and a little more garlic powder and salt and bake at 425° for about 50 minutes, basting with the pan juices half way through. To test for doneness, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken; the thermometer should read about 160°F. The chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of 165°F, but after the chicken is taken out of the oven it should rise to 165°. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before carving.

Aji Verde Sauce

2-3 jalapeños, seeded
3 tbsp fresh cilantro
2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp white vinegar
pinch cumin
salt and pepper
2 tbsp fat free sour cream
Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Serve over chicken and a side of cilantro, lime rice.

Traditionally, the sauce is served under the chicken but I poured mine all over the top of it. The flavors are ridiculously wondrous together. Try it, I swear by it!