Thank You, Rick : IHCC

Adios y Gracias, Rick!  Goodbye and Thank you, Rick! I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC) has been cooking from chef Rick Bayless's recipes for the past six months and it is time to say goodbye! We will be starting with another chef for the next 6 months.

My last recipe cooking from Rick ends with this "Creamy Chicken and Greens with Roasted Jalapenos" and I've listed out six of my most favourite recipes from Rick Bayless that I've tried out for the past six months. I wanted to choose only five, but ended up with six instead!

For the recipe, you may get it from here.
This recipes uses poblanos chiles, but since I could not find any poblanos and I have about 6 medium jalapenos left, I used that instead. For the past six months that I have been cooking from Rick Bayless's recipes, this is my least favourite. Somehow, it is just not for me. Just as the name of the recipe says, this is creamy, and tasty too and may be alright for some, like the hubby, he had a second helping! But, hey, considering that this is the only dish that I am not crazy about among all the dishes that I've tried, Rick Bayless is definitely in the list of one of my favourite new-found chefs!

Let's take a look at my favourites:

Here are my six favorites :

Fire-Roasted Tomato Salsa

Love this salsa! It is so simple, yet so full of flavour. First time that I've made salsa and love it. Great with eggs, sandwiches, tortilla chips and just about anything.

Cilantro-Green Chile Chimichurri

This lovely pesto is just so delicious! I finished almost all of it by spreading it on bread, yums! So little ingredients that packed so much taste and flavour! One other thing I've learnt is that Mexican cuisine uses lots of cilantro, and since I'm a cilantro fan, it suits me just fine!

Picadillo Tacos

Another delicious recipe from Rick Bayless. This is a total winner with my kids! The salty olives with the sweet raisins, salsa and minced meat, makes the filling absolutely delicious! 

Moroccan Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

These meatballs are simple delicious! They are chewy and very tasty, along with the cumin scented sauce, is so good eaten over pasta!

Green Chile and Cheese Cornbread

I am a fan of cornbread and these are downright YUMMY! If you love cornbread, you should really give this a try!

Mango Guacomole

I have never made any guacomole before this! And I'm totally into guacomole now! All the wonderful flavours from the avocado, lime, mango, onions, chillies and corianders comes together in one amazing mix! Eaten with tortilla chips is so addictive! 

I have learnt a little more about Mexican Cuisine, which is totally something new to me before this. Sourcing for ingredients like chorizo, poblanos and chipotle among other things is really a challenge, as they are not easily available over here. One thing that I've learnt from these 6 months is that roasted peppers and garlic smells incredibly good! There are lots of other recipes that are new and unfamiliar to me, but in time, hopefully I'll find some time to cover just that. Thank you, Chef Rick Bayless, for the past six delicious months! 

IHCC will be cooking with another chef, Madhur Jaffrey starting from October. We are going for Indian Cuisine and I am pretty excited, as Indian Cuisine is one of my favourites. My spices are all stock up and ready to go!

To view other yummies from my friends, please do drop by IHCC and  if you are interested to join us, check out the Welcome Page for the full details.

Rustic Red Sauced Eggs and Crispy Potatoes : IHCC

"What's In Your Lunchbox???" That's the theme at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC) where we are cooking from Rick Bayless's recipes until end of September. So, what's for lunch??? A simple recipe from Rick Bayless that I knew my kids would enjoy for their lunch. Two of my kids favourites, eggs and potatoes!! Already a winner for sure with just these two ingredients!

This is my lunch, Rustic Red Sauced Eggs with Crispy Potatoes. Well the potatoes are not crispy, they are steamed and then fried till brown all over before the beaten eggs are poured over and gently fried scrambled-like style to create large curds. They are then served topped with Roasted Tomato Salsa, from my previous post. 

A delicious, easy and simple lunch. The salsa is a little spicy and is perfect with the eggs and potatoes, great with some cucumber and juicy cherry tomatoes.

