Monday, April 14, 2014
Chicken Fajitas with Spicy Chipotle Bean Dip
As you can probably already determine, my favorite foods, and the ones I make most often, I guess would still best be described as Southwestern. I particularly enjoy the flavors of that region and most of all the spiciness...for me, the hotter the better! Consequently, I will be sharing food similar to the chicken fajitas with spicy chipotle bean dip that I made last night, at least once a week, but probably more.
I had some of the grocery store bought rotisserie chicken left over from Tuesday nights salad, so I shredded about a cup of dark and white meat and set it aside. Over medium high heat, warm up a large saute pan with a couple of tablespoons of canola oil (or the like). Start by cutting a green pepper (red, orange or yellow could also be used) into thick strips and add to the preheated pan. Add also approximately 1 small onion (sweet white or red could be used) also cut into thick strips. I like to cook the vegetables for a relatively short period of time over a higher heat so they retain some crispiness but still develop some color. If the pan gets too hot and the bottom starts to scorch, no worries, just add a bit of water which will settle things down a bit and deglaze the pan at the same time. Add a few good dashes of Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1/2 teaspoon coriander, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon chili powder and salt and pepper. Stir all to combine. Just before the vegetables reach the desired doneness, add the chicken to the pan. The chicken that I used was already cooked, so it just needs to stay in the pan long enough to reheat. Thats all there is to it. Warm a flour tortilla and fill with the chicken and vegetable mix. Add the toppings of your choice. I used Monterrey jack/cheddar cheese, pickled jalapenos, hot sauce and sour cream. Fold and enjoy!
The bean dip is really easy and so delicious! It would be a great snack to try for Super Bowl watching! In a small food processor I added 1/4 of an onion, 1 garlic glove, 1/4 of a green onion, cumin, coriander, a dash of red wine vinegar, salt and pepper and 1 chipotle chili (these are very spicy, so if your unsure start with less and add to your taste) and 1 can of unseasoned black beans. Process until relatively smooth. Cook in a sauce pan about 10-15 minutes and serve warm with tortilla chips.
Please share your favorite foods! I would love to see some ideas for Super Bowl snacks as well, particularly if they are spicy. Maybe these ideas will inspire someone else.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Goat Cheese Caramelized Onion Dip
On Saturday my mother had a gallery opening and I agreed to prepare some munchies for it. So thats what youll be getting here all week - party food. I made a couple of dips with a bunch of cut up vegetables - were really getting into the full vegetable swing now - and a couple of little squares.
This is a fairly classic dip, improved by high-quality, carefully prepared ingredients. Delicious and popular. Caramelizing the onions is a slow process but its what makes the dip.
about 4 cups dip
1 hour 15 minutes prep time
Caramelize the Onions:1 1/2 to 2 cups diced sweet onion (2 medium-small or 1 large)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Peel and dice the onions fairly finely. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and stir them to coat them in the butter, and spread them over the pan. Cook until they turn golden brown all over (caramelized) which will take about an hour. Yes, sorry. Stir regularly, every 5 minutes or so. Watch them especially towards the end, when they will need stirring more often. Dont let them scorch. If they are browning too quickly, turn the heat down. Let cool.
Finish the Dip:
700 grams (1 1/2 pounds) chevre (soft goat cheese)
1 1/2 cups (350 ml) yogurt, preferably goats milk yogurt
a sprig each of fresh basil, mint, dill and parsley
salt to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon)
Put the above into a food processor, and whizz until well blended. Briefly whizz in the caramelized onions. Scoop into an attractive container and serve with crudités and/or crackers or chips.
Last year at this time I made Baked Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms and Bread & Butter Pickles.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Eggplant dip and Red Bean dip Party starters
Dip, dip, dip!Sometimes, you just want something light to nibble for dinner. While Ive labelled this recipe under Party Starters, you need not necessarily have a party to enjoy this kind of finger food. This is perfect stuff to share with your partner while watching your favourite movie on a Friday evening.
My evening menu this Friday was oven baked roti chips, plenty of them to dip into an oven roasted eggplant dip called the Badenjan dip and a red kidney bean dip. The Badenjan dip is quite different in preparation and taste, from the Baba Gannouj which Ive shared earlier with you. While it may sound light, it is quite filling as the components are the same as any other Indian meal - Chips (roti), Eggplant dip (Vegetable) and Kidney bean dip (Dal / Lentils). This can be served with a salad like Fattoush and you have a complete meal.
For a party, Id highly recommend Nigellas own spread for exotic evenings from her book Feast - Pita chips with Eggplant dip, Red bean dip, Fattoush, a Bulghur salad and the tiny lamb meatballs. You can get recipes for the entire exotic menu from her Nigella Feats show.
Eggplant goes exotic!Badenjan Dip / Roasted eggplant dip with pine-nuts and mint
Category - Dip for toasted pita chips or pita bread, Party starter
Serves - 4
Time taken - 30 minutes to 1 1/2 hours depending on how you roast the eggplant
Source - Nigella Feasts
ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil (not extra-virgin)
1 large onion, finely diced
3 fat cloves garlic, minced or grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup homemade / Greek yogurt
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, soaked in 2 tablespoons warm water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, to garnish
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted, to garnish
directions
Roasting the eggplant - You could do this in a broiler or direct on the flame.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Dribble extra-virgin olive oil, to garnish. Prick the eggplants with a fork and put them on a baking sheet and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until soft to the touch. Allow to cool before peeling and mashing them, then leave the pulp in a sieve to drain.
Alternately prick the eggplant and keep it on a medium flame. Rotate at intervals so that the whole exterior is charred and interior is pulpy. This will take roughly 10-15 minutes.
Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan and add the onion and garlic. Cook until golden and then add the drained eggplant mush, cooking it with the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes over a gentle heat, stirring frequently. Take off the heat and turn into a bowl to cool and season with salt and pepper. Add the yogurt to the cooled eggplant mixture together with the saffron in the now golden water, stirring together well. Turn into a bowl and sprinkle over the mint, toasted pine nuts, and a dribble of oil.
Note
I served this with oven-baked roti-chips. Make regular thin rotis from whole wheat flour. Cook them very lightly on both sides and keep aside. Dont put them directly on flame to puff them etc. Cut the rotis into triangles and spread in a single layer. Bake them in a 250C oven for around 5-7 minutes till they are light brown and crisp. Store in airtight container.
Dont miss out on the saffron and the mint. These two spices lend the touch of exotica that youd never find in a Baba Gannouj or any other roasted eggplant dip recipe.
This is my entry for Meetas Monthly Mingle - Arabian Nights
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Queso Dip Yummy
Ingredients:
1 ripe tomato, seeded and chopped
1/4 sweet onion, chopped
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/8 cup asiago cheese
1 slice of pepper jack cheese (or about 1/8 cup)
1 cup milk
1-2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon tomato sauce
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
In a medium saucepan, heat milk and olive oil on med-low. Add in tomatoes, onion, and jalapenos (Add in jalapenos later on for milder flavor). Adding the veggies right away create a delicious flavor throughout. Heat for a couple of minutes, then add in remaining ingredients except for flour. Continue heating until cheese is melted, stirring occasionally. The mixture should be quite runny, not much thicker than milk. Add in flour tablespoon by tablespoon, stirring constantly. Wait a minute or so in between scoops. Once it is thick, serve and eat while warm.
Should serve about 4-5 people.
This queso is a little lighter and much more fresh tasting than store bought, but still has its delicious flavor and gooey cheesyness!
By The Corner Girl