Easy Skillet Enchiladas

This is a great one for a New Year’s Eve gathering or some end of the season football!  Not only is it sure to please, but it can be prepped beforehand, and will soak up three times its weight in alcohol. These quantities are plenty for a group of four to five, double or triple as required.

In a small sauce pot, heat a can of enchilada sauce on low. You could add three to four finely chopped canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, but not a deal breaker if you don’t. Love those things!

While that’s simmering, sauté a large shopped onion for five minutes over medium heat in a large sauté or straight sided pan. Add a pound of ground beef, a half a teaspoon of kosher salt, and a teaspoon each of cumin and chili powder. Once the meat is browned, if you’re using black beans or corn, now’s the time to stir them in. 

Next, pour in the enchilada sauce along with 12 corn tortillas cut into bite size pieces. Stir well, cover, and leave on low heat for about fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally.

To finish, spread two cups of shredded Monterey Jack or Mexican blend cheese and a chopped scallion over the top, then either remove from the heat and cover, or place uncovered in a 350 oven until the cheese is melted. Serve with your favorite salsa, and/or sour cream.

Cheers to 2022!

Shrimp with Parsley Lemon Pesto

I honestly can’t say enough about the importance of a quality food processor, it’s a life changer in the kitchen. I’ve had the same one for nearly 30 years, with a couple of replacement parts, and use it at least twice a week. Treat yourself this holiday season, it’s one of the easiest ways to elevate your cooking.

One of the things I use mine most for are “pestos.” They aren’t all technically pestos, but almost always include some garlic, greens, salt, and extra virgin olive oil. For this shrimp appetizer, I used a chopped bunch of parsley, stems and all, and a handful of spinach.

I always start by finely pulsing a coarsely chopped garlic clove with a sprinkle of kosher salt. Next in goes the greens, then, with the food processor running I drizzle in the olive oil until I’ve reached the desired thickness and consistency. It usually takes around a quarter of a cup.

For this parsley lemon pesto, I squeezed in the juice from a quarter of a lemon along with the greens. And no matter the ingredients,” basil, arugula, cilantro, parmesan, or a splash of vinegar, you always have to taste for salt before unplugging your processor.

Anchovy Olive Skewers

These anchovy olive skewers, or Pinchos Gilda as they’re called in Spain, are the perfect nibble along side a holiday cocktail. There are many variations, but all include a pitted manzanilla olive, an anchovy, and a hot pickled pepper.

They go together quickly, and can be made hours ahead of time. If you can’t find plain manzanilla olives, the pimiento stuffed ones will do. And for the peppers, the Matiz piparra are best…and you can find them at Mehuron’s. You could also use a pepperoncini, or for something less spicy, a dilly bean.

Start by wrapping an anchovy fillet around the olive then skewering it together with a toothpick. Slide the pepper up against the olive on one side, and a cube of Manchego cheese on the other. Done.

Cheers!

Steamed Cauliflower and Celery

Time for a cleanse before the next round of holiday indulgences begin. Steaming doesn’t have to be boring; a flavorful mix of vegetables and a tangy vinaigrette will liven up any dinner.

Start with the vinaigrette by combining the juice from one lemon, three times as much extra virgin olive oil, a small minced shallot, some finely chopped parsley, and a quarter teaspoon each of sugar, salt, and black pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Next, cut a head of cauliflower into florets, and a couple stalks of celery into eighth-inch slices. Bring your water to a boil then add the vegetables to the steamer basket and cover. Cook until tender, about five minutes, but check after four by sticking a knife into the thickest part of a stem. You don’t want it to get too soft.

When it’s done, drain the hot water, let the vegetables sit for half a minute to drain, then toss them in a bowl with the vinaigrette.

Potato Latkes

Potato latkes were actually one of the first recipes I wrote about ten years ago when I started doing this column. Since then, I’ve tweaked a few things and if I do say so myself, they’re even better than they were all those latkes ago.

I still use russet potatoes, but no longer bother peeling them. And instead of the food processor, I grate everything by hand on a box grater…wearing goggles. I’ve changed up the quantities a bit as well, but otherwise, the ingredients are the same.

Coarsely grate a pound of potatoes and a large onion into a bowl. Add three tablespoons of flour, a half a teaspoon of baking powder, two teaspoons of kosher salt, half a teaspoon of black pepper, and a lightly stirred egg. Mix well, your hands work best.

Place a large heavy skillet on medium low heat with just enough vegetable oil to barely cover the bottom. When the oil is hot, take a quarter cup of the mixture with a slotted spoon and squeeze out as much of the liquid as you can using the palm of your hand. Tip the spoonful of mixture into the pan and flatten slightly with a spatula.  Repeat until your pan is full but not overcrowded.

Cook five to six minutes, flipping, rotating, and adjusting the heat to get them just right. When they’re golden brown on both sides, transfer to a paper bag and sprinkle with some more salt. Serve immediately, or keep them warm in the oven until you’re ready.

Quick and Easy Falafel

Thanksgiving eve can be a little stressful for the cooks of the house, so keep it light and tasty with some quick and easy falafel. The quantities below will yield seven or eight patties, and can be prepped earlier in the day on Wednesday.

Rinse, and drain a can of garbanzo beans. Then, combine a 1/3 of a cup each of parsley and cilantro in a food processor with a large chopped shallot, four chopped garlic cloves, a couple of tablespoons of sesame seeds, a teaspoon and a half of cumin, and a quarter teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Pulse until it forms a coarse spread.

Add the garbanzo beans and four tablespoons of flour to the mixture then pulse in spurts.  You don’t want it to get too smooth, you’re looking for more of a chunky paste. If it seems too runny, add some more flour. Transfer to a bowl, cover with saran, and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours.