My kids' lunchbox. The salsa is a little spicy for them, so they had some Honey Barbecue Baked Beans, which I made that same morning, to go with the eggs and potatoes. Some toasted garlic bread, slices of fresh cucumber and cherry tomatoes, completes their lunch box. They love the eggs and potatoes and already requested me to make this again!

Have not decided what to have for lunch yet? Please do drop by I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC) to see "What's In Your Lunchbox?", you might find what you are looking for!

Rustic Red Sauced Eggs and Crispy Potatoes

(source : Fronterafiesta, Rick Bayless)
Serves 4
2 cups diced red potatoes (about 1/2-inch dice)
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
6 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 1 cup Frontera Roasted Tomato Salsa or Frontera Jalapeno Salsa (I use my homemade Roasted Tomato Salsa)
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1. Steam the potatoes in a steamer set over boiling water in a covered medium-size saucepan until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove potates from the steamer.
2. Heat the oil in a large (10 to 12-inch), well-seasoned or nonstick skillet over medium. Add the potatoes and fry until golden on all sides, about 5 minutes.
3. Beat the eggs with the salt and 1/4 cup of water in a medium bowl. Add the eggs to the skillet, cook, stirring gently to create large curds, until soft set, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately topped with generous spoonfuls of the salsa and a sprinkling of cilantro.

Fire-Roasted Tomato Salsa

"Dia de Independencia" is this week's theme at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC) , where we are cooking up a feast to celebrate Mexican Independence Day! 

I've made some salsa! Simply because, when I think of Mexico, one of the things that comes to mind is Salsa! And I have never tried making my own before, I bought a bottle of salsa a couple of months ago for my Mexican cooking, and I wonder why did I not make it earlier, when it is so simple, easy and taste absolutely delish when homemade! And definitely much cheaper to make your own! 

When I read the instructions for making Fire-Roasted Tomato Salsa, it seems easy enough! The garlic cloves and jalapenos are being roasted till brownish all over and garlic are tender and soft. Love the smell of the roasting jalapenos and garlic!

The garlic and jalapenos are then thrown into the food processor, whiz to chop and added in the rest of the ingredients, processed to a coarse slightly chunky puree, simple, quick and very easy! Season to taste with some salt and lime juice. The result is a wonderful, tasty and delicious salsa with the spiciness of the jalapenos and also I have used a can of diced tomatoes with mild peppers, a superb choice! This is a little too spicy for my kids, so I get to enjoy it all to myself! This salsa is great eaten with anything. I ate this yummy salsa with another of Rick Bayless's yummy recipe, that's for next week. Craving for some salsa, give this a try!

This post is linked to IHCC, where we are cooking from Rick Bayless's recipes. To view the fiesta menu, hop on over! 

I'm sharing this too with :
Recipe Box hosted by Bizzy Bakes

Fire-Roasted Tomato Salsa

(source : Fronterafiesta, Rick Bayless)

Makes about 1-1/2 cups

1 to 2 fresh jalapeno chiles

3 garlic cloves, unpeeled

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice, preferably fire roasted

1/4 cup (loosely packed) chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

salt

1. Roast the chiles and garlic. In a small ungreased skillet over medium heat, roast the chiles and garlic, turning regularly, until they are soft and blotchy brown, about 10 minutes for the chiles, 15 minutes for the garlic. Cool until handleable, then pull the stems off the chiles and roughly chop. Peel the skin off the garlic. Scoop into a food processor and pulse until quite finely chopped.
2. Finish the salsa. Add the tomatoes with their juice. Re-cover and pulse until you have a coarse puree. Scrape into a serving dish. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Taste and season with salt, usually about 1/2 teaspoon. Your're ready to serve.

Honey Barbecue Baked Beans : IHCC

It's Esta Rojo! at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC) for this week. It's all about red and shades of red, where we are cooking from Rick Bayless's recipes until end of September.

I have been cooking for the past five months plus now, from Rick Bayless's recipes and only realized that Rick Bayless is an American and not a Mexican! I was really, really surprised, as I have always thought of him as a Mexican guy! I was busy sourcing for his delicious recipes, when it suddenly hit me, that I know next to nothing at all about him, and I only watched two or three of his shows. So I googled for more info and was really surprised to find out that he was born in Oklahoma and his family has no roots at all in Mexico. You may read more about him from Wikipedia.

Since this week's theme is "red", I decided to make Chipotle Honey Barbecued Baked Beans which I  have bookmarked for months. I bought a can of Pinto beans for this recipe months ago. The recipe calls for smoked bacon, but since I do not have that, I use canned luncheon meat, I know it is not the same, but it tastes just as delicious when baked together with the beans. Besides, luncheon meat is great with canned  baked beans in tomato sauce. This recipe also calls for Chipotle Hot Sauce, but I just use what I had, a small bottle of my homemade Rick Bayless Hot Sauce, which I made months ago, and just great for this recipe.

The luncheon meat, onions and red bell pepper are stir-fried, then the rest of the ingredients are added in. I made half a recipe, using only one can of pinto beans and I find that I needed to use the full amount of honey, just adjust to your taste accordingly. And since I do not have a dutch oven, I used a baking dish to bake the beans in the oven. It took about  1-1/4 hours for the sauce to thicken.

And the result is a delicious bowl of baked beans!

Love the vibrant deep rich colour! All the flavours came through really yummy. It is mildly spicy, my son commented on that, but he finished a small bowl, saying that it was good. I served this with another of Rick Bayless's yummies, but that's for another week!

Yum!

I'll be visiting my friends at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC) to see other delicious "Red" yummies from Rick Bayless's wonderful recipes, come join me and see what the others have came up with, who knows, you might just be inspired to try on some Mexican cooking!

I'm sharing this with :

Full Plate Thursday hosted by Miz Helen's Country Cottage

Recipe Box hosted by Bizzy Bakes

 Chipotle Honey Barbecue Baked Beans
(source from : Fronterafiesta, Rick Bayless)
4 thick slices smoked bacon, diced ( I use luncheon meat)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
3 tablespoons Frontera Chipotle Hot Sauce (I use my homemade RB Hot Sauce)
3 tablespoons honey
1-1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon salt
3 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook bacon, red pepper and onion in small Dutch oven or ovenproof saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until onion is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in 2 cups water, tomato paste, hot sauce, honey, Worcestershire sauce and salt. Mix well. Stir in the beans. Bake, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until beans are nicely glazed and pan juices thickened, about 1 hour. Serve hot.

Notes : These beans are best when made a day or two in advance and then reheated before serving. Reheat in a 350 degrees oven about 45 minutes.

Sweet and Spicy Shrimps (Mexican Style) : IHCC

This week is "Potluck" week at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), where we are currently cooking from chef Rick Bayless's recipes. I have bookmarked more than a dozen recipe of Rick Bayless's to try all these months and this Sweet and Spicy Shrimps is one of them. This is so easy and quick to cook, and most important, this is delicious!

Sweet and Spicy Shrimps (we usually call these Prawns, over here)

The recipe calls for Frontera Chipotle Salsa or Frontera Guajillo Salsa, I do not have either of these. What I  have was some leftover La Costena Chipotle Salsa (chunky) and another bottle of Chipotle Salsa (paste). The recipes requires the salsa to be pureed in a blender and press through a medium mesh strainer. Since I have only about 1/3 bottle of the chunky salsa, I pureed that and mix with about half a bottle of the other chipotle salsa (paste). I did not bother pressing the mixture through the strainer. The recipe uses honey to sweetened the sauce, I added in a couple of tablespoons of honey and I still can't taste the sweetness at all, so I added in about 1 teaspoon of sugar, and it was perfect. 

Sweet and Spicy Shrimps, just as it is called, it is sweet and spicy, though for me, the spiciness is rather mild. The tastes all blend together really well, sour, sweet, salty and spicy. An easy and quick dish to put together and delicious too!

I had this with some white rice, and it was good! The taste is similar to our local sambal, only less spicy. 

This is linked to I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), where we are cooking from Rick Bayless's recipes.