To cook, form into two-to-three-inch patties and brown in a large frying pan over medium heat with just enough oil to cover the bottom. They don’t take more than a few minutes per side. Serve with some tzatziki, your favorite hot sauce, or to keep it real light with just a squeeze of lemon.

Shaved Brussel Sprout, Kale, and Pecorino Salad

I’m a big believer in a big fresh crunchy salad as part of our Thanksgiving meal. Don’t get me wrong, I love creamed spinach and green bean casserole, but it’s also nice to have something a little more refreshing at the table.

This one hits all the right texture and flavor buttons with a mix of Brussel Sprouts, lacinato kale, salty pecorino, sweet cranberries, and a citrus dressing. What makes it even more perfect for Thanksgiving is that it can be prepped hours ahead of time, won’t get soggy, and because it has dried cranberries, spares you from having to make cranberry sauce for the two people that actually eat it.

Thanksgiving morning, shave the Brussel Sprouts and devein and finely chop the lacinato…equal amounts of each. Combine and store in a plastic bag in the fridge.  You can also shave the pecorino and do the same.

The vinaigrette is simply some fresh lemon or orange juice with your best extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Shake well in a mason jar, then set aside.

A half an hour before you sit down, throw the greens and shaved cheese together in a large bowl with some dried cranberries, then dress, toss, and salt to taste.

Egg Kimchi Tacos

While I was savoring every bite of these kimchi egg tacos, I couldn’t help but think of one of my most trustworthy mantras, it doesn’t have to be difficult to be good.  A few quality ingredients and five minutes are all it takes sometimes.   

I always keep a pack of corn tortillas in the freezer, and have learned over the years that it pays to take the time to throw a wax paper divider or two between them so you don’t have to defrost the whole pack when you only want a couple.

Reheat the defrosted tortillas in the toaster oven at 300, or in a dry pan over a low flame on the stove.

When they’re soft, warm, and pliable, top them with a fried egg, salt, a pile of kimchi, and a squirt of Sriracha. A few chopped scallions or sliced avocado are nice too if you have them around.

So perfect…any time of day or night!

Squash, Kale, and Garbanzo Curry

Cold nights and curry go together like stacking wood and The Rolling Stones. What I especially love about this particular combination is the way the sweetness of the butternut squash perfectly balances the spice and heat of the curry paste. 

As far as curry pastes go, my favorite brand is Maesri, particularly the masaman…it’s also the most economical at $2 a can. They often have it at the East Warren Market, but if not, it’s always available at the Asian markets in Burlington and online. But any curry paste will work.

Add a cup of chicken stock and the curry paste to a large pot and bring to a boil. Immediately turn down the heat, stir in half a bunch of deveined and chopped kale and simmer for about twenty minutes.  

Skin and deseed a large butternut squash, cut into ¾” cubes, then add to the pot along with a can of coconut milk and a drained can of garbanzo beans. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender. Salt to taste.

It makes a great meal on its own, over rice, or served with a piece of chicken or beef on top.

Eggplant and Red Pepper Pasta

There are two things that makes this pasta much less boring than it sounds, roasting the veggies, and the red pepper, caper, garlic puree.

Cut up a large eggplant and three red peppers into one-inch chunks, toss with some olive oil and salt, then roast on a cookie sheet for approximately forty minutes at 400.

Remove from the oven and pulse a third of the red pepper in a food processor with a couple splashes of extra virgin olive oil, two tablespoons of drained capers, and a clove or two of garlic until nearly smooth. You could also mash them together if you don’t have a food processor, or do, and just hate to clean it.

Cook a pound of pasta, drain, and immediately toss with the warm eggplant, red peppers, and red pepper puree. Chili flakes are optional.

Salt to taste and serve with grated parmesan.

Hash Browns

As far as comfort foods go, hash browns are way up there on my list. To start with, they’re just as amazing for breakfast as they are for dinner.  Can you say that about mac and cheese?  

And how about their adaptability? They’re incredibly perfect on their own, but if the situation calls for it, can easily embrace some garlic, jalapeno, melted cheese, bacon, fennel, kale…the list goes on and on. You can’t say that about beef stew, can you?

But it does take some patience to get them just right. The size of your potato cubes matters, no bigger than half an inch.  And par boiling the potatoes is necessary, just a few minutes in some simmering salted water. And whatever you do, don’t rush the browning, medium low heat for thirty minutes in a heavy frying pan.

For a pound of potatoes, sauté a large chopped onion for a minute with some oil, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Add your drained potatoes along with some more salt and pepper and continue to cook. 

You want the potatoes to brown, but without burning the onion, so adjust the heat as necessary. And stir well every five minutes or so…very important! As you near the thirty-minute mark you should start seeing some perfection, now’s the time to salt and pepper to taste.

And it goes without saying, the more local the potato, the better they’ll taste. Last farmer’s market this weekend.

White Bean and Garlic Puree

As you’ve heard me preach many times before, it doesn’t necessarily take much to crank your dinner up a notch…and this bean and garlic puree isn’t just easy, but also super versatile. They’re just us good topped with a piece of chicken, beef, fish, or pork as they are with some crumbled feta, chili crunch, or sautéed veggies.

Empty a can of navy or cannellini beans into a strainer and rinse well with cold water. Peel and coarsely chop a clove of garlic and run for five seconds in a food processor with a quarter teaspoon each of kosher salt and black pepper.

Add the drained beans, turn on the processor, and slowly stream in about an eight of a cup of your best olive oil. Remove the lid and check the consistency; stream in more oil if you want it thinner.  Then just salt to taste.