Sweet and Spicy Shrimp

(source from : Fronterafiesta, Rick Bayless)

Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 jar (16 ounces) Frontera Chipotle Salsa or Frontera Guajillo Salsa

1-1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon honey or more to taste

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 pound medium-large (about 24) shrimpm, peeled and deveined with last segment of tail left intact

thinly sliced red onion, fresh cilantro to garnish

1. Puree the salsa in a blender and press through a medium mesh strainer into a bowl. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet (I prefer a 12-inch non-stick skillet) over medium. Add the salsa and cook, stirring frequently, until reduced to the consistency of tomato paste (it should have reduced enough for the oil to have risen, leaving a sheen on the surface), 3 or 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vinegar. Taste and season with honey and salt, it should taste slightly salty and have a hint of sweetness.
2. Stir the shrimp into the cooked salsa (there should be just enough to coat everything lightly) and return the pan to the medium heat. Cook, stirring constanly, until the shrimp are just barely cooked through (cut open a shrimp to see that it has turned from translucent to opaque white), about 3 minutes. Scoop onto a platter and let cool to room temperature. In a small strainer, rinsed the sliced onion under cold water and shake until nearly dry. Sprinkle over the shrimp along with the cilantro leaves, and the dish is ready to serve.

Red Chile Hot Drumsticks : IHCC

Feel The Heat! is this week's theme over at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), where we are currently cooking from Rick Bayless's recipes. I can definitely feel the heat, everyday, I'm referring to the weather! It is super hot (31C) now, no rain for the past week, dusty roads, some of my plants wilted and what am I doing, cooking up a fiery dish? Well, for one, the hot weather seldom stops me from enjoying my spicy and favourite food, in fact, just cooked some spicy hot prawns sambal yesterday! 

Can you "feel the heat" from the chicken drumsticks above? No, those are not tomato sauce!!! 

This is the Hot Sauce that I've made a couple of months ago, one of Rick Bayless's recipe. I have about half a jar left, since I am eating it alone as it is too spicy for the family. Found this recipe from Rick Bayless, Red Chile Hot Chicken Wings, that uses Frontera Red Chile Hot Sauce. I do not have Frontera Hot Sauce, have not seen his brand here before, but I do have my own homemade Rick Bayless's hot sauce, perfect!

The original recipes uses chicken wings, but I bought some mini drumsticks for these instead. The drumsticks are seasoned with a little oil, salt and black pepper powder. Since these are small drumsticks, I baked them in the oven for about 10 minutes each side and move them to the top rack in the oven to broil them for a couple of minutes on both sides until cripsy. When the drumsticks are done, melt some butter and hot sauce in a saucepan, until the butter melts. Add the drumsticks to the saucepan. The drumsticks are really crispy, I can hear the crunch as I transfer them to the saucepan with the tongs. Toss to coat the drumsticks completely with the hot sauce mixture. 

Then enjoy!

Yum, I had these five drumsticks all to myself! They are small, anyway!  :o)

To see the others' fiery dish from Rick Bayless's recipes, hop over to I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC).

I am sharing this too with :
Recipe Box hosted by Bizzy Bakes
Full Plate Thursday hosted by Miz Helen's Country Cottage

Frontera's Red Chile Hot Wings
(source from : Frontera, Rick Bayless)
Serves about 8
24 pieces chicken wings, tips discarded, split at the joint
vegetable oil
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 stick butter
1 bottle (5 ounces) Frontera Red Chile Hot Sauce

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Coat chicken wing pieces in oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a wire rack set over a sheet pan. Roast chicken wings, turning once, until cooked through and skin is nice and crispy, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven.
2. Heat butter and hot sauce or enchilada sauce in a large skillet until butter is melted. (If using Enchilada Sauce, simmer a few minutes to thicken it slightly). Add wings to sauce mixture and toss to coat wings thoroughly. Arrange on a warm platter and serve with plenty of napkins.

Cilantro-Green Chile Chimichurri : IHCC

"Green, Green, Green, Is Everything I'm Wearing" is this week's theme over at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), where we are cooking from Rick Bayless's recipes. One thing I've noticed is that, Mexican food, besides using lots of chilis like poblanos and serranos, they love using coriander, not that I mind, I love corianders! And is it Mexican style of cooking or just Rick Bayless's own style, I find that he loves to roast his garlic and chilies before using them in most recipes. Which is just fine with me, as I really like the roasted aroma of both the garlic and chilies, there's an earthy smell to them when roasted, which I find really nice and delicious! 

So what do I make that is green, green, green? A fabulous Cilantro-Green Chile Chimichurri/Pesto!

A mixture of fresh coriander leaves and fresh parsley, roasted garlic and roasted serrano chili. I do not have green serrano chili, but I always have the red ones in my fridge, so I used that instead. And much as I love adding more in, I only used one chili, since my kids love pesto and they will be eating this too. The unpeeled garlic and chili are dry roasted in a skillet or heavy saucepan until they have black spots and blistered. The garlic are then peeled and the chili roughly chopped. Everything goes into the food processor, with some olive oil and seasoned with some salt. Process into a paste. I did doubled the amount of fresh coriander, I always do in almost all recipes! 

Rick Bayless suggests 2 generous teaspoons of salt! Firstly I think that is a lot of salt, so I only used 1 scant teaspoon and I find that it is already salty enough. Maybe he used Kosher Salt, but he did not mention that in his recipe, so go easy on the salt.

We had this with some toasted bread, top with Tomato and Coriander Omelete (Jamie Oliver) and a spread of the pesto on top. It was so delicious! My kids love it. The pesto is really tasty, and so healthy without any addition of cheese and no nuts at all too. At first I was curious, as most pesto have cheese and nuts, which gave great flavour to the pesto, so I wasn't sure how this is going to taste like. I was pleasantly surprised that this is just as delicious!

Yum! Definitely making this pesto again! Would be really good with chicken and seafood!

I made some crusty bread that afternoon, and  this is the dinner for both my daughter and myself! I cooked something else for the hubby and son, but my daughter and I, we had a few slices of my homemade crusty bread, sliced thinly, spread with the pesto and have it as our dinner. And I had this again the next morning for breakfast. What can I say, I totally love it! :o)

To see what other delicious greens that the others are making from Rick Bayless's recipes, do drop by I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC).

I'm sharing this too with :
Recipe Box hosted by Bizzy Bakes


Cilantro-Green Chile Chimichuri/Pesto
(source from : Frontera, Rick Bayless)
1/2 head garlic, cloves broken apart
2 to 3 serrrano chiles
1 medium bunch cilantro, thick bottom stems cut off
1 small bunch flat leaf parsley, thick bottom stems cut off
1/2 cup olive oil
salt (to taste)

Set a dry skillet over medium heat. Lay in the unpeeled garlic cloves and chiles. Roast, turning frequently, until soft and blotchy brown in spots, about 10 minutes for the chiles and 15 minutes for the garlic. Cool until handleable, then slip the skins off the garlic, pull stems off the chiles and roughly chop (no need to remove the seeds). Place in a food processor along with the cilantro (about 1 cup if packed), parsley (about 1 cup if packed), oil and 2 generous teaspoons salt, (go easy on the salt, I only used 1 scant teaspoon). Process until nearly smooth (it will be pasty). Scrape into a storage container and refrigerate until serving time.

If you plan on saving, cover the top with a thin layer of olive oil.

Amber Ginger : IHCC

"Salud!" is this week's theme over at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), where we are cooking from Rick Bayless's recipes. I missed last week's Potluck Theme! This week is all about beverage, alcohol is optional. We are asked to "Fill your glass with a tasty beverage and raise a toast!". So I'm raising a toast with one of Rick Bayless's drinks, Amber Ginger! The name has a nice sound to it, I like the name "Amber Ginger"!

I am not a drinker, though I do take a glass of beer or so, on certain occasions, I seldom drink anything with alcohol, other than the occasional red wine, that too when there's a celebration going on. But this sounds so good, and really, this hot weather really calls for a glass of cold beer!

Went out to get one small bottle of beer, I made this only for myself (hehe! shhhh... don't let hubby know!!). I made this while he is at work. I'll surprise him one of these days!

Super easy to mix. Simply mix together the lime juice, honey and rum together. Add some freshly grated ginger. I added in some ice cubes. Then pour in the beer, and watch it foams.

 When the foam is clearing up, you can see bits of the grated ginger.

 Would I make this again?

Let's just say that I'm already thinking of getting a couple bottles of beer on my next grocery shopping, hey, I wanted to surprise my hubby, remember? This is so refreshing, love it! I love the flavours of the sweet honey and the lime juice. The rum gives a wonderful fragrance and the ginger, the umph!!! Love it! Not bad, huh, for someone who do not really drink anything with alcohol!  :)

Now I can't wait to see what the others at IHCC will raise in their toast! Let's visit them to find out!

I'm sharing this with :
Recipe Box hosted by Bizzy Bakes
Full Plate Thursday hosted by Miz Helen's Country Cottage


Amber Ginger
(source from :  Frontera Fiesta, Rick Bayless)
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 teaspoons honey
2 tablespoons light rum
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 bottle (12 oz) Dos Equis Amber Beer

1. Mix lime juice, honey and rum in the bottom of a glass.
2. Add fresh ginger and stir.
3. Pour beer in glass and serve.

Ensalada Mixta (Mixed Vegetable Salad with Lime Dressing) : IHCC

This week over at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC) is all about salad, with the theme "Summer Salad" where we are cooking from Rick Bayless's recipes. Something cool and nourishing is definitely up my books, we are experiencing really hot and humid weather right now. It has not rained for weeks, well, it did rain yesterday, not a heavy downpour but just a light rain and it lasted for about only fifteen minutes, I do not count that as rained at all! And the weather gets even worse with the current haze going on! Some areas have been asked to go easy with the usage of water. Hopefully the rain will come very soon. 

Made some pasta for dinner today and this simple salad. This is a simple lime dressing with the combination of lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and chopped fresh coriander. I increased the chopped coriander to double the amount, as I really love corianders. And more black pepper too! 

Rick Bayless has given a number of mixed vegetable combinations and I have selected the one with red potatoes, carrots and eggs, simply because I have all the ingredients at hand. And I happen to love hard-boiled eggs in my salads!  :)
You may check out all the different combinations by Rick Bayless, just click on the link at the recipe below. Or create your own combination.

The carrots and red potatoes are steamed first, leave to cool and mix with the dressing, placed on top a bed of lettuce and sprinkle the top with the egg slices, some red onions rings and cheese.

The simple dressing is really refreshing and goes well with the vegetables. I really enjoyed this plate of lovely salad. In fact, I had this as my dinner today, it is quite filling actually, with potatoes and eggs. Did not eat the pasta that I've cooked for dinner, the hot weather is making me hot and restless, especially after being in the kitchen, cooking and cleaning up, and did not have the mood to eat anything else, but was really happy to have this plate of vegetable salad for my dinner! Yum!

Please visit IHCC to see all the wonderful salads the others have come up with.


I'm sharing this post with :
Recipe Box 2 hosted by Bizzy Bakes
Full Plate Thursday hosted by Miz Helen's Country Cottage


Ensalada Mixta (Mixed Vegetable Salad with Lime Dressing)
(source from : Frontera, Rick Bayless)
The vegetables in this salad can be prepared 1 or 2 days in advance and then mixed with the dressing just before serving.
About 2 cups (total) :
carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally, 1/8 inch thick
small boiling potatoes like the red-skinned ones, sliced 1/8 inch thick
beets, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick (I did not use this)


Dressing :
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup vegetable oil, preferably part olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
a generous 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) or flat-leaf parsley (optional)


Garnish
6 leaves Romaine or leaf lettuce
1 small bunch of watercress, large stems removed (optional)
1 hard-boiled egg, sliced 1/8-inch thick
1 thick slice of red onion, broken into rings
2 tablespoons crumbled Mexican queso fresco or other fresh cheese like feta or farmer's cheese (optional)

Directions :

The vegetables : In a large saucepan, set up a vegetable steamer over an inch of water and set over medium-high heat. When the water begins to boil, place the prepared carrots, potatoes and/or beets in separate shallow piles on the steamer rack. (If using beets, keep them away from the others, or you'll have a lot red vegetables). Steam, tightly covered, until the vegetables are tender but still retain a little firmness, 8 to 12 minutes, depending on their cut and condition. If one vegetable is done before the other, remove it with a large spoon or tongs. Cool the vegetables in separate groupings on a large tray. 

The dressing : A few minutes before serving, measure the lime juice, oil, salt, pepper and optional fresh coriander or parsley into a small bowl or a jar with tight-fitting lid; whisk or shake until thoroughly blended. Pour onto the vegetables and mix well.

Garnish and presentation : Line a large serving platter with lettuce leaves. Once again, toss the vegetable mixture with the dressing, then scoop it onto the platter. Garnish the edges with the optional watercress. Top with slices of hard-boiled egg, rings of red onion, and a sprinkling of the optional fresh cheese.

Picadillo Tacos : IHCC

What's for lunch? A delicious Mexican Picadillo Tacos. The theme at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC) this week is "Wrap It Up" where we are currently cooking from the selected chef, Rick Bayless's recipes. I missed on last week's theme which is "Turn On The Grills", I bought some corns to grill, and the corns ended up being steamed instead, as I was really busy the last week and did not have time to grill the corns, in fact did not do any cooking at all. So I was really looking forward to this week's theme, even thought of making my own tortillas, but in the end, I ended up buying ready-made tortillas instead! One of these days, I am gonna try making my own tortillas!

Getting Mexican ingredients is really a challenge for me. The stores in the area where I'm staying do not have any Mexican sauces like the one above. I got this bottle of La Costena brand Homestyle Mexican Salsa from the special store which carries imported food, mainly catering to the expatriates living in Kuala Lumpur.  I actually bought this a few weeks ago, knowing that I'll be using this sooner or later. Most of the things there are quite expensive, since most of them are all imported. This bottle of sauce is however reasonably priced. I cannot find any of Frontera products (by chef Rick Bayless) over here, well, there are one or two more places that I have yet to check, keeping my fingers crossed!

I made this for lunch, and it was delicious. A simple filling of minced pork, salsa, onions, olives and raisins. I did plan on making some tortillas that afternoon. At the last minute, I realized that I did not thaw the vegetable shortening beforehand, for one of Rick Bayless's Tortilla recipe that I wanted to try, and my kids are getting hungry, me included! So as soon as I've cooked the filling, I went out to get some tortillas from the supermarket nearby! There are a few flavours to choose from, I bought the garlic tortillas.

To warm the tortillas for easy wrapping, simply place the pieces of tortilla on a microwavable plate, with a piece of lightly damp kitchen towel separating each piece,  microwave on high for 20 seconds. You will get nice soft warm tortillas.

This is delicious, even though it is a little bit spicy for my son, he managed to eat two of these with a glass of iced water!  The filling is really delicious, spicy from the salsa, a little saltiness from the olives and bits of sweetness from the raisins. I wrapped the filling up with some fresh green lettuce lining the tortillas. Definitely worth making again!

To see all the delicious wraps, hop over to IHCC! 

I'm sharing this with :

Full Plate Thursday hosted by Miz Helen's Country Cottage
Weekend Potluck hosted by Life As A Lofthouse

Recipe Box 1 hosted by Bizzy Bakes

Picadillo Tacos

(source from : Frontera, Rick Bayless)
Serves 4 to 6 as a taco filling
1 pound ground beef or turkey (I use ground pork)
1 small white onion, diced
1 jar (16 ounces) Frontera Chunky Tomato Salsa (mild) (I use La Costena Homestyle Mexican Salsa, Medium)
1/2 cup sliced green olives (I use stuffed olives with pimento)
1/2 cup raisins
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp ketchup
8 to 12 warm tortillas
chopped cilantro

1. Cook beef or turkey and onion in a large skillet until browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in salsa, olives, raisins, sugar and ketchup. Cook until thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt.
2. Serve in warm tortillas sprinkled with chopped cilantro